Why Do Humans Suffer

Another view on suffering brought by theist is the suffering can lead to a greater spiritual good. In order to gain spiritual guidance, there has to be suffering involved. The agonizing struggle brought by human’s free choice is debated since it can only be prevented by an individual’s free choice. But not all suffering is created by human’s free choice. Individuals have no control over the amount of sorrow that is brought upon them. Without warning, natural disaster brings suffering even if people are trying their best in order to prevent any kind of unhappiness. How could theist know the meaning of such suffering and its purpose? By trusting that the meaning of suffering is only known after death, how can theist surely agree if none of them have experienced the afterlife?

Christianity answers suffering by allowing Christians to understand why evil dominates and how resisting the temptations will end with forgiveness.

Atheist religions include Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Scientology. Atheism is the non-belief in god, so Atheists have no belief in god (Crabtree). Atheism is not so much a religion, but a belief. “Atheism isn 't, therefore, ‘a religion’ and nor should it be capitalized, any more than ‘monotheist’ or ‘polytheist’ should be” (Crabtree). Christians do not identify themselves as monotheist. They identify themselves as Christians or their specific denominations. For this reason, Atheists should not be radicalized as an extreme religion or rather extreme lack of religion. About 13 million (nearly 6 percent of Americans) describe themselves as atheist or agnostic (Smith). It is unrealistic that any person out of this 13 million will become a future President.

Many of the choices we make, using our free will, lead to suffering. We participate in risky behavior, without thinking of the consequences. For example, people that smoke have greater chances of developing health problem (e.g., cancer), which results in pain and suffering. This type of suffering is caused by our errors and mistakes. Many of the choice we make have consequences, but is it is impossible to live in a way in which we do not take risks. Furthermore, God's existence comes from intellect and not the sense, but suffering is felt through through our senses, whether it be external or internal pain. Suffering is adventitious and not

Theodicy directly translates from Greek to the justification of God. Theodicy exhibits just, to justify a situation or dilemma. This defends God's goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil .To give a defense is to build a story to which both God and evil exist and to attempt to show that this story is logical. The purpose of giving a theodicy is to justify the ways of God to men. The purpose of giving a defense is, to show that the co-existence of God and evil is a real possibility.

Ever have an unfortunate event happen to you and then think to yourself, why me, why did this happen to me, what did I do to deserve this punishment? When something bad happens to us, we turn to god and question him, if he truly is watching out for us then why did he let such a bad thing occur in my life? Theodicy, before taking this course I had never really heard of this word before, and even as this assignment came up I had no clue what it meant either. Theodicy means a justification of the divine attributes, particularly holiness and justice, in establishing or allowing the existence of physical and moral evil. Why does god allow evil in the world? It all comes out to a balance in the world, if there is a god there is the devil, if there

There are many differing ways that people suffer. Some effects can be superior and some can be inferior. In the quote by H. Richard Niebuhr, suffering can make you stronger, have more character, along with respect.

I believe suffering results from our separation from God. He is holy, all-powerful, all-loving, all that is good. Each day I find myself doing things that move me away from Him. Every time I sin, the world becomes a little bit worse. I can do no good thing apart from God. The more I separate myself from Him, the more likely I am to cause someone else harm or pain.

As the world grows, diversity follows. With this diversity different faiths, or even lack of, are created; one being Atheism. Atheism is the unbelief of God or any other supreme being. Atheism is becoming more present within the community which sometimes leads to criticism. Since Christianity is the is the polar opposite of Atheism, their beliefs, practices, and symbols (or lack of) are bound to clash. Nonetheless, Atheism continues to grow.

Why humans suffer and where God is during it are theological questions that have constantly been debated on. Rabbi Kushner in the PBS video Suffering: A Time to Love and a Time to Hate, John F. Haught in his book Responses to 101 Questions on God and Evolution, and the Bible each provide their own analysis on where God is when humans are suffering and persecuted. Thomas West is his chapter “The Human Response of Hope” gives his insight regarding life after death especially hope for salvation. All these sources aid in answering personal questions regarding theodicy: suffering, death, and hope.

One of the hardest questions to answer is “Why does God allow people to suffer? Christians believe that even though there is much suffering in the world, there is even more goodness.”. C.S. Lewis once said the “problem of pain,” is atheism’s best argument against Christianity. These findings are so potent that the Bible even states: “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 14:1). The majority of atheists, excluding any proper evidence, “must resort finally to philosophical objections”.

Evil, as mentioned before, is commonly referred to the act or actions that go directly against what is to be considered good. Good, or a set or morals and believes, have differed between the many generation that have existed over time. One must properly understand that what they believe to be pure evil could be seen as doing the right thing in the eyes of others. Evil has a very bias perception to its definition, but is always measured by the same means no matter where what and when it is describes. Evil is the

Our experiences of suffering may also help us in our moral conduct as an experience of suffering serves to make us sympathetic to the trials of others. We learn to a) help the afflicted (through consolation and relief) and to B) not inflict harm on others, having experienced suffering ourselves. Furthermore, many spiritual seekers in the past have felt that suffering and spiritual progress are inexorably linked, pointing to St Teresa of Avila and St Francis of AssisiI as examples . I believe that if we can learn from our

The suffering of man is a very complicated matter that is most likely impossible to understand completely. It is a subject that people have grappled with since the dawn of recorded history. In fact, suffering is evident in every form of art man has created. Suffering is in our paintings, our poetry, our music, our plays, and in anything else that is conceivable. But still, we as a whole still struggle with the idea of suffering. It is my opinion that some individuals may grasp the notion of suffering more than others, but that no one person will ever fully understand suffering in every form. A person may only understand his or her own personal suffering, not suffering as a whole. It is the next step to then say

Two central themes to understanding the human condition are suffering and morality. Humans contrive morality to be a set of values deemed right or wrong in a society, and are often defined by institutions. These guidelines shape the way people live and how they react to life’s circumstances. Suffering is one emotion crucial to the understanding of existence. In a time of pain, an individual often seeks direction from a higher power, like the church. Institutions such as religion are a way of expressing morality and a means to cope with suffering, a crucial understanding of the human condition.