Example of Innocent
Suffering in the U.S.
On December 14, 2012, a man entered an elementary school in
Connecticut, and brutally murdered over 20 1st grade children, by
way of shooting. America gasped in
shock, and wept mightily at the scene of unimaginable, innocent suffering. When I heard this story, my blood boiled in
rage.
Example of Innocent
Suffering Abroad
In Afghanistan, innocent women of all ages are treated with
an incomprehensible level of brutality by Muslim men. The corrupt Muslim religion is deeply
entrenched into the Afghanistan culture and government. As a consequence, men can legally beat and
barbarically murder the female members of their family, including wives and
daughters. On one recent occasion,
American soldiers witnessed in a public street as a Muslim father beat his
young daughter near to death, because she “dishonored” him. He then poured motor oil onto her broken body,
and lit her on fire. She died from the
burns. She was about 6 yrs. Old.
When I heard of this atrocity, my blood again boiled in
anger, and was further reminded of the widespread cruelty that exists in the
world. Many thoughts raced through my
mind. One of those thoughts was a
question you might be asking yourself now: why
did the American soldiers just stand there and watch?! They were armed, and could have easily
stopped the father…so why didn’t they?! Turns out, their inaction was actually
the direct result of strict military command, and sadly, was and still is
absolutely critical.
America’s current involvement in the Middle East is
specifically to fight against terrorism; not the corrupt country itself. Many Americans do not understand the
distinction. Middle Eastern terrorists
are basically Muslim extremists who, like their moderate Muslim counterparts
also abuse women, but additionally, attack and kill any human who is not
Muslim, including Americans (people they refer to as “infidels”). These attacks are defined as terrorism. An example of terrorism, is the 9/11 attack
on the twin towers. Violence towards a
female in Middle Eastern streets, however, is lawful, and therefore not an act
of terrorism.
Simply put, if an American soldier attempted to save a
female in a Muslim country, it would be an act of war against that country’s religion
and law. We are already at war with
terrorism. An additional war with an
entire religion would be a much larger animal to tackle, and would require
America’s support. However, many Americans
are already upset with our war on terrorism. This is the reason American soldiers are
strictly forbidden to intervene during such events; they must preserve a higher
purpose. But believe me, they want to
intervene. One American soldier had to
be restrained by his comrades from killing the murderous, Muslim father.
Enraged at the
unspeakable event, another high ranking, American soldier approached and tried
to persuade Afghanistan political leaders of the blatant murder of an innocent
child. But the murderer (child’s father)
was protected by corrupt Muslim law.
Afghan authorities said, “It was a justifiable killing.” Blood continues
to boil within the veins of the just onlookers, who could do nothing but
helplessly watch the inhumanity.
The Question
Tragic events like school shootings, domestic violence, and many
other forms of human cruelty towards innocent victims, can elicit serious contemplation
as to God’s existence. After all, the
God preached and talked about in Christianity is a being who possesses perfect
love for his children and infinite power; power enough to stop any criminal
act. This Christian God is also
described as a deity whose hatred towards all things evil is as intense as his
love for all things beautiful and good. When
one weighs this Christian message against the eye burning and ear piercing human
reality, the question naturally surfaces:
If
God truly exists (as described), why does he allow innocent suffering? Why does he not lower himself from his high
dwelling place of observation, and rescue the innocent from the awful terrors inflicted
by evil hands? Why did he not turn the Connecticut shooter to dust, before he
could pull the trigger? Why did he not
set the Muslim father on fire, before he was able to burn an innocent daughter? He has the power, right?
If you find yourself sincerely asking similar questions, or
have battled the inner conflict of what seems to be a contradiction of messages
between a loving creator and innocent suffering, you are not alone. And there is an explanation. One that carries with it peace, hope, and healing. I will attempt to share this message of
comfort with you.
The Answer: Agency
and Judgment…crucial components to God’s plan
Certainly, the creator of Earth and heaven, the resurrector
and healer of bodies, the great oracle, the mighty exorcist of demons, and the
commander of heavenly hosts could have easily prevented the estimated 1,203,564
violent crimes that occurred in America 2011 alone (FBI), including the
Connecticut shooting and continuous Afghanistan horror. God indeed possesses the power described in
the Holy Scriptures. So why does he
choose to “stand down?”
The following story effectively answers that question. It is a scriptural story, where a group of
wicked men burn Christians alive for no other reason than because of their
belief in God. They bind, and force two
of the Christian leaders to watch the innocent suffering of their congregation,
“And they brought
their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to
believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire…
And it came to pass that they took Alma and
Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might
witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire.
And when Amulek saw
the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was
pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and
exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
But Alma said unto
him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for
behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer
that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their
hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may
be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them,
yea and cry mightily against them at the last day.” (The
Book of Mormon---record of ancient Christians who lived on the American
continent. Alma 14:8-11).
Amulek felt the very same inner pain and blood boiling anger
that the American soldiers felt upon witnessing the brutal killing of a little,
Afghanistan child. The same anguish and
hatred we all feel when we see or hear of innocent suffering, like the
Connecticut shooting. However, we learn
why God, as a general rule, does not allow his personal power to be used to
stop crime. The reason is summed up in
two words: agency---judgment.
A key element of God’s plan, is the ability to make choices. To freely act according to the dictates of
our own conscience. This is what it
means to have agency. To choose God and
eternal life, or the devil and eternal misery.
The ancient, American prophet, Alma, reminds us that God must honor
man’s agency so that his eventual judgments will be just and accurate.
Mortal Life is a
Test…For Us (additional part of the answer)
This mortal existence is a test. Very much like being in the testing center of
a large university. During an academic
exam, does the teacher intervene when we are about to pencil in an answer to a
question? Of course not. Otherwise, the test results would not be our
own, and we could not be graded. Similarly,
God is a deity of order and organization; and is our great instructor. For us to be judged (or graded), we must first
be allowed to make choices, whether for good or bad. This is the reason God does not intervene
when a bad guy chooses to harm a good guy (sin of commission), or when a good
guy refuses to stop a bad guy (sin of omission). He honors agency at both ends, so that we can,
in turn, be judged and receive our just reward or punishment. This is a test for us; not God.
Is God Aware of All
Injustice? Where was God when the girl
was burned to death in Afghanistan? Does
he even know she died, or did her suffering slip under the radar?
We are taught that not a single sparrow falls without God
knowing it. Thus, God’s watchful eye was
present in Afghanistan. Like the armed
American soldiers, God had the power to stop the event, but in his wisdom, he
knew his interference would jeopardize a higher purpose; in this case, the very
plan of agency and salvation. If God
always intervened, then our test of life would be compromised. So, like the soldiers, God could do nothing
but watch, as his rebellious, savage son murdered a precious young one.
Although it may seem like bad men get away with their
crimes, the day of their awful judgment will inevitably come, and a fullness of
God’s wrath will be unleashed in that moment.
They have escaped nothing. As
such, the guilty Afghanistan father has God’s sword of justice hanging over his
head.
And just like the innocent Christians from the Alma story,
the little Afghanistan girl has been received up to God in glory, and is
enjoying a never-ending state of happiness and rest from her Earthly pains and
sorrows. These are indeed comforting
truths.
Does God Feel
Emotion?
Yes, of course. God
is not an emotionless robot. In fact, because
of his perfect nature and love, God’s level of pain from witnessing innocent
suffering is much greater than our own.
Thus, we can only imagine the extreme sadness, disappointment, anger, and
inner anguish he must have experienced on that terrible day in Afghanistan. The same pain he feels each time he must watch
a beloved child innocently suffer.
In one recorded scriptural story, the heavens open to a
prophet named Enoch, in a vision. What
he sees has taught me much about the nature of God, and supports the above
claim.
Enoch sees the almighty God, the all-powerful king of the
universe, weeping:
“And it came to pass that the God of heaven
looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of
it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the
rain upon the mountains?
And Enoch said unto
the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all
eternity to all eternity?
The Lord said unto
Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands,
and I gave unto them their knowledge…and gave I unto man his agency;
And unto thy brethren
have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and
that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without
affection, and they hate their own blood;
And the fire of mine
indignation is kindled against them…behold, I will shut them up; a prison have
I prepared for them…wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall
suffer?” (Moses7)
The above picture perfectly illustrates the very real
emotions of sadness and anger that God feels from the suffering caused by evil works.
I find this passage to be interesting for two particular reasons:
1. God knows the
future, as he is from “eternity to eternity.”
He knows that evil men will receive their terrible punishment. He knows that the pain of victimized
innocence will be but a short moment, and they will receive justice and eternal
peace. However, despite this knowledge,
he still morns alongside us at the present scene of suffering. Despite his infinite power, glory, and might,
he is not too great to feel emotion or cry.
In fact, it is his perfect sensitivity to our needs that makes him so
great. In other words, God’s ability to
feel emotion does not diminish his glory, but only adds to it. Therefore, God undoubtedly wept when that
sweet, little girl was killed. And he
wept again, when the 1st grade children were shot in Connecticut.
2. The second
interesting message I see in this story, is that the majority of God’s tears seem
to be shed on behalf of the wicked; not those who are innocently wronged. But this actually makes perfect sense. God knows that, in the long run, the just suffering
of the guilty will be far more terrible than the unjust pain of the innocent. And thus, although he clearly feels sadness
for the temporary suffering of the innocent; he feels even greater sadness for
the eternal suffering his rebellious children must face.
My Witness
I know that God exists, and indeed loves us all, more than
we may understand. We are his
children. His most precious creations. For us, he has created a very special,
detailed plan, which has already been set in motion. The Great Plan of Salvation or Happiness is an
opportunity to receive heavenly mansions, powers, gifts, principalities,
dominions, an eternal family and eternal peace; even everything he himself
enjoys. The ability to choose or reject
this plan for ourselves is a fundamental part.
And no matter how painful or difficult it may be for him, God has
promised, in the end, not to rob our agency.
I hope you can now understand and appreciate why there is no
contradiction to the teaching of a loving God, and the human reality of temporary,
innocent suffering.
Before we came to Earth, we knew it would be difficult to
pass the great test of life…but if we are faithful to God, the difficulty will
be well worth it. The eternal reward
will far outweigh the temporary suffering required to obtain it. If this was not true, God would not have sent
us here in the first place, and there would be no point to mortal life. Let this truth comfort, and motivate you to
follow God’s path.
Two Important Points
for Emphasis
1 1.
God is by no means apathetic or uninvolved in
our lives. He says, “For behold, this is
my work and my glory---to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of
man” (Moses 1). His day job is to
literally work for us; for our salvation.
On an appropriate level (without infringing upon our freedom of choice),
he helps us, teaches us, guides, strengthens, and gives us the ability to pass
our great and terrible test of mortal life.
He diligently and tirelessly works to lead us to the water of salvation,
but does not force us to drink. I
believe one of the greatest and most difficult labors he performs, is the
exercise of constant self control when a loved one suffers (i.e. holding
himself back from stopping evil. And not
forcing us to choose the right). I
praise him for his commitment to our agency.
2.
If God, as a general rule, does not personally
come down and stop evil when he sees it, does that mean we must not try to stop
evil when we see it happening? For
example, if you were walking down the street and saw a man in a ski mask
beating and mugging a random person, should you “stand down” and do nothing? If a
loved one emotionally or mentally damages innocent bystanders (including him/herself) because of a
harmful addiction, should you not attempt to persuade against the evil? The answer to all the above is a resounding,
no. God expects us to stand up against all
forms of evil that cause innocent suffering, both on a physical level as much
as on a mental, spiritual, or emotional level.
To defend the helpless whenever possible is our great responsibility.
This is one of the few exceptions where we
are, in a sense, not to follow God’s example, simply because of the differences
in our situations. We are currently in the
middle of a test. God is not. And as much as he would love to take the test
for us, he can’t. He won’t. So, if we see someone in need of help, we must
not stand idly by and say to ourselves, “God will fix the problem, eventually.” We must take the initiative ourselves. Personally serving and helping others is a
commandment from God, and one of the primary actions we can perform to receive
a passing grade on the test of life.
Furthermore, helping to save someone’s physical or spiritual life is the
greatest service we can offer; and is our duty.
Therefore, when we see or hear of tragic,
innocent suffering, instead of allowing our inner frustration to elicit
contemplation as to God’s existence, the injustice should elicit contemplation
as to the existence of good people. Are we doing all we can to solve the
problem? Are we actively engaged in the great test of life? Or, are we
living in apathy? This is the “tough
love” portion of this Great Dane Thought:
That we must stop ignorantly placing so much responsibility and blame upon
God and others, and start doing everything we
can do to make the world a better place.
After all, this is our test of
life; not God’s.
Additional References:
Matthew. 11:28 (we can receive comfort and rest through the
savior)---Bible
Ether 8: 24-26 (we can hope for a better world)---Book of
Mormon
Alma 40:11-13 (the immediate state of the righteous vs. the
wicked, after death)---Book of Mormon
1 Peter 3:19 (wicked are sent to spirit prison after
death. Gospel is preached to
them)---Bible
Mosiah 2:17 (service to others---one of our greatest
responsibilities)---Book of Mormon
Matthew. 25:32-40 (service to others---criteria to pass
God’s test, and be counted as his sheep)---Bible
3 Nephi 9:13-15 (healing is possible through the savior—he
who created the earth)---Book of Mormon
Revelations 20:12 (all will be judged, after this life)---Bible
Alma 5: 52 (punishment of the wicked---the wicked will be
cast into an unquenchable fire)---Book of Mormon
2 Nephi 2:11-12 (opposition in all things)---Book of Mormon
James 2:26 (works are required of us by God, “faith without
works is dead”)---Bible
Alma 34:32 (This life is a test---our time to prepare to
meet God)---Book of Mormon
Discover All the
Essential Truths Regarding Our Heavenly Father’s Plan of Salvation: mormon.org or lds.org
