Pain and Suffering in Light of God's Love and Power

Not all suffering is caused by human's free will moral evils: . In the book of Job, God allows suffering not as a punishment for sin, but as a test of faith and a demonstration of His ultimate sovereignty. Thus God allows suffering, but is not the author of it. The Job's suffering challenges the "retribution theology" held by Job’s friends—the idea that only the wicked suffer—and instead suggests that human reason is insufficient to fully grasp divine purposes (Rom 8:28). Job's steadfastness serves as a victory in a “heavenly courtroom”, demonstrating to spiritual forces that human faith can endure even the most inexplicable agony. Job 1:12, Job 2:6 and Job 23:10

Also see Pain and Suffering page

Natural Evil - (Acts of God )

Earthquake and Tsunami: For advanced life to exist earth must have plate tectonics. Plate tectonics sometime creates earthquakes and tsunami. Plate tectonics takes nutrients critical for life off the ocean floor (put there by rivers erosion) and put the nutrients back on land. Plate tectonics creates most of the landmasses for land life. Plate tectonics also makes silicate erosion which is the most important factor in compensating for the sun’s increasing brightness. Volcanoes are created by plate tectonics. Earthquakes are frequently used as metaphors or literal displays of God's power over creation see Psalm 18:7; 104:32):

Hurricanes: Bring rainfall, with out hurricanes earth could not support 8 billion people. Hurricanes break up red tides, that kill ocean life. Hurricanes help balance global heat by moving heat away from the equator toward the planet’s poles. Hurricanes cool the oceans. Without hurricanes and tropical storms earth could not support 8 billion people or possibly any life. (water cycle Job 36:27-30)

Cholera, HIV and other outbreaks: Some suffering, like that of cholera, is rooted in man’s failure to act or not act, not in God’s design. Also see Viruses. Sanitation practices are found in the Bible (1,500BC), burying human waste outside camp boundaries (Deut 23:12-14). Burning contaminated, infected garments (Lev 13:52), Washing clothes and body in running water after contact with waste (Lev 15), Food Safety, parasites and disease control (Lev11-15), Sterilization for mold/fungus (Lev 13 -14), Wash hand before eating (Exodus 30:17-21, Passover, Mark 7:1-7).

Viruses: Without viruses bacteria would multiply and quickly occupy every niche of earth. Without Viruses most of the water cycle would end. The water cycle’s precipitation components (rain, mist, snow, hail, and sleet) require microscopic seeds (or nuclei) to form. The most important seeds for precipitation are viruses and bacterial fragments resulting from viral attacks. Viruses and the bacterial fragments create food for deep-sea life. Viruses and bacterial fragments become part of plate tectonics and the carbon cycle.

Thunder, hail, lightning, tornadoes, floods: Warm moist air hitting cool dry air, creates thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are an important part of the water cycle. (The Book of Job specifically Job 36:27-28 and Job 38:25-28) provides an early (<2,000BC), accurate description of the water cycle and its importance.

Wildfires: The accumulation of too much leaf and plant litter on soils can prevent seeds from germinating. The surplus releases chemical toxins at levels that will hinder bacterial nitrification of soils. Forest and grass fires produce charcoal. Charcoal absorbs tannins and other growth-inhibiting chemicals. Too many and too hot wildfires are harmful. Wildfires must be fine-tuned in their intensity, extent, and frequency to maximally benefit the world’s ecosystems and human civilization.

Optimal Fine-Tuning Shows Design; Acts of God - Natural Evil are not so great as to put mankind near extinction, and many can be mitigated with better human actions and planning. “Natural Evils” help maintain optimal marine and land ecosystems. ( Job 38-39 and Lev 25:2-7). The good Earth is designed for the rapid conquest of evil and prepares us for the prefect New Creation (Revelation 21, Romans 8:17-18, 2 Peter 3:10, 1 Corinthians 2:9, Revelation 3:20).