Why Does God Allow Suffering?
One of the favorite arguments posed by atheists to debunk God's existence is human suffering. "If there is an all-loving and all-powerful God," they point out, "why does He allow suffering to happen?" The question is also asked by people who are losing hope and faith in God due to their difficult situation.
To answer the query, it has to be made clear first that God does not cause suffering. Sometimes, due to lack of things to say to give comfort and encouragement to those in pain, well-meaning people would say they are being tested by God, which is not true (James 1:13). In His goodness (Psalm 136:1), God created everything to be very good (Genesis 1:31). God, therefore, is a source of goodness, not anguish.
Suffering comes from Satan (John 10:10) and is brought upon man as a result of his sin (Galatians 6:7–8). Most often, suffering is self-inflicted. A husband lost his family as a result of his infidelity. A mother agonizes over the death of her errant son. A patient lies on his deathbed after years of abusing his body.
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Suffering could also be caused by other people knowingly or unknowingly. God doesn't whisper to some people's ear and tell them to cause pain to others. The dire consequence is a product either of their decisions or recklessness. The point is that God has nothing to do with whatever ordeal one goes through.
It is true, though, that God allows suffering to happen. This is because He is giving everyone a chance, including the cruel lot who cause suffering, to repent and turn to Him (2 Peter 3:9). But all of this is temporary as there will come a time when He will judge everyone and punish the wicked who refused to follow Him. Suffering would have ceased by then (2 Thessalonians 1:6–9).
