The Problem Of Pain

A Summary of The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis.

Why do people pain & suffer? Because God loves us, and he uses suffering to bring us to him (He may also test our faith through Suffering & Pain).

Why didn’t God create a better world? To ask “why God didn’t create a better world” is "nonsense" for no one has been able to coherently describe that perfect world. Moreover, we are finite beings morally incapable of judging God (Kreeft). "The idea of that which God 'could have' done involves a too anthropomorphic [human like] conception of God's freedom (Lewis, 26)”. God never debated what type of world to create (ib., 26). His choices are holy and perfect.

How can a loving God cause so much pain? People may look around and conclude that they are good people (ib., 41-50). The general perception is that a savior is not needed. However, the holier we are, the more we are aware that we live in Sin (Ib., 62).

God, who knows better, whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, and shouts in our Pain (ib., 91). As long as our lives are going well, we are never going to seek him. Thus, pain & suffering.

How can a loving God permit Evil? If I saw anybody in danger, and I could stop it, I would. If God is all good and powerful, why won't he? For example, how can he allow infants to burn to death (USAToday)? He could miraculously prevent this, but he doesn't. Why? Lewis points out that by the Goodness of God we mean kindness -- "the desire to see others happy (ib., 31)." Thus, our conception of love needs some correction.

"If God is love, He is, by definition, something more than mere kindness (Lewis, 33)" for kindness doesn't care whether its subject becomes bad or good. If an animal is in Pain or terminally ill, you kill him out of kindness, but you wouldn't do that to a loved one (ib., 32). "Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal … You asked for a loving God: you have one (ib., 39)." Thus, reconciling human suffering with the existence of God is only a problem if we define love trivially (ib., 40).

What if I don't need God? To say we're perfectly happy, and have all that we need is “a terrible saying when 'all' does not include God (ib., 94).” Yet, he still respects our choice not to want to be with him.

Do I really deserve Hell for not wanting God?: To some, Hell seems a contradiction to God's love. But in wishing that all people could go to Heaven a question arises: with their will, or against their will (ib., 120)? Why, if God will forgive any sin, is there a hell? Simply put: Heaven is a gift. It needs to be accepted and offered freely (ib., 124). Perdition comes not as a sentenced imposed on people but as a result of giving people what they want: themselves - their way (ib., 124-25).

Love & Eternity "In the long run the answer to all those who object to the doctrine of hell is itself a question: "What are you asking God to do?" To wipe out their past sins and, at all costs, to give them a fresh start, smoothing every difficulty and offering every miraculous help? But He has done so, on Calvary. To forgive them? They will not be forgiven. To leave them alone? Alas, I am afraid that is what He does (ib., 130)”.

Does God ordained Natural Disasters?: People ask: why doesn't God stop natural disasters? Here, we have to consider the role of nature in creation. Absolute Natural laws are necessary if we're to have free will. "A creature with no environment would have no choices to make nor would it be able to tell itself apart from others (ib., 20)". Since matter has a fixed nature, not all states of it can be equally agreeable to any given soul (ib., 23). If I'm going up-hill, and you're coming on the opposite direction - you must be going down-hill. "If even a pebble lies where I want it to lie, it cannot, except by a coincidence, be where you want it to lie (ib., 23)". And this, says Lewis, cannot be evil. On the contrary, it opens the door to courtesy, and acts of kindness. However, the fixed nature of matter can also be used for evil purposes - especially considering that we have the freedom of choice and make mistakes (ib., 23-24).

War, Crime, and Evil People ask: why doesn't God just stop evil thoughts, or prevent bullets from killing people, or prevent sound waves from carrying lies or insults? Lewis says, "such a world would be one in which wrong actions [would be] impossible … freedom of the will would be void … All matter in the neighborhood of a wicked man would be liable to undergo unpredictable alterations (ib., 24-25)." If you wanted to kill me but God stopped you, you wouldn't be free. If God kept on fixing our wrongs, we would not have Freedom of Choice, and Love wouldn't be possible.

The Problem of Pain is a must read for every Christian.

References

1. Lewis, C. S. The Problem of Pain. 1940.
2. Kreef, Peter. Ph.D. http://www.peterkreeft.com
3. USAToday.com Google Topic