...Testament Survey III 27 April 2010 Suffering Introduction Why do Christians suffer? Doesn’t God want us to have our best life now, which of course would have nothing to do with suffering? I’m afraid that this is not the case; in fact we as Christians are actually called to join Christ in His suffering. In this short paper we are going to look briefly at what suffering is and what is the purpose of Christian suffering, also the different types of suffering and what our response should be when we encounter it. Definition of Suffering “To feel or bear what is painful, disagreeable or distressing, either to the body or mind; to undergo. We suffer pain of body; we suffer grief of mind. The criminal suffers punishment; the sinner suffers the pangs of conscience in this life, and is condemned to suffer the wrath of an offended God. We often suffer wrong; we suffer abuse; we suffer injustice.” (Webster) Purposes of Suffering Trials are compared in first Peter to fire, and our faith to gold, the purpose of us undergoing various trials or suffering, is to prove whether our faith is genuine or not. Also it is in suffering, when we are in bad earthly circumstances that we are given the opportunity to show those around that our hope is not in this life, that we might be able to give them the explanation for the hope that we have, though we are suffering in the here and now. Types of Suffering There are many things which can cause suffering; many that everyone is subject to because...
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...Buddhism Suffering When Buddha preached, he preached a religion that was free from authority, ritual, religion along the lines of speculation, tradition, the supernatural, and he preached religion of intense self-effort. When it came down to original Buddhism, the religion was presented as being unique. It was characterized as empirical, scientific, pragmatic, therapeutic for which Buddha stated “One thing I teach, suffering and the end of suffering” (Houston Smith, page 68) psychological, egalitarian, and it was directed toward individuals. As Buddha preached, his discoveries became known as the Four Noble Truths. The First Noble Truth is that life is suffering. Another word for suffering that Buddha used was dukkha. Whatever life we may live, there is a part in which we do suffer. Buddha believed that it was normal to suffer in our lives, but it was not impossible to enjoy it. The Second Noble Truth answers the questions as to why do we suffer in our lives. There are many factors that can cause a person to suffer such as anger, attachment, ignorance, and tahna. Tahna refers to desire, it is a specific desire in which people crave material goods, pleasure, and others needs that can never really be fulfilled. When we want to have things that are out of our control then we begin to suffer and with that suffering other feelings may surface including jealousy, hate, and greed. The Third Noble Truth reveals that in order to end suffering you must overcome the Second Noble...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Pain and Suffering A PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR. JIM ZABLOSKI SEMI 500- B15 LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY BY Donald Clark LYNCHBURG, VA February 3, 2015 Contents Title Page……………………………………………………….1 Table of Contents………………………………………………2 Introduction…………………………………………………….3 History and Beliefs……………………………………………..4 The Logical Consistency and Moral Judgment of God………..5 Conclusion……………………………………………………...9 Bibliography……………………………………………………11 Introduction One of the most frequently asked questions in today’s society is “why do bad things happen to good people?” Why does God allow suffering and evil things to happen? These questions are central to a Christian’s faith. These questions have not gone unexplored in the cannon of Christian philosophy. Job, Augustine, C.S. Lewis, and others have all considered and contributed to an ongoing dialogue surrounding these issues. For some, the stories of personal sufferings, persecution, and martyrdom provide them a rallying point and as well as constant reminders of the pain Christ faced at the cross and what it took to pay the price for sin; while others suggest that suffering are character-building endeavors. One thing is sure: suffering is an important and ever present element of the Christian faith. Pain and suffering are controversial subjects encompassing all aspects of their meaning from whether God allows it?1 Does God bring it about? Who and what are the intended recipients...
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...Pain and Suffering The argument that is being disputed deals whether pain and suffering is truly evil or a necessary discomfort in order to achieve a greater relationship with our creator. There are three misconceptions that are used to argue that there cannot be a loving God. The first is that the very definition of loving is automatically related to making people happy and comfortable. This is argued through the very fact that the greatest act of love, Jesus’ crucifixion, brought immense anguish to Jesus, but he welcomed the pain as he knew that eternity along his father and saving us from sin would be worth it. This leads to the second false assumption that states that the events that occur in this lifetime will be greater than our eternal life. This premise dictates that all of our suffering will be worthless if we do not truly believe that there is a God since our eternal life will be lost. The third and final false assumption is that we are able to understand the world through God’s perspective. With no doubt this assumption is incredibly flawed as we are simple humans unable to comprehend on the same level as our God. This is exemplified by the fine example of a bear with a leg caught in a bear trap. A bear-lover who tries to free it will, with no doubt, cause it more pain, but the bear-lover means no harm and knows that the only way to free it is to shoot it with tranquilizers. We are the bear: unintelligent, fearful, and curious as to why someone would cause us more...
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...Suffering and Compassion No one anticipates whether something good or something bad will happen to them. People hope to find the answers to these questions and to relinquish their heart ache that has been given to them, so people look for answers where they cannot be found. Some believe that it is a simple act of nature, luck, and even the power of God that causes pain even though the reason of these occurrences that happen to us cannot be known. When Bad Things Happen to Good People is a book in which the author Harold S. Kushner asks the question: why God? When his son is diagnosed with a degenerative disease Kushner cannot understand why such an act of pain is happening to him and his family: “People try to make sense of the world suffering by assuming that we deserve what we get. That our misfortunes come as punishment for our sins” (Kushner, 1995, 12) can this statement make sense? How can it? Kusher is a rabbi, and helps others through their difficult times, listening to people confess the pain that they are feeling. Kusher is one of God's holy followers, so how can this statement explain the loss of his son and the feeling of emptiness in his heart that may never be filled. Spiritually, one would like to believe that religion can be a form of comfort in a situation of suffering, but questions emerge, such as how can there be a kind and loving God who is responsible for the bad things that happen to people. This forces us to question the power of God. (Kushner 1995, 34)...
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...History is filled with periods of great suffering and change. The novel Fever 1793 recounts the events of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia through a fictional perspective. In the novel, a young teenager named Matilda Cook (“Mattie”) feels the threatening press of the epidemic as her family and their coffeehouse is endangered. Mattie experiences great suffering both through the physical pain of her and those around her and through the complex emotions that drive the plot and set the book’s entire atmosphere. Immediately the reader can see that the story will include much physical suffering. The book’s premise revolves around a terrifying outbreak of disease. Mattie’s friend, a worker at the coffeehouse, is found to be dead within the first few pages. Thousands die from the yellow fever, and those not dead have either fled from town or are starving and struggling to survive. To illustrate, when Mattie returns from Philadelphia she finds “A small child cowered in the corner, her blonde hair loose and tangled, her feet bare and black with dirt. She was sucking her thumb and keening to...
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...Why Does God Allow Suffering? by David C. Pack ------------------------------------------------- The world is filled with suffering of every kind. Countless millions know little else. Yet God allows it. Why has He not stopped the terrible suffering that afflicts so many? Is there a REASON God has not intervened? Does suffering have a great unseen PURPOSEthat can be understood? Take a long look around the world. Enormous numbers of people are suffering everywhere for every kind of reason. Every day, 200,000 people starve to death—and this is after weeks or months of horrible suffering. Such suffering is not limited to physical pain, but includes psychological and mental anguish of parents often having to watch their children die in their arms. Starvation is so awful that death is actually a blessed relief. Why doesn’t God stop this? Even more people die each day from disease. The very word disease means people are not “at ease.” As you read this article, untold trauma, pain and suffering, due to crippling conditions, infections and disease of every sort, are occurring around the world. Just in Africa, children are orphaned by the millions every year, due to AIDS alone. Why isn’t God intervening? The prophet Daniel spoke of “the TIME OF THE END.” The apostle Peter said, “there shall come in the LAST DAYS scoffers.” Paul said, “In the LAST DAYS perilous times shall come.”… Order Now Now consider poverty, which affects one-third of all people on earth. The lack of...
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...Every man at one time or another, will go through some kind of suffering; it is simply part of being human. We will all experience trials, and it is my understanding, that you are enduring yours. In the beginning you were blessed with so much, and as if in the blink of an eye, all of your possessions were taken away, along with your good health. Even your offspring are gone, and the people whom once looked up to you have begun to run from you. In your own misery, you wish for this life no more. As everyone does in when feeling or seeing affliction, you must be wondering where God is, why this is happening, and how anything good could ever come out of this. Anytime a trouble strikes, it is often thought that God has left us to struggle alone. We wonder where he is in our darkest moments. This is the time when we need Him the most, and often the time when we feel Him the least. Sometimes we get the impression that He has left us, but this is a mistake. Many people feel alone in their affliction, but the truth is, God never left them. Perhaps, one would think that God is with you now more than ever. In Isaiah 40:29 it is said, “He...
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...Act Honestly, the “Is That So” koan is somewhat disturbing. However, it certainly does provoke thought and contemplation. I think the main message is that suffering is sometimes inevitable, and no matter how bad the moment seems, it is only temporary. Some Zen advocates believe that suffering is caused by delusion. Of course, this sounds idealistic, and again you could be wondering how this koan applies to business. The truth about suffering is that no matter how uncomfortable something is, the moment will pass. Accepting deficiencies, allowing for corrections, and enhancements is facing reality. However, when changing patterns, correcting bad habits, or implementing a new objective, it is always uncomfortable until the new routine is...
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...In Pamela Cooper-White's chapter Suffering, she puts out all the big question in discovering what and how suffering pans out in the context of theology. Because according to Pamela, "Suffering is the starting point of all pastoral and practical theology". For the sound of the word literally directs to an inhalation full of pain, suffering means pain, anguish in all possible senses. But suffer is not a phenomenon. As it is said that "suffering is the meaning that we make, or attempt to make of our pain" (Cassell 1991; Sulmacy 1999). Pain, therefore, is always tranformed into suffering in our mind for that it has its own 'holistic meaning' as we try to make sense of pain. Yet a suppression of this process may lead to serious complications and...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Pain and Suffering: A Catalyst for Faith Submitted to Dr. Donald Clark, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the completion of this course. SEMI 500-B25 LUO Introduction to Seminary Studies by Randy Boyd September 28, 2014 Contents Introduction 1 Part 1. How Can Pain and Suffering be Necessary? 2 Chapter 1. Where pain comes from. 2 Chapter 2. Why pain and suffering are necessary. 3 Part 2. How Can We Respond to Pain and Suffering? 4 Chapter 3. Walking Through Pain and Suffering. 5 Chapter 4. Avoiding Pain and Suffering 6 Part 3. How Can Pain and Suffering Build Faith? 7 Chapter 5. Satan Uses Pain and Suffering to Create Doubt. 8 Chapter 6. God Uses Pain and Suffering to Build Faith. 8 Conclusion ...
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...Throughout Luther’s treatment of the psalms, one can see that for Luther there is a relationship between the trial that one faces and suffering. This is to say that Luther understands that God puts the Christian to test to measure the depths of faith and to produce greater faith. In this way, God is seen as having control over one’s suffering/affliction that is experienced in one’s soul over salvation. As early as Psalm two in the Dictata Luther, referencing Isaiah, writes, “For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In a moment of overflowing wrath I hid my face from you, but with everlasting mercy I have had compassion on you.”’ Luther continues to explain through the use of 1 Peter 1:16 and 2 Corinthians 4:17 that the saints, although must suffer various trails, are only as a means to prepare one for “an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” Moreover, Luther states that the former is a word of “comfort for those who are in suffering, just as it is an educating and teaching word for the “kings” to know, namely, that “it was necessary for Christ [and Christians] to suffer and so enter into His glory.” For Luther this only takes place in the saints, that is those who are spiritual for they are the...
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...“Can God Allow Innocent Suffering” Most of us wonder why things happen to us the way they do. We base what happens around our beliefs and values. Some people consider things such as natural disasters or a loved one dying being innocent suffering. This question is debated between whether it can be accepted or there isn’t anything causing or stopping it from happening in the first place. So the question is, can God allow innocent suffering. The Contradictor discusses that there isn’t a God at all. People will do their best to explain why their beliefs are true. In all reality, facts are facts and unless people are able to support their reasons then the facts will always override the opinions. People are always going through something, whether it be personal or happening to many. People do stupid things like school shootings and innocent children suffer. Fires break out and kill an innocent family in the middle of the night. Hurricanes that cover the area of more the three states causes thousands to loose their homes and personal belongings, have no way to get shelter and are starving. Do these people deserve to be put through all of this and later in life to only look at it like it was a tragedy. The question is why people suffer. If there is a God, why would these bad things happen to innocent people. Its obvious that God can do what he wants and if he wants to eliminate it (and why would he not?), then why do people still go through these tragedies? If we are capable of doing...
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...Job and Gilgamesh: A Comparison of Inevitable Suffering It has been said that pain is inevitable but suffering is optional. But is it? When looking at extraordinary pieces of literature such as the biblical Book of Job and the Epic of Gilgamesh, describing such physical and emotional pain and the mental and spiritual suffering that the main characters endured, it tells us that their suffering was just as inevitable as their pain. However, the two men dealt very differently with the tragedies lived and their consequences; and that made all the difference in their trajectory. What differentiated their suffering was the simple fact of being able to accept their humanity. In a world controlled by gods and goddesses, humans, regardless of their efforts, cannot earn, or even justify their existence. Job understood and submitted himself to that fact, while Gilgamesh resisted it. How often the words “I’m only human” are used are used to describe someone’s lack of control or ability? That is because most people understand that as humans, they are inclined to have restriction on what they can or cannot do, they are inclined to feel pain and are allowed to suffer because of it, even the fictional human heroes, gifted with supernatural powers, do. It is a condition of human life, as are the losses, weaknesses and conflicts. But along with humanity comes limitations to understanding and reason, and where reason stops and what seems inexplicable begins is also where the human mind...
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...A woman is diagnosed with cancer. A young boy loses his family from a car accident. Steven is stoned to death for professing his belief. (The Holy Bible, NIV 2004, Acts 7) Job loses all of his possessions and family. (Job 1-42) Every day, everyone is faced with suffering and pain. This causes humans to constantly ponder the question, “why would a loving God allow suffering?” While on this earth, whether it be by trials, tribulation, or persecution, suffering afflicts everyone; however, God has a plan and will ultimately balance the books. (Schaeffer) While God will justify all in the end, He nevertheless has a purpose for the current sufferings of man. For example, God sometimes will allow one to suffer as punishment for a specific...
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