Theo - Suffering & Belief - Final

Kushner – When Bad Things Happen to Good People - A) 5 solutions Kushner rejects

• Suffering is punishment for sin

• Suffering is God’s plan

• God tests people through suffering

• Suffering builds character

• Everything happens for a reason

He rejects these because they blame the victim or make God seem cruel.

Kushner – When Bad Things Happen to Good People - B) Four elements of Kushner’s solution to the problem of evil

• God is good but not all-controlling

• God does not cause suffering

• Suffering comes from nature, chance, and human freedom

• God helps us cope, heal, and endure

Kushner – When Bad Things Happen to Good People - C) Your agreeing/disagreeing response

• Agree: protects God’s goodness

• OR disagree: limits God’s power too much

The Book of Job - A) Friends: right vs wrong

Right:

• They showed up

• They listened at first

Wrong:

• They blamed Job

• They assumed suffering = punishment

The Book of Job - B) Friends’ explanations of Job’s suffering

• Job must have sinned

• God always rewards good and punishes evil

The Book of Job - C) Job’s reaction to his situation throughout the story

• Honest

• Angry

• Confused

• Refuses false guilt

The Book of Job - D) God’s response to Job and his friends

• God does not explain suffering

• God shows His greatness

• Friends are corrected

The Book of Job - E) Personal questions from the biblical book of Job

• Why do innocent people suffer?

• Why doesn’t God explain suffering?

Sophocles – Oedipus the King - A) 3 examples of blindness vs sight themes

• Tiresias is blind but sees the truth

• Oedipus sees physically but is blind to the truth

• Oedipus blinds himself at the end

Sophocles – Oedipus the King - B) Characteristics of Oedipus as a hero and a tragic hero

Hero:

• Brave, intelligent, a leader

Tragic hero:

• Prideful, tries to escape fate but causes it

Sophocles – Oedipus the King - C) Aristotle’s purpose of tragedy for the spectators

• Tragedy is meant to cause pity and fear.

• Pity: Feeling sorrow for a good person who suffers.

• Fear: Realizing that the same suffering could happen to us.

• These emotions lead to emotional cleansing: catharsis

• Through this experience, tragedy helps the audience reflect on human nature and life’s challenges, such as human weakness, limits, pride, and responsibility.

• Tragedy reveals truths about what it means to be human.

Sophocles – Oedipus the King - D) What’s a major question you have

• Can humans escape fate?

• How much control do we have over our lives?

Tolstoy – The Death of Ivan Ilyich - A) 2 examples of trivial vs profound

• Trivial: Shallow

• Profound: Deeply meaningful

Trivial: Social status

-           Ivan cares about promotions, appearances, and others' opinions.

-           Give temporary satisfaction but no real meaning.

Profound: Real meaning

-           Found in honesty, compassion, and authentic relationships.

Trivial: Career success

-           Ivan believes success equals a good life

-           Offers no comfort when he is dying

Profound: Genuine love

-           Seen in Gerasim’s simple care and kindness.

-           Brings Ivan peace at the end.

Main idea: Society values shallow success, but true meaning comes from love and authenticity.

Tolstoy -- The Death of Ivan Ilyich - Who is Gerasim

• He is a young peasant who takes care of Ivan during his illness.

• Unlike Ivan’s family and coworkers, Gerasim is honest, kind, and not afraid of death.

• Gerasim shows genuine compassion and love, not obligation or social appearance.

Tolstoy – The Death of Ivan Ilyich - B) How does death cause Ivan to reexamine his life

• Realizes his life was shallow and focused on comfort and success.

• Questions his values that he lived by (status, money, approval).

• Understands these values bring no comfort at death.

• Regrets living for appearances instead of love and authenticity.

Tolstoy – The Death of Ivan Ilyich - C) Does Ivan die alienated (disconnected) from his family

• No

• He shows love to his son

• Recognizes the pain his illness caused to his wife, son, and others.

• He feels compassion and peace at the moment of death.

Gautama Shakyamuni (Buddhism) - A) Three sights young Prince Gautama encounters and how they change his life

Gautama is sheltered from suffering in the palace

• Sees old age - realizes life includes decline

• Sees sickness - understands illness is unavoidable

• Sees death - realizes all humans are mortal

These sights reveal the reality of suffering.

Prince leaves palace life to seek enlightenment and freedom from suffering.

Gautama Shakyamuni (Buddhism) - B) Cause of suffering and liberation from suffering

- Cause of suffering = desire / attachment

- Attachment to pleasure, success, and life causes pain

- Everything is temporary → attachment leads to disappointment

- Freedom from suffering = comes from letting go of desire

- Letting go leads to enlightenment

- Enlightenment brings peace and freedom from suffering

Gautama Shakyamuni (Buddhism) - C) Eightfold path which leads to the enlightenment

• The eightfold path leads to enlightenment and freedom from suffering.

• The path focuses on wisdom, moral behavior, and mental discipline.

1. Right view

2. Right intention

3. Right speech

4. Right action

5. Right livelihood

6. Right effort

7. Right mindfulness

8. Right concentration

Viktor Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning - A) 3 stages of concentration camp life

1. Shock

   • Initial disbelief and fear when imprisoned

   • Overwhelming trauma

2. Apathy

   • Emotional numbness

   • Survival-focused mindset

3. Loss of Meaning or Inner Freedom

   • Many lose hope and purpose

   • Some discover inner freedom by choosing their attitude

   • Meaning becomes key to survival

Viktor Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning - B) 3 ways to find the meaning of life

Work

• Creating, accomplishing, contributing

Love

• Deep relationships

• Valuing another person fully

Meaningful Suffering

• Choosing one’s attitude in unavoidable pain

• Finding purpose even in suffering

• Meaning, not happiness, helps people survive

Viktor Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning - C) Logotherapy applied in the concentration camps

• Meaning helped people survive

• Inner freedom cannot be taken

• Having a '“why” helps endure suffering

Stevenson – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - A) Discovery about human nature and experiments

• Humans have good and evil within them

• Jekyll experiments to separate them

• Creates a potion to divide his nature

• Mr. Hyde represents Jekyll’s evil side

• Experiment shows evil cannot be fully controlled

• Avoiding responsibility makes evil stronger

Stevenson – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - B) Paul sheds light on the aspect of human nature in Romans 7

• Humans do what they don’t want to do

• Inner struggle between good and evil

Stevenson – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - C) Jekyll and Hyde differences and connections

Differences:

• Appearance:

  • Jekyll: Respectable, normal

  • Hyde: Disturbing, deformed

• Behavior:

  • Jekyll: Controlled, moral

  • Hyde: Violent, cruel

• Reputation:

  • Jekyll: Respected gentleman

  • Hyde: Feared and hated

Connection:

• Same person

• Same soul

• Hyde is Jekyll’s evil side made visible

Stevenson – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - D) Types of transformative experience in real life

• Addiction:

  • Jekyll thinks he can control Hyde

  • Evil behavior becomes habitual

• Moral collapse:

  • Sense of right and wrong weakens

  • Jekyll avoids responsibility

• Loss of self-control:

  • Hyde appears without the potion

  • Jekyll can no longer choose

Main message: Denying responsibility makes evil stronger

Dennis Prager – Happiness Is a Serious Problem - A) 3 ways to wage for happiness

• Gratitude:

  • Focusing on what one has

  • Reduces resentment and envy

• Responsibility:

  • Taking ownership of choices and attitude

  • Avoids blaming others

• Moral discipline:

  • Living by values, not impulses

  • Self-control leads to stability

• Main idea: Happiness is a choice and a moral effort, not a passive feeling

Dennis Prager – Happiness Is a Serious Problem - B) Missing Tile Syndrome

• The belief that happiness depends on one missing thing

• Leads to constant dissatisfaction

• Ignores what is already good in life

3 responses:

• Accept imperfection – Life will always be incomplete

• Focus on gratitude – Appreciate what is present

• Choose happiness anyway, despite what’s missing – Happiness is a decision, not a condition

Dennis Prager – Happiness Is a Serious Problem - C) Adult love is never unconditional

• Adult love depends on behavior and commitment

• Requires trust, respect, and responsibility

• Harmful actions can damage or end love

• I agree because conditions promote responsibility and healthy relationships

Robert Spitzer – Four Levels of Happiness - List all four levels

• Level 1: Pleasure - happiness from physical or emotional pleasure, like food, entertainment, or comfort.

• Level 2: Achievement/Success - happiness from accomplishing goals, winning, or being recognized.

• Level 3: Contribution - happiness from helping others and making a positive difference.

• Level 4: Meaning — happiness that comes from purpose, faith, love, and connection to something greater than oneself (often God).

Robert Spitzer – Four Levels of Happiness - B) Can the levels last?

• Level 1: Pleasure - No. It’s short-lasting.

• Level 2: Achievement/Success - No. It’s based on comparison and achievement

• Level 3: Contribution - Yes. It’s deeper and more lasting than levels 1 and 2.

• Level 4: Meaning - Yes. This is the deepest and most lasting level.

Robert Spitzer – Four Levels of Happiness - C) Explain the possibility of being happy and unhappy at the same time

• Both happiness and unhappiness exist because meaning can exist with suffering.

• Lower levels (pleasure, success) can involve pain or sadness

• Higher level (meaning) can still be present

• Meaning gives purpose even during suffering

• Suffering does not cancel deep happiness

• A person can feel pain and fulfillment at the same time.

Approach to the problem of evil and suffering - A) Formulation of the problem

• God is good – desires to prevent suffering

• God is all-powerful – capable of preventing suffering

• Evil exists – pain, injustice, and suffering occur in the world

• Question: How can God be both good and all-powerful if evil exists?

Approach to the problem of evil and suffering - B) Solutions/responses you found convincing

• Kushner: God does not cause suffering but helps people endure it.

• Job: Suffering is not always a punishment and that God does not owe humans a full explanation.

• Frankl: Meaning can be found in unavoidable suffering, helping people survive and grow.

Approach to the problem of evil and suffering - C) Why solutions/responses are convincing

• Honest about the reality of suffering.

• Respects human suffering by refusing to blame victims.

Approach to the problem of evil and suffering - D) Practical level response to the problem being partially alleviated or decisively solved

The problem of evil cannot be fully solved or avoided, but it can be partially alleviated:

• Through compassion

• Helping others

• Faith and meaning

Developing Approach to Happiness with sources - A) State your working definition of happiness

• Happiness = A meaningful, purposeful life

• Not just pleasure, comfort, or success

Developing Approach to Happiness with sources - B) Lyubomirsky’s 3 factors to happiness and their percentages in shaping human life

• Genetics (50%) - natural temperament; your inherited personality and baseline mood

• Circumstances (10%) - wealth, health, life events

• Choices (40%) - actions, mindset, gratitude

Developing Approach to Happiness with sources - A balanced life is important for happiness in what ways

• Work, rest, relationships

• Important for mental health

• Prevents stress, burnout, and emotional instability

Developing Approach to Happiness with sources - D) Two changes in your view of happiness after taking this course

• Happiness does not equal pleasure – temporary enjoyment is not true happiness.

• Meaning matters more than comfort – fulfillment comes from purpose, love, and contribution, not just avoiding pain.