The Idea Of Suffering In The Biblical Book Of Job

In the biblical book of Job, the main protagonist undergoes a huge deal of human suffering. While lamenting his woes, Job questions God and asks: “[w]hy let people go on living in misery?” He then proceeds to say that “God keeps their future hidden and hems them in on every side.” (Job 3:20) Here, Job challenges God and attributes him to his suffering and afflictions. In response to Job, God details his power through the various things he created. In the passage of Job 37-40, He asks a series of rhetorical questions based on natural elements that Job reflects on in order to come to the realization that the act of challenging the “Almighty” is a wrong thing to do. God even tells Job that at His command, “amazing things happen, wonderful things we can’t understand.” (Job 7:5) Thus the fact that Job attributed his suffering to Him, was unreasonable. He may send things “to punish us, or to show us favor.” (Job 37:13) Thus, human suffering, in the scope of
The Buddha attempts to explain suffering with a psychological answer. For example, the first noble truth of the Buddha is: “[a]ll life is suffering”. Here, the Buddha explains the nature of the human state in terms of anguish and pain. This truth gives no reference to God or to any creator. Thus, the Buddha strive to relieve themselves of this suffering without the comfort or reassurances of a supernatural power. According to the Buddha, no power is almighty; human suffering is a pattern of existence we can relieve ourselves of through practice of perfect actions. In conclusion, chapter 37-40 accounts the power that the Creator possesses and this then minimizes the importance of human suffering. Nonetheless, The Buddha offers a contrasting viewpoint to the subject of human suffering. Suffering is a part of our livelihood (which places suffering as the center of the Buddha life) and we can take steps to relieve ourselves of