OTPEuJill42 started an OP on Justification of suffering : We all know that God alllows suffering. However, will God ask you to do something when your suffering causes you to want to do the opposite? And if he does, how do explain why a loving God would do such things?
OTPEuJill42 : Hi, welcome to the forum. I think your question is wonderful and important. The various Christian movements would probably approach your OP from multiple perspectives. I like the way suffering is justified in early Christian worldviews.
Firstly, I don’t think suffering can be justified without viewing it from an eternal perspective (i.e. the concept that individuals who suffer in this life will go on to live eternally in another life.
Secondly, I believe that to justify suffering, the suffering, in it’s various forms must be placed into the correct context of conditions (most of which we are unaware). For example,
the early Judeo-Christians understood that knowledge of the true context of prior events change the context of this life, as well as how it is to be viewed, including our judgments of right; wrong and suffering. For example, Rappaport, II, 263-266 relates the training Moses received when considering this point.
One day, while Moses was out tending sheep, he was meditating about life and it’s meaning when he noticed a traveler come and stop at the well to refresh himself. Unnoticed, a purse of money dropped out of his garments and fell on the ground before he continued on his journey. After a short while another traveller appeared. He refreshed himself with the cool water and, while standing near the well, found the money bag on the ground. He picked it up, rejoiced about the stroke of luck and went happily on his way.
Yet another stranger came after a while who also drank of the water from the well and then proceeded to take a nap nearby. Meanwhile, the first traveler had noticed the loss of his purse and hurriedly returned to the area since he surmised that he could have only lost it while refreshing himself at the well.
When he saw the sleeping man, he awakened him and asked him whether he had found the money, to which the other replied, truthfully, that he had not. However, the first stranger evidently did not believe the others assurance and after some accusations and shouting, a fight between the two ensued.
It was at this point Moses came running from his place of meditation to quell the disturbance and calm the tempers because he had witnessed what had happened. But it was too late. The man who had lost the purse had already killed the innocent man when Moses arrived at the scene. The prophet related his observations to the man, who was quite shaken at his deed, and departed in great sorrow over the loss of his possessions and the knowledge of having killed for no cause.
Moses was also shaken by this experience and he wondered deeply about the justice and benevolence of a God who had permitted such an act to happen.
Lord of the Universe, spoke Moses, “can it be thy will to punish the innocent and let prosper the guilty? The man who hath stolen the money bag is enjoying wealth which is not his, whilst the innocent man hath been slain. The owner of the money, too, hath not only lost his property, but his loss hath been the cause of his becoming a murderer. I fail to understand the ways of providence and workings of divine justice. O Almighty, reveal unto me Thy hidden ways that I may understand.”
And so the Lord proceeded to tell Moses why it was just. The man who had lost the money had inherited it from his father who, in turn, had stolen it from the father of the man who had found it. Therefore that situation had now been corrected. The man who had been killed, had in years past killed the brother of the man who had killed him during the quarrel. Said the Lord to Moses:
"Know then, O Moses, that I ordained it that the murderer should be put to death by the brother of the victim, whilst the son should find the money of which his father had once been robbed. My ways are inscrutable, and often the human mind wonders why the innocent suffer and the wicken prosper."
Thus the great prophet-leader was taught the ways and wisdom of God, how to deal with men and how to judge and how not to; all valuable lessons. (Ginzberg, II, 302; Philo, Vita Mosis, 1:12) especially in the context of your debate about iniquities and suffering and moral evils, and why such things exist in this life.
The insight Moses needed to understand this inequitable suffering, was found in knowledge of the PAST he did not know. Similarly, if you had knowledge of events that took place before the creation of the earth the role of suffering may make more sense than it does without those concepts..
First, I think that the questions regarding why something that appears unjust and involving needless suffering or apparent evil that agnostics ask are GOOD questions, and in fact are no different than that of theists who are considering the same principles and trying to make sense of what they do not understand inside their religious beliefs. That is, these are legitimate questions.
Secondly, these questions cannot BE answered as efficiently and as accurately without having knowledge of the greater context in which they are happening. Prior to having the context explained to him, Moses was unable to justify what he saw as a morally unjustified occurrence UNTIL he was educated with further information and further context.
Thirdly, once the correct and accurate context is understood, then such occurrences and moral phenomena can be both understood and justifiable.
When one considers the moral phenomena INSIDE ancient Christian worldview, then they make more sense and can be justified. OUTSIDE of these contexts. Simply to say God is powerful and gets to do what he wants is insufficient. Context is important.
For example, in the context of causing suffering to innocent infants and children, my own main employment in pediatric medicine involves causing suffering. All day long, for years, I have caused suffering to innocent children as part of my employment. For example, I either put needles into the skin of infants and innocent children or order someone else to do it. I often cut into the skin of innocent infants and children with small sharp knives and leave them with wounds that are painful and leave them suffering for some time. I occasionally will put staples into the skin of little children, sometimes in sensitive areas and sometimes without numbing the skin where I am puncturing their tender skin.
Not only do I cause pain, but I will, on purpose, push on a small childs belly with the express intent to cause that child pain simply to gain information. I will, on purpose, intentionally cause pain to a bone or joint of a small innocent child. I will, in fact, move bones in a small child that I already know are dislocated and which I know, beforehand, will cause this innocent child suffering and pain. Though I do this in order to reduce greater pain and harm.
Not only do I cause such suffering and pain, but I do it to some children that I love. Even the loving parents of these children know that I am going to cause suffering to their child and yet they want me to do it. And, despite my intentionally causing such pain and suffering, day in and day out, for years, both theists and non-theists continue to ask me to do things which will cause suffering to innocent infants and children that they truly and deeply love.
I asked one poster in this context : Is there any way I can justify causing the suffering of innocent infants and children in my work or is it simply evil for causing suffering as I am doing? Should I stop doing these things that I am doing?
The poster Draupadi offered a justification for the suffering I cause : “Look you do that to cure them.“ (post # 4025)
It is, in this way, that I can justify causing and a parent justifies allowing suffering. If there is a spiritual equivalent purpose of "curing" or "education" or "benefit" that is involved in temporary suffering in life, then some temporary suffering is justifiable.
This observation forms a good base model for how early Christians justified suffering in this life.
Can I take this model just a bit further? In my office we justify causing pain when giving immunizations in the hope that performing a somewhat painful procedure now will both prevent greater specific future illness and suffering and improving long term happiness.
JUSTIFICATION OF SUFFERING
If one can justify the suffering of innocents I cause in my medical role because I am ultimately benefiting them much more than a temporary and limited harm that is done to them, then God could be justified in early Christian theology in the same way IF the early Christians felt that the suffering in mortality was part of obtaining a much greater eternal benefit.
According to early texts, when God considered inaugurating this great plan for achieving eternal life of man, one great controversy and concern would be because the plan would entail mankind both doing and suffering evils upon the earth. My point in telling you this is that the context of these texts are not that of a Father who is punishing wayward children for their "evil" deeds or to make them "good" , but it is often in the context of a moral schooling and tutoring that was taking place.
If we agree on these basic principles, then I’d like to move from modern Christian theories and switch to early Judeo-Christian historical texts so as to discuss conditions that existed prior to the creation of the earth and the populating it with mankind.
IN any case, I hope your spiritual journey is good and satisfying for you
Clear
σιφιω
