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| Suffering | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 9 2009, 12:38 PM (1,295 Views) | |
| Astennu | Mar 9 2009, 12:38 PM Post #1 |
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A question that just about everyone considers at some point in their life is: why does God allow us to suffer? I have considered it at various points in my life, but I must come to the conclusion that since I am not a divine being I cannot say for sure why suffering exists. I can say that we were given free will and that our actions have consequences on ourselves and others and that this is the cause for some suffering. Whenever we do something we must take a moment and ask if the action(s) we are about to take will have a negative effect on ourselves or others. Many of the problems of our world today can be helped by considering the broader ramifications of our actions. Consider that when you go to the store and buy a meat based product, think of where it came from. Did it comes from some animal that was hopefully free-range, or did it come from some factory farm (where they are certainly treated very badly). Also think about the cars we drive and the effect they have on the environment, or buying products made in a third world sweet shop. Every action we take helps to decide on where our world is heading, so we need to be careful and pay full attention to those actions. Another thing to consider is that by experiencing suffering we can better understand what another living being is going through and have compassion for them. Consider if you see someone in some form of emotional pain, you will be better equipped to understand what they are going through and to help them. From my own experiences with migraines I can understand extreme physical pain (as well as the other fun side effects) all too well, and I have a better understanding of those who go through similar experiences and can maybe offer a helping hand. |
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| Astennu | Mar 9 2009, 12:56 PM Post #2 |
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One response I have heard when it comes to suffering is that God has decided that you need this experience and do not take any action to make things better. God will decide when your suffering will end, and to take any action to make things better is to show a lack of faith in the Divine. I have only one response to this: what are you smoking? We have been given the ability to learn from our mistakes and we have been given the ability to make our lives better. If Aten did not want us to learn from life, and the suffering that comes with it, he would make it so that there would be no way out of whatever is happening. Instead we have people around us to help when we need it, we have Aten to offer his presence through hard times, and we have options. I am reminded of an e-mail I received a long while back: A man was standing at his doorway watching flood waters slowly creep their way across the lawn when one of his neighbors came over and asked if he needed a ride to get out of the local area. He responded that if he needed help God would provide it. A couple of days later he was looking out over the waters, which had risen significantly, and a boat came by and offered a ride to safety. Again he responded that if he needed help God would provide it. Eventually he was forced to go to his roof to avoid drowning and a helicopter came by offering him a ride to safety, and again he responded that God would provide whatever help he needed. Sadly the flood waters kept rising and the man eventually drowned. When he made it to the afterlife he asked God why He didn't send him any help, and God responded by saying he had sent a caring neighbor, someone in a boat, and someone in a helicopter. |
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| Ankhesenamun | Sep 17 2009, 11:36 AM Post #3 |
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I agree that the experience of suffering is sent to us by Aten in order to either teach us something, or show us something. For whatever reason we have to go through hard times and make the best of it. It can make us stronger, or teach us wisdom, and give us strength. However, I would love to know how then my lifelong experience of cruelty and abusive behavior from people can be explained. I know I wouldn't be the person that I am without having gone through hard times, but there comes a point when one thinks enough is enough, especially when all the suffering is man-made, caused purely by the selfishness of primitive, unthinking people. Each time that I have survived yet more pain caused by self centered folks I think this is it, now everything is changing for the better - only to come across another monster in human form that has only one intention, and that is to cause as much suffering as possible, either to me or to others. Needless to say, such people are mindless cowards, lacking in self esteem and any sense of self worth, but fact is, they cause unspeakable suffering, and the big question is Why are they allowed to do these things, and also - Why do such people always seem to get away with it??? |
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| Meryre | Sep 18 2009, 06:01 PM Post #4 |
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Administrator
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As I have said before God has a plan for us. The problem is humanity has strayed from God's plan. God sent His Son Akhenaten to the world to deliver to us the essential divine truths which was rejected. Even today Atenism is being rejected as a failed experiment of some sort and a curiousity that will fail. Well, those who reject the faith are asking for suffering because of there ignorance of the truth. Suffering and pain is just nature's way of saying, "HEY SOMETHING IS WRONG!". When something is wrong the solution is to make it RIGHT! Most of our learning comes from failure and pain. Just like the child who first encounters a flame on a candle and puts it's hand in it and get's burned; well that child learns immediately to respect fire as something not to be toyed with. Fire can be a good thing or a bad thing; it all depends on how you use it, and that we learn over time. I say, pray to God for wisdom and understanding and for the essentials of life and if you truly believe that God will answer your prayers, your prayers will be answered. The law of prayer is an essential part of Atenist belief. As for your suffering, we have all suffered and you are not alone. My suffering has brought me to the TRUTH of Atenism. Where you and I go from here depends on our faith in the ONE God, and our belief in the power of prayer and the proper utilization of it. May Aten answer ALL your prayers! Meryre |
| atenism.blogspot.com | |
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| Ankhemmaat | Mar 26 2016, 12:23 AM Post #5 |
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This is the struggle that I've had almost all my life, and one of the main reasons I don't believe in any god. Even though I've searched and pleaded with many deities and pantheons. I'm not trying to start a fight or anything, I just saw your post and it reminded me. I've tried to understand, I've tried looking through the holy texts of many, many different religions, and I have yet to find a decent answer for this question. A rational explanation for animals who are exploited, tortured, and murdered, in the trillions, yearly. An explanation for why people can destroy or take away the life of another, or for someone to even be motivated to do such thing. An explanation to why people are born into misery through no fault of their own and live such pain-ridden lives. I'm not satisfied with "there is a plan" because who makes a plan for an innocent child to be born and not even live the night? (Not going to go into miscarriages and abortion here.) To teach the mother, what? That innocent child, what? There is no answer. When I was young the explanation of suffering was given at my church was "we don't want our children to trip and fall, but they do. God doesn't want us to suffer, it just happens" which is satisfactory for children who don't know any better, but now...its just really a bunch of junk. I want to believe, I've tried to believe, I've asked, I've learned all I can, I've pleaded, nothing. Nothing. Maybe I'm that person in that email, who expected the hand of god, when god had sent people to him, he just didn't realize it. But the way my life is going, and has been going, and probably will go, I kind of doubt that. Edited by Ankhemmaat, Mar 30 2016, 08:07 PM.
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8:33 PM Jul 10