Part of me wants to give the DUmmies a bit of a pass on this. There is no harder part of the belief in God than trying to wrap your head around why bad things happen to good people. Why do children have to die and suffer? I've seen things like this drive people from their faith.
We really want to put a human perspective on that which is unknowable. Jesus said the only way to the Father is through Him. The reason why that is, I think, is that we can have no comprehension of the Father. We can figure out Jesus, a little, because He was human.
I have two basically scattered thoughts about the DU thread:
1. You can tell a lot about a person by his/her perspective of God
2. A priest whom I respect very much put suffering into perspective for me. I remember this always: "Who ever told you life was going to be easy? Jesus was the Son of God. You know what God allowed to happen to His Son. Of course we're going to have suffering in our lives."
In Bible study the other night this was just the topic at hand. Romans 12:12, the 'be patient in affliction' part. This seems to allude to Romans 5:3-6
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
Paul applies this strictly to believers but I also think that it is a useful message for non-believers. It gives some meaning to pain and suffering. We don't suffer merely for the sake of suffering. There are multiple purposes for it but the main reason seems to be strengthening character. There are usually one of two out comes to a person going through a personal tragedy. They either come out the other side a better, wiser person than when they when in or is ruins them spiritually and emotionally.
