EVIL AND SUFFERING

Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs explain suffering through the law of Karma.

Karma is the law of cause and effect.Peoples thoughts and actions have consequences here and now, or in a future life.Suffering now may be a result of bad actions in a previous life.

For Christians, suffering is a result of human freedom to choose actions that cause suffering. The story of Adam and Eve shows the consequences of free will.

Christians believe that Jesus broke the power of evil and suffering  by suffering death on the cross.

Christian response to suffering:Trusting in God helps christians accept and endure personal suffering.The teaching "Love thy neighbour as yourself" from the book of Matthew means that christians should not only feel compassion to those that suffer but should also try to help them. Christians should follow the example of Jesus who helped the needy and healed the sick.

Hindus response:To achieve release from the cycle of death and rebierth a HIndu trys to practice yoga to develop loving devotion, self control, knowledge and understanding through study and discipline. They have a strong tradition of helping families, local communities and holy men. It is their duty to give and to share with those in need.

Perspectives:Christians, jews and Muslims share the view that God gave people free will to choose evil or good.Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs see the source of evil as ignorance, a wrong understanding of the way things really are. The law of Karma requires people to think about their own responsibility for evil.

Religious explanations:Christianity - Evil came into the world through Adam and Eves disobedience, sometimes called original sin. When people rebel against Gods laws, evil results.Buddhists believe that evil is caused by peoples selfish desire or craving. The root causes of evil are the three poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance.

Religious Responses:

Suffering

Evil