Comments on: Haiti’s Calamity

By: madcraze

madcraze — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:50:49 +0000

I don’t think that Haiti’s calamity has anything to do with god’s plan. I think these things happen without control of God, and that’s why they happen. I mean is god supposed to control every aspect of our life and make us learn everything we need to know overall as a person? I don’t agree, I think the earthquake happened and people learned from it. And maybe that’s what god wanted. To have people understand each other from going through this experience and grow overall. I am sure going through such a traumatic experience gives people to share with each other, and help each other out in harsh times.

By: hmc5079

hmc5079 — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:05:01 +0000

I was raised in a catholic home throughout life, attended Sunday school as well. I was taught over and over again that Jesus died for me and for all of us on the cross. The end of his life was the assurance for ours. He died for our sins and one day will return. Over the years my idea of this idea has changed. His suffering has taken on more of not that Jesus died not only for my sins but like Sam said for my to recognize or become more aware of them. The disaster in Haiti, although words cannot express how catastrophic it is and the effects of it will continue to be, has served as a humbling reminder that I am not the only person living on this planet. I should do everything in my power to make a difference no matter how small it may be can have a ripple affect into be something huge.

By: ACL

ACL — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:57:58 +0000

I feel terribly for those in Haiti and I have given every dollar that my poor college budget will allow. However, when reading this post I thought of something closer to home. It reminded me of THON. THON weekend is the most magical time of year. For forty-six hours thousands of college students are "less concerned with my possessions, my ideas, my hopes, the things I think I deserve. I am more willing to give, to help, to care about someone else." For those forty-six hours their only concern is FOR THE KIDS. These kids have the burden of cancer all around them, yet they have the courage to fight, the courage to run around the BJC squirting water guns at complete strangers while laughing and dancing the days away. I know that THON has nothing to do with the hurricane in Haiti but it's just something to think about. We have tragedies in our lives everyday, so close to home. So I completely understand how "one person’s suffering could somehow liberate another person." It happens every year in February.

By: LambdaLady2BL

LambdaLady2BL — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:49:59 +0000

I would have to say that this blog has definitely caught my attention. After seeing things in others perspectives i can actually allow myself to challenge what i believe in currently. Growing up in the Philly, i realized that my family struggled. day in and day out my mother struggled from pay check to pay check, and currently still does. Through all these times, my mother always prayed. She always told me that she relied on her faith to get her through these hard times. My mother was catholic, but never pressured me to "follow" her footsteps. She gave me the freedom to explore and see what exactly i felt would be the biggest impact on my life. going from pentecostal to lutheran to even a mormon, my entire life i struggled with what "religion" i could affiliate myself with. It wasnt until graduating high school and coming here to penn state that i came to the grips that i was a non-denominational christian. I do not refer to any specific religion. i can kind of say that i take a bit of every other religion and try to apply it to what i feel is right. The story of Jesus has been taught to me in many different ways yet all entailed the same ending. Jesus died for our sins! After reading Sam Richards post i find myself not questioning but actually trying to understand the concept of this story. one man enduring the weight of sin and pain of the world on his shoulders, sacrifices himself for our salvation.
What has happened in Haiti is a complete disaster, and has definitely awakened a lot of issues that otherwise we would completely ignore. As a young child my mom always explained to me the hardships that she had to endure. She always said that she never wanted me to struggle in life. Yet she always said, though we have it bad, there is always someone out there who doesnt have even the basic necessities of life, that we take for granted. there is always someone somewhere who has it worse off then you. to say that recognizing real suffering may steer you away from your own sins is to an extent true. You never know how rough something can be until yourself or a person close to you has had to endure it! Everyone has their own opinion of what the story of jesus meant or what it's purpose was. it is just our responsibility to take it which ever way we feel benefits.

By: JustLovingLife

JustLovingLife — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:14:40 +0000

As a child, I was taught that helping others was the godly thing to do. I was taught that since God saved us from a life of sin and pain, then it is our job as people to help one another when we are in pain or suffering. For those of us who believe in God or in some form of higher being, I’m sure that you can relate. However, it so many of us does not see this as true. No one ever wants to suffer. Suffering is not the ideal way of living. However, I would like to know, when is it a good time to ever deal with suffering? When should we finally step up to the plate and realize that suffering does exist? Most humans do not pay much attention to suffering until it is us experiencing it personally. This is not the way to be. Suffering is not just personal–it is global.
I feel that we all suffer in our own ways from things that may or may not be apparent. We all like to feel that when we suffer, we will have someone or something there to bare the pain with us. We all look for some kind of blessing to get us through the sorrows of the night. Some turn to God in times of suffering and some of us turn to humans. No one way is better than the other as long as we have something that we can hold onto. However, I want to know, is our personal suffering greater than the suffering of others? When we are suffering personally and feel that we have everyone in the world to hold onto, who do those suffering globally have? The people of Haiti are suffering tremendously. They have nothing left, but the ruins of their once precious country and the memories of what use to be. They are now the ones looking for some type of blessing that will bring them out of the turmoil they are standing in.
I ask you; please place yourself in their shoes. Would you not want someone to be there for you? Would not want someone to give you a helping hand? I do not think that anyone in this entire world could say no to both of those questions. Everyone wants to be helped whether they want to admit it or not. I am not saying that we as humans have to be saviors, or help others because we think we will be saving ourselves in the process. I am simply saying that helping others in need is the right thing to do. We as humans always say that we need blessings. Helping others is a blessing all on its own. So be the blessing that you want to receive.

By: JustLovingLife

JustLovingLife — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 08:57:49 +0000

I ask you; please place yourself in their shoes. Would you not want someone to be there for you? Would not want someone to give you a helping hand? I do not think that anyone in this entire world could say no to both of those questions. Everyone wants to be helped whether they want to admit it or not. I am not saying that we as humans have to be saviors, or help others because we think we will be saving ourselves in the process. I am simply saying that helping others in need is the right thing to do. We as humans always say that we need blessings. Helping others is a blessing all on its own. So be the blessing that you want to receive.

By: JustLovingLife

JustLovingLife — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:37:48 +0000

By: JustLovingLife

JustLovingLife — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:36:32 +0000

By: JustLovingLife

JustLovingLife — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:33:03 +0000

By: JustLovingLife

JustLovingLife — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:32:09 +0000

I feel that we all suffer in our own ways from things that may or may not be apparent. We all like to feel that when we suffer, we will have someone or something there to bare the pain with us. We all look for some kind of blessing to get us through the sorrows of the night. Some turn to God in times of suffering and some of us turn to humans. No one way is better than the other as long as we have something that we can hold onto. However, I want to know, is our personal suffering greater than the suffering of others? When we are suffering personally and feel that we have everyone in the world to hold onto, who do those suffering globally have? The people of Haiti are suffering tremendously. They have nothing left, but the ruins of their once precious country and the memories of what use to be. They are now the ones looking for some type of blessing that will bring them out of the turmoil they are standing in.