The question of how a Creator can be both all-good and all-sovereign if he allows human atrocities, natural disasters, diseases and death to afflict his creatures is a stumbling block for many. However, as discussed later, atheism cannot offer more compelling answers than theism. Atheism cannot even make a solid case for any justice other than the right of the jungle, let alone provide a basis to condemn evil as evil. This might explain why atheism was not more popular among the ancient than it is today: For without any metaphysical basis to explain why there are right and wrong, good and evil, no civilizations can uphold justice and live well for long. Therefore, they’d rather settle for a pantheon of imperfect gods than jettison all faith that we are under God.
Theists also have no easy answers, though, why God does not prevent sufferings, except to invoke free will: Thus, they argue that if we choose to disobey God, God is right to let us bear the consequences of ignoring His will. God would only be unjust if He would not respect everyone’s free will. Never mind that by this ‘free will’ logic it would be futile to ever beseech God to ever overrule anyone, as we are called to do, e.g. against genocidal tyrants (cf Est 4:26). And never mind that self-inflicted suffering is self-inflicted anyways, irrespective of whether or not we believe in God.
Thus, the real question of why there also exists plenty of undeserved horrid suffering remains as unanswered as before. Even by definition, no suffering that is undeserved can be a form of just retribution. Consider e.g. the various heritable diseases that afflict even the unborn who have not yet done anything good or bad: As Jesus pointed out, they are living proof for everyone to see that retributive justice cannot be the explanation (Jn 9:1-3). However, that does not stop the Eliphazes of this world to fill the earth (cf Jn 9:34).
The mere existence of evil also did not hinder Job to trust that God is good: As long as he was spared, he too could explain it as self-inflicted. Job also did not object to the need for retribution when justice calls for it, nor to the theology that God will avenge every injustice with just punishments. As long as Job was spared to personally suffer injustice, he firmly believed in God’s justice no less than those who now accused him of apostasy: “I also could speak as you do if you were in my place…”, 16:4. Indeed, this elementary principle of an eye for an eye is all we know about justice, Lk 6:33, and how people even define it:
Third speech of Eliphaz
Job 22:
- 22:1-4 Being wise is to your own advantage, and to be blameles serves your own best interest.* God does not owe anyone for their effort to be virtuous. But since you don’t turn from sin, you are punished for your wickedness.
- 22:5 While you claim that no one besides you is orthodox, you more than anyone have denied the Lord by your works:
- 22:6-7 You show neither mercy nor compassion for your brother.
- 22:8-9 And instead of sacrificially helping the helpless you enjoyed the ‘good life’.
- 22:9-11 This is why you are now drowning, while we are well.
- 22:12-14 You yourself are proof that you are wrong to claim that God does not punish evil:
- 22:15-16 You are punished for choosing the easy road that leads to destruction.
- 22:17-18a You got what you deserve for wanting to be left alone by God and live for pleasures, and for questioning the fact that God rewards true godliness with prosperity.
- 22:18b-20 No way that we will listen to your seductive ideas any longer: We who are righteous see it and are glad that God cuts off people like yourself, and that your legacy is burned.
- 22:21-22 Agree with God by agreeing with us: Take my instruction to heart as a word directly from God.
- 22:23-27 If you would turn from your idolatrous worldliness, if you would look to the God that we preach and make him your treasure, then he would hear and welcome you.
- 22:28 If he is your treasure, you will have power to walk with poise even on choppy waters.
- 22:29-30 For if you so humble yourself by looking to him alone without doubting, he will be your savior. For if you cleanse your hands by committing yourself to Him and his cause, he will unconditionally accept you, even though you are of course not innocent (see how we only preach free grace!).
Job’s reply: Your free will theory explains nothing
For those like Job who are themselves tried by adversity and its injustice, the universal question of why the righteous suffer takes a different dimension and urgency: It becomes personal. Now, it becomes a question of whether any higher power exists at all that deserves to be called God. And if God exists, is He mad at us, or simply too much aloof to even care, or incapable to prevent evil for any other reasons? And what if these questions apparently remain unanswered, or only belittled or confuscated by the likes of Job’s adversaries?
Job 23
- 23:1-12 If I could take my case to God himself, I would know what to tell him, I have not departed from His word, I treasure it.
- 23:13-17 But who can change His opinion? God is too highly exalted for us to change his mind. That is how He discouraged me. However, such darkness will not stop me to at least submit my protest:
Job 24
- 24:1-12 Since God’s judgments are notoriously belated, the powerful can oppress and exploit the poor unhindered.
- 24:13-17 Your “free will” theory explains nothing. Yes, there are those who love darkness, but how can they be blamed for it when they do not even know the light? cf Mt 7:14; Jn 1:10
- 24:18-20 You claim that justice is served by how the oppressors perish too.
- 24:21-25 I disagree: Consider the sufferings that they inflict on the powerless! And believers perish no different from the wicked. This cannot be justified, or if it can, God owes me an explanation how.
* The literal meaning of v2 seems less than certain were it not for v3 and parallel passages (35:7; cf Prov 9:12) which agree with this reading.
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