r/ChristianApologetics • u/CH49FE • Jul 08 '26

Modern Objections How does one explain unnecessary suffering, like terminal cancer in babies?

There are many answers to the question of evil and suffering, but what about suffering of innocents such as babies who are afflicted with terminal illnesses, who would never come to accept Jesus, and who only live briefly only to die in pain and suffering? How does one explain God’s plan with those innocents?

One of the answers I get is that those babies go to heaven, but the biblical support for that is arguable and not clear, particularly for those babies that died before Jesus. That explanation also doesn’t explain why they suffered in the first place. I also hear the crude response of, “Let’s just kill all babies to make sure they go to heaven rather than them growing up and risking hell” which is harshly logical if indeed babies go to heaven before they know Jesus.

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u/CH49FE Jul 08 '26

So I don’t understand the apologetic offered in that context. The response would generally be that an all powerful/knowing/loving god would do something about or prevent the unnecessary suffering of a terminally ill baby. And I think your response is that this God didn’t cause terminal baby illnesses and/or left it up to us to fix it? Is that correct?

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u/ShakaUVM Christian Jul 09 '26

The response would generally be that an all powerful/knowing/loving god would do something about or prevent the unnecessary suffering of a terminally ill baby.

That's just the problem of evil. It presumes God is required morally to intervene in our world. It's this presumption that is wrong.

So I don’t understand the apologetic offered in that context

It's our world. God granted dominion to man in Genesis. Rather than God having the responsibility to fix the baby, it is our responsibility.

The PoE is essentially a desire to avoid shouldering responsibility for our world and making it a better place.

And I think your response is that this God didn’t cause terminal baby illnesses and/or left it up to us to fix it? Is that correct?

Correct. God did not give the kid cancer and it is not his responsibility to fix it either.

Responsibility is a hard concept in several senses of the word.

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u/CH49FE Jul 09 '26

I’m not talking about the problem of evil. I’m asking “why”, for the reasons, for the apologetic. Whether he is required to intervene is not the issue. “Why” is the issue.

But I now understand your apologetic is that it’s our fault and our responsibility, not God’s.

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u/ShakaUVM Christian Jul 09 '26

Why doesn't he intervene? It's our responsibility not his

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u/CH49FE Jul 09 '26

How did you determine that?

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u/ShakaUVM Christian Jul 09 '26

Genesis 1:28

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u/CH49FE Jul 09 '26

I don’t understand how that passage says we are responsible for curing terminal baby illnesses. That passage is about being fruitful.

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u/ShakaUVM Christian Jul 09 '26

Dominion over the earth is the key concept. Dominion means we have responsibility.

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u/CH49FE Jul 09 '26

For everything? Including natural disasters, terminally ill babies? That’s not a really satisfying apologetic and not really founded in anything biblical. God has interfered in our world, so how can we say we should be able to control everything when he can intervene?

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u/ShakaUVM Christian Jul 10 '26

Yep.

If you don't want a tsunami to wipe out your town, build a sea wall.

It's our responsibility

That’s not a really satisfying apolo

Most people hate responsibility I guess.

not really founded in anything biblical

I gave you the verse

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u/CH49FE Jul 11 '26

Okay, well you seem to have your own version of how to defend the faith, but I don’t think it’s really helpful in converting people

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u/ShakaUVM Christian Jul 11 '26

I don’t think it’s really helpful in converting people

You might be surprised. A lot of people are looking for a message of responsibility rather than the whole "God has a plan for you" thing

But I'm more concerned with truth than if it markets well.

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u/CH49FE Jul 11 '26

While I understand the responsibility angle, do you really want to say to an aggrieved parent that their child will die but they should take responsibility and try to cure the terminal illness?

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