FEATURED: Why? The Age-old Issue on Pains and Suffering (An Apostolic Theodicy – Part 2)

THE PONENTE with a serialized topic on WHY PAINS & SUFFERINGS
Chapter 2

As the death toll of COVID-19 is escalating in every passing of the day, the mortal man cannot escape the idea of survival for food and health just to live for another day.

The government is stretching forth its efforts, in fact, all her resources both financially and manpower just to address the pressing needs to escape death, if possible.

In my previous articles on REFLECTIONS ON TODAY’S CRISIS Part 1 and 2, and the last was “THE VIRUS,” I have already explained the situation of day-to-day’s human drama in real life about how this ferocious virus led many to their graveyard if not to the health-care facilities-hospitals.

I have observed that people today became religious. Everyone is calling on his/her own God or god. I don’t know if there are still professing atheists, agnostics, skeptics or infidels during these trying times.

One of the TV documentaries I’ve watched which a person asked a question, “if there is a God, why He allows so much pains and sufferings in the world?” “If He is in control of all things, why He permit evil to happen?” “Is God not powerful enough or capable of eradicating evil in this world?” Then, a mother who was interviewed by the Media also said, “why God allowed my son to die in this COVID-19? And the latest was the death of a doctor who was the former-Director of the Philippine Heart Center just recently.

Then, my mind reminisce back to the place called TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE where Super Typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippine Archipelago and thousands died while others left homeless. Our Pastors Venido E. Macalalag and Clodualdo L. Marcellana together with their wives, Sister Joyce and Celia brought me last time to the Yolanda Memorial Circle (near the City’s Astrodome) where the names of the deceased people of Leyte were written/engraved on their epitaph for identification and just to reminisce the fierce blow of the natural disaster that hit their land. There, you can witness the painful memories of the “Waray-Warays” who faced the strongest Typhoon in the history of our country.

Then, I have the privilege to visit the vessel which struck the people and landed besides the street also in Tacloban. The cadavers of people were buried to death that it took the Local Government authorities to cut the entire vessel leaving the front part, just to excavate and exhume the human cadavers and brought them to their noble graveyard.

My experience in the Ministry has bolstered with a question, “WHY?”

One time, there was a mother at age 19 who lost her 3-month old daughter. The child has already developed a congenital heart defect the day she was born. The night before her death, she was very active.

However, morning after, she was lifeless. Witnessing the sobbing and cry of a mother, I cannot imagine the horrible pain she has experienced at that time. Our Ministry in IOACJCI-TALISAY City Church has extended our love, comfort and helped them to officiate a blessing and funeral for the child because the former Religion refused to give a blessing to the child to be buried.

Just recently, one of our Church Sisters delivered a Baby Boy prematurely and eventually, he passed away like a “candle in the wind.” On and on, and the list goes on of human suffering experienced by you and me or members of our family, neighbors and the like.

WHY?

The word of God has offered a sporadic explanation about the age-old questions on pains and sufferings. My Dear Maninoy, Retired RTC Judge Ray Alan T. Drilon has his own version about this issue. Partly, I have already explained a portion of this reflection in my previous articles. I want to dig deeper in the Word of God about this one of the most crucial if not controversial issue.

Probably, other so-called Sacred books and Gurus may offer various explanations about the subject at hand but I am not convince on their philosophy because the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. They “may” have some reflections on the issues of pains and sufferings but they cannot fully fathom the deepest essence thereof in the absence of the One who manifested in the flesh and carried our griefs and sorrows on the cross so that we too, are partakers of His sufferings.

* * *

In the beginning, God created the universe which He predicated it, “it was good.” Then, when he created man according to His image and likeness, he described him/her as “very good.”

Nothing in the mind of God that man will experience sufferings and pains. Nothing in His desire that man will experience death. It was only when man chose to disobey the long-standing Order, “Of all the trees of the garden, thou mayest FREELY EAT… But the tree which is in the midst of the garden, thou shalt NOT eat of it… because the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely DIE..” (Genesis 2:16)

The Bible indicates that God has the ability and freedom to make choices. Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would “refuse the evil and choose the good” (Isaiah 7:14-16). When God created humans in His image, He gave them the power of choice. This ability was not just apparent, but real. In other words, it’s not that humans think they’re making choices when “fate” is actually in control. If the power of choice is anything less than real, humans are not genuinely created in the image of God, for God’s ability to choose is real.

The human ability to choose is seen in God’s words to Adam: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). Although God commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam made a conscious decision to do so. By creating the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and placing it in the garden, God actually created an opportunity for Adam to choose wrongly. The Pentateuch through the pen of Moses has this version.

Deuteronomy 30:19: “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”

Let me add in Joshua 24:19:
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

When God created man, He never made a “push-button robot.” Man is a free moral agent.

This may seem strange, but it’s essential to the genuineness of the power of choice and thus to the genuineness of the divine image in humans. If humans had no opportunity to make wrong choices, they would not have real power of choice. The human ability to choose is abundantly evident in Scripture. Humans can choose life or death. They can choose whom they will worship as God. God has been known to give men a choice as to what judgment He would put on them.

People can choose whether to fear the Lord or not. People can choose one thing that is better than another. Jesus told Martha, “You are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42). As is the case with every other aspect of the image of God in humans, the ability of humans to make choices has been marred by the influence of Adam’s sin on us all. All humans choose to sin.

Humans had the ability to sin before the Fall in Eden, but the pervasive influence of Adam’s sin tilts humans so sharply in the direction of sin that the abuse of our power to choose is universal. Quoting from a variety of New Testament texts, Paul wrote, “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10-12).

This implies that much of our suffering is the result of wrong choices we or others have made. God knows when wrong choices are made, but He doesn’t intervene to force the right choice upon us. To do so would demean and manipulate, indicating the image of God in man is not real. If we choose to live wasteful, profligate lives, God will protect our freedom to do so.

Such a life will certainly result in painful spiritual consequences, and it may result in physical, emotional, and mental suffering as well. All our choices have within them the potential of bringing painful consequences. The freedom of others to choose further complicates the potential for suffering in our own choices.

Just as God will not make our choices for us, so we cannot make choices for others. If an irrational person chooses to take a weapon to his workplace with the intent of injuring others, he can do so, unless he can be physically restrained. If a violent person chooses to drive down the street shooting innocent bystanders, he can do so.

Some critics like that of fatalism may asked, “If the freewill (ability to choose) is the culprit of the presence and existence of evil then why not God abolish such so that evil will be eradicated?” My answer is – the moment God will abolish the freewill then we are not capable of exercising love. For love to be exercised, there must be the presence of freewill. If there is no free will, love has no meaning at all.

Though God can and sometimes does intervene to limit suffering, He does not always do so. Since suffering is a result of sin whether of Adam’s sin or of our own choices or the choices of others, God cannot be blamed. If we blame Him, we’re saying He did wrong to create us in His image. This would be a classic case of the clay saying to the Potter, “Why have you made me like this?” (Romans 9:20).

Our opinions and beliefs profoundly impact how we respond to suffering. Just as truth produces freedom in our lives, error produces bondage. If our thoughts are wrong, we may respond to suffering in a variety of ways that contribute to bondage. Since we want to think biblically in all areas of life, including our pains and sufferings.

Allow me to summarize the following premises through the Biblical worldview in dealing the problems of pains and sufferings through the words of Dr. Daniel L. Segraves and I quote:
1. Our suffering does not mean God is weak and incapable of doing good.
2. God is intimately aware of our suffering.
3. God does not abandon us in our suffering.
4. God knows what led up to our suffering and how it will conclude.
5. Our suffering is not a result of any prejudice or caprice on God’s part.
6. Our suffering is not outside of God’s purpose or permission.
7. Whether our suffering is a result of God’s purpose or permission, He can cause it to accomplish ultimate good in our lives.
8. God will never abuse us, manipulate us, or in any way treat us wrongly.
9. God will never deceive us as to the cause of our suffering.
10. Although God may inform us that suffering is coming or explain to us the reason for our suffering, He has no responsibility to do so.
11. Whether our suffering is a result of God’s purpose or permission, He wants us to respond to it by refocusing our vision on things of eternal value.

If we don’t think in a biblical way about our suffering, we may entertain the following errors:
1. My suffering proves either there is no God or He is so weak He can’t help me.
2. God doesn’t know about my pain, or He would do something about it. Therefore, I must figure out a way to make Him aware of my suffering.
3. My suffering is a sign God has abandoned me. This probably means I’m unworthy of being loved.
4. God must be as surprised as I am about my suffering.
5. My suffering proves God doesn’t like me, or I have done something to prejudice Him against me.
6. My suffering proves God is not in control of the world.
7. God must be trying to humiliate me.
8. I’m suffering because God is abusing or manipulating me. Otherwise, how could He let this happen?
9. It was wrong for God not to warn me suffering was coming. It’s wrong for Him not to explain to me why I’m suffering.
10. Since I’m suffering even though I put my faith in God, it doesn’t do any good to trust Him.

All of these thoughts are wrong and self-defeating. Thinking this way intensifies suffering; life seems unbearable and meaningless.

These beliefs contribute to despair, thoughts of suicide, or hedonism. To a large degree, people will either endure suffering gracefully, perhaps eventually finding release from the pain of specific episodes of suffering, or their reasoning will make life seem bitter, hopeless, or meaningless.* (Pastor Jerry C. Delicano with Notes from Dr. Daniel Segraves and Dr. Norman L. Geisler)