The Problem of Animal Suffering

Animal suffering raises profound questions in debates about the existence of God, particularly regarding the relationship between a benevolent deity and the cruelty observed in nature. Instances such as a deer dying slowly from starvation or being killed by a predator highlight the suffering that occurs without any human intervention or moral choice. This suffering challenges the concept of a wholly good and all-powerful God, creating a tension between observable cruelty and the belief in divine goodness. The argument posits that such suffering presents a major difficulty for theistic beliefs, introducing the question of how a benevolent God could allow such pain to exist in the world.