Why does God allow healing?

[ez3714]

Ok, I will grant that this sounds like an incredibly snarky question. But one of the things that has made the Catholic faith so appealing to me is the willingness of Catholics to examine and explain what they believe. I am now pleased to offer you that opportunity.

I have just visited the thread dealing with suffering, and how it is a virtue and a Gift of God. I will concede there is some merit to it, and will also admit that it’s a liiiiitle bit hard for me to accept. Is there another side to the coin? Am I, as a pre-nursing student, about to embark on a life of sin?

 

[Dameedna]

There is legitimate suffering, and illegitimate suffering.

If suffering can help us learn and grow, then it has a purpose and a place for humanity.

If the suffering is pointless and does not in anyway enhance our lives, then it is wrong.

Nursing?I’m not sure why you think that would be a life of sin. It is through the attempt you make to eleviate suffering, that your empathy, love and respect for life grows.

I’m not catholic, I’m athiest…but suffering for the most part, is not something I see as being a “bad thiing” that God has allowed. IE…I don’t “hate” God because of suffering. (I simply don’t believe he exists, but not…because of human suffering).

Cheers

 

[o_mlly]

Ok, I will grant that this sounds like an incredibly snarky question. But one of the things that has made the Catholic faith so appealing to me is the willingness of Catholics to examine and explain what they believe. I am now pleased to offer you that opportunity.

I have just visited the thread dealing with suffering, and how it is a virtue and a Gift of God. I will concede there is some merit to it, and will also admit that it’s a liiiiitle bit hard for me to accept. Is there another side to the coin? Am I, as a pre-nursing student, about to embark on a life of sin?

Often the question provoking the discussion on God’s permitting suffering is: Why do bad things happen to good people? It is just as logical to ask as you do: Why do good things happen to bad people? For we are all sinners, are we not?

The answer to the former is that suffering, in itself, is not a virtue; it builds character only when it is offered up as expiation for our own sins or reparation for the sins of others. We believe that God’s blessings always precede His demands. While we can see the suffering of others vividly, we cannot easily see the graces that accompany these crosses making their burden light for Christ carries the burden with us.

Healing is God’s direct act of mercy to those who suffer a physical evil and have rejected His grace or have suffered with His grace successfully.

God stands behind good (healing) and evil (suffering) asymmetrically. As D. A. Carson points out in his book How Long O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil, even evil does not take place outside the bounds of His sovereignty, yet the evil is not morally chargeable to Him: it is always chargeable to secondary causes. On the other hand, God stands behind good in such a way that it not only takes place within the bounds of His sovereignty, but it is always chargeable to Him, and only derivatively to secondary agents (nurses and doctors).

Peace,
O’Malley

 

[tierney]

I had much the same question you have a few months ago and I asked a priest about it and what he said eased my mind…I am going to a chiropractor for back pain. It isn’t cheap but I am making slow progress.Some days I would ask God to heal it or at least give me relief…others days I offer it up for someone else’s relief or conversion.
So one day, I thought “well, why am I spending all this time and money on medical care if God will heal it or not or it will benefit someone else?” So I asked a priest and he said that we need to feel good in order to do God’s work and if medical care can enable us to feel better so we can help others, we should do it. If I am in so much pain that I can’t leave the house or take care of my family, volunteer at church, etc. that doesn’t bless anyone. So we take advantage of the help we can get.
That made sense to me and I hope it helps you.

 

[brigid12]

Ok, I will grant that this sounds like an incredibly snarky question. But one of the things that has made the Catholic faith so appealing to me is the willingness of Catholics to examine and explain what they believe. I am now pleased to offer you that opportunity.

I have just visited the thread dealing with suffering, and how it is a virtue and a Gift of God. I will concede there is some merit to it, and will also admit that it’s a liiiiitle bit hard for me to accept. Is there another side to the coin? Am I, as a pre-nursing student, about to embark on a life of sin?

Not at all (unless Obama deletes the conscience protection and you have to, for your job, cooperate with an abortion, in which case I’m not totally clear on a nurses culpability)! If you, as a nurse, are making yourself available to be a channel of His healing, it’s a saintly thing to do. He allows healing in order to allow Himself glory and to save souls. Remember the statement of Jesus about anyone who gives a drink to the thirsty does so to Him, etc.?

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Sirach 38:1-15

Honor the physician with the honor due him, * according to your need of him, for the Lord created him; 2 for healing comes from the Most High, and he will receive a gift from the king. 3 The skill of the physician lifts up his head, and in the presence of great men he is admired. 4 The Lord created medicines from the earth, and a sensible man will not despise them. 5 Was not water made sweet with a tree in order that his* power might be known? 6 And he gave skill to men that he* might be glorified in his marvelous works. 7 By them he heals and takes away pain; 8 the pharmacist makes of them a compound. His works will never be finished; and from him health* is upon the face of the earth. 9 My son, when you are sick do not be negligent, but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you. 10 Give up your faults and direct your hands aright, and cleanse your heart from all sin. 11 Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice, and a memorial portion of fine flour, and pour oil on your offering, as much as you can afford. * 12 And give the physician his place, for the Lord created him; let him not leave you, for there is need of him. 13 There is a time when success lies in the hands of physicians, * 14 for they too will pray to the Lord that he should grant them success in diagnosis* and in healing, for the sake of preserving life.

 

[ez3714]

Dadgum, I forgot. I’m using the “bigger Bible” now.

Boy do I feel like an idiot.

Please do carry on with the instruction.

Y’see the faith-background that I’m carrying with me says that healing is done only through God (Jehova-Rapha) and Jesus said that the healing He did was so that God might be glorified. Sin & death entered the world through Adam’s sin, and that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (sickness being one of them.)

But now I have to come face to face with the reality that sickness and suffering (oh, it’s hard for me to say this!) might be of benefit to us, and that our suffering might be made of benefit to others. It’s also forcing me to rethink my position on the Stigmata.

Okfine, now can we please make sense of the whole thing? Suffering is good and glorifies God; healing is good and glorifies God; at some point perhaps understanding would be a swell idea…?

 

[nestacal]

I got to become a nurses aide. And then I became a Psychiatric Technician. I felt capable of healing so many times when I got to listen to the “clients”, when they would tell me something in their past that brought them to the hospital. God was always watching out for me! You see He really loves me. You can see the pain of guilt in the patients eyes, sometimes hear it in their voice. I have always tried to show them the strength of my faith, sometimes by listening, when they wanted to talk.

Becoming a nurse, it doesn’t really give you much time to really care for a patient. That is why I chose to become a nurses aide and then went on to become a Psychiatric Technician!

 

[mary1173]

God created man, that man may help others. In helping others, man helps himself to be closer to his God. " For whoever of you do to the least of these, My people, you do it unto Me"
For the reparation of sin, and salvation of mankind.
:blushing: