Suffering Evil A religious response Outline n n

Suffering & Evil A religious response

Outline: n n n Evil vs. suffering Causes of suffering The meaning of suffering Responses to suffering God’s role in suffering and evil Natural vs. Moral evil

What is suffering? Dukkha the first “noble truth” of Buddhism: to live is to experience suffering (video) Evil is… n n n n that which makes life difficult That which impacts negatively on our life That which threatens our happiness & survival “Evil” is external – that which is done to us “Suffering” is internal – our response to what happens to us Why do the innocent suffer? Roberta Hestenes

Explaining evil: the cause Karmic justice n Punishment for Sin n Satan/the Devil n Human free will n Evil is not real (it’s merely the absence of n good, an illusion, a mistake in human thinking, with no real substance of it’s own)

More explanations: no absolutes Relativity of good and bad: n Cosmic balance n Personal, limited perspective n A blessing in disguise? (a Taoist Story) Which explanation makes the most sense to you?

Theodicy: the problem of evil There is evil in this world and innocent people suffer n God is supposed to be all good, all knowing, all powerful n Why would an all good, all knowing, all powerful God allow evil and suffering in this world that God supposedly created? = such a god must not exist n

An intellectual response to Tragedy Rabbi Harold Kushner: When Bad Things Happen to Good People n How does Kushner answer theodicy problem? n What role does God have in Kushner’s “theology of tragedy”? n What kind of God does rabbi Kushner believe in: n n n Not all knowing? Not all good? Not all powerful? Does Kushner’s approach to the problem satisfy you? Why or why not?

Explaining evil: the meaning n n A test of faith (The story of Job) A lesson Personal growth Recompense: those who suffer in the present will be compensated/ rewarded in the future (e. g. in heaven) Which explanation makes the most sense to you?

Religions respond to tragedy: a practical response n n n Hurricane Katrina (video) Can nature be evil? (natural evil) n Is a hurricane or tornado evil? A flood? An earthquake? A volcanic eruption? n Is disease an “evil”? These things make our life difficult, they impact negatively on our happiness and our survival. They cause us to suffer. Do you blame God (“why me? ”) or rely on God to get through it?

Moral Evil Or is “evil” just something that a person can do to another person? n n n Is it “evil” for a lion to kill a gazelle? Is it “evil” for a human to kill a deer? A cow? Another human? (always? ) Is war an “evil”? (always? ) Is there an “axis of evil”? (demonizing the enemy) Can a person be innately evil or is evil an acquired trait? If a person is insanely evil, can they still be held responsible? Does it matter why we do what we do? (intention behind the act)