Why is life so easy for some people and so difficult for others?

Shad · Oct 21, 2018

Trailblazer said:
No, not necessarily, but attachment to the things of the world can come in between a person and God.

Sure. However I was merely putting forward enjoyment of material things does not mean it is a barrier between God and the individual in every case. The issue I have with this claim is often it can be made due to jealousy over those material things

Or when the parents are not emotionally capable.

And/or so sure I agree

Trailblazer · Oct 21, 2018

Shad said:
Sure. However I was merely putting forward enjoyment of material things does not mean it is a barrier between God and the individual in every case.

No, it is not a barrier in every case because all people are different, so each person has to determine if it is a barrier for them or not. The problem is that not all people are aware that it is a barrier even if it is, owing to the subconscious. In other words, people can fool themselves.

Regarding the world being a barrier between people and God, I think I will post a couple of pertinent quotes and then I will give you my take on it.

“Cleanse from your hearts the love of worldly things, from your tongues every remembrance except His remembrance, from your entire being whatsoever may deter you from beholding His face, or may tempt you to follow the promptings of your evil and corrupt inclinations. Let God be your fear, O people, and be ye of them that tread the path of righteousness....... Disencumber yourselves of all attachment to this world and the vanities thereof. Beware that ye approach them not, inasmuch as they prompt you to walk after your own lusts and covetous desires, and hinder you from entering the straight and glorious Path.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 275-276

“Whatsoever deterreth you, in this Day, from loving God is nothing but the world. Flee it, that ye may be numbered with the blest. Should a man wish to adorn himself with the ornaments of the earth, to wear its apparels, or partake of the benefits it can bestow, no harm can befall him, if he alloweth nothing whatever to intervene between him and God, for God hath ordained every good thing, whether created in the heavens or in the earth, for such of His servants as truly believe in Him. Eat ye, O people, of the good things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not yourselves from His wondrous bounties. Render thanks and praise unto Him, and be of them that are truly thankful.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 276

Note that Baha'u'llah says "no harm can befall him, if he alloweth nothing whatever to intervene between him and God," and "Eat ye, O people, of the good things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not yourselves from His wondrous bounties." That means that it is okay to enjoy the material world as long as it does not intervene between us and God. But Baha'u'llah also says "Whatsoever deterreth you, in this Day, from loving God is nothing but the world. Flee it, that ye may be numbered with the blest" so why would anyone who really believes that even want worldly things? That is the hundred-dollar question. Most Baha'is will defend the last sentence of that last quote and say they are entitled. However, it is not about what we are entitled to (allowed) but rather about what is best for us if loving God is our top priority.

"no harm can befall him, if.... " I am not willing to take that chance, particularly because I know myself and I know that the material world and physical pleasures came in between me and God for most of my life, till fairly recently. That does not mean this is true for everyone because no doubt most Baha'is are closer to God than I am... I am so distant that I cannot afford to have anything that could possibly intervene between me and God.

Shad said:
The issue I have with this claim is often it can be made due to jealousy over those material things.

That is an astute observation and it could well be true for some people. Some people might be jealous of others who have what they don't have so they try to minimize the importance of material things so they won't feel slighted. My case is quite the opposite because I have far more than I will ever use or need. Right now I could retire and enjoy the rest of my life in high style and still have more money than I will ever need, but I have no interest in the material world anymore. It has only been the source of grief and sorrow for me. All the grief and sorrow I have now is because of the material world and all my joy comes from that which is related to God and spiritual things. Perhaps that is why I tend to agree with Baha'u'llah about it. There are so many more quotes about the world; in Gleanings alone I once counted over 100 passages about the world and how we should flee it.

Shad · Oct 21, 2018

Trailblazer said:
No, it is not a barrier in every case because all people are different, so each person has to determine if it is a barrier for them or not. The problem is that not all people are aware that it is a barrier even if it is, owing to the subconscious. In other words, people can fool themselves.

I used barrier instead of distraction. A distinction can be a seen as a barrier to a goal. I think barrier is more applicable for a generalization where as distraction can be concluded based on individual action. I do not mean barrier in the same manner as you posted (I removed the quotes just to lower character count)

That is an astute observation and it could well be true for some people. Some people might be jealous of others who have what they don't have so they try to minimize the importance of material things so they won't feel slighted. My case is quite the opposite because I have far more than I will ever use or need. Right now I could retire and enjoy the rest of my life in high style and still have more money than I will ever need, but I have no interest in the material world anymore. It has only been the source of grief and sorrow for me. All the grief and sorrow I have now is because of the material world and all my joy comes from that which is related to God and spiritual things. Perhaps that is why I tend to agree with Baha'u'llah about it. There are so many more quotes about the world; in Gleanings alone I once counted over 100 passages about the world and how we should flee it.

I think this reflection is one many do not make regardless of religion. Often our wants/desires become "needs" in our mind. Never look back nor considering the long game or other concerns.

shunyadragon · Oct 21, 2018

Trailblazer said:
So you do not think that we have to do what God knows we will do? If God is omniscient God knows what we will do, so how could we do otherwise?

Maybe I am being too literal. I look forward to any feedback anyone has on this subject. I have discussed it at length on other forums, mostly with nonbelievers, and I think they have influenced my thinking on this subject.

i believe the future events and decisions of human ventures are of two kinds: decreed by God (Fate) and conditional or impending.

Fate is of two kinds: one is decreed, and the other is conditional or impending. The decreed fate is that which cannot change or be altered, and conditional fate is that which may occur. So, for this lamp, the decreed fate is that the oil burns and will be consumed; therefore, its eventual extinction is a decree which it is impossible to alter or to change because it is a decreed fate. In the same way, in the body of man a power of life has been created, and as soon as it is destroyed and ended, the body will certainly be decomposed, so when the oil in this lamp is burnt and finished, the lamp will undoubtedly become extinguished. But conditional fate may be likened to this: while there is still oil, a violent wind blows on the lamp, which extinguishes it. This is a conditional fate. It is wise to avoid it, to protect oneself from it, to be cautious and circumspect. But the decreed fate, which is like the lamp is burnt and finished, the lamp will undoubtedly become extinguished.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p.244)

Trailblazer · Oct 21, 2018

Shad said:
I think this reflection is one many do not make regardless of religion. Often our wants/desires become "needs" in our mind. Never look back nor considering the long game or other concerns.

Yes, I can agree with this. Your reflection is not specific to any religion or even to religious people. It could apply to anyone, including nonbelievers. Wants vs. needs can be considered a psychological issue as well as a spiritual issue.

Shad · Oct 21, 2018

Trailblazer said:
Yes, I can agree with this. Your reflection is not specific to any religion or even to religious people. It could apply to anyone, including nonbelievers. Wants vs. needs can be considered a psychological issue as well as a spiritual issue.

In my view religions just happens to provide that "nudge" in a non-crisis situations for one to reflect.

Shadow Wolf · Oct 21, 2018

Trailblazer said:
we do not have any choice except to do what God knows we will do because what God knows what we will do is identical with what we will do.

That discards the notion of free will and answers your question that life is hard for some and easy for others because it's what god wants.

sayak83 · Oct 21, 2018

Trailblazer said:
Why is life so easy for some people and so difficult for others?

This is a philosophical question but I put this in Religious Debates because the “reason” life is difficult for some and easy for others is related to God, since God predestines everything that happens to us and we really have no control over what God does. That belief is based upon this passage:

“O thou who art the fruit of My Tree and the leaf thereof! On thee be My glory and My mercy. Let not thine heart grieve over what hath befallen thee. Wert thou to scan the pages of the Book of Life, thou wouldst, most certainly, discover that which would dissipate thy sorrows and dissolve thine anguish.

Know thou, O fruit of My Tree, that the decrees of the Sovereign Ordainer, as related to fate and predestination, are of two kinds. Both are to be obeyed and accepted. The one is irrevocable, the other is, as termed by men, impending. To the former all must unreservedly submit, inasmuch as it is fixed and settled. God, however, is able to alter or repeal it. As the harm that must result from such a change will be greater than if the decree had remained unaltered, all, therefore, should willingly acquiesce in what God hath willed and confidently abide by the same.

The decree that is impending, however, is such that prayer and entreaty can succeed in averting it.

God grant that thou who art the fruit of My Tree, and they that are associated with thee, may be shielded from its evil consequences.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 132-133

I am not sure exactly what Baha’u’llah means in that first paragraph. Maybe it means that if we knew the end result of all we have to endure in this earthly life that would dispel our sorrows and anguish.

Even though our fate is predestined, some of that fate is subject to change since it is impending. We can pray and supplicate to God or we can make choices that could change our course, since an omnipotent God can do anything he chooses to do.

That brings me to the subject of free will. I believe we can make choices, since we have free will. This is a difficult subject. In short, we are not robotically controlled by God. We are causing things to happen by making a choice and then acting on it. We are doing what God knows we will do by virtue of our own free will. Our free will (what we can choose) has constraints but that is a separate issue.

In brief, we do not have any choice except to do what God knows we will do because what God knows what we will do is identical with what we will do. God knows what we will do because God is omniscient, but God does not cause it to happen, we do. Thus we play out our own script according to what God already knows we will do. God knows how the script will play out before it plays out because God is omniscient.

Now back to my subject: Clearly, life is a lot easier for some people than for other people. Let’s just look at people within a given county such as the United States within a given socioeconomic group, because to start comparing to a third world country is not a fair comparison since conditions are so different for those people. Why then is it that most people I am surrounded by at work seem to be happy all the time? Do they not have any problems in life or do they just handle those problems differently?

I do not think we will ever know why life is easier for some people than for others, but I think the following factors play into the answer: childhood upbringing, heredity, opportunities, education, adult experiences, and present life circumstances. Some of these factors we have no control over but some of these we have some control over.

A Baha’i belief is that tests and difficulties are sent by God and we should thank God for them because they help us grow spiritually. There is a question as to whether God actually sends them or they are just a part of life. I am not going to say I am grateful for the tests because I believe I have had more than my share, and they are not things I bring on by being careless in my free will choices. Yesterday at the limit of my ability to handle one more thing and I was riding my bike home from work in the bike lane. For a moment I hoped the city bus would run over me and it would be quick and I would be in the spiritual world, because I know that the material world is the source of all my torment. The spiritual world bestows only joy.

Then I thought of my husband and my 10 cats that need me and realized that dying is not the solution. I think that other people who are good are the solution. Sure we have to handle our own tests and make our own decisions, but when I am in these tests, good people just pop out of the woodwork to help me. It is as if God is sending them to me and they are the answer to my desperate prayers.

Another Baha’i belief is that God never tests us beyond our ability to handle that test so whatever we are going through is theoretically something we can handle. In retrospect, I guess I have to agree with that, and over time I have realized it more and more. For example, what I am going through now with a tenant is much more serious than what I have gone through in the past, which was also very difficult, but I am not in as much distress now as I was with previous tenants who tried to take advantage of me, lie and manipulate. I have a sense that good will prevail over evil but right now I have no way to know what will happen, although I will have a better idea on Monday when I speak with my attorney.

I think that one reason God allows evil people to exist is so good people will be tested and they will grow spiritually as a result. That does not mean all people will grow, some people just remain in the victim stance and blame the evil person forever. Right now I blame the evil tenant for what he is trying to do but concurrently I can see the bigger picture and how I got into this mess, by trusting someone who was a con-man. I feel rather foolish but I know it is not my fault that someone else chooses to be a liar and a manipulator. Not many landlords would rent their house to a sex offender with two offenses against minors. I wanted to see the good in him and give him a chance but obviously I made a mistake. However, that does not make me the evil person. I did nothing to deserve what he is trying to do to me now. He is just evil. I tend to blame myself for everything so in the past I would feel like it is my fault, but now I have good people are telling me it is not my fault. If I had any part in what he is blaming me for I will take the responsibility, but not until an attorney tells me I had a part.

Another reason God allows evil to exist is to bring out the good people and so that people like me can see that there are indeed many good people in the world. In between good and evil people there are of course people who are just complacent about other peoples’ problems and do not want to be bothered with them.

Do you want to discuss only within a Bahai frame-work? Because the answers will differ markedly depending on worldview (eg. Buddhism or secular humanism)

Trailblazer · Oct 21, 2018

Shadow Wolf said:
That discards the notion of free will and answers your question that life is hard for some and easy for others because it's what god wants.

No, it does not discard the notion of free will because we still make our own decisions and act accordingly. God does not choose or act for us, God simply knows what we will choose and how we will act because God is omniscient.

One might say that we have a certain fate but as long as we are alive, that fate can be changed at any time according to what we decide and do. God might also alter our fate by answering our prayers and supplications, causing things to go differently than they might have gone otherwise. God knows what we will decide and do before during and after we do it since God's essential knowledge surrounds all things that happen in this world, but God does not cause things to happen, we do.

Question.—Is the predestination which is mentioned in the Holy Books a decreed thing? If so, is not the effort to avoid it useless?

Answer.—Fate is of two kinds: one is decreed, and the other is conditional or impending. The decreed fate is that which cannot change or be altered, and conditional fate is that which may occur. So, for this lamp, the decreed fate is that the oil burns and will be consumed; therefore, its eventual extinction is a decree which it is impossible to alter or to change because it is a decreed fate. In the same way, in the body of man a power of life has been created, and as soon as it is destroyed and ended, the body will certainly be decomposed, so when the oil in this lamp is burnt and finished, the lamp will undoubtedly become extinguished.

But conditional fate may be likened to this: while there is still oil, a violent wind blows on the lamp, which extinguishes it. This is a conditional fate. It is wise to avoid it, to protect oneself from it, to be cautious and circumspect. But the decreed fate, which is like the finishing of the oil in the lamp, cannot be altered, changed nor delayed. It must happen; it is inevitable that the lamp will become extinguished.” Some Answered Questions, p. 244

Trailblazer · Oct 21, 2018

sayak83 said:
Do you want to discuss only within a Baha'i frame-work? Because the answers will differ markedly depending on worldview (eg. Buddhism or secular humanism)

I want to discuss it within any and all frameworks and I am more interested in frameworks other than Baha'i.
I already know the Baha'i framework, but if Baha'is want to offer their views I am open to those too...

Shadow Wolf · Oct 21, 2018

Trailblazer said:
No, it does not discard the notion of free will because we still make our own decisions and act accordingly. God does not choose or act for us, God simply knows what we will choose and how we will act because God is omniscient.

If we can only do what god knows we are going to do then we did not make a choice as our action was predetermined.

Trailblazer · Oct 21, 2018

Shadow Wolf said:
If we can only do what god knows we are going to do then we did not make a choice as our action was predetermined.

That is what many people say but that is not how it works. We have no choice but to do what God knows we will do because God has foreknowledge of what we will do. However, God does not control what we do or predetermine what we do.

Maybe this quote will help you understand. Note the part about the eclipse at the end.

“Question.—If God has knowledge of an action which will be performed by someone, and it has been written on the Tablet of Fate, is it possible to resist it?

Answer.—The foreknowledge of a thing is not the cause of its realization; for the essential knowledge of God surrounds, in the same way, the realities of things, before as well as after their existence, and it does not become the cause of their existence. It is a perfection of God........

Therefore, the knowledge of God in the realm of contingency does not produce the forms of the things. On the contrary, it is purified from the past, present and future. It is identical with the reality of the things; it is not the cause of their occurrence........

The mathematicians by astronomical calculations know that at a certain time an eclipse of the moon or the sun will occur. Surely this discovery does not cause the eclipse to take place. This is, of course, only an analogy and not an exact image.” Some Answered Questions, pp. 138-139

Shadow Wolf · Oct 21, 2018

Trailblazer said:
That is what many people say but that is not how it works. We have no choice but to do what God knows we will do because God has foreknowledge of what we will do. However, God does not control what we do or predetermine what we do.

If we can only do what god knows we will do than we don't have a choice but merely the illusion of choice.

Trailblazer · Oct 22, 2018

Shadow Wolf said:
If we can only do what god knows we will do than we don't have a choice but merely the illusion of choice.

We can choose to do whatever we want to do.
God knows what we will choose but God does not make our choices.

sayak83 · Oct 22, 2018

Trailblazer said:
I want to discuss it within any and all frameworks and I am more interested in frameworks other than Baha'i.
I already know the Baha'i framework, but if Baha'is want to offer their views I am open to those too...

According to Hindu and Buddhist perspectives, desire and attachment towards sensory experiential states cause the embodiment of beings within the material realm (i.e. in physical bodies), thus making those beings subject to the continuous flux of physical phenomena. The greater one's attachment, the lesser is one's freedom from the vagaries of physical existence (degree of freedom goes from say insects, animals, humans...then the spirits and the gods). This physical flux (nature) is amoral and flows by its own rules...like a torrential stream. We embodied beings are like people stuck in boats riding this torrent as far as our abilities allows, sometimes floating and sometimes sinking. And so on..from birth to birth. The solution..for the Buddhists is to see the true nature of this flux and its inherent emptiness of either essence and value...and thus become free from its bondage. The solution...for the Hindus is the realize one's true self as an aspect of the supreme Brahman that transcends this flux of the world and thus go beyond it. As long as we do not make the effort to proceed towards either of these two paths...the suffering caused due to being trapped in the flux of nature will haunt us through all our births and deaths.

URAVIP2ME · Oct 22, 2018

Trailblazer said:
We can choose to do whatever we want to do.
God knows what we will choose but God does not make our choices.

Since Adam was told in advance Not to eat the forbidden fruit, then God chooses Not to know our choices.
So, I find like Adam we all have free-will voluntary choices without God knowing in advance.
What God does know is the final outcome for 'people who choose' to be humble will inherit the Earth.
It is one's own choice to be either a figurative humble sheep or haughty goat-type person.

URAVIP2ME · Oct 22, 2018

Trailblazer said:
Why is life so easy for some people and so difficult for others?

This is a philosophical question but I put this in Religious Debates because the “reason” life is difficult for some and easy for others is related to God, since God predestines everything that happens to us and we really have no control over what God does. That belief is based upon this passage:

“O thou who art the fruit of My Tree and the leaf thereof! On thee be My glory and My mercy. Let not thine heart grieve over what hath befallen thee. Wert thou to scan the pages of the Book of Life, thou wouldst, most certainly, discover that which would dissipate thy sorrows and dissolve thine anguish.

Know thou, O fruit of My Tree, that the decrees of the Sovereign Ordainer, as related to fate and predestination, are of two kinds. Both are to be obeyed and accepted. The one is irrevocable, the other is, as termed by men, impending. To the former all must unreservedly submit, inasmuch as it is fixed and settled. God, however, is able to alter or repeal it. As the harm that must result from such a change will be greater than if the decree had remained unaltered, all, therefore, should willingly acquiesce in what God hath willed and confidently abide by the same.

The decree that is impending, however, is such that prayer and entreaty can succeed in averting it.

God grant that thou who art the fruit of My Tree, and they that are associated with thee, may be shielded from its evil consequences.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 132-133

I am not sure exactly what Baha’u’llah means in that first paragraph. Maybe it means that if we knew the end result of all we have to endure in this earthly life that would dispel our sorrows and anguish.

Even though our fate is predestined, some of that fate is subject to change since it is impending. We can pray and supplicate to God or we can make choices that could change our course, since an omnipotent God can do anything he chooses to do.

That brings me to the subject of free will. I believe we can make choices, since we have free will. This is a difficult subject. In short, we are not robotically controlled by God. We are causing things to happen by making a choice and then acting on it. We are doing what God knows we will do by virtue of our own free will. Our free will (what we can choose) has constraints but that is a separate issue.

In brief, we do not have any choice except to do what God knows we will do because what God knows what we will do is identical with what we will do. God knows what we will do because God is omniscient, but God does not cause it to happen, we do. Thus we play out our own script according to what God already knows we will do. God knows how the script will play out before it plays out because God is omniscient.

Now back to my subject: Clearly, life is a lot easier for some people than for other people. Let’s just look at people within a given county such as the United States within a given socioeconomic group, because to start comparing to a third world country is not a fair comparison since conditions are so different for those people. Why then is it that most people I am surrounded by at work seem to be happy all the time? Do they not have any problems in life or do they just handle those problems differently?

I do not think we will ever know why life is easier for some people than for others, but I think the following factors play into the answer: childhood upbringing, heredity, opportunities, education, adult experiences, and present life circumstances. Some of these factors we have no control over but some of these we have some control over.

A Baha’i belief is that tests and difficulties are sent by God and we should thank God for them because they help us grow spiritually. There is a question as to whether God actually sends them or they are just a part of life. I am not going to say I am grateful for the tests because I believe I have had more than my share, and they are not things I bring on by being careless in my free will choices. Yesterday at the limit of my ability to handle one more thing and I was riding my bike home from work in the bike lane. For a moment I hoped the city bus would run over me and it would be quick and I would be in the spiritual world, because I know that the material world is the source of all my torment. The spiritual world bestows only joy.

Then I thought of my husband and my 10 cats that need me and realized that dying is not the solution. I think that other people who are good are the solution. Sure we have to handle our own tests and make our own decisions, but when I am in these tests, good people just pop out of the woodwork to help me. It is as if God is sending them to me and they are the answer to my desperate prayers.

Another Baha’i belief is that God never tests us beyond our ability to handle that test so whatever we are going through is theoretically something we can handle. In retrospect, I guess I have to agree with that, and over time I have realized it more and more. For example, what I am going through now with a tenant is much more serious than what I have gone through in the past, which was also very difficult, but I am not in as much distress now as I was with previous tenants who tried to take advantage of me, lie and manipulate. I have a sense that good will prevail over evil but right now I have no way to know what will happen, although I will have a better idea on Monday when I speak with my attorney.

I think that one reason God allows evil people to exist is so good people will be tested and they will grow spiritually as a result. That does not mean all people will grow, some people just remain in the victim stance and blame the evil person forever. Right now I blame the evil tenant for what he is trying to do but concurrently I can see the bigger picture and how I got into this mess, by trusting someone who was a con-man. I feel rather foolish but I know it is not my fault that someone else chooses to be a liar and a manipulator. Not many landlords would rent their house to a sex offender with two offenses against minors. I wanted to see the good in him and give him a chance but obviously I made a mistake. However, that does not make me the evil person. I did nothing to deserve what he is trying to do to me now. He is just evil. I tend to blame myself for everything so in the past I would feel like it is my fault, but now I have good people are telling me it is not my fault. If I had any part in what he is blaming me for I will take the responsibility, but not until an attorney tells me I had a part.
Another reason God allows evil to exist is to bring out the good people and so that people like me can see that there are indeed many good people in the world. In between good and evil people there are of course people who are just complacent about other peoples’ problems and do not want to be bothered with them.

I find the man Asaph found in Psalms 73 wondered for a while about the prosperity of those wicked people.
Asaph found they are on slippery ground, so a spiritual perspective is needed.
King Solomon, known for having wisdom, observed that time and unexpected events happen to everyone.
So, by chance life is easier for some and difficult for others.
Because of God gifting us with free-will choices is why God exercises His own self control - Isaiah 42:14
So, God exercises His power and strength with love and respect for our free-willed choices.
As in the days of Moses, God did Not predestinate the Israelites but gave them the choice to choose at Deuteronomy 30:19-20.
If predestined then that choice would have No meaning for anyone.
This also proves true with what Jesus teaches in order to gain everlasting life. It is a free-will choice.

sealchan · Oct 22, 2018

Trailblazer said:
Why is life so easy for some people and so difficult for others?

This is a philosophical question but I put this in Religious Debates because the “reason” life is difficult for some and easy for others is related to God, since God predestines everything that happens to us and we really have no control over what God does. That belief is based upon this passage:

“O thou who art the fruit of My Tree and the leaf thereof! On thee be My glory and My mercy. Let not thine heart grieve over what hath befallen thee. Wert thou to scan the pages of the Book of Life, thou wouldst, most certainly, discover that which would dissipate thy sorrows and dissolve thine anguish.

Know thou, O fruit of My Tree, that the decrees of the Sovereign Ordainer, as related to fate and predestination, are of two kinds. Both are to be obeyed and accepted. The one is irrevocable, the other is, as termed by men, impending. To the former all must unreservedly submit, inasmuch as it is fixed and settled. God, however, is able to alter or repeal it. As the harm that must result from such a change will be greater than if the decree had remained unaltered, all, therefore, should willingly acquiesce in what God hath willed and confidently abide by the same.

The decree that is impending, however, is such that prayer and entreaty can succeed in averting it.

God grant that thou who art the fruit of My Tree, and they that are associated with thee, may be shielded from its evil consequences.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 132-133

I am not sure exactly what Baha’u’llah means in that first paragraph. Maybe it means that if we knew the end result of all we have to endure in this earthly life that would dispel our sorrows and anguish.

Even though our fate is predestined, some of that fate is subject to change since it is impending. We can pray and supplicate to God or we can make choices that could change our course, since an omnipotent God can do anything he chooses to do.

That brings me to the subject of free will. I believe we can make choices, since we have free will. This is a difficult subject. In short, we are not robotically controlled by God. We are causing things to happen by making a choice and then acting on it. We are doing what God knows we will do by virtue of our own free will. Our free will (what we can choose) has constraints but that is a separate issue.

In brief, we do not have any choice except to do what God knows we will do because what God knows what we will do is identical with what we will do. God knows what we will do because God is omniscient, but God does not cause it to happen, we do. Thus we play out our own script according to what God already knows we will do. God knows how the script will play out before it plays out because God is omniscient.

Now back to my subject: Clearly, life is a lot easier for some people than for other people. Let’s just look at people within a given county such as the United States within a given socioeconomic group, because to start comparing to a third world country is not a fair comparison since conditions are so different for those people. Why then is it that most people I am surrounded by at work seem to be happy all the time? Do they not have any problems in life or do they just handle those problems differently?

I do not think we will ever know why life is easier for some people than for others, but I think the following factors play into the answer: childhood upbringing, heredity, opportunities, education, adult experiences, and present life circumstances. Some of these factors we have no control over but some of these we have some control over.

A Baha’i belief is that tests and difficulties are sent by God and we should thank God for them because they help us grow spiritually. There is a question as to whether God actually sends them or they are just a part of life. I am not going to say I am grateful for the tests because I believe I have had more than my share, and they are not things I bring on by being careless in my free will choices. Yesterday at the limit of my ability to handle one more thing and I was riding my bike home from work in the bike lane. For a moment I hoped the city bus would run over me and it would be quick and I would be in the spiritual world, because I know that the material world is the source of all my torment. The spiritual world bestows only joy.

Then I thought of my husband and my 10 cats that need me and realized that dying is not the solution. I think that other people who are good are the solution. Sure we have to handle our own tests and make our own decisions, but when I am in these tests, good people just pop out of the woodwork to help me. It is as if God is sending them to me and they are the answer to my desperate prayers.

Another Baha’i belief is that God never tests us beyond our ability to handle that test so whatever we are going through is theoretically something we can handle. In retrospect, I guess I have to agree with that, and over time I have realized it more and more. For example, what I am going through now with a tenant is much more serious than what I have gone through in the past, which was also very difficult, but I am not in as much distress now as I was with previous tenants who tried to take advantage of me, lie and manipulate. I have a sense that good will prevail over evil but right now I have no way to know what will happen, although I will have a better idea on Monday when I speak with my attorney.

I think that one reason God allows evil people to exist is so good people will be tested and they will grow spiritually as a result. That does not mean all people will grow, some people just remain in the victim stance and blame the evil person forever. Right now I blame the evil tenant for what he is trying to do but concurrently I can see the bigger picture and how I got into this mess, by trusting someone who was a con-man. I feel rather foolish but I know it is not my fault that someone else chooses to be a liar and a manipulator. Not many landlords would rent their house to a sex offender with two offenses against minors. I wanted to see the good in him and give him a chance but obviously I made a mistake. However, that does not make me the evil person. I did nothing to deserve what he is trying to do to me now. He is just evil. I tend to blame myself for everything so in the past I would feel like it is my fault, but now I have good people are telling me it is not my fault. If I had any part in what he is blaming me for I will take the responsibility, but not until an attorney tells me I had a part.

Another reason God allows evil to exist is to bring out the good people and so that people like me can see that there are indeed many good people in the world. In between good and evil people there are of course people who are just complacent about other peoples’ problems and do not want to be bothered with them.

There are two approaches to suffering in this world....

1) Wait for it to find you. These people look happy for a long time until their suffering catches them. They avoid trying to take matters into their own hands so they are free to focus on lifes little pleasures. They are more likely to develop addictions and fall into stale relationships. They dont ask too many questions.

2) Follow your bliss. These people look for what would be most or at least more fulfilling in their life. They tend to face suffering or take the risk of suffering in order to attain some personal goal or insight. They may frequently or infrequently suffer deprivations of a practical nature making their lives seem clumsy compared to the first type. They make problems for themselves...but achieve great things to the satisfaction of their sense of personal meaning.

TransmutingSoul · Oct 22, 2018

osgart said:
I mean i have brain damage, and severe sleep apnea, and chronic back problems, but i dont let that affect what i will for others and myself. The mere fact that we can be so self aware as to conceive of whatsoever we wish i think frees us of our genetic dispositions in the will.

I just want to say well done, I love your heart.

:hugehug:

Regards Tony

TransmutingSoul · Oct 22, 2018

Trailblazer said:
Maybe I am being too literal. I look forward to any feedback anyone has on this subject. I have discussed it at length on other forums, mostly with nonbelievers, and I think they have influenced my thinking on this subject.

I am of the opinion God knows all our thoughts.

I see life as a never ending path of choices, based on what we will do, each moment giving us the opportunity to choose the right path.

If this guidance was not available, how can we be brought to account for our deeds? Also in the education of children, is it not about giving them the ability to choose the right way by showing them the result of wrong choices.

This is a big subject Trailblazer

Regards Tony

Why is life so easy for some people and so difficult for others?

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