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Okay, honest question here!?

If there is a god, why is such suffering allowed to happen on earth? Why are innocent children taken away from us? Why do we have a history rich with murders and wars over the existance of god in which form when it would be so simple to put an end to it all by just revealing him/her self?

Update:

all you religious experts, here's your chance to honestly explain something...

Update 2:

if it's an issue of population control, why didn't he make the earth bigger? I could have waited another day.

20 Answers

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  • Molly
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Here is an explanation better than I can come up with:

    http://www.carm.org/questions/suffering.htm

    Excerpt:

    Conclusion

    Suffering is the result of human sin. The world is not the way that God created it and because of that, all are vulnerable to the affects of sin in the world. Why does one person suffer and another does not? Why do catastrophes happen to some and no others? It is because sin is in the world. But there will come a day when the Lord will return and cleanse this world of all sin and all suffering.

    "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Rev. 21:4).

  • 1 decade ago

    Fair question. The answer is a bit long so fair warning. Long answer ahead...

    It goes back to the Garden of Eden when Satan put into question God's right to rule and the value of his rule. Basically he told Eve she didn't need God. Fast forward to the days of Job and Satan laid down another challenge... a challenge really to all mankind ... that Job only served God because of what God did for him... the protection he was afforded. "take everything away" and he will curse you... "touch his very soul (or life)" and he will curse you. (Job Chapter 1,2) That is a challenge that could not go unanswered and would also violate the free will he granted us. He has allowed time to pass so that the fallacy of Satan's claims to Eve could be shown and for US to prove the fallacy of the his claim about Job and, by extension, all humans.

    The good news is that at this point humans have had thousands of years to "go it alone" and there is no doubt they have failed miserably. And there have been those humans who have loved God despite adversity, despite persecution. The time is now near when God will finally put an end to all suffering and restore the earth and humanity to the condition he intended. That includes restoring life to those that have died.

    A pipe dream? It seems that way but it is a promise from God himself.

    Source(s): www.watchtower.org
  • 1 decade ago

    This question is very simple to a true believer or Christian or a person that has been well counseled and has accepeted Jesus Christ as his/her Savior.

    There are to "bad" things (in your term) that happens to us in life.

    First problems, problems are made because of something you did wrong. For example: If your a kid, You broke your mom's favorite vase. She gets angry and slaps you. So you cannot blame God but yourself.

    Now what you are asking is only a trial of the faith,

    Yes Trials and problems 2 really different things,

    Why is such suffering allowed to happen on earth?

    Simple: Because it can be both a problem and a trial.

    Example: Global Warming: ITs a problem because man abused God's Creation.

    Why are innocent children taken away from us?

    Simple: Because God is testing our faith. Job, a man of the Bible had seven sons and daughters, a wife, a good farmland and lots of animals. However Satand told God that if God took away Job's blessings he(Job) would curse God.

    So all Job's animals, seven sons and daughters were killed.

    And Job got really sick BUT he did not curse God.

    So God knew Job's faith was true, So God blessed him with 7 more children.

    Why do we have a history if rich murders and wars over the existance of God in which form when it would be so simple to put an end to all it by just revealing Him self?

    Because again it is a trial of the faith!

    You think by showing Himself all of this would end?

    God's testing you if by all this wars you would still believe in Him or would you rather trust in man?

    "It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man." Psalm 118:8

    Our faith maybe tested in many many ways.

    "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose ye this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell, but as for me and my house we will serve the LORD."

    -Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)

    So, just accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior!

    And live your faith!

    "If the body without the spirit is dead, and so faith without works is dead also." -Somewhere in the New Testament

  • 1 decade ago

    A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.

    As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.

    They talked about so many things and various subjects.

    When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:

    "I don't believe that God exists."

    "Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.

    Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?

    Would there be abandoned children?

    If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.

    I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

    The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.

    The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

    Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.

    He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:

    "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

    "How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

    "No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

    "Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me. "

    "Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!

    That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help.

    That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

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  • 1 decade ago

    LOL!! Had to read a couple of answers to this. It is an actually good question worthy of a Star.

    There are a lot of ones saying "it is god's will, or gods way of making us stronger, or gods way of saying we aren't worthy".

    What a supertanker load of tripe!! So, for all those people starving in third world countries, who may not have been exposed to god, this is his punishment for them? Children, who are supposed to be innocent in gods eyes, are being abused physically, emotionally, and sexually and murdered.

    Natural disasters, wars, famines, etc, all the bad things that happen are our own fault. It's time people quit saying "The devil made me do it" or "It's god's will", and accept it. The Deities put us here to see if we cold co-exist with each other, and we royally screwed it up.

    IF the gods would appear, we would probably lock them in area 51 and experiment on them, just to be sure they are deities.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    DRINK

    for the barber story genius.. The barber need only to go into the street and let the dirty, long haired not yet customer know his services are available, if he is waiting for them to see the babrer pole, perhaps where the long hair comes from a place where barber poles hold no significance.. but the fact remains, the babrber can and may very well go into the street and anounce himself to his potentialcustomers... IF your god existed, he could and would AND should do the same.

    No you say?

    Well then, he loves us so very much, yet he fails to make himself known though je is omnipresent, then allows a soul to perish because he failed to reveal himself? this is a loving god?? hardly.

  • 1 decade ago

    I'm not that expert when it comes to this but there is a God. Sufferings, problems and others are just ways of God to make us strong, we are like horseshoes, if we are not good enough we are again reshaped and make into something stronger. It can also be His way to remember Him, for as we can see, we ignore Him and don't get touch with Him for some time, and giving problems is His way to remember Him , by turning us to Him, therefore remebering Him...There are things that are too much for us humans to know.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    What you're asking about is generally referred to as the Problem of Pain. C.S. Lewis wrote an entire book on the subject, and he's not the only one. It's a reasonable question and it deserves a serious answer, but I can't do it here - partly because there isn't room and partly because I doubt I could do it justice. If you're really interested in the answer, you might dig up a copy of Lewis' book. As you might guess, it's called "The Problem of Pain":

  • 1 decade ago

    I'm not really a believer but....

    If according to bible Adam and Eve knew god and still commited a crime, and if according to life there are people stealing and murdering even that they know they will 100% get punished by the law, do you really thing it god exist and he will reveal himself it will help? I doubt it.

    If he exist then probably it just some his masterplan to reach something. If not, well this is human nature, and if it will chage and we will reach utopic perfection it will be one really boring world.

  • 1 decade ago

    From the begining of time God gave man choices to make, from Lucifer who turned into satan to adam and eve. God does not want robots, he wants people to love him and serve him freely, His love for us is unconditional, we are made in his image, conforming to it everyday. Children who are taken away go straight to Heaven, a place much better than here. If you gave them a choice to come back I don't believe they would, Because of sin introduced into the world by adam and ever there has been wars and rumors of wars all of the earths existance, there always will be until the end, now with our technology the end will come as one of these little countries with nothing to lose and no conscious what so ever will turn loose a nuke then we will nuke and the world will basically be over. Don't kid yourself, the bible is unfolding before our very eyes. I am in my 40's now and I remember when I was young people saying that no one man could ever keep up with everyone on earth, now with computers, they are already doing it. In Bible it talks about the river Euphrates river drying up, people said no way, now Turkey itself could shut off the water and you could walk across a river that came from the garden of eden, Oh yes my friend, Jesus is coming, are you ready, Jesus is coming just as you are asking at the end of your comments, but the problem is you have got to be ready before he comes, right now he says have faith, become a born again Christian, confess your sins daily, and Jesus promises to forgive you, just pray this sinners prayer and you can become ready if you believe, just pray Dear Jesus, I know and confess that I am sinner in need of salvation. I believe you died on a cross at calvery and arose from the grave to wash away my sins, I ask you right now to come into my heart and save me, I pray this Prayer believing in the name of Jesus Amen. If you prayed this prayer with a sincere heart you are now a child of God, rejoice that your name is written in the Lambs book of Life. Jesus will now send his Holy Spirit to come and live in your heart and guide you into all truth. If you made a decision for Christ or have any questions, Please send me an email, God Bless YOU!!

    Source(s): Holy Bible, read the Gospel of John Romans 3:10,23,,6:23,,,10:9,13 Ephesians 2:8-9
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