[Amy Winehouse - there is a better way]
Many people suffer from severe emotional pain of some sort. They feel disappointed, insulted, rejected, poor, lonely, hopeless, worried about the future, miserable about growing uglier and weaker with age and so forth.
To cope with this pain, people turn to painkillers of many types: alcohol, heroin, prescription pain killers, marijuana, etc. These substances unfortunately all become less effective with use, which encourages the use of higher dosages and as a result leads eventually to very serious and possibly fatal side effects. They may be good short term solutions, however in the long term they are horrifically damaging. (One biographer of Ernest Hemingway, the brilliant but atheistic and alcoholic writer, mentions that after age 45 he became more insane each year [ Hemingway by Kenneth S. Lynn page 532], until his suicide at age 61.)
What is the solution? Why can't doctors invent a powerful analgesic to which we will not develop a tolerance?
Fortunately, orthodox Judaism has solved this problem thousands of years ago. When one is suffering, he need merely remember that everything is from God and everything God does is good. The Talmud teaches us "one must receive the evil with gladness". It is all for our good. Everything is an atonement for our sins and prepares us for paradise. Furthermore, if one is unhappy with anything material, he may recall the words of the ancient rabbis who taught "This world is [merely] like an entrance chamber before the World to Come. Prepare yourself in the entrance chamber so that you may enter the banquet hall." Numerous inspirational works are available which expand on these and similar themes.
How precious is Thy lovingkindness, O God! and the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings. Psalms (36:8)
This is the real analgesic.
6 comments:
I would like to add if I may that in Judaism a person also knows that he will eventually resurrect after Moshiach's coming, and his life then will be wonderful an splendid!
"Turning to religion is but one of them."
And the others are?
"As we speak, your fellow heredi thugs in Israel are rioting in order to preserve their right to spit on little girls walking to school in Beit Shemesh"
Orthodox Jews actually have a remarkably low crime rate as I've explained.
http://jewishphilosopher.blogspot.com/2008/09/orthodox-jewish-crime.html
While atheists have a license to kill.
http://jewishphilosopher.blogspot.com/2011/10/atheists-have-license-to-kill.html
"And the others are?"
1. Any of the alternate forms of spiritual endeavors.
2. Charity or philanthropic work
3. Pursuing any creative goal.
4. Art or music
5. Meditation
6. community work or leadership
But a few examples
Which drug and alcohol rehab center has had success without preaching a belief in God?
That belief in religion makes people happier in no way imparts any truth value to that belief. Think of religion like a medicine. Yes, the medicine may help for the affliction, but A) in no way means it's "true" anymore than Chemotherapy is "true". B) Causes other dangerous side-affects that can be just as fatal.
"Causes other dangerous side-affects that can be just as fatal."
Such as?
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