How does pain and suffering affect faith and spirituality?

[Spiderman]

Today I was reflecting on how pain and suffering can increase a person's faith or destroy it.

It's true that pain and suffering can lead to Despair and blasphemy, even among the most pious devout Souls.

However, in my particular case, I noticed my pain and suffering in life detaches me from the material world and absorbs me in spiritual matters.

So do you think the family members of the victims will become more spiritual as a result of this deadly shooting in Las Vegas, or do you think more of them will just despair and give up hope in a loving God?

A loved one getting murdered can swing a spirit either direction, but I think pain and suffering usually swings in the direction of making a person more devout and prayerful... There are an extremely large amount of exceptions to this rule, but it seems like the countries where life is most difficult, are on average more spiritual than First World countries.

It also seems like a lot of people experience some sort of huge loss , trial , or crisis that leads them to a Life of piety.

 

[sun rise]

I really have no idea what the majority will do. Both are possible.

 

[Sunstone]

Pain and suffering tend to focus on ourselves and make us more withdrawn from the world, self-aware and self-centered. Ironically, that focus is sometimes understood to be "more spiritual" than engaging life.

 

[Spiderman]

Pain and suffering tend to focus on ourselves and make us more withdrawn from the world, self-aware and self-centered. Ironically, that focus is sometimes understood to be "more spiritual" than engaging life.

For me, the pain makes me feel closer to God , I cry out to God in agony, he consol's me... Then I wait for God to enlighten me and it comes

 

[Deidre]

According to Nietzsche, he felt that pain and suffering were necessary for happiness, and peace. It's not that we should hope for pain and suffering, but we should know that when it comes, it doesn't need to be the end of us. It can be the start of us.

 

[shunyadragon]

According to Nietzsche, he felt that pain and suffering were necessary for happiness, and peace. It's not that we should hope for pain and suffering, but we should know that when it comes, it doesn't need to be the end of us. It can be the start of us.

I like Nietzsche's description.

Personally I believe our spiritual nature should be what it is regardless of pain and suffering. Prayer and meditation is a medium of communication either with oneself or whatever one believes beyond ourselves, not in reaction to the positive or negative consequences of life.

I prefer not to be a steel ball in a pinball machine reacting to the pain and suffering, tragedies, or even the appearance of confirmations, successes and rewards in life.

go with the flow the river knows . . .

 

[David T]

According to Nietzsche, he felt that pain and suffering were necessary for happiness, and peace. It's not that we should hope for pain and suffering, but we should know that when it comes, it doesn't need to be the end of us. It can be the start of us.

Nietzche is a really interesting writer/philosopher. That is in dead alignment to the new testament.

Did you know that Rudolph Steiner was the curator of his writings before he died? That was set up by his sister. I find that Connection both curious, and telling how his sister perceived what was going on with him towards the end of his life. Clearly he became like Sid Barrett, the founder of pink Floyd. Nietzche managed to do it without Lsd. There is something about neurology that we don't get. I think huxleys "doors of perceptions" mentions how uniquely aligned mescaline and the new testament is. That was completely missed in the 60's.