--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I agree we have enough books that attempt…" description: "\"I agree we have enough books that attempt to explain why God allows suffering, presumably in a way that lets God off the hook. And while much smarter m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/466/tullian-tchividjian-1105_agree_i-agree-we-have-enough-books-that-attemp_1340557.png" --- # I agree we have enough books that attempt to explain why… ![“I agree we have enough books that attempt to explain why God allows suffering, presumably in a way that lets God off the hook. And while much smarter men than I have constructed elaborate systems in this pursuit, they are by definition exercises in speculation.” quote by Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/466/tullian-tchividjian-1105_agree_i-agree-we-have-enough-books-that-attemp_1340557.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/466/tullian-tchividjian-1105_agree_i-agree-we-have-enough-books-that-attemp_1340557.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/466/tullian-tchividjian-1105_agree_i-agree-we-have-enough-books-that-attemp_1340557.png) > “I agree we have enough books that attempt to explain why God allows suffering, presumably in a way that lets God off the hook. And while much smarter men than I have constructed elaborate systems in this pursuit, they are by definition exercises in speculation.” [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques theological attempts to rationalize divine allowance of suffering, calling them speculative and insufficient. **In simple terms:** Attempts to explain why God allows pain are often speculative. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of speculation in theology. Themes theology philosophy pain faith humanity Mood thoughtful critical Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - pastoral counseling - academic debate - personal reflection Key Concepts theodicy speculation existential inquiry Questions to Reflect On - How can we address suffering beyond speculation? - What role does compassion play in faith? A Different Perspective Such explanations may ignore practical compassion and action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Letting go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-go/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pursuit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit/) [Speculation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speculation/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [We may not ever fully understand why God allows the suffering that devastates our lives. We may not ever find the right answers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/we-may-not-ever-fully-understand-why-god-allows-the-suffering-that/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [God also allows suffering so that we might learn what it means to depend on Him, not on our own strength and resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/god-also-allows-suffering-so-that-we-might-learn-what-it-means-to/) [Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/) > [People ask why God allows suffering. You could just as well ask the Minister of Transport why he allows accidents on Britain's roads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhard-bonnke/people-ask-why-god-allows-suffering-you-could-just-as-well-ask-the/) [Reinhard Bonnke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhard-bonnke/) > [. . . Our Lord humbles in order to raise up, and allows the suffering of interior and exterior afflictions in order to bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/our-lord-humbles-in-order-to-raise-up-and-allows-the-suffering-of/) [Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/) > [To be an intellectual really means to speak a truth that allows suffering to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/to-be-an-intellectual-really-means-to-speak-a-truth-that-allows/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Life is suffering. Life is not resistance to suffering. The point of life is to suffer. This is why we're here: We're here to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainn-wilson/life-is-suffering-life-is-not-resistance-to-suffering-the-point-of/) [Rainn Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainn-wilson/) > [“A Jesus Follower can explain our "One God in Three Persons" is like an "equilateral triangle". Both have three, conjoined, and distinct but identical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-f-patton/a-jesus-follower-can-explain-our-one-god-in-three-persons-is-like-an/) [Gary F. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-f-patton/) > [Religions become corrupted when leaders are assigned to explain God's will to people instead of showing them how to find this direction within themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders-are-assigned-to-explain-god-s/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [“If more of those who had set themselves to explain God’s ways through the years had devoted a greater portion of their energies to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-r-phillips/if-more-of-those-who-had-set-themselves-to-explain-god-s-ways-through/) [Michael R. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-r-phillips/) > [“Ask a believer to explain how their God could provide them a great parking spot at Wal-Mart; yet allow six million people to die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/ask-a-believer-to-explain-how-their-god-could-provide-them-a-great/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“Father, Son, and Holy Spirit remind us that there is always more of God than we know, always more of God than we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-r-steagald/father-son-and-holy-spirit-remind-us-that-there-is-always-more-of-god/) Thomas R. Steagald > [“like when he had tried to explain how this God of theirs was somehow three gods and one at the same time. It left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helene-wecker/like-when-he-had-tried-to-explain-how-this-god-of-theirs-was-somehow/) [Helene Wecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helene-wecker/) > [The beauty of religious mania is that it has the power to explain everything. Once God (or Satan) is accepted as the first cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-beauty-of-religious-mania-is-that-it-has-the-power-to-explain/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The beauty of religious mania is that it has the power to explain everything. Once God (or Satan) is accepted as the first cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-beauty-of-religious-mania-is-that-it-has-the-power-to-explain-2/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Oh the folly of any mind that would explain God before obeying Him! That would map out the character of God instead of crying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/oh-the-folly-of-any-mind-that-would-explain-god-before-obeying-him/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## More by Tullian Tchividjian > [Grace is upside-down, to-do-list wrecking, scandalous and way-too free. It's one-way love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/grace-is-upside-down-to-do-list-wrecking-scandalous-and-way-too-free/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [“There is but one good,” C. S. Lewis writes in The Great Divorce; “that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/there-is-but-one-good-c-s-lewis-writes-in-the-great-divorce-that-is/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [Once God saves us He doesn't move us beyond the gospel, but He moves us more deeply into the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/once-god-saves-us-he-doesn-t-move-us-beyond-the-gospel-but-he-moves/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [“An institution theoretically devoted to providing comfort to those in need (the church) is in trouble because it has embraced the same pressure cooker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/an-institution-theoretically-devoted-to-providing-comfort-to-those-in/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [A preacher who doesn't believe he's that bad will attract people who don't think they're that bad. And that's bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/a-preacher-who-doesn-t-believe-he-s-that-bad-will-attract-people-who/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [Our assurance is anchored in the love and grace of God expressed in the glorious exchange: our sin for His righteousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/our-assurance-is-anchored-in-the-love-and-grace-of-god-expressed-in/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [I think for far too long the Church has concluded that Christians don't need the gospel, it's simple what non-Christian people need in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/i-think-for-far-too-long-the-church-has-concluded-that-christians-don/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [While our sin reaches far, God's grace reaches farther. God came after us not to strip away our freedom but to strip away our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/while-our-sin-reaches-far-god-s-grace-reaches-farther-god-came-after/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [Jesus has done everything for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/jesus-has-done-everything-for-you/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [If you have suffered the loss of a family member to chronic disease, if you suffer debilitating seasons of depression, if you have lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/if-you-have-suffered-the-loss-of-a-family-member-to-chronic-disease/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [Sanctification consists of the daily realization that in Christ we have died, and in Christ we have been raised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/sanctification-consists-of-the-daily-realization-that-in-christ-we/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [The ironic thing about legalism is that it not only doesn't make people work harder, it makes them give up. Moralism doesn't produce morality;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/the-ironic-thing-about-legalism-is-that-it-not-only-doesn-t-make/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [The good news of suffering is that it brings us to the end of ourselves - a purpose it has certainly served in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/the-good-news-of-suffering-is-that-it-brings-us-to-the-end-of/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [The Gospel is not ultimately a defense from pain, it is the message of God's rescue through pain. In fact, it allows us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/the-gospel-is-not-ultimately-a-defense-from-pain-it-is-the-message-of/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [God is inviting you today to appropriately grieve your pains and losses and to acknowledge the world is seriously broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/god-is-inviting-you-today-to-appropriately-grieve-your-pains-and/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) [Explore all 292 Tullian Tchividjian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) ## More Agree quotes > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can't afford the risk of inaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/climate-change-poses-clear-catastrophic-threats-we-may-not-agree-on/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [Never be afraid of doing the thing you know in your heart is right, even if others don't agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/never-be-afraid-of-doing-the-thing-you-know-in-your-heart-is-right/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [People might not agree with me, but I think a woman should have a feminine shape, something you can get your hands on. You,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/people-might-not-agree-with-me-but-i-think-a-woman-should-have-a/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [But I would say if the Security Council is only relevant if it agrees with the United States, then we have come a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/but-i-would-say-if-the-security-council-is-only-relevant-if-it-agrees/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) > [We're never all going to agree with each other. We have to learn to value the diversity. It's one of the presumable principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/we-re-never-all-going-to-agree-with-each-other-we-have-to-learn-to/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [A contract is an ask game, and if it asks for an hour, and I submit to an hour, then it's an hour. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-berry/a-contract-is-an-ask-game-and-if-it-asks-for-an-hour-and-i-submit-to/) [Chuck Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-berry/) Browse all 3,079 Agree quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I agree we have enough books that attempt to explain why God allows suffering, presumably in a way that lets God off the hook. And while much smarter men than I have constructed elaborate systems in this pursuit, they are by definition exercises in speculation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tullian Tchividjian" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/i-agree-we-have-enough-books-that-attempt-to-explain-why-god-allows/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agree" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/i-agree-we-have-enough-books-that-attempt-to-explain-why-god-allows/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/466/tullian-tchividjian-1105_agree_i-agree-we-have-enough-books-that-attemp_1340557.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/466/tullian-tchividjian-1105_agree_i-agree-we-have-enough-books-that-attemp_1340557.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/466/tullian-tchividjian-1105_agree_i-agree-we-have-enough-books-that-attemp_1340557.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I agree we have enough books that attempt to explain why God allows suffering, presumably in a way that lets…” — Tullian Tchividjian", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tullian Tchividjian", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I agree we have enough books...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/i-agree-we-have-enough-books-that-attempt-to-explain-why-god-allows/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/i-agree-we-have-enough-books-that-attempt-to-explain-why-god-allows/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```