Bombings in Boston: Why Does God Let Suffering Happen?

4/21
After such a horrific incident such as the Boston Marathon bombings one might ask themselves, why does God let this happen? Why would God let incident people suffer and even die at such a joyous event such as a marathon? Why would God let that little 8 year old boy die?

All of these questions are natural to ponder about. Many people, Christians alike, struggle with this question and how to address it. I believe that this question can this question through the theological understanding of free will.

First we need to understand that God gave humans, the first being Adam and Eve, free will. Free will is a gift that only humans have out of God's entire creation and it is given to us because of God's love for us in order to be the pinnacle of creation. In the beginning man lived in perfect harmony with God and there was no death, pain, or suffering. All of that changed when Adam and Eve ate of the apple of the forbidden tree. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and sin against him. Therefore from the free will of man, suffering, pain, and death entered the world. Out of eternal love for man God must let that happen out of respect of free will. Therefore terrible acts such as the Boston bombings exist because of the actions of others that cannot be stopped because of free will, and the fact that death and suffering is a part of this world due to the sin of our first parents.