When things go wrong or the prices go up or someone is sick, lost a job, etc we comfort each other in so many positive ways.
We say this shall pass; you have a positive attitude you'll be all right. We tell ourselves and each other "God must have a plan." "We still count our blessings" etc etc etc

But what if we lived in South Africa and our son was kidnapped to be a drug dealer, our husband was kidnapped to work in some mine for corrupt people and our daughters and wives were raped?

What do these people tell themselves? Do they say "there are people worse off than me" "God has a plan"????

I don't mean to bring people down I was thinking about a movie I saw and I talked to my sister who knows people who do aid work in South Africa. There is an AIDS epidemic on top of everything else and it's so archaic there that people believe that having sex with a virgin child will cure the AIDS so they rape children.

What the F@#k is going on? Why? I just don't get it. I am a very Faith based person but I don't know what to think. This is just one example. South Africa is a country rich with resources and should be a rich prosperous place if not for corruption. So what happened?

What do these people tell themselves and each other to get through the day?

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

They probably smoke a joint or do some other drug.
If I had to live like some of those people I'd probably welcome death and try to get aids just to die faster.

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Any of those situations would be HORRIBLE to have to deal with.
IMHO - God gave us free will so there are always going to be bad choices and evil actions by people. However, God will make something good come from something bad. It may not be tangible but He will do that. An example might be organ donation from a deceased loved one. So I don't know what you "tell yourself" but you put your faith in God and He will carry you through. It doesn't mean it will be easy or pleasant though!

Unfortunately, this is all these people know or have known. They probably don't see the kidnap or murder of a child as the horrific event that you or I do.

I know that these parents grieve as intensely as you or I would, but, I also think that they know that there is the enormous expectation that a child born in these circumstances will not live through their teen years.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Good question OP!

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Support bacteria -- it's the only culture some people have!

If Vegetarians eat Vegetables. Do Humanitarians eat Humans?

'Vegetarian' is an old Native American word for bad hunter.

Being an atheist, when bad things happen I don't chalk it up to God having a plan. I guess I do try to look at what's right in my life, but other than that, I just deal.

I don't know what I'd do if I lived in an area of the world that was destitute and disease ridden.

I understand what you are saying, but its hard to justify a child stolen into sexual slavery, or to make a snuff film. These things are just tragic. We sit here in our pretty little world where there is an Amber alert nationwide if a child is missing for a short period of time. These people in third world countries are so exploited and abused, its sick.
I know God carries me through, but sometimes I wonder why he allows these terrible things to happen. These people had no free choice or free will

It is what it is.


I say those words a lot as I deal with whatever comes.
I've been very very lucky in that, either A, I have not faced anything I could not get past and B, I'm pretty resiliant. Though it's not always easy, I sincerly hope I "sail" through the rest of my life as I have so far.

I can't help but wonder "why".

Thanks for your input.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

It is hard, as a faith-based person, to come up with any sort of spiritually comforting thoughts or words when something horrific and/or violent happens - particularly when something unspeakable happens to innocent children/families.

It does bring me a very weird sense of comfort that people in the most extremely war-torn places will likely die much younger than everyone else (thereby being relieved of the horrors of their lives here). Because I believe that our experiences on earth will pale in comparison to our lives in heaven, I know that in the Big Picture, this life will have been but a blip, and their lives will lead them more quickly to heaven. I believe that innocent people who have lived and died in unspeakably unfortunate ways will get to heaven faster than myself, or others who had it so much easier. That is what I tell myself, anyway.

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"The errors of faith are better than the best thoughts of unbelief." - Thomas Russell

I can't imagine what people do to get through such horrific circumstances. It is beyond my wildest comprehension.

All I know is that I have some responsibility when I do hear of such things. I know I don't do enough. I work for many charities, my dd built houses for AIDS victims, etc., lots of things. I pray. But I know my response is just not big enough for the terrible things that happen in this world.

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