Why does God allow children to starve?

[TJ Sands]

This is a tough question that needs to be answered. Here are my thoughts on the subject.

Who's To Blame For Starving Children?

[Neil D]

because God will not interfer in men's decisions unless they ask Him to....The earth is to be dominated by men, and when men go to war, the innocent suffer....including children...

[Naomi]

sad to say, but Neil is correct, all suffer including little children.

[phkrause]

Yes I agree with you, and yes its very sad, and I believe Neil he means more than just war, which in it self is horrible.

[Woody]

Children starve to demonstrate how evil Satan is. We all have to participate in this. Some children get the raw end of the deal.

If you are looking for fairness - you need to go to another planet.

[Robert]

Because Satan is the god of this world....

[JoeMo]

It appears we are unanimous in this. Man has a free-will; and he unfortunately has chosen it more times than not to do evil at the expense of his fellow man - even babies and children. I'm sure God is saddened by the course man has taken; but God honors our free will. While satan may own a lion's share of the blame, man is perfectly capable - in his current broken state - to conceive his own evil plots with little or no help from satan. I'd quote the scripture, but that is verboten in theads colored yellow.

[M. T. Cross]

Mankind is 100% to blame. Not any Gods, not any devils or what have you. Our own greed, selfishness and hunger for power is why children starve.

[CoAspen]

[cricket]

The confusing part for me is, if God honors free will, then why is the free will of one man (perhaps a murderer, rapist or thief) honored over the free will of another (perhaps a pacifist, virgin, or responsible wage-earner)?

[Aliensanctuary]

Jesus indicated in a parable that the LORD is away on a long journey, but will someday return to set everything right. The sad and horrible and unjust things we see happening now will someday be erased permanently from human memory. We shouldn't blame the LORD for the prevailing evils of this life, but the Evil One, for creating selfishness and rebellion in the first place.

[cricket]

Agreed, agreed. Agreed. Not blaming anyone; just asking a question as to why one person's free will is chosen to be honored in lieu of another person's free will.

[JoeMo]

Cricket,

My answer to your question is "I don't know." I'm sure I could come up with some "warm and fuzzy" or "cold and hard" pholosophical stuff; but it would be subjective and incomplete. The best explanation I ever heard is "Stuff (picture another word) Happens". It's not so much of a free-will event "being honored" as it is a free will event "happening"; and when it happens to be a bad choice, there is collateral damage.

We hear alot about the "free-will" choices made by evil people that hurt or kill others; but there are also many "free-will" choices made by good people that help others. Unfortunately, the latter category doesn't sell in the media.

[cricket]

Best answer I ever heard! :)

[debbym]

the will of good people are not the only choices that will be honored. the will of violent people to choose to do bad is not honored above the choices of others.

all are free to make good or bad choices, and the forces of cause and effect interwoven with series of choices can end up in innocents being greatly harmed and bad people very successful in doing harm. and it can also result in good people making effective good choices that result in great sweeping results in doing great good, like feeding millions of otherwise starving children.

this is mundane and hopefully should not be confusing to you at all. we do not have to look far into how events transpire to make this observation.

we cannot stop making choices, every moment life is thrust upon us and we decide from moment to moment. when a series of human choices result in child starvation is it is the responsibility of humanity or of God.

If i break into your house rob and kill you, did i do this or did God do this.

you made the choice to ask this question, was it an act of free will? or did God make this question appear.

i have made those choice to attempt to do justice with your question.

the laws of our being , the physical laws of our genetics and brains result in the power of choice. it is innate to our humanity, it is not even an option, we cannot stop choosing as long as we are alive. our brains are binary, we either make a yes synapse or a no synapse about everything as it comes to us.

In every endeavor, or absence of endeavor there are very specific steps that lead to outcomes. There are layers of cause and effect and choices choices choices macro and micro happening in human minds that have effects and results.... consequences.

if all the parties involved in contributing to world hunger were to work together and agree to end starvation of children it would actually happen.

if the will of the violator is met with the more adequate resources and choices a protector, then the will of the vulnerable to remain safe will be done.

i think it is because when we will something, our will alone cannot make it happen. we have to additional make more choices and take series of actions to set in motion forces to enforce our will.

this is connecting to the principle that when God speaks it is done, but when we speak we have to take action to see it is done.

When God wills everyone to be safe and fed, and well... it is so to the extent others do not interpose their will which can interrupt and interfere with the will of God. Hence God gives us free will to choose other then Gods will. If everyone on earth sought and choose to do God's will, which is to preserve our choice and in freedom used our choice to find and do God's good plan, "what is good"... then...we would all be living in a much better place, and there wouldd be no starving children.

[cricket]

Pardon my mundane question.

[debbym]

i was not referring to your question as mundane, i think my comments can become rambling and mundane.

thank -you for taking the time to respond.

debjm

[phkrause]

Probably the same reason he allows death in general, major storms that destroy homes and cause many deaths, Satan to have free access, etc.

[debbym]

We are changelings. God does not change his ways.

God allows suffering and harm with limits. With every hurt there is grace available. The death of starving children will be made right when all things are made new without death and tears and loss.

All along the way.... there is grace to get everyone through their suffering, and all the suffering from evil is revealing how wrong the wrong is, and preparing the universe and everyone in it to be settled and satisfied with ending the wrong and those decided on the side of wrong.

Even the with final end of all discord in the universe there is promised grace all around it. Even for those who come to an end it is in a merciful way.

But humanity does not see all the picture. We suffer, we die, we get diseases, we get drunk, we see God is good, we see God is bad, we see no God, we try to do right , we fail, we give up, we try again, we hurt, we feel better, we feel good, then we do something else but God remains the same and he cares...

God doesn't change. We are the changelings.

[Woody]

Could one propose that God has His hands full with helping people find their keys and just doesn't have the time to help starving children.

Okay - maybe a little off track. But I hope you get my point. I think we really need to study and refigure what our concept of prayer is.

[CoAspen]

I could give a lot of 'pat' SDA answers, but they don't really give us a reason. How do you tell a grieving parent whose 6/7 yo child has just been murdered that God really care for them but HE just had to allow it to happen because of sin? If it happened to me, I might just give up on believing in such a God. I don't believe we really have the answer to the question because all the answers I have heard or learned just do not give me a really good view of God.

Any one have a fresh approach to this conundrum?

[JoeMo]

I agree with CoAspen. The only honest answer we can give to all questions related to "why does God allow bad things to happen to good people" is "I don't know". When Job asked a related question to God, God essentially answered him - "none of your business. Who are you to question what I do?" See Job Chapters 38 - 40.

David contemplated this question in Psalm 73:13-18.

David didn't explain what he saw in the sanctuary, but whatever it was convinced him the the wicked will get what's coming to them.