CS Lewis on Suffering…
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aaahmemories — 9 years ago(January 17, 2017 07:27 PM)
But did you read what was linked?
If it can't be paraphrased in a post, it wasn't intended to be a board contribution thus doesn't merit reading separately.
The Dumpster gives a whole new meaning to "red" states. -
smithjgs — 9 years ago(January 05, 2017 05:20 AM)
That's irrelevant.
If you die at all, you suffer.
I don't like little pithy quotes like this though.
Humans need to forgo the notion that they deserve or earned the right to have a suffer free life. It's there.
It's going to happen and the goal should be to avoid as much suffering as possible and deal with it when it does happen.
I understand how that accurate notion is not exactly Hallmark card material.
If I were you, I'd wanna be me too. -
filmflaneur — 9 years ago(January 05, 2017 06:08 AM)
If you die at all, you suffer
Nothingness is not suffering. Perpetually worrying about what purportedly happens after one dies, right down to eternal pits of fire and how to avoid them, is. It is a good job that only fundamentalists take the Bible as literally true.
I'm well aware that railing does no good
kurt2000 -
smithjgs — 9 years ago(January 05, 2017 06:26 AM)
You assume too much. I wasn't talking about life after death which is why I didn't say anything about life after death.
Nothingness is not suffering.
Dying is suffering unless you are one of the fortunate few who die in their sleep healthy and clueless that your life is at an end.
To those ones who died peacefully in their sleep while healthy, I apologize and am happy that you died happy although if this happened to you, you probably don't know I'm typing this.
If I were you, I'd wanna be me too. -
filmflaneur — 9 years ago(January 05, 2017 06:51 AM)
You assume too much. I wasn't talking about life after death which is why I didn't say anything about life after death.
Fair enough, but it is a Christian trope that many who die will, ostensibly, suffer much with eternal damnation, hellfire, deprivation from God & etc so my assumption was understandable.
Dying is suffering
For some of course, dying could be a great relief. From pain for instance. Or from those who assure them that they head for hellfire.
To those ones who died peacefully in their sleep while healthy, I apologize and am happy that you died happy although if this happened to you, you probably don't know I'm typing this.
No one can slip things past you, can they? LOL
I'm well aware that railing does no good
kurt2000 -
smithjgs — 9 years ago(January 06, 2017 06:49 AM)
For some of course, dying could be a great relief. From pain for instance. Or from those who assure them that they head for hellfire.
Well, I was saying that at best as we try to avoid suffering, [nearly] everyone eventually experiences it at death.
In a normal lifespan with normal people, suffering is experienced throughout that life. Again the goal is to avoid it, not embrace it or think that's what makes life complete.
After all, regardless of what religious people think salvation is, it ultimately is a tool to end suffering which means it's not natural to experience. Even the notion that death ends suffering is just another offshoot of that.
If I were you, I'd wanna be me too. -
filmflaneur — 9 years ago(January 06, 2017 08:09 AM)
In a normal lifespan with normal people, suffering is experienced throughout that life
Is it? I don't know your personal circumstances, obviously, but I doubt I have ever really experienced genuine, ongoing, suffering on my own account. That's not to say I haven't witnessed it, on the news say, but doubt that is what you mean.
Again the goal is to avoid it [suffering], not embrace it or think that's what makes life complete.
While I agree with the sentiment - that it is best to live life for the best, not for the worst it brings, the Bible says otherwise. Which helps explain why the faithful often seem to revel in contemplating the process of their own miseries:
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. [Rom 5:3-5]
I'm well aware that railing does no good
kurt2000 -
pconley22 — 9 years ago(January 05, 2017 08:31 AM)
How can you say Buddhism is irrelevant and then turn around and say this:
the goal should be to avoid as much suffering as possible and deal with it when it does happen.
That's pretty much Buddhism in a nutshell.
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In this scene, you will gargle with mouthwash! Andaction!
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smithjgs — 9 years ago(January 05, 2017 08:47 AM)
I'm saying it's irrelevant in relation to what Lewis is saying. Suffering is unavoidable. I was under the impression you were saying Buddhism teaches how to avoid suffering.
There is a huge different from avoiding suffering to minimizing it to avoid as much as possible.
If these are one and the same or that is what Buddhism teaches, then there is no contradiction.
My point is that humans need to deal with suffering although it's silly to look forward to it too.
If I were you, I'd wanna be me too.