1. The Big Question: Why?

2.  From the Cycles and Processes of Nature:  Earthquakes  Hurricanes  Fires  Floods  Old Age

3.  From Human Choice:  Apathy  Hardness of Heart  Greed  Domestic Violence  Child Abuse  Drug Trafficking  Genocide  Racism

5.  For believers in God, the big question becomes: “Why does God allow suffering?”  This question, and questions like it, run throughout the Bible.

6.  The Book of Job in the Bible contains a well- known story about the mystery of why people suffer.  Job’s friends try to help him determine what he did wrong to cause his suffering.  Job innocence but his friends are unconvinced.

7.  A commonly held notion is that God tests us with suffering.  The “test” explanation of suffering is cold comfort for someone who is grieving, and it makes God out to be mean.

8. The God of the Bible Does Not Will Our Suffering

14.  Is God all powerful in the sense of controlling everything that happens?

15.  God does not control our moral choices, but respects our freedom to choose.

16.  God does not intervene in the laws of nature.  What kind of world would it be if God did?

17.  God stands for  Justice  Fairness  Compassion  Forgiveness  Love

18.  The act of God is the courage to rebuild their lives after the hurricane and the rush of others to help them.

19.  God’s answer to Job:  “Where were you when I created the heaven and the earth?”