incurable/chronic/terminal illnesses

[KevinM1]

Sorry, didn't mean to bring you down.

I know what you mean, I guess if you know no different it's easier in some sense.

You seem to be coping very well, as far as I can tell from your posts

Yeah, well, it's reality, you know?  I mean, I obviously have times where things just get frustrating and suck, and I feel down on myself, but on the whole I'm pretty even keel because there's no use dwelling on what can't change.  I've gone through a fair amount to get to this point in my life (~43 or so surgeries, and the rehab associated with it to get the mobility I currently enjoy), so I'm not going to waste what opportunities I do have.

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First I want to say I'm sorry to hear about both of your chronic conditions.   My wife has recently been diagnosed with a rare chronic illness that causes her quite a bit of discomfort so I know how hard it can be sometimes.

To the original post going to pay devil's advocate for a moment.  It is a common belief that our faith is tested through trials.  Let's not forget the book of job.  So our hardships are to prove our dedication to god rather than being fair weather followers.

Now back to reality.  The concept that an omnipotent creator who made us in their image then does cruel things to us so we can prove our love for them is unconditional seems a bit sadistic.  The biggest reason why religion has survived and will continue to do so despite obvious gaps is it's ability to explain the unknown and in a way to play on our ego.  Everything was made for us and this immortal all powerful parent figure is interested in all of us individuality.

Hey, good first post.  Welcome to this wonderful den of heresy and debauchery!

Sorry to hear about your wife.  I hope both of you are doing well.

And, yeah, I definitely get your point.  My disability doesn't bring me closer to the notion of god.  Instead, it gives me first hand experience in how utterly ridiculous his purported setup actually is, and solidifies why I could never worship or otherwise praise such a creature.  What opportunities I have in life are due to a loving family, modern medicine, and my own tenacity.  There are people with similar conditions (and definitely worse) who weren't lucky enough to have that kind of supportive environment, and unduly suffer because they were simply born in the wrong place at the wrong time.