Christianity clearly claims that God exists and is entirely good, all-powerful and all-knowing. When discussing these claims, the question is often raised:

If such a God exists, then why does he allow so much suffering, or even cause suffering?

For example the death, loss of loved ones and economic hardship caused to millions of people by COVID-19? If God sees people suffering terribly and could act, why didn’t he stop the virus before it got going?

Why, God?

Why does God allow such immense suffering in this world? Why are there earthquakes that flatten thousands of families in their sleep. Why famines? Why cancer? Why brain disorders and diseases? Why malaria? Why aging? Why does he allow some babies to suffer at the hands of cruel adults? Why does everyone die? Why doesn’t God fix it now, if he really is loving, and fully capable?

A good question, and a fair one.

Suffering, disease, disaster….and God.

Whenever we encounter a question about suffering we should treat it carefully, no matter our starting point of view regarding God. It’s all too easy to just steam ahead into the debate, and forget that our words go out into a world of real people experiencing various kinds of real – and often heartbreaking – pain. Some of us are asking this question right now precisely because of our current experience or because someone we love is suffering. So let’s try our best not add to people’s pain with careless words. I am acutely aware that I tend to be more truth-sensitive than feelings-sensitive, so I am trying to take care to speak the truth with genuine love. I hope I have succeeded.

If God is all-knowing and all-powerful, he could stop the coronavirus and other suffering, but has chosen not to do so yet, even though he is perfectly good and loving. ‘BUT WHY?’ we respond. We don’t see how that could work. What loving reasons could God possibly have for allowing or even sometimes causing such horrors?

I’ve been researching and writing this series through 2020-2022, and the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has added several more examples to the struggles and pains that are a common feature of human daily living. Some people suffer far more than others, suffering is not spread equally across humanity, and some of our fellow humans suffer beyond endurance, but across life in general all of us suffer. Why would a good God make the world this way? Does the sheer amount of suffering and evil in the world give us evidence that a good and all-powerful God does not exist?

The Approach used in this ‘Suffering’ Series

Use of the Bible

I’m going to quote the Bible quite a lot in this series…but not in a way that requires you to believe it is divinely inspired or even reliable. Rather, I’m going to quote the Bible because let’s face it, the problem of suffering/evil is a challenge that carries the most weight when directed at the biblical message of a loving and all-powerful God. Many other religions and philosophies don’t even claim that there is a personal, involved, caring, all powerful creator anyway. Eg in atheism, there’s no reason to expect anything different from what we already experience since there is no controlling intelligence of the universe. Although everyone acknowledges suffering is unpleasant (in the extreme sometimes) for world-views that don’t make certain claims about God, suffering doesn’t cause any sense of internal tension. Those who believe the Bible, on the other hand, really have to deal with the problem of suffering since the Biblical God is claimed as entirely good, all-knowing and all-powerful. There is a tension there. So we will quote the Christian scriptures to explore how Christianity (and Biblical Judaism) deals with the problem of suffering, because it is a problem for Christians more than for other religions.

The various documents ("books") of the Bible don’t tiptoe around this issue or gloss over it – quite the opposite! They take the problem of suffering and evil head on – it’s one of the core themes! The texts discuss the gritty reality of life, but also proclaim that God’s long plan is indeed to eliminate all suffering and evil of every kind. Do they have any answers then, or is it all platitudes and blind faith? Let’s find out!

Note: This site uses a ‘Bible reference tagger’, so any time I reference a Bible passage (eg if I type " John 3:16 "), you should be able to hover or tap to see a popup containing the passage. If the reference includes more than can fit in the popup box just click the embedded link to open it in a new tab.

Investigation Plan:

I’m writing this article series in a careful order. There is an important distinction to be made, as:

• The possible reasons the Bible mentions for specific cases of suffering are not necessarily given as reasons for God allowing all suffering in the first place. For example, when Paul says God allowed him to suffer to keep him humble, he is only speaking for that one situation, not for his whole life and certainly not for the whole universe. There could be a general principle that could be extracted (eg God might sometimes use suffering if needed to keep his servants from getting bigheaded) but we have to acknowledge our uncertainty when we apply principles like this in other situations.
• Likewise, the Biblical documents clearly show that suffering is not (currently) distributed ‘fairly’ by merit or anything like that; there is a deliberate unpredictability. So we can’t find general answers and then apply them with a ‘broad brush’ as if they automatically are the main reason for a specific situation.

So, here’s the plan:

Section 01 – Dealing with some common but non-biblical answers.

There are some popular but (I think) damaging answers to questions about God and suffering. They aren’t really Biblical answers, but I have heard these from (loving, well-meaning) Christians before. Perhaps you have too, so it helps to deal with any potential misconceptions before starting to explore what the Christian scriptures do say. Ideas have consequences, and I want to rescue us all from some common ideas about suffering that are unsatisfying, unhealthy and unbiblical.

• Wrong Answers to the Question of Suffering – Part 1 – Don’t Blame the Sufferer
• Another Wrong Answer to the Question of Suffering – Part 2 – Don’t try to get God off the hook

Section 02 – Intellectual questions about suffering.

Why would a good God create a universe including any suffering at all? And is the presence of so much suffering in our universe evidence against the existence of the Biblical God?

• Does Suffering Disprove God?
• What reasons could God have to allow or cause suffering?
• Why did God make us this way?

Section 03 – Pastoral questions about suffering.

Even if the general presence of suffering is necessary, are there are any reasons given in the Bible that God might allow or cause suffering in a particular case? Does he empathise with the sufferer? How could he? And isn’t all suffering ultimately cruel, so how could he do this to them? How should we respond to suffering?

• The God who Toils, Learns and Suffers
• COMING SOON Why me? Why them? Understanding Specific Cases of Suffering.

I hope that these explorations will be helpful.