Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

If God exists, why does He allow such horrible things to happen to good people? Why does extreme suffering often befall little children and the innocent? If God is just and loving, why doesn’t He intervene and stop such senseless suffering? First, this workshop considers the assumptions and theological commitments behind such questions and examines the common Christian responses for their implications for theology in general and ethics in particular. Then an alternative response will be offered. It is one that affirms freedom within God’s sovereign order for creation in such a way that allows for gratuitous evil without compromising the moral perfection of God. It affirms God’s faithful, providential care for His creation, while it denies that God is the author or source of suffering. The intent is to show how Christians might understand why bad things happen to good people in a way that is biblica;ly sound, theologically consistent, contextually relevant, and personally applicable.