Sick of God Letting Me Suffer

[ethereality]

Alphonse Ratisbonne was a Jewish atheist critic of the Church who on a dare wore the Miraculous Medal and prayed a Marian prayer and was miraculously given the gift of faith. He was a famous conversion.

Well, I’ve prayed for faith I don’t know how many times … It’s becoming one of my daily prayers, which I think is absurd (i.e. evidence of mental fixation rather than authentic spirituality). You think if I get one of these medals and pray to Mary that it’ll help? I’ve tried praying the Rosary, I’ve tried praying to Mary (and other saints, and to dead relatives) and none of it “seems to be working”.

And what am I supposed to think (being surrounded by Protestantism) hearing that Jesus has “freed me from my sin” at Baptism, yet continue to commit grave sins, despite trying as hard as I can? It’s getting to the point where I’m beginning to feel not responsible for my sins, or that God has not been true to his word about “not tempting us beyond our ability to cope”. I’m also reading Be A Man! by Fr. Larry Richards and trying his approach of “Stop trying and get out of the way and let God do it”, which really seems like empty rhetoric. I’m really just in a bad mood right now and want to lash out, like an animal in pain.

 

[Daegus]

Of all the gods that exist Jesus alone rewards his followers by taking away the good and granting them more suffering. This is done so the follower will love him more than anything else, if he sees anything that comes close he will destroy it.

He is a rather jealous and possessive deity.

What a horrendous straw man argument.

 

[ethereality]

I think it would be helpful to consider the Incarnation. Suffering is hard, everyone will admit that. However, Christianity is unique in that it reveals a God who shares in our sufferings, a God who became man, willfully subjecting himself to all of the hardships of this life, except for sin. No matter how bad things get, take consolation in the fact that our God is not a distant, uncaring, aloof God. Rather, He is a God who has traveled through this veil of tears Himself.

Well, as I said, it seems to me that it’s possible that God could simply enjoy suffering, and be malicious and lie to us and become man just to experience the suffering he puts us through. Part of me wants to cry out against these ideas, “No, from the devil, that’s blasphemy, don’t even put that in writing”, but if we’re made in the image of God (i.e. blessed or cursed with reason) then we should use it to reason one way or another through this hypothesis … I’m struggling with nihilism; if God is malicious and enjoys suffering, then one might as well cease using reason in order to spite God. This conclusion is self-mocking, though, since one must use reason to come to it, and yet it is somehow fitting within the framework of nihilism to mock oneself: “If the universe mocks me, then I might as well mock myself, too.” It is, as your link talks about, a theology of despair. I feel unable to “connect to” or “relate with” the God of Christianity (or the God of Abraham) – I see Jesus on the cross and my thought is not, “Wow, so that’s how much God loves me.” My thoughts are, “Why must love be painful?” and “Why would God make anyone go through this?” I have a hard time explaining the doctrine that it is better to exist than not to exist, except posit that it begs the question (i.e. assumes from the beginning that everything that exists is good, as God says in Genesis).

I think that this article would be helpful: examiner.com/young-catholic-in-san-jose/part-ii-our-lady-of-guadalupe-and-the-pro-life-movement-by-fr-frank-pavone-priests-for-life

It is difficult for me to believe in the Resurrection, because God is so distant from me and my life is so difficult. Why can’t I die after leaving the Confession booth? (I suppose I am depressed and lonely.) Why has it been almost 2000 years and still no Return of Jesus? Is God waiting for us to destroy the earth?

I would also recommend going to Adoration if at all possible. Meditate on the fact that God is right there, with you. He has not left you alone. He has not abandoned you.

Back in Tennessee, my church had 24/7 Eucharistic Adoration. I tried going a few times, but it was hard trying to spend time with what looked like a piece of bread, talking to what appeared to be a piece of bread – it felt like only self-hypnosis and delusion. Was it peaceful? It could be, with the right mentality, but I get that sense of peace walking into any psychologist’s office – warm light, quiet room; more properly attributed to those physical aspects than to “the presence of God”. But it required 15 minutes of driving each way, again surrounded by Protestants saying “just spend time with God in your bedroom”, raising the question, if God is not confined to that chapel, then why go to it, except as a visual aid to prayer? The good Catholic will reply, “Who wouldn’t want Jesus sitting in the same room with them?!” To which the onlooker replies, “I don’t see Jesus. I see [what looks like] a wafer.” … which leads us back to the question, Why would God give us reason and then morally oblige us to believe such abnormal things?

Here in Pennsylvania, they keep the churches locked – a great way to invite one into communion with God, hm? (It’s okay – everyone keeps their own house doors locked, too.) I can spend time with Eucharistic Jesus on a Friday afternoon, if I skip work (graduate school), or on Sunday, if I can ignore the people talking in the Sanctuary after or before Mass… The entire situation sounds absurd.

Suffering is never easy. But, suffering alone is infinitely harder. You do not suffer alone.

I think suffering necessitates being alone. Whenever I can feel the presence of another person, I’m not feeling my suffering. Vice versa, whenever I suffer (have a headache, etc) I am distracted from noticing others (and am alone). I think suffering is inherently a self-centered process. Biologically, it’s the body demanding the attention of the mind, and so on – suffering draws us away from others. C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters say much the same, reflecting on the notion that “Misery loves company” – the idea (what Lewis often says about hell) is that everyone is alone together, i.e. they can be sitting right next to each other but remain isolated from each other. We see that in all vices, dramatically in pornography, how it causes us to withdraw into ourselves.

(part 1/2)

 

[ethereality]

(part 2/2)

I feel that I’m ranting. I’m hurting and so I’m withdrawing into myself (I’m typing this into a computer screen, so it doesn’t feel like I’m saying it to you) – I do feel alone, or perhaps I want to feel alone, because I dislike myself so much, and don’t want to suppose that anyone else is in my situation (perhaps this is also a matter of pride).

Again, you do not suffer alone.

It is a thought-provoking comment, you insisting that I am not, in fact, suffering alone. (You are correct, that isolation intensifies suffering, as anyone who’s experienced it knows.) Reminds me of a priest telling me that when I sin against myself, I do offend God (or “hurt God’s feelings]”) because God loves me and hates to see me hurt myself. But it must be incorrect to say that God suffers, since God is perfect and hence cannot suffer? And how can the saints in heaven be suffering on my behalf, being in heaven where there is no suffering? And how can those in purgatory be suffering on my behalf, except that I am hurting them by not praying for them? And how can anyone else be suffering with me, as I have no close friends, except parents who “wish to see me do well”, apparently loving me with some unknowably parental dedication (to which I am largely numb)…

That is part of my suffering, a deep, empty numbness or listlessness; I suppose it is a classic sign of (clinical?) depression (in addition to how long it’s lasted) … I feel trapped between a rock and a hard place: I feel that God’s not making good on his promises, and our secular world is too corrupt to live in; hence I have nowhere to turn.

P.S. Thanks everyone for your interests and posts. I recognize how frustrating and annoying it is to try to help someone and all he does is mope. (That is one of my many problems, about disliking my behavior, trying to change it, and feeling success in change to be hopeless.)

 

[Waiting]

It sounds like you’ve reached a point where you have spent too much time on introspection. It is time to stop all this deep thinking that just increases your suffering, and just put yourself in Mary’s care. Just turn it all over to her and let her comfort you. God bless.

 

[Jeffgo]

You mention that you are able to get your mind off of your suffering when you’re around other people. You may well already be doing this, and if you are, please don’t take offense, but it may be really helpful to invest some time in some sort of charitable work–a soup kitchen, a crisis pregnancy center, etc. It could really help you take your mind off of your suffering.

Also, remember that we are called to offer up our sufferings as a way to share in Christ’s redemptive work.

It may be hard to understand a lot of what the Church teaches, especially in regards to suffering, but remember, faith is a mystery. There are going to be things that we will not understand.

 

[Edward_H]

Yes, agree on the introspection point. Becomes a self-ish act quite easily and unnoticeably.

The devil wants us focused on ourself, exclusively. Rule 1.

And God’s rule 1 is to love Him with all our hearts, mind, soul, strength and to love others too.

That’s the power of love…when we self-empty, quietly, generously, cheerfully (with God, for God) and for the love of others - it’s like a super-powerful balm for our soul.

My recommendation would be to find a ministry where they bag lunches for the homeless every Saturday. And go and give yourself away with great abandonment. And as you work talk to our Lord and offer him each act of love…adoring Him, thanking Him, beseeching Him.

God bless.

 

[Pieman333272]

Well Ethereality, I honestly don’t know what to say. I’ve always been into the intellectual side of defending the Church, not the emotional/spiritual struggle we all sometimes face in the Church. But hear me out, and I’ll probably bounce around a lot. I’m keeping the focus on your 1st post, too.

Now, you mention that God only came down to experience suffering himself. That is, in technicality, true, but not because he liked suffering - it’s because he wanted to be on the same level as his creation - to suffer and die as we do. Of course you’ve heard this 10^900 times before, but I think if you really reflect on this, you see God’s love in it all. In terms of evidence, the evidence suggests that God didn’t want to suffer himself either, as otherwise the Agony in the Garden probably would have gone differently (though one could argue that was his human nature, but that creates problems for your argument still).

OK, so now evil in the world. I worked hard, through this one, myself. In the end, I just realized something - whether God caused it or not, God is really the answer to his own problem - God will, I believe, justify - those who suffer will enter a place of no pain. Those who cause suffering will be removed from God. It’s really quite simple, IMO.

As for the little “answered prayers” bit, I think I’ll return to your “locked out in the rain” analogy. You could say the little experience, the answered prayers, the joy God gives us in this life are like an awning - an awning controlled from the indoors, for some reason. Oh, and when the awning comes out, there’s a heat lamp which radiates onto you! Yeah! Wouldn’t it be a little easier to get through a night of rain when you spend 5 minutes under the awning? Maybe not much, but maybe just enough to get you through the night…

Historicity of Jesus… my favorite. You are right - we have to take the resurrection on faith. But we don’t have to take the evidence for it on faith. What evidence might that be? Paul’s conversion and rapid shift of gears in theology immediately come to mind. Circumstantial, maybe, but enough for some people. Others have recommended books, I won’t list any here to focus on the OP but you can PM me for books on the topic.

So, why doesn’t God answer you for worshiping? I don’t know. He has, however, done the same for me. Sure, I feel joy, and know God exists, and know he is present, but I’ve never had what one would call a “feeling of God”. But maybe that peace of mind is my knowledge of his presence - the peace of mind that God does exist, and will make things right in the end.

To conclude, what do I think you should do? Just keep sticking to God. Don’t give up. To return to the analogy, just wait, and keep talking through the window. Even if he doesn’t reply. But don’t burn down the house, either. I mean, honestly, if I were fed up with the suffering in my life, atheism would be my last option. Who honestly wants to believe that nothing’s coming next to make it up, we have no purpose whatsoever, and nobody in the entire earth truly loves us?

 

[catharina]

ethereality -
It helps me to listen to St. Peter.
He was a simple regular man, a faithful Jew, a husband, maybe a father too, a fisherman.
Then he met Jesus - and everything changed.

**1 Peter
Chapter 3

17  For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.**

I've always thought that above means:  we're ALL gonna' suffer.  It's a fact.  That's life.

**1 Peter
Chapter 2

20 But what credit is there if you are patient when beaten for doing wrong? But if you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered 10 for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. **

… and suffering for GOOD, for one’s faith, to be faithful … That is a GOOD.

 

[timotheos]

My point is that I’m tired of suffering in such an evil society, but God won’t let me escape. So rather than a loving Father, God seems to enjoy watching me suffer, and any successes appear in spite of God, or else because he wants to prolong my life so I might suffer more.

Hello Brother. I walk with you.

You and me, we are one day closer to our judgement day. Jesus didn’t rise from the dead to give us easy lives like I had really hoped, he walked in agony to Calvary to show us that this is the way, whether we think we want it or not.

My experience on this earth is like yours, but my experience also says there is no other way. Some things, even things you can’t see or touch, even things that are hard at times to believe, are just worth suffering and dying for. End of story.

Let’s take another step or two, you and me, and call it a night. Start again tomorrow, you and me. I won’t leave you, ever. And don’t you leave me, ever.

 

[ethereality]

Some good stuff here (I haven’t read it all, yet); thanks.

timotheos, sounds like a plan.

 

[Bohm_Bawerk]

Sorry for the rambling and harsh nature of this post. I’m seeking your help and don’t know how else to say it except to just “spit it out” as best I can. (There isn’t a very clean way to vomit, in a manner of speaking…)

I’ve been suffering for a while now. I’m sick of praying to an absent God, I’m sick of Christian doctrine that is not understandable, I’m sick of the suffering. I don’t know what to think, except that God not existing seems to “fit the data” just as well as the Christian doctrine of a God who lets his followers suffer, or actually causes them to suffer more – a theology of the God of Abraham being malicious fits the experiential data we have as well, does it not? Fr. Serpa likes to refer people to the Lord’s Passion, to Good Friday, to “learn how much God loves us”, but we can also conclude from it that God loves suffering so much that he became Man just to experience it for himself. All of God’s blessings, happy circumstances we like to call “answered prayer”, then, are just temporary reprieves to let the torture victim recover a bit, to prolong his life so God can “squeeze more suffering” out of him.

I’m sick of this life; I’m sick of living in an evil world, isolated from both God and man. My relationships with both appear to be “all in my head” – priests say sometimes in Confession that “the reality is there, God is there, regardless of how you feel”, but such an invisible reality contradicts how God has made us, as physical, experiential beings. Our reality is experienced, not “thought”, and God seems more in the realm of imagination than in experience – again, see how random suffering and blessing is; there appears no correlation between being a good Christian and having a good life; it all seems a mental game, going to Mass on Sunday to encourage one to live another week on this miserable planet.

So I try to study history, right? That’s Christianity’s “big claim to truth”, is that Jesus really existed, really taught and healed, really was murdered and really rose from the dead. The event happened so far ago, evidence so far removed, that it is impossible to know it with certainty. We’re not even sure where the writings in the Bible came from (except perhaps the Torah and Moses?).

Miracles happen, right? Like Our Lady of Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun? I’m still trying to find evidence and reliable accounts of them, and so far it’s been sketchy, at best. The first healing of Sr. Faustina Kowalska, of a woman with a missing leg healed of lymphoma, appears coincidental – I’m not convinced that she’s been healed, or that natural processes didn’t do it – and the account only underscores the lack of mercy of God, for this woman and her husband to have such a miserable life. If God were merciful, we would be spared of evil like this couple had to go through (health and financial problems).

The Miracle of the Sun is likewise frustrating: Why would God reveal such things only to a few? Why would a remarkable feat not be better documented, received more worldwide attention? The story does not seem different from UFO sightings. And if it is true, then it only underscores that Mary wants us all to be miserable on behalf of those causing our misery. Again, nothing to life except to suffer and die for a God whom we apparently must imagine to experience.

I suppose I’m angry, bitter, hurt and resentful at God. Such strong emotions make it difficult to think logically, or to be open-minded. Regarding a child who has his feelings hurt and is close to crying, I suppose I need comfort, hugs, but there is no comfort for me. I feel that I’ve gotten all the help there is; found every explanation there is; received the Sacraments; lived according to the Church teachings (and done what I could to help the poor); tithed and prayed; Nothing. God does not speak to me; I feel I survive in spite of God; God is absent, and I remain miserable on melancholy, happiness brief and fleeting.

And so what do I do? Live one day at a time, trying to be the best Catholic I can be because I want God to exist, but I am left bitter and hurt, because I am miserable and God has left me standing outside in the rain. I’m tired of the rain. I want to go inside … As a kind of analogy, I feel like God’s thrown me out of his house (heaven) and has locked me outside at night in a thunderstorm (evil Earth) and won’t let me back in. Clearly, I can’t smash a window and try to get back in by force (suicide); I could try seeking shelter in other ways, like taking drugs so the thunderstorm isn’t as bad (secular hedonism), knocking on the door of Pride (I’ll follow any agreeable temptation) or of Islam (their theology may not be rooted in history, but at least it’s intelligible, unlike Christianity; might as well go with one more pleasing if neither is rooted in reality) …

My point is that I’m tired of suffering in such an evil society, but God won’t let me escape. So rather than a loving Father, God seems to enjoy watching me suffer, and any successes appear in spite of God, or else because he wants to prolong my life so I might suffer more.

I share your sentiments exactly. I have literally had it with being in this predicament and praying to a God that has decided to ignore my prayers. I have been praying over the course of 6 months, and nothing substantial has happened. Not one thing. I’ve prayed the rosary, tried different novenas, done everyhting in the book, yet to no avail. It is going to come to a point one day when I’ll just become a Deist altogether. I’m glad someone else out there has the same feelings as I do!

Thank you,
Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk

 

[Adonia]

All your complaints are quite valid. We all go through the things of this life. There is nothing any of us can personally do about it. As christians we have the example of Christ to aid us. Besides, where can you go - you’re stuck here just like the rest of us. I believe that after we pass on all this mess down here will make perfect sense. By the grace of God my life was saved the other day. My tractor trailer truck caught fire while I was sleeping and it was one thing after another that put the cop there to wake me. The day before I had been mad at God because of all that is going wrong in my life, but that night before bed I said my sincere prayers, apologizing to God for being mad at Him, and asking anew for His help in my life. That night He did! I guess that there are some things yet for me to accomplish. Hang in there! We are all in the same boat.

 

[Waiting]

I share your sentiments exactly. I have literally had it with being in this predicament and praying to a God that has decided to ignore my prayers. I have been praying over the course of 6 months, and nothing substantial has happened. Not one thing. I’ve prayed the rosary, tried different novenas, done everyhting in the book, yet to no avail. It is going to come to a point one day when I’ll just become a Deist altogether. I’m glad someone else out there has the same feelings as I do!

Thank you,
Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk

I’m sorry for your problems, but you’re putting God on a timeline, your timeline – do it in six months or I quit. St. Monica could give you a lesson in waiting for God’s answer. I, too, along with most people, have prayed and prayed for what I know, and God knows, is a noble, unselfish cause. There has been no indication of movement on God’s part or the person I’m praying for. However, there is no way that I will ever tell God that He’s being impossible with me. He is doing things in HIS time, and much as I’m eager for my prayers to be in my accord, I will wait without complaint. If God doesn’t know what’s best, who am I to say that I know? Try to understand that God is a loving God. I don’t know why He’s not answeriing you as you feel He should, but HE knows, and that’s good enough for me.

 

[The_Old_Medic]

I have severe pain every day of my life. I have had severe pain for over 20 years now, and not one day has gone by that I do not have to take strong narcotic medications to keep it under some degree of control (it is never completely gone). I have extensive Psoriatic Arthritis, I have residuals from being wounded in Vietnam and I have two compression fractures in my spine (both causing the loss of over 50% of the height of the vertebrae, and impacting nerve roots).

I do not blame God for my pain. God did not give me the pain, all he wants me to do is to use my mind and body as best Ican to serve him.

I try my best to do that. I sing with the Choir, I am a Eucharistic Minister, I volunteer in the Church Office. I am a member of our Diocesean Committee on the Disabled (I am a retired Rehabilitation Counselor). I sometimes Lector.

I am also active with the Knights of Columbus, calling Bingo games once a month, being in charge of Bingo on another night (income from our Bingo games allows us to make tens of thousands of dollars in Charitable donations each year), serving as an officer in both the 3rd and 4th Degree, working in the kitchen for our “Right to Life Dinners”, etc. I am in charge of our semi-annual Blood Drives, I also send out cards almost every week on behalf of the Knights to all of our sick, disabled or grieving members and members of their families.

I also have a severely disabled wife, who has to use a power wheelchair. So, I drive her to a lot of her medical appointments, take care of her when she is sick, etc.

This is not to toot my own horn. I do not do any more than a LOT of others that have physical problems, mental problems or both.

You have a choice. I have a choice. We ALL have choices in our lives, no matter how much pain we may have, how disabled we may be, etc.

If I stay in bed all day, I hurt. If I get up and sit in a chair all day, I hurt. I will also get bored out of my mind, and that tends to make me morose, gets me depressed and makes my pain worse. No matter what I do, I WILL have a significant amount of pain every day. The ONLY way I could stop that would be to kill myself, and i am not about to even consider doing that.

I choose to get on with life. I still hurt, but I find that doing things for others distracts me from my pain. If I can laugh with people, my pain lessens. If i get busy helping others, I don’t notice my own pain so much. I enjoy life a lot more, being able to go out and do what i can to make this a better world.

It also allows me to serve God in the ways that I can.

You also have a choice. You can blame God (he is not to blame, but its so easy to fault Him), you can wallow in bitterness, you can stew in your own failures.

Or, you can CHOOSE to get on with life in spite of the difficulties. The Devil is very real, and he just loves to find someone that is bitter, in pain and to take advantage of that.

What you make of your life is largely up to you. You can choose to continue to be angry and non-productive, or you can use that pain in a constructive manner to help others (and you WILL help yourself in the process).

I hope you will make the choice a positive one.

 

[catharina]

I have severe pain every day of my life. I have had severe pain for over 20 years now, and not one day has gone by that I do not have to take strong narcotic medications to keep it under some degree of control (it is never completely gone). I have extensive Psoriatic Arthritis, I have residuals from being wounded in Vietnam and I have two compression fractures in my spine (both causing the loss of over 50% of the height of the vertebrae, and impacting nerve roots).

I do not blame God for my pain. God did not give me the pain, all he wants me to do is to use my mind and body as best Ican to serve him.

I try my best to do that. I sing with the Choir, I am a Eucharistic Minister, I volunteer in the Church Office. I am a member of our Diocesean Committee on the Disabled (I am a retired Rehabilitation Counselor). I sometimes Lector.

I am also active with the Knights of Columbus, calling Bingo games once a month, being in charge of Bingo on another night (income from our Bingo games allows us to make tens of thousands of dollars in Charitable donations each year), serving as an officer in both the 3rd and 4th Degree, working in the kitchen for our “Right to Life Dinners”, etc. I am in charge of our semi-annual Blood Drives, I also send out cards almost every week on behalf of the Knights to all of our sick, disabled or grieving members and members of their families.

I also have a severely disabled wife, who has to use a power wheelchair. So, I drive her to a lot of her medical appointments, take care of her when she is sick, etc.

This is not to toot my own horn. I do not do any more than a LOT of others that have physical problems, mental problems or both.

You have a choice. I have a choice. We ALL have choices in our lives, no matter how much pain we may have, how disabled we may be, etc.

If I stay in bed all day, I hurt. If I get up and sit in a chair all day, I hurt. I will also get bored out of my mind, and that tends to make me morose, gets me depressed and makes my pain worse. No matter what I do, I WILL have a significant amount of pain every day. The ONLY way I could stop that would be to kill myself, and i am not about to even consider doing that.

I choose to get on with life. I still hurt, but I find that doing things for others distracts me from my pain. If I can laugh with people, my pain lessens. If i get busy helping others, I don’t notice my own pain so much. I enjoy life a lot more, being able to go out and do what i can to make this a better world.

It also allows me to serve God in the ways that I can.

You also have a choice. You can blame God (he is not to blame, but its so easy to fault Him), you can wallow in bitterness, you can stew in your own failures.

Or, you can CHOOSE to get on with life in spite of the difficulties. The Devil is very real, and he just loves to find someone that is bitter, in pain and to take advantage of that.

**
What you make of your life is largely up to you**. You can choose to continue to be angry and non-productive, or you can use that pain in a constructive manner to help others (and you WILL help yourself in the process).

I hope you will make the choice a positive one.

Wonderful.
Thank you for your military service
and thank you for sharing your current life.

Bolded above: absolutely true.

 

[the_phoenix]

TheOldMedic:

Wow. Thanks for your example.
Thanks for your service on behalf of the USA.
Thanks for being in the Knights of Columbus.

 

[claude1]

I just want to add one thing about pain and suffering and how to deal with it. When I am in pain all I am conscious of is that it hurts, it hurts, it hurts. And I am in relatively good health for my age, but my body is wearing out. This very morning I was hurting, but I was given an insight, (to remember what I already know) that, just maybe, there is someone else in the world who has a pain exactly like this who is in desperate need of prayer, maybe is dying, so I can “offer up” this pain of mine for this person I don’t even know but God will know. It doesn’t always make my pain go away (once in awhile it does!) but what it does is give a reason, something good I can do for somebody else, and it makes the moment bearable.

 

[vera_dicere]

Its important to put things into perspective. Right now, around the world, there are Christians sitting in jails where human rights is a non-existant term, simmply because they are Christians. Think of our brothers and sisters in China who face all sorts of horrors if they go to an underground Church, or they can water down their faith and go to a “state sanctioned” Church which is not allowed to acknowledge the Pope.

There are people in some Muslim countries who have converted to Christainity who face death by stonning or hanging, and many have probably died horrible deaths for their love of Christ.

You obviously have access to the internet, so I’m going to persume you have a home and at least some money, you are already much better off then many people around the world! My brother is currently in Africa working for an AIDS charity, and the suffering he sees is really touching his heart.

I have seen suffering in my own job, of little children hurt by people who should love them, men and women who are told they have terminal cancers and will die horrible, slow and painful deaths.

I’m sorry you feel you have an unfair burden, but even if you were an atheist you’d have your own troubles. You have more then most people will ever be able to sniff in a life time.

Focus and be thankful on what you have as opposed to what you don’t have, and what you suffer through. The reward on the other side of life will be so much more worth it then the plushest mansion with the nicest servants.

 

[catharina]

Its important to put things into perspective. Right now, around the world, there are Christians sitting in jails where human rights is a non-existant term, simmply because they are Christians. Think of our brothers and sisters in China who face all sorts of horrors if they go to an underground Church, or they can water down their faith and go to a “state sanctioned” Church which is not allowed to acknowledge the Pope.

There are people in some Muslim countries who have converted to Christainity who face death by stonning or hanging, and many have probably died horrible deaths for their love of Christ.

You obviously have access to the internet, so I’m going to persume you have a home and at least some money, you are already much better off then many people around the world! My brother is currently in Africa working for an AIDS charity, and the suffering he sees is really touching his heart.

I have seen suffering in my own job, of little children hurt by people who should love them, men and women who are told they have terminal cancers and will die horrible, slow and painful deaths.

I’m sorry you feel you have an unfair burden, but even if you were an atheist you’d have your own troubles. You have more then most people will ever be able to sniff in a life time.

Focus and be thankful on what you have as opposed to what you don’t have, and what you suffer through. The reward on the other side of life will be so much more worth it then the plushest mansion with the nicest servants.

Quoting from
An Irish Prayer:

Count your blessings instead of your crosses,
Count your gains instead of your looses,
Count your joys instead of your woes,
Count your friends instead of your foes,
Count your courage instead of your fears,
Count your laughs instead of your tears,
Count your kind deeds instead of our mean,
Count your health instead of your wealth,
Count on God instead of yourself.

Reminds me of Teresa of Avila's Prayer:

Let nothing disturb thee.
Let nothing affright thee.
All things pass away.
God Alone is changeless.