i wish i could answer your question, but i don’t believe in god or a higher power. So why is life the way it is, because it is. I guess we have to accept the things we can’t change and accept the things we’ll never know. Best revenge is living life, so i think.
When I first met my boyfriend, he told me of a time when he was six and first diagnosed that he asked the nun at his catholic school and she said it was a punishment. I, for one, strongly disagree. I think most simply, if there is a God, that he intends to push all of us to our limits. You can handle diabetes, but it will be a challenge, so you get that challenge. Hope this makes sense (:
Thank you my lady :o)
i didn’t do anything wrong…i was diagnosed at 9 for goodness sakes what could a 1-8 year old do so wrong?? humans aren’t perfect nor are our bodies and how they function. things happen. i don’t look at it as a punishment whatsoever. it’s taught me sooo many things and has made me a better person. i thank God for giving me the strength to deal with it with an upbeat attitude. if there is a good such as God then there has to be an opposite, evil. who’s to say these horrible things in life were created by the good??
I don’t believe it is a punishment, but more of something that we have to go through. Yeah, it’s really tough, but I think I was burdened with this disease (vs my brothers and sisters) because I can handle it. I can see the way it has “changed” me. I am stronger, more empathetic, caring, and humble- even though I know that I’ve accomplished so much already in my young life. If I didn’t have T1D (diagnosed at 14) then I don’t think that I’d be where I am today. I think I would’ve gone to college and lived a “normal” life- but instead, I have worked with thousands of people, attended walk a thons for a disease that I didnt’ even know existed before- and have published 3 books that I know I wouldn’t have had the patience to write.
Yeah, T1D friggin sucks, man- I hate it, I loathe it, I wish it would just STOP- even if just for ONE MINUTE- but… it is a part of me. It’s not a punishment, but more of something that just happened to me. I can handle it. It is now a part of what makes me… me.
It’s a trial, not a punishment.
The question I ponder is what will the verdict be when the trial is over?
Terry
Ryan,
I think that it’s possible that you and I aren’t thinking of the same God. It is ridiculous to ask if the omniscient God that I worship and serve “Knows” anything! Of course, He knows everything and has from all eternity past. Because my God is sovereign, He can do what He wants and no one has the right to question any of His doings.
According to God’s Word, the Bible, most of the pain and suffering in the world has come as a result sin in general, not any one sin in particular.
I wish you knew my God. If you are really open to what some call radical thinking, visit http://wildrosebaptist.org/freegift.htm. If you have more questions after you’ve read this carefully, please contact me.
Thanks. My thoughts are the same, too. This thread seems to be aimed more at polling who believes in supernatural stuff and who doesn’t.
haha-
darn eve had to eat that apple…haha. we should blame her not God!!
I don’t know what God thinks or knows or does, but if this is a punishment…lucky me because it could be waaaay worse. I can think of many many things that people deal with that make me feel fortunate. My typical American life feels more like a reward.
My youth pastor once said "God WILL let us go through things we cant handle on our own. When He does that, He’s wanting us to draw our strength from Him. We cant handle it, but He can."
Makes sense to me.
b
I do not believe it is a punishment. As others have said, there are lots of people who are a lot worse than I am walking around in good health, and so many who are much better than I could ever hope to be who have suffered so much more than I. I’m not sure about a divine being or any particular concept or form for any divine being. But, if there is one, my belief is that s/he set the world in motion and set the rules of the universe and has let it develop on its own, and leaves us to make the best of what there is. Diabetes is what has happened to me and many others. What did I do to deserve it? I don’t know, but perhaps I deserve worse. Perhaps it is just chance. But, it is reality.
Anyone who tells us it is a punishment ought themselves to be punished in some way. I have a few ideas…
Well Satan is the one that tempted poor Eve in the first place. So we should blame Satan.
Besides, Eve just made a mistake. We all make mistakes and we all sin. Me included. All we can do is go to God and repent.
b
I believe that we as a people needed to have pain in order to know joy and happiness. And that there are those of us who have pain in our lives to demonstrate it for others. I also believe that we are not given more than we can handle. If we have more than we can handle it was brought on by people not given to us.
If I have a punishment for my earlier wrong doings it would be being the father of two daughters. I now understand why fathers are cleaning guns when you get to the house for your fisrt date. And only one of mine is dating.
that’s why i commented somewhere else on this thread that maybe evil is to blame for all the wrong in the world not God
Oh, ok. I havent come across that yet. 
Yes, I am sure that God knows exactly what hardships go along with diabetes. I believe (according to God’s Word, the Bible) that God does not punish us with things such as diabetes, but He does allow the devil to bring these things into our lives in order to strengthen us and help us to grow and to lean on Him (Christ). If you have never read the Book of Job in the Old Testament give it a try, I highly recommend it. It will give you a different outlook. The Bible also tells us that God will never give us more than we can bear. One of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Do I ever get discouraged, angry, feel like giving up? Absolutely (about every 5 minutes, LOL), I am only human. But I have a way of pulling myself by the boot straps and facing the next 5 minutes and getting on with life.
I know I have let my religious beliefs come out and if I have offended anybody, I am sorry
haha. I agree.
T1D has made me stronger- and I’ve seen the way my strength has affected my family members and those close to me. I can handle this and because I am strong, they feel they can handle some of the bigger issues in their lives too.
Interesting thought. Though to answer, though…since we are talking beliefs and those can be wildly differing things.