Imagine a world without pain—a place where you would be unable to sense discomfort, to sweat, or to shed tears. For many, this might sound idyllic—a fairy tale setting. A world without pain is a world in which everyone wants to live, right? Well, perhaps not. The reality is actually something quite different—just ask any one of the nearly 100 people in the world today who have been diagnosed with suffering from a rare malady known as CIPA (Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis). This disease renders individuals unable to sense pain like you or me.

 

One poignant case is the story of the three-year-old girl, Gabby Gringas. At four months of age, her parents noticed she would bite her fingers until they bled without the slightest hint of displeasure. By the time she was two years of age, her teeth had to be removed because of the damage they were causing to her fingers and hands. Gabby was also required to wear safety glasses all the time, because she scratched her cornea so badly one time that her eyesight was in jeopardy. Her parents were compelled to watch her day and night lest she unknowingly inflict severe damage upon herself. Gabby could burn her hand on a scalding iron or could prick her fingers with needles without the slightest hint of pain. This is the world—a world without pain—in which Gabby lived.     

 

There is a new breed of atheists that would have us believe God cannot exist because of the “problem of pain.” These zealous defenders of their godless faith argue against God existence through their philosophically inconsistent sense of relative morality. Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens are just such a few of the antitheists who champion atheism because of what they perceive as an incompatibility between a good God and the presence of pain and evil in the world. Their presupposition is simple: a good God would not allow pain in the world—thus, God does not exist. What these men fail to recognize is that behind the emotional objections of blaming God for pain and evil is the reality that pain is good. Yes, pain protects us from potential harm and danger that might otherwise cause severe damage or even death. Just ask Gabby’s parents if they think pain is good. I would submit to you that if they were asked for one wish to be granted, it would be this: to let their daughter feel pain.  

 

If we as finite creatures can appreciate the value of pain, is it not possible that the Sovereign of the universe has even greater reasons for its existence? The answer is a resounding yes. Biblical examples abound detailing God’s decrees of pain and suffering in order that good might come from it. Consider the story of Joseph and his brothers and how they sold him into slavery and subsequently lied to their father. I can not begin to imagine the profound sorrow and agony Jacob endured after he first heard that a wild beast devoured his beloved Joseph. The Lord knew (ordained) this painful moment, yet he had something greater in mind. What was it? Joseph answers this question when he said to his brothers: “you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen 50:20). God used the evil of the brothers and ordained the pain and suffering of Joseph in Egypt so that many would be kept alive.

 

For those atheists who try to argue against theism because of the existence of pain: there is a deeper answer than simply suggesting God does exist. If not for pain, there would have been no crucifixion, no atonement for sins, no propitiation of God’s wrath, no justification of unbelievers, and subsequently no eternal life with God. Thank God for pain! There is value in evil, pain, and suffering—that many people should live, both in this world and in the next.