pain & suffering
all we know about suffering is that eastern religion says it is an illusion. other western religion says that God is up there and he has his reasons. but only Christianity has a God who himself came into the world of suffering. And if God, himself, has suffered, then he must have reasons for allowing it to continue that aren't a matter of remoteness and distance. He's been willing to come get involved with our suffering himself on the cross. Then whatever reasons there are, to continue to let suffering continue, he said two things; i've got reasons, i'll tell you why, but eventually I'm going to stop it. and to show you I'm not uncaring, i've been willing to get involved myself. so if God has himself experienced suffering, then he can be with you in the suffering. the secular/scientific world-view is, 'who cares, the strong eat the weak.' every other religion the view of suffering is less poignant.