Why Suffering?

If God is all-powerful and he is good then why does he allow suffering? I know there are many other reasons but over the next couple of postings I intend to propose a few I have pondered. Let's look first at the relationship between a father and son. A good father knows that over protecting his child is dangerous because he knows that his child has develop the ability to make correct choices on his own. It is a loving Father that gave human beings the trait that no other creation of his has - free will. With free will comes the responsibility for our choices, suffering being one of them. A world without the consequence of suffering as the result of bad decisions would be an a very unpleasant place to live. Imagine a world where anyone who murdered, cheated, stole, lied...etc. suffered no consequence. Ah...but you say we do live in a world like that. Do we? Maybe there is no physical consequence immediately seen, but what about the emotional pain suffered because of immoral decisions? And if you could see the spiritual as God does you would hear what Daniel did in the twelfth chapter and second verse bearing his name, "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt."

One other thing about free will. It is a requirement of love. If we had no free will we would not be able to love others let alone God because love requires the option to not love. Well I hope to post more on suffering soon so check back.

Photo by foreversouls on Flickr. Este entrada en espanol.