I assumed that the reason you are seeking the opinons of Christians here, is because you feel your knowledge of the Holy Scriptures is inadequate to draw a proper conclusion for your study.
BTW - You are unclear as to the manner of suffering that is relieved by enlightenment. Is it physical pain, or emotional pain, or spiritual pain, or all of the above?
How does enlightenment eliminate the suffering from the physical pain of a slipped disk, or the emotional pain of losing one's job, or the spiritual pain one feels over their concerns for the fate of the loss of a loved one?
Personally, I feel that such claims regarding suffering, are actually just tools for recruiting novices into their fold, thus generating manpower to continue their support system, which is what really prevents them from suffering the indignation of providing for themselves, once they have served their apprenticeshps, and risen to the upperlevels of their guild.
Anyway...the following essay was emailed to me years ago. I don't know who the author is, but I think that it is an interesting, if not accurate, interpretation, of what the Scriptures tell us about suffering.
Why Does God Allow Suffering?
Or
Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?
If Jehovah God is all-powerful, loving, wise, and just, why is the world so full of pain, hatred and injustice? People ask “Why?†when war, disaster, disease, or crime takes their innocent loved ones, destroys their home, or brings them untold suffering in other ways. They want to know why such tragedies befall them.
Why does God allow suffering? Is it wrong to ask why God allows suffering? Some worry that asking such a question means that they do not have enough faith or that they are showing disrespect for God. When reading the Bible, however, you will find that faithful, God-fearing people had similar questions. For example, the prophet Habakkuk asked God…â€ÂWhy do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.†- Habakkuk 1:3-4 ASV.
Did God scold the faithful prophet Habakkuk for asking such questions? No. Instead, God included Habakkuk’s sincere words in the inspired Bible record. God also helped him to get a clearer understanding of these matters and to gain greater faith. God wants to do the same for you. Remember, the Bible teaches that God cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7). God hates wickedness and the suffering it causes far more than any human does (Isaiah 55:8-9). Why, then, is there so much suffering in this world?
WHY SO MUCH SUFFERING?
People of various religions have gone to their religious leaders and teachers to ask why there is so much suffering. Often, the response is that suffering is God’s will and that He long ago determined everything that would ever happen, including tragic events. Many are told that God’s ways are mysterious or that He brings death upon people – even children – so that He can have them in heaven with Him. As you will learn, though, God never causes what is bad. The Bible says, â€ÂTherefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.†- Job 34:10 KJV.
Do you know why some people make the mistake of blaming God for all of the suffering in the world? In many cases, they blame Almighty God because they think that He is the real ruler of this world. They do not know a simple but important truth that the Bible teaches. The real ruler of this world is Satan the Devil.
The Bible clearly states that the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one (1 John 5:19). When you think about it, does that not make sense? This world reflects the personality of the invisible spirit creature who is misleading the entire inhabited earth (Revelation 12:9). Satan is hateful, deceptive, and cruel. So the world, under his influence, is full of hatred, deceit, and cruelty. That is one reason why there is so much suffering.
A second reason why there is so much suffering is that mankind has been imperfect and sinful ever since the rebellion in the Garden of Eden. Sinful humans tend to struggle for dominance, and this results in wars, oppression, and suffering (Ecclesiastes 4:1; 8:9). A third reason for suffering is time and unforeseen occurrence (Ecclesiastes 9:11). In a world without God as a protective Ruler, people may suffer simply because they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It is important, and comforting, for us to know that God does not cause suffering. He is not responsible for the wars, the oppression, the crimes, the diseases, or even the natural disasters that cause people to suffer. Still, we want to know, why does God allow all of this suffering? If He is the Almighty, He has the power to stop it. Why, then, does He hold back? The loving God that we have come to know must have a good reason (1 John 4:8).
A VITAL ISSUE IS RAISED!
To find out why God allows suffering, we need to think back to the time when suffering began. When Satan led Adam and Eve into disobeying God, an important question was raised. Satan did not call into question God’s power. Even Satan knows that there is no limit to God’s power. Rather, Satan questioned God’s right to rule. By calling God a liar who withholds good from His subjects, Satan charged that God is a bad ruler (Genesis 3:2-5). Satan implied that mankind would be better off without God’s leadership. This was an attack on God’s sovereignty, His right to rule.
Adam and Eve rebelled against God. In effect, they said: We do not need God as our Ruler. We can decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. How could God settle that issue? How could He teach all intelligent creatures that the rebels were wrong and that His way truly is best? Someone might say that God should simply have destroyed the rebels and made a fresh start. But God had stated His purpose to fill the earth with the offspring of Adam and Eve, and He wanted them to live in an earthly paradise (Genesis 1:28). God always fulfills His purposes (Isaiah 55:10-11). Besides that, getting rid of the rebels in Eden would not have answered the question that had been raised regarding God’s right to rule.
Let us consider an illustration. Imagine that a teacher is telling his students how to solve a difficult problem. A clever but rebellious student claims that the teacher’s way of solving the problem is wrong. Implying that the teacher is not capable, this rebel insists that he knows a much better way to solve the problem. Some of the other students begin to think that this student is right, and they also become rebellious. What should the teacher do? If he throws the rebels out of the class, what will be the effect on the other students? Will they not believe that their fellow student and those who joined him are right? All of the other students in the class might lose respect for the teacher, thinking that he is afraid of being proved wrong. But suppose that the teacher allows the rebel to show the class how he would solve the problem.
God has done something similar to what the teacher does in our example above. Remember that the rebels in Eden were not the only ones involved. Millions of angels were watching (Job 38:7; Daniel 7:10). How God handled the rebellion would greatly affect all those angels and eventually all intelligent creation. So, what has God done? He has allowed Satan to show how he would rule mankind. God has also allowed humans to govern themselves under Satan’s guidance.
The teacher in our illustration knows that the rebel and the students on his side are wrong. But he also knows that allowing them the opportunity to try and prove their point will benefit the whole class. When the rebels fail, all honest students will see that the teacher is the only one qualified to lead the class. They will understand why the teacher thereafter removes any rebels from the class. Similarly, God knows that all honest hearted humans and angels will benefit from seeing that Satan and his followers have failed and that humans cannot govern themselves. Like Jeremiah of old, they will learn this vital truth: “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.†– Jeremiah 10:23 KJV.
WHY SO LONG?
Why, though, has God allowed suffering to go on for so long? And why does He not prevent bad things from happening? Well, consider two things that the teacher in our illustration would not do. First, he would not stop the rebel student from presenting his case. Second, the teacher would not help the rebel to make his case. Similarly, consider two things that God has determined not to do. First, He has not stopped Satan and those who side with him from trying to prove that they are right. Allowing time to pass has thus been necessary. In the thousands of years of human history, mankind has been able to try every form of self-rule, or human government. Mankind has made some advances in science and other fields, but injustice, poverty, disease, crime and war have grown ever worse. Human rule has now been shown to be a failure.
Second, God has not helped Satan to rule this world. If God were to prevent horrible crimes or diseases, for instance, would He not in effect, be supporting the case of the rebels? Would God not be making people think that perhaps humans can govern themselves without disastrous results? If God were to act in that way, He would become party to a lie. However, it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18).
Satan, Adam, and Eve made the worst possible use of their free will.
They rejected God.
We each have also received the gift of free will, how do you intend to use yours?
In Christ,
Pogo
