Suffering

  • Thread starter Thread starter radical_christian
  • Start date Start date
  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
R

radical_christian

Guest
As a Christian, how do you explain suffering to nonbelievers. A former teacher of mine who studied theology has told me that it is difficult for him to believe in a loving God when innocents suffer daily. He has told me that it is easier for him to "believe in the God of the Old Testament"--meaning that he is more willing to believe in deism.

So I'm curious as to how you go about telling your view of suffering and its relationship to sin especially because that is something I get questionned a lot. Thanks in advance guys. God bless!
 
radical_christian said:
As a Christian, how do you explain suffering to nonbelievers.
Click to expand...

Suffering in the world is a result of sin. Direct or indirect. Directly, in that when we sin we hurt others and ourselves. Just think about the various sins we commit, and their consequences.

Indirectly, the fall of man due to sin as is recorded in Genesis 3. Since the fall, the world has been afflicted by sin. Some suffering is from spiritual evil though. The book of Job is a good source for learning about that.

A former teacher of mine who studied theology has told me that it is difficult for him to believe in a loving God when innocents suffer daily.
Click to expand...
If there is no God, it is pointless unrelenting suffering. That's what was from the beginning, and will be to the end. The only way suffering can have any meaning, purpose, value, or otherwise be important, is if there is a God. If there is no God, there is nothing wrong about it.

He has told me that it is easier for him to "believe in the God of the Old Testament"--meaning that he is more willing to believe in deism.
Click to expand...

The "God of the Old Testament" is far from being deistic. In fact, quite the opposite. He is very involved.

So I'm curious as to how you go about telling your view of suffering and its relationship to sin especially because that is something I get questionned a lot. Thanks in advance guys. God bless!
Click to expand...
No prob.
 
There are some things that happen which we can't explain through any amount of logic and reasoning and we just have to accept these things as the will of God.

"Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." - JOHN 16:33 NLT

"But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity." - JOB 36:15

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. - ISAIAH 55:8
 
When it comes to suffering, I personally don't believe that it comes from above, or that it's His will. I hear a lot that He sends it to accomplish His will for us, and that He gives us adversity to bring us closer to Him, but I have a hard time believing that God would do so. However, that's just a viewpoint of mine as of now.

As far as where suffering comes from, I think jimmydiggs stated it nicely. It's mostly our fault, but we are battling against principalities and powers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back