My mom sent me a story through my email the other day which I have copied below. I have contemplated posting it for a few days now. I think it's a great story, and understand the author's intention. My problem with it is the last line. I even contemplated sending it without the last line included, but opted to include it. I'll explain below.
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.
As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
"I don't believe that God exists.."
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists , would there be so many sick people?
Would there be abandoned children?
If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.
I can't imagine loving a God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.
He looked dirty and un-kept.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:
"You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber.
"I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!! " the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist!
What happens is, people do not come to me."
"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!
What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him.
That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
The problem I have with the last line is that people who go to Him still experience pain and suffering. It's not the reason why it exists. We live in a fallen world. What does that mean? The world was sinless until Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Thus, with that the world changed. Sin entered the world, and pain and suffering is part of living in a fallen world. But, by going to the Lord, who gave his life for our sins, we will one day live in paradise again. Check out the two links below that will help you to understand it a bit more.
"God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain" - Revelation 21:4
Why does God allow innocent people to suffer?
My mom sent me a story through my email the other day which I have copied below. I have contemplated posting it for a few days now. I think it's a great story, and understand the author's intention. My problem with it is the last line. I even contemplated sending it without the last line included, but opted to include it. I'll explain below.
The problem I have with the last line is that people who go to Him still experience pain and suffering. It's not the reason why it exists. We live in a fallen world. What does that mean? The world was sinless until Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Thus, with that the world changed. Sin entered the world, and pain and suffering is part of living in a fallen world. But, by going to the Lord, who gave his life for our sins, we will one day live in paradise again. Check out the two links below that will help you to understand it a bit more.Why does God allow innocent people to suffer?