the problem of evil and suffering

[rainycity]

from a divine perspective, why are evil people allowed to commit evil? why are babies born with horrible deformities and diseases? why do children get cancer? and why do people of all ages suffer horrible injuries, disfigurements and ailments?

[sm78]

from a divine perspective, why are evil people allowed to commit evil? why are babies born with horrible deformities and diseases? why do children get cancer? and why do people of all ages suffer horrible injuries, disfigurements and ailments?

There is no satisfactory divine perspective except the law of Karma which rules supreme in the creation. Karma not in the sense of fatality, destination or fate - but in the sense that every action has its consiquence and what is happening now is a consequence of something that has happened.

People commit evil and go scot free because the society commits the crime of letting them go and thus face the consequence. The evil person may have the good karma that somewhat is sheilding him from his present evil actions.

Ofcourse when one understands the true nature of consciousness there is no evil and suffering - but it will be abstract theory of little practical use, untill one understands and experiences the underlying fundamental consciousness which is divine and without blemish.

But in this world of relativity and ordinary human consciousness, karma seems to me to be the only somewhat satisfactory explanation.

[saidevo]

namaste Rainycity.

There is a saying "Truth shines by contrast". It seems to me that from the divine perspective, the evil and suffering are there to highlight and motivate people towards the good, and the peace goodness affords. As sm78 has pointed out, karma is the driving force of this drama of creation with no divine intervention except in deserving cases.

Perhaps an analogy can be found in the fiction-writer. Although he is perfectly at liberty to create only a world of all good in his fiction, he prefers to let evil and suffering exist in his world, more for the sake of the ultimate victory of the good than otherwise. Since goodness and peace are inherent in humans, the saying 'satyam eva jayate'--'Only Truth triumps' holds good at all times.

[Ramakrishna]

Namaste rainycity,

From a purely theological perspective, I believe Sanatana Dharma answers your questions in an acceptable way like no other religion can. It's pretty simple: karma. Some babies are born deformed or with diseases because of negative karma in their past lives. It is an unfortunate thing, but it is the reality of the Law of Karma and at least they are able to work it all out. If you ask a Christian, they would say it's "God's plan"

As for your first question, why are people allowed to commit evil, it is because we have free will. People can do whatever they want to, and oftentimes they are blinded by maya and do evil things.

Jai Sri Ram

[Eastern Mind]

from a divine perspective, why are evil people allowed to commit evil? why are babies born with horrible deformities and diseases? why do children get cancer? and why do people of all ages suffer horrible injuries, disfigurements and ailments?

Vannakkam RC: From a Hindu divine perspective, there is no intrinsic evil. There is only anava, or ignorance, or darkness. Consider the development of a person into an adult, as an analogy of the development of a soul into a realised soul. The toddler burns his hand on stove. That's pain/suffering. Can we consider it evil? Hardly. Of course life is far more complicated than this simple analogy, as we have interaction of souls, karma, reincarnation, attachment, desires, etc all mingling in some convoluted abstract but temporal mess. Karma is action, but also a lesson. In order for us to return to our true nature of God, its all a necessary dance.

Aum Namasivaya

[PatrickMB]

Namaste rainycity,

From a purely theological perspective, I believe Sanatana Dharma answers your questions in an acceptable way like no other religion can. It's pretty simple: karma. Some babies are born deformed or with diseases because of negative karma in their past lives. It is an unfortunate thing, but it is the reality of the Law of Karma and at least they are able to work it all out. If you ask a Christian, they would say it's "God's plan"

As for your first question, why are people allowed to commit evil, it is because we have free will. People can do whatever they want to, and oftentimes they are blinded by maya and do evil things.

Jai Sri Ram

It is precisely the first point above that drove my prayer and meditation away from Christianity and in the direction of Hinduism. My son's birth defects are more understandable as seen through Hinduism, as well as what he can do to overcome them in his next life. Christianity simply has no satisfactory answer.

[wundermonk]

Actually, for some reason, I was thinking of the Problem of Evil [PoE] (an omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent God would never permit evil) and was thinking of posting a new thread, but lo and behold, there already is a thread dedicated to this.

As other posters here indicate, I think two beliefs make the Hindu response to the PoE one of the most (if not the most) philosophically satisfying:

(1)belief in reincarnation: if "we" [our selves] get exactly one shot/chance in the game of life, it seems completely unfair that some people have some sort of an unfair advantage compared to others. It is only when "we" can get multiple attempts at getting things right, does there seem to be fairness. Thats exactly what reincarnation in intended to capture.

(2)karma: as you sow, so shall you reap, put very simply. Hitler, Stalin and the neighbourhood murderer are evil people. There are umpteen other evil folks whose actions go unpunished in this earthly life. Again, if this earthly life were the only life (as Abrahamics/atheists think), it again appears highly unsatisfactory, arbitrary and unfair. It is foolish to think that these actions go unpunished. So, the only way out is a belief in Karma that extends over multiple lifetimes which leads back to reincarnation.

[AmIHindu]

Namaste rainycity,

There is nothing bad or good in Karma. It is, we Manushya/Human beings who interpret it as a bad or good. Those kids who are born with some sickness are paying for their karma done in their earlier life. Suppose that one guy ( GOD ) distributing a package as per address written on it. Now when we open that package, we get per our karma in our last life. So whenever we think, how this happens to me !!! well that happened to you because we did something wrong in last life. Below link will able to help you.

http://www.slideshare.net/SSRFINC/de...-karma-1569260

Namaste,

AmIHindu

[Jainarayan]

If you ask a Christian, they would say it's "God's plan"

Namaste Ramakrishna.

How I hated hearing "it's God's plan" or "it's God's will" when I was Catholic. I heard it from the old members of my family, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and that generation. It filtered down to my generation too. It's not God's plan. God is not hateful or vengeful; God does not visit calamity and disease upon people.

Fortunately the eastern Christian churches take a different view. Theirs is more like that of Hinduism. Illness, calamity, etc. are the "wages of sin". Man is sinful, so it comes back on us. I think that's a lot closer to karma than "it's God's will".

[Jainarayan]

It is precisely the first point above that drove my prayer and meditation away from Christianity and in the direction of Hinduism. My son's birth defects are more understandable as seen through Hinduism, as well as what he can do to overcome them in his next life. Christianity simply has no satisfactory answer.

Namaste Patrick...

Because you have a unique perspective on someone with a birth defect... and I wouldn't presume to ask the nature or severity... do you think that if the disability were severe enough that the person could not make conscious or deliberate decisions in this life to do good, that satisfies some of their karma?

There are stillborn babies, microcephalic and anencephalic babies born. They don't have a chance to do anything in this life for good or bad karma. Or does the soul know what it's been through for that short period and somehow carry it into the next life, to do either good or bad from it? Thinking this deeply about it is new to me.

It's true about Christianity, at least what it's turned into... the only blanket answer is that it's God's doing. Blame everything on God. I can't subscribe to that at all.