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Interfering with divinely imposed suffering

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2000

BEREL DOV LERNER
BEREL DOV LERNER
Affiliation:
Western Galilee College, PO Box 2125, Akko, 24121 Israel
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Abstract

In the course of presenting his celebrated ‘vale of soul-making’ theodicy, John Hick claims that in a world where all human suffering is either justly deserved divine punishment or imposed by God for the spiritual growth of the sufferer, people would lack opportunity to be involved in genuine acts of deep compassion. I argue that the relief of divinely imposed suffering can be a morally valuable and spiritually beneficial activity, and mention ideas from the Jewish tradition which suggest that it is right for people to ameliorate suffering even when that suffering constitutes a just punishment from God.

Type
Research Article
Information
Religious Studies , Volume 36 , Issue 1 , March 2000 , pp. 95 - 102
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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