If there’s one question that challenges believers and skeptics alike, it’s this: If God is good, why is there so much suffering?

Alex O’Connor raised this question in his latest critique of Christianity, and my friend and X Apologist, Darwin to Jesus, and I sat down to discuss it. We both agree — this is not just a philosophical question; it’s deeply personal. We all experience pain, loss, and injustice. But does the existence of suffering prove that God doesn’t exist? Or could it actually be evidence for Him?

The Atheist Assumption: Suffering Shouldn’t Exist

One of the core assumptions behind Alex’s argument is that a good and powerful God should eliminate all suffering. If He doesn’t, then either He’s not good, or He’s not powerful enough to stop it.

At first glance, that sounds like a strong case. But there’s a hidden assumption: that suffering is objectively bad.

Alex, like most people, sees suffering as something that shouldn’t exist. But where does this idea of “should” come from? If the universe is just a random collection of atoms with no ultimate purpose, then suffering is just an accident — neither good nor bad, just what happens. A purely materialistic worldview has no basis for saying that suffering is objectively wrong. It can say that suffering is unpleasant or inconvenient, but it can’t say that it’s evil.

Yet we all instinctively know that suffering is more than just an unfortunate reality — it’s a violation of how things ought to be. And that very intuition suggests that there is an objective moral standard — a standard that only makes sense if there’s a God who defines it.

Christianity Doesn’t Ignore Suffering — It Explains It

While atheism struggles to explain why suffering shouldn’t exist, Christianity takes suffering seriously. The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat reality — pain, evil, and injustice are everywhere. But rather than seeing suffering as meaningless, Christianity explains both why it exists and how it will ultimately be redeemed.

  1. Suffering is the result of a broken world. The Bible teaches that suffering was not part of God’s original creation. Sin entered the world through human rebellion, and with it came pain, disease, and death (Romans 5:12). God didn’t create evil, but He allows human free will — and with that freedom came consequences.
  2. God works through suffering. While we may not always understand why specific hardships happen, the Bible repeatedly shows that God brings good out of suffering. Joseph was betrayed and sold into slavery, yet God used it to save nations (Genesis 50:20). Paul endured beatings and imprisonment, yet his suffering advanced the Gospel (Philippians 1:12-14). Even in our own lives, pain often brings growth, refines character, and deepens dependence on God.
  3. God entered into suffering Himself. Unlike the distant, impersonal gods of other religions, the Christian God stepped into human suffering. Jesus Christ — God in the flesh — experienced hunger, betrayal, torture, and death. He didn’t stay removed from our pain; He embraced it. Why? So that He could ultimately defeat it. The cross wasn’t the end of the story—His resurrection proved that suffering will not have the final word.

The Ultimate Hope: Suffering Will End

One of the biggest challenges to Alex’s argument is this: If you reject God because of suffering, what alternative do you have?

Atheism offers no ultimate comfort — no justice for the oppressed, no redemption for suffering, no final victory over evil. If suffering is just part of existence, then despair is the only logical response.

Christianity, on the other hand, offers something radically different: hope. The Bible promises that one day, suffering will end. Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” The Christian answer to suffering isn’t just an explanation — it’s a promise that it won’t last forever.

So, Does Suffering Disprove God?

Not only does suffering not disprove God, but it actually points to Him. The very fact that we recognize suffering as wrong, that we long for justice, and that we desire a world without pain — all of this aligns perfectly with what Christianity teaches.

Alex raises important questions, but his argument falls short. A world without God doesn’t eliminate suffering; it eliminates the very basis for calling suffering unjust in the first place. Only in Christ do we find an answer that doesn’t just explain suffering but redeems it.

If you haven’t watched our full discussion, check it out! I’d love to hear your thoughts — do you think suffering disproves God? Or does Christianity offer the only real hope? Let’s continue the conversation.