I had a weird experience tonight .. wondering if anyone can relate. I guess it's fair to say before I begin that I'm 36 and seem to be in a continual state of existential crisis. Desperately wanting to believe but unable to do so becuz it's like I have a broken record of a mind and cannot seem to escape doubt and come up with a million and one rational reasons as to why none of this spiritual stuff can be real. I mention that becuz it's probably why I had the feeling I did tonight. But anyways..
I saw on the news that a huge building in London is ablaze and people r trapped. Meanwhile, I was about to pray, as I like to do nightly, and I had the thought of how ridiculous it is to do so.
I'm gonna pray for those people to be saved?? Or for some sort of comfort to those suffering in that building? So I'm praying for god to intervene or help , in something that "he" allowed to happen to begin with?
So it's either ridiculous to pray or selfish.
Gee god, ummm, I know ur letting women and children burn alive, which I guess is cool and all, but my family and I have really been suffering a lot lately and r on the verge of having our only vehicle repo'd which we rely on to get to work but may lose it becuz we r in financial crisis, but hey!! Can u help us find a way to manage this situation or have a miracle so to speak to not lose our transportation or face eviction. Thanks god!!
How fuc$!ing stupid is that. I'm gonna pray for financial help when people r being burned alive.
Anyone else have weird thoughts or feelings like this or am I just a nut job?
The single biggest barrier to my belief is that I absolutely cannot wrap my head around the horrible suffering people endure and how a loving god can allow that. And I don't buy that b.s. that people say .. this world is an illusion, or it's a lesson to be learned or it's karma . Every stupid religion or spiritual belief system has some ridiculous justification for people suffering. It's just made up b.s. so people can sleep at night. Maybe it all means nothing and is completely random. That's just as valid an argument as believing an invisible aspect of myself chose to suffer in the physical world in order to learn some lessons .
Maybe I should be nuts like pat Robertson or whatever his name is and blame earthquakes and tornadoes on gay people. Stupid .
I work in a field that I see and witness unbelievable suffering every single day. And let me tell u, even if I'm exaggerating and only .5 percent of the world suffers in the ways I hear about, that is 0.5% too many to justify a belief in a loving god.
I'm hoping someone can shed some light on my thinking and perhaps I can see it in a different way. Cuz I been spending 18 years in this way of feeling and it's really getting old.
In my mind there's nothing wrong with your thinking. You're actually practicing a core principle in Buddhism.
Buddhism is the study of human suffering.
It begins on the premise of human imperfection.
Unlike Christianity, redemption is not asked for and granted by a superior being.
In fact, there is no god.
So redemption comes from within and is achieved when the individual achieves enlightenment.
To achieve enlightenment, Buddhists must be selfless. They must confront the ego. They must feel and display extraordinary acts of compassion.
To be selfless, Buddhists must confront their shortcomings.
To tame the ego, Buddhists must confront their shortcomings.
To feel and display extraordinary acts of compassion, Buddhists must see and acknowledge the human suffering in the world.
Bill33, In your post, you confront your shortcomings. You confront your ego. You see, acknowledge, and express extraordinary compassion.
You walk the path toward enlightenment.
