The question is: can you be a Christian if you do not understand the depths of human suffering?
Now by Christian I mean specifically someone who clings to the teachings of Christ, not merely someone who reads and "follows" the Bible (for the latter can do many "Christian" things that contradict the teachings of Christ).
My question is not if understanding the depths of human suffering is a sufficient condition for being a Christian, but only if it is a necessary condition.
Secondly, my question assumes that you can understand things without living them, for if lived experience were the condition for understanding, this might mean that everyone understands all of their own experience (and that is clearly false).
I think understanding human suffering is at the core of calling yourself a christian. From recalling Christ's torment on the cross every mass to focusing on supporting those who suffer daily such as the homeless, we see suffering as a necessary condition for being a christian. I believe our American society today sees suffering as a complete negative and should always be avoided. Pleasure can and should be sought after at all times. However, suffering can have positive effects on a man's journey to knowing himself and others. Times of suffering strengthen us and call for communities to come together. Without suffering, a man cannot have empathy for another individual who is suffering. Christians are the men and women who put others before themselves because they know the pain that we all face everyday.
ReplyDeleteComing to someone’s aid out of sympathy for his or her situation is heard of and done, but coming to someone’s aid out of empathy is to perform the action on a deeper emotional level. I’ve learned that intention is a very important part of truly being Christian (the aspect which differentiates those who “cling” and those who “follow”). If someone donates to charity just because it is expected of him or her doesn’t not hold the same religious meaning as someone who does it for the sake of seeing the betterment of someone else’s life. However, the idea that having a mutual suffering in order to have this sincere intention conflicts with my understanding of Christianity. Yes, suffering can make someone stronger and isn’t always a bad thing, but would a church make its parishioners live on the streets for weeks in order to truly give back to the homeless? Sure this would be an effective way to be empathetic, but does God wish to see more of his children suffer? A religion based on compassion and love doesn’t seem like it would require a tearing down of its people, but rather a gathering of those neglected into it.
ReplyDeleteFrom my understanding, the question that is being asked is in order to be a Christian do you have to suffer? My quick answer to that question is yes. I think in order to be Christian you have to suffer because all human beings suffer. This is simply based on the fact that after the fall all humans have a tendency towards natural sin, suffering, and death. So all Christians suffer because all humans suffer. Now I do not think Christians need to subject themselves to extreme suffering, like the extremist in the Da Vinci Code, in order to be a Christian. I think because of the fact that all humans suffer and experience suffering we can relate and feel compassion towards others. There may be different types of suffering, but based on the fact that we all experience and know suffering in some way –death- we can then relate and feel empathic towards others. Just because we do not experience all kinds of human suffering as Christ did, does not mean we do not know suffering. We may all suffer but according to Christian teachings it is through God’s grace that we balance and combat the suffering. In our natural human state we will always suffer, simply because of the fact that we are human and because of the fall. It is not until we pass do we turn back to our natural state and rid ourselves of our human suffering.
ReplyDeleteI think it is hard to relate and truly do what needs to be done without personally suffering in a similar way or on a similar level. I can honestly say that I am not sure what it takes to be Christian. I know helping people is part of it, but I think that connecting with the people you are helping is more along the lines of Christianity. I think the only way to connect with people who are suffering is to show them that you have suffered in a similar way. Everyone suffering hates a perfect human because that perfect human makes the sufferer feel incompetent and therefore suffer more. That connection seems important to actively engage your own heart in the way the teachings seem to encourage. I think it is impossible to completely open your heart and your arms without having experienced suffering on a personal level.
ReplyDeleteI think that the understanding of suffering is a necessary condition for being a Christian. People in the Bible suffer because they do not obey God. Without understanding the consequences of disobedience, Christians cannot understand the strong bond they have with God. Christians always learn about this natural connection with God, even when they have not experienced true suffering. And like Professor Vaught said, we cannot even interpret our own experiences fully. We still have a partial understanding of them, though, and also of experiences that we learn about. We can offer support to those who have had different bad experiences than we have had. I think that some suffering is necessary to learn to appreciate the good times that we have, and to appreciate the gifts and blessings we receive from God. I cannot imagine my life without some suffering, and I do not think that I would appreciate the good things that happen to me if I did not have those bad experiences. I think that the Christian mentality reinforces this idea, because the good things that happen to you are because of God.
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