An explanation of why God allows pain and suffering:
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
"I don't believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things." The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:
"You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."
"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
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2 comments:
Cool story dude, I thought it was great, but I didn't like the very last line. Look at all the people around the world who believe in God and still suffer and die, or worse, kill people in Her name. Pain and death are part of the cosmos - believing in God won't change that - and it doesn't seem that believing in God changes too many people's actions either. I wish it did, but there are too many people who kill in God's name.
The idea of a God that is 'Goodness' came from Plato, and philosophically, it is difficult to defend unless you posit another world, God's home, where everything is peaceful and groovy. That explains why shit happens here in on Earth - cause Goodness is in the other world. Perhaps then, if we can make things a bit more peaceful and groovy here on earth, then God might set up a cottage down here and chill with us right here and now. ;)
Interesting comment Dan :)
I think that there is a lot going on in this story and the reasons why these things happen are hard to explain.
I understand where you are coming from, but I still firmly believe in this. Regardless, I enjoyed your comment and value it. :P
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