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Why does God allow suffering?
Jehovah God didn't intend for humans to suffer. On the contrary, He gave the first human couple a wonderful start.
But Satan, a rebel angel, called God a liar and influenced the first humans to reject God's Authority.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they chose to follow Satan. They rebelled against Jehovah and decided for themselves what was right and wrong.
Was Satan correct? Could humans rule themselves successfully without help from God? Time would be needed to settle the crucial issues raised by the rebels.
To illustrate: A rebellious student claims that the teachers method of instruction is wrong. He insists that he knows a much better way. Some students think that he is right, and they also become rebellious.
What should the teacher do? He has the authority to reprimand the rebellious students, but what effect would that choice have on the other students? They may lose respect for the teacher, thinking that he is afraid of being proved wrong.
But suppose the teacher allows the student to show the class his method. Then it would be proved to all present who is qualified to teach.
Jehovah has done something similar to what the teacher does. When Satan challenged Jehovah, millions of angels were watching. How Jehovah handled the rebellion would greatly affect all those angels, and eventually all intelligent creation.
Knowing this, Jehovah allowed Satan to rule this world for a time. Satan's rule has caused untold pain and suffering. However, once Jehovah's right and ability to rule is established beyond any doubt, Jehovah will undo all the damage caused by Satan's rebellion.
At that time, only people who choose to follow God's standards will inhabit the earth. Until then, what does God's patience allow us to do? And how can we show that we choose God as our ruler?
Jehovah God didn't intend for humans to suffer. On the contrary, He gave the first human couple a wonderful start.
But Satan, a rebel angel, called God a liar and influenced the first humans to reject God's Authority.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they chose to follow Satan. They rebelled against Jehovah and decided for themselves what was right and wrong.
Was Satan correct? Could humans rule themselves successfully without help from God? Time would be needed to settle the crucial issues raised by the rebels.
To illustrate: A rebellious student claims that the teachers method of instruction is wrong. He insists that he knows a much better way. Some students think that he is right, and they also become rebellious.
What should the teacher do? He has the authority to reprimand the rebellious students, but what effect would that choice have on the other students? They may lose respect for the teacher, thinking that he is afraid of being proved wrong.
But suppose the teacher allows the student to show the class his method. Then it would be proved to all present who is qualified to teach.
Jehovah has done something similar to what the teacher does. When Satan challenged Jehovah, millions of angels were watching. How Jehovah handled the rebellion would greatly affect all those angels, and eventually all intelligent creation.
Knowing this, Jehovah allowed Satan to rule this world for a time. Satan's rule has caused untold pain and suffering. However, once Jehovah's right and ability to rule is established beyond any doubt, Jehovah will undo all the damage caused by Satan's rebellion.
At that time, only people who choose to follow God's standards will inhabit the earth. Until then, what does God's patience allow us to do? And how can we show that we choose God as our ruler?
