This is the companion to my most recent post which focused on the now late Zoraya Ter Beek’s suicide, coping with adversity, and overcoming the urge to give up, among other things.
I think you perhaps missed your calling. You would have made a great minister.
I'm not of the religious persuasion myself, so I'm not really your target audience, but what I found interesting about Buddhism was that suffering burns off bad karma. We suffer because in a former life we did something unwise and to make recompense we must bear our burdens in this one. Suffering is a chance to learn how to find peace in the worst circumstances. And I'm amazed at the people that do. (I'm also frankly amazed at the number of people who can't handle any "suffering" at all.)
Your father and my uncle . . . my uncle had been in the rehab here in Billings for about a year. He'd broken his hip and then had his knees replaced. He was 88. A group of friends took him out to Golden Corral for lunch and he died at the table while they were talking. They thought he'd fallen asleep.
As I said, I don't think I'm your target audience, but still, a great piece as always.
"but accepting denominational ideology as authoritative." I understand, but someone who is more thoughtful and less didactic is *exactly* what most religious institutions need.
Referring to how Mr and Mrs ter Beek could feel about it. Well he died of cancer last year. I suppose there is a fair chance she hoped to be with him. Seems like her mother has been estranged from her because of the boyfriend, and I fear that would only have changed if she came to approve of Z’s path, as the boyfriend seems to have been supportive.
So maybe neither of her parents have any guilt in this. Or maybe her father will be ejected from heaven into hell now, as he can no longer ask for forgivness - there’s a good one for the theologians.
"Well he died of cancer last year. I suppose there is a fair chance she hoped to be with him. Seems like her mother has been estranged from her because of the boyfriend,"
Thank you, for pointing out what I so clearly missed.
Shame on me for being less than thorough in my reading and research.
I will update the online version of the essay to reflect your callout.
NFT, thank you for one of the more thought-provoking and brilliant reads in a long time.
As a surgeon, I am faced with these issues a great deal. With a number of my patients who have life altering cancers, I have discussions with them about quality of life versus quantity of life. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about faith. Those of my patients who have faith are those who have no fear and often when told the realities of the situation make the brave decision to spend the remaining time with family or friends. I have seen the greatest strength in these individuals because they know that the things that medicine can offer them in this world are not as bountiful as what God can offer them in the next one.
I may slightly disagree with you in terms of the humanity we show towards our pets versus our human family members. I believe that we can comfort those human family members with love and respect with hospice care. There are many in the hospice community, that don’t let these ordeals drag on.
Agreed – personally, I suspect that hospice care providers are truly saints. Gently, lovingly, ushering one in the last moments out of this life to the next one.
I think you perhaps missed your calling. You would have made a great minister.
I'm not of the religious persuasion myself, so I'm not really your target audience, but what I found interesting about Buddhism was that suffering burns off bad karma. We suffer because in a former life we did something unwise and to make recompense we must bear our burdens in this one. Suffering is a chance to learn how to find peace in the worst circumstances. And I'm amazed at the people that do. (I'm also frankly amazed at the number of people who can't handle any "suffering" at all.)
Your father and my uncle . . . my uncle had been in the rehab here in Billings for about a year. He'd broken his hip and then had his knees replaced. He was 88. A group of friends took him out to Golden Corral for lunch and he died at the table while they were talking. They thought he'd fallen asleep.
As I said, I don't think I'm your target audience, but still, a great piece as always.
Thank you!
You're so kind!
I would never have made it through seminary, though - not because of the academic rigor, but accepting denominational ideology as authoritative.
"but accepting denominational ideology as authoritative." I understand, but someone who is more thoughtful and less didactic is *exactly* what most religious institutions need.
I think you’re a bit of an idiot.
Referring to how Mr and Mrs ter Beek could feel about it. Well he died of cancer last year. I suppose there is a fair chance she hoped to be with him. Seems like her mother has been estranged from her because of the boyfriend, and I fear that would only have changed if she came to approve of Z’s path, as the boyfriend seems to have been supportive.
So maybe neither of her parents have any guilt in this. Or maybe her father will be ejected from heaven into hell now, as he can no longer ask for forgivness - there’s a good one for the theologians.
"Well he died of cancer last year. I suppose there is a fair chance she hoped to be with him. Seems like her mother has been estranged from her because of the boyfriend,"
Thank you, for pointing out what I so clearly missed.
Shame on me for being less than thorough in my reading and research.
I will update the online version of the essay to reflect your callout.
NFT, thank you for one of the more thought-provoking and brilliant reads in a long time.
As a surgeon, I am faced with these issues a great deal. With a number of my patients who have life altering cancers, I have discussions with them about quality of life versus quantity of life. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about faith. Those of my patients who have faith are those who have no fear and often when told the realities of the situation make the brave decision to spend the remaining time with family or friends. I have seen the greatest strength in these individuals because they know that the things that medicine can offer them in this world are not as bountiful as what God can offer them in the next one.
I may slightly disagree with you in terms of the humanity we show towards our pets versus our human family members. I believe that we can comfort those human family members with love and respect with hospice care. There are many in the hospice community, that don’t let these ordeals drag on.
Agreed – personally, I suspect that hospice care providers are truly saints. Gently, lovingly, ushering one in the last moments out of this life to the next one.