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We live in a world in which we are perpetually exposed to what William Shakespeare
described as the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. It is true that much suffering is
caused by accident and natural disaster and is therefore almost unavoidable. A drunken car driver
may kill or maim. Hurricanes and earthquakes leave a trail of death, injury and havoc. Some
steps may be taken to lessen the likelihood of this kind of suffering by imposing severe penalties
for drunken driving, or living, if possible, outside hurricane and earthquake centers, but the
innocent still suffer, and are likely to go on suffering.
Unmerited suffering has always perplexed philosophers, who can rarely say more than that
we live in an imperfect world. Religions supply explanations; God, or the gods, punish mankind
for breaking the divine law, and to some extent this is true. Abuse of alcohol, tobacco, drugs and
sex carries with it automatic retribution. Whether catastrophe is a direct form of retribution for
sin, imposed by a divine being or beings is very doubtful. What is quite evident is that we are
required to live in a world which is dangerous, and whatever protection from either natural or
man-made disaster we can find has to be made by ourselves. Some religions teach that there will
be an after-life in which all wrongs will be set right, and where the injustices of this life will
be redressed. This enables the faithful to put up with whatever misfortune comes their way in
the hope of better things to come. Suffering has to be faced by everybody, sooner or later, and
it is no use philosophing about divine impartiality. "God's rain falls on the just and the unjust",
says the Old Testament. Nearer the mark is this rather flippant rhyme;
The rain it raineth every day
Upon the just and unjust fella,
But mostly on the just, because
The unjust hath the just's umbrella".
The lessons of history are against the probability of abolishing suffering, yet that is the
ideal, the objective towards which all civilized human beings should work.
If selfishness and hatred could be replaced by unselfishness and love, this would go a long
way towards the alleviation of suffering. Ever since pre-history there have been wars, usually
caused either by pure aggression or by greed for fertile land or natural resources. Since 1945 war
has taken on a new and horrific dimension. Though nuclear bombs have been used only against
Japan, there is a proliferation of nuclear weapons, and recently there have been terrible examples
of the use of napalm, nerve gases, and chemical armaments. There is no need to enlarge on the
resultant suffering. And since all these armaments are universally available, and since the arms
trade virtually knows no boundaries, any real progress must lie in the direction of multi-lateral
disarmament and severe restriction on the arms trade. This can only be achieved by a move
towards the one-world concept and a heightened respect for the dignity and basic rights of the
individual.
The latter point raises the matter of political systems. Most civilized countries today are
governed democratically rather than autocratically. The democratization of much of Eastern
Europe is a real step forward. Gone are the secret police and the barbarous acts perpetrated
against the individual by the previous regimes. However, political oppression and brutality to
dissenters still exists in many parts of the world. It is to be hoped that the major powers will exert
such pressure that autocracies will finally be overthrown. With that overthrow could come an
end to torture and the physical and mental degradation which continues to scar the face of
humanity.
There are three final points. First, religious fanaticism, an age-old problem. Does God want
Holy Wars and the self-sacrifice of teenagers on the battlefield? Does God approve of hostage-taking, of the bombing of town centers or aircraft? There is one theme common to all true
religious belief; "Do unto others as you would they do unto you".
Second, the poverty of the third world . The wars waged by, and the cynicism shown by
many third-world leaders should be brought to an end, if necessary by force. International and
voluntary aid is often diverted to the purchase of arms and the feeding of troops.
Finally, the frailty of the human body itself. It is is true that God allows physical suffering
but has given man the intellect to alleviate or prevent it, then medical research must not be
hampered. Science is on the way to finding the cause, and therefore the elimination of cancer
and other inherited diseases. Genetic in vitro probes can also prevent the birth of handicapped
children. Research must be given the green light.
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