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Do I have to listen to G-d? Why can't I do whatever I want to?
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I have suffered so much. How can I still believe in G-d?

  

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Rabbi Shlomo: Welcome. I'll be with you in a moment...what's on your mind?

james: hello?

Rabbi Shlomo: hi

james: i lost my religion

james: ive been through so many bad things this past few years that now i don't believe there is a G-d

james: what do you say about this?

Rabbi Shlomo: I am sorry to hear of your trials and tribulations

Rabbi Shlomo: but i have one question for you

Rabbi Shlomo: now that you don't believe in g-d, has your life become easier? more meaningful?

james: what is the question?

james: my life feels completely meaningless

Rabbi Shlomo: so what have you gained by dismissing g-d?

Rabbi Shlomo: I mean correct me if i am wrong - but when someone believes in G-d one has hope beyond the pain, light beyond the darkness, meaning beyond the trial. But how does one cope with trials and hardhsip when those trials and hardhsips are completely pointless, random, and destructive>?

james: i think that i feel a lot more sane without belief in g-d

Rabbi Shlomo: so you feel more sane now that your life is meaningless?

james: in a sense, yes

Rabbi Shlomo: interesting

Rabbi Shlomo: can you explain for me the above two things: what I asked about coping with pain without the knowledge of G-d, and how life is more sane when it is meaningless

james: plus, the chasid rabbi i wasw seeing did not help me and neither did the people attending the Temple

james: how does one cope with pain more by believeing in G-d?

Rabbi Shlomo: well, if there is a G-d, there is a reason for hte pain

Rabbi Shlomo: and reasonless pain is more painful than pain with meaning

Rabbi Shlomo: for example someone who has their heart cut open for heart surgery is willing to take hte pain because he knows there is a good reason

Rabbi Shlomo: but no one wants to just be stabbed in the heart randomly

james: i guess you have  a point there

james: I will hav eto think about all this some more

Rabbi Shlomo: I'd be happy to chat again after you give it some thought

james: thanks. i'll be in touch

Rabbi Shlomo: Shalom and be well!

All names, places, and identifying information have been changed or deleted in order to protect the privacy of the questioners. In order to preserve authenticity, the chat sessions have been posted with a minimum of editing. Please excuse typographical errors, missing punctuation, and/or grammatical mistakes which naturally occur in the course of informal chat sessions.

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RELATED CATEGORIES

Philosophy » Pain and Suffering
G-d » Me and Him
G-d » Belief in G-d
Temple
1. Usually a reference to the Holy Temple which was/will be situated in Jerusalem. 1st Temple was built in 825 BCE and was destroyed in 423 BCE. The 2nd Temple was built in 350 BCE and was destroyed in 70 CE. The 3rd Temple will be built by the Messiah. 2. A synagogue.
G-d
It is forbidden to erase or deface the name of G-d. It is therefore customary to insert a dash in middle of G-d's name, allowing us to erase or discard the paper it is written on if necessary.