How can a God of Love allow Suffering ? Just Looking

HowHow can a can a

God of God of Love Love

allow allow

SufferingSuffering??Just LookingJust Looking

Just LookingJust Looking

HowHow can an can an omniscientomniscient (all-knowing)(all-knowing), , omni-benevolentomni-benevolent (all-(all-

loving)loving), , omni-omni-present present (everywhere) (everywhere)

God allow people to God allow people to suffersuffer??

Either he Either he cancan’’tt help or he help or he wonwon’’tt help! help!


The “Inconsistent Triad”The “Inconsistent Triad”

Omnipotent Omnipotent GodGod

Benevolent GodBenevolent GodEvilEvil

Does the Does the presence of presence of anyany twotwo makes the makes the

thirdthird impossible impossible??


Pain: a useful warning Pain: a useful warning signsign

Suffering Suffering ––

an an overviewoverview

Preventing Preventing damage or damage or injuryinjury

inflicting pain inflicting pain (on others or one self)(on others or one self)

““Acts of GodActs of God””



““Moral evilMoral evil” – ” – caused by caused by peoplepeople

Different sorts of Different sorts of sufferingsuffering

““Natural evilNatural evil” – the ” – the way the way the worldworld is is

Some suffering is Some suffering is self-inflictedself-inflicted

Self-inflicted Self-inflicted sufferingsuffering





Lorna SpinksLorna Spinks


Suffering caused Suffering caused by othersby others

Lorna SpinksLorna Spinks









Morgan MussonMorgan Musson


Suffering which is Suffering which is just part of our just part of our

worldworld



worldworld



worldworld


Suffering which has Suffering which has positive valuepositive value

Endurance Endurance …… strengthstrength …… understandingunderstanding …… empathyempathy …… idealideal




C. S. Lewis

The possibility of choosing to love demands free will

The importance of The importance of free willfree will


… and free will demands the

possibility of doing harm



The possibility of choosing to love demands free will

Perfect clones … and no suffering?

The choice to love …

and the possibility

of suffering?



Human choices to do wrong appear to have affected the whole created order

Existentialism points to a perceived gap between what people know they are and what they feel deep within that they should be

A perfect world A perfect world –– corruptedcorrupted??


Has God Has God distanced distanced

Himself from Himself from this human this human

predicamentpredicament??



God participates in God participates in the human the human

predicamentpredicament







Gethsemane




The steps up to

Caiaphas’ house




A cell beneath

Caiaphas’ house




Games marked out by Romans soldiers at the barracks

courtyard Just LookingJust Looking



The Garden Tomb Just LookingJust Looking



Inside the tomb Just LookingJust Looking




What is the best What is the best possible worldpossible world??

A world A world where where evil evil

rulesrules??

A world A world where only where only good good can can happenhappen??

A world A world where where good good triumphstriumphs??


What is the best What is the best possible worldpossible world??

The world – a The world – a ““vale of soul makingvale of soul making””

The possibility of choosing to love demands free will …… and free will demands the possibility of doing harmHuman choices to do wrong affect the whole created orderGod participates in His suffering world and the experience of hurting people …… and breaks through in power to touch hurting lives

Conclusion:Conclusion:


A difficult question: Why should a God of love let those He loves suffer?

A more difficult question: why do so many who have suffered greatly believe in a God of love?


Documents

How can a God of Love allow Suffering ? Just Looking