A gunman opens fire in a church, wounding and killing a number of people. The only way to begin answering this question is to view our fallen world from God… Why can we be sure that Jehovah has a very good reason for allowing suffering to continue? 2 When disasters or tragedies like those happen, many people ask, “Why?” Many ask why the world is so full of hatred and suffering. The following is a typical conversation that one of Jehovah’s Witnesses might have with a neighbor. One of the most pressing challenges to Christianity is the problem of evil. Satan, a rebel angel, called God a liar. 20, 21. Why now? Why does God allow suffering in the world? Also, humans would believe that they are able to rule themselves successfully. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (commonly known as “Jehovah’s Witnesses”) teaches that God does not have a purpose or will at work in individual events of suffering or tragedy. They mainly act because of their instincts, but we can choose how we want to live our lives and decide whether we want to please Jehovah. Copyright © 2021 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. He never lies.​—Hebrews 6:18. (b) Why has Jehovah not fixed the problems caused by Satan? If … For example, they write: “God is not responsible for bad things that happen to people; nor d… 8 There are other reasons why there is so much suffering in the world. Some may say that everything that happens to a person, including tragedies, has already been decided by God and that we can never understand why. God has promised to remove all causes of suffering. For example, the prophet Habakkuk asked Jehovah: “Why do you make me witness wrongdoing? It Reminds Us of the Reality of Sin. Or He is … They fight, they go to war, and they bully others. By allowing the consequent suffering, the need to recognize God's right to rule and obey him would become clearly evident. God has allowed men to rule for long enough to demonstrate that they cannot resolve mankind’s problems Evil began on earth when Satan told the first lie. Answer: There is so much suffering in the world, and it is felt by everyone to one degree or another. (Job 34:10) Who, then, is the prime instigator of misery? But that isn’t true. 17 Can Jehovah repair all the damage that has been caused by the rebellion of Satan and humans? Jehovah’s Witnesses would be … So God has allowed Satan to rule this world for a time. The Bible says: “He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) In fact, God hates to see suffering much more than we do. They thought that they had the right to decide for themselves what was right and what was wrong. Humans have tried every kind of government, without success. 19. The Bible says: “It is unthinkable for the true God to act wickedly, for the Almighty to do wrong!”​—Job 34:10. Avoid jumping to the rash conclusion that God somehow wants us to suffer or that he is personally testing us.  |  Jehovah is patient and has allowed time for us to come to know him and to choose him as our Ruler. Learn what God says about the reasons for suffering. All those in “the memorial tombs” will be resurrected. Jehovah will use Jesus to undo all the damage that Satan has done. How and when will he do this? Often, the response is that suffering is God’s will and that he long ago determined everything that would ever happen, including tragic events. He is “misleading the entire inhabited earth.” (Revelation 12:9) Many people imitate him. Even so, innocent people are suffering,” (Watchtower Nov. 2012, “Question 3 – Why does God allow me to suffer”). Question: "Why does God allow the innocent to suffer?" Why is there so much suffering in the world? How will you use your gift of free will? (a) Why did Jehovah not destroy the rebels immediately? your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.”​—Genesis 3:5. . why it is god wow suffering you work out didn't intended for humans to suffer on the contrary he gave the first human couple of wonderful start what say to regular angel called godara wire and influence the first humans to reject god so forty when i am alive disturbed god … This is a question that has baffled people for generations and I am going to give you a great theological answer right now: I don’t know. Why doesn’t Jehovah force us to serve him? What do you think? But you may wonder, ‘If Jehovah is the most powerful person in the universe, why doesn’t he stop those terrible things from happening?’ We know that God cares deeply about us, so he must have a very good reason for allowing suffering to continue.​—1 John 4:8. “God knows that . Humans do need God’s help. (Matthew 22:37, 38) He is like a father who is happy to hear his child say “I love you” when the child says it from his heart and not because he’s forced to. 5 Pastors, priests, and religious teachers often say that it is God’s will that people suffer. Why me? Have you ever wondered about that yourself? “God neither causes bad things to happen nor incites others to do what is bad,” (Watchtower July 2014 “Bad things happen to good people – Why… It's our choice whether to accept God's free ticket to eternal life in paradise (Acts 4:12). 12, 13. Still, God felt sorry for mankind so he provided a way to restore … PRIVACY POLICY, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/m/502018850/univ/art/502018850_univ_sqr_xl.jpg, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/fg/E/wpub/fg_E_lg.jpg. Why does God allow suffering? Satan has been proved a liar. (a) Why has Jehovah allowed suffering to go on for so long? Everyone wants to know if there is a God, why does God allow suffering. Share Share He claimed that God was keeping something good from Adam and Eve. The Bible … He gave humans the gift of free will. Jehovah wants us to enjoy life. “Be wise, my son, . 20 Jehovah wants us to love him. Suffering forces us to turn from trust in our own resources to living by faith in God’s resources. Humans have had many kinds of governments, but they cannot rule the earth successfully without God. (Proverbs 30:24) Also, we are not like machines that do only what they are made to do. The prophet Jeremiah was right when he said: “I well know, O Jehovah, that man’s way does not belong to him. 9. “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”​—Jeremiah 10:23. On the proposition that the presence of suffering rules out the existence of a benevolent God, I’d ask what humanity would be if God didn’t allow suffering. 15 Why has Jehovah allowed suffering to continue for so long? He hates to see them suffer. Consider just one: It is often people who cause suffering to others. Why should we be grateful for this gift? So, at first glance it seems that suffering gives us good reason to rule out God. Other times the cause is our own weakness or God’s discipline in our life. . Jehovah wants us to serve him because we love him. God said, “If you take that position, you will suffer and die.” Man took that position, and he began to suffer, and he has been dying ever since. Then he will make the earth into a paradise, as it was meant to be. Good News From God! Many argue, "Why would an all-powerful, all-loving God allow pain and suffering?" 15, 16. The purpose of this post is not to attempt a theodicy, that is, a defense of why God allows suffering. Suffering and death in this corrupted world are guaranteed for each of us. Many bullies and tyrants who inflict pain are unwilling to change … This article raises questions you may have asked and shows where you can read the answers in your Bible. What Can the Bible Teach Us? But whatever the origin of our … We have the freedom to make choices about whom we want to be, whom we want as our friends, and what we want to do with our life. Good News From God! To start off with, God did create a world without suffering… But we do know that God loves each person who is suffering, and that He does … TERMS OF USE 9 Jehovah never causes suffering. Learn From God’s Word. Why would a powerful and loving God allow suffering, evil and death? The Urban Alternative is a Christian Bible teaching and resource ministry founded 39 years ago by Dr. Tony Evans. God is not the cause of human suffering. Many ask why the world is so full of hatred and suffering. The Scriptures tell us that suffering … (Job 38:7; Daniel 7:10) So Jehovah gave Satan time to prove whether his accusation was true. What Can the Bible Teach Us? 18 Jehovah does not force us to choose him as our Ruler. Why So Much Suffering? 7 The Bible tells us that “the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) The ruler of this world, Satan, is vicious and cruel. (Proverbs 27:11) What can you do now so that you will be there in God’s new world when he removes all suffering? The Bible promises that all disasters and tragedies will soon be gone forever. “Far be it from the true God to act wickedly!” states the Bible. It is true that suffering can bring out the best in us and that the Bible says that the trials God … What is the best choice that you can make now? Physical death is just the death of the body, but the spirit lives on. Jesus will undo all the damage that Satan has caused. 3 In the Bible, we learn that men who had deep faith in God also asked such questions. What do many religious teachers say about suffering? Jehovah has deep love for people. This question has been asked from time in memorial. Audio download options Many think God is to blame for all the suffering in the world. Satan challenged Jehovah in front of millions of angels. The Bible provides a satisfying and comforting answer. In order to understand some of the big questions that surround this topic we have to look at God’s plan as a whole. The Bible promises that all disasters and tragedies will soon be gone forever. Would you like to read this article in %%? Publication download options But suffering is not just a problem for Christians. 7, 8. The ruler of the world is Satan the Devil. And why do quarreling and conflict abound?”​—Habakkuk 1:3. Why Does God Allow Suffering? God does not cause disasters such as earthquakes, … Let us examine what this precious gift means to us. 10 In the garden of Eden, the Devil misled Adam and Eve. Here is the classic statement of the problem. 12 Jehovah didn’t destroy Adam and Eve immediately. Share They  often want to be more important than others. On the contrary, he gave the first human couple a wonderful start. Even when we suffer, he helps us to endure.​—John 4:23; read 1 Corinthians 10:13. Either God is all-powerful but He is not all good, therefore He doesn’t stop evil. God didn’t intend for humans to suffer. Would you like to read this article in %%? But actually, the opposite is true. Why Does God Allow So Much Suffering in the World? Every belief system has to account for suffering in some fashion or another. Why are destruction and violence before me? God is good but evil is also real and has influence in the world for now. The short answer is that we don’t always know why in specific cases. What wonderful gift has Jehovah given us? Why can we be sure that Jehovah has a very good reason for allowing suffering to continue? And because of sin, humans cause other humans to suffer. He’s not to blame for war, crime, and mistreatment. Before we speak to the question of why God allows children to suffer, we need to ask the bigger question: Why does God allow suffering to happen to any person, whether he’s two years old, two months old, or twenty years old? 16 However, Jehovah has not fixed the problems caused by Satan. He also gave humans time to set up their own governments under Satan’s guidance to show whether they could be successful without God’s help. Jehovah never causes bad things to happen. 21 Use your free will to serve Jehovah. (Ecclesiastes 4:1; 8:9) Sometimes people suffer because of “time and unexpected events.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) When they are in the wrong place at the wrong time, accidents and other bad things can happen to them. (Read 2 Peter 3:9, 10.) If God can prevent such tragedies, why does He allow them to take place? TERMS OF USE Let us imagine that a Witness named Michelle has come to the home of a … * But there is good news. Cancer takes a mother’s life, leaving behind five children. Life Without Suffering—A Trustworthy Promise. We cannot successfully rule ourselves without God. (b) How did Jehovah answer him? The next chapter will answer that question. How could Jehovah prove that the rebels were wrong and that he knows what is best for us? Why Does God Allow Suffering? 4 At Habakkuk 2:2, 3, we read God’s answer to Habakkuk’s questions and His promise to correct the situation. It has taken time to prove that  Satan’s rule has failed. Sometimes, people suffer as … (b) Why has Jehovah allowed Satan to be the ruler of this world and humans to govern themselves? Satan accused God of being a bad ruler. Still another reason might be persecution or simply the consequence of ignoring good principles. (a) What questions did Habakkuk ask? 14 For thousands of years, humans have tried to rule themselves, but they have failed. Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering? 11 Adam and Eve disobeyed Jehovah and rebelled against him. 6 Many people blame God for all the suffering in the world because they think that God rules the world. After Adam and Eve rebelled, they passed sin on to their children. What is God doing? Satan accused God of being a bad Ruler. What does the Bible teach? Yes. This is a difficult question and also a very common one.  |  Publication download options (John 5:28, 29) People will never get sick or die. 17, 18. Satan, our adversary, will be banished forever, and God will make all things new. Share He’s not to blame for war, crime, and mistreatment. We aim to spread the teaching of God’s Word through Christian media with the goal of … 3, 4. Then Jehovah made it possible for the children of Adam and Eve to choose whom they wanted as their ruler. Satan wanted them to believe that he would be a better ruler than Jehovah and that they did not need God.​—Genesis 3:2-5; see Endnote 27. Even though they have made advances in science and technology, there is more injustice, poverty, crime, and war than ever before. Jehovah gave us the freedom to choose whether to serve him or not. Why did Jehovah not ignore Satan’s challenge? 5. What Can the Bible Teach Us? Satan wanted humans to believe that they had the right to decide for themselves what was right or wrong. Life Without Suffering—A Trustworthy Promise. Audio download options Jehovah will use Jesus “to break up the works of the Devil.” (1 John 3:8) We are grateful that in the meantime Jehovah has been patient with us so that we can come to know him and can decide that we want him to be our Ruler. A: There are no easy answers to the question of the purpose of suffering and evil. If he did, it would mean God supports Satan’s rulership, and He will never do that. God has nothing to do with it, and therefore one cannot find comfort in God’s will or purpose when painful things occur, for that would be to “blame” God. God does not cause disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods. Each of us knows firsthand what it means to suffer as a result of … But that is a lie, and Jehovah would not support that either. Second, someday God will intervene, and all the evil and pain and sorrow we now experience will be destroyed. And that’s just one reason why the world is so full of lies, hatred, and cruelty. 6. God allows suffering to continue at present for good reasons. What will Jehovah do about all the damage that Satan has caused? PRIVACY POLICY, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/bhs/E/wpub/bhs_E_lg.jpg. Satan, Adam, and Eve chose to reject Jehovah. The tendency is to blame God for these conditions, but He did not create them. Why is there so much suffering in the world? If you watch TV you see the world-wide suffering all across the world of children … Satan was originally a perfect angel, but “he … It is designed to build our trust in the Almighty, but suffering requires the right response if it is to be successful in accomplishing God’s purposes. Why do many people blame God for all the suffering in the world? A TSUNAMI destroys a village. Many are told that God’s ways are mysterious or that he brings … Suffering is not in itself virtuous, nor is it a sign of holiness. Jehovah knows when all of Satan’s challenges will have been fully answered. James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith … Others may even say that people, including little children, die so that they can be with God in heaven. Animals act primarily because of instinct, but Jehovah has given us free will. so that I can make a reply to him who taunts me.”​—Proverbs 27:11. . Jesus called Satan “the ruler … They came as a result of man’s disobedience to God… Copyright © 2021 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Jehovah has deep love for people. That explains why we see so much suffering around us —it’s because Satan, not God, is the real ruler of the world. “It is unthinkable for the true God to act wickedly, for the Almighty to do wrong!”​—Job 34:10. Jehovah’s purpose was to fill the earth with perfect people, and that was going to happen no matter what the Devil tried to do.​—Genesis 1:28; Isaiah 55:10, 11. The problem of suffering has been with us since the Garden of Eden and it will be with us until Christ comes back. There is this intimate bond between the cross, the epitome of the sufferings of Christ, and the suffering of the people which is a participation in the self-same cross. 9. Good News From God! There are millions of others who have decided to please God and to reject Satan. Read these Top 9 Bible Verses-Why Does God Allow Suffering? It is only IF God exists … We can decide whether we will serve him or not. . But as we learned in Chapter 3, the real ruler of the world is Satan the Devil. And why do you tolerate oppression? It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”​—Jeremiah 10:23. With God, all things are possible. Instead, he allowed them to have children. They teach that when bad things happen, it is always the result of Satan and/or of human sin. Why does he not stop bad things from happening? 9 Jehovah never causes suffering. 19 Jehovah’s wonderful gift of free will makes us very different from the animals. Likewise, God does not cause innocent people to suffer. (Isaiah 55:8, 9) So then, let’s discuss the question, Why is there so much suffering in the world? Suffering is a tool God uses to get our attention and to accomplish His purposes in our lives. 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