Concepts of Suffering There is no divine purpose to suffering:

Although Charles Darwin began his career studying religion, he later came to doubt the existence of a divine creator and refused to write on the subject of religion, even when asked (Darwin 60-61). He believed that religion was a highly personal matter, and not one to be published by anyone who had not spent a great deal of time in its study (59). In his studies of nature and in developing his theory of natural selection, Darwin could not reconcile what he observed with his own eyes with the idea of a divine creator. He saw no divine creationism in the myriad creatures of nature, and declared, ôWe can no longer argue that, for instance, the beautiful hinge of a bivalve must have been made by an intelligent being, like the hinge of a door by manö (Darwin 63).

In respect to suffering, too, Darwin again saw nothing divine (Darwin 63). He states that, ô...if all the individuals of any species were habitually to suffer to an extreme degree, they would neglect to propagate their kindö and goes on to add, ôSome other considerations, moreover, lead to the belief that all sentient things have been formed so as to enjoy, as a general rule, happinessö (Darwin 63). Yet in Homer, it is the ômalice of the gods which propels both sides to destruction,ö according to Hedges (29). Indeed, most wars throughout history have been fought in the name of religion, which make

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tural selection, that pleasurable sensations serve as their habitual guidesö (Darwin 64). Sagan believes science corrodes spirituality, turning mankind away from the ancient authorities and traditions which preached that suffering was divine (Sagan 50). He says we have no alternative: ôBut what is the alternative? Obdurately to pretend to certainty in an uncertain world? To adopt a comforting belief system, no matter how out of kilter with the facts it is?ö (Sagan 50). But Sagan does not close the door altogether on the possibility of the divine and its conventions when he says, ôHow can we be sure which of the thousands of human belief systems should become unchallenged, ubiquitous, mandatory?ö (Sagan 50). Auschwitz and Job Without a belief in a supreme creator who has absolute power over everything, there is no chance of believing in a life devoid of suffering (Rubenstein 333). Only those who believe that such a being can cause suffering can also believe that he can relieve it, and therefore that it is possible to exist in a world free of suffering. However, to believe that there is a divine creator, and know that suffering exists even among the most innocent of beings, one must then also believe that suffering is divi
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Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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