Pope John Paul II's Eugene Letter

Romans 5:3-4 points out how suffering only grows us closer to Christ through a transformation of character and realization of the fact that our hope is in him no matter the circumstance.

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that eating meat and other animal derived products like cheese, milk, and yogurt is harmful to us and our planet.

Louie got more than his fair share in suffering. Whether it was the boys from school pelting him with rocks and punching him, being attacked by a mob of men during a race, or being treated worse than one would ever want to imagine as a Japanese prisoner of war, Louie was well acquainted to suffering. Louie’s motto was “A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain. (1.4.20)” Louie’s suffering can show us a lot. Everything that he has been through makes our suffering seem so menial. But just because most of us have been through less does not mean it hurts less, and we can learn from Louie’s suffering. If Louie can be in a plane crash, strafed by a bomber, attached by sharks, cast away on a raft, and held as a prisoner or war and make it out okay, then we surely can as

I saw my first bond reduction hearing at High Point’s courthouse. A middle-aged woman was in jail for assault on a female, which resulted in minor injuries. The defendant had four biological children and two adopted children. She reported that she had employment before the crime. The defendant was requesting a bond reduction. To help her case, the victim of the crime wanted to appear before the judge to speak on the defendant’s behalf. The judge might not have dropped the case, but the witnesses’ testimony could have persuaded him to reduce the defendant’s bond. The judge asked the witness for identification, but she did not have it. So, the judge dismissed the motion for a reduction in bond. The witness had some power to influence the judge.

There are many differing ways that people suffer. Some effects can be superior and some can be inferior. In the quote by H. Richard Niebuhr, suffering can make you stronger, have more character, along with respect.

Suffering is one of the mysteries of human existence. Redemptive suffering, suffering willingly offered up, can be of tremendous use; but the natural human reaction to suffering is not willing acceptance. On the contrary, the natural reaction is to avoid it as much as

Why humans suffer and where God is during it are theological questions that have constantly been debated on. Rabbi Kushner in the PBS video Suffering: A Time to Love and a Time to Hate, John F. Haught in his book Responses to 101 Questions on God and Evolution, and the Bible each provide their own analysis on where God is when humans are suffering and persecuted. Thomas West is his chapter “The Human Response of Hope” gives his insight regarding life after death especially hope for salvation. All these sources aid in answering personal questions regarding theodicy: suffering, death, and hope.

Even in the midst of suffering, God is aiming for your ultimate good (Jer. 29:11-13; Rom. 8:28; Gen. 50:20).

While numerous teachings Jesus conveyed were challenging, many people believe his call for forgiveness to be extremely difficult to practice. It is not easy to pardon, or even love someone who has betrayed us. These sins people commit against can leave behind scars, and it can take a long time in order for our pain to be healed (Saint Mary’s Bible,1456). Moreover, when we have been wronged, it might be tempting to seek revenge against on the person who has done us wrong, to make him or her hurt as we have been. Additionally, if we do not seek vengeance, we might hold onto feelings directed against that person and well into the future. After we have been wounded in a specific way it is difficult to let our guard down and be vulnerable again

Hawkins’ list of Biblical examples on the various reasons suffering could occur. I think most Christian counselors probably know that the Bible shows us various “reasons” for suffering, but I don’t know how many of us has actually pulled various examples of suffering in Scripture into a list that actually paints a wide spectrum of reasons but in one context. For me, this was extremely helpful to solidify my own theology of suffering (as Dr. Hawkins suggests). In this lecture, Hawkins briefly discusses the following examples and possible reasons for suffering we can see in

This passage best accounts on the reasoning that God is not the creator of pain and suffering. He made humans in his own image to do good and rule over the fishes of the sea, birds of the skies and to domesticate plants and crops. He also gave humans free will to make their own decisions, for we can experience the greatest amount of love. But with this, he did give us a mission to spread his kingdom, and follow his words. As time began to pass, humans turned away from God's mission and love, and now as a result created suffering and pain for

Transformation is an organization that focuses on community development and the social and economic capacity among First Nations communities. Their entire development and business goal is to establish governing structures, managing systems, and business development for First Nations people in order to establish a bright and structured future. Transformation is run by CEO Carole Anne Hilton who is driven by her ancestry and her passion to help struggling people. Hilton built the company off of the foundation of social and economic needs. Conventionally, Hilton runs her company to inspire people to financially thrive and be engaged in the community which assists everyone. Hilton has a main focus on economic because there is little to do when

The spiritual significance of illness and suffering is a topic Christians continue to grapple with, as Larchet points out in The Theology of Illness. Scripture offers a wealth of wisdom and cues for understanding illness, health, and healing from a Christian perspective. Larchet analyzes the various and often contradictory Christian positions on health and illness, revealing how attitudes have shifted over time and with changes in medical technology, practice, and ethics. For example, St. Barsanuphius presents a comprehensive analysis of the spiritual significance of illness and suffering. One view holds that illness signifies a lack of faith; another presents illness in terms of a person who is offered the opportunity to develop a stronger faith, or whose faith is being put to a test like the story of Job. Ultimately, the latter remains the most helpful way to approach illness and healing from a Christian perspective. The essence of Christian health care is that, "Healing itself, while resulting from natural processes, actually comes from God," (Larchet 116).

Why Does God allow suffering? This question is probably as old as religion itself. It is a stumbling block for some of us, and for many more at given moments of tragedy. There are as many answers to this question as there are people who care to engage in theological dialogue. One understanding is that yes, God allows "bad" things to happen; God does not cause them to happen.

We see this in The Book of Job too. To Job, suffering happens as a result of God testing us. A Satan questioned the followings of God's people. This led to God testing his best subject, Job. God made Job suffer in the worst way any human being could. This would be physical suffering and mental suffering. When God took away Job's family and possessions, he suffered mentally. All of his possessions and loved ones were gone without a reason known to him. It was physical suffering when he was struck with sores about his body. This also gives reason to suffering that happens when you can't explain it. Even a person who thinks that they are perfect can suffer. You could be just like Job, almost a perfect worshiper. That would be even more the reason for you to be tested. The Book of Job is one of the teachings of the Bible, a spiritual and religious guide. A person reading this would believe that suffering is a test. It is a test of your faith, your faith in God. Therefore, if we were suffering, as long as we keep faith, the suffering will end. As long as we keep faith the suffering will stop, and better things will happen and develop.