¶ … Suffering in the Human Relationship with God
Suffering is part of human existence on earth. Christians are no exception to the rule. The problem is that most suffering is experienced by the innocent. When believers suffer, this appears to deny God's love, and it is very difficult to hold on to faith in the face of physical, emotional or spiritual turmoil. In order to understand this phenomenon in the believer's world then, Gustavo Gutierrez examines suffering from the viewpoint of Job. In his book On Job Gutierrez describes in detail the stages that Job goes through in his suffering. Of course Job was the ultimate example of innocent suffering. Despite being completely righteous and faithful, Job suffered because God had confidence in him.
When Job suffers, he initially experiences this as a solitary sufferer. The three friends who talk to him during his suffering enhance this loneliness when they introduce the idea of temporal retribution. Job, according to them, is suffering because he is sinful. His three friends then suggest repentance:
the impoverishment and sickness that Job is suffering are punishments for his sins. Mortals who deny this truth are claiming to be more righteous than God.. Job's first duty, therefore, is to acknowledge his sin and ask God's forgiveness for it." (p. 22).
According to this theological model, sufferers deserve what they get, and to stop the suffering, they should repent from their sins. But both the reader, God and Job know that his suffering is innocent. He has done nothing to deserve the loss of everything. Thus the meaning attached to his suffering by the widely accepted theological doctrine of his friends is the meaning of human error and conversion. Conversion, according to the friends,...
Job and Suffering Humans have a lengthy history in dealing with the idea of suffering. Can anyone forget the relates the trials of Job, a devout man of God, at the hands of Satan, and his theological discussions with various characters on the nature of suffering and the relationship between God and Mankind? The poem attempts to address a basic problem for humanity -- the problem of good vs. evil --
He was unworthy, because he had in effect become both a woman and a prostitute. If as an adult he nevertheless went ahead and exercised his citizenship by casting his vote or speaking in the assembly, he could be put on trial and lose not only his citizenship but also his life. Such charges may not have been brought very often, but it did sometimes happen,(18) and the very
Nurses can frame a personalized clinical plan accordingly. The plan can empower the patient as well as his nurse. By using a family-centered model approach, the nurse can collaborate closely with the patient's family, who knows his temperament better (Ranger & Campbell-Yeo). Clinical Case 1: Sciatica Mrs. J. K, aged 42, has had stiffness and aching in the lumbar region when rising or sitting down for six now (Boger 1994). Her
The characters of God, Stan, and Jesus are also significant in this epic and because they are considered valuable in their roles in the poem, we can assume that Milton found similar value with these characters in life itself. Through these characters, Milton is presenting not only a hierarchy but also a way in which things should operate. God's supremacy is unquestionable in this realm and demonstrated early in
On the other hand however, it gives rise to an exclusive attitude and a multiple layer style of development and economic evolution because there will always be countries that fail to keep up with innovative technology, high tech research and revolutionary concepts which stand at the basis of today's creative industries. This is why the population in least developed countries does not consider globalization as being benefic for the
God Personal Defining "Personal" Between the belief that God is a person and the belief that God is personal which one is essential to Christian faith? My stand is that the belief that God is a person is a hindrance to Christian faith. Interestingly, some recent religious philosophy writers have however made the assumption that believing in God is believing in a person. Richard Swinburne is one such influential advocate of
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now