All Worldviews Must Address Death and Suffering

Suffering is a great challenge of life and a great inconvenient truth to the world's religions and worldviews. Many different worldviews offer different ways to address this challenge. The worldview of naturalism simply makes the recognition that "life is suffering, then you die." If naturalism is true, then this is a very accurate, though bleak, view of life- you suffer for no apparent reason then you die and become worm food.

I have heard some people claim that this is quite satisfying because it frees them from any expectations of others and grants them the satisfaction of being able to do whatever they want to numb, avoid, or drown out the suffering of life. Granting that "life is suffering, then you die" is not satisfaction, though; it is surrender. It is not inspiring; it is depressing. But the truth is that if atheism is true, it really doesn't matter if this statement represents surrender or if it is depressing; if it is true, then we are stuck with it and its implications of surrender and depression.

However, if Christianity true, the situation is the complete opposite. Christianity grants that we will go through great suffering in life but gives that suffering purpose and promises ultimate defeat of suffering.

"Life is suffering, then you die" is a claim about reality, and that claim can be tested. When we investigate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are testing this depressing claim about reality directly. Jesus makes the very opposite claim in John 16:33: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." If Jesus did, in fact, rise from the dead, then it demonstrates that his claim is true and that in Him there is no false hope or delusion, but that there is a way, there is truth, and there is life (John 14:6).

We have to remember that at the very heart of the Christian Gospel is suffering- the suffering of the Son of God. God became human to suffer with us. He is not above suffering; He is not apathetic to suffering; He is not insensitive to suffering.

The Gospel is not a plan of denying suffering. It is not a plan of avoiding suffering. It is not a plan of surrendering to suffering. It is a plan of conquering suffering.

The plan of the Gospel is that the emotional and physical pain, suffering, and even your death in this world can be conquered in the God-man, Jesus Christ. It is through His death and Resurrection that this victory over suffering and death is achieved.

Christianity is the only worldview that claims to face the suffering of life head-on and overcome it. Christianity is the only worldview that is even truly on the table of overcoming suffering. But how can we know if the only worldview that claims to conquer suffering is even true? How can we know that this promise is not just some false hope or delusion?

One of the unique features of Christianity among the varying worldviews is that its truth is dependent upon an historical event that can be investigated. When we investigate the evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we investigate the evidence that pain, suffering, and death can truly be overcome and that we will survive beyond this life to see their ultimate defeat.

I encourage you to investigate the evidence that there is hope beyond the suffering in this world. Investigate the evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and see that the claim that "Life is suffering, then you die" is just as false as it is depressing.