Why does God allow sickness?
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Asked July 01 2013
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Anonymous (via GotQuestions)
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Rajaraman V
Can someone explain why innocent children need to go through disease, disability and pain? Is it something about karmic loop?
Brandon Miller
This is a reasonable concern. Children are precious. I would say though that the phrase "need to go through" can be replaced with another one such as "Why do children experience bad things?" Rather than "karma," the Bible teaches the law of sowing and reaping. However, you can see that though God may allow people groups to suffer because of bad decisions from their former leaders sowing evil, He DOES NOT hold the sins of the individual parents against a child. Perhaps it's because children can be redeemed and choose righteousness even if their parents were wicked, and some people don't care if their sins effect their offspring (thus, acting unfairly towards those not yet born.) (References below)
(Ezekiel 18:20)--"The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself."
So, if it's no longer the parents' fault, then where did the sin and pain, etc... come from? Well, in the book of Genesis we get the doctrine of Original Sin; Adam and Eve's sin of rebellion against God caused a curse on creation and sin and death to be known in some way to all people born after them. (See Gen 1-3, Rom 5-8 and Ps 51:5, Eph 2-4). Here is a longer answer from someone else at this link.
http://carm.org/bible-difficulties/genesis-deuteronomy/do-sons-bear-sins-fathers-or-not
Brandon Miller
Please also consider this passage as Jesus then heals a man born blind,
(John 9) "As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him." Sometimes God may allow some things to deliver people and display His glory.
Rajaraman V
Dear Brandon Miller, thank you so much for your valuable contribution in this discussion. I praise and thank GOD, for healing and redeeming mankind through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.