This is one of the best explanations
of why God allows pain and suffering
that I have seen. It's an explanation
people will understand.
A man went to a barbershop to have
his hair cut and his beard trimmed.
As the barber began to work,
they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things
and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on
the subject of God, the barber said:
"I don't believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?"
asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in
the street to realize that God
doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists,
would there be so many sick people?
Would there be abandoned children?
If God existed, there would be neither
suffering nor pain.
I can't imagine a loving a God who
would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment,
but didn't respond because he didn't
want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer
left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop,
he saw a man in the street with long,
stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed
beard.
He looked dirty and un-kept.
The customer turned back and entered
the barber shop again and he said
to the barber:
"You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?"
asked the surprised barber.
"I am here, and I am a barber.
And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed.
"Barbers don't exist because
if they did, there would be no
people with dirty long hair
and untrimmed beards,
like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist!
What happens is, people
do not come to me."
"Exactly!"-
affirmed the customer.
"That's the point!
God, too, DOES exist!
What happens, is, people
don't go to Him
and do not look for Him.
That's why there's so much pain
and suffering in the world."
