Dear, Alex

Dear,
Alex

On the problem of suffering. The Earth is cursed. It is cursed because man has the knowledge of sin. When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge, they immediately had the power of judgment given to them, and through judgment, comes the power to discern right from wrong. With that knowledge, comes the ability for man to cause greater suffering.

It's my thoughts that animals are like Pan chasing Syrinx. It might seem cruel, but they are animals. They haven't the knowledge of right and wrong. Which, God was willing to keep that state of bliss for humans, too. Yet, when our ancestors chose to eat of the fruit in the garden, it genetically infused in us judgment. It's also why Christ is very adamant about surrendering judgment. Because it's God who judges, and though man has that capability, it was never man's place to have.

So, the suffering of this world must be endured---as God created the world to include suffering, and thereby prove to man that this was not his eternal home. And by doing so, there is a promise of a greater life hereafter. Because this world is flawed, and is filled with the knowledge of good and evil. Men without that knowledge wouldn't be capable of the great crimes they commit. For without that knowledge, there wouldn't be the ability for man to creatively cause suffering. Or, their greed which inevitably creates suffering in the form of economics. Or their unrest, which also causes great suffering.

The laws handed down by God were given to reduce suffering as much as possible. For, it might seem strange, but if those laws were followed, there would be considerably less suffering on the Earth, because man would be judged, and by judgment, Law would supersede anarchy, and thereby create order. But, since Christ came to redeem man, judgment has been taken from men, and has been given under the authority of the Son, to judge all human life when the time comes for judgment.

With that said, suffering was intentionally built within this world because sin entered into it, and with that suffering, there is hope in a better future where suffering will be put away with the grave. All suffering will cease one day, by God's authority, and this world is the battleground, where souls who are good will find Jesus, and suffer this life for a short amount of time, while those who take their pleasures here will be put away. For those who find their pleasure on the Earth will only have that pleasure. Not to say rich men cannot be saved, but only to say that it is easier for a camel to be thread through a needle, than for a rich man to enter into heaven. The reason why is that the rich have attained their wealth, often at the expense of the poor who work long hours for their benefit.

I say this with regret, but we all will answer for the suffering of the poor. Either be forgiven by Christ, because we accepted Him, or be thrown into hell, for you and I are both rich, and all of our sustenance comes from their sweat. It's a crime worse than murder, and one Voltaire understood well and vexed him all of his days, knowing that his beloved sugar came from the backs of workers in Cuba and Costa Rica who were essentially slaves. That is the price we pay for being Westerners, but God has given us a way to be redeemed. And those men in Costa Rica, who some of them having to murder, steal and assault to live, will thereby also be forgiven of their crimes.

There is suffering because of sin. It's as simple as that, and sin is defined in the Old Testament and the New Testament. And the world is filled with sin, both rich and poor. And we, having been given the choice, will either find Christ and thereby attain to Eternal Life through the predestination of His Election, or we will choose him not, and thereby have our names blotted out of the book of life. The choice---since your so fond of that concept---is merely to accept His grace or not. There is no other choice.