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WHY DOES GOD SEND SUFFERING?

 

Copyright September 9, 2003 8:47 PM CST

By Dr. Michael J. Bisconti

 

Updated February 28, 2005 10:45 PM CST

Copyright February 28, 2005 10:45 PM CST

By Dr. Michael J. Bisconti

 

 

 

This question, more than any other, has puzzled and troubled multitudes through the centuries.

 

·        God sends suffering to some people to get them to stop living sinful lives.  Once they turn away from their sin, the suffering ceases.  If a person turns away from their sin and their suffering does not immediately cease, then God is sending suffering for a second reason.

 

·        Suffering proves that God can do anything.  (This truth is taught in the book of Job in the Bible.)  Some people believe that God’s infinite love for us can prevent him from sending suffering.  This is not so.  If it were so, the infinite love of God would be greater than God.  In that case, God would not be God since, by definition, there is nothing greater than God.

 

·        The most difficult aspect of this question relates to what many people cannot help but believe is pointless suffering (but which is not) and especially as this relates to children and, even more especially, little children, all of whom God loves dearly.  Why does God send such suffering?  There is an answer to this question BUT WE MUST WARN YOU THAT IT MIGHT NOT SATISFY YOU.  If you are looking for satisfaction, then you need to seek satisfaction and not necessarily knowledge, that is, the knowledge of the answer to this question.  If you need satisfaction, you can get satisfaction BUT YOU MIGHT NOT GET IT THROUGH LEARNING THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION.  In addition, you may not be able to fully understand the answer to this question.  The reason for that is that a part of the answer requires knowledge of subjects that are so complex that only a handful of people have ever studied them.  (We have begun to teach these subjects on this website.  See “The Genius Pages.”)  Note also that the precise words used to communicate the answer to this question about (seemingly) pointless suffering ARE THE ONLY WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE WHICH CAN COMMUNICATE THE ANSWER.  One of these words, the word “perlutapertrigordian,” is a neologism.  Once you fully understand the rest of the answer to the question, let us know, and we will explain the meaning of this word.  Now, here is the answer: