why does god allow bad things to happen?

1. God never promised the world would be free from trouble. Just the opposite. "“Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble." (Job 14:1)

2. Trouble in this life helps us to look forward to heaven where there will be no more pain.

3. Sometimes going through something hard will equip you for helping someone else later. Sometimes you can help better if you have "been there".

My dad had heart problems (including surgery). That was not good to have to deal with that, but years later I was at the hospital visiting with a family whose loved one had heart surgery. They had a young teen-age girl who was about to go in and see her grandfather shortly after the operation. Because I had "been there", I was able to take her aside and explain to her what she was about to see and prepare her. This helped relieve some of her fears. The bad experience I had gone through helped me to help her.

4. Sometimes bad things are the consequence of sin. Sometimes it is our sin, but sometimes it is the sin of other people.

5. Sometimes trouble helps to make us stronger. "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. " (Romans 5:3-4) If you make it through one thing, you may be stronger and better able to handle something else later.

6. When we have trouble, it may humble us. Instead of asking, "Why me?", it may be we should ask "Why not me?"

7. Trouble makes us appreciate the good times. If everything was always good, we may take it for granted.

8. It may be a different perspective. For example, death is the only way a faithful follower of God can leave this world to be with God. We often see death as bad, but Paul said "For me... to die is gain". (Philippians 1:21) "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord" (Rev. 14:13). (To die in the Lord, a person must first live in the Lord.)

9. Another difference in perspective may be, for example when a loved one dies, instead of being bitter that they were taken from you, you should be glad you were blessed with the time you were given with them. Most people on earth did not have the blessing of knowing and learning from your loved ones.

10. Sometimes trouble teaches us. A hot stove burns. If I am hurt once (even slightly) I learn to be more careful later.

11. Sometimes trouble warns us. If I never felt pain, I would not know to take my hand off of the hot stove before I had suffered serious injury. If my dad had no pain from a heart attack, he would not have known he needed to seek medical help.

The Bible clearly states: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) When you think about it, does that not make sense? This world reflects the personality of the invisible spirit creature who is “misleading the entire inhabited earth.” (Revelation 12:9) Satan is hateful, deceptive, and cruel. So the world, under his influence, is full of hatred, deceit, and cruelty. That is one reason why there is so much suffering.

A second reason why there is so much suffering is that mankind has been imperfect and sinful ever since the rebellion in the garden of Eden. Sinful humans tend to struggle for dominance, and this results in wars, oppression, and suffering. (Ecclesiastes 4:1; 8:9) A third reason for suffering is “time and unforeseen occurrence.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) In a world without Jehovah as a protective Ruler, people may suffer because they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It is comforting for us to know that God does not cause suffering. He is not responsible for the wars, the crimes, the oppression, or even the natural disasters that cause people to suffer. Still, we need to know, Why does Jehovah allow all this suffering? If he is the Almighty, he has the power to stop it. Why, then, does he hold back? The loving God that we have come to know must have a good reason.—1 John 4:8.

To find out why God allows suffering, we need to think back to the time when suffering began. When Satan led Adam and Eve into disobeying Jehovah, an important question was raised. Satan did not call into question Jehovah’s power. Even Satan knows that there is no limit to Jehovah’s power. Rather, Satan questioned Jehovah’s right to rule. By calling God a liar who withholds good from his subjects, Satan charged that Jehovah is a bad ruler. (Genesis 3:2-5) Satan implied that mankind would be better off without God’s rulership. This was an attack on Jehovah’s sovereignty, his right to rule.

Adam and Eve rebelled against Jehovah. In effect, they said: “We do not need Jehovah as our Ruler. We can decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong.” How could Jehovah settle that issue? How could he teach all intelligent creatures that the rebels were wrong and that his way truly is best? Someone might say that God should simply have destroyed the rebels and made a fresh start. But Jehovah had stated his purpose to fill the earth with the offspring of Adam and Eve, and he wanted them to live in an earthly paradise. (Genesis 1:28) Jehovah always fulfills his purposes. (Isaiah 55:10, 11) Besides that, getting rid of the rebels in Eden would not have answered the question that had been raised regarding Jehovah’s right to rule.

Imagine that a teacher is telling his students how to solve a difficult problem. A clever but rebellious student claims that the teacher’s way of solving the problem is wrong. Implying that the teacher is not capable, this rebel insists that he knows a much better way to solve the problem. Some students think that he is right, and they also become rebellious. What should the teacher do? If he throws the rebels out of the class, what will be the effect on the other students? Will they not believe that their fellow student and those who joined him are right? All the other students in the class might lose respect for the teacher, thinking that he is afraid of being proved wrong. But suppose that the teacher allows the rebel to show the class how he would solve the problem.

Jehovah has done something similar to what the teacher does. Remember that the rebels in Eden were not the only ones involved. Millions of angels were watching. (Job 38:7; Daniel 7:10) How Jehovah handled the rebellion would greatly affect all those angels and eventually all intelligent creation. So, what has Jehovah done? He has allowed Satan to show how he would rule mankind. God has also allowed humans to govern themselves under Satan’s guidance.

The teacher in our illustration knows that the rebel and the students on his side are wrong. But he also knows that allowing them the opportunity to try to prove their point will benefit the whole class. When the rebels fail, all honest students will see that the teacher is the only one qualified to lead the class. They will understand why the teacher thereafter removes any rebels from the class. Similarly, Jehovah knows that all honesthearted humans and angels will benefit from seeing that Satan and his fellow rebels have failed and that humans cannot govern themselves. Like Jeremiah of old, they will learn this vital truth: “I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”—Jeremiah 10:23.

Many people think that God is uncaring and hardhearted. They reason,‘If God cared, would not the world be a very different place?’ We look around and see a world full of war, hatred, and misery. And as individuals, we get sick, we suffer, we lose loved ones in death. Thus, many say, ‘If God cared about us and our problems, would he not prevent such things from happening?’

Worse yet, religious teachers sometimes lead people to think that God is hardhearted. How so? When tragedy strikes, they say that it is God’s will. In effect, such teachers blame God for the bad things that happen. Is that the truth about God? What does the Bible really teach? James 1:13 answers: “When under trial, let no one say: ‘I am being tried by God.’ For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.” So God is never the source of the wickedness you see in the world around you. (Job 34:10-12)

Furthermore, God is holy. (Isaiah 6:3) This means that he is pure and clean. There is no trace of badness in him. So we can trust him completely. That is more than we can say for humans, who sometimes become corrupt. Even the most honest human in authority often does not have the power to undo the damage that bad people do. But God is all-powerful. He can and will undo all the effects that wickedness has had on mankind. When God acts, he will do so in a way that will end evil forever!—Psalm 37:9-11.

In the meantime, how does God feel about what is going on in the world and in your life? Well, the Bible teaches that God is “a lover of justice.” (Psalm 37:28) So he cares deeply about what is right and what is wrong. He hates all kinds of injustice. The Bible says that God “felt hurt at his heart” when badness filled the world in times past. (Genesis 6:5, 6) God has not changed. (Malachi 3:6) He still hates to see the suffering that is taking place worldwide. And God hates to see people suffer. “He cares for you,” the Bible says.—1 Peter 5:7.

How can we be sure that God hates to see suffering? Here is further proof. The Bible teaches that man was made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26) We thus have good qualities because God has good qualities. For example, does it bother you to see innocent people suffer? If you care about such injustices, be assured that God feels even more strongly about them.

One of the best things about humans is our ability to love. That also reflects God. The Bible teaches that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) We love because God loves. Would love move you to end the suffering and the injustice you see in the world? If you had the power to do that, would you do it? Of course you would! You can be just as sure that God will end suffering and injustice. The promises about our health, everlasting life on paradise on earth are not mere dreams or idle hopes. God’s promises are sure to come true!

i recommend you both research into atheism and watch atheism/theism debates, what ever is said on yahoo answers may be taken as insult, you should be able to get into deep thoughts hearing those debates.

there is no real explanation for why god allows bad things to happen the most popular answer which makes sense would be that he doesnt exist though as others have stated.

he works in mysterious ways isnt an explination its an excuse, and to say he wants you to learn from this or something isnt due to a god but your own actions.

The god character of the Bible is a misogynistic tyrant that condones and even orders the practice of slavery, rape of women and murder of children. The moment you disagree with a single instruction of the Bible, such as the command to kill any bride who is not a virgin or any child who disrespects their parents, then you acknowledge that there exists a superior standard by which to judge moral action and thus no need to rely on an ancient, primitive and barbaric fantasy.

Well, sometimes good can come out of the bad. I can't explain it yet because i dont understand God that well yet because im only 13, but just have faith and everything will turn out all right even if it doesnt seem like it. Everything will always be ok as long as you keep your faith in God, even when lifes tough. When life's tough, thats when you need to turn to God, not doubt him.

God in genesis 1:28-30 after creating man declared that man is ruler over this earth. so even though God is all powerful, he has no influence on this earth unless we permit it. this is why Jesus has to become a man in his plan to save us all.

that being said, in Genesis 3, there is the story about how adam and eve ate the forbidden fruit and died. because of their death, the earth was cursed and so such things as disease and death came into being on planet earth.

additionally, God has a will and plan for all men. but men can choose to follow God's plan or follow their own plan. most times, man follows his own plan. thus we have 9/11, suicide bombers, thieves, rapists etc. it is not God's will that people get raped, murdered etc. that is man going against God's will.

then again people will say why didn't God stop the rapists or the suicide bombers etc.

Again it comes down to the fact that the earth is man's and God only has authority to do something in it when man gives him permission. this is why only believers (those who have given God permission) have God's spirit in them to guide them and teach them. this is why God requires us to pray and give him permission to do things on this earth. this is why we must pray against violence and disease and war and all other depravities that plague the earth because of man's death (spiritual not physical) and the curse that followed the earth as a result.

I was there before, thinking it was God allowing bad things - so not true.

We allow it when we choose our own will instead of His. He gave us free will, but with that we

still can miss the mark and cause our own calamity.

Praise and worship will open the gates of heaven and we will see awesome changes.

King David knew this key and really soared with the lord.

God bless you :)

God is not evil. Look, i don't have the answers, but i can say this, bad crap is gonna come up in our lives, my parents are divorced, my father is moving thousands of miles away. I am gonna have a really tough life. all you can do is accept the inevitable. I am sorry for your husband's family's health issues. I've lost many friends to many cancers, many diseases, and it is never easy. Suffering is a part of life, we are a flawed species, but one day, we will be renewed. Bad things are going to happen that we can't explain, but it is how we deal with these travesties that will define who we are.

God allows pain for a reason that reason is simply to grow closer to him.

He himself sacrificed his only son for us in the worst most humiliating way only to save us from ourselves. As it is our fault death and pain entered the world , we did not do what was right and disobeyed constantly.

He clearly stated the wages of sin is death but in Christ and only Christ there is eternal life.

It is a fathers duty to keep his word and teach his children even if it means doing something he doesn't really want for us.

I hope I helped

Tell him to grow closer to God, Satan tricks us into a state of death and damnation but it's up to us to seek the lord and make things right.

God never wanted death for us.

He wanted it to be perfect for us to live him and him love us. But like stupid teenagers we saybi hate you. Or I know better, or just this one. Whatever it is. It's ultimately our fault.

When Christ Jesus' friend lazerous died the scripture said he wept.

I think Christ not only came to save us as God in the flesh but also to see and feel out pain in the flesh.

Christ be with you