Why is it that god allows little children to get cancer and other diseases and die? What was the point of ever allowing them to be born in the first place?

By extension, is there a point to life at all?

If you can answer that question then you can answer the one you asked.

That didn't help me. I'm asking how can there be a god that allows the death of children? It would seem to me that because of children dying pointless deaths, there is no god, and instead they just die.

Then why death at all?

Why should anyone die?

If there were a God and He could make everyone live forever, why wouldnt He do that?

The answer has little to do with God, when Adam sinned, death entered the world and all the heartache and pain that comes with it.

Death has no respect for age, occupation, race, religion or authority. I am not sure why you seem to think it should be any different. Should children never sicken? Should someone of a particular race live longer than another?

Why seem to blame God?

We look at things form the perspective that this life is the best thing there is when the reality is that there is more to existence than just this life. In the beginning, there was no death. Sin brought death into the world. And Jesus came into the world, sinless. He died for our sins to save us and give us eternal life.

It is a very sad and tragic thing when a child suffers and dies. It's sad when anyone suffers, and it's sad when anyone dies. But the Bible tells us that there will be a resurrection in the future. Death is an enemy that will be finally destroyed.

1 Cor 15:20-26
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
NKJV

In the resurrection there will be no suffering and no death.

Rev 21:1-5
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

5 Then He who sat on the throne said,"Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
NKJV

But then why does god blame us for the sins of adam? My feeling is death occurs because things in nature cause the death. But wouldn't god not allow chidren to die if he wants them to be saved and spread his word? Also, if they die before learning of god, are they damned to hell?

It isn't that we are blamed for Adam's sin. We were "in" Adam when he sinned and so his sin is on us. I guess the best way to describe it is that we inherited the sin nature. Adam was warned that if he sinned it would bring death, and it did. So all of Adam's descendants now are subject to death.

With respect to children, God knows each person's heart individually. Maybe this story will help to illustrate from God's perspective how this works. In the time of the kings of Israel, there was a very wicked king named Jeroboam. He had done such evil that his whole family was cursed. But he had a young son named Abijah, a small child, who was very ill. Jeroboam's wife went to the prophet to ask about the child. The prophet had some choice words for the wickedness of the king and his entire family, but he said this about the sick child:

1 Kings 14:12-13
12 Arise therefore, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13 And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
NKJV


The child's death in this case was not a bad thing. It removed him from an extremely wicked family and because God knew him to be good, the child would receive a decent burial. Later in the resurrection he would be counted among the just.

The Bible teaches that God knows the heart of each person. So if a person dies the day he is born, God still knows the heart. If he lives to an old age in a forgotten village in a remote place where he never heard a Bible verse or the name Jesus, God still knows the heart and also knows how the person responded to the amount of truth that he was given. So we don't need to worry about people who die or people who don't hear the gospel. The important thing is what are you going to do with the truth that you have been given? How does your heart respond? This is what God sees.

Jer 17:10
10 I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.
NKJV

Rev 2:23
I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
NKJV

Why is it that god allows little children to get cancer and other diseases and die? What was the point of ever allowing them to be born in the first place?

Disease, death and all that came into the world because of sin.

Looking at your question, let's just say that God did wipe out all childhood suffering. Would that be enough? Or would you immediately start asking how a loving God could allow teenagers to suffer, and if that were fixed would you eventually start asking how a 140-year-old great-great-great-grandparent could die suddenly leaving a huge family grieving for them?

From the perspective of an external observer it might seem that a child who was born, suffered terribly and then died before their fifth birthday was a waste of life and a waste of time. I suspect the parents of those children will have a different perspective on it.

Disease, death and all that came into the world because of sin.

Looking at your question, let's just say that God did wipe out all childhood suffering. Would that be enough? Or would you immediately start asking how a loving God could allow teenagers to suffer, and if that were fixed would you eventually start asking how a 140-year-old great-great-great-grandparent could die suddenly leaving a huge family grieving for them?

From the perspective of an external observer it might seem that a child who was born, suffered terribly and then died before their fifth birthday was a waste of life and a waste of time. I suspect the parents of those children will have a different perspective on it.

Yes, I guess my question is ultimatly, why even have an earth and life and sin, why not just let us all live in a world free from pain and suffering?

Yes, I guess my question is ultimatly, why even have an earth and life and sin, why not just let us all live in a world free from pain and suffering?

God loves us enough to give us a free choice - we get to choose whether to spend eternity with him, or spend eternity away from him. Whichever we choose, he gives us our wish.

Love has to be given freely. On a very simple level I look at the fact my wife was waiting at home for me when I got home from work. She was there because she chose to be, there's nothing stopping her from packing her stuff up and leaving while I'm at work. Theoretically I could chain her in the house so she could never leave, but that would take away the fact she chooses to be there.

What you're suggesting is that God takes away our free choice and forces us to spend eternity with him, whether we like it or not.

On a more day-to-day level, free choice requires that suffering exists. If I use my free choice to hit you, you will experience pain. The only way to prevent the pain is to deny the free choice.

God loves us enough to give us a free choice - we get to choose whether to spend eternity with him, or spend eternity away from him. Whichever we choose, he gives us our wish.

Love has to be given freely. On a very simple level I look at the fact my wife was waiting at home for me when I got home from work. She was there because she chose to be, there's nothing stopping her from packing her stuff up and leaving while I'm at work. Theoretically I could chain her in the house so she could never leave, but that would take away the fact she chooses to be there.

What you're suggesting is that God takes away our free choice and forces us to spend eternity with him, whether we like it or not.

On a more day-to-day level, free choice requires that suffering exists. If I use my free choice to hit you, you will experience pain. The only way to prevent the pain is to deny the free choice.

The choice does not seem very free to me if you pick the wrong choice, god punishes you. For example, if I lived in another nation and never heard of god, then would I be punished. Because some people here have told me that if you don't accept Jesus, then you are damned. But if I never knew of him, why do I get punished? So then some people have told me it's their duty as chrisitans to spread his word to people like me that have never heard. But what if they don't reach me in time, am I going to hell?

Of course the choice is free. If I came up to you and offered you a million dollars in cash you are free to take it or leave it. If you choose to walk away from the money you can't claim it's my fault you are poor.

I must admit I'm a bit confused by your comment "people like me who have never heard". I thought you said you used to be a Christian? If so then you have heard, so the decision is yours to make. As for other people, I don't know if they have heard or not. Either way, the decision facing you now is which way you should decide, what happens to someone else is of secondary importance right now.

Sorry, I meant people who have never heard. Or it could mean people like me, in that I have never heard your particular take on the subject. But then, what if they have not heard, are they damned?

I don't claim to have all the answers, and it's entirely possible that some of my understandings are imperfect.

God is just:
Deu 32:3 For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God.
Deu 32:4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

so I'm happy to accept that whatever decisions he takes are also just.

Honestly, I don't know how God will judge those who never heard, I'll leave that up to him. What is a more pressing issue right now is those who have heard but have chosen to reject the offer. You clearly have heard, so what happens to anyone who never hears is of academic interest only.

Why is it that god allows little children to get cancer and other diseases and die? What was the point of ever allowing them to be born in the first place?

Dear one, I wish I knew the complete answer. And why little children get cancer.

From the bible we see that it was sin that allowed sickness and death into our world.

And just look at all the things in our world that causes cancer. There's probably something in everything we eat and even drink. In the air we breathe. Cancer runs in my family. And just two years ago it took the life of my precious grandson. He was five years old. And then last year it took the life of my 15 year old nephew.

I don't know why it happened. Why it happened to us. But I do trust God. The bible tells me that God knows the number of our days here. So whether we are here for a matter of days or years or hours. We are created for God's glory. We are precious to God. Each one of us have a purpose. Our main purpose is to know God.

And dear one I pray that you will know Him. God bless you. :hug:

Dear one, I wish I knew the complete answer. And why little children get cancer.

From the bible we see that it was sin that allowed sickness and death into our world.

And just look at all the things in our world that causes cancer. There's probably something in everything we eat and even drink. In the air we breathe. Cancer runs in my family. And just two years ago it took the life of my precious grandson. He was five years old. And then last year it took the life of my 15 year old nephew.

I don't know why it happened. Why it happened to us. But I do trust God. The bible tells me that God knows the number of our days here. So whether we are here for a matter of days or years or hours. We are created for God's glory. We are precious to God. Each one of us have a purpose. Our main purpose is to know God.

And dear one I pray that you will know Him. God bless you. :hug:

I am very sorry for your loss. I can't express in words what the right thing is to say, but I want you to know I give my condolences to you.

I am very sorry for your loss. I can't express in words what the right thing is to say, but I want you to know I give my condolences to you.

Thank you. :hug:

Hi RyanJustus.
I wrote this two weeks ago when doctors told me my daughter was going to die. (She has a rare blood disease.) I planned to use it at her funeral, but she's off life support now and doing better.

It’s ok to cry. Losing someone you love is very painful, especially if suffering is involved. When faced with death, many people feel utterly hopeless. I felt that way when my mother died. This is a message of hope.

There was a king named David. He was told by God that one of his descendants would rule on his throne forever. (2 Sam.7:13) To rule forever, a king would have to live forever.

King David had an infant son that God afflicted with a terminal illness. And David laid himself on the ground and prayed that God would spare his son from death. His servants tried to get him off the ground, but he wouldn’t move. He didn’t eat. He didn’t bathe. He lay on the ground for seven days and prayed to God to make his child well again. Finally, his child died.

His servants were afraid to tell him about the death of his son. They had tried to feed him. Tried to comfort him, but nothing they did eased his grief. They saw his agony while there was a still chance that his baby might recover from the sickness, but when he died, they thought David might harm himself.

David heard them whispering and asked them, “Is my child dead?” And his servants said, “Yes, your child is dead.” When David heard this, he rose from the ground, bathed, put on clean clothes and worshipped the Lord. When he finished honoring God, he commanded his servants to bring him something to eat. His servants were shocked by his actions. They asked him how he could act this way in the face of death. And David said, “While my child was alive, I fasted and wept, because I didn’t know whether God would be gracious to me and allow my child to live. But now that my son is dead, why should I go on starving myself. I can’t bring him back. I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12:15-23)

When my mother died, I felt utterly helpless. Now my daughter is dead, but I don’t feel helpless. I understand now that my help comes from the Lord and I would like you to understand this also.

God told King David that one of his descendants would rule on his throne forever. To rule forever, a king would have to live forever. Today, we know this descendant of King David as the Lord Jesus and He is the message of hope. Someday which is unknown to us, Jesus will raise the dead from their graves. (Daniel 12:2) People who believed in Jesus will be raised to die no more and they will live in a world where there is no pain or suffering or tears. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Revelation 21:4) It’s ok to cry because someone you love has died and you are going to miss them. But if she believed in Jesus and you believe in Him also, you will see her again.

Ryan, noone knows everything in Gods mind, but this world is not our final end. I hope you will consider that.

I find it interesting that non-believers jump on this band wagon of "why suffering" and have children in the mix, only to go silent when faced with a reality of a strong believer facing the reality of the loss of a child or grandchild with faith and quiet loving patience.

Practical reality always trumps theory and philosophy -- thus the power of a Christian witness.

I find it interesting that non-believers jump on this band wagon of "why suffering" and have children in the mix, only to go silent when faced with a reality of a strong believer facing the reality of the loss of a child or grandchild with faith and quiet loving patience.

Practical reality always trumps theory and philosophy -- thus the power of a Christian witness.

I'm not sure what you mean, I never went silent, I only offered my condolences, but that example did not answer my question. If anything, it affirmed my non-belief in god. To me, as a faithful Christian, I would expect my child NOT to die tragically.

I'm not sure what you mean, I never went silent, I only offered my condolences, but that example did not answer my question. If anything, it affirmed my non-belief in god. To me, as a faithful Christian, I would expect my child NOT to die tragically.

Any time someone dies it is a tragedy for those left behind. I recently lost a family member who was nearly 80 - the fact she'd been around much longer than I have didn't make it any less painful to lose her. We all have to die sooner or later.

2Co 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Yes, I guess my question is ultimatly, why even have an earth and life and sin, why not just let us all live in a world free from pain and suffering?

We did live in such a world, and we'll live in such a world again (at least, some of us). We don't live in one now because of what others have said - sin, which is entirely our "fault". Scripture tells us quite the opposite if as Christians we're expecting pretty little lives with no tragedies - we're to expect them, the world is messed up.

We did live in such a world, and we'll live in such a world again (at least, some of us). We don't live in one now because of what others have said - sin, which is entirely our "fault". Scripture tells us quite the opposite if as Christians we're expecting pretty little lives with no tragedies - we're to expect them, the world is messed up.

But why do we get blamed for the sins of others?

Hi Ryan,

We are not blamed for the sins of others. The sin of the first man Adam spread to all of us so that we inherit a sin nature. Also the sin of Adam brought a curse on all creation. So we aren't blamed for Adam's sin. Adam is blamed for bringing sin on all of us.

1 Cor 15:21-22
21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
NKJV

Yes, I guess my question is ultimatly, why even have an earth and life and sin, why not just let us all live in a world free from pain and suffering?We can certainly see for ourselves that something is lacking in our world. We can even fathom that IF there were a God, then surely this isn't the way He would want things. If we even go so far as to say that therefore there must not be a God simply by the existence of such things, that still leaves us with the existence of such things and our recognition that something is lacking in our world. Doing away with God doesn't do away with the pain and suffering and death.

Anyway, it seems that your contemplation of the matter for any one individual is bounded by birth and death and nothing else. But that isn't all there is and that is the key to understanding.

Does God care? God does care and one day He will call a halt to all of this "pain and suffering". Consider these verses from the Bible on what will eventually happen. Give them a read and don't breeze over them. They are on topic for your question. We can place our hope in what happens AFTER death and not just in this life only:

Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

God is the timekeeper. The earth that we recognize as goofed up will eventually pass away. What then? A new heaven and a new earth. And?

Revelation 21:4 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;

God knows our troubles and the anguish of this life. Even to the fact that Jesus Christ Himself lived amidst the pain and suffering here as a man. This world is going to you know where in a handbasket. Everyone is in agreement that we need saved! Well, that is what Jesus Christ accomplished and the plan plays out from there. But in the end, God knows the reasons for our tears and will wipe them all away from our eyes. That is, if there were a God!

Continuing on to the "No Mores" of God....

and there shall be no more death,

Can you say hallelujah? :pp That gets rid of the root cause! And by doing so, look what else is done away with...

neither sorrow,

No more sorrow of death!

nor crying,

No crying brought forth since there is no more sorrow!

neither shall there be any more pain:

How is this possible?

for the former things are passed away.

God calls an end to it! Why hasn't God already called an end to it?

He is waiting for you RyanJustus.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

God Bless!

We are assured and know that all things work together and are for good to and for those who love God and are called according to His design and purpose.
Romans 8:28
There is a reason for everything that happens to us and others

Before I formed you in the womb I knew and approved of you and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you…. Jeremiah 1:5
There is a plan in place for our purpose that is far to complex to even chip the edge of.

I believe that there IS a plan. In our worldly plain, we feel that the death of a child is the worst thing. We have no idea how that child is affecting the world with his/her life and death. Have you ever seen "It's a Wonderful Life"? It's a movie. In it the main charactor is shown what the world would be like if he was never born. THERE IS A PURPOSE. To us it may seem cruel and without a reason or merit. But we can not estimate the impact of each event that occurs in this world and throughout our life times. Eash word is a ripple in the pond. I honestly belive that.

To me, as a faithful Christian, I would expect my child NOT to die tragically.
Why would you expect that?

Oh...because you expect to be paid today for your faith in God with more than just a peace and understanding (that you do not now understand). You want the perfect life bestowed upon you by God?

How to make you understand?

Ahh...let's try it this way. Think of your life as a single day. And in that context you, daddy, wake up one morning and your child wakes up as well and does the nicest thing for you in the morning and tells you He Loves you. Because he does that, you are pleased with him and say that tomorrow, YOU will get to go to Disneyland tomorrow and stay there as long as you want and when you're done, we'll do Disney World, then all of the Six Flags Parks and whatever else you want for the next two years.

there now. Your child pleased you in a small way, early in a single day and his 'reward' comes tomorrow...after he goes to sleep tonight.

Do you see WHERE this child's reward is? It's not in today. It's not in this life. he's going to have to sleep to get there and those things that happen today before he sleeps do not compare to the reward waiting for him afterward. To rant and rail and say unfair because today he falls and skins his knee when he was so good to Daddy this morning...that doesn't really make sense. Daddy has prepared glory for you...tomorrow, not today. Today you get the thrill of knowing about tomorrow. Today you get the pleasure of your father's smiling upon you and knowing He cares. Today you get to go tell your friends about all the good things that your daddy plans for you--and he said you can invite anyone along who wants to come!

They have to wait until tomorrow too, though.

Christians come into serving God with no expectatio of their reward TODAY. We come only for the pleasure of knowing God's love and caring for us. We know that HIS focus is on our reward TOMORROW, and once we get there...(how concerned is that child going to be tomorrow about his skinned knee today?)

The Bible says that your life is but a vapor. It is here today and gone in a near instant by God's reckoning. But God doesn't look at you in the fleshly sense that you are viewing yourself. His concern is for the spirit that is inside you. It's going to live forever. Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING that happens to you in this life is going to matter to you 124,084 years from now and believe me, you will be thinking and experiencing things 124,084 years from now. Ask yourself how important it is, really, that a 5 month old died in sub-saharan Africa in 354 BC compared to the eternity you have to face?

That 5 month old is in Heaven today and is absolutely not concerned with this life or the thing that happened to her more than 2,000 years ago. This is your time to try to see things from a little of God's perspective and not limit yourself and your eternity based on temporary, temporal concerns.

But why do we get blamed for the sins of others?
You never get blamed for the sins of others (unless you deliberately cause them). You are blamed for and condemned to hell for your own sins.

Let me ask you a question. Say I wave a magic wand and take away all condemnation for EVERY sin you've EVER done up until now.

Think you'll never sin again and can go forward perfect from here on out?

No...

lying
cheating
stealing
rage
lusting
blasphemy
putting anything before God (idolatry)
etc...

EVER?

You do plenty to condemn yourself on a regular basis. The important thing is to realize that you need Christ to save you from all the offenses YOU (not Adam) commit against God on a regular basis.

Suffering builds character,strength, wisdom, love.

Suffering also brings people to God that would otherwise ignore him.
Suffering and death makes us realize that we are human, and we need a higher power to help us.

You remember the Chocolate Factory?? All the children were brats except one?? The brats got all they wanted, however they were still angry, and greedy and spoiled.
The child that inherited the Factory was the one that was poor,honest and humble, he had great character and a big heart.
Charlie never gave up, he kept trying and trying. He not only got the Golden Ticket, he got the Factory also.

Remember, Charlie suffered, was poor, hungry, and dirty. It wasn't fair to him, however in the end he got rewarded and most importantly, he was a good hearted person.
Their is a reason for everything. Sometimes we have to wait till we are face to face with God to get those answers.:hug:

Hi RyanJustus.

To me, as a faithful Christian, I would expect my child NOT to die tragically.
That's because you look at death as a bad thing. For a Christian, it's the best thing that could happen. Philipians 1:23-24
Jesus overcame death, Ryan, and because of this we will go on living after physical death. John 11:26
Jesus offers the world eternal life. Why do you think people are opposed to Jesus?