Why does God allow innocent children to suffer?

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   Iamsamposted 10 years ago

   Why does God allow innocent children to suffer?

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   JThomp42posted 10 years ago

   Hello Sam.... God has given man "free will" to do as they please on this earth. It is at the hands of so many who's actions are directly involved in so much hatred, violence, suffering, etc. These problems that are blamed on God Im afraid are man made.

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      Robert the Bruceposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      She said "allow," JT. Instead of saying he caused it, she asked why he was allowing it to take place.

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      JThomp42posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Still the same answer Robert. Free will!!

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      Robert the Bruceposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      If God ALLOWS it when he could prevent it, then it is his fault as well as the actual perpetrator. If you allowed a child to be killed, then you are partly responsible. Just a little simple reasoning for you.

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      JThomp42posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Robert.. absurd analogy.

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      Robert the Bruceposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Being able to reason out an argument is a valuable tool, JT. You should try using it sometime.

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      JThomp42posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Robert.. I have given my answer. And I stick to it. God made everyone with "free will." We all have a choice as to our actions in life. ISIS chooses to behead, murder, slaughter innocent children. This IS NOT from God. It is simply men being barbaric

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      Robert the Bruceposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I understand your position. God has ALLOWED the killing of innocent children by giving men free will. How could anyone say that God doesn't love people?   :-\

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      JThomp42posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      God is love and love is God. Robert..... man has sinned against God since the Garden of Eden. How do we know what he keeps from happening? But, of course God is not recognized into this equation. As long as man exist there will be hate, violence, etc

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   Express10posted 10 years ago

   You have asked an excellent question that I have often pondered myself.  Unfortunately, I have no answer but will keep an eye out here in hopes of finding something remotely plausible.

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   liesl5858posted 10 years ago

   God would not want children to suffer or people to suffer, in fact Jesus suffered for human sins, it is other human beings fault why it happens. I hate the idea of wars because of religion, power and material things. Other human beings who are greedy, materialistic and evil are the ones causing grief for other people especially the children.

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   krillcoposted 10 years ago

   God knows (and teaches in Jesus) that love cannot be compelled, it must be freely chosen (free will). If God forced all to love, love would not be love. Since we are given the gift of free will by God, many may choose not to love, but hate and sin. Sin is a virus that runs rampant in the world, and can strike any of us (even very good people). So, you see, it is relational, this 'God' thing. As a parent, I know that I should not give my child everything they want, it is not healthy, and they will not really 'love' me if I do; sometimes, I deny them their desire and they 'suffer'. Now, of course, this analogy is not to compare the death of innocents, but it does illustrate the point of how suffering sometimes comes from free will and parental (in) action. bandbseminars.com

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   nrsparks130posted 10 years ago

   Sam,
   
   There is honestly no easy answer to your question.  I would say that the biblical witness is not that God allows innocent people to suffer, but that he suffers with them.  In Isaiah 52:12-53:13, the figure of the Suffering Servant, and image used to describe Christ prophetically is depicted as one who bears the sicknesses, infirmities and sufferings of the world as well as their sins for the sake of their deliverance.  But he also does this out of solidarity, in order draw people closer to God. 
   
   The reality is the world is a screwed up place because Evil exists in it, but Evil is not of God but the antithesis or resistance against God himself.  God does not like the world anymore than we do and in fact works actively against these things through the death of Christ, which 1 Corinthians 1 tells us defies the wisdom and powers of this world.  Unfortunately, unless everyone should choose to follow God at once, however, the world will not be perfect, and in Romans 8 we are told that the whole world waits in pain for redemption (not just people, but all of creation suffers from the oppression of Evil).
   
   In the last chapters of 1 Corinthians, we are also told that God is calling the whole world to himself and reserving his final work of judgment of Evil so that all might be redeemed.  I'll admit, I'm not sure how this last part works, but I hope it means that in the end, the suffering of innocence earns them some eternal reward (though that certainly does not make it any easier to bear in the here and now).  The biggest thing is that there is a clear call on those who follow God to fight injustice and suffering of the innocent, and yet so many who would call themselves Christians do nothing. 
   
   I would say that the biggest question is why does the Church, which is supposed to be the body of Christ himself, Christ made flesh after his ascension, for the world to see and know, do nothing so often when so much suffering takes place in front of them?  I do not think God allows suffering but weeps for it and fights it actively through Christ and obedient Christians, but unfortunately so many of his so-called soldiers on the ground so often fail to follow their orders.
   
   I know this can only begin to scratch the surface of your question.  I have faced it myself so often and prayed so much for God to give me the strength and resources to do more.  I would say to you, if you want something done, then allow yourself to be God's ambassador and do it.

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