Suffering

Welcome! This is a space for you to explore questions about Science, Religion and Suffering?

Choose your age range, below, and then enjoy the content made just for you!

Below, you will find some questions and thoughts about God, suffering, disasters and why bad things happen. You can also meet different experts who think about these sorts of questions, and find relevant activities and resources you can dive into yourself.

Questions & Answers

Why are we talking about suffering?

Answer (2 - 5 year olds)

Suffering is a big word which means going through difficult things.

When we learn about the world around us, we learn about all sorts of amazing things, from wonderful creatures, to how to help poorly people get better. But we also learn about things that are sad and hard. We might learn about nasty things that can make us sick, or dangerous things like big storms.

So, when we learn about science, we might want to ask questions about the difficult and scary things that can happen in life. Sometimes these things might even have happened to us or the people we love – which can be really sad.

We might not always want to talk about these hard things. But sometimes asking questions can help us to understand more about the things that have happened to us, and even help us to keep people safe and happy in the future. That’s why we want to talk about suffering.

We’ll be adding more big questions on this topic, so keep checking this page!

Answer (5 - 7 year olds)

When we learn about the world around us, we learn about all sorts of amazing things, from wonderful creatures, to life-saving medical treatments. But we also learn about things that are sad and difficult. We can learn about illnesses, hurricanes and forest fires, and the ways that humans have used scientific discoveries to hurt or scare other people. So, when we explore science, we often find that we have questions about the bad and scary things that happen in life.

Sometimes these difficult things might even have happened to us or the people we love. That’s really hard, and we might not always want to talk about these sad things. But sometimes asking big questions and learning about what has happened can help us to understand more, and even help us to keep people safe, healthy, and happy in the future. That’s why we have a whole section for exploring questions about suffering.

We’ll be adding more big questions on this topic, so keep checking this page!

Answer (7 - 11 year olds)

When we learn about the world around us, we learn about all sorts of amazing things, from wonderful creatures, to life-saving medical treatments. But we also learn about things that are sad and difficult. We can learn about diseases like cancer, natural disasters like hurricanes and forest fires, and the ways that humans have chosen to use scientific discoveries to hurt or scare other people. So when we explore science and scientific discoveries, we often also end up with questions about the bad and scary things that happen.

Sometimes we, or people we love, might have had to struggle through these difficult things personally. That can be really hard, and we might not always want to talk about it. But sometimes asking big questions and learning more about these difficult things can help us to understand more about our own experiences and can even help us to protect other people in the future.

The Bible (the holy book that Christians read) also talks a lot about sad and hard things. Christians believe that this shows that God understands those things and that God is with us in our suffering, helping us through it. Thinking about that idea can lead to more questions, but it can also help people explore ideas about God and how we can live in our world.

That’s why we have a whole section for exploring questions about suffering.

We’ll be adding more big questions on this topic, so keep checking this page!

Why are we talking about suffering?

Why do bad things happen?

Why would a good God let people suffer?

Are natural events like earthquakes and volcanoes always bad?

Related Activities

3-12

Chocolate ‘Earth’s Crust’

Watching what happens when you heat & cool chocolate can help us learn about the amazing properties of our world. Watch it become “melty”, and then set solid like Earth’s hard crust!

3-14

Volcano Explosion!

One way to see some of the incredible power in the world around us is with a homemade volcano!

Related Resources

101 Great Big Questions about God and Science

Lizzie Henderson & Steph Bryant

101 Great Big Questions asked by children, with fascinating responses from leading experts in the areas of science, theology, philosophy and beyond!

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God Made the Dinosaurs

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Written from a Christian perspective and packed full of rigorous science, and current understanding, this book presents fascinating facts and interesting information about the creatures that once roamed earth, sea and sky, while celebrating scientists who have contributed towards our understanding of the world the authors believe God created.

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I Love God’s Green Earth

Micheal & Caroline Carroll

Daily devotionals with Bible verses, information, suggested activities and jokes to help kids think about environmental issues from a Christian perspective.

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Wonder Zone Holiday Club (Faraday Kids)

Alex Taylor & Faraday Kids

A Bible-based, children’s holiday club resource from Scripture Union and The Faraday Institute, containing all you need to host a 5-day holiday club using a fun science theme that will have children in their element.

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Welcome! This is a space for you to explore questions about Science, Religion and Suffering?

Questions & Answers