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Science, Religion and Suffering

Hi there, if you're aged between 11 and 18, this space is for you to explore your big questions about science and religious faith.

Use the menu on the left to choose your age range, then click on a question below to read some thoughts about God, suffering, disasters and why bad things happen. You can also click on ‘Scientists’ to meet some scientists of faith who study this topic!

If you are younger than 11 you can explore these same questions on our kids website, here


  • Why are we talking about suffering?

  • Why do bad things happen?

  • Why would a good God let people suffer?

  • Are natural events like earthquakes and volcanoes always bad?

  • Scientists

  • More Questions?

  • Why are we talking about suffering?

    When we learn about the world around us, we learn about all sorts of amazing things, from wonderful creatures, to life-saving medical treatments. But we also learn about things that are really sad and difficult. We can learn about diseases like cancer, natural disasters like hurricanes and forest fires, and the ways that humans have chosen to use scientific discoveries to hurt or scare other people. So, when we explore science and scientific discoveries, we often also end up with questions about the horrible and frightening things that happen.

    Sometimes we, or people we love, might have had to struggle through these difficult things personally. That can be really hard. We might feel angry or upset, and may not want to talk about it. But there are lots of people who can help you when you’re struggling, from friends and family members to teachers and medical professionals, and lots of different things that can help. Sometimes asking big questions and learning more about these difficult things can help us to understand more about our own experiences and can even help us to protect other people in the future.

    The Bible (the holy book that Christians read) also talks a lot about sad and difficult things. It doesn’t offer a simple answer about why suffering happens, but Christians believe that it teaches that God understands and is with people in their suffering, helping them through it. Thinking about that idea can lead to more questions, but it can also help people explore ideas about God and how we can live in our world.

    That’s why we have a whole section for exploring questions about suffering.

    We’ll be adding more big questions on this topic, so keep checking this page!

  • Why do bad things happen?

    We’ll be adding more big questions on this topic, so keep checking this page!

  • Why would a good God let people suffer?

    We’ll be adding more big questions on this topic, so keep checking this page!

  • Are natural events like earthquakes and volcanoes always bad?

    We’ll be adding more big questions on this topic, so keep checking this page!

  • BW

    Bob White

    JW

    John Wyatt

    RA

    Roger Abbott

    RB

    Roger Bretherton

    TI

    Tom Ingleby

  • More Questions?

    ​​Do you have questions which aren't covered here? We want to help!

    Take a look at some of our other topics, activities and resources to see what else you can discover. 

    Or why not get in touch and we'll do our best to help you out!