tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post7821746075297914519..comments2024-03-21T04:02:46.799-07:00Comments on Little Catholic Bubble: Is suffering worse than death? Part One.Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-70295308200066276932013-05-28T03:22:21.292-07:002013-05-28T03:22:21.292-07:00Of course. Thanks! (Sorry I took so long to reply,...Of course. Thanks! (Sorry I took so long to reply, I hadn't subscribed via email).Crystal Pintohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16992852313370475422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-68643565042923177942013-05-28T03:16:25.367-07:002013-05-28T03:16:25.367-07:00That totally makes sense! Thanks! (Sorry I took to...That totally makes sense! Thanks! (Sorry I took to long to reply, I hadn't hit the "subscribe via email.")Crystal Pintohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16992852313370475422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-91553657605266147122013-05-19T23:36:17.175-07:002013-05-19T23:36:17.175-07:00Crystal, great comment! And on the #2 question: Ye...Crystal, great comment! And on the #2 question: Yes! The moral law is universal, so any sin, even inadvertent, would be best avoided so as to perceive the truth more easily. Virtue benefits everyone, and that is all the moral law really is about: being virtuous, so that the heart is pure and can see God. Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-5429701982907648692013-05-06T06:23:46.149-07:002013-05-06T06:23:46.149-07:00I know you posted this like two years ago, but I&#...I know you posted this like two years ago, but I'm just discovering all your posts!<br />I was speaking to a Hindu friend of mine about suffering...she said divorce was "fate". So, I asked her how she knew what was fate and what wasn't and she decided that you'd never know. I told her that wasn't true (I think I was discovering this while I spoke to her), but you can suffer because you've done everything right (trying to live without sin) or suffer because you've done wrong (rejecting, willfully, your search for Objective Truth). If you suffer because you did wrong, this suffering and pain was preventable. This knowledge causes a loss of peace. However, if you suffer because you had chosen not to sin, it's "meant to be" (willed by God). She did end up agreeing with me on this which made my day ;)<br /> <br />I think part of what makes redemptive suffering peaceful is not only that we know we can "offer it up", but because we know our suffering is meant to be. It's not a product of something we have done wrong; so, we know there is no way we could have avoided it and we have no regrets. I think it's when we realize this is in fact our lot that we have the fortitude to bear suffering, and unite it with Christ's.<br /><br />I'm curious if you can add to this. For example, if there is one thing I could tell a non-catholic friend on a quest for truth, should it be 1)seek actively and 2) stay away from what the Catholic Church defines as sin so your reception of wisdom isn't impaired? Or should I omit #2 since *I think* it wouldn't be considered a sin for them anyway as they aren't Catholic?<br /><br />Anyway, fantastic post Leila keep it up!Crystal Pintohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16992852313370475422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-79926495385258458042010-11-29T11:37:50.529-07:002010-11-29T11:37:50.529-07:00Mrs. M, I love your two cents! What you say here ...Mrs. M, I love your two cents! What you say here makes perfect sense to me. Thank you. <br /><br />And, just for the record, Catholics are definitely required to help ease or eliminate the suffering of others if they are able to do so. But when our own suffering cannot be avoided, we offer it to God and make it meaningful and redemptive.<br /><br />Thanks for being here and being so clear and thorough.Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-33237541322227171692010-11-27T13:04:05.734-07:002010-11-27T13:04:05.734-07:00Without diving into any of the controversy brought...Without diving into any of the controversy brought up in the comments, I wanted to give you my simple opinion about the original topic<br />Yes, suffering is bad. Suffering is to be avoided.<br /><br />However, I think that my beliefs about suffering stem from being an atheist, not from being a liberal (though the two often go hand in hand).<br /><br />Without any sort of notion of "redemptive suffering" (which I can see would be extremely comforting in bad situations to those who believe in it), I think it would be clear to you why atheists would want to avoid suffering. My time here on earth is all I have, so I want to make it as joyful as possible. I am under no illusion that I can eliminate all suffering from the world, but I certainly do what I can to ease the suffering around me, experienced by myself, my friends and family, and strangers alike.<br /><br /><br />So sorry that I keep commenting on all of your old posts; you probably have enough to read. I just find that once I read something I have to add my two cents. I can't help it!Mrs. Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-36165089980491465172010-10-12T05:47:04.459-07:002010-10-12T05:47:04.459-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Paul Rimmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11212220645183007323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-28405527936588423892010-10-11T13:32:26.968-07:002010-10-11T13:32:26.968-07:00Paul, regarding morality and ethics, and what we c...Paul, regarding morality and ethics, and what we can and cannot know: It seems as if you discount out-of-hand the idea of divine revelation and a teaching Church founded by Christ and protected by the Holy Spirit? Correct me if I'm wrong. But it seems your feeling is that morality is somewhat fuzzy and ultimately a mystery.Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-87792106738367301632010-10-11T13:25:33.424-07:002010-10-11T13:25:33.424-07:00Paul,
My little guy (who turn eight months next w...Paul,<br /><br />My little guy (who turn eight months next week) is doing great! He sits up well now, and he just learned how to crawl. Now I need to hide the papers and books, as he's begun to eat them and rip them. That fun part is still to come for you!<br /><br />He has three nice sharp little teeth on the bottom and is good-natured and content (not all of mine were!).<br /><br />Right now, for some reason, he does not want to nap?? Doesn't he know Mommy's blogging?Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-67636354861238953192010-10-11T13:21:32.181-07:002010-10-11T13:21:32.181-07:00Paul, the American left has hijacked the term &quo...Paul, the American left has hijacked the term "liberal". You may not be on the far left, but I promise you they are the ones setting the policy and the agenda for the Democratic Party and for "liberals" (even unsuspecting, classical liberals). Of course not everyone of the left is against nuclear energy (look at France!), but the American leftist enviromentalists and their allies in Congress, the media, academia, etc. have made "nuclear energy" seem, well, toxic. :)<br /><br />Please read my post on generalization. If we have to note all exceptions every time we have a discussion, unfortunately I'd have no time to blog or even speak to anyone.<br /><br />http://littlecatholicbubble.blogspot.com/2010/09/generalizing-is-not-bad-thing.html<br /><br />Maybe I need to use the term "progressive" to talk of the left which controls policy (and currently controls the White House)? I don't know... I really dislike using that term for people whose philosophy is actually quite old.<br /><br />More in a bit....Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-10427162189164363242010-10-11T11:42:00.961-07:002010-10-11T11:42:00.961-07:00Paul,
Congratulations on your sweet baby. I hope ...Paul,<br /><br />Congratulations on your sweet baby. I hope you did not take my questions as intrusive. I find knowing how people live out their life philosophy to be very interesting and helpful.<br /><br />I use to work for a very famous peace activist...he has literally saved hundreds of peoples lives by practing non-violent resistance and something called protective accompaniment (where neutral third party people stand between warring factions). Peacekeepers presence in these situations of hostility and violence has stop armed conflict situations around the world.<br /><br />My friend also was one of the first white persons to join the civil rights movement working full-time to de-segregate the lunch counters in the South. He literally stood between hundreds of racist attackers and was almost killed at knife point during one famous incident. His patience and love of his enemy helped this country end segregation and the Jim Crow Laws.<br /><br />He is considered a hero in our society (and he is). He has received many awards for negotiating peace settlements around the world, fighting institutionalized poverty, liberating freedom fighters, protecting the environment, helping societies overcome racism, sexism and oppression. His awards are so numerous that I can't elaborate them all here.<br /><br />He told me that he asked his wife to have 2 abortions during their marriage because he thought raising more kids would prevent him from doing the work he was called to do for the oppressed.<br /><br />He told me this because he felt that the guilt over this decision has haunted him and left him with chronic depression that he has never been able to shake. He also told me his marriage suffered irreparable harm, he and his wife suffered a lot of mutual hurt and unhappiness. <br /><br />Meeting this person was one of the first break throughs I had that ones personal life ethic matters. I saw first hand how the violence of abortion and the contracetion mentality could utterly destroy a person, a marriage, and a family, even in a person that was otherwise doing everything right by society's standards. His life helped me to seek out truths beyond the liberal paradigm that I had been taught and I ended up converting to Catholicism.Little JoAnnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04365868681704271371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-51159425405535406642010-10-11T09:29:36.567-07:002010-10-11T09:29:36.567-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Paul Rimmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11212220645183007323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-24801509129076317562010-10-11T09:23:02.003-07:002010-10-11T09:23:02.003-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Paul Rimmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11212220645183007323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-18062879372424488442010-10-11T09:21:06.724-07:002010-10-11T09:21:06.724-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Paul Rimmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11212220645183007323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-84196684245039154692010-10-11T09:01:42.767-07:002010-10-11T09:01:42.767-07:00Paul, I am sure you have researched the subject, b...Paul, I am sure you have researched the subject, but here is my little contribution on populations control, food shortages, etc.<br /><br />http://littlecatholicbubble.blogspot.com/2010/08/myth-of-overpopulation.html<br /><br />I am a nuclear energy fan, too. The American left has pretty much put the kibosh on that.Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-9226010216650873132010-10-11T08:45:42.259-07:002010-10-11T08:45:42.259-07:00Paul, congrats on your baby boy! My baby boy is se...Paul, congrats on your baby boy! My baby boy is seven months old. :)<br /><br />I'm interested that you have said that harming one's healthy bodily functions "probably wouldn't be right" and even "wrong" but then you say that God will sort all of that out. I agree that God will sort out everything in the end, but isn't it our responsibility to determine what the moral thing is on earth and then to do it? We don't <i>just</i> leave it to God to sort out in the end, do we? Were does our responsibility lie in things moral, and what is our obligation to moral truths?Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-7785755510215757962010-10-11T08:07:20.309-07:002010-10-11T08:07:20.309-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Paul Rimmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11212220645183007323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-81285244122624209782010-10-11T08:02:04.280-07:002010-10-11T08:02:04.280-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Paul Rimmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11212220645183007323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-62864153028575249062010-10-11T04:53:55.578-07:002010-10-11T04:53:55.578-07:00Paul:
I would love to hear how your adherence to ...Paul:<br /><br />I would love to hear how your adherence to these paradigms we are all discussing translates into your life (if you feel free to share!)<br /><br />Do you have any children?<br />Have you ever conceived any children?<br />Are you married?<br />If no, do you want to be married?<br />Do you use contraception or do you have your partner(s) use it?<br />Do you want children (if you have yet to have any that were born?)<br /><br />I am not so much interested in the philosophical basis of these beliefs, but more so what you have done personally.<br /><br />When a journalist once asked Mahatma Gandhi, "What message would you like to send to the world" he responded, "My life is my message."<br /><br />So, I am interested in what your "message" is along with your "thoughts."<br /><br />I think we can not only learn a lot about humanity and the purpose of human life by intellectual debate but also my how others choose to live out their lives.<br /><br />So, I would love to hear about your actions.Little JoAnnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04365868681704271371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-56951251038217767072010-10-10T22:28:26.878-07:002010-10-10T22:28:26.878-07:00Paul, just trying to get clarity on what you belie...Paul, just trying to get clarity on what you believe. Short of abortion (after brainwaves) and short of doing physical harm to a person, are you okay with anything that science can do? Would it all be ethical, or moral? Or does science have to stop short at certain points. In other words, do you agree that just because science <i>can</i> do something, that doesn't mean science <i>should</i> do something? Or maybe you think if science can do it, then it should be done?<br /><br />Another question, for clarity: Let's say a healthy, free and functioning person wanted to cut off his own arm, or make himself deaf, or derail any other healthy, functioning bodily part or system... would that be moral in your opinion? Not possible, or legal, but <i>moral</i>? Because you are a Christian, I am interested in your answer. <br /><br />Thanks!Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-90914869110751195022010-10-10T21:46:07.813-07:002010-10-10T21:46:07.813-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Paul Rimmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11212220645183007323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-49159407229820908662010-10-09T19:35:18.123-07:002010-10-09T19:35:18.123-07:00Here's a hint on something I will post on even...Here's a hint on something I will post on eventually. This is from Sacramento's Bishop Soto:<br /><br /><i>Marriage is no longer understood as the covenant of love between a man and a woman that creates life, because procreation is no longer associated with sexual intercourse. In this new social situation, many shrug their shoulders and wonder why a sexual relationship between any two people who care for each other cannot be called a marriage.</i><br /><br />More here:<br /><br />http://catholickey.blogspot.com/2010/10/do-you-know-why-catholics-dont-care.html<br /><br />Contraception has not only ushered in abortion, but also acceptance of gay "marriage". It's all connected.Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-14100730794678313012010-10-09T14:24:50.646-07:002010-10-09T14:24:50.646-07:00Have you seen the story of the couple who want the...Have you seen the story of <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfmoms/detail?entry_id=74005" rel="nofollow">the couple who want their surrogate to kill their child that she's carrying</a> because the baby might have Down's Syndrome?<br /><br />The first comment encapsulates what a lot of people say in situations like this:<br /><br /><i>Obviously, whatever the contract dictates is what should be legally binding. I know for myself, I would truly struggle with the choice of bringing a disabled baby into the world. I guess I feel that if the surrogate is choosing, she should be the one to raise the child. I am a mother and I am pro-choice. I do not take the notion of terminating a pregnancy lightly. However, I also work with young people and know that an unwanted child feels just that - unwanted. An unwanted child with Downs would be even more neglected and sad. Only my opinion....</i><br /><br />Once again, suffering is seen as the worst thing ever.<br /><br />Here's what I always wonder about: usually people who make arguments like this are also in favor of assisted suicide. Why not just let people be born and let them kill themselves if their lives are that bad? (Obviously I don't personally advocate for suicide, but it seems that that would be the intellectually consistent take within that worldview.)Jennifer @ Conversion Diaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11894992378619176830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-30716445326320180232010-10-09T14:02:04.629-07:002010-10-09T14:02:04.629-07:00One Man, thank you!
I'd like to add one furth...One Man, thank you!<br /><br />I'd like to add one further thought. <br /><br />Suffering on earth makes absolutely no sense without the promise of a reward in heaven.<br /><br />I just spent three weeks watching my newborn baby girl suffer a tremendous amount of pain. Pain so serious that it will change her personality and her perception of the world for her whole life.<br /><br />My husband and I suffered emotional pain for each and every every physically painful procedure that our little girl encountered.<br /><br />The concept of "redemptive suffering" is what allows Christians to handle their own pain and others pain without fainting.<br /><br />So for everyone one who says "what good is an infant who is bound for a life of painful suffering", as a mother of an extremely ill kid I'd now say "Have you met my buddy- Jesus?"Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14927751448670046314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240447238522390484.post-30552247348877727222010-10-08T20:55:11.193-07:002010-10-08T20:55:11.193-07:00One Man, thank you! You stated that so beautifully...One Man, thank you! You stated that so beautifully!Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.com