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What a truly heartfelt expression this debate is. It is so difficult to make any sense of such
tragic losses. There seems to me to be no positive for every negative. That thought nearly seems
to make a tragic loss somehow less horrible than it is and there is no way to make the death of a
child or any loss of life (many other things as well), seem like it's less of a loss than it is.
Even if something positive comes out of negativity at some point, at the time that those parents are
mourning their children, they are not likely feeling that there is somehow something positive that
will come to pass. To tell them that at such a time would seem to trivialize what they are feeling
now. I do believe that God has a plan. I do know that some brave and strong people endure great
loss and find even greater strength than they ever knew they had or they find some way to help
others because of the hardship and suffering they have experienced, but at the time when one loses a
loved one...especially a child (I don't think any parent can possibly prepare for that loss...it
seems so unnatural for a child to pass before their parents), even the thought that something
positive may somehow take place is probably little comfort. For those of us who hear of these
tragedies on the news and, thankfully, are not the ones who are on the news, it seems like such a
waste of a beautiful, young life...one that is full of potential. I know that you only used that
one thing as an example and there are many more tragedies that occur. For all of them, my heart
goes out to those suffering. I pray that God brings comfort and peace to all who suffer.
The one thing I will say is that in the midst of so much tragic and nearly hopelessly recurring
situations, there are new lives that come into the world each day and there are many strong, brave
individuals who do make positive changes in our world. I don't think they are totally equal...no
every negative has a positive, but I do think we need to try to see past the hurt, despair and
sorrows that each day brings around our world and look to something that is good and makes life seem
balanced. If we allow ourselves to dwell in only the sorrows, we will miss some of the great beauty
and good that there is in this world. Maybe that's a small consolation to many, but I believe God
loves all of us and wants our happiness. To stay stuck in the sadness that is sometimes enough to
totally overwhelm us, we are missing out on things He has blessed us with.
I think, artemis, that your debate is one that should make everyone feel gratitude for those who
they love who are in their lives. Parents should hold their kids tighter, praise them more, laugh
with them more and make them know they are the single most important person in their life (or people
for those with more than one). What you posted is a wake up call in a sense. Thank you. I will
definitely thank God even more than ever for my dear children at the same time I will pray for peace
and comfort for those families. This is the best debate I have seen you post and the one in which
your true self is very much more evident. Bless you. |
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It would be silly to disagree. There is too much adversity and suffering and death and destruction
in this world to claim every instance of it is offset by a positive.
Whomever made that claim to you is actually taking a figurative expression of their optimism and
making it literal, as if it's a natural law, but it isn't. |
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Someone, anyone, disagree with me. Tell me there is always a positive. For the religious people
tell me it is God's plan. Then explain to me how the plan works. For the scientific people tell me
how for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Tell me what goodness is as strong as
evil. I want someone to prove me wrong because I have spent my life believing in balance and I
have come to realize there is no balance. |
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Do you really think that it is plausible to go through life sans tragedies?
Surely the world would be much worse if everything was perfect. We simply wouldn't appreciate it.
Balance rules our lives; we wouldn't enjoy the many pleasures of life if we didn't have the pain to
parallel that. |
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Just because everyone is on the other side...perhaps there is a positive to every negative but you
may not be able to perceive it or see it. The problem with the news today is that negativity makes
for good journalism; some heinous rape, murder, or atrocity is much better than hearing about some
kid somewhere recovering from beating cancer.
All I'm saying is that it would be nigh impossible to take in EVERY positive and negative event at
any given time and try to balance them out. I strongly believe that things do balance out, but even
I cannot prove that they do. You know what you should do? Stop watching the news so much. I think
after I give CNN.com a good read through every now and again, I feel sick to my stomach or depressed
about the state of our nation or the world simply because of what CNN.com thinks is noteworthy. |
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28 Oct 2009 06:17
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