Why is there suffering in the World?

Many people lose faith in God when they see evil and natural disasters in the World. They feel that, if God is really present or really loves us, He will not allow evil. This feeling becomes even stronger, when they see children and innocent people suffer.However, it is not God, but our sins, that produces evil in the world. Sin results from selfishness and selfishness causes hurt to others. Even natural disasters, which some people erroneously refer to as “acts of God”, are result of our sins. Since we have dominion over the World (Genesis 1: 27-28), our acts of selfishness affect the balance in nature. So that when we sin by going against nature, the balance in nature is disturbed to produce natural disasters and diseases. Similarly, our evil acts directly affect others and cause them hurt. The hurt that evil produces affects everyone; including those who live holy lives. God allows evil, because, He has given us free will. He has given us free will so that we can exercise unconditional love. If we did not have free will, we will never be able to love others unconditionally, because, to love is a choice, and every choice needs a free will. God wants us to have love (John 13:34), because he wants us to be one with him and share his life, which is love. In addition, he wants us to live a life of love, because, he wants us to have His peace and joy (John 15:11).



He brings peace and joy to those who are suffering by comforting them (Psalm 23, Is 57:18-21; Ps 94:19) and by giving redemptive value to pain and suffering. He did this by freely accepting pain and suffering, in order to empty self completely on our behalf (1 Peter 2:24, 25). In other words, he emptied himself of self, by leaving himself totally open to pain and suffering. We too can use our pain and suffering to empty ourselves of self, not only on our behalf, but also on behalf of those who need our help by quietly accepting them. We can also quietly accept pain and suffering in the process of helping others (Luke 14:27). We will then find peace and joy; because, our attention will be directed towards those in need, and not on our self. On the other, hand if we are selfish, and focus our attention on our self, we will become bitter and unhappy. God also brings relief to those who are suffering, through the love and compassion of those who selflessly serve others. Furthermore, by nourishing us with His own sacrificial body and blood (John 6:51), he gives us His own life.

there is suffering in the world because the whole world is lieing in the power of the wicked one (satan the devil)1 john 5;19but no worries the ruler of this world is going to be cast out
For his part, the God who gives peace will crush Satan under YOUR feet shortly. May the undeserved kindness of our Lord Jesus be with YOU.(romans 16;20)

"And he seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years."—Rev. 20:2.

Now there is a judging of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.(john 12;31)

may said:

For his part, the God who gives peace will crush Satan under YOUR feet shortly.

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Question:
If God is omnipotent and all powerful.. then why is he waiting to do this? He is surely capable of crushing satan whenever he needs to. So obviously Satan still has a role to perform in Gods plan for the time being. Why will this change? ...and why shortly? Why not a long long time from now? or indeed why not this instant?

There is suffering in the world because there has to be an equilibrum maintained, in nature. If it was not for the suffering, we would have to forego the 'Good bits'.

As far as I am concerned, the suffering isn't put upon us by a God as a punishment for our sins - that would make no sense whatsoever, for the God that inflicted the suffering would have to be pretty cruel, and selective in those that he punishes, which would make no sense.

Human suffering is part of the learning curve that we must all go through at one time or another, in order to gain enlightenment. What is more is that good emerges from human suffering; those who rush out to give what help they can, selflessly -for example - would never have the opportunity to 'shine' (in being given the opportunity to do good under extremely dangerous circumstances) if there were no disasters.Life is not fair; it isn't even just us humans who suffer; nature abounds with a myriad of creatures - all of which undergo suffering. We humans tend to believe that we are so hard 'done by' because dreadful (our words) things happen to us.
Perhaps if we started accepting that we are not the be all and end all of creation and evolution, we might appreciate that - for example - we are at least better of than those who are hunted for food in the wild, and die whilst being fed upon.

arunangelo said:

Similarly, our evil acts directly affect others and cause them hurt. The hurt that evil produces affects everyone; including those who live holy lives.

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If God created every aspect of reality then why would he make it so? Why not instead make sure evil acts only come back to hurt the perpetrator?

Likewise,

If we did not have free will, we will never be able to love others unconditionally, because, to love is a choice, and every choice needs a free will.

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Yet again if God is God he can do the impossible. He can make it possible to love without choice and free will can he not? He can bend reality.
Or are there indeed certain aspects of reality that are beyond God's control?

Michael your explanation makes far more sense.. yet I must ask what part God plays in all of that? Is he just the creator who then leaves us to learn? I guess God tries to guide us..
but then what is the purpose of the animals? They suffer.. yet they are not guided...

To be Godly is a gift that God gives us. We can accept it or reject it. It can not be forced, because, to be Godly is to act in love; and to love is a choice.

Do we really learn anything from suffering? Doesn't suffering mostly focus on ourselves, on our own pain, rather than on the world? Doesn't it just psychologically isolate us from the world? Is it at all useful to us to suffer?

Sunstone said:

Do we really learn anything from suffering? Doesn't suffering mostly focus on ourselves, on our own pain, rather than on the world? Doesn't it just psychologically isolate us from the world? Is it at all useful to us to suffer?

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If it wasn't useful, then we wouldn't. That applies whether you're a theist or atheist. Either God made us so we can suffer - for a good reason. Or we evolved so that we feel physical and emotional suffering - for a good reason.

We are all spiritual beings within material bodies. As soon as you are enclosed in a material body and interact with the material energy, you are going to experience various aspects of worldly existence which may not be the most pleasant. According to your interpretation of the experience, based on the dictates of the senses and mind, some of these incidents may be appealing and some will be less than desirable, or even appear to be troublesome to the extreme.

These troubles come under three categories. First there is the troubles caused by the body itself, then those which are caused by other beings, and then those caused by nature.

The first kind of trouble is that from the body itself, it is a material machine, and all forms of material energy and objects gradually deteriorate and break down. The body is made of the material elements which constantly change. And this is what we have to undergo as long as we acquire a material body in which we exist.

The second kind of problems in material life are those caused by other beings, whether they be barking dogs, or biting bugs, or angry drivers on the highway, or people at work who carry an angry attitude0, and so on. This can include criminals who want to rob you, or steal your car, or even war that takes place in a region where you are living. So many things can happen because everyone has their own viewpoint that they want to pursue which may be different from the way you see things, and which may give you trouble or be the cause of others' suffering.

The third type of trouble comes from nature itself. When tornadoes or hurricanes come through, or when droughts or lack of rain depletes our food supply, we simply have to deal with it the best we can. These are all the kinds of problems that may appear in life because of the every-changing ways of nature, which can be a cause of suffering.
These three kinds of misery are there simply because of having a material body. It is not that life cannot be enjoyable. There may be plenty of things that can give us pleasure or happiness. But you have to remember that life in the material world comes as a whole package, you get it all, complete with the good and the bad, the pains and the pleasures.

I think there is a simple answer for this. Suffering and pain must exist otherwise how would we know compassion? Simply put you have to know the bad before you can truly know the good. Blessings!