“… Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?…” Job 2:10
Mr Paul Cavanough (Director of Ministry, Anglican Diocese of Tasmania) and Mr Greg Foot share their thoughts on the questions of Why is there suffering? And, if there is a God who is supposed to be loving and all-powerful, then why does He allow suffering?
After decades of answering this question in schools ministry I got down to, “God knows these things happen and they make him sad and angry. He has directed his Christian people and all men and women of good will to bring relief, care, justice and love into disastrous situations. The Church is God’s love in action. That’s God’s plan of action for today but he also has a day planned when all the grief and injustice will come to an end forever.
Summary: God knows – He acts through his people – It won’t go on forever.
– Mr Paul Cavanough
Suffering isn’t necessarily pointless just because it appears to be. Why should there not be a purpose behind all suffering from God’s eye view that we cannot see? (Genesis 45:1-8, John 9:1-12)
The fact that there is suffering leads us to think about why we see some things as ‘good’ and others as ‘evil – an extra-natural moral standard. Atheism cannot give us many answers to this, but Christianity can give us plenty (Genesis 3).
God knows all about suffering – His Son was crucified.
– Mr Greg Foot
See also Answering the problem of suffering and Christians respond to suffering #1 and Christians responding suffering #2 and Christians respond to suffering #3
