God, evil and moralityDraft · awaiting advisor review
If God is good, why is there so much suffering?
In short
Christianity doesn’t explain every instance of suffering, and the Bible doesn’t pretend to. It says God made a good world that has gone wrong, that God is not distant from pain but entered it in Jesus, and that one day he will end it. Many people find that hope more honest than easy answers.
The Objection
If God were all-powerful he could stop suffering, and if he were all-good he would want to. Yet children die of cancer and earthquakes kill thousands. Either God isn’t all-powerful, or he isn’t good, or he doesn’t exist.
Put as its strongest advocates would put it.
The Christian Case
- Philosophical argument
Most philosophers today, including many atheists, accept that the argument does not show a strict contradiction: a good God could allow suffering if he had good enough reasons, such as creating people truly free to love, which also means free to harm. The harder question is the amount and kinds of suffering we see.
- Scripture
The Bible calls suffering wrong, not the way things should be. Whole books and many psalms are laments and complaints addressed to God, and the Bible doesn’t rebuke honest questions.
- Scripture
In Jesus, God suffers with people and for them: Jesus wept at his friend’s grave, and was himself tortured and killed.
- Scripture
The Christian hope is that suffering will end and every wrong will be put right.
- Philosophical argument
The objection relies on the conviction that suffering is truly unjust. Many argue that this sense of real right and wrong is easier to account for if there is a God than if there isn’t.
- Christians differ
Christians differ on how much suffering God directly wills and how much he permits, and on whether disease and natural disasters are a result of the Fall. These differences run through the Reformed, Arminian, Catholic and Orthodox traditions.
Where the Evidence Is Weaker
None of these answers explains why a particular person suffers. The freedom answer covers the evil people do more easily than disease or disaster. Many Christians say plainly that they don’t know why, and trust God anyway.
Arguments to Avoid
- Telling someone who is suffering that it happened “for a reason”, or that they lacked faith.
- Using Romans 8:28 to mean that everything that happens is good.
- Answering grief with an argument: first listen, and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).
Read for Yourself
Psalm 13:1–6
1To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? 2How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? 3Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 6I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
John 11:33–36
33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35Jesus wept. 36Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
Revelation 21:3–5
3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4And 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. 5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Further Reading
- The Problem of Pain · C. S. Lewis (1940)
- Walking with God through Pain and Suffering · Timothy Keller (2013)
- God, Freedom, and Evil · Alvin Plantinga (1974)The philosophical argument in short form.
Drafted with Opened AI and awaiting review by Opened’s apologetics advisors. Labels show the kind of support each point has: Scripture is what the Bible says; historical evidence and philosophical arguments can be checked by anyone; “Christians differ” marks questions on which faithful Christians disagree.
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