THE ENIGMA OF EVIL

Chapter 9

Finally, we will address one of the most relied upon argument by atheists is:

If there is a God, why does he allow evil and suffering?

Throughout human history, the existence of evil and suffering has challenged religious faith. After unraveling atheist arguments and exposing their logical flaws, we come to this final, profound challenge.

Philosophers, theologians, and believers have written countless books attempting to explain why evil exists in a universe created by a loving God. In my book, The Divine Adventure: Why We Exist, I explore this in depth and show why evil exists, and why the existence of evil does not compromise a loving Creator God.

But here, I want to examine this enigma from a different angle -- a simple yet elegant way to approach this issue:

We must appreciate that even if we understand why evil exists, it doesn't change its reality.

If tomorrow we received a complete explanation for all suffering, people would continue to suffer. Children would continue to get sick. Natural disasters would continue to occur. The only thing that would change is our attitude toward these experiences. So the question we really face is:

Can we have faith that God is good and that there are reasons we will understand later, even if we don't understand now?

This is what I propose.

Consider this analogy: Parents often do things their children don't understand. A child getting a vaccination doesn't comprehend why their parent allows someone to hurt them. A student struggling with difficult homework doesn't grasp why their parent won't simply provide the answers. And a child who is disciplined for wrong behavior may not understand why the discipline was so severe. The wisdom behind these choices only becomes clear with maturity.

The gap between our understanding and God's wisdom is vastly greater than that between a child and parent. If children often can't comprehend their parents' reasons until they mature, how much more might we need to grow spiritually before understanding the deeper purposes behind life's greatest enigmas?

I'm not encouraging blind faith. Throughout this book, we've shown, through logic and reason, that many of the arguments presented by atheists are either strawman arguments, or are based on faulty reasoning and inaccurate conclusions caused by a limited perspective. And we have shown that none of these arguments provide a sound reason to lose faith in the existence of a loving Creator God. This gives us a foundation for approaching the enigma of evil from a position of mature faith rather than desperate justification.

We don't need to pretend suffering isn't real or isn't terrible. We don't need to claim we understand everything. Just as we've been honest about the limitations of human understanding in other areas, we can be honest here. We can say, "I don't understand why this happens, but I have reasons to trust that God is good and that understanding will come."

This mature approach acknowledges the reality of suffering while maintaining reasoned faith. It admits the limits of our understanding while holding to the logical foundations we've established. It looks forward to future understanding while focusing on present action. Most importantly, it allows us to help others without needing all the answers.

Remember, atheism doesn't solve the enigma of evil either; it just makes it meaningless.

If there is no God, suffering isn't just painful, it's pointless. The atheist must believe that suffering, like everything else in their worldview, is merely the result of blind, unconscious forces. At least with God, there's the possibility of future understanding and purpose.

For the mature believer, this perspective allows us to navigate the reality of suffering while maintaining reasoned faith. We can acknowledge pain without losing hope. We can admit our current limitations while trusting in future understanding. We can focus on helping others who are facing tragedies caused by evil rather than on trying to explain everything. Most importantly, we can maintain our intellectual integrity while holding to our faith.

This position doesn't require us to stop seeking understanding. The enigma of evil invites us to deeper contemplation and growth. But it means we can act with compassion and maintain faith even while questions remain. We can say, "I don't understand why this happens, but I'm here to help. And I believe that one day, when we're ready, we'll understand."

Perhaps the most mature response to the enigma of evil is not a philosophical argument but a practical faith - one that acknowledges reality, admits what we don't know, helps where we can, and trusts that understanding will come when we're ready to receive it.

For those seeking deeper philosophical explanations, I encourage you to read my book "The Divine Adventure: Why We Exist." But remember what we established at the beginning of this chapter:

Even the most complete explanation won't change the reality of suffering.

It will only change our perspective on it. And, we may discover that solving this enigma isn't as important as how we respond to it while trusting in God's ultimate goodness and purpose.

This brings us full circle to where we began this book. The mature believer can maintain faith in God's existence through logical reasoning, and broadening our perspective. We can face life's greatest challenges with both intellectual honesty and spiritual trust. The foundation we've built through reason allows us to face even this deepest enigma with confidence that, while we may not understand everything now, our faith in God is well-grounded.