| God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question--Why We Suffer |  | Author: Bart D. Ehrman
Publisher: HarperOne
Category: Book
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Avg. Customer Rating:  106 reviews
Sales Rank: 1327364
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.3 x 0.7
ISBN: 0061173924
Dewey Decimal Number: 291
EAN: 9780061173929
ASIN: 0061173924
Publication Date: March 1, 2009 (In 139 Days)
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Product Description
In times of questioning and despair, people often quote the Bible to provide answers. Surprisingly, though, the Bible does not have one answer but many "answers" that often contradict one another. Consider these competing explanations for suffering put forth by various biblical writers: - The prophets: suffering is a punishment for sin
- The book of Job, which offers two different answers: suffering is a test, and you will be rewarded later for passing it; and suffering is beyond comprehension, since we are just human beings and God, after all, is God
- Ecclesiastes: suffering is the nature of things, so just accept it
- All apocalyptic texts in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament: God will eventually make right all that is wrong with the world
For renowned Bible scholar Bart Ehrman, the question of why there is so much suffering in the world is more than a haunting thought. Ehrman's inability to reconcile the claims of faith with the facts of real life led the former pastor of the Princeton Baptist Church to reject Christianity. In God's Problem, Ehrman discusses his personal anguish upon discovering the Bible's contradictory explanations for suffering and invites all people of faith—or no faith—to confront their deepest questions about how God engages the world and each of us.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 101 more reviews...
 Good points, too much scripture October 13, 2008
First I'll say that I am an atheist and came to atheism because of suffering and the lack of answers and intervention provided by any god. I agree with the author's points, though I go a step further into atheism.
That being said, I found the first 70% of the book difficult to read. For one thing, way too much scripture for me. I put down the bible (which I've read in entirety at least four times) 17 years ago because it was too violent, weird and irrational (among other things). I skimmed through the scriptures in this book because frankly I didn't need them to see the point. I felt that the different categories of suffering could have been explained more succintly.
I did quite enjoy the last 1/3 of the book. The idea that everyone always thinks the end times are their times is a very compelling bible debunker. My parents are Jehovah's Witnesses and are absolutely convinced Armeggedon is nigh, it makes no sense but they are "certain". I also appreciate the point about religious certitude allowing people to just not deal with the suffering on the planet (the world is evil, god will take care of it so we don't need to). Hopefully our species will evolve to a point where we are accountable to each other and the planet instead of using the skygod will save us cop-out.
Overall, the book is a slightly above average bible debunker and reminded me of my long standing belief that many of the bibl'e authors were quite mentally ill.
 Thoughtful look at a difficult problem October 13, 2008
In a very thoughtful book, Bart Ehrman wrestles with the question of theodicy (how there can be suffering in a world created by a perfect God). He comes to the conclusion--I think a correct one-- that the Bible and Christianity offers no solution to this quandary. Nor is he satisfied with the answers he has been given--mostly cliches about "free will" or vague non-answers like "Who are we to question God." Like Ehrman, I lost my faith because I could not reconcile suffering with an all-loving God. I highly recommend this book to believers and atheists alike.
Nice but talking to the choir October 7, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is an easy read, and as a former Christian I connected with the author's use of biblical quotes to make his point. This book will probably not play well to an audience of unbelievers because it depends heavily on the Christian tradition to make his arguments. It does, however, do very well at arguing why the answers to human suffering in the bible are insulting at best and monsterous at worst and this book should be read by all those who call themselves Christian believers. Why don't believers hold god to the standard of being better than his creation? Why do humans seem to have more compassion when they work to aleviate human suffering (treating disease, helping victims of natural disasters),whereas god doesn't put an end to suffering such as disease when he supposedly can? Mr. Ehrman is singing to the choir in my case, because I came to the same conclusion as his long ago.
If you want to see why biblical arguments for suffering do not make sense and postulate a god that causes, ignores, and manipulates human suffering then this is the book for you.
Honest, scholarly, literate and real-world review of suffering September 26, 2008
It seems that many people who have written negative reviews have never actually read the book. Many of the proposals for explanations of suffering that are expounded in the reviews are ones that Dr. Ehrman examines in the book (often at some length). What seems to be missing from these reviews is that Ehrman is making a case for his own viewpoint, examining ideas that have been proposed to explain suffering, and then explaining why he does not find them satisfying or convincing. At no point does he say that you cannot find the explanations satisfactory (e.g., the "need for free will" hypothesis), but he does explain why he himself does not think the explanation is adequate. Agree with Dr. Ehrman or not, you cannot argue with the intellectual effort and personal honesty. Dr. Ehrman writes very well, and in a highly engaging style with subtle humor and a fine flow of ideas. The chapter on the Book of Job is alone worth the price of the book.
Illuminating and insightful September 23, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
As the aptly named book implies, Bart Erhman, an eminent scholar on Christianity, evaluates the bible's response to the question of suffering. Along the journey he effectively illuminates the various attempts by biblical authors to explain suffering, all which fall far short of anything that can be considered an acceptable answer, or even a plausible explanation. Ehrman uses a critical yet highly pragmatic approach to the issue. This rationalism is likely to ignite emotion in those who assume that there is a consensus by biblical authors and early Christian authors, or that suffering is somehow mandated by their God.
An important point worth touching on is how Ehrman uses his formidable knowledge of early Christianity to transcend the typical analysis of text itself and tries to give the reader a historical perspective. This is achieved by evaluating factors that transcend the mere text. By evaluating when the text was written, characteristics of the author, the intended audience and other supporting texts, a far greater understanding of the subject matter is made possible.
Ehrman states that he has spent many years thinking about the issue of suffering. This book is clearly the sythesis of that process.
Highly recommended
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