a question for those who use to be punitive

Isn't this what the Pharisee's believed, and what Jesus refuted when he healed the blind man? In Jn. 9:3 the Pharisees say that the blind man or his parents must have sinned. Jesus basically tells them that that is not how it works. Throughout history (Biblical and other) there are numerous examples of "good" people who have terrible things happen to them, and "wicked" people who are just living lives of ease & comfort. We simply can't go through life assuming that the bad things are punishment. If this were the case, the "bad" people would be having a lot more tragedies, and the truely "godly" Christians would have easy lives.

Chris--if God GAVE you MS because of not taking care of your body well enough then He isn't a loving God

He didn't give it to me. . . .he allowed me to get it. I've gone through all kinds of eating disorders (I had some sort of eating disorder from the time I was a teen until I was in my upper twenties) and all kinds of other stuff.. . .put stuff in my body that was not good for it (never drugs or anything, but alcohol and food that wasn't the best). And He's allowed me to suffer the consequences of this. I can see, now, that a lot of stuff out there today causes problems (white sugar, white flour, etc.,etc.), and, yet, even knowing that, all that I know, 10+ years of nutritional study, I *still* screw up and am weak about eating stuff that I know I shouldn't. I really don't think He has a whole lot of pity on me (I wouldn't). . . .me, that *knows* better, that *still* does stuff that's bad for her. I guess I'm rebelling (in a way), and I'm paying for that. I remember having an incredibly stupid, immature "fit" (in my mind) more than once, about, "Well, I'm going to eat it anyway! So many people eat this without a problem! I should be able to, too!"

[ArmsOfLove]

Chris, Dear Sister, what did you do in your past that you can't forgive yourself for?