While suffering from chronic illness, do you question God's concern for you? Do you feel forgotten by him?
In March 1999, those thoughts silently ran through my mind as I sat alone in my backyard on a beautiful, sunny day in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. I had just been through radioactive iodine treatment for metastatic thyroid cancer. My husband was at work and my three young children were staying with friends and relatives for two weeks, because the radiation I received could actually harm them if they came near me. I also suffered from chronic vertigo, making me feel as if I were constantly on a boat.
I quietly asked, "God, have you forgotten me?" At 36, my strength and health were gone. How could that happen? After all, I had been an athlete in high school and studied nutrition in college.
But slowly, over the years, my strength and vitality had disappeared. I needed comfort from God in my suffering. I found that comfort in his Word.
It began with a simple greeting card.
Wonderful ladies from my family's church sent me a get well card with this Bible verse from Psalm 56 written on it: "You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?" Wow! God collected my tears in a bottle? Maybe he did really care about me.
Although I didn't have much energy for Bible study during that time, I would occasionally come across a verse that encouraged me. One particular verse helped me through the days when I was physically weak. Isaiah 33:2 reads, "O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in times of distress." I would pray, "Lord, be my strength today."
My experience with cancer and vertigo has made me realize there are many people suffering from chronic illnesses. In 2005, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 133 million Americans--nearly one out of every two adults--had at least one chronic illness. It is projected that by 2020, about 157 million Americans will be afflicted by chronic illnesses (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services). I came to a greater realization that these people have questions for God and need his encouragement and comfort, too.
In Oct. 2003, after recovering from cancer, I decided to thoroughly read through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. My intention was to find scripture verses that would bring God's comfort to people who suffer from chronic illness.
In my study of the Bible, I discovered God's words of encouragement to the sick and his instructions on how we should live, and recorded them in notebooks. Next, I did keyword studies on the Bible verses I had collected. Those keywords became the outline for my newly published book, Medicine from God: Scripture Verses to Encourage and Comfort the Sick.
In the Bible, I learned of God's goodness and great compassion. I was reminded of his everlasting love and concern for us. I discovered what the Bible says about why people get sick and die. And I was encouraged by reading of his power to heal and the strength he supplies.
Although there are many helpful Bible promise books, Medicine from God is unique. It is written specifically for those who are fighting illness or caring for a sick loved one. The verses in the book are compiled under topical chapter headings such as "Is God Good?" "Does God Love Me?" and "Does God Care About Me?" Other chapter headings include "Cry Out in Prayer," "Trust in God and Take Refuge in Him" and "Do Not Worry."
In 2007, while in the process of finding a publisher for the book, my husband and I found ourselves expecting another baby. The same season my firstborn went off to study at Purdue University, Grant came into our lives. He was born by emergency cesarean section Oct. 30, 2007. The doctors soon discovered that he had multiple physical problems due to a genetic condition called trisomy 18.
I believe that God had prepared me for the devastating news that Grant's disease was fatal--that the average life span of babies born with trisomy 18 is two weeks--yet we were blessed to have Grant with us for almost nine months. Grant and I used to listen to beautiful hymns and children's praise songs together, and I would sing along with them. I would tell him that one day he would no longer need a feeding tube in his nose, or be attached to an oxygen tank. I told him that one day we would walk and run together. I shared with him Isaiah 40:31: "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
The Bible verses I had collected in the unpublished manuscript of Medicine from God ministered to me during that difficult time. They taught me that our life and breath are in God's hands, and that we are to seek the Lord and love him regardless of our circumstances here on earth. His Word showed me that he is always with us to offer his strength and salvation, and to give us his love, comfort and healing.
While I encourage people who suffer from chronic illness to seek medical advice, I also encourage them to seek the Lord and his strength. My prayer is that Medicine from God will help readers draw closer to God, be reminded of his everlasting love, and be assured that he has not forgotten them.
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God approves of the gang rape of Lot's young virginal daughters to protect two male strangers calms my nerves. - Genesis9:8 (KJV) “Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.”
Leviticus 25:44-45 (NKJV) “And as for your male and female slaves whom you may have—from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves. Moreover you may buy the children of the strangers who dwell among you, and their families who are with you, which they beget in your land; and they shall become your property.”
Mark 7:10 Jesus says, “For Moses said, ‘Honor your Father and your Mother’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of Father or Mother is to be put to death.”
Matthew 10:34-36 (KJV); "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."
God's word sure doesn't seem very comforting. In fact it's VERY upsetting and disturbing.
Praying works no better than placebos as proven by many double blind clinical trials. So that is NOT an alternative to modern medicine.
If we just abandoned vaccines, the population would gradually shrink.
If we abandoned all of modern medicine, the population would seriously shrink, might even be wiped out and in the mean time, the average life expectancy would go back to what it was during the middle ages.
Modern medicine is the best we got and can still be improved a lot, can be made more affordable, can be made a human right, can be made universally accessible.
Superstition is NOT the answer to anything.
Now, as more people in the West are questioning openly what all this nonsense is based on (answer: nothing), all that is left is to prey on the most vulnerable, the disadvantaged and sick, who understandably cling to everything that gives them hope, particularly in a country where many were left out in the rain unless they were financially capable of securing actual help (as opposed to that coming from an imaginary being).
It's disgusting how the fairy tale peddlers have no shame when it comes to selling their spiritual snake oil to audiences they feel might be impaired in rationally evaluating it --- children, old and sick people.
I agree 100%.
It is disgusting how anyone can brain wash themselves so deeply with such pure bunkum that they can imagine themselves getting "comfort" from it.
But to answer your initial question: I'd do the same that we both would do together if, say, Zeus turned out to be real, or Baphomet, or Ra, or that deity the furry green creatures orbiting Betelgeuse pray to --- be pretty surprised, make a long face, and brace for impact. Pascal's wager really the best you can come up with?
1. Which god are you? Zeus, Apollo, Jahweh, ...
2. Why did you not give any shred of credible evidence of your existence to humans?
3. If you're all-powerful, why this ego-trip wanting to be worshipped by this animal species called humans while you caused and enjoy their suffering?
4. If you're so powerful, why are you so bad with money that you always want more and more money, especially from the poor?
5. If you gave humans the capacity to think critically why would you want to punish those who actually used their "god-given" brain and concluded that there was no credible evidence for your existence?
6. Then I would ask him/her/it for a lot of scientific explanations that humans are still searching for.
7. I could go on and on...
There is no downside to be a non-believer but any god capable fooling us so well by not giving us any credible evidence for his/her/its existence and capable of predicting that evolution would eventually give a thinking brain to one a species of life should want to punish the gullible and especially those who made a (prosperous) living fueling this gullibility.
When we're sitting down over a beer talking about the relative merits of one religion over another, I'll tell them they're all nuts and try to talk them out of their silly delusions. But when that very belief is providing real value in times of misery, it's time for me to shut my mouth.
When she finally realized the inevitable, she was too far gone to make all the things she wanted to leave for our daughter.
If that comfort takes the form of Religious sayings and so on then so be it.
Whatever gets you through the hours of darkness, loneliness, vulnerability, and despair have real value.
To take personally tragic events and make them into inspirational, motivating events that can be shared instead, is one example of mankind’s ability to work a kind of wonderful alchemy on experience.
Some of the most loving, un-cynical, good humored, inspiring people I have ever known were survivors of the Nazi Death Camps.
To do the work of love, of good care, for whatever reason and however done, in small ways or big ways, is to be the best of what it is to be human.
My Mother created a bookshelf of inspirational books, non denominational, specific religions of many kinds, scientific, all were included, in the office of her Oncologist as she fought her death for two long horrible years.
I will perhaps purchase this book and add it to that shelf, now grown into shelves through the grace of many others, in Grant’s name and the name of my Mother, God rest her.
If the medication is successful, is it because some god made it possible? If the medication does not work, is it the medication's fault? Your fault? God's will?
Please explain . . .
The brain can do some amazing things, some of which are often attributed to divine intervention...
God still hasn't CURED cancer, diabetes, ALS, blindness, or any other diseases. It's all been man's research and pioneering that is responsible for any medical advancements. Man has used his inherent intelligence to create innovations in all fields, while this invisible sky daddy twiddles his divine thumbs. How do you depend on something that is supposed to care about you, while allowing innocent children to die of starvation and AIDS?
No, you won't find me searching for any support in this pointless concept. I prefer the love and comfort of real human beings, not an imaginary entity. "The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike", a quote I saw somewhere which somehow seems very appropriate here.
With such a conclusion, I'm curious what they believe history has to offer about such a worldview. Are the recent changes in, for example, child birth death rates or average life age, only a reflection proper religious attitudes?
This is why I can't take the religious seriously. They pretend you can dismiss facts about reality if you pray hard enough. Well, pray as hard as you like, but the better health we enjoy isn't somehow connected with the strength of your god-beliefs. Quite frankly, it works contrary to your beliefs.
-The all-essential disclaimer to avoid the inevitable lawsuits you open yourself to when encouraging people to use prayer to alter the laws of probability.
"My prayer is that Medicine from God will help readers draw closer to God, be reminded of his everlasting love, and be assured that he has not forgotten them."
-Shameless plug.
Ms. Bosserman, you were not saved by prayer. You were not even saved by the power of positive thinking. You were saved by the efforts, study, training, organization, preparation, application, and previous failures, of the medical and science communities, plus some very good luck thrown in.
To claim otherwise, and to claim anything at all that smacks of "goddunit," while it may give you a nice "warm fuzzy" about your spiritual beliefs, is to slight all of those efforts, for which you must be either very very thankful, or simply self-dilusional.
On a final note, if you really did read the christian bible you did some amazing 'cherrry picking' on your romp through in order to have come up with your loving, warm, compassionate god. You may have missed a few things:
I would direct you back to your bible, or simply point you toward
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/atrocity.html,
just in order to 're-review' the "rest of the story."
No one has all the answers, including Christians, that's why it bothers some people. I'm not the originator of the above comment, but I see where they're coming from. People can get very frustrated by the "cherry-picking" believers, who ignore "the rest of the story", so to speak.
Here are two of my favorite places for un-cherry-picking:
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com
http://9gag.com/photo/25268_540.jpg
It couldn't be a miracle? Not even a possibility? So I should expect that the "medical and science communities" to be able to duplicate this with consistent success.
A mother of young children who never smoked died of lung cancer. Conclusion: Wotan does not like non-smokers with young children.
A Maffia boss died at 90 in his sleep. Conclusion: "Juju up the mountain" really likes the Maffia.
Germany won against Argentine this morning. Conclusion: The great Teton likes the Germans.
Go read "Caveman Logic" from Hank Davis and you will see why species with an evolved brain invent and hang on to superstition.
even without god, after you have done everything you know how to do or should do about an issue that you care about deeply, and there is nothing but down time afterword, prayer can focus you.
every time i put my 5 gallon glass water bottle on it's recepticle, i say an hail mary. PERSONALLY, i believe she is there. but even if someone did not believe it, saying a prayer during such a moment focusses the mind, calms you down, and helps you get ready for a difficult task.
i started this ritual when one cracked like an egg and i needed stitches.
prayer doesnt feel like a get out of jail free card to me, it is more like, "where am i and where should i go?"
mwah,
pax et bonum.
As soon as you realize god is a myth then you no longer have to wonder why god won't help out.
There is no help from a god that does not exist.
But there is medical help for medical situations.
and recognizing that there is no help from a myth instead of dropping into self delusion is a much healthier idea.
most atheists i have ever known are more religious than theists.
AND more angry.
why try to take away something that gives someone joy?
and why imply that seeking god and seeking medical help are mutually exclusive?
Till then, religion that gives joy is equal to the joy you get from a 'drug of choice' ... the pleasure is all in your mind.
As for pretending I implied seeking medical help and seeking god are mutually exclusive? I said no such thing, ... only that one gets results, and the other fails to achieve any actual healing.
I'd have a lot more respect for such beliefs if they weren't encouraging people to dismiss treatments that could actually help them, vs useless acts that can do nothing beyond what a placebo could do.
Don't you feel just a little egotistical by having god as your personal buddy?
it has been rough going in this thread, and i feel like im accepting too many of the red herring premises. you helped put it into focus.
the people to whom you refer are not dissimilar to those who practice some warm and fuzzy amorphous agape.
taking you off the number of people at the last supper to number 14
pax et bonum.