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Why Does God Allow Suffering?

Part 1

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Why does God allow suffering? Part 1

• Origin of suffering

• Unappreciated protective system

• Our responsibilities

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Root cause of all suffering

We live in an imperfect world full of imperfect people

Bible tells us the reason for imperfection

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Suffering from minor injuries

Accidental injuries• Burns

• Bruise our hand

• Strain a muscle

• Cut a finger

Surprisingly this suffering can be a good thing

Pain can help prevent further injuries . .

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Unappreciated Protective System

• Sensors scattered over skin

• No dedicated pain sensors– Pressure, Touch, Heat, Cold

• Threshold of touch

Threshold of touch absolutely right for purpose

Sensitive to:-

Tip of tongue 2 g/mm2

Fingers 3 g/mm2

Back of hand 12 g/mm2

Sole of foot 250 g/mm2

Back of forearm 33 g/mm2

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The Nervous System

Absolute threshold of pain

• How much pressure applied to a very sharp needle produces painful sensation?

Cornea 0.2 gram

Forearm 20 grams

Back of hand 100 grams

Sole of foot 200 grams

Fingertip 300 gramsPain system – marvellous design – essential

for normal life

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The Nervous System

Internal organs don’t respond to needles or heat

– Stomach responds to distension

Referred pain– Something wrong with

internal organ pain occurs elsewhere

Pain says “something is wrong”

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Must it Hurt?

In 1937 boy taken to hospital in America

• He suffered from:-– Partial blindness

– Scars on every part of body

– Huge scar on buttock – sat on a heater

– Foot permanently deformed

– Both hands cut so badly couldn’t straighten fingers

He couldn’t feel any pain so his body became very badly injured

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Must it Hurt?

• Dr Paul Brand – Lifetime studying leprosy

– Disease kills cells in skin making it numb

Tissue damage results because pain is silent

Feet of a man with leprosy

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Alternative Warning system?

• Brand attempted to make artificial pain sensors for lepers– Buzzer & flashing light ignored

• Had to resort to electric shocks in armpits

• After 5 years research Brand gave up– System too expensive, broke down

frequently, inadequate for purpose

Man incapable of designing such a failsafe system

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Other Types of Suffering . . .• Suffering caused by

– Our behaviour

– Our lifestyle

• Suffering as a result of war, persecution & pollution

• Suffering as a result of floods, earthquakes, illness and death

Man causes much suffering

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Suffering Caused by Accidents

Do we consider the outcome before we do things?

• Driving under the influence

• Driving at excessive speeds

• Taking excessive risks

Other people can suffer as a result of our actions as well as ourselves

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Suffering Caused by Lifestyle

• Cigarettes have health warning– Yet many ignore warning

• Overeating causes obesity – Risk of heart disease & diabetes

• Alcohol & drug abuse– Injuries & addiction

• Sexual immorality – Sexually transmitted diseases

• A lot of suffering could be avoided

Suggest that man has a selfish streak

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Our Choices

• Most of us choose things that cause suffering– e.g. Pollution can cause asthma

• If God prevented all suffering – Would affect our lifestyles– Goods, services etc. would be stopped

• All man-made suffering should make us consider . .

The world is not as it should be

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One Answer

• Why does God allow . . . ?

• Do the same people give credit to God for good things taken for granted?– Health, food, clothing,

warmth and sunshine

God must be credited for good things too

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Suffering Caused by Mankind

• Persecution & War

• Genocide

• Murder & violence

The results of atrocities in Cambodia

God does not cause this sufferingMuch suffering is a result of man’s inhumanity to man

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Why Doesn’t God Intervene?Man’s atrocitiesSome say:“If God cannot stop the

suffering then he is not an all powerful God & if He will not stop the suffering then he is not a very caring God.”

Please note:- Please note:-

• Intervention by God requires miraclesIntervention by God requires miracles

• Some interventions would not be Some interventions would not be pleasantpleasant

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Why Doesn’t God Stop It?

• God has the power to stop atrocities

• God has given all humans free will– We can choose good or bad – our choices

affect others

– If punished immediately for bad decisions where would be free will?

God wants us to choose good not evilGod wants us to choose good not evil

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Doesn’t God Care?

God does care. He takes no pleasure in suffering – For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone

declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

• Ezekiel 18:32

– He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance

• 2 Peter 3:9

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God does care

God takes no pleasure in suffering

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son

John 3:16

The Bible tells us about God’s plan to The Bible tells us about God’s plan to permanently remove sufferingpermanently remove suffering

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Next Time . .

• Problem of continual pain

• Profiting from pain?

• Teaching of Jesus– Man’s atrocities

– Natural disasters

• A permanent solution to suffering

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Summary

• We live in an imperfect world full of imperfect people

• Pain is an unappreciated protective system

• Our actions cause suffering – To ourselves and others

• God gave us free will