Faith in God

I recently read an editorial by James Wood, who has written "The Book Against God". He basically states that God cannot exist because there is suffering in the world. The problem of suffering in the world has always been of concern to religious people. And there has never been a satisfactory answer for it. The Book of Job in the Bible was written several thousand years ago on the subject of suffering. The basic question is, "Why do the innocent suffer?" Job's friends told him that he must be guilty since he was suffering. That was the basic view that many people have had for thousands of years. Those who undergo deaths of loved ones, earthquakes, etc., must be guilty. God is punishing them. Job declares to his friends that he still loves God, believes in God, and believes in his own innocence. It is sad that people today, such as Pat Robertson, are still declaring that the Haitians suffered the earthquake because they needed punishment from God. Most religious people do not believe that. And it is sad that Mr. Wood has no greater depth of thought than to say that God cannot exist because people suffer. We all suffer at some point in life, and some of us suffer much more than others. I do not believe that it is "God's will" that people suffer. Most people who do suffer, feel that God is there to suffer with them and to comfort them.

The ancient gnostics (Gnosticism was one early form of Christianity) believed that the earth was created by a lesser god who brings the suffering upon us. There was a book and a movie called CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD, about deafness. The gnostics worshiped a higher god who was more spiritual. However, suffering still existed.

Paul, called Saint Paul by some, suffered. Theologians believe that he may have had epilepsy. Paul states (Second Corinthians 12:1-10)that he was given a thorn in the flesh. This is not to be taken literally to mean a thorn, but to mean that he is suffering, probably with epilepsy. He does seem to believe that it was given to him by God to keep him humble. I do not necessarily agree with his reasoning. He did not understand why he was suffering, and like others assumed that God had caused it. He prayed three times to have this "thorn" removed. But he was not healed. God said to him, "My grace is sufficient. True strength is shown through weakness/ or another translation: power is made perfect in weakness." And Paul responded, "So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

All of us continue to struggle with the understanding of suffering. Certainly we are meant to help to alleviate the suffering of others, and to try to eliminate suffering on earth. But to say that the presence of suffering is proof that God does not exist is very shallow thinking.