Just answer the question.
2007-10-11 04:32:17 · 15 answers · asked by Meat Bot 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Then and only then are you allowed to answer the next question: Can I decide to believe in God and then actually believe in him when I currently don't? What's the difference?
2007-10-11 04:34:43 · update #1
bmdt: Let's say because I paid you $1 million to do it. You still haven't answered the question.
2007-10-11 04:36:52 · update #2
Phil M: How would I go about deciding to enjoy pain? I just decided I liked it and then slapped myself in the face and it didn't feel good. What did I do wrong?
2007-10-11 04:37:57 · update #3
Apple: EXACTLY! My brain cries out not to believe in God.
2007-10-11 04:39:13 · update #4
ddking37: Ok, please do it now and then hit yourself. Tell me if it worked.
2007-10-11 04:40:41 · update #5
That's a tricky question that usually comes up after somebody has been under Spiritual Direction and working on an active Interior Life of Prayer, Meditation, Confession and living by a Rule of Life, but I will attempt to answer based on Dogmatic and Sacramental Theology.
It is indeed a decision of the will to choose to embrace pain. To actually "enjoy" it is not a term I would care to use, so - I will say "embrace". But, when I say that, I do so in a Christian context only, and would only give this advice or direction to a person who I have been counseling for some time, and in whom I had trust that they would understand.
I would say that embracing the pain and linking it to the suffering of Jesus Christ (his life, his betrayal, his scourging, his Passion, his Death and Resurrection) CAN be a good spiritual exercise.
Again, I would be very specific and discerning about who I would give this direction to.
I would NOT consider giving such direction to a person with masochistic tendencies. that would be a bad thing (and, yes, I have seen it go very wrong!)
2007-10-11 04:41:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Since you cannot work right now, you have many hours to fill during the day. I suggest you find some sort of charity program that is doing work you believe in. Like a soup kitchen or a thrift store or a shelter or something like that. When you work for others who are needier than you are, you get SO much in return. It will add a great deal of value to your life, and you'll get over this temporary rut you're in right now. Not all Christian churches are judgmental. The Church I belong to actually offers counseling services on a sliding scale (professional help -- not just pastors). You might call a Catholic Church in your area to see if the same thing is available in your area.
2016-04-08 03:03:57 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i say "yes" you can...i hate to be gross, but look at S&M...it may not be everyone's forte`, but there are some that get their kicks.
i think you can decide to believe in God, i did, after doubting for a long time. difference? sorry, i don't know what you mean...
add: i see ya, i see ya...the thing is, i could do it IF I WANTED TO. i have a STRONG will power, moreso than other people (that i know). i can block out feelings and emotions that some can't. for example, i can (and have) gone 3 and 4 days without eating anything, and never have the first hunger pang. the night i was in my car wreck, i had a broken and dislocated hip (didn't know it) but wanted to go home so bad, i walked around on it. yes, i could feel my hip, but i blocked the pain aspect out because i wanted to prove that i was ok to go home. which i didn't--5 day stay w/ surgery. the brain is a very powerful thing...it can (and does) control your body.
2007-10-11 04:39:30 · answer #3 · answered by ddking37 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Pain is pain no matter how you look at it. It is not friendly. Did Christ look forward to the pain He endured both before and while He was crucified? A resounding NO! Did He enjoy it? Again, No. He did however go through with it because it was His mission in life, to suffer for the sins of all man kind. To take upon Him their sins to meet the end of the law, So you could have the benefit of not having to meet that end of the law yourself in eternal suffering for your sins if you would but believe on His name. Everyone has the choice to believe or not to believe, Pain is not enjoyable!
2007-10-11 04:50:13 · answer #4 · answered by oldman 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No matter what answer you receive from a believer, you are not going to like, because you have decided ahead of time to not want to hear. But I will say this, if you truly deep in your heart choose or decide to accept Christ, you will enjoy Him- because He has given us abundant and eternal life- about the pain, no one decides to enjoy pain, Jesus did not enjoy it, but He endured it because of His love and enjoyment of us. Deciding and living for Jesus is not painful- we may go through pain in the process, but even that can be a joy with Jesus- because He helps us through it. How do I know? From personal experience, I live with a chronic pain disease, I do not enjoy it, but I have joy.
2007-10-11 04:51:34 · answer #5 · answered by AdoreHim 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. God let's us have hardships so that we as believers may become stronger and with Him, we can. If everything was easy and pain-free, we wouldn't need Him. But, He doesn't expect that we will enjoy the pain and hardships, He just wants us to reach to Him in those times of pain and cast our cares upon Him.
2007-10-11 04:43:44 · answer #6 · answered by Sandra S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think that the ability to enjoy pain has anything to do with religious beliefs, Christian or otherwise.
I suppose you could decide to try to enjoy pain, but the nervous system and brain would cry out not to.
2007-10-11 04:36:11 · answer #7 · answered by Rob 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your question has nothing to do with Christians.
Anyone can theoretically decide to enjoy pain and then actually enjoy it.
Believe in God? Yeah, you can decide to do that, but if your beliefs are weak or if you have no faith (you only believe to escape hell) then its all for naught.
This is why I think most religions are utterly useless.
"you slapped yourself and felt pain" well you obviously didn't decide to enjoy pain, YOU TRIED to enjoy pain.
2007-10-11 04:35:02 · answer #8 · answered by Phil M 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
No, I do not enjoy pain. Yet, in knowing what pain is, it allows me also to know what joy is because without knowing the difference there would be no joy.
Scientific experimentation allows us to "know" certain facts that were previously unknown. After the experimentation, we learn that those facts now exist; facts that we had not known before.
Likewise, if we "experiment" in knowing God, we can gain knowledge that we did not have before.
2007-10-11 04:37:33 · answer #9 · answered by Kerry 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sure. Sure. Difference? In the first question, you asked about "pain". In the second question, you asked about "God."
2007-10-11 04:38:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋