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Lesson OneSuffering Comes With The Freedom To Choose5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoSuffering Reveals What Is In Our Hearts5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeSuffering Takes Us To The Edge Of Eternity5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FourGod Can Turn Suffering Around For Our Good5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FivePain Can Warn Us Of Danger5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SixIn Times Of Crisis We Find One Another5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SevenSuffering Gives Opportunity To Trust God5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson EightPain Loosens Our Grip On This Life5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson NineGod Suffers With Us In Our Suffering5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TenGod's Comfort Is Greater Than Our Suffering5 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Participants 1
Discussion Questions
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Douglas Geivett said, “A great deal of responsibility for suffering or for evil generally in the world today is rooted in how we exercise the freedom we have.” What are evidences you have seen of the connection between the freedom to choose and human suffering?
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I chose not to use condom because of pleasure in having sex without condom. I end up with HIV. My free will cost me my health. I suffered because of my own choice.
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When we make good and wise choices, we can help reduce pain and suffering. When our choices are more selfish in nature, we can actually increase pain and suffering in both ourselves and in others. How we respond to circumstances make them better, or make them worse. Turning a blind eye to social problems does nothing to improve them. Choosing to be involved and proactive and help minimize consequences, even if for one.
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This is demonstrated when a person chooses to drink and drive and then kills someone because they were drunk. They then must live with the consequences of their choice. God does not stop them from making that choice but he also grieves for them and the others involved because of the choice made.
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As someone in education I see it far too often in the students under me. Parents who have the freedom to choose to anger over love is the one that gets me the most. I use the word “anger” here rather than “abuse” because not all anger is seen as abuse and I do not want to limit the scope of my response. It goes as deep as showing anger and disappointment in a child’s actions or results rather than trying to dig deeper into the reason behind the actions/results. The assumption that the child had control over everything often leads to anger and disappointment. I am not calling for a lack of discipline or consequences – the world certainly does not need more of that, but the willingness to chose love and understanding when approaching our kids as we discipline them.
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Parents whose addictions lead them to actions that cause physical, sexual, and/or emotional harm to their children.
My neighbor who is permanently paralyzed because someone chose to beat him while stealing his pizza.
Men and women in authority who use that authority to exploit/abuse those for whom they are responsible.
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In response to Dr. Paul Brand’s statement, would you exchange your freedom to choose in order to enjoy freedom from pain?
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No. It is in our human nature to want freedom and to have a choice. I also think that being able to experience pain separates us from the Almighty and powerful Being of God.
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No, in fact, I believe the mere ability to feel pain is what makes us human and allows us to accept we are chosen.
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No. Pain made me who I am today. My eyes are open to see God’s mercy through every pain I’ve experienced. If there were no consequences to my bad choices, I would never know wrong from right ever.
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Loss of the freedom to choose essentially makes man a mere robot. Meaning is lost in even the dearest of actions, because they were not by choice. Pain can be learned from and used for future good.
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This is an interesting question. While I enjoy the freedoms of choice, I often feel like I just want God to tell me what to do..I want to know the future and that it will be what is best. I also know that through our free choice we grow. Without free will we would not truly love God because we are obeying because we have no choice. True love comes from the freedom to choose to love.
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Ravi Zacharias said, “Love cannot be brought about by robotic coercion; it has to be done by freedom of will.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?
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