how can a god of love allow suffering ? just looking
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HowHow can a can a
God of God of Love Love
allow allow
SufferingSuffering??Just LookingJust Looking
Just LookingJust Looking
HowHow can an can an omniscientomniscient (all-knowing)(all-knowing), , omni-benevolentomni-benevolent (all-(all-
loving)loving), , omni-omni-present present (everywhere) (everywhere)
God allow people to God allow people to suffersuffer??
Either he Either he cancan’’tt help or he help or he wonwon’’tt help! help!
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The “Inconsistent Triad”The “Inconsistent Triad”
Omnipotent Omnipotent GodGod
Benevolent GodBenevolent GodEvilEvil
Does the Does the presence of presence of anyany twotwo makes the makes the
thirdthird impossible impossible??
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Pain: a useful warning Pain: a useful warning signsign
Suffering Suffering ––
an an overviewoverview
Preventing Preventing damage or damage or injuryinjury
inflicting pain inflicting pain (on others or one self)(on others or one self)
““Acts of GodActs of God””
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““Moral evilMoral evil” – ” – caused by caused by peoplepeople
Different sorts of Different sorts of sufferingsuffering
““Natural evilNatural evil” – the ” – the way the way the worldworld is is
Some suffering is Some suffering is self-inflictedself-inflicted
Self-inflicted Self-inflicted sufferingsuffering
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Self-inflicted Self-inflicted sufferingsuffering
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Self-inflicted Self-inflicted sufferingsuffering
Lorna SpinksLorna Spinks
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Suffering caused Suffering caused by othersby others
Lorna SpinksLorna Spinks
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Suffering caused Suffering caused by othersby others
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Suffering caused Suffering caused by othersby others
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Suffering caused Suffering caused by othersby others
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Suffering caused Suffering caused by othersby others
Morgan MussonMorgan Musson
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Suffering which is Suffering which is just part of our just part of our
worldworld
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Suffering which is Suffering which is just part of our just part of our
worldworld
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Suffering which is Suffering which is just part of our just part of our
worldworld
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Suffering which has Suffering which has positive valuepositive value
Endurance Endurance …… strengthstrength …… understandingunderstanding …… empathyempathy …… idealideal
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C. S. Lewis
The possibility of choosing to love demands free will
The importance of The importance of free willfree will
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… and free will demands the
possibility of doing harm
The importance of The importance of free willfree will
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The possibility of choosing to love demands free will
Perfect clones … and no suffering?
The choice to love …
and the possibility
of suffering?
The importance of The importance of free willfree will
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Human choices to do wrong appear to have affected the whole created order
Existentialism points to a perceived gap between what people know they are and what they feel deep within that they should be
A perfect world A perfect world –– corruptedcorrupted??
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Has God Has God distanced distanced
Himself from Himself from this human this human
predicamentpredicament??
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God participates in God participates in the human the human
predicamentpredicament
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God participates in God participates in the human the human
predicamentpredicament
God participates in God participates in the human the human
predicamentpredicament
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Gethsemane
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God participates in God participates in the human the human
predicamentpredicament
The steps up to
Caiaphas’ house
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God participates in God participates in the human the human
predicamentpredicament
A cell beneath
Caiaphas’ house
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God participates in God participates in the human the human
predicamentpredicament
Games marked out by Romans soldiers at the barracks
courtyard Just LookingJust Looking
God participates in God participates in the human the human
predicamentpredicament
The Garden Tomb Just LookingJust Looking
God participates in God participates in the human the human
predicamentpredicament
Inside the tomb Just LookingJust Looking
God participates in God participates in the human the human
predicamentpredicament
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What is the best What is the best possible worldpossible world??
A world A world where where evil evil
rulesrules??
A world A world where only where only good good can can happenhappen??
A world A world where where good good triumphstriumphs??
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What is the best What is the best possible worldpossible world??
The world – a The world – a ““vale of soul makingvale of soul making””
The possibility of choosing to love demands free will …… and free will demands the possibility of doing harmHuman choices to do wrong affect the whole created orderGod participates in His suffering world and the experience of hurting people …… and breaks through in power to touch hurting lives
Conclusion:Conclusion:
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A difficult question: Why should a God of love let those He loves suffer?
A more difficult question: why do so many who have suffered greatly believe in a God of love?
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