Conflict Between Evil And Suffering

Evil and suffering has become the basis to critique the misrepresentation of God as a perfect being. This analysis stems from the idea that if God is good, and omniscient, why would he allow humans to struggle through the harsh conditions of evil and suffering. To gain further insight into this issue, the Abrahamic religion of Judaism offers that, humans experience evil and suffering because society has done something displeasing. Key biblical events such as the Fall, Noah’s Ark, and the Babylonian Exile show how the community of the Jewish people have disappointed God, and what consequences befell humanity. Outside the scope of a religious perspective, critical thinker Max Weber believes in a sociological reasoning behind evil and suffering
on Earth. The logic he presents behind his theories express that class systems, the magic of religion and predetermination is what makes civilization susceptible to his wrath. In addition, another critical thinker, Peter Berger, provides further sociological explanations as to why humans are subject to evil and suffering. Berger believes that suffering is the product of social order; the sacrifice humanity makes to combat feelings of loneliness, and our own actions that manifest suffering. Within the examination of God’s relationship with humanity, the tradition of Judaism, as well as the theories of Weber and Berger, reflect upon why humans are subject to evil and suffering. Within the customs of Judaism, the centralization of scripture is essential to the practices of the faith.
These scriptures are the introduction to the relationship God has with humanity, and provides the first examples of disobedience that perpetuates the human struggle. The narrative of the Fall, also known as the story of Adam and Eve, is the prime origin story of why humans encounter suffering and evil. After the creation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, God instructs them that they are to not eat the forbidden fruit. However, Satan persuades Eve under the guise of a serpent, to rebel against God and eat the fruit from the tree. This act severed the relationship that Adam and Eve had with God, and made them subject to the first experiences of suffering and evil. The punishments the God had bestowed upon them were, exile from Eden (Genesis 3:23), descendants of Eve would have painful childbirth (Genesis 3:16), descendants of Adam would have to face hard labour (Genesis 3:17-18), and that humans were no longer immortal, and would experience a physical death (Genesis 3:19). The suffering that humans now must face at the hand of evil becomes the agent to actively restore the intimate relationship that humanity once had with God. “If evil brought us to where we are… it is an essential task as humans and communities to overcome the evil in our nature” (Kahn 1). This idea of redemption now gives meaning to life and what is beyond death. Suffering gives society purpose to live a pious life for the ultimate achievement of being able to re-establish an intimate connection with God, and be free of their earthly
bondage. Another example within the tradition of Judaism is the narrative of Noah’s Ark.
The tale describes the disappointment that God has for humanity as “evil of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of his heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:7). However, God had sparred Noah and his family, for they were good and worthy of salvation. Under the instruction of God, Noah was to build an ark, and take two of each animal, as well as his family, as they are saved from the flood that was to be cast upon the sinners of Earth. Furthermore, Noah’s Ark serves the purpose of what is considered as a cautionary tale for generations after Noah. This specific narrative amplifies God’s desire for vengeance against sinners and his intolerance for blatant acts of evil. In Judaism, this case study reflects or re-assures that the experience of suffering goes beyond extreme levels of the spectrum, solely because of the continued transgressions of evil. God has the capability to “cleanse” or “restart” humanity when his people act in way that is unacceptable. However, despite the warnings that civilization chose to ignore, the Jewish people continued to act out in rebellion against God. Leading up to the Babylonian Exile, they were breaking the covenant with God that had been established by Moses. Both prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah warned humanity of what was to befall of them if they were to continue on this path. By not following the commandments and deciding that self-indulgences were to take priority, this triggered God to act out accordingly; the diaspora of Jewish peoples and the exile to Babylonia (Isaiah 6:9-13). The abandonment of God initiated a suffering amongst the Jewish communities, as they were not only feeling disconnected from others, there was an even greater disconnect from God. During this time, the Jewish people were able to re-invent themselves, and try to establish a new relationship with God. The Babylonian Exile has been interpreted as “Israel atoned for ‘all the nations’ … and suffered so that world may have world peace and prosperity” (Rembaum 297). This suffering gives context to a greater meaning beyond the concern of oneself, and that the anguish of a community can be the ultimate sacrifice to stop the ire of God. Outside of the interpretations of suffering and evil from a religious perspective, sociologist Max Weber presents theories that use the social realm of humanity to provide insight to this issue. The notion that class systems acts as a mechanism that denies the upward mobility for the lower class, maintains a social order where personal suffering is to be expected. In contrast, the “socially and economically privileged strata will scarcely feel the need of salvation” (Weber 62).