Why Is There Suffering?

Basic Justice: The good are rewarded, the evil are punished

Biblical positions:
1. All humanity suffers because of the rebellion of our leaders against God’s morality (Gen 3-11)
2. The good prosper, the wicked are punished in this life (Proverbs)
3. God established governments to reward the good and punish the evil—it is the primary institution of justice (Rom 13;
4. The good suffer and the wicked prosper (Psalm 73)
5. The good suffer for no discernable reason, but will obtain prosperity eventually (Job)
6. The good will prosper and the evil will be punished, eventually (Psalm 37; 73)
7. Everyone is wicked, but God has mercy on a few (Psalm 14; 103)
8. The good suffer because they are good and are trying to stand with God’s goodness (Matt 10)
9. God will create a utopia without suffering, but the evil will be excluded (Isa 65-66; Rev. 20-22; Daniel 12; etc)
10. Those who suffer now for God will obtain reward in God’s kingdom (Jesus)
11. Those who live luxuriously now will suffer in God’s judgment (Luke 6, 16)
12. There is none who are good, but God grants grace to a few to be changed, persecuted and then rewarded (Jesus, Romans)

Humanistic positions:
1. Human institutions (family, government, non-profits, etc) are instituted to create justice.
2. There is no justice, just arbitrary good and evil, reward and punishment.
3. The wicked need not be punished, but transformed.
4. Personal economic well-being creates a society of justice.
5. Unjust oppression must be overcome by revolution.
6. Unjust oppression can be overcome by discussion and economic reprisals.


The problem of injustice is not foundationally institutional, but within human nature itself.