The issue of suffering

1. The Issue of suffering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7cmUCjnCgE
In the attachedvideo,“Howthe Bible ExplainsSufferingwithBartEhrman”
The Professorof ReligiousStudiesexplainedthatthe atheistsRichardDawkins,SamHarris,andHitchens
knowverylittle aboutreligionandtheythinkthatreligionisevil
In the same lecture Bart Ehrmanexplainedthathe became agnosticdue tothe issue of suffering,butif
he had checkedthe verses,he couldhave noticedthatGodtestspeople inthattemporarystage
Thisstage of life isnotthe endof it;If the personwhowasborn blindisrewardedbetterrewardsinthe
hereafterandbecomeshappyandsatisfied;thenwe donothave to feel sadforhim.
If the parentsof the deadchildand the deadchildare rewardedbetterrewardsinthe hereafter;then
we do not have to feel sadforthem.
Since our life onearthisnot the endof it; and since we do not know the full details,itiswrongtomake
inaccurate conclusions.
AlthoughGodknowswhatisin our heartsand whateach of us mightdo,he testsusand wantsus to
witnessourowntestresultsinorderto admitthat we have beenfairlyrewardedaccordingtoour
achievementsasrecordedinthe testresults
Before the wealthyfatherdistributeshiswealth,he maywanttorecord whichsonis obedient,the
recordsare not forthe fatherwhoknows,butas a testimonyforpeople whomightquestionthe justice
of theirfather
Althoughthe wise teacherknowsthe hard-workingstudentandthe lazystudent,he preparesregular
examsas testimoniessothatthe studentswouldnotsaythatthe teacherhadfavoredsome students
overthe others.Examsalsourge studentstogetpreparedinorderto succeed
Studentsshouldnotwonderaboutthe intentionof the teacher;theyare supposedtofocusonwhatthe
teacheraskedthemto do
If there are no sicknessorbirthdefects,people wouldsaythatthe healthychildrenare resultsof the
normal workof nature
Our life onearthisa veryshortperiodcomparedtothe universe time scale;Itcouldbe a temporarytest
period.
The obedientsonwhotakescare of othersshouldbe rewardedbetterthanthe disobedientsonwho
persecutesothers.
Testingmissionsare notsupposedtobe easyandcomfortable.
The test questionsare notsupposedtobe knowninadvance.

2. There are hundredsof versesandteachingsaboutthattestas mentionedinthe followinganswer:
https://www.quora.com/How-do-we-know-our-purpose-of-existence-in-this-world/answer/Sabri-
Shahin
Psalm66:10 teaches‘ForYou,O God, have testedus;You have refinedusassilverisrefined’
Proverbs17:3 teaches‘The refiningpotisforsilverandthe furnace forgold,butGod teststhe hearts’
Isaiah48:10 teaches‘Ihave refinedyou,butnotas silverisrefined.
Rather,I have refinedyouinthe furnace of suffering’
Job23:10 teaches‘whenhe hastestedme,Iwill come forthas gold’
We have beenaskedtobelieve inGodand Heavenbutwe have not seenGodor heaven.
Our fate will be determinedbasedonthatbelief andonourgood deeds.
Why didGod make ita difficulttestforus?
If God wantsto setup the testingenvironmenttotestpeople,thenwe are notsupposedto advise God
on howto setup the termsand conditionsof the testing.The studentsare notsupposedtoadvise the
teacheron howto prepare the exams.Godhas createdus,and he knowshow to testus.
The testingquestionsandanswersare notsupposedtobe disclosedbefore the exam;testing
environmentnecessitatessome doubtsandenablesdifferentchoicesanddifferentdecisions.
The test doesnotdependonthe level of education,achildmaysay ‘I donot see the plane anymore,it
isgoingfar away,it is still there butmysightdoesnotreach it;God must be there butmy sightdoesnot
reach him’,buta scientistmightconclude that,‘Idonot see God,thenthere isno God’.
The test doesnotdependonwealth,race,orculture,we mayfindtwopersonsfromthe same family
withthe same level of educationandexperience,one of themisatheistandone isa religiousperson.
The test doesnotdependonthe level of religioneducation,maybesomeone whoneverheardof the
religionteachingscouldpassthe testbasedonthe natural original giftsof conscience andreason‘What
I do notwant done to myself,Iwill notdotoothers.
We mayfindsome scholarswhoknowthe religionteachingsbuttheyaccepttopersecute andtorture
others,those are the bad treeswhichthe prophetshave warnedusof themand of theirbad fruits.
The wise teachersetsdifferentevaluationcriteriafordifferentgrades;the studentsinthe firstgrade are
not evaluatedasthe studentsinthe advanceddegrees.We expectthatthe fairand wise Godwould
evaluate people accordingtowhattheyhave beenprovided.The personwhoneverheardof Prophets
wouldhave aneasiertestbasedonthe giftof intelligence andconscience;he mightgetrewardsforhis
goodworksand he mightnotbe punishedif notwicked.
God doesnot predeterminebadplansforgoodpeople.
God doesnot predeterminegoodplansfordisobedientpeople.
We see manypeople bornpoorbuthave succeededinlife

3. We see manypeople bornrichbutfailedinlife
God has empoweredustodo and getwhateverwe want.
God has delegatedthattasktous, itis upto us to be blessedorto be cursed.
The message thatGod has revealedtoall prophetsis:
‘Blessingsforobedience andcursesfordisobedience’
All prophetstaughtthatwe can earnsalvationbyobedience,repentance,andgooddeedstohelp
others.
“In obedience andrepentance isyoursalvation”Isaiah30:15
Basedon the above,the obedientbelievershouldbe blessedinthislifeandshouldbe savedinthe
afterlife.
That is the truthwhichshouldsetyoufree
The followinganswersinclude the details:
https://www.quora.com/What-are-Gods-greatest-teachings/answer/Sabri-Shahin
https://www.quora.com/How-do-we-know-our-purpose-of-existence-in-this-world/answer/Sabri-
Shahin
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-concept-of-Bible-doctrines/answer/Sabri-Shahin
https://www.quora.com/What-makes-us-happy-in-our-lives/answer/Sabri-Shahin
https://www.quora.com/Can-all-religions-be-correct-Can-multiple-gods-exist/answer/Sabri-Shahin
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-everyone-is-born-innocent/answer/Sabri-Shahin