Theists, why does God allow suffering..

The Quiet One

..specifically, the suffering of animals. You can talk about free will/sin/people choosing to not listen to God etc to explain human suffering being allowed.. But how can you love a God that allows animals, that haven't sinned or chosen to not have anything to do with God, to have their short lives ended in often long, drawn out, painful ways. I could list stories I've read that would probably make you feel ill, but I'm not looking to shock anyone or start an emotional debate. I just want to sit back and listen to your views..

Yan Bibiyan

..Um, because, um, that's the way it was, um, designed...

cofty

Man...

Who trusted God was love indeed

And love Creation's final law --

Tho' Nature, red in tooth and claw

With ravine, shrieked against his creed.

--Alfred, Lord Tennyson

darthfader

If we were to assume that the god of the bible exists there can be only 1 answer.

This life we live has no value in god's grand plan. After we die, we will either live in heaven with him or on some "better place" that makes all this suffering worth it.

I say no thanks :)

cofty

Remember the thread is about animal suffering or "natural evil".

Its a very good question.

Phizzy

I posed the "Question of Evil" to an active JW a while ago, he is one ofthe rare ones who can reason up to a certain point, he left me, rather abruptly I think because all he could say as he scuttled away was : "There is no answer".

I think he has thought it through much further than most JW's by saying that, and I hold out hope that eventually his intellect will freee him from the W.T

What was on the tip of my tongue, but before I could utter it he was out of earshot, was : "Unless the answer is that the Universe is truly random, and therefore as well as good things, sh*t happens".

Great thinkers of the past have wrestled with the problem of evil, and the more you think about it, it leaves no room for the kind of god any thinking, compassionate person would want to worship.

darthfader

Cofty... ya know... I read TQO's Original Post and had a blankout (was reading too many other threads).

Unfortunately there is no good explaination for the suffering of animals if you try to account for divine creation.

From a scientific approach, "with tests come improvements". So previous generations of animals tested by the environment will adapt so the next generations will "suffer less".

cheers all!

TimeBandit

...because he's a sick bastard?

Chariklo

.

..because he's a sick bastard?

The WT's God definitely is. See my posts elsewhere. Not my God, though.

I'm a theist, and I have an answer. It is, well, er....I don't think I know.

Anyone?

Tater-T

I remember from being in the ORG.. the scripture where Jesus say's " don't worry about what you are to eat... doesn't God take care of the birds ...."

or something like that... then I found out Birds and other animals can starve to death... Living here in Idaho.. we have to feed deer and elk or they will starve to death... So God really doesn't take care of all the animals .. Did Jesus not know this? one of the first things that made me wonder ..

TT

Theists, why does God allow suffering..

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