Atheists have long argued that suffering and evil prove God does not exist. If God is good and He does not stop evil, then He is not good. Or if He is omnipotent and cannot stop evil, then He is not omnipotent. Either way, they claim, God cannot exist because evil does exist in this world. One such atheist drew this scenario, "A railway accident happens, in which a useful man, the mainstay of a family, is killed, and from which a profligate escapes. An explosion in a mine slays the hardworking breadwinners at their toil, and the drunken idler--whose night's debauchery has resulted in heavy morning sleep--is "providentially" saved as he snores lazily at home in bed" [Annie Besant, "Why I Don't Believe in God," The American Atheist, vol. 35, no. 4, 1997]. 

     Arguments like this one are flawed for many reasons. For example, they are required to define evil. what is evil? Even in Ms. Besant's rant, how does she define the worth of one life greater than another except by her own standard? If she, and others like her, believe there is intrinsic worth then that worth must be explained. Who can decide that one life should be exempted from evil while another should not? From whence does this value originate? But this is really a set of questions for another discussion. I only wanted to observe that sometimes Christians find themselves pondering evil and suffering, not with the same conclusion as atheists but certainly with interest about God and suffering. Where is God when bad things happen? Why do bad things happen, especially to good people? This is more than one small article can address, but consider a few things:

1. God is not unconcerned with the problem of evil. In fact, the original orders to Adam (Gen. 2:16-17) worked to prevent the entrance of evil into the world. God never wanted man to suffer, but the love of God allows man the freedom to decide his path. Paul explains that death entered because of sin (Rom. 5:12). Sin brought suffering into the world, not God.   

2. Spiritually, God has provided for man to overcome evil through the redeeming work of Jesus (Gen. 3:15). People suffer because they refuse the way to heaven paved by the Son of God (John 14:1-6). The church is God's pillar and ground of the truth for a world lost in darkness, and God's children can pray when their hearts are heavy and broken (Heb. 4:16).   

3. Even in His great providence, God works to help people through suffering. He has ordained civil authorities to protect the innocent and punish the evildoers (Rom. 13:1-5). He ordained the family to bring us happiness, fulfillment, and to bring stability to society. We often forget how much He is doing.  

4. Present suffering directs our attention to the time and place where something better awaits. Suffering, if endured properly, causes us to mature (Jas. 1:2-8). We are saved in suffering, not saved from suffering. All people struggle and suffer and face the evil in the world. Like all of creation, we groan and hope for something better (Rom. 8:20-25).      

     Remember that all people struggle and suffer. When tragedy strikes, this is not because we have been targeted in some scheme. God is not taking out His wrath on us or our loved ones. This is just life, because sin entered the world and death by sin. We serve a God that does care and is very near. He is always willing to help us through tough times. Atheists abuse the subject of suffering to refuse faith. Let us make sure that we use suffering to enhance faith.  ~ David B. Smith