Judaism & Suffering (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B) : Revision Note
Suffering and the nature of the Almighty in Judaism
The existence of suffering causes some Jews to question the nature of the Almighty
One issue is that if God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent, why does he allow suffering?
Jews believe God is both loving and just, but the existence of pain and suffering in the world seems to contradict this belief
If God is good and powerful, why does he not prevent suffering?
Suffering can also lead Jews to question whether God is truly just
If God is just, why do innocent people suffer, while some who do evil seem to prosper?
This creates tension with the idea that God rewards the good and punishes the wicked
If God is compassionate, why does he allow pain and suffering to continue, especially for those who are innocent or suffering unjustly?
Psalm 103:13 says, ‘As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him’ which shows that God understands human suffering and cares about his creation
However, suffering challenges the belief that God cares deeply for his creation or he would intervene to relieve suffering
What issues are raised by suffering for Jews?
Some Jews argue that suffering is a result of human free will meaning that people can make choices that might lead to suffering
This raises the question: why does God allow humans to make bad choices if he could stop suffering?
Some Jews believe suffering may be a test of faith, as seen in the Story of Job, who suffered greatly but did not lose his faith in God
However, this leads to the question of why an all-loving God would test people in such extreme ways
Jews also believe that God moves in mysterious ways and beyond human understanding
Suffering might be part of God’s plan that humans cannot fully understand
However, this can cause discomfort because it’s hard to accept that suffering may have no clear reason or explanation
Some Jewish teachings suggest that suffering is a part of life and that it can lead to personal growth or a deeper connection with God
For example, some Jews believe suffering can help people develop virtues like compassion
However, this does not take away the emotional or physical struggle with the presence of suffering in the world
Worked Example
Explain two issues raised by the problem of evil and suffering for Jews
(4)
Answer
Evil and suffering raises a problem for Jews because God is supposed to be omnipotent (1) but if he was then he would be able to prevent suffering which he does not (1)
Also Jews believe God to be just and that good deeds will be rewarded (1) but there are situations where good, innocent people suffer whilst evil people prosper which contradicts this idea (1)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A good way to explain the problem of evil and suffering for a religious believer is the Inconsistent Triad
The Inconsistent Triad is a concept used in philosophy to explain the problem of evil in relation to the existence of an all-powerful, all-good God. It suggests that it is logically difficult to believe in all three of the following statements simultaneously:
God is all-powerful – God has the ability to do anything and everything
God is all-good – God is perfectly good and would want to prevent evil and suffering
Evil and suffering exist – There is real evil and suffering in the world
The triad is ‘inconsistent’ because if God is all-powerful and all-good, it’s difficult to explain why evil and suffering still exist. The problem is that if God is both willing and able to stop evil, why does evil still occur?
This creates a logical problem for the belief in the traditional understanding of God, as people struggle to reconcile all three claims
The conclusion being that either God does not have the qualities that religious believers think he has, or God does not exist
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