In "God's Problem" Ehrman presents the Bible's version (and a few versions from various philosophers and email correspondents) of why God allows - even mandates - suffering. With a God who is supposed to be all knowing, all powerful, yet completely loving and benevolent to His creation, why are there genocides, natural disasters, wars, epidemics, and the usual suffering involved in living and dying. Interestingly, believers are statistically no more exempt from disasters than society's many "cheaters." One only needs to look around to find that evil people often thrive and the righteous often suffer. How can this be?
The problem bothered Ehrman continually for decades, as he relates in this very personal book. He had a minor epiphany during his seminary training when an honest analysis of the Bible caused him to stop taking the Bible so literally. But that wasn't the insight that caused him to lose his faith. It was the problem with suffering that did it, although he admits "I went kicking and screaming."
Scattered throughout the Bible are the justifications for suffering. The first (and main) rationale in the Old Testament is God's punishment for sin, starting right out with Adam and Eve. God makes His people suffer when they don't obey and not just a little slap on the wrist. The major and minor prophets - and most of the other books - spend a lot of time documenting droughts, pestilence, war, famine, and destruction. God is punishing His people for disobedience.
The second rationale for suffering from the Old Testament is also because of sin, but due to man's inhumanity to man - caused by man's sinful nature. Good behavior naturally produces good consequences; cavorting and sinful behavior natually causes bad consequences, but with plenty of collateral damage. God doesn't inflict this one personally, but he allows it to happen, despite many prayers and supplications to let this cup pass from our hands.
The third rationale - for some biblical authors suffering has a positive and redemptive aspect to it - suffering builds character. Sometimes God brings good out of evil such as in the compelling story of Joseph who is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. At the end of Genesis, through Joseph's suffering, God saves His people.
The fourth rationale - suffering can be inflicted by God as a test of your faith. Job is the prime example of this where Satan and God have a disagreement as to whether or not Job can keep his faith in the event of personal catastrophies. This one requires a little elaboration. God allowed multiple rounds of suffering. Satan eventually destroyed all Job's property, killed his 10 children, sent three "friends" over to relentlessly tell Job how sinful he had been - therefore asking for these tragedies; then Satan afflicted him with torturously painful sores all over his body - all over a bet. As God himself acknowledged, Job was innocent and didn't deserve the treatment, but rebuked Job when Job dared to question Him. In the end, God rewarded Job's faithfulness by restoring what Job had lost, including seven new children. Try that with any parent who has ever lost a child and see how far you get.
The fifth rationale, the apocalyptic approach, was popular during Jesus's day, and in fact, Jesus and John the Baptist were both cut from this mold. Suffering is caused by the forces of evil and God is not responsible. When the end comes, the tables will turn, God will make things right, and the meek will inherit the earth.
Ehrman doesn't buy any of these arguments, nor do it. The Bible is a magnificent document of literature as told by iron age people trying their best to keep their culture together. They lived in a poor country that happened to be on a major trade route between east and west. They were easy pickings as a series of more powerful nations conquered them, leaving them little down time from suffering. Ehrman was bothered by the inequities associated with the suffering God allowed (or caused) his chosen people to endure for about 20 years before he wrote this book. When he was 30, he taught a seminar on the subject, started thinking about writing a book on the subject, but didn't think he was ready. Now, 20 years later, he still doesn't think he was ready, but figured he would be not be ready at 70 either, so he may as well do it now.
One book in the Bible does provide a view of suffering that is acceptable to Ehrman - that put forth in the book of Ecclesiastes: bad things happen but life brings good things. The solution to life is to enjoy it while you can while doing all the good you can because it will soon be over. And that's all there is.
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