The subjectiveness of the process underscores the importance of documenting any and all information pertaining to your case. If you are unable to determine who was responsible, then you will have difficulty proving your case in court. If this doesnt work, and if a lawsuit seems warranted, you should get the counsel of a Christian attorney who is in a position to supplement his legal expertise with wisdom drawn from the Bible. Church problems should not be taken to the court system, but . Jesus endured all that suffering as an innocent man. In the Fourth Song of the Suffering Servant in the Book of Isaiah, the meaning of Christ's suffering in the passion is portrayed even more vividly than it is in the Gospels. It is only the dazzling light, its excessive brightness, that prevents us from seeing anything in front of us, and it is in this that we car make out the mystery of suffering. My friend Pete buried his wife a few years ago after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. We usually want our desire for comfort, love, mercy and justice to be satisfied in this life (and immediately, if at all possible. Rather, it recognizes the multifaceted ways that suffering can come upon us. But God brings suffering in our lives for the sake of our eternal joy yes, even glory. The nothing from which this new world of happiness or the definitive Paradise flows is not an innocent nothingness but a guilty nothingness that is the greatest evil - sin - which leads definitively to the Cross. She's based in Southern California. All Christians suffer. Its important to work with an attorney who has handled your type of case successfully in the past and who knows what a reasonable settlement is. 2023 Forbes Media LLC. The meaning of suffering is to do good by one's suffering and to do good to those who suffer (cf, ibid.,n.30). Our primary objective, however, should be to resolve the matter without bringing a lawsuit to court. With all this said, it is important to remember that you need to ask yourself if you would want to be forgiven by God if you were in trouble? Other factors could involve the newsworthiness of your case, how far along in litigation the case is, and whether you bear any responsibility for the accident or injury. Suffering is in our lives because we are living in a broken world. It further affirms that suffering is a punishment inflicted for self-correction, since good follows evil, leading to conversion and to rebuilding goodness (cf. ibid.,n. You might be using an unsupported or outdated browser. Christ himself is the One who was cared for, and the one who fell into the hands of bandits is cared for and helped. Many Christians wonder if it's okay to take medicine for the disease, illness, or other type of suffering God ordained. Like Mary in the example above, your pain and suffering may consist mostly of economic losses such as: Cost of medical care . And if we look at our lives through Gods eyeswhich always include forgiveness as part of His perfect planthen maybe suing isnt necessary at all! James 1:2-4 reminds us that trials produce perseverance, which makes us mature and complete. This compensation comes from two main sources. 11). (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992), 122. As the saying goes, Everything is lawful, but not everything is edifying (1 Corinthians 10:23). Lawyer directory. This means that you cannot sue for pain and suffering damages under workers' compensation. Feeling isolated is one of the hardest parts of suffering. 8605 Explorer Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80920-1051. Applying a biblical worldview to this difficult subject results in a distinctly different approach to suffering than our natural inclination of blame and self pity. The definition is vague, but the law allows you to file an insurance claim for pain and suffering compensation. In the end, God always judges our attitudes, and just because something is permissible doesnt mean its the right thing to do. If we turn toward God in our pain, He can use our suffering to mature our faith. And if you are faithful to cling to God now, I promise He will use you greatly to comfort others later." We'd love to hear from you, please enter your comments. Adapted from Complete Guide to Faith-Based Family Finances by Ron Blue. Suffering scoops us out, making our hearts bigger so that we can hold more love for Him. For we find ourselves in intimacy with the Blessed Trinity, in the loving reality of the unity of the Triune God and in the depths of this mystery. Then we can turn around and walk alongside others in their pain, showing the compassion that our own suffering has produced in us. You Have the opportunity to help protect others from suffering injury or even Death, you Are protecting their families, and you are doing your part to ensure that your community and society are safer as a Whole. To enter into the mystery, let us be guided by God himself. Among the many reasons God allows us to suffer, this is my personal favorite: it prepares us to be the radiant bride of Christ. Only God can bestow this solidarity upon us. Posted on Feb 6, 2012. Suffering, the Pope says, consists in feeling cut off from good. In this way we are within the nucleus of salvation. Generally, you must have evidence, like medical testimony, to prove your pain and suffering resulted from the accident you are claiming. Anywhere between $1 million to $1.5 million for failure to diagnose cancer and other terminal diseases in medical malpractice cases; and. Christian contractors may be unable to pay their employees and support their families without this money. The solution to the mystery of evil is not only discovered through theological exposition but also by experiencing that something which, if steadily gazed at, darkens because of its excessive brightness yet is very real - we can say the most real reality -, for it is the only way to happiness. How does the Christian respond biblically? 5. Sometimes an attorneys reputation can help as much as the facts of the case, but it is important to discuss compensation and consider the scale of your claims and possible payout when deciding who to hire. One of the most incredibly comforting things we can ever experience is someone else's tears for us. . Consequently, the cause of suffering is an evil; so, suffering and evil can be identified with each other. Often, legal counsels will recommend that you file a lawsuit against your insurance company for loss as well as punitive damages. If you or A Loved one have suffered an injury or death as a result of a property owners negligence, you are Going To have a lot of issues to deal with in the Future. In Exodus 21:18-19, money damages are allowed for wages lost and medical care (Exodus 21:18-19), for pain and suffering (Exodus 21:22), and for the permanent impairment of a body part (Exodus 21:27).. If a Christian refuses to have the matter resolved by the church or by a Christian, then you can take him to court if he refuses to resolve the matter through the church or by a Christian. All rights reserved. He was completely dependent on the Father, choosing to become weak so that God's strength could shine through Him. May pain and suffering be transformed into a source of strength for all humanity. As well as striking the blow, the man was also responsible for seeing to it that the injured man was fully healed after the blow was struck. The type varies - it may be physical, relational, mental, emotional, financial, social, or spiritual - but it all hurts. 2. God warned Adam that eating the forbidden fruit would result in death ( Gen 2 ). Thus, John Paul II leads us to scrutinize the meaning of human suffering in a mysterious and dazzling way, and which is also the only valid perspective; at last, the enigma becomes mystery. Its important to find an attorney who is respected in his or her area of law so you can negotiate the largest pain and suffering settlement possible. For example, if an individual's medical bills amounted to $50,000, the calculated pain and suffering for a 3X multiplier would peg damages at $150,000. The Pope now goes a step further and reaches the heart of the mystery; in his mortal life, Christ put an end to pain by his miracles, He took upon himself the suffering of all and bore it with full consciousness on the Cross (cf. If you believe you or someone you love were the victim of medical malpractice, contact Morgan & Morgan. The comfort of God that we can extend to others isn't limited to the church and is not limited to shared experience. In God's sovereign scheme, pain and suffering are not only powerless to destroy the believer, they can result in a refined, resilient faith that perseveres and spurs others on in the same way, until we see our Lord and Savior face to face. Sometimes suffering literally prepares us for heaven. It forces us to face the fact that we are powerless to change other people and most situations. Cheryl's in-laws, both beset by lingering illnesses, couldn't understand why they couldn't just die and get it over with. Often times, yes. The point of Job's trials was to enable heavenly beings to see God glorified in Job. Pastor Dick Bacon once said, "If this life were easy, we'd just love it too much. Solidarity, as the foundation of the whole of existence, is not only sympathy with all, a way of being socially committed and aware that we all belong to the same race, culture, nationality, etc., but is also the experiencing of a bond with all other human beings so deeply within ourselves that it is not a qualification that comes to us as soon as we exist but constitutes our existence itself. Every man and every woman should feel personally called to bear witness to love in suffering and must not leave those who are suffering to be cared for solely by official institutions (ibid.,n.29). Types of Pain and Suffering Claims. It is quite understandable that this would happen. Lawsuits can be useful when a contract is in dispute. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. It must be someone who was in a position to be treating you. All Rights Reserved. Draft a demand letter. There are better ways to handle disputes among believers. According to another passage in Exodus, when a servants master knocked out his tooth by accident, the servant was allowed to go free. I believe that insurance companies and corporations should be held accountable for their negligence, but what is more important is the attitude of a Christian as well as his or her submission to Gods will as a Christian. We don't have a choice whether we will sufferour choice is to go through it by ourselves or with God. Thanks to the Greek language however, a distinction is made particularly in the New Testament between suffering and evil. Focus on the Familys counselors would be happy to listen to your concerns and come alongside you with some practical suggestions. Several years ago I realized that instead of despising the fact that polio had left me with a body that was weakened and compromised, susceptible to pain and fatigue, I could choose to rejoice in it. Then, given the Holy Father's openness to all human values, it seems to me that it would be interesting to allude to and discuss certain key thoughts on four solutions from outside the Christian context. Whatever brings you closer to God is a blessing. It generally is important to select a qualified attorney to help you pursue your pain and suffering settlement. They would be entitled to compensation for their economic injuries separately (the cost of medical care and lost wages). We usually don't have much trouble understanding that our Divine Bridegroom loves us; but we can easily forget how much He longs for us to love Him back. Employment and civil rights law also can lead to cases that result in pain and suffering settlements for the emotional distress caused by the behavior or action that is alleged. ", Sometimes our suffering isn't a consequence of our actions or even someone else's. How this has encouraged and strengthened me in the valleys of suffering and pain! What happens when one Christian sues another Christian? The expense in terms of time, money and emotional outlay usually offsets any potential financial gain that might be expected from the case. The following is a translation from Italian of excerpts of the Cardinal's lecture. If you can see the purpose behind the pain, you can find the way out of this lie. He will make it work together with all life's experiences for good. There is nothing in Scripture that would prohibit you from defending yourself in this way. All forms of pain and suffering that can be assigned a dollar value counts as economic loss. Chambers, June 25. In these two verses, Paul lists several types of suffering mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. This is why the mystery of pain shifts from pain in itself to the mystery of solidarity. The Holy Spirit is the Love of the Father and of the Son, and it is only through the Love of the Spirit that we can glimpse this mysterious, redeeming solidarity. To respond, the Pope leaves the areaof enigma and moves on to that of mystery. Theology of suffering is the study of what the Bible says about suffering while considering who God is and the current state of humanity. Suffering brings a "one day at a time-ness" to our survival. Throughout my time as a christian, i have heard many misconceptions about christians and their legal rights during this time. These verses are like sandpaper on our modern sentiments about suffering. Suffering makes us homesick for heaven. How Often Should You Take Communion According to The Bible?

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