"If there is a God in this world, why is there evil and suffering?"

Quite a few times I've heard and read over in social media the challenge posted by agnostic/atheist relatives and friends against us Christian counterparts the common objection "If there is a God, why is there evil and suffering?" or something to this effect. And therefore conclude that there is no God, and to believe in such supernatural being is irrational and illogical. Many also have their faith shaken because of this and have turned away from God altogether to join atheists and embrace its worldview instead.

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As Christians, we understand where they are coming from and share in their sentiment as well, as nobody--whether you are a believer or not--are exempted from evil and suffering in this world.

There are already multiple apologetics concerning this topic you may easily find in books and online that have philosophically and theologically answer probably and arguably the most difficult theological question of all time (i.e., the Problem of Evil). I am no theologian nor philosopher, so I am not going to try. I admit, there is no easy, definite answer, and an ordinary Christian such as myself also grapple with this thought.

But at the same time, it got me into thinking (as I'm sure many of the pros already did too: Christian theologians and philosophers, I mean) to turn the table around to atheists--who find, as we've mentioned, Christian worldview as non-sensical as it relates to the problem of evil--and ask them this retort: "If belief in God you claimed at the problem of evil is senseless, as Atheists what is your alternative?" "What is the atheist's answer to the problem of evil?" "Does the problem of evil and suffering suddenly disappear or answered when one decided to become an atheist?"

Atheists do not have a better answer to the problems of evil, pain and suffering. In fact, they don't have an answer to it at all, just endless anti-religious rants and finger pointing. From an atheist's perspective and stand point, there is no God; Good and evil are meaningless concepts; Death has the last word. In this life, they are alone in the universe, life and suffering has no meaning at all, and eventually we all simply die. Period. End of story.

By contrast, the Christian worldview, particularly that of the Catholic Church, has offer some light to the subject. Basically we find it quite succinctly explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 309-314, 324 as a good place to start. Catholic Apologist Jimmy Akins in one of his Parish talks, also enumerated 7 (but not limited to) helpful Catholic responses to make sense out of our suffering, expounding on the Bible, the Catechism, among other sources. Although expounding it is beyond the scope of this blog, I simply wish to list it here so that you may see from your own judgment on which worldview regarding the problem of evil and suffering makes more sense: Christian or Atheist? The 7 Catholic responses to the problem of evil according to Jimmy Akins are the following:

1. The problem of evil and suffering is a real mystery.

2. God can have reasons for allowing evil, even if we don't know what they are.

3. Sometimes pain or suffering is helpful for preventing even worse pain and suffering.

4. Without free will (allowing for moral evil), there is no real ability to love.

5. Death is not the end. (Regardless of how evil and bad life here on earth).

6. God will bring good out of every evil.

7. The Christian view, in contrast to the atheist, is the one that allows hope and meaning and love that reaches beyond this life.

It is worth reading what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about it. Paragraph 309-314, 324 on God's providence and the scandal of evil:

309 If God the Father almighty, the Creator of the ordered and good world, cares for all his creatures, why does evil exist? To this question, as pressing as it is unavoidable and as painful as it is mysterious, no quick answer will suffice. Only Christian faith as a whole constitutes the answer to this question: the goodness of creation, the drama of sin and the patient love of God who comes to meet man by his covenants, the redemptive Incarnation of his Son, his gift of the Spirit, his gathering of the Church, the power of the sacraments and his call to a blessed life to which free creatures are invited to consent in advance, but from which, by a terrible mystery, they can also turn away in advance. There is not a single aspect of the Christian message that is not in part an answer to the question of evil.
 
310 But why did God not create a world so perfect that no evil could exist in it? With infinite power God could always create something better. But with infinite wisdom and goodness God freely willed to create a world "in a state of journeying" towards its ultimate perfection. In God's plan this process of becoming involves the appearance of certain beings and the disappearance of others, the existence of the more perfect alongside the less perfect, both constructive and destructive forces of nature. With physical good there exists also physical evil as long as creation has not reached perfection^.
 
311 Angels and men, as intelligent and free creatures, have to journey toward their ultimate destinies by their free choice and preferential love. They can therefore go astray. Indeed, they have sinned. Thus has moral evil, incommensurably more harmful than physical evil, entered the world. God is in no way, directly or indirectly, the cause of moral evil. He permits it, however, because he respects the freedom of his creatures and, mysteriously, knows how to derive good from it:

For almighty God. . ., because he is supremely good, would never allow any evil whatsoever to exist in his works if he were not so all-powerful and good as to cause good to emerge from evil itself.

312 In time we can discover that God in his almighty providence can bring a good from the consequences of an evil, even a moral evil, caused by his creatures: "It was not you", said Joseph to his brothers, "who sent me here, but God. . . You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive." From the greatest moral evil ever committed - the rejection and murder of God's only Son, caused by the sins of all men - God, by his grace that "abounded all the more", brought the greatest of goods: the glorification of Christ and our redemption. But for all that, evil never becomes a good.

313 "We know that in everything God works for good for those who love him." The constant witness of the saints confirms this truth:

St. Catherine of Siena said to "those who are scandalized and rebel against what happens to them": "Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in mind." St. Thomas More, shortly before his martyrdom, consoled his daughter: "Nothing can come but that that God wills. And I make me very sure that whatsoever that be, seem it never so bad in sight, it shall indeed be the best."
Dame Julian of Norwich: "Here I was taught by the grace of God that I should steadfastly keep me in the faith. . . and that at the same time I should take my stand on and earnestly believe in what our Lord shewed in this time - that 'all manner [of] thing shall be well.'"

314 We firmly believe that God is master of the world and of its history. But the ways of his providence are often unknown to us. Only at the end, when our partial knowledge ceases, when we see God "face to face", will we fully know the ways by which - even through the dramas of evil and sin - God has guided his creation to that definitive sabbath rest for which he created heaven and earth.

324 The fact that God permits physical and even moral evil is a mystery that God illuminates by his Son Jesus Christ who died and rose to vanquish evil. Faith gives us the certainty that God would not permit an evil if he did not cause a good to come from that very evil, by ways that we shall fully know only in eternal life.

So which to you sounds more hopeful?

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One Reason Why Posting "Religious Stuff" Online is Important

I like to share "stuff" about my Christian faith in social media particularly on Facebook once in a while by posting articles, memes, quotes and the like, mainly to educate or spread awareness especially to anti-Catholic, atheist, agnostic and polemical individuals (special thanks to them, they were one of the primary reasons behind why I started learning more and appreciated more my Catholic faith and tradition). I even created a page on the topic and tried my venture on selling Christian apparel online recently as well. (If it weren't for these reasons, I would have long readily departed with and deactivated my Facebook account.)

However, I'm pretty sure some friends on Facebook do not share the same sentiment, passion or interest I do and probably find my religious musings quite annoying or overbearing by now. I might be wrong but it's just a sense. So I wish to share one point why I am sharing "religious stuff" fairly "religiously", why go through all the trouble, sometimes not making myself look good, instead of just doing common things people do on Facebook: Self-promotion (e.g., taking selfies, food and travel photos, brand new cars, bags, shoes, etc., all the fun stuff)

I was inspired to write this blog piece to share a point made by a Catholic apologist Patrick Madrid from his audio talk "Right here right now" in particular when he ended his talk with a short story and its take-away lesson on why it's important that we need to engage and share our faith to others. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope St. John Paul II even affirmed that we should make use and take advantage of social media and online technology to communicate and evangelize in this new millennium. I may add that we need not worry if we think of ourselves unworthy or others think of us as hypocrites. We are all sinful creatures. If you wait until you look yourself perfect in the mirror before you start sharing your faith and posting online, it will never ever going to happen.

"The world is a dangerous place to live;

Not because of the people who are evil,

But because of the people

who don't do anything about it."

(Quote attributed to Albert Einstein)

For me, sharing our faith is like a double-edge sword. I noticed when I share, it also edifies and challenges me to be a better version of myself (i.e. walk the talk), putting myself accountable in the public eye, in my friends' eyes, while at the same time attempting to evangelize or educate online in the hope there are people willing to take the time and effort to read and reflect what I shared with the same time and effort they put watching entertaining videos or politics or sports online, and with the same docility, seriousness and attentiveness they take reading and believing secular articles and news media with ease against Christianity, clerics and the Church without second thoughts or without worrying about fact-checking or deceitful historical story-telling or reporting. Of course we should approach evangelizing with caution making sure we do not become hubristic, arrogant and proselytizing (e.g., calling Atheists and other Christian harsh names and accusing others as idolaters, anti-Christ, perverting Christianity, etc., as I had heard and encountered quite a few, unfortunately in the Fundamentalist, fallen-away Catholic camp. Catholics are of no exception into this trap, either.) Keeping in my mind that evangelizing is not the highest goal of our Christian life as Contemplative life is. Of course, there are a lot of ways to share your faith that are more effective than the impersonal social media, I get that. I am writing just within the context of why posting relevant informative stuff about your Christian faith online is also of value, especially in a fast-paced, technologically driven world we are in nowadays.

"Do not be afraid, speak out, and refuse to be silenced; I am with thee, and none shall come near to do thee harm; I have a great following in this city."

(Acts 18:9-10)

Anyway, the story Patrick Madrid told and his closing remark goes this way. This was a true story.

"I was walking down a dimly lit street late one evening when I heard muffled screams coming from behind a clump of bushes. Alarmed, I slowed down to listen and panicked when I realized that what I was hearing was the unmistakable sounds of a struggle: heavy grunting, frantic scuffling and tearing of fabric.

Only yards from where I stood, a woman was being attacked. Should I get involved? I was frightened for my own safety and cursed myself for having suddenly decided to take a new route home that night. What if I became another statistic? Shouldn’t I just run to the nearest phone and call the police?

Although it seemed an eternity, the deliberations in my head had taken only seconds, but already the cries were growing weaker. I knew I had to act fast.

How could I walk away from this? No, I finally resolved, I could not turn my back on the fate of this unknown woman, even if it meant risking my own life.

I am not a brave man, nor am I athletic. I don’t know where I found the moral courage and physical strength — but once I had finally resolved to help the girl, I became strangely transformed. I ran behind the bushes and pulled the assailant off the woman.

Grappling, we fell to the ground, where we wrestled for a few minutes until the attacker jumped up and escaped.

Panting hard, I scrambled upright and approached the girl, who was crouched behind a tree, sobbing.

In the darkness, could barely see her outline, but I could certainly sense her trembling shock.

Not wanting to frighten her further, I at first spoke to her from a distance.

“It’s OK,” I said soothingly, “The man ran away. You’re safe now.”

There was a long pause and then I heard the words, uttered in wonder, in amazement.

“Dad, is that you?” And then, from behind the tree, stepped my youngest daughter, Judy. 

Just imagine what would have happen if that Father had taken the easy way out, if he had not taken the risk, if he had not been willing to put his life on the line. Imagine if he had found out later that it was his own daughter. This story reminds us poignantly of our own need to step forward and not just know what we believe, not just know why we believe it, but be willing to share it.

Just when I was about to wrap up this blog, it was time to attend mass with my family, so I saved the draft. In our church, every week there is a challenge question posted on the projector screen for congregation to reflect upon. Today that question they posted affirmed the blog I am currently writing:

And in that same church, few years ago, I had read I guess a fairly popular quote in a hand-made poster in the wall that is a stark reminder to all of us Christians (whether you are cultural, nominal, lukewarm, practicing, active, indifferent) about the value of knowing and sharing our Christian faith:

“If we don’t teach our children to follow Christ,

the world will teach them not to.”

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