Does God cause suffering?

The following phrase from the bible gives a good perspective on this question.

“...but time and chance happens to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NIV)

‘Time’ covers the process of decay that is in almost everything including us. Rocks erode and trees don’t live forever (though some live for a very long time). And unequivocally humans grow old and die. Such is the order we live in. An order that God set in place. 

‘Chance’ describes the reality of living within the current order. Random things happen – both good and bad – on both a micro and macro level. On a micro level people get sick, sometimes fatally. Others seem immune from serious sickness and enjoy good health and long life. Some are killed or injured in accidents. Some narrowly avoid injury or death in an accident. Or avoid the accident completely. You get the idea. 

Then there’s the macro level, the disasters the insurance industry call ‘acts of God’; hurricanes or cyclones depending on where you live, fires, droughts and so on.

But does humankind get a free pass here? I don’t think so. Our actions and choices, either our own or somebody else’s, perhaps not even living in the same country, are at a minimum exacerbating, and probably directly causing many of these ‘acts of God’. Two examples. Does human caused climate change result in more and more powerful hurricanes and cyclones? Probably according to most scientific opinion. And related to this where we choose, or are compelled to, live. Near volcanoes, right on the edge of the ocean. When these forces are benign it’s ok. But when they are not the risk is terrible and increasingly realised.

What about the things I haven’t mentioned so far? War and its consequences. Murders. Assaults. Robbery. Corruption and greed. And so much more. 

What’s the common factor in these things. Is it God? Nope. It’s humankind. Not one of these things isn’t directly caused by a human. So how does God get the blame for that? Because He created humans with the capacity to do very bad things perhaps? Doesn’t really make a lot of sense. Even less so if you don’t actually believe in God. Or maybe you’re just uncertain. To assign responsibility for suffering to God if you hold these views isn’t logical. 

So does God cause suffering? Yes, and no. God set up the system that we live in. But humankind either directly causes, or exacerbates most suffering. 

Is that the end of the story then? For now, yes. But God is in control and He has promised a radically different system that He will set up. It’s all described in His book the bible. I put my trust in Him. And I hope it happens soon.