"God is calling you back to him by giving those you love cancer" (church, atheist)

[peppermint]

In April my mom found out she has non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and she started chemo. It's been difficult for her. It's 68 years old and in good health otherwise, but she can't keep her white blood cell count up. I am planning to go out-of-state to be with her next week for her final treatment.

However. . . .

Last weekend we found out my cat (he's a momma's boy) has pancreatic and liver cancer. We rescued him seven years ago after he was surrendered to a shelter because he had chronic kidney infections. His previous owners surrendered him after beating him didn't work to stop the inappropriate urination.

I love my mom, no doubt. I'm also very attached to my cat, who was given 1-3 months to live. Needless to say, I'm dealing with guilt. Guilt for not being with mom right now and guilt for leaving my furry kid. It's not an easy time for me.

All spring I have been taking elective adult education classes - recreational classes - and I have gotten friendly with my classmates and the instructor. We have shared a little with each other, and they assume I'm a Christian. They know I don't go to church because it came up in class (it's a language class, and we were asking each other questions in another language). I don't see the point of getting into it because I'm not there for that. People can think whatever they want; it doesn't change my reality.

All that background to say that when I told my adult education instructor about all the drama (since I might have to leave town and miss some classes), she said, "I think God is calling you back." I laughed at her. I really did. I'm an atheist, and when I was a Christian, I didn't believe in that kind of nasty, vindictive God. It's absurd to me. She said, "You're laughing, but it's probably true. You are going through all this because God wants you to come back. You need to tell God you still love him." I was stunned. She was serious. In her mind, God is killing my cat and forcing my mom to suffer because I'm an atheist. That's unbelievable to me. Why would I want to return to religion if God is a monster?

I don't really have a question. It's just a story of something unbelievable that happened to me a couple of days ago. When I told my Christian friends, they were appalled. I mean really?

[Boxcar Overkill]

Shocking, and not surprising at the same time.

And I'm sorry about your situation.

[Woodrow LI]

I'm not an atheist. But I see life as a trial and we all face the tribulations of a physical world. Life is rough, we get hit with bad things and good things. Neither are messages from God(swt) they are facts of this being a physical universe and we live in accordance with the flow of the atoms and the rest of this material realm.

With that said. I am sorry to hear of the hardships you are experiencing. May, things soon become easier for you.

[rtandc]

Oh yes, the old guilt trip method. If used properly it can have a profound effect on people. Many of your religious leaders, political leaders, lawyers etc use this method everyday and have became very skillful with selling their load Moderator cut: edit . It appears in this case your instructor tried it but could not sell it making her look like a fool in your eyes.... No different then many of the religious folks that post on this forum when they are confronted with a question they can't answer but are put on the spot so they try to sell their own version of Moderator cut: edit

I am sorry you hear of the turmoil you are experiencing in your life right now. Do what you think is best and don't worry about what other people think, especially the ones that try to use the guilt trip method on you...

[ptsum]

Sorry to hear about all of your problems and I hate to use that word, but at the moment I can't seem to find one that's more appropriate, anyway, I think one of the first questions I would've asked that "very religious" teacher, would've been, if your god is trying to tell me to come back to believe in him, then why is he persecuting those around me, they've done nothing to him and I would imagine that if he wanted me to believe in him instead of causing such pain and suffering he would heal and cure them, that would make me more of a believer, but I guess Christians have a funny way of trying to get you to believe in their god.

[NoCapo]

What boggles my mind is that this kind of stuff does not come from mean, nasty people. It is the kindest, most well meaning people who offer these horrific statements on behalf of their deity out of sincere concern! Others I have heard are that if you would just confess whatever sin you are hiding then you wouldn't be sick/broke/whatever. Obviously, anything that is wrong with you is your own fault and you deserve it and this is supposed to be comforting and healing!

I understand the doctrine behind these sorts of things, but I just don't understand that level of insensitivity! At least wait until a crisis has passed before you start moralizing about it. Sheesh!

-NoCapo

[peppermint]

Thank you all for your support. We (my parents, my husband and I) have worked out a plan. I will stay here until my mom's final round of chemo. That date is up in the air because of her white blood count. I have been telling my sweet baby boy that I have to go, but that I will skype with him and "his daddy" everyday. I don't know if he understands or not, but at least I feel better. I hope he can hold out until I return.

I was really shocked by this woman's response. I am immune to such nonsense at this point, but I'm still dumbfounded that people really believe that God gives innocent people diseases or kills innocent animals just to give a message to a person. ??? That's kind of messed up. If you changed "God" to something else - "aliens", "my neighbor", or "Fido" - you'd be institutionalized.

[Fred314X]

I'm sorry about your situation, too.

But it inspires me to mention that my father died of pancreatic cancer (the doctors initially said he had perhaps a year to live after the diagnosis, and he was gone in five weeks). I did not hear any such messages about being "called back." This leads me to observe that one concludes precisely what one wants to conclude. Neither more nor less.

[hljc]

Lord Jesus Christ may call people back is hard times, but God does not give people sickness or pain ,...This is the authority of dark spirit who Holy Spirit calls ; gland disruptor demons and fallen angels who hold authority which God will not cross with out faith in Jesus blood prayers to remove the fallen angels authority ...... So if you need to survive sickness then people should repent of sin , even go and get themselves faithfully re-baptized in water , and have deliverance prayer to remove the fallen angels authority and demon gland disruptor spirit out of their lives and body..... See God is the blesser Not the curser ....

[maddog1]

Really sorry for all you are going through