--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In short, not only is it difficult to…" description: "\"“In short, not only is it difficult to believe in meticulous providence in the face of this evil, it demeans the sufferers themselves to say that this ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/bruce-r-reichenbach-56997_suffering_in-short-not-only-is-it-difficult-to-bel_2523351.jpg" --- # In short, not only is it difficult to believe in… ![“In short, not only is it difficult to believe in meticulous providence in the face of this evil, it demeans the sufferers themselves to say that this seemingly gratuitous suffering is part of God’s best plan of blessing for them.” quote by Bruce R. Reichenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/bruce-r-reichenbach-56997_suffering_in-short-not-only-is-it-difficult-to-bel_2523351.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/bruce-r-reichenbach-56997_suffering_in-short-not-only-is-it-difficult-to-bel_2523351.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/bruce-r-reichenbach-56997_suffering_in-short-not-only-is-it-difficult-to-bel_2523351.jpg) > ““In short, not only is it difficult to believe in meticulous providence in the face of this evil, it demeans the sufferers themselves to say that this seemingly gratuitous suffering is part of God’s best plan of blessing for them.”” [Bruce R. Reichenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-r-reichenbach/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that attributing suffering to a divine plan can devalue victims and is hard to accept. **In simple terms:** Questioning divine purpose in suffering. Key Takeaway Critically examine explanations for pain. Themes theodicy suffering faith Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - theological debates - counseling - personal loss Key Concepts metaphysics ethics human dignity Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile faith with inexplicable pain? - What alternatives explain suffering? A Different Perspective May dismiss genuine causes of suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [“Although in one sense a belief in meticulous providence—that nothing happens apart from what God has planned, intended, and willed for the good of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-r-reichenbach/although-in-one-sense-a-belief-in-meticulous-providence-that-nothing/) [Bruce R. 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Me, I could not help but think that there was more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-carey/he-would-welcome-the-opportunity-to-offer-his-suffering-up-to-god-me/) [Jacqueline Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-carey/) > [“There is a terrible divine necessity about redemptive suffering. God is doing something so ultimately wonderful that unanswered prayer is the necessary price of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-ash/there-is-a-terrible-divine-necessity-about-redemptive-suffering-god/) [Christopher Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ash/) > [“Permit me to imitate my suffering God... I am God's wheat and I shall be ground by the teeth of beasts, that I may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/permit-me-to-imitate-my-suffering-god-i-am-god-s-wheat-and-i-shall-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anything you say from your heart to God is a prayer. But "why" is rarely a useful question. When Job keeps asking God why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/anything-you-say-from-your-heart-to-god-is-a-prayer-but-why-is-rarely/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Our efforts to disconnect ourselves from our own suffering end up disconnecting our suffering from God's suffering for us. The way out of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/our-efforts-to-disconnect-ourselves-from-our-own-suffering-end-up/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [Some people say: "There is no God; because, if there was a God, God would stop all the suffering." Nonsense! God is oblivious to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/some-people-say-there-is-no-god-because-if-there-was-a-god-god-would/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I laugh when I read hello need your prayers urgently posts coz if I have to pray for someone then god will see their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raveen/i-laugh-when-i-read-hello-need-your-prayers-urgently-posts-coz-if-i/) [Raveen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raveen/) > [“And if God is a suffering God, if this whole universe is borne on a heart infinite in compassion, then the more we suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/and-if-god-is-a-suffering-god-if-this-whole-universe-is-borne-on-a/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“It was not pastoral teaching, or small group fellowship, or worship services, or books of theology — rather, they mentioned suffering. “People said they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/it-was-not-pastoral-teaching-or-small-group-fellowship-or-worship/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“There is another reason also why the soul has traveled safely in this obscurity; it has suffered: for the way of suffering is safer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-john-of-the-cross/there-is-another-reason-also-why-the-soul-has-traveled-safely-in-this/) Saint John of the Cross > [We cannot worship the suffering God today and ignore him tomorrow. We cannot eat and drink the body and blood of the passionate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/we-cannot-worship-the-suffering-god-today-and-ignore-him-tomorrow-we/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [“God never sends suffering. Never. It is never "God's will" that we should suffer. God would like us not to suffer. But since the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-beckett/god-never-sends-suffering-never-it-is-never-god-s-will-that-we-should/) [Wendy Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-beckett/) ## More by Bruce R. Reichenbach > [“We might put our point this way: to say that God has purposes and plans for his creation says nothing about their scope. Does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-r-reichenbach/we-might-put-our-point-this-way-to-say-that-god-has-purposes-and/) [Bruce R. Reichenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-r-reichenbach/) > [“Although “providence” literally means “to foresee,” as applied theologically to God it refers more broadly to God’s active loving care for, beneficial actions on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-r-reichenbach/although-providence-literally-means-to-foresee-as-applied/) [Bruce R. Reichenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-r-reichenbach/) > [“Although in one sense a belief in meticulous providence—that nothing happens apart from what God has planned, intended, and willed for the good of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-r-reichenbach/although-in-one-sense-a-belief-in-meticulous-providence-that-nothing/) [Bruce R. Reichenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-r-reichenbach/) > [“Scripture repeatedly recounts the intentional actions of the providential God. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-r-reichenbach/scripture-repeatedly-recounts-the-intentional-actions-of-the/) [Bruce R. Reichenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-r-reichenbach/) > [“One has to be careful, however, to discern how much one can generalize from these particular cases of individual callings to the claim that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-r-reichenbach/one-has-to-be-careful-however-to-discern-how-much-one-can-generalize/) [Bruce R. Reichenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-r-reichenbach/) [Explore all 6 Bruce R. Reichenbach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-r-reichenbach/) ## More Suffering quotes > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/pain-is-meant-to-wake-us-up-people-try-to-hide-their-pain-but-they-re/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [“What can we do in any hardship? We can hope with prayerful praise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/what-can-we-do-in-any-hardship-we-can-hope-with-prayerful-praise/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“But, you know, if you choose to be with someone you should feel good with them, otherwise it doesn't make sense... How do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assia-petricelli/but-you-know-if-you-choose-to-be-with-someone-you-should-feel-good/) Assia Petricelli > [Suffering did different things to different people...Some souls became tempered, unshakable in their faith, while others became twisted and mis-shapen, throwing off all connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ragen/suffering-did-different-things-to-different-people-some-souls-became/) [Naomi Ragen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ragen/) > [... how much of our inner substance is it good for us to give to public griefs? The whole modern tendency to agonize over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bogan/how-much-of-our-inner-substance-is-it-good-for-us-to-give-to-public/) [Louise Bogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bogan/) > [Certainly, it is. Love is love, and loss is loss. We all love, and we all die, and everyone suffers the pain of grieving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynsay-sands/certainly-it-is-love-is-love-and-loss-is-loss-we-all-love-and-we-all/) [Lynsay Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynsay-sands/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) Daniel K Judd > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Because we live in a fallen world, we suffer. But those of us who know Jesus are never alone in the suffering, that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-turner-lee/because-we-live-in-a-fallen-world-we-suffer-but-those-of-us-who-know/) Melissa Turner Lee > [“Maybe love, like suffering, is relative. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/maybe-love-like-suffering-is-relative/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) [Browse all 13,957 Suffering quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In short, not only is it difficult to believe in meticulous providence in the face of this evil, it demeans the sufferers themselves to say that this seemingly gratuitous suffering is part of God’s best plan of blessing for them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bruce R. 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