Man's freewill and God's divine sovereignty

[Link]

God is unseen, and so he can force that the signs of the unseen/hidden and make it manifest, I agree. But why doesn't he do so?

Salam

The Quran contains an explanation to all things. One of these is how it emphasizes on the issue of proof and day of judgment, and why God to some degree hides his proofs. On the day of judgment, the signs of God's Authority there is no room for denial:

لَيْسَ لِوَقْعَتِهَا كَاذِبَةٌ

There is to it's passing no denier.
(56:2)

اسْتَجِيبُوا لِرَبِّكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ يَوْمٌ لَا مَرَدَّ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ ۚ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ مَلْجَإٍ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِنْ نَكِيرٍ | Respond to your Lord before there comes a day for which there will be no revoking from Allah. On that day you will have no refuge, nor will you able to have denial| Ash-Shura : 47

When the proof is manifest and is forced upon people, their will is no longer sincere, for this reason the Quran says:

إِنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ أَكَادُ أُخْفِيهَا لِتُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا تَسْعَىٰ | Indeed the Hour is bound to come: I will have it hidden, so that every soul may be rewarded by what for it strives. | Taa-Haa : 15

The proof is related to the power in the Prophets and Witnesses:

وَقِيلَ مَنْ ۜ رَاقٍ

And it will be said who is the enchanter?


إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَسَاقُ

Towards your Lord is the driving

And said:

وَجَاءَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَعَهَا سَائِقٌ وَشَهِيدٌ | Every soul will come accompanied by a driver and a witness: | Qaaf : 21

And said:

وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا ثُمَّ لَا يُؤْذَنُ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَلَا هُمْ يُسْتَعْتَبُونَ | The day We shall raise a witness from every nation, the faithless will not be permitted nor will they be asked to propitiate | An-Nahl : 84

And said:

وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ شَهِيدًا عَلَىٰ هَٰؤُلَاءِ ۚ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ | The day We raise in every nation a witness against them from among themselves, We shall bring you as a witness against these (people of your time). We have sent down the Book to you as a clarification of all things and as guidance, mercy and good news for the submitters | An-Nahl : 89

يَوْمَ نَدْعُو كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ ۖ فَمَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ يَقْرَءُونَ كِتَابَهُمْ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا | The day We shall summon every group of people along with their Leader, then whoever is given his book in his right hand—they will read it, and they will not be wronged so much as a single date-thread. | Al-Israa : 71


And Mohammad (s) is been called the clear proof:

لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنْفَكِّينَ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ | The faithless from among the People of the Book and the polytheists were not set apart [from the community of the faithful] until the proof had come to them: | Al-Bayyina : 1

رَسُولٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ يَتْلُو صُحُفًا مُطَهَّرَةً | A Messenger from Allah reciting purified scriptures, | Al-Bayyina : 2

And the degree his proof is hidden and manifest, is up to God


وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ ۖ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا الْغَيْبُ لِلَّهِ فَانْتَظِرُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الْمُنْتَظِرِينَ | They say, ‘Why has not some sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say, ‘the hiding (of the sign) is for God. So wait. I too am waiting along with you.’ | Yunus : 20


And hence belief in the hidden is about belief in God's proof and signs:

الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ | who believe in the hidden, maintain the prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them; | Al-Baqara : 3

And said:

عَنِ النَّبَإِ الْعَظِيمِ | [Is it] about the Great Tiding, | An-Naba : 2

And regarding reward Mohammad (s) is accused of seeking:

وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ نَبَأَهُ بَعْدَ حِينٍ | and you will surely learn its tidings in due time.’ | Saad : 88

Which is explained to be:

ذَٰلِكَ الَّذِي يُبَشِّرُ اللَّهُ عِبَادَهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ ۗ قُلْ لَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَىٰ ۗ وَمَنْ يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةً نَزِدْ لَهُ فِيهَا حُسْنًا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ | Such is the good news that Allah gives to His servants who have faith and do righteous deeds! Say, ‘I do not ask you any reward for it except the love of the kin.’ Whoever performs a good deed, We shall enhance its goodness for him. Indeed Allah is Forgiving, Appreciative. | Ash-Shura : 23


And hence this love is connected to goodness and faith in God as they are unseen signs of God that God manifests or hides to whatever degree he wishes.

And this is addresses why God hides and manifests proofs, but the question is why miracles in the past and not now?

The Quran says:

وَمَا مَنَعَنَا أَنْ نُرْسِلَ بِالْآيَاتِ إِلَّا أَنْ كَذَّبَ بِهَا الْأَوَّلُونَ ۚ وَآتَيْنَا ثَمُودَ النَّاقَةَ مُبْصِرَةً فَظَلَمُوا بِهَا ۚ وَمَا نُرْسِلُ بِالْآيَاتِ إِلَّا تَخْوِيفًا | Nothing keeps Us from sending signs except if the former people denied them. We gave Thamud the she-camel as an eye-opener, but they wronged her. We do not send the signs except as warning. | Al-Israa : 59

And hence previous generations actions have caused the situation in which the Guide who can perform such signs is hidden:

وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ ۗ إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُنْذِرٌ ۖ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ | The faithless say, ‘Why has not some sign revealed regarding him from his Lord?’ You are only a warner, and there is a guide for every people. | Ar-Ra'd : 7

And God says:

اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ ۖ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ ۚ نُورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ ۗ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ | Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is a niche wherein is a lamp—the lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star—lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, whose oil almost lights up, though fire should not touch it. Light upon light. Allah guides to His Light whomever He wishes. Allah draws parables for mankind, and Allah has knowledge of all things. | An-Noor : 35

فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ | In houses Allah has allowed to be raised and wherein His Name is celebrated; He is glorified therein, morning and evening, | An-Noor : 36

رِجَالٌ لَا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ ۙ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَالْأَبْصَارُ |Men whom neither trade nor bargaining distracts from the remembrance of Allah and the maintenance of prayer and the giving of zakat. They are fearful of a day wherein the hearts and the sights will be transformed, | An-Noor : 37

And said:

فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالنُّورِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْنَا ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ | So have faith in Allah and His Apostle and the light, which We have revealed, and Allah is well aware of what you do. | At-Taghaabun : 8


Thus the philosophy of hiding and manifesting is explained in Quran. God's proof is always here, but to what degree he is hidden or manifest, is up to God. Right now there is no miracles in the open, but that's because of what previous generations did with them and oppressed the followers who believed in them.

I find that it's a major sign of Quran being from God, about how much it emphasized on the issue of proof, to what degree God manifests or hides it, and for what reasons. It shows God is aware people want proof.

Concerning the sky reality where is the light of God and spiritual lights, Quran also said:

وَإِنْ كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكَ إِعْرَاضُهُمْ فَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَبْتَغِيَ نَفَقًا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَوْ سُلَّمًا فِي السَّمَاءِ فَتَأْتِيَهُمْ بِآيَةٍ ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ ۚ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ | And should their aversion be hard on you, find, if you can, a tunnel into the ground, or a ladder into sky, that you may bring them a sign. Had Allah wished, He would have brought them together on guidance. So do not be one of the ignorant. | Al-An'aam : 35


This shows if Mohammad (s) can connect people to this reality, he would, but it's not his fault people turn away.

Surah Hijr expands on why he doesn't connect them:

وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَابًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَظَلُّوا فِيهِ يَعْرُجُونَ | Were We to open for them a gate of the sky, so that they could go on ascending through it, | Al-Hijr : 14

لَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتْ أَبْصَارُنَا بَلْ نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ مَسْحُورُونَ | they would surely say, ‘Indeed a spell has been cast on our eyes; indeed, we are a bewitched lot.’ | Al-Hijr : 15

وَلَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا فِي السَّمَاءِ بُرُوجًا وَزَيَّنَّاهَا لِلنَّاظِرِينَ | Certainly We have made great stars in the sky and adorned them for the onlookers, | Al-Hijr : 16

وَحَفِظْنَاهَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ رَجِيمٍ | and We have guarded it from every outcast Satan, | Al-Hijr : 17

إِلَّا مَنِ اسْتَرَقَ السَّمْعَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ مُبِينٌ | except someone who may eavesdrop, whereat there pursues him a manifest flame. | Al-Hijr : 18


And this returns to the issue of why proof is not forced upon people:

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّي وَآتَانِي رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِنْدِهِ فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوهَا وَأَنْتُمْ لَهَا كَارِهُونَ | He said, ‘O my people! Tell me, should I stand on a manifest proof from my Lord, and He has granted me His own mercy—though it be that you are blinded to it—shall we force it upon you while you are averse to it? | Hud : 28

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I don't see any point. You have already made up your mind, that although G-d lets us suffer in this life, souls are not immortal, and can be "blotted out"
I say "blot it all out" now, in that case.
..because how can you miss something if you are "blotted out"? No. It is not coherent doctrine. Neither is it true.

Even though you see No point, that does Not mean another might not see what you mean.
Yes, Adam was Not immortal. Mortal Adam at death 'returned' to where he started - dust - Genesis 3:19.
There was No post-mortem penalty for sinner Adam, No double jeopardy for sinner Adam - just dust.
As Ezekiel 18:4,20 says the soul that sins: dies.
Right now people's names can be ' penciled in ' in the Book of Life.
After the thousand years of Christ's governmental reign over Earth one's name is either blotted out, or in permanent ink.

 

[muhammad_isa]

After the thousand years of Christ's governmental reign over Earth one's name is either blotted out, or in permanent ink.

You speak of which you have no knowledge.
It is a mere assumption.

Why would a soul ever cease to be?
G-d is immortal. G-d is of infinite nature. Souls are from G-d.

If G-d "creates" souls, then what are they created from?
Where do they come from, and where do they go to?

It makes no sense for souls to be temporary. It is an innovation to believe that. It is a pipe dream to think that "a satan" does not end up in eternal torment of his own making.
Jesus tells us so in the Gospels, but you do not hear.

 

[Trailblazer]

"God will not impede man's freewill." I've heard this excuse, and other similar ones, time and time again from many devout theists (Christians, Bahá'i), who attempt to defend God's abhorrent cruelty and apathy towards immeasurable human suffering.

No, the reason that God does not intervene and prevent suffering is not because that would interfere with man's free will. The question is: Why God should intervene and prevent suffering? Give me one good reason, a reason that makes sense.

Personally speaking, I think this excuse is a total cop-out. It's a cop-out to purposely defend God knowing about the reprehensible, inhumane atrocities that either God ordered himself or he allowed to happen and did nothing to intervene. The Holocaust comes to mind.

You really cannot hear what you are saying, can you? You are blaming God for the atrocities that humans commit and expecting God to clean up our messes. Give me one good reason what God should do that.

God did not order any atrocities, the Old Testament is a bunch of anthropomorphisms.

God allowed inhumane atrocities to happen and did not intervene? Why should God intervene? Give me one good reason.

Instead of blaming God, the creator, these devout theists will blame the creation, mankind and Satan. They adamantly refuse to blame God, who has infinite knowledge (omniscience), infinite power (omnipotent), and he is ever-present (omnipresence).

You can bet your bottom dollar I am not going to blame God for what humans are completely responsible for because that is illogical and unjust.

So what if God knows what is going to happen and so what if God has all power to prevent it. The one million dollar question is why God should prevent humans from acting on their own free will, after God gave humans free will?

In other words, God had foreknowledge of every tragedy and atrocities throughout human history, and yet, he allowed these horrific events to take place, and he didn't stop any of it. Personally speaking, I think it's beyond disgusting, cruel and sadistic. There's no excuse.

Personally speaking, there is no excuse for blaming God for what humans are responsible for. It the biggest cop-out of all cop-outs. No, there is no excuse.

Lastly, I don't blame humanity or Satan for the fallen world we live in. I blame God, the infinite creator, who foreknew that man and Satan would fall into total depravity and destruction. I blame God, who admitted he creates disasters and calamities (Is. 45:7).

Baha'is do not believe in Satan or "the fall." God knew so it is God's fault they ate the apple. What utter nonsense.
God creating disasters and calamities is another subject and I have a thread I plan to post about that.

God is responsible for the fallen world, and that's where the real blame lies, not with humanity or with Satan.

Go ahead and blame God for everything. You are not going to hurt God, you are only hurting yourself. I hate to see people hurt themselves but I cannot prevent it, all I can do id try to reason with them.

It is completely illogical and unjust to blame God for what humans are responsible for. You would have a better case if you blame God for what God is actually responsible for.

Imagine this, a court of law where God goes on trial for the crimes that man commits.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What is your suggestion to God and why do you think it should be that way? Particularly in the case of human free-will and Gods so called "allowance".

Thanks.

Why would the avoidance of suffering have to have anything at all to do with free will?

For a human to take an action - e.g. commit a crime - there have to be three elements: motive, means and opportunity.

If free will is a thing at all, it's only a factor in that first element: motive.

Means and opportunity generally don't involve free will at all: if you don't have a gun, wanting to shoot someone wouldn't magically materialize a gun into your hand. Circumstances also often deprive us of the opportunity to do things. Earlier this week we had a big snowstorm; lots of people's plans were disrupted. Someone lying in wait to shoot someone else may very well have been foiled when the snow meant that their target took a different way home.

Actions that cause suffering are prevented all the time without free will even being a factor. People who argue that God couldn't prevent actions that cause suffering without "interfering with free will" seem to me to be out of touch with reality.

 

[muhammad_isa]

People who argue that God couldn't prevent actions that cause suffering without "interfering with free will" seem to me to be out of touch with reality.

What is reality?
Reality as I see it, is that we all have to make decisions all the time.
G-d has put the responsibility of "running the world" on us.

Now .. you may say that the consequences of that is bad.
..yet that is a short term view based on death being final.

..so

 

[Trailblazer]

Actions that cause suffering are prevented all the time without free will even being a factor. People who argue that God couldn't prevent actions that cause suffering without "interfering with free will" seem to me to be out of touch with reality.

God could prevent actions that cause suffering without "interfering with free will" but the hundred million dollar question that no atheist can answer is - why should God prevent any suffering, especially the suffering that humans cause because of the choices they make?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

God could prevent actions that cause suffering without "interfering with free will" but the hundred million dollar question that no atheist can answer is - why should God prevent any suffering, especially the suffering that humans cause because of the choices they make?

You ignoring the answers doesn't mean that nobody's answered it.

One would expect that the creation of a halfway-competent God would be in accordance with God's own standards, whatever they are.

If we assume - for whatever reason - that the universe is the creation of a powerful creator-god, then this implies that the world as it exists today is exactly as God wants it, so we can infer from what exists what God's standards are (and then judge those standards - and God - as we see fit).

 

[muhammad_isa]

If we assume - for whatever reason - that the universe is the creation of a powerful creator-god, then this implies that the world as it exists today is exactly as God wants it,.

No it doesn't.
It means that G-d allows mankind to commit evil, as He wishes to test us in the short-run.
Eventually, G-d wants us to succeed, and pass on to a better world.

 

[Trailblazer]

You ignoring the answers doesn't mean that nobody's answered it.

One would expect that the creation of a halfway-competent God would be in accordance with God's own standards, whatever they are.

If we assume - for whatever reason - that the universe is the creation of a powerful creator-god, then this implies that the world as it exists today is exactly as God wants it, so we can infer from what exists what God's standards are (and then judge those standards - and God - as we see fit).

The creation is according to God's standards and you can judge those standards as you see fit but that still does not answer my question.

Why should God prevent any suffering, especially the suffering that humans cause because of the choices they make?

 

[Trailblazer]

No it doesn't.
It means that G-d allows mankind to commit evil, as He wishes to test us in the short-run.
Eventually, G-d wants us to succeed, and pass on to a better world.

Good catch. Just because God allows something to exist that does not mean God wants it to exist.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

No it doesn't.
It means that G-d allows mankind to commit evil, as He wishes to test us in the short-run.
Eventually, G-d wants us to succeed, and pass on to a better world.

"Testing" is quality control: making sure that the end product is as intended.

The other side is quality assurance: managing the process so that the products produced will pass quality control.

A competent creator does both, and every time a product fails its "test," this points to an imperfection in quality assurance.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The creation is according to God's standards and you can judge those standards as you see fit but that still does not answer my question.

Why should God prevent any suffering, especially the suffering that humans cause because of the choices they make?

Before we get to that question, can I get your agreement that God does prevent some suffering?

I mean, the world has lots of attempted violence that didn't cause the intended suffering, and people can wish for violence that is impossible to make happen because of the laws that God set in place for the universe... right?

 

[Trailblazer]

Before we get to that question, can I get your agreement that God does prevent some suffering?

I mean, the world has lots of attempted violence that didn't cause the intended suffering, and people can wish for violence that is impossible to make happen because of the laws that God set in place for the universe... right?

So are you saying that God prevents some suffering because of some natural laws that make certain kinds of violence impossible? Can you give me some examples?

 

[muhammad_isa]

..every time a product fails its "test," this points to an imperfection in quality assurance.

What are you getting at? .. if you mean that it is inevitable there will be "casualties", then yes. Many people will fail .. particularly from these "later times".

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

So are you saying that God prevents some suffering because of some natural laws that make certain kinds of violence impossible? Can you give me some examples?

Some examples of violence or suffering prevented, presumably by God:

- We can't kill each other through telekinesis, even if we wanted to.

- Kokura was spared (and Nagasaki was targeted) for the atomic bomb because Kokura was obscured by clouds. The bomber diverted to its alternate target: Nagasaki.

- after it opened, the Citicorp Center wad found to have serious structural deficiencies; in high winds at a certain angle, it would have collapsed with many lives lost. It was only a fluke (or divine protection?) that prevented a catastrophic loss of life.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What are you getting at? .. if you mean that it is inevitable there will be "casualties", then yes. Many people will fail .. particularly from these "later times".

I mean that any failure on our part as "creation" implies a failure on God's part as "creator."

Any flaws in us revealed by any test are flaws placed in us by our creator.

A clay pot with an air bubble can explode in the kiln, destroying other pots. When this happens, it's the potter's fault, not the pot's.

 

[muhammad_isa]

Any flaws in us revealed by any test are flaws placed in us by our creator..

Yes. We are flawed.
Yes, We commit sin.
Yes. G-d is responsible for that.

However, it is untrue that we hold no responsibility, just because G-d created us flawed. G-d gave the responsibility to us. You imply that this was a mistake.
G-d does not make mistakes .. but we do.

What do you hope to achieve by arguing with your maker?
satan knows that he can't win, but nevertheless he keeps on with his nonsense, "cutting off his nose to spite his face".
Oh well.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Yes. We are flawed.
Yes, We commit sin.
Yes. G-d is responsible for that.

So God is responsible for sin?

However, it is untrue that we hold no responsibility, just because G-d created us flawed. G-d gave the responsibility to us. You imply that this was a mistake.
G-d does not make mistakes .. but we do.

So causing sin is not a mistake?

Edit: my point is that any mistake made by humans can ultimately be traced back to a mistake by God.

(if we assume that God is the designer and creator of the universe, of course)

What do you hope to achieve by arguing with your maker?
satan knows that he can't win, but nevertheless he keeps on with his nonsense, "cutting off his nose to spite his face".
Oh well.

Getting a bit big in the britches, eh?

I'm not arguing with "my maker." I'm arguing with you.

 

[osgart]

God could prevent actions that cause suffering without "interfering with free will" but the hundred million dollar question that no atheist can answer is - why should God prevent any suffering, especially the suffering that humans cause because of the choices they make?

Because if there are innocent people in the world then God needs to be defender of those innocent people. A watchful bystander is no God at all.

To be creator of life in the world bears some responsibility toward the creation as well.

If I were to create life than the least I would do is provide my creation important experiences, and valuable information about how to live. Offer the path of good, and offer the path of evil, and set up a justice system, government, and defense for those who choose to do good, and those yet to make a choice. Separate the wheat and the chaff from the very beginning, don't wait, and don't promise it til after all the damage is done.

If God has no limits on ability, then it's only reasonable to expect that justice be set up in creation from the very beginning.

As it is mankind creates their own justice systems, and plenty of those systems are not just at all.

If all life is guilty with no potential for good then by all means abandon us all. But if mankind has any potential for good, then God as creator, to even be a God must provide enough justice defense to lead people to the light, and keep them from atrocity and abuse.

By nature of being creator God incurs responsibility toward what God creates. Choose to go against God, and lose God's protection. Choose to be for God and gain God's protection. Those yet to choose should have a perfect garden with perfect insight into good and evil, to make the best possible choice. No one in reality has such a perfect garden.

Anytime someone mentions a God, immediately I think what is the ideal fairness of such a God that I would owe this God anything at all. By definition God is supreme and ideal. There's no evidence of anything supreme or ideal in nature.