Why is there suffering when God is benevolent?

Answer 1

Good question! I will give two points of view. In a religious slant, The so-called Holy Books tell us that God, the all knowing, all seeing, loving creator allows us to suffer to strengthen our faith. Quite the paradox. Now from a non-religious view: any Omniscient, Omnipotent, God who would express His love to His creation, is a petty, nasty, spiteful deity to allow the suffering of His children; just to feed His ego. Really? No, and no.

ANOTHER ANSWER:

"...we Confidently and Joyfully look forward to sharing God's Glory. We can rejoice, too, WHEN WE RUN INTO PROBLEMS AND TRIALS, for we know that THEY ARE GOOD FOR US - they HELP US LEARN TO ENDURE. And endurance DEVELOPS STRENGTH OF CHARACTER IN US, and character strengthens our confident EXPECTATION OF SALVATION. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For WE KNOW HOW DEARLY GOD LOVES US, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His Love." (Rom.5:2-5 NLT New Living Translation)

"...Joseph was sold as a slave... until the time came to fulfill His Word, the LORD tested Joseph's character. Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free; the ruler of the nation opened his prison door. Joseph was put in charge of all the king's household; he became ruler over all the king's possessions. He could instruct the king's aides as he pleased and teach the king's advisers." (Ps.105:17-22 NLT)

Answer 2

Consider the two following quotes, which seem to clash. One is Isaiah 45:7, which clearly states that God "creates evil." The second is from Lamentations 3:38, which says "from the mouth of the Most High, evil...did not result." The answer to the contradiction may be seen in a third verse, Proverbs 19:3, which says "the foolishness of a man corrupts his way, yet his anger is directed against God." Meaning, that while some evil is undoubtedly created by God (such as the death of an infant), a lot of evil is the result of humans' choices. God has given us the gift of free-will (Deuteronomy 30:15-20); and without the possibility of bad results, free-will would be vitiated.

Entire books (such as Job) have long ago been written about the existence of suffering. Suffice it to say that Judaism sees the existence of evil as a test, and/or the result of our own (humans') bad choices, and/or a warning (such as pain, which shows you what part of your body needs repair) or a message (Genesis 42:22), and/or mere misinterpretation (such as the bee's sting, which to a child is unmitigated evil but which adults recognize as a protection for that insect which pollinates all fruit-bearing trees).

Answer 3

There are several potential answers:

• An obvious potential answer is there is no god
• If there is a god, he can't do anything about this
  
• If this god could do something about suffering he is not aware of the suffering
  
• If god is aware of it and could do something he doesn't care to
  
• In the worst case the god may enjoy stirring up the "ant hill" just for the amusement the suffering and confusion causes.

These answers tend to point away from the benevolent, omnipotent god.

Answer 4

Consider the two following quotes, which seem to clash. One is Isaiah 45:7, which clearly states that God "creates evil." The second is Lamentations 3:38, which says "from the mouth of the Most High, evil...did not result."

The answer to the contradiction may be seen in a third verse, Proverbs 19:3, which says "the foolishness of a man corrupts his way, yet his anger is directed against God." Meaning, that while some evil is undoubtedly created by God (such as the death of an infant), a lot of evil is the result of humans' choices. God has given us the gift of free-will (Deuteronomy 30:15-20); and without the possibility of bad results, free-will would be vitiated.

Entire books (such as Job) have long ago been written about the existence of suffering. Suffice it to say that Judaism sees the existence of evil as a test, and/or the result of our own (humans') bad choices, and/or a warning (such as pain, which shows you what part of your body needs repair) or a message (Genesis 42:22), and/or mere misinterpretation (such as the bee's sting, which to a child is unmitigated evil but which adults recognize as a protection for that insect which pollinates all fruit-bearing trees).

In any case, this life was never meant to be a walk in the park. People are meant to invest hard effort in this world (see Job 5:7), and suffering is a factor which should assist us in gaining understanding.

Suffering teaches us:

• our mistakes (Genesis 42:22)
  
• to repent
  
• that we are not all-powerful or in control
  
• that this life is not meant to be uninterrupted pleasure
  
• to have sympathy for sufferers (Exodus 23:9)
  
• humility; maturity; acceptance; fortitude.

Also, when viewed in the context of the afterlife, when worthy people who suffered may be recompensed and the prosperous wicked will have the opposite, the apparent injustices of this world become easier to understand.

Answer 5

First of all, our human minds aren't really capable to comprehend the ways of God. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"Â declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

We first need to understand why there is suffering to begin with. The first humans disobeyed God and gave in to temptation. So that brought sin into the world - and with sin comes suffering. Not that long after that, this question began to be asked. The earliest-written book of The Bible is Job. Job suffered more than anyone can imagine, but he kept his faith in God, and after he came through his tribulation, his life was better than it was before it began. Some say that this is an allegory of what would come later.

Later, God saw all the troubles in the world and took the form of a man (Jesus) (Philippians 2:5-8;
John 3:16). He felt everything that we do - The Temptations and the suffering, etc. (Hebrews 4:15) ... but beyond what most of us would endure. He suffered and died (John 15:13) ...and then rose from the dead -- so that we would be able to have eternal life after death with no pain or suffering. That is the concise answer to how benevolent God is to those who trust and follow him.

Answer 6

In philosophy, this is called the problem of evil and suffering. If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, all good, and the sole creator of the world, then why is there evil and suffering? The problem can only be resolved if at least one of these propositions is false. Therefore if God is all-good - benevolent - he is either not all-knowing and is therefore unaware of all the evil in the world, or he is not all-powerful and is unable to prevent evil and suffering.

The more straightforward explanation of the existence of evil and suffering is that God does not even exist, as many people now believe.

Answer 7

Consider the two following quotes, which seem to clash. One is Isaiah 45:7, which clearly states that God "creates evil." The second is from Lamentations 3:38, which says "from the mouth of the Most High, evil...did not result."

The answer to the contradiction may be seen in a third verse, Proverbs 19:3, which says "the foolishness of a man corrupts his way, yet his anger is directed against God." Meaning, that while some evil is undoubtedly created by God (such as the death of an infant), a lot of evil is the result of humans' choices. God has given us the gift of free-will (Deuteronomy 30:15-20); and without the possibility of bad results, free-will would be vitiated.

Entire books (such as Job) have long ago been written about the existence of suffering.

• Link: About Job
  

Suffice it to say that Judaism sees the existence of evil as a test, and/or the result of our own (humans') bad choices, and/or a warning (such as pain, which shows you what part of your body needs repair) or a message (Genesis 42:22), and/or mere misinterpretation (such as the bee's sting, which to a child is unmitigated evil but which adults recognize as a protection for that insect which pollinates all fruit-bearing trees).

In any case, this life was never meant to be a walk in the park. People are meant to invest hard effort in this world (see Job 5:7), and suffering is a factor which should assist us in gaining understanding.

Suffering teaches us:

• our mistakes (Genesis 42:22)
  
• to repent
  
• that we are not all-powerful or in control
  
• that this life is not meant to be uninterrupted pleasure
  
• to have sympathy for sufferers (Exodus 23:9)
  
• humility; maturity; acceptance; fortitude.

Also, when viewed in the context of the afterlife, when worthy people who suffered may be recompensed and the prosperous wicked will have the opposite, the apparent injustices of this world become easier to understand.

Link: The afterlife