God and Suffering
Content
In Buddhist philosophy, the first of the Four Noble Truths is that all life is suffering or, to use a contemporary euphemism, that all life “is not being at ease.” It is a belief that suffering is an inevitable part of a transient human life and that this affliction comes about as a consequence of our cravings (desires) and attachments (devotions).
To some, this may seem like a dismal philosophy. But it is important to note that Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism, was trying to reveal the futility of a purely materialistic existence and the inevitable suffering that follows.
No doubt, there is much suffering on earth, and in the time of Buddha (circa 500 BC), there was a lot more of it. Indeed, human life 2,500 years ago was considerably more harsh and barbaric than it is now.
There is little dispute that our selfish desires lead to disillusionment, disappointment, and suffering, but it is also clear that millions of people suffer because of things beyond their control, such as natural disasters, disease, and the accidents of time.
People Cause Suffering
But none of the grief caused by natural disasters compares to the amount of human misery generated by tyrants, warlords, and bad governments. Conquest for the sake of land, resources, and power has left nothing in its wake but devastation, suffering, and poverty. The vast majority of humanity suffers as a result of the selfish ambitions of those who pursue power and wealth regardless of the cost to others.
Undeniably, acts of violence are never fair to innocent victims, but these are human acts of violence, not divine ones. And clearly, human suffering would be greatly diminished if everyone on the planet lived moral and virtuous lives rather than lives dedicated to the pursuit of money, power, and self-glorification.
But can we expect God to save every innocent victim or to solve all the world’s difficulties by creating an instant Utopia—a worldwide garden of Eden? The problem is that neither God nor any celestial being will ever interfere with human free will. It is a law of the universe—God will not interfere with our choices, no matter how ill-advised, evil, or disastrous they may be to ourselves or others.
The forces of the spiritual world will not coerce man; they allow him to go the way of his own choosing.
– The Urantia Book
Understandably, people get upset and confused when terrible things happen, especially when they have been taught that God is compassionate, loving, and kind. But we need to recognize that a wise parent never takes sides in the petty quarrels of their children, just as God does not take sides in the quarrels of his children, whether they be individuals, social groups, or nations.
If we truly wish to know God, then we have to accept that he does not always live up to our expectations. We may become extremely frustrated when the Divine Being does not act or intervene in ways we think he should. We ask, if there is a loving God, how can he allow such misery and suffering to continue? Our disappointments may run so deep and become so bitter that, in our mounting frustration and dismay, we are inclined to cast out any notion of a benevolent God, or of any God at all. And in our childish spite, we blind ourselves to his greater designs.
But if we can accept that God is an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise Creator of an almost infinite universe, it seems unrealistic and presumptuous of us mere mortals to expect him to conform to our rapidly changing, intellectually limited, and somewhat capricious ideals of divine morality.
It is irrational, therefore, to dismiss any belief in a Higher Spirit because he or she refuses to comply with our culturally determined ideals of appropriate behavior, ideals grounded in our very limited understanding of the nature of reality, the cosmos, our spiritual destinies, or life after death.
This does not mean that God is indifferent. It is more a policy of non-interference. And even if the Almighty did intervene to create an ideal society, it would not last long before it deteriorated back to its present state. There is no way to successfully speed up social evolution or the progress of civilization. Only when humanity at last overcomes the ruinous philosophies of materialism and secularism, and learns from the harsh lessons of the past, will civilization ever progress beyond its present state of barbarism.
But God’s policy of general non-interference does not imply that we should remain insensitive to the suffering of our fellows; quite the opposite. It is our moral duty and our individual responsibility as sons and daughters of God to ensure worldwide peace.
The religionist is not unsympathetic with social suffering, not unmindful of civil injustice, not insulated from economic thinking, neither insensible to political tyranny.
– The Urantia Book
Our ongoing and progressive problems on earth, whether individual, social, or national, are important problems that humanity must learn to solve for itself, just as a growing child must learn to solve problems and overcome the challenges of life. Any wise parent knows that doting over their children and protecting them from every mistake does nothing to help them deal with the difficulties of life. Nor does it help them to achieve the profound self-confidence and robust courage of a truly spiritual individual.
Does God Punish?
In Western religious culture, as in many other cultures, there is a long history of associating suffering with divine retribution—God’s punishment for the sins of the individual or the nation. But those familiar with the loving and merciful nature of God know he does not punish or avenge. The truth is that all the terrible episodes once attributed to God’s vengeance were either natural events, physical accidents, or the inevitable consequences of misguided human actions.
We all make mistakes, but there is no need to appease a supposedly offended God through sacrifices or penance, nor is it necessary to whip ourselves or to wallow in remorse. It is inconceivable that any loving parent would condone such inhumane practices.
It makes no sense that a perfect, loving God would watch over us with malign suspicion, just waiting for us to make a mistake so he can retaliate with a big stick or curse us with bad luck. It is unthinkable that a wise, loving, compassionate, and divine Parent would take delight in the torment and suffering of their children.
Can we honestly believe that a compassionate God would create such a thing as an eternal Hell—a wretched place to punish erring children with eternal damnation? It is inconsistent that an all-loving and all-wise Father-Mother God would be a cruel and vengeful parent intent on torturing miscreants for all eternity.
I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the object of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own – a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty.
– Albert Einstein
Notions of Hell originated in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Persia and can be traced to the fearful, superstitious minds of the Bronze Age. Before Persia’s domination and influence in the 6th century BC, early Judaism had little concept of divine retribution or of a place called Hell. After death, everyone went to Sheol, the Hebrew underworld. Notably, the word Hell did not appear in the original Greek New Testament, the earliest transcript of the text.
At first, Hell was simply a place where all people were morally judged after death, a notion similar to early Egyptian beliefs about the Day of Judgment. But early Christians (under strong Greek influence) preferred to emphasize the dark side of the house of Hades, where notorious sinners such as Tantalus were tormented for their crimes. Concepts of torment, suffering, and eternal damnation were subsequently imported into Christianity and Islam, where they proved useful to rulers and religious firebrands, especially as a means to control the populace through fear and suffering.
A loving father does not frighten his children into yielding obedience to his just requirements.
– The Urantia Book
The God of Universal Love
The spiritual domain is cheerful, positive, helpful, and kind. There is absolutely nothing negative in this Eternal Positive Being, and the more you identify with this joyful, creative energy, the more positive, kind, and cheerful you become—the more Godlike you become.
You don’t need to suffer, nor do you need to do anything to win the love of God because he loves each and every one of us equally, just as a wise mother would—with no conditions attached. Divine love is lost only when we decide to reject it.
The God of Universal Love is a positive personality, not a merchant of doom threatening to extinguish the human race if it fails to live up to the grim expectations of a fanatical few. Rid your mind of all negative thoughts about God and the destiny of humanity. Negativity is a direct consequence of not living in the spirit because negativity is not a spiritual reality.
No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.
– Helen Keller
All social research suggests that human life on this world is constantly improving. No doubt, it still has a long way to go, but it is important to adopt a glass-half-full attitude and openly recognize that social progress has been made.
See: The Spiritual Power of Thankfulness
Visualizing God as a good and loving Divine Parent helps us to comprehend, as much as we can, the positive and helpful spiritual attitude of Divinity, a vision that we can, in turn, share with others. The positive, unconditional love we offer our children is the same comforting, uplifting love God offers to each of us.
In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have triumphed in the world and shown you the way to eternal joy and everlasting service.
– Jesus of Nazareth
