Key Words
Suffering: when people have to face and live with unpleasant events or conditions.
Benevolence: goodness, being all-loving
Omnipotence: almighty, unlimited power
Omniscience: the quality of knowing everything (as applied to God.)
Natural suffering: suffering caused by nature e.g. earthquakes, volcanoes, floods
Man-made suffering: suffering caused by the actions of humans e.g. through war, pollution,
crime.
Free will: the ability to choose or determine one’s own actions.
Just: fair or right.
Unjust: unfair or not right.
Evil: the opposite of good. A personification of a negative power that is seen in may traditions as
destructive and against God.
Personal being (nature of evil): the idea that evil is an evil spirit or devil rather than an
impersonal force.
Psychological phenomenon: an idea about the nature of evil that is something arising from the
mind of a person.
Impersonal force (nature of evil): the idea that evil is a power outside of people that draws
them to evil.
The problem of suffering
Suffering raises problems for theists, who believe that God is benevolent, omniscient and omnipotent.
Questions raised:
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If God all-good - are God’s intentions bad? What is his purpose?
If God benevolent and cares for us and wants us to be happy, why does God allow
suffering? If God wills our suffering God is cruel.
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If God is omniscient, he must realise we suffer. Knowledge brings responsibility. How can he
do nothing?
If God is omnipotent, God could prevent suffering. Why did God create a world that
contains so much death and destruction?
Why does God allow innocent people to suffer? What purpose does it serve?
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Natural suffering
Most natural suffering is no one’s fault; it is just the way the earth has developed over millions of
years. The forces of nature are powerful and beyond much of our control.
Some people would argue that God is to blame for natural suffering. If God really did create the
earth, why did he create a planet where natural disasters happen?
A believer might reply by saying that, although God is powerful and created the earth, he is not to
blame for earthquakes or bad weather! The same forces that cause volcanoes and earthquakes are
the forces that formed the earth in the beginning. People should use scientific knowledge to develop
ways to avoid the suffering that these natural events cause.
Suffering caused by people
Some people might argue: if God created humans, why did he give them free will? Why did he
not make them perfect? If God is so good, why does he not stop people from making bad
choices that hurt others?
A believer might by saying that human freedom is part of our nature, just as earthquakes are part of
the earth. Humans are not programmed like robots always to do good; they are free to make up
their own minds – therefore they may make mistakes.
Purpose of suffering
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Makes us appreciate things e.g. temporary blindness
Makes us a better or stronger person
People suffer to achieve a goal
Test of someone’s faith e.g. Book of Job
Punishment for sin
Part of God’s mysterious plan
Religious explanations for suffering
Hinduism teaches that suffering is a result of sinful actions in this life and past actions in previous
lives. This is the law of cause and effect (karma.) It is important to build up good karma, as it will
help reduce suffering in the future and help people to gain release from the cycle of birth, death and
rebirth.
Christianity - the story of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3) shows the consequences of free will. To
understand human suffering, God sent his only son, Jesus, to die on the cross. Christians believe
that Jesus broke the power of evil and suffering over people by his innocent suffering and death
on the cross. Jesus gave Christians hope that death is not the end, but that people will continue
to have a relationship with God after death. The book of Job - Satan challenges God by
claiming that if Job is sent great suffering, he will curse God and lose his faith. Job’s children die, he
loses his possessions and Job becomes ill. Job’s friends think his suffering is a punishment from God
for sins, but Job insists he has done nothing to deserve this ordeal and questions God. One of Job’s
friends argues that God’s sovereignty must not be questioned. Suffering is part of God’s plan, beyond
human understanding. Job repents and is rewarded with more children, a long life and twice the
wealth he had before.
Religious responses to suffering
Responses to suffering can mean the way religions try to solve the problem of suffering as mentioned
above, or by encouraging followers to live in such a way that suffering is reduced, but responses
can also mean practical ways of helping people to suffer. We studied four faiths – this is a
summary of two faiths. Hinduism
To achieve release from the cycle of death and rebirth, a Hindu tries to practise yoga to develop
loving devotion, self-control, knowledge and understanding through study and discipline. Hindus have
a tradition of helping their families, local communities and holy men. It is their duty to give and to
share with those in need. Organisation: Hindu Aid
Christianity
Trusting in God helps Christians to accept and endure personal suffering as part of God’s mysterious
will, but they will try to help others who are suffering. The teaching “Love your neighbour as
yourself” (Matthew 22.39) means that Christians should not only feel compassion for those who
suffer, but also should take active steps to help them. Christians should follow the example of Jesus
who helped the needy and healed those who were sick.
Organisation: Christian Aid.
Examples of projects helped:
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Emergency grants for the homeless in El Salvador after the earthquake in 2001
AIDS project in Jamaica to provide medical care;
Support and education;
Work in Brazil to increase people’s rights e.g. farmers receiving a fair price for their crops.
How they respond to disasters
The bulk of their work is with overseas clients. They respond to disasters by sending supplies and
often volunteers to help. For example, after the earthquake in El Salvador, medicines, food and
blankets were sent.
Impersonal force – draws people into doing
causes
people towards actions they know are harmful.
Personal being or devil who
Islam, Satan or Iblis is the source of
all evil, the opposite of God who is
all-good.
EXPLANATIONS OF EVIL
Psychological phenomenon – influenced by a person’s
Upbringing or society, or a damaged mind. Young people
Can be influenced by peer pressure and the media affects
Peoples actions.
Who is to blame?
 Evil is God’s fault. He created people and gave them free-will, allowing them to choose to do
bad rather than good.
 Evil is our fault, not God’s. When we give into the ‘dark’ side of our nature, we do evil. God
does not force us, we make the choice ourselves. There is such a thing as man-made evil.
Problem of evil
Questions for believers:
If God is all-good, why did he create a world where evil is present?
If God is benevolent, surely he would want his creations to be good?
If God is omnipotent, why can he not stop someone before they do evil?
If God is omniscient, he must know that people will sometimes choose evil over good. Why
did God give people free will to make that choice?
 Does God want evil to happen? Is this God’s will?
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Answers:
 God giving people free will shows God’s goodness and love. God is like a loving parent
who allows his children to make mistakes and learn from experience.
 God chooses not to use his power to force people to use their freedom wisely. If he
interfered every time someone was about to commit an evil act, he would be
controlling people and they would not be free.
 Other believers do not think that everything that happens is God’s will. This would
mean that people were not really free to make their own choices and God does not want evil
to happen, but, unfortunately people go against his will.
Religious explanations for evil
We studied four faiths – summary of two:
Christianity – free will.
Everything God made was perfect. Evil came into the world through Adam and Eve’s
disobedience, sometimes called original sin. When people rebel against God’s laws, evil
results. People need salvation (rescuing) from sin. Christians believe that Jesus restored
people’s broken relationship with God.
Hinduism – karma
Hindus believe evil is part of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Hindu scriptures tell stories of gods
fighting the forces of evil in the world. Rama and Sita, the story Hindus remember at Divali, is one
story in which the power of good triumphs over the power of evil. God is like the sun – all light and
no darkness – so God is not the source of evil. Karma means people can make up for evil actions in
this or a previous life by living a good and dutiful life.
Religious responses to evil
For this lesson, groups did presentations on Martin Luther King, Gandhi and Muhammad Ali. This
sheet focuses on Christianity and Hinduism.
Christianity
Jesus commanded Christians to love God and their neighbour. He taught people to love their enemies
and, when evil is done to them, to ‘turn the other cheek.’ The Lord’s Prayer says that people must
forgive others so that God can forgive them. Many Christians worked tirelessly against the great evil
of racial discrimination in the USA. Martin Luther King won rights for black people through
peaceful, non-violent protest.
Hinduism
Hindus meditate and practise yoga to gain control of their bodies and minds, to overcome
selfishness, greed and anger and to seek union with God. They respect life and do not harm living
things. Most Hindus are vegetarians. Goodness to others gains good karma. When facing evil, many
Hindus are inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, who used non-violent protest to help India gain
independence from British rule.