One of the reasons for the gift of The Urantia Book is that there is a clear misunderstanding of God throughout all religions and theologies.

Everything that Jesus tried to instill in his apostles and believers was replaced by superstition and tradition very soon after he was made politically correct by the Roman Emperor, Paul’s Christian re-working of Mithraism and Judaism put God in control of all things, and made God to be a stern judge who demanded his son’s death.

Nowadays, although heaven and hell are thought to be largely fantasy realms, it is assumed that there is a God somewhere. It is assumed that God is in control of everything, and that God is to blame for everything, therefore, good luck and bad luck depend upon God’s favor; those who perish in massive disasters were not under God’s protection at that time. Therefore, as a primitive tribe of superstitious half-hearted believers, whenever major tragedy strikes, God gets the blame.

Here is a wonderful part of The Urantia Book that may help partially explain the value of trial, suffering, and even evil. You may begin reading here: (148:5.1) to learn what Jesus had to say about this subject.

Further, we have this inspiring section that will help you reframe these trials:

All evolutionary creature life is beset by certain inevitabilities. Consider the following:

Is courage–strength of character–desirable? Then must man be reared in an environment which necessitates grappling with hardships and reacting to disappointments.

Is altruism–service of one’s fellows–desirable? Then must life experience provide for encountering situations of social inequality.

Is hope–the grandeur of trust–desirable?Then human existence must constantly be confronted with insecurities and recurrent uncertainties.

Is faith–the supreme assertion of human thought–desirable? Then must the mind of man find itself in that troublesome predicament where it ever knows less than it can believe.

Is the love of truth and the willingness to go wherever it leads, desirable? Then must man grow up in a world where error is present and falsehood always possible.

Is idealism–the approaching concept of the divine–desirable? Then must man struggle in an environment of relative goodness and beauty, surroundings stimulative of the irrepressible reach for better things.

Is loyalty—devotion to highest duty–desirable? Then must man carry on amid the possibilities of betrayal and desertion. The valor of devotion to duty consists in the implied danger of default.

Is unselfishness–the spirit of self-forgetfulness–desirable? Then must mortal man live face to face with the incessant clamoring of an inescapable self for recognition and honor. Man could not dynamically choose the divine life if there were no self-life to forsake.

The Urantia Book, Page 51, (3:5.5)

It is difficult to formulate theology that is appealing concerning a loving and forgiving heavenly Father. The preferred method is to provide rules by which one can bribe one’s way into heaven, or at least avoid the tortures of hell. And, as long as God is seen as angry, jealous, judgmental, and all too human, people are being frightened into specious belief as a survival technique.

In the last analysis, man himself is the one who “permits” sin, and who promotes evil. God has provided us with free will for a reason; we have the choice of how to act and what to choose. And the choices are pretty clear most of the time, if we are honest with ourselves…choosing good is as good a habit as choosing evil. And when we make goodness our choice at all times, we are following God’s will, which is ONLY goodness.

Thanks so much for this important question…