“Pain is unmasked, unmistakable evil; every man knows that something is wrong when he is being hurt.” C.S. Lewis
After the 2004 tsunami, one of my good friends in Indonesia returned home to find his home swept away along with most of his family...his wife, only son, and father...and they were never found.
What are we to do with the suffering caused by the twin problems of: 1) seemingly random natural forces (earthquakes, brain tumors, etc); and 2) moral failure (crime, genocide, etc.)? It all seems so cruel and unjust.
One thing we don't need is pat answers. Yet, as theologian Tim Keller notes, when suffering hits there are two basic ways that people respond: secularism and moralism. Neither are satisfactory.
Secularism: There is No God
The existence of pain, suffering, and loss is a problem for the Christian. Many people conclude that because of suffering there can be no God. After all, why would he allow it? But the existence of pain is a problem for the atheist too.
I can understand why a person could conclude God does not exist when faced with suffering, at least to a point. It does seem to solve the immediate, intellectual problem, although it does little to help the emotional problem. That is just the way it is, and nothing more. As atheist Richard Dawkins put it:
“In a universe of electrons and selfish genes, blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.”
If that is true, then we must, as atheist Bertrand Russell stated, build our lives on a firm foundation of unyielding despair.
Implications of Secularism
Although the conclusion that there is no God may seem to solve the immediate question of "why suffering?", it does not make the pain go away.
In fact, it could be argued that it intensifies suffering. Because the atheistic worldview believes death is the end, it removes all hope for anything better to come.
It also removes justice, as noted by Dawkins above. After all, if there is no God, no good, and no evil, and morality is only an illusion set in place by our selfish genes to perpetuate our species, then our sense of injustice is an illusion too, at best our own opinion. Yet most of us have strong reactions to injustice in the world. But if there is no evil and justice is illusory, then as former atheist CS Lewis noted, the argument against God collapses too—for the argument depends on saying the world is really unjust, not simply that it is my opinion it is unjust. Lewis concluded that consequently, atheism is too simple; it can't explain our strong sense of morality, injustice, and the existence of evil.
(Listen to Tim Keller contrast what Christianity, other major world religions, and atheism have to offer the suffering person - click on YouTube video above left or click here:http://youtu.be/IwH_6uDWnl8).
Are There Grounds for Believing There is a God?
Despite the grim implications of secularism, it could be our reality and we just have to face it. My wife may have to just accept that her mom has been snuffed out of existence and she will never see her again. But because the implications of this worldview are so stark, I'm not prepared to accept it until I also face whether there is any evidence for believing God is real.
To me, the solid historicity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, as evidenced by the empty tomb, more than 500 witnesses, and the explosive growth of the early church even in the face of severe persecution, offers astounding evidence for the existence of God (see my post on the Resurrection). The Resurrection of Jesus tells us that death is NOT the end, and offers us hope for a new body and future in which all pain will be removed. (1)
But Why Would God Allow Evil?
Couldn't God have created a world in which there was no evil or suffering?
CS Lewis argued that God could not create a world of love and goodness without also creating creatures that could freely give or withhold such love. (2) To eliminate free will, God would have had to make us robots instead of people. Blaise Pascal called it the "dignity of causation", the freedom to do good or to do bad.
Moralism: Why is God Punishing Me?
What did I do wrong? Maybe if I had more faith, prayed more, or lived better, then I wouldn't be suffering. Accordingly, the religious moralist responds by striving to improve the way he/she lives. It is based on the belief that if we live a good life, then good things will happen to us, and vise versa.
Job was told as much by his religious friends after he lost his children and possessions to raiding marauders and natural disaster. He also became very sick. (3) But Job's friends couldn't have been more wrong, because earlier in the story it was made clear that Job was a righteous man. His suffering had nothing to do with the consequences of his own behavior, but rather was caused by the enemy of our souls, Satan. This point is extremely important, because even Christians often blame themselves ("I blew it") or God ("God is punishing or holding out on me") when they suffer. Christians often forget the Bible teaches we have an enemy who wants to kill, steal, and destroy our lives. (4) This also helps explain why it appears as though the world is under assault, where we have a mixed picture of human nobility and depravity, beauty and evil.
Jesus also addressed this moralist viewpoint when he asked his disciples whether some worshipers who were massacred in a local temple were worse sinners than their peers. Or if 18 people who died when a building collapsed on them were worse citizens than their peers. Jesus, with the full authority of the Son of God, answered his own question with an empathic "I tell you, no!" (5)
That makes it pretty clear we are not to jump to conclusions when we or someone else is suffering. It is indeed cruel to tell the mourning and brokenhearted that they are worse than others.
It is important to note that Jesus didn't say we are not sinners at all. We know that sometimes we bring suffering on ourselves by the way we live (such as consequences for not taking care of our health, or other poor choices). But sometimes we just don't know the cause of suffering.
Perhaps the real question is whether there is any evidence we can trust God in our suffering.
Jesus went on to tell his listeners: "But unless you repent, you also will perish". God gives each of us a finite life span and along with it, opportunity to respond to Him. I encourage you to consider Jesus' warning.
Trusting God With the Ragged Edges of Suffering
Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, or God in human form. (6) His crucifixion on the cross has a solid basis in history. (7)
It is worth contemplating what God was doing on the cross. There is much more to it, but at the very least it tells me that God has not remained distant from human suffering, but has become part of it.
This is a crucial point that is utterly unique among world religions. Only with the cross can we even begin to comprehend how God can help us endure suffering. It is a window into the heart of God (8) (Watch John Lennox discuss this powerfully on the YouTube link to the left or here: (http://youtu.be/tmP5WfEiOe0).
As Christians we believe that because Jesus is God Incarnate, he rose from the dead, which tells us death is not the end. We also believe Jesus will be the righteous judge of all people, and that justice is real. (9) This also addresses the twin problems of moral and natural evil. The terrorists who blew up the twin towers, and those who murdered school children in shooting sprees will not get away with it - there is to be a final judgement; this is a moral universe. We also have the promise of restoration. There will one day be a new heaven and a new earth, where all pain will be abolished. (10)
The Scriptures tell us that each of us exists because God wanted us. (11) And that includes those who have perished, whether due to moral evil or natural causes. Such as my friend's family who died in the tsunami, my wife's mother, and my older sister whose heart stopped beating two weeks before she was to be born. Perhaps John Lennox summarized it best when he said: "Even though on the one hand I have major intellectual problems with many questions [of pain and suffering], I think there is enough evidence to believe that when we see what God has done [in heaven] with the innocents who have perished, we will have no more questions." (8)
Footnotes:
 |
| My wife Jannis (right) and her sister Carol at their mother's graveside a few months after their mother died of a brain aneurism. Jannis was 6 years old. |
After the 2004 tsunami, one of my good friends in Indonesia returned home to find his home swept away along with most of his family...his wife, only son, and father...and they were never found.
What are we to do with the suffering caused by the twin problems of: 1) seemingly random natural forces (earthquakes, brain tumors, etc); and 2) moral failure (crime, genocide, etc.)? It all seems so cruel and unjust.
One thing we don't need is pat answers. Yet, as theologian Tim Keller notes, when suffering hits there are two basic ways that people respond: secularism and moralism. Neither are satisfactory.
Secularism: There is No God
The existence of pain, suffering, and loss is a problem for the Christian. Many people conclude that because of suffering there can be no God. After all, why would he allow it? But the existence of pain is a problem for the atheist too.
I can understand why a person could conclude God does not exist when faced with suffering, at least to a point. It does seem to solve the immediate, intellectual problem, although it does little to help the emotional problem. That is just the way it is, and nothing more. As atheist Richard Dawkins put it:
“In a universe of electrons and selfish genes, blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.”
If that is true, then we must, as atheist Bertrand Russell stated, build our lives on a firm foundation of unyielding despair.
Implications of Secularism
Although the conclusion that there is no God may seem to solve the immediate question of "why suffering?", it does not make the pain go away.
In fact, it could be argued that it intensifies suffering. Because the atheistic worldview believes death is the end, it removes all hope for anything better to come.
It also removes justice, as noted by Dawkins above. After all, if there is no God, no good, and no evil, and morality is only an illusion set in place by our selfish genes to perpetuate our species, then our sense of injustice is an illusion too, at best our own opinion. Yet most of us have strong reactions to injustice in the world. But if there is no evil and justice is illusory, then as former atheist CS Lewis noted, the argument against God collapses too—for the argument depends on saying the world is really unjust, not simply that it is my opinion it is unjust. Lewis concluded that consequently, atheism is too simple; it can't explain our strong sense of morality, injustice, and the existence of evil.
(Listen to Tim Keller contrast what Christianity, other major world religions, and atheism have to offer the suffering person - click on YouTube video above left or click here:http://youtu.be/IwH_6uDWnl8).
Are There Grounds for Believing There is a God?
Despite the grim implications of secularism, it could be our reality and we just have to face it. My wife may have to just accept that her mom has been snuffed out of existence and she will never see her again. But because the implications of this worldview are so stark, I'm not prepared to accept it until I also face whether there is any evidence for believing God is real.
To me, the solid historicity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, as evidenced by the empty tomb, more than 500 witnesses, and the explosive growth of the early church even in the face of severe persecution, offers astounding evidence for the existence of God (see my post on the Resurrection). The Resurrection of Jesus tells us that death is NOT the end, and offers us hope for a new body and future in which all pain will be removed. (1)
But Why Would God Allow Evil?
Couldn't God have created a world in which there was no evil or suffering?
CS Lewis argued that God could not create a world of love and goodness without also creating creatures that could freely give or withhold such love. (2) To eliminate free will, God would have had to make us robots instead of people. Blaise Pascal called it the "dignity of causation", the freedom to do good or to do bad.
Moralism: Why is God Punishing Me?
What did I do wrong? Maybe if I had more faith, prayed more, or lived better, then I wouldn't be suffering. Accordingly, the religious moralist responds by striving to improve the way he/she lives. It is based on the belief that if we live a good life, then good things will happen to us, and vise versa.
Job was told as much by his religious friends after he lost his children and possessions to raiding marauders and natural disaster. He also became very sick. (3) But Job's friends couldn't have been more wrong, because earlier in the story it was made clear that Job was a righteous man. His suffering had nothing to do with the consequences of his own behavior, but rather was caused by the enemy of our souls, Satan. This point is extremely important, because even Christians often blame themselves ("I blew it") or God ("God is punishing or holding out on me") when they suffer. Christians often forget the Bible teaches we have an enemy who wants to kill, steal, and destroy our lives. (4) This also helps explain why it appears as though the world is under assault, where we have a mixed picture of human nobility and depravity, beauty and evil.
Jesus also addressed this moralist viewpoint when he asked his disciples whether some worshipers who were massacred in a local temple were worse sinners than their peers. Or if 18 people who died when a building collapsed on them were worse citizens than their peers. Jesus, with the full authority of the Son of God, answered his own question with an empathic "I tell you, no!" (5)
That makes it pretty clear we are not to jump to conclusions when we or someone else is suffering. It is indeed cruel to tell the mourning and brokenhearted that they are worse than others.
It is important to note that Jesus didn't say we are not sinners at all. We know that sometimes we bring suffering on ourselves by the way we live (such as consequences for not taking care of our health, or other poor choices). But sometimes we just don't know the cause of suffering.
Perhaps the real question is whether there is any evidence we can trust God in our suffering.
Jesus went on to tell his listeners: "But unless you repent, you also will perish". God gives each of us a finite life span and along with it, opportunity to respond to Him. I encourage you to consider Jesus' warning.
Trusting God With the Ragged Edges of Suffering
Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, or God in human form. (6) His crucifixion on the cross has a solid basis in history. (7)
It is worth contemplating what God was doing on the cross. There is much more to it, but at the very least it tells me that God has not remained distant from human suffering, but has become part of it.
This is a crucial point that is utterly unique among world religions. Only with the cross can we even begin to comprehend how God can help us endure suffering. It is a window into the heart of God (8) (Watch John Lennox discuss this powerfully on the YouTube link to the left or here: (http://youtu.be/tmP5WfEiOe0).
As Christians we believe that because Jesus is God Incarnate, he rose from the dead, which tells us death is not the end. We also believe Jesus will be the righteous judge of all people, and that justice is real. (9) This also addresses the twin problems of moral and natural evil. The terrorists who blew up the twin towers, and those who murdered school children in shooting sprees will not get away with it - there is to be a final judgement; this is a moral universe. We also have the promise of restoration. There will one day be a new heaven and a new earth, where all pain will be abolished. (10)
The Scriptures tell us that each of us exists because God wanted us. (11) And that includes those who have perished, whether due to moral evil or natural causes. Such as my friend's family who died in the tsunami, my wife's mother, and my older sister whose heart stopped beating two weeks before she was to be born. Perhaps John Lennox summarized it best when he said: "Even though on the one hand I have major intellectual problems with many questions [of pain and suffering], I think there is enough evidence to believe that when we see what God has done [in heaven] with the innocents who have perished, we will have no more questions." (8)
Footnotes:
