Suffering is inevitable. Everyday people experience all sorts of suffering. Whether it be through human cruelty, emotional stress, physical pain, spiritual, illness, or death, in one way or another, humans suffer. In the end, it boils down to one question: why is there suffering in the world? If God is omnipresent (everywhere present), omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all-knowing), and wholly good, why does he not do anything about it? To further understand how to deal with suffering, one must explore suffering’s origin and what it means to suffer.
What is suffering then? “Simply stated, suffering is anything which hurts or irritates” and “covers a wide spectrum; it can be pain or grief even emotional pain on a personal level”
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If God is an all loving God how can he allow for evil to exist? Philosopher J. L. Mackie argues that “the existence of evil and the existence of an all-good, all-powerful God are logically incompatible. And since we know evil exists, therefore God must not exist” (Muehlhauser). In other words, if God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, how can he allow for evil to exist in the world? Per Mackie’s logic, it does not make sense that such a being who is wholly good would not eliminate evil. Based off this and the fact that evil still exists, Mackie concludes that God does not exist. However, Mackie’s proposition does have a few slight …show more content…
Paul writes to the Corinthian church, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). God allows for us to suffer so that when others suffer we may comfort them, just like he comforts us. Suffering gives Christian’s compassion for those who are hurting. Comforting those in need could lead to their salvation, which, if God existed, would be a good