Is There a God Who Cares?

IF GOD exists, why has he allowed so many terrible things to happen to people all through history? If he really cares about us, why does he permit wickedness and suffering to continue?

2 Thinking persons everywhere ask those questions. And with good reason, because for centuries the human family has suffered so much from horrible wars, food shortages, poverty, crime and disease. Injustice and oppression have caused a great amount of grief too. So have calamities such as floods and earthquakes. Quite often, innocent people suffer through no fault of their own. Is all of this proof that God does not care about what happens to us? Is there any genuine hope for a better world, a world where we can really enjoy life on earth to the full, free from all these troubles?

3 Such questions demand truthful, satisfying answers. But it is not truthful, or satisfying, to be told, “It is God’s will for us to suffer,” or, “These are things we cannot understand.” If God created the awesome universe of such marvelous order, surely he must have a good reason for allowing humans to get so disorderly. And would such a Creator not care enough about his own human creation to tell us why he has permitted wickedness? Would it not make sense for him to correct these bad conditions in due time if he has the power to do so? Any loving father would do that for his children if he could. Certainly an all-powerful, all-wise, loving Creator would not do less for his own earthly children.

Who Can Best Answer?

4 Who can best answer the questions about God’s permission of wickedness? Well, if you were charged with some fault, would you want people to listen to only what others said about it? Or would you want to speak for yourself to clear up the matter in the mind of anyone who sincerely wanted to know? It is God who is held to be at fault for permitting wickedness. Since he best knows why he permits it, would it not be fair to let him speak for himself? Looking to humans for answers will never...