The problem of evil

None of us likes the presence of pain and suffering in the world. For many, this aversion hardens into an attitude towards God that says, ‘If God really existed, He would have made a world without suffering, cruelty and death’. This is what philosophers call ‘the problem of evil’.

To put it another way, there is a desire within us for a world free of pain and evil. This desire appears to be fundamental to human beings. We are forever preoccupied by the search to make the world ‘a better place’. For some, this pursuit has been a religious one, a desire to bring about heaven on earth. In the twentieth century, politics promised the salvation of mankind, whether American democracy or one of the various Communisms.

Science, too, has made many promises. Indeed, we are led to believe that, through genetic engineering, we may see people overcome death altogether. The ally of science has become economics, which in turn, rules politics. At present, the world is in the grip of an almighty attempt to save the planet through money and scientific endeavour.

The point is, there is within the marrow of our imagination the idea of a world without pain or unhappiness. Curiously, and I don’t think accidentally, this is the world God offers us when this world ends. He has created us to spend eternity with Him, and He has given us the desire for His eternal kingdom, which is a place beyond the reach of pain.

But there is a catch. We must endure a short span of time during which we suffer. Personally, I would rather avoid pain. I don’t like it at all, either for myself or anyone else. But, I cannot reject God simply because pain is painful or because it seems unfair. Moreover, the harder I look, the more I realise that I am not an innocent party in the scheme of things. In some way, I contribute to the world’s imperfection even when I try to do the very opposite.

When we think about it honestly, we find that the real problem of evil, the one we can address, is at work within us. Like the child who is told they can have a car only when they can afford one, and who tantrums as a result, we also turn up our noses at God and say, ‘Not good enough. I want it now’. We want gratification. When it is denied us, we feel this gives us the moral right to reject God.

Through Christ, God offers us a perfect world, but it’s not going to come about on planet earth. He asks us to take a humble approach to the problem of evil, to be concerned with the pain we cause, with the suffering we impose on others, and with the results of our own sin. In the meantime, we can be nourished by Him, finding comfort in His love for us and in seeing the completion of His work in our lives and the lives of those around us.

Tim Maurice

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Feature Articles
November 2008

Understanding your way

The words of eternal life

Every good gift

The song that counts

Be fruitful and multiply

A man who prays

Amazing grace

The secret place

Perspective on tribulation

Bearing the yoke

The problem of evil