How do I answer this question to my husband?

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1Hope07

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My husband has stop believing in God. He constantly asks me that if God exists, how can he let innocent children have terrible diseases or suffer from hunger, how can he let natural disasters kill so many people? I try to tell him that those are tests that God puts in our lives but He will guide us through them if we have faith in Him and that these are wake up calls to be more humane with each other and to appreciate the important things in life. I try to tell him that is part of life and we all suffer one way or another but at the end we are going to get eternal life and salvation. Does anybody have a more theological way answering this question to him? Thanks
 
The existence of suffering in the world is a mystery which we cannot understand, while faith in God is a gift.
 
If God did not exist, how can there be joy, happiness, life, good health? All disease and death proves is that there is sin and evil in this world as well. Our faith helps us to make that burden light and to see the light at the end of the tunnel, which has been revealed through scripture.
 
FirstCalled said:
If God did not exist, how can there be joy, happiness, life, good health? All disease and death proves is that there is sin and evil in this world as well. Our faith helps us to make that burden light and to see the light at the end of the tunnel, which has been revealed through scripture.
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Good answer

Peace
James
 
You might have him read the book of Wisdom, chapter 1, especially verses 13 to the end.
 
FirstCalled said:
If God did not exist, how can there be joy, happiness, life, good health? All disease and death proves is that there is sin and evil in this world as well. Our faith helps us to make that burden light and to see the light at the end of the tunnel, which has been revealed through scripture.
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JRKH said:
Good answer

Peace
James
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I agree, James…this was a good answer. To expand on it, I would only say that the argument against God based on the existence of tragedy in the world reveals the arguers failure to first recognize our fallen nature, and that of the world as a whole. To them, the world is supposed to be peaceful, disaster-free, disease-free, and naturally protective of innocents…but sadly, much of this was already lost in Eden.

Thus, to me, focusing the discussion on the reality of original sin, the fall of man, and the subsequent world we all are born into, is where some headway can be achieved in this sort of debate.
 
1Hope07 said:
My husband has stop believing in God. He constantly asks me that if God exists, how can he let innocent children have terrible diseases or suffer from hunger, how can he let natural disasters kill so many people? I try to tell him that those are tests that God puts in our lives but He will guide us through them if we have faith in Him and that these are wake up calls to be more humane with each other and to appreciate the important things in life. I try to tell him that is part of life and we all suffer one way or another but at the end we are going to get eternal life and salvation. Does anybody have a more theological way answering this question to him? Thanks
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Tell him the Catholic Church has the answer to why God allows evil to happen. It’s a theological no-brainer.

God allows evil to happen in order to bring about a greater good from it. WE, however, may not see what that greater good is till we reach heaven. WE are not God.

The best example of this principle is the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, Who is 100% human and 100% Divine. The crucifixion and death of Jesus was the greatest evil ever perpetrated by man. Deicide. The killing of God. Yet, it resulted in the greatest good: Universal redemption for all mankind, and the possibility of eternal salvation.

Your husband’s mindset is the problem, I think. He view this life as IT. This lifetime, which can be 100 years, give or take, on the top end, is the be all and end all for him. He either has forgotten, or never knew, that we live eternally, even after this life. And 100 years is NOTHING compared to eternity! St. Theresa of Avila said that the most miserable life on earth, from the perspective of heaven, will seem like no more than an inconvenient night at a poor hotel. And, she’s right. An eternity of bliss in heaven vs. a few miserable years here on earth? Sign me up!
 
Scoobyshme said:
Tell him the Catholic Church has the answer to why God allows evil to happen. It’s a theological no-brainer.

God allows evil to happen in order to bring about a greater good from it. WE, however, may not see what that greater good is till we reach heaven. WE are not God.

The best example of this principle is the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, Who is 100% human and 100% Divine. The crucifixion and death of Jesus was the greatest evil ever perpetrated by man. Deicide. The killing of God. Yet, it resulted in the greatest good: Universal redemption for all mankind, and the possibility of eternal salvation.

Your husband’s mindset is the problem, I think. He view this life as IT. This lifetime, which can be 100 years, give or take, on the top end, is the be all and end all for him. He either has forgotten, or never knew, that we live eternally, even after this life. And 100 years is NOTHING compared to eternity! St. Theresa of Avila said that the most miserable life on earth, from the perspective of heaven, will seem like no more than an inconvenient night at a poor hotel. And, she’s right. An eternity of bliss in heaven vs. a few miserable years here on earth? Sign me up!
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Well said, Scooby. Do you follow Peter Kreeft? Your response resonates with some of his work.
 
It’s important to consider that evil is not a “thing” in the general sense. It is comprised of a privation of an essential component. For example, starvation is a lack of sufficient food for a localized population. Your husband is referring to physical evils of the world. A physical evil occurs because something is meant to exist as a whole but is somehow prevented from doing so. For example, diseases happen because pathogens, conditions and organisms overwhelm the bodily defenses, from a lack of well being or wholeness of the body.

Physical disorder and entropy are a part of the physics of our Universe, hence, physical evils that occur are an intrinsic part of the natural world. For God to interfere with natural processes arbitrarily would make it difficult, if not impossible to discern the reality of the Universe we live in. For humans to be responsible moral agents, we must be able to judge in advance the results of our actions or choice in the world. This would be impossible in a world of constant unpredictable supernatural intervention. How can we then formulate true value and moral judgments?

As a final aside, God may have permitted physical evil in order to stimulate humanity to strive against it or allow opportunity to show higher virtures (e.g. charity, compassion, etc…). If physical evil is not allowed, then the higher virtues cannot be attained or demonstrated.
 
The pains of a woman in labor last a short time, then she rejoices at a new life in the world. So it is with us, a short time of labor, then rejoicing at the birth of new life.

I bet there’s more going on with your husband. I know a lady that has asked this question for decades and will never be satisfied with the answer. Sometimes people are angry with God and won’t let the anger go but blaming God for suffering in the world makes them feel self righteous. Putting God on trial and finding Him wanting, like they are the judge and jury. Not that I know a thing about your hubby, but I’ve wrestled with a few people who play this blame game. Just realize God has to work in his heart and don’t continue on with this blame game if he continues on with it. He may be the kind of broken that only God can fix.
 
1Hope07 said:
My husband has stop believing in God. He constantly asks me that if God exists, how can he let innocent children have terrible diseases or suffer from hunger, how can he let natural disasters kill so many people? I try to tell him that those are tests that God puts in our lives but He will guide us through them if we have faith in Him and that these are wake up calls to be more humane with each other and to appreciate the important things in life. I try to tell him that is part of life and we all suffer one way or another but at the end we are going to get eternal life and salvation. Does anybody have a more theological way answering this question to him? Thanks
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I tried to answer this question to myself one day when I was looking at some beautiful silk flowers.

They were so beautiful. They would never suffer, never wilt and never die. But, they were not alive. To ask, ‘why is there is suffering?’ is to to ask, "why is there life?’ I do not have an answer to either question but I am grateful to be alive and if suffering must follow, I will accept that as part of God’s plan.

God could have made a beautiful safe world full of silk flowers - no death and no suffering but we would not be alive. We would be only puppets. Because we are given free-will and life, we must experience what that means to live in a world that is alive with beauty and grace yet also comes with pain and sorrow.
 
SteveGC said:
Well said, Scooby. Do you follow Peter Kreeft? Your response resonates with some of his work.
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Yes. Peter Kreeft is one of my favorites, along with the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen, and Fr. John Corapi.
 
God gave us freedom, which extends to make things which have evil consequences. This is the price of the freedom, and those evil consequence could be prevented only by restricting the freedom.

We had to understand that the freedom is the real value, not feeling good. We also need to control our freedom to make God’s will, which promotes the good, and avoids the evil. caused by us.

Our decisions earn us our eternal place with help of God.
 
HelenRose said:
I tried to answer this question to myself one day when I was looking at some beautiful silk flowers.

They were so beautiful. They would never suffer, never wilt and never die. But, they were not alive. To ask, ‘why is there is suffering?’ is to to ask, "why is there life?’ I do not have an answer to either question but I am grateful to be alive and if suffering must follow, I will accept that as part of God’s plan.

God could have made a beautiful safe world full of silk flowers - no death and no suffering but we would not be alive. We would be only puppets. Because we are given free-will and life, we must experience what that means to live in a world that is alive with beauty and grace yet also comes with pain and sorrow.
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I like the analogy of the silk flowers.
 
Perhaps you and your husband could read the book Making Sense Out of Suffering by Peter Kreeft? I found this book very helpful in thinking about the question we all ask at some point, “If God is good, why did this happen?” I will pray for you.
 
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