Problem of Pain

T'ai Chi

Penultimate Amazing
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For those that don't think very much and ask 'if there is a god(s), then where is there pain??', do you believe that those with CIPA (Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, a very rare genetic disorder that makes people unable to feel pain) are better off than those are us able to feel pain?

In fact, it is a world without pain that is hell.

Pain, as much as it is obviously unwanted at times, seems pretty important at times for being able to learn, distinguish between hot and cold, get pleasure, and a variety of other things.
 
The simple counter "theological" explanation is that God could have devised some other feedback system that would achieve the same end result as "pain" but that wouldn't have caused us to suffer.

I'd also say I think your counter point only refers to the "educational" aspect of pain i.e. the "that hurts - I'll not do it again". I think most people when they say "Why if God is all good is there pain?" are probably referring to the type of pain someone may have that has no "educational" aspect so for instance someone suffering from a painful cancer, that pain serves no "purpose" when viewed from the aspect of how it is important "...for being able to learn, distinguish between hot and cold, get pleasure, and a variety of other things."
 
T'ai Chi said:
For those that don't think very much and ask 'if there is a god(s), then where is there pain??',
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I think the question has more to do with emotional pain, heartbreak, tragedy, etc. than physical pain.

From an evolutionary perspective, the purpose of pain is obvious; to keep an individual organism from doing things that damage itself.
 
T'ai Chi said:
For those that don't think very much and ask 'if there is a god(s), then where is there pain??', do you believe that those with CIPA (Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, a very rare genetic disorder that makes people unable to feel pain) are better off than those are us able to feel pain?

In fact, it is a world without pain that is hell.

Pain, as much as it is obviously unwanted at times, seems pretty important at times for being able to learn, distinguish between hot and cold, get pleasure, and a variety of other things.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming the question that some people were supposed to have asked was
'if there is a god(s), then why is there pain??

and then you suggest that this is a naive view. You are however doing a rather great disservice to a great deal of people who suffer from chronic pain (of all descriptions) for which they receive absolutely no benefit. From this perspective, if one prescribed to the possibility of an omnipotent deity, then this would be a valid criticism of such a notion.
 
No disservice at all.

It is showing the very real world fact that one cannot have yin without yang, cannot have 'no pain' without 'pain'.
 
T'ai Chi said:
No disservice at all.

It is showing the very real world fact that one cannot have yin without yang, cannot have 'no pain' without 'pain'.
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"yin" and "yang" - I thought these where meant to be opposites? There is no opposite of pain - there is pain and no-pain.
 
Darat said:
"yin" and "yang" - I thought these where meant to be opposites? There is no opposite of pain - there is pain and no-pain.
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How about pleasure? That's the intuitive answer but it's BS.

If you ask me it is a human trait to find meaning and patterns. The concept of opposition is learned early in life. It is intuitive but in truth it is not exactly what it seems. White and black are not really opposites. There is light and the absent of light. Everything in between is shades of grey and that is where we live our lives. Hot and cold are not opposites either. "Hot" and "Cold" are relative. What is cold to us is hot to polar bears.
 
And what about the people who actually enjoy pain?

And why god allowed CIPA to exist?

Ah, to show us how bad a world withou pain would be... I am amazed by its sapience and justice...
 
T'ai Chi said:
For those that don't think very much and ask 'if there is a god(s), then where is there pain??', ...
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I think you missed the premise - If there is a god - why is there suffering.

I don't go to the dentist and cry out "My god, my god why have you forsaken me?"
 
Suffering

To continue this thought -

The existence of god and the problem of suffering plagued Jewish thinkers from the beginning.

In the early OT writings - GOD caused evil (and suffering). However, if God is good how could this be? This is why Satan came into existence - to relieve God of this albatross.
 
T'ai Chi said:
For those that don't think very much and ask 'if there is a god(s), then where is there pain??', do you believe that those with CIPA (Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, a very rare genetic disorder that makes people unable to feel pain) are better off than those are us able to feel pain?

In fact, it is a world without pain that is hell.

Pain, as much as it is obviously unwanted at times, seems pretty important at times for being able to learn, distinguish between hot and cold, get pleasure, and a variety of other things.
Click to expand...

Why create a world were pain is necessary?
 
Ummm... I think it is typically the Problem of Suffering. And it is usually an unjust suffering that does no good.

CFLarsen said:
What about the neutron?
Click to expand...

[woo-voice]Ahhh... But every up quark has a down, and every charm a... strange?[/woo-voice] :p
 
T'ai Chi said:
I think you did, since it all comes back to pain (of various types). We suffer becuase of pain.
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It doesn't "all come back to pain". You've got nerve endings - which transmits pain to your brain. Pain can be a very, very good thing. It lets you know something is amiss. We don't always suffer because of pain.
 
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