Who can answer this question in the Bible? (I believe this is one of the hardest question)

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anhphan

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Habakkuk 1,2-4 “How long, O LORD, must I cry for help and you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” and you do not intervene? Why do you let me see iniquity? why do you simply gaze at evil? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife and discord. This is why the law is numb
and justice never comes, For the wicked surround the just;”
 
anhphan said:
Habakkuk 1,2-4 “How long, O LORD, must I cry for help and you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” and you do not intervene? Why do you let me see iniquity? why do you simply gaze at evil? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife and discord. This is why the law is numb
and justice never comes, For the wicked surround the just;”
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It’s someone having a hard time and crying out in anguish .

As we learn from the Book of Job , there is no human answer , and God gives no answer other that to say how great God is .
 
Not hard at all.

The answer from God is this: I AM WHO AM and I do whatever I please. I have no need to explain why I do what I do to a speck of dust in my infinite existence. Where were you when I created all things? Who are you to question my ways which are so much higher than yours.
 
This is the Problem of Evil that has been debated since antiquity. I suggest “A Handbook of Catholic Apologetics” by Peter Kreeft or the philosophy of Alvin Plantinga for my favorite answers.
 
Pretty much the entire purpose of the Book of Job is “why do bad things happen to good people”. 🙂
1Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

2“Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?
3Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.

4“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—
7while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

8“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,
9when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place,
11when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’?

12“Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place,
13that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?
14The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment.
15The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken.
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as well as a bit later—
1The Lord said to Job:

2“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?
Let him who accuses God answer him!”
3Then Job answered the Lord:

4“I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth. 5I spoke once, but I have no answer—
twice, but I will say no more.”

6Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:

7“Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer me.

8“Would you discredit my justice?
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?

9Do you have an arm like God’s, and can your voice thunder like his?
10Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.
11Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at all who are proud and bring them low,
12look at all who are proud and humble them, crush the wicked where they stand.

13Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave.
14Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you.
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Yes,all the replies are correct and appropriate.So it is not at all a hard question,but quite simple,d dear Anhphan!😊😊
 
Habakuck is somewhat an interpretive prayer or passage. You can ‘read’ into it more than one aspect of the prayer. Firstly we really don’t know what kind of man Habakuck was. Was he a good man, perhaps an ordinary fellow or someone that God was really listening to. Even 'thou God hears all prayers He does not answer all prayers or in the way or time, we desire.
Secondly, we really don’t know about the injustice or violence involved. In the time period that the prayer was written, it was a violent and injustice world. Interpretation and translations should be considered. As well. Which is why Jesus said He didn’t come to do away with the OT but to make it better. Some of the OT is allegory, prose or poetry. It is good to study the OT, but it is even better to have a good text on hand to explain the many confusing texts.
Thirdly the Lord doe not cause or allow bad things to happen. HE IS, but He is not everyone’s personal monitor, yet He does ‘Know All.’ Prayers are attended to, but in His time frame and in His way, not ours. I hope this small reply is helpful, but if it isn’t, maybe you can ask your priest or even call your local college and ask to speak to a theologian. Peace.
 
I find it helpful to remember the parable of the wheat and the tares (or weeds). God allows evil to flourish alongside good (we don’t know why), but Jesus assures us that at some point they will be separated and the good people “gathered up into His barn”. Thus, we simply have to trust.
 
Because he is wrong. It may be how we feel sometimes, but ultimately it is wrong.
Let us look at Job. What happens is that God in this work shows Job greater and greater spheres of influence and creation.
There’s a movie, an animated one, about the Exodus really. It includes a great little song called, “Through Heaven’s Eyes” that I think can help one put things in perspective.
Does a thread know the beauty of a tapestry?
Indeed, bad things occur so greater good can come out of it.
 
I always thought suffering was to prove our virtues and Love and also to give us merit and glory in Heaven. It becomes easy and manageable with God.
 
The inability to discover the simple answer to
certain seemingly complicated issue available within your reach,but making the issue complicated and trying in vain to find an answer- well is this intellectual superiority or utter foolishness?
 
For me, the short version to a long answer is; Jesus Christ crucified on the cross fulfilling this prophecy among others as the suffering servant.

Jesus gives me the hope from His resurrection, to suffer those things which God allows both good and evil. To suffer such evil in life, is to suffer them with joy, when I am strengthened from God’s freely given sacramental graces. I am reminded from this scripture, when the first baptized Christians who witnessed Jesus and the Apostles in the first century, were persecuted, and men, children and women were burned alive as garden candles, were found rejoicing and singing as they suffered such torture.
Peace be with you
 
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A smart person/intellectual isn’t someone who peppers their conversation with obscure words-- the hallmark of a smart person is being able to make a difficult subject clear and understandable to everyone else who is less-smart! ❤️
 
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Rob2 said:
As we learn from the Book of Job , there is no human answer , and God gives no answer other that to say how great God is .
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Yup.

[Could be a bar-bet between Satan and God.]

There is this GREAT television show about black holes and dark matter.

https://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/spaces-deepest-secrets/full-episodes/curse-of-dark-matter

Really great.

If God made all this … then what was He thinking?

[ Like … 80% of what is "out there … we have NO IDEA!!!.]

AND … WHY???
 
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What did C.S. Lewis say pain does for the good man? Does it make him better?
 
Rabbi Harold Kushner purposely titled his book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” instead of why. We may not have the answer to the WHY but we can have answers as to how we handle painful events in our lives, that is, WHAT we do when they happen.
 
It’s been awhile since I’ve read that book but that particular quote has stuck with me. If I’m remembering correctly it was that once we’re in a place extreme discomfort and pain we’re more likely to actually hear God speak to us (I can attest to that personally, what converted me from atheism to theism happened in very rough patch of my life). And then that once we hear God we’re more open to being better. This is actually pretty relevant thread for this video by Jordan Peterson as well.

 
joseie said:
The inability to discover the simple answer to
certain seemingly complicated issue available within your reach,but making the issue complicated and trying in vain to find an answer- well is this intellectual superiority or utter foolishness?
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The problem of suffering has never been answered satisfactorily. Even great theologians admit that it is the most difficult problem to attempt to resolve. Providing a simple answer and then covering it with “God works in mysterious ways” simply does not work for the average thinking man.
 
I think due to our free will, there are many bad things in this world???
 
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