Article 2: if God exists, then why is there suffering?
One of the most challenging barriers for people to believe in God is suffering. Since, if God is good and all-powerful,
all he needs to do is by a snap of his fingers, all of us are in Heaven and we have no more pain and tears. Or better yet,
do not put "suffering" as an ingredient of our life recipe in the first place.
He has not done that.
So, either God is not totally good, or he is not powerful enough, or he does not exist?
In our previous article, we understand if God did not exist, then there would be no moral rules creator, and then there
would be no moral rules. Without moral rules, there is no distinction between good and evil. But we do see both good and evil.
Therefore, God exists.
God not only exists, but he has created moral rules, bascially the boundaries between people in terms of what to do and what not to do.
When the boundaries are violated, suffering results. So suffering is the sympotom of violating the moral rules (laws).
For example, "do not touch the fire" is the rule, but if one violated this rule and touched the fire, he would burn and suffer.
God is all-powerful but he is also rational, wise and intelligent. He knows what is the best for us.
He lives in eternity while we live in time. In his design, suffering is a temporary, but Joy is eternal, one day.
God is all-good too. He didn't create suffering itself. He created grativity, but if one jumped off a building and got hurt, it is a
natural consequence - God did not cause that hurting.
Suffering can bring many people to God, as in his presence, there is love and comfort. By suffering, many people realized that we are
all sinners - we sin against God and against each other, causing pain and suffering. Facing suffering, if we choose to come to God,
even the suffering is still there, we will have peace and comfort, and God will bring us through that suffering.
In the end, for God, one thousand years is like one day. Indeed, by a snap of his fingers, he will bring us, those who believe in
him, to Heaven, where there is the presence of God, no pain and no tears, only eternal joy.