Question: “Why would God let small children suffer before dying, such as the child burn unit victims?”

Answer: No one knows the secret councils of God. God always has a purpose, but that purpose is not always apparent to us. Scripture says that God does not willingly, or from the heart, bring affliction or grief to the sons of men, Lam. 3:33. God does not waste suffering, and we may conclude that He uses it only to the extent He considers necessary to accomplish His purposes. We can surmise that perhaps He wants to stir up compassion in human hearts or perhaps show the fragility of this life, or even to remind us that all human suffering is rooted in the introduction and perpetuation of sin in the world, though not necessarily the sin of the one who suffers. But in the last analysis, we do not know. Suffering exists and God chooses to allow it when and where it does. God endured His own pain of watching His Son suffer and die innocently, but He knew the purpose. Ultimately, we must trust God and act as we believe God would have us to act; that is all we can do.

Question: “Is cloning right? (humans, sheep, etc.)

Answer: Of course, the Bible does not address this question because cloning was unknown until recent times. The secrets of life belong to God who created life, but if He deigns to reveal some of these secrets to men, then with that revelation comes the responsibility to act wisely and righteously. The use of cloning could be used for either good or evil. No one has the basis to say it is wrong in itself, but we can say that we shall be held accountable with what we do with this knowledge.