All questions › Suffering & Evil
Why does God allow suffering?
Short answer
This is the most painful question on the list, and it deserves honesty before argument. Christianity does not deny suffering or call it unreal. The Bible is full of lament: Job, the Psalms, and Jesus weeping at his friend's tomb.
There are still some things worth saying. First, a world with genuinely free creatures who can love must also be a world where they can choose harm. Much suffering comes from human choices. Second, a stable natural world with dependable laws makes moral life possible, though the same laws produce earthquakes and disease. Third, the fact that we can't see God's reasons doesn't show there are none. If an infinite God exists, we should expect to be unable to trace his purposes across all of history.
Most of all, Christianity claims God did not stay distant from suffering. In Jesus he entered it and endured injustice, torture and death. The resurrection promises that suffering will not have the last word: God will one day wipe away every tear. That does not answer every "why," but it shows us who stands beside us in the dark.
Objections and responses
ObjectionIf God were good and powerful, he would stop all suffering.
ResponseThat holds only if God has no morally sufficient reason to allow it. Free will, soul-making and goods we can't yet see are possible reasons, and we aren't in a position to rule them out.
Read the full question →ObjectionNatural disasters aren't caused by free will.
ResponseA world with reliable natural laws is needed for meaningful action, and those same laws cause some harm. Christianity also teaches that creation is broken and waiting to be restored.
Read more →ObjectionExplanations feel cold when you're hurting.
ResponseThey do. Philosophy is not comfort. The Christian response in grief is presence, lament and hope, not a lecture.
Read more →ObjectionSome suffering seems completely pointless.
ResponseIt seems pointless from where we stand. 'I can't see a reason' is a much weaker claim than 'there is no reason.'
Read more →Best resources
- The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis (book)
Read The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis for a short, philosophical but very readable classic that thinks through why a good God allows pain. See especially the parts on suffering.
- Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller (book)
Read Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller for a combined philosophical, biblical and pastoral approach, written both for people thinking about suffering and people going through it. See especially the parts on suffering.
- A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis (book)
Read A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis for a raw, personal journal written after the death of Lewis's wife; for anyone grieving or walking with someone who is. See especially the parts on suffering.
- Where Is God When It Hurts? by Philip Yancey (book)
Read Where Is God When It Hurts? by Philip Yancey for a narrative, story-driven approach from a journalist; accessible and compassionate, ideal for readers in pain. See especially the parts on suffering.
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