Does Christianity glorify suffering?

Question

The ideals of Christianity, sacrificial love, passive acceptance of suffering, humility, meekness, etc. not only emulate the qualities of "our redeemer, who died for our sins," but also reinforce the scapegoat syndrome.


1. God wanted to prove to us that we can be saved so he sent his son to die for all mankind
2. God desired that the world be redeemed through the death of Jesus so Jesus was killed
3.Pain is required by God to atone for sin.
4.During the Age of Faith and the Renaissance, most customary and town laws gave husbands the right to beat their wives, although it was usually said that they should do so "reasonably" or "moderately."

God the Father demanding and carrying out the suffering and death of his own son!!

Answer 1

No, but it makes sense of it and makes our suffering to not be in vain.

Answer 2

For several centuries, Christianity was considered a 'Death Cult'. Some even lived in the Catacombs. Those roots in pain, should never be forgoten. It was also considered a slave's religion, and that has been with the church, until this day. I noticed you didn't mention passive aggressive. That's a sure sign of an underdog too. And what about passive civil disobediance? Have you heard of Rev. Martin Luther King?

I suspect Christ, and Christianity are a bit larger than a syndrome.

Answer 3

It would seem that way. You really must take into consideration that Pagan worship demanded sacrifice, and Christianity is a religion founded on pagan ideas and beliefs. That might upset a few, but it's the truth. In as mush as we are more civilized, and I use the term lightly, we still sacrifice. Has any war ever been fought that did not have a God idea behind it? I don't understand religion all that much, because I can't figure out who made all the rules. OK, the first 10 seem alright, but then it's like the Constitution and keeps getting added on to. It's all very strange.
I hope you don't get much hate mail from your question, or even worse the sympathy from your self proclaimed betters, but i believe you will see both.

Answer 4

yes it does. It seems as though, the way scripture is interpeted and the way some churches presents it, it's like you get brownie points for suffering.

"Okay God, I'm suffering with this, I am being sacrificial, I'm doing all I can. Do I get my 45,000 brownie points now?"

I have read somewhere, not from the bible, that suffering is a choice. We don't have to suffer, instead we choose to because of what our religion taught. that made so much sense to me.

yes, we will have painful circumstances. People die, we lose our jobs or suffer economic loss, we fight with those we love, we lose a cherished dream and have to pick up our mats and follow a new dream and a new vision for our lives, but we choose to stay attached to the past and the vision we have inside, instead of dealing and facing with the reality of what is, and as a result, get our suffering.

We know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, so we ought to be wlaking aorund grateful and free. the martyr syndrom can be taken too far.

We don't get brownie points for being co dependant martyrs and being scapegoats. that wasn't god's original intention. God's original intention was for us to be free, loving and helping others on to be their best. To use our talents and skills and to help others who cannot do it for themselves.

I love Jesus, I love God and the bible, but sometimes, the tenets of Christianity do glorify suffering and , once agian, I think suffering is a choice, we volunteer to be martyrs. we don't have to.

Answer 5

Pain is not required by God to atone for sin, the shedding of blood is.

The sacrifice of His Son was necessary to pull us OUT of our sins. God had to use the virgin birth to get a perfectly sinless man who could take on the sins of every person in the world. As Paul says in Romans 5:17:

"For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ."

Effectively, Christ is the last Adam, perfect and sinless.

Answer 6

Who's behind the sacrifice is what we glorify and what drives the person to do it is out of love. It wouldn't be called sacrifice if there's no pain involved. If you are humble and meek, that is one less of an arrogant person in this world that drives people crazy. Scapegoat syndrome...ummm it does get you out of trouble didn't it so I don't see any wrong in it, it's actually helpful.
God didn't demand Jesus to die for our sins, He offered Himself...otherwise it wouldn't be called sacrifice if there's forcing involved.

Answer 7

All good points. But not all Christians ascribe to the theological assertions you have listed. Feminist theologians, among others have been addressing these issues for years.
Many theologians have challenged the notion of how Jesus' death is redemptive.
Just wanted to let you know that there are lots of Christian views out here!

Answer 8

the point of teaching the Buddhist perception is not in simple terms to end suffering, to locate happiness, yet besides to develop into enlightened and to advance the compassion of assisting tp save others. no longer touching on to Buddhism, Falun Gong is a special Buddhist college. Falun Gong is depending upon the universal concepts of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. Falun Gong includes 5 units of effectual routines. Falun Gong, Tibetans, Buddhists, and different Christians were persecuted in China. the most offensive human precise violation is the organ harvesting from the Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Answer 9

Christianity does not glorify suffering save perhaps Roman Catholicism. But what Jesus taught is to die to self. Place all others above yourself even if it includes suffering.

Answer 10

3.Pain is required by God to atone for sin.

Where are you coming up with this stuff? Jesus did all the suffering..

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Answer 11

Just like the ancient Egyptians, modern-day christians are preoccupied with death. And it shows in the way they live (some of them, anyway), and the way they think the rest of us should live.