The Problem of Pain

1. Suffering is a Problem That Demands Intellectual Honesty

Christianity is not the conclusion of a philosophical debate on the origins of the universe: it is a catastrophic historical event following on the long spiritual preparation of humanity which I have described.

Acknowledging the Problem. Suffering presents a profound intellectual challenge to belief in a benevolent and omnipotent God. It's crucial to approach this problem with intellectual honesty, acknowledging the weight of the issue rather than dismissing it with simplistic answers. The very strength of the pessimist's case poses a problem: how did humans ever attribute the universe to a wise and good Creator if it is so bad?

Religion's Different Origin. Religion doesn't arise from observing the universe's apparent indifference or cruelty. Instead, it stems from experiences like the numinous (awe and wonder), moral awareness, and historical events like the Incarnation. These elements provide a foundation for faith that exists alongside the reality of suffering.

Christianity's Unique Perspective. Christianity doesn't solve the problem of pain but rather creates it, for pain would be no problem unless, side by side with our daily experience of this painful world, we had received what we think a good assurance that ultimate reality is righteous and loving. It is a catastrophic historical event, not a philosophical conclusion.

2. Omnipotence is Limited by Intrinsic Impossibilities

His Omnipotence means power to do all that is intrinsically possible, not to do the intrinsically impossible.

Defining Omnipotence. Divine omnipotence doesn't mean the ability to do anything, including logical contradictions. It means the power to do all that is intrinsically possible. Attributing nonsense to God doesn't make it meaningful; it remains nonsense.

Necessity of Natural Laws. A world with free souls requires a relatively independent and "inexorable" Nature. Self-consciousness and freedom demand an "other," an environment distinct from the self. Matter, with its fixed nature and constant laws, provides this neutral field for interaction and communication.

Suffering as a Consequence. The fixed nature of matter, while enabling society and communication, also allows for the possibility of suffering. Free will allows souls to choose hostility and exploit matter to harm one another. God could intervene to correct every abuse of free will, but this would negate freedom itself.

3. Divine Goodness Seeks Our Perfection, Not Just Our Happiness

When Christianity says that God loves man, it means that God loves man: not that He has some ‘disinterested’, because really indifferent, concern for our welfare, but that, in awful and surprising truth, we are the objects of His love.

Beyond Mere Kindness. Divine goodness isn't simply about making creatures happy. It's about perfecting them, making them truly lovable. This may involve pain and discomfort, as a loving artist refines a work of art or a trainer disciplines a dog.

Analogies of Divine Love. God's love for humanity can be understood through various analogies:

• The artist for their work
• A man for a beast
• A father for a son
• A man for a woman

These analogies highlight the active, transformative nature of love, which seeks the betterment of the beloved.

The Intolerable Compliment. God's love is an "intolerable compliment" because it demands more of us than we might wish. He desires to make us like Himself, which requires us to shed our impurities and embrace a higher calling. This process can be painful, but it ultimately leads to true happiness.

4. Human Wickedness Obscures Our Perception of Divine Goodness

You can have no greater sign of confirmed pride than when you think you are humble enough.

The Loss of the Sense of Sin. Modern society has largely lost its sense of sin, focusing instead on kindness and minimizing shame. This makes it difficult to understand Christianity, which assumes that humans are inherently flawed and in need of redemption.

The Illusion of "Not Being So Bad." We often deceive ourselves by comparing ourselves to others and focusing on outward appearances. We fail to recognize the depth of our own corruption, the "persistent, life-long, inner murmur of spite, jealousy, prurience, greed and self-complacence."

The Need for Self-Awareness. A recovery of the old sense of sin is essential to Christianity. We must acknowledge our own wickedness before we can truly appreciate God's goodness and the need for His grace. This requires a willingness to confront our flaws and a rejection of the illusion that we are "not so bad."

5. The Fall: A Descent from Obedience to Self-Idolatry

To obey is the proper office of a rational soul.

The Essence of the Fall. The Fall wasn't about eating a magic apple but about disobedience, a turning away from God to self. It was an act of pride, a desire to "call their souls their own," to be independent of the Creator.

The Consequences of Disobedience. This act of self-will led to a loss of control over human nature. The body became subject to natural laws, desires became unruly, and the mind fell under the sway of psychological forces. Human spirit from being the master of human nature became a mere lodger in it’s own house, or even a prisoner.

The Transmission of Corruption. This corrupted state was transmitted to all later generations, creating a new kind of man, a new species, never made by God, had sinned it’self into existence. We are now members of a spoiled species, burdened by original sin.

6. Pain as God's Megaphone: Shattering Illusions and Demanding Attention

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

Pain as a Wake-Up Call. Pain is a tool used by God to shatter our illusions of self-sufficiency and to awaken us to our true condition. It is a megaphone to rouse a deaf world. It insists upon being attended to.

Three Operations of Pain:

• Shatters the illusion that all is well
• Shatters the illusion that what we have is our own and enough for us
• Enables us to choose God for God's sake, not for our own pleasure

The Paradox of Tribulation. While suffering is not good in itself, it can lead to good. It can lead to submission to God's will, compassion for others, and a deeper understanding of our need for redemption.

7. Heaven: Not an Escape, but the Fulfillment of Our Deepest Desires

There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven; but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have ever desired anything else.

Beyond "Pie in the Sky." Heaven is not a mere escape from earthly suffering but the fulfillment of our deepest desires. It is not a bribe but a reward that only the pure in heart can truly appreciate.

The Secret Thread. The things we truly love in this world—books, landscapes, friendships—are often connected by a secret thread, a common quality that points towards something beyond. This something is what we are ultimately seeking, and it is found in heaven.

The Scale of Eternity. Scripture and tradition habitually put the joys of heaven into the scale against the sufferings of earth, and no solution of the problem of pain which does not do so can be called a Christian one. Heaven is not a mere prolongation of time but a different dimension altogether, a plane or solid that encompasses the whole reality of a human being.

8. Hell: The Eternal Consequence of Rejecting God

The characteristic of lost souls is ‘their rejection of everything that is not simply themselves’.

The Reality of Choice. God, in creating beings with free will, accepts the possibility that some will reject Him. This is not a defeat of omnipotence but a testament to the miracle of free will.

Hell as Self-Imposed Isolation. Hell is not simply a retributive punishment inflicted by God but the natural consequence of rejecting everything that is not oneself. It is the state of being confined to the self, forever cut off from love, joy, and connection.

The Finality of Loss. While we may hope for universal salvation, the reality is that some souls may choose to remain in their self-imposed isolation. This is a tragic but necessary consequence of free will.

9. Animal Suffering: A Mystery Demanding Humility and Compassion

And whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

The Limits of Our Knowledge. The problem of animal suffering is particularly challenging because we lack the data to understand it fully. We can only speculate about the nature of their sentience, the origin of their pain, and the justice of their fate.

Sentience vs. Consciousness. It's important to distinguish between sentience (the ability to feel) and consciousness (the awareness of feeling). Many animals may be sentient without being conscious, meaning they experience sensations without a self to organize them into a coherent experience.

Man's Role in Redemption. Man was appointed by God to have dominion over the beasts, and everything a man does to an animal is either a lawful exercise, or a sacrilegious abuse, of an authority by Divine right. It may have been one of man's functions to restore peace to the animal world, and if he had not joined the enemy he might have succeeded in doing so to an extent now hardly imaginable.

Last updated: March 30, 2025