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Originally Posted by pianoperformer  Interesting. But that's not to say that those who have a relationship with God never experience suffering, right? |
Of course, those who have a relationship with God experience suffering just like everyone else. And going along with this vision, we all have a relationship with God, not just the people that believe they have one.
There is a specific kind of suffering, though, that I experience when I have distanced myself from God. It is like someone you love has left you or is far away. Or like being famished. In a way, I think this is perhaps the basis of all human motivation (since it is God that animates us in the first place). Something seems to be missing inside of us and we seek to fill it. The Sufis and Sihks often use the metaphor of God being the Beloved and the believer being a lover. Life is this love affair with God.
BTW, I picked up this book called "The Reason for God" by Timothy Keller the other day. It's written by a Christian pastor and so far, I am pretty impressed with his explanations. Perhaps you would find it interesting.