Review of Why God Allows Evil and Suffering
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Alida Spies
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Review of Why God Allows Evil and Suffering
[Following is a volunteer review of "Why God Allows Evil and Suffering" by Sine Nomine.]
The Bible tells us that God created the universe by speaking it into existence. However, when He decided to create mankind, He created us in His own image, to rule over all His other creations. That means that God bestowed His physical and mental characteristics upon mankind. If God is all-powerful, all-loving and values humankind so much that He made us in this very special way, why then does He allow evil and suffering to afflict us? This is the question that the author addresses in this book. The book was written using a pseudonym, Sine Nomine, hence, we don’t know whether the author is male or female.
Over many years, various learned people have attempted to answer this same question. Some deemed pain and suffering as retribution for sin; others thought it facilitated spiritual growth. Some thought that other people learned valuable lessons from the suffering of their fellow human beings. The author addresses each of these theodicies and explains why none of them provide a truly satisfactory answer. He or she then proceeds to provide a comprehensive explanation that covers all kinds of pain and suffering. Free will and love are key to the explanation. It is also important to understand the five prerequisites of love.
The anomaly of an all-powerful, all-loving God, who nevertheless allows evil and suffering to afflict His children, is likely at the core of atheism. It has caused the deconversion of many believers, including clergy and theologians.
I appreciated that the author conducted comprehensive research and quoted various other authors, as well as the Bible and other religious writings. He or she consulted Protestant as well as Catholic sources. The arguments were compelling, original, and substantiated by references to verses in the Bible or the "Catechism of the Catholic Church". Many other questions that may have had Christians wondering, e.g., what was the influence of the Fall of Man on the world and, for what purpose did God create humans, are also addressed in the book. Another interesting point was the results of a long-standing scientific study, that supported the belief that human happiness results from companionship.
There was nothing about the book that I didn’t like. It was exceptionally edited, as I did not find any errors. It was easy to understand, well-written and well-researched. The material was well-organised. The book was also quite short.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars, for the reasons mentioned above.
This book is more suited to religious readers who believe that God created the universe and mankind, but open-minded people who enjoy philosophical discussions will also enjoy it. It does not contain any profanity or violence. The references to sex are purely academic.
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Why God Allows Evil and Suffering
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Bible tells us that God created the universe by speaking it into existence. However, when He decided to create mankind, He created us in His own image, to rule over all His other creations. That means that God bestowed His physical and mental characteristics upon mankind. If God is all-powerful, all-loving and values humankind so much that He made us in this very special way, why then does He allow evil and suffering to afflict us? This is the question that the author addresses in this book. The book was written using a pseudonym, Sine Nomine, hence, we don’t know whether the author is male or female.
Over many years, various learned people have attempted to answer this same question. Some deemed pain and suffering as retribution for sin; others thought it facilitated spiritual growth. Some thought that other people learned valuable lessons from the suffering of their fellow human beings. The author addresses each of these theodicies and explains why none of them provide a truly satisfactory answer. He or she then proceeds to provide a comprehensive explanation that covers all kinds of pain and suffering. Free will and love are key to the explanation. It is also important to understand the five prerequisites of love.
The anomaly of an all-powerful, all-loving God, who nevertheless allows evil and suffering to afflict His children, is likely at the core of atheism. It has caused the deconversion of many believers, including clergy and theologians.
I appreciated that the author conducted comprehensive research and quoted various other authors, as well as the Bible and other religious writings. He or she consulted Protestant as well as Catholic sources. The arguments were compelling, original, and substantiated by references to verses in the Bible or the "Catechism of the Catholic Church". Many other questions that may have had Christians wondering, e.g., what was the influence of the Fall of Man on the world and, for what purpose did God create humans, are also addressed in the book. Another interesting point was the results of a long-standing scientific study, that supported the belief that human happiness results from companionship.
There was nothing about the book that I didn’t like. It was exceptionally edited, as I did not find any errors. It was easy to understand, well-written and well-researched. The material was well-organised. The book was also quite short.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars, for the reasons mentioned above.
This book is more suited to religious readers who believe that God created the universe and mankind, but open-minded people who enjoy philosophical discussions will also enjoy it. It does not contain any profanity or violence. The references to sex are purely academic.
******
Why God Allows Evil and Suffering
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Infinity by Catalina DuBois
