In the last blog, we asked why God does not do something to stop all the evil and suffering in our world. We noted that since God is all powerful and is in control of events in our world that makes him responsible for all the evil and suffering we observe.
The 12th century Jewish scholar, philosopher, and medical doctor Maimonides looks at this issue from a different perspective. He maintains the causes of evil and suffering are three. First, we exist in a material sphere and we are material beings which means various material phenomena such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, diseases, etc. have the potential to and regularly does cause us suffering. Second, people cause each other pain and we have amply documented that in previous blogs. Third, we bring suffering on ourselves and this is the greatest cause. [1] As Job 5:6-7 tells us:
“For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble sprout from the ground, but man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.”
So if we cause most the evil and suffering in our world, why do we continue to blame God? We do not see God at work causing all our problems but we sure do see ourselves and our fellow humans doing so.
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[1] Moses Maimonides, Shlomo Pines, Translator. The Guide of the Perflexed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1963, pp. 443-445.
