Posted by:
Raptor Jesus
(
)
Date: February 27, 2013 09:24AM
Pain woke me up really early this morning, and I read the cancer thread which got me thinking.
There's no way I can go back to sleep until my own pain levels come down - so I decided to start another thread that should prompt a few people to remind me that I still need to kill myself. Because how else would my life be complete?
Everyone here knows that one of Mormonism's core doctrines (or possibly core "folklores" depending on what's popular at the time) is that Life is a Test.
This life is filled with "trials and tribulations" either caused by Elohim or allowed by Elohim to be caused by Satan or consequenses of "agency."
Bad stuff happens to people, and it's SUPPOSED TO. Because we have to prove to Elohim that we are, like the Karate Kid, the "Best Around and Nothing is Ever Gonna Get Us Down."
Life is Cobra Kai and will sweep the leg of anyone and everyone. And while Elohim set the rules of the tournament, he's not going to enforce any kind of "please fight with honor" crap because - really - Elohim is just wanting to see whether or not you will crain kick the Adversary in the face after being grossly mistreated in the ring. If you want the love of the girl in the big ugly sweater and anachronistic poodle skirt, you are going to have to earn it through very literal blood, sweat, and tears.
Only then will you fully understand that all of those service projects about painting widow's houses, helping people move, and scrubbing the stakehouse toilets were really just teaching you Karate to use against Satan and his gang of school yard bullies.
However, this kind of mentality about life supposing to be all about getting kicked around because a god desined it to be that way can cause problems when it comes to dealing with other people's pain.
This is especially compounded when you have this notion that when you do naughty things, like play pranks on Satan's minions during a Halloween dance, that some Elderly Okinawan will step in and save you after you've been beaten by said minions- but before you have been beaten to death.
The man is there to take away some of YOUR pain, and to save you.
However, these two ideas often end up leeching TBMs' empathy and sympathy towards others in pain.
Because Elohim WANTS you to get beaten up. He specifically designed life to beat you up; it's the only way you'll learn anything.
And Jehova has already been through way more than your dumb little problems. You're just getting bullied. Jehova went through war, watched his buddies get killed, and then his wife died. So, why are you being such a whiny little baby when someone punches you right in the crap factory?
Jehova has earned the right to get drunk. But you have chores to do. There's a whole lot filled with cars that need to be waxed. Get to it! Don't think about it or question why you need to do it. Simply trust that all that hard work will pay off in the form of a big showdown where you can get kicked around some more. But this time, if you win - Satan will leave you alone.
Unless he was lying about leaving you alone if you win. But that's ok too. Don't worry. If Satan still comes after you when the tournament is over, Jehova will FINALLY step in again and honk Satan's nose.
But that's getting too far off point. The point still is that this framework allows you to disassociate from other people's pain incredibly easily.
Your best friend is hurting? Just remind him/her that Elohim made it this way and Jehova will take care of everything if it gets "too hard."
Done and done.
Your kid is in pain? Again, sorry, little dude, but Elohim really thinks you can kick Satan in the face standing on one leg. Actually, he's counting on it. You don't want to lose the tournament, do you?
You better NOT want to lose, kid. Because this tournament is really important. If you lose. You will be bullied FOREVER by Satan.
And that concept is a great thing to be focusing on when your kid is in pain. Not the pain itself, or even the child.
But focusing on "winning."
With this attitude though you have to disassociate from the pain. Because if it distracts you, you might lose. Which would be such a shame.
Don't think about the pain. Don't get distracted. You've got to keep your eye on the prize.
Because life is just one big competition.
I say these things in the name Mr. Miyagi, paint the fence.