THE PROBLEM OF SUFFERING

THE PROBLEM OF SUFFERING Finding the True Cause O NE of the arguments put forth to cast doubt on the existence of God is what can be called the Problem of Evil or Suffering. This objection is the result of a misunderstanding that evil and suffering are created by God, while the truth is that they result from the actions of man. The perception of evil and suffering in human life is the result of such wrong attribution. When people see an instance of evil or suffering in a person’s life, they wish to explain it with reference to the person suffering. In most of the examples there is no justification for this in the afflicted person. This leads to the assumption that either there is no God in this world, or that God is cruel and unjust. However, this is an incorrect conclusion. The suffering that takes place in a person’s life is sometimes due to the person’s own actions and sometimes due to the actions of the parents, relatives, or society in general. Quite often the collective system, in its broadest sense, is responsible. Suffering may be caused due to an immediate reason and sometimes its causes go back many generations. Whatever may be the cause, there is no basis in attributing it to God. Analysis Using a Wrong Reference The reason for this doubt is the analysis of the situation using a wrong reference, that is, studying the state of affairs with respect to God, whereas it should be seen in relation to man. For example, AIDS is considered a serious problem. Medical research has established that the risk of AIDS is a result of the misuse of human freedom. In medical science, genetics has shown that many diseases are inherited from the parents and passed down to future generations. These are referred to as hereditary diseases. In the same way, thousands of people die, or fall ill from various kinds of epidemics. These are also the result of the actions of man. The son of Indian economist and journalist Arun Shourie is confined to a wheelchair. The cause of this ‘suffering’ is that he was given a wrong injection in a hospital in the United States, the result of which made him physically paralyzed. Countless people die or become disabled as a result of violence and wars. All these are a result of human actions and interactions.