Which Of These Is The Greater "sin?"

[sugnim]

Oftentimes I feel that I am causing a lot of the suffering in the world, because I'm not doing anything to alleviate it. I see awful stories in the news, and I am overwhelmed at the sadness of it all. Children in war zones & refugee camps, people beaten or killed for their sexuality or religious beliefs, poverty and pollution. There's just so much. Too much. I have my problems, but they pale in comparison to the problems of others. I feel like I should just be able to turn off my depression, take control of my thinking, and move on!

I wonder, which of these is the greater sin:
*To be happy about the things that I have, the privilege of clean water and a roof over my head, all while so many others are in such worse situations? How can I smile when my neighbor is in pain?
or
*To not fully appreciate the privileges that I have, when so many people are in such worse situations? How could I not be happy when I live like royalty when compared with what others are going through? Even a peanut butter sandwich can be a banquet.

Any thoughts?

 

[lostforgottensoul]

To be happy about the things that I have, the privilege of clean water and a roof over my head, all while so many others are in such worse situations?

THIS IS NOT A SIN!

To be happy for what you have isnt a sin. Feel for those that dont, pray for them if you're religious, give if you can...BUT be happy for what you have!

 

[twinkle30]

The great thing about our privileges is that we can help those in need. We actually just had a homily similar to what you are talking about in our church. The priest talked about how it is not a sin to have nice things or even to be rich or to have it better than others. The sin comes when we turn our backs on those who have less than us.
Some things you might consider, volunteering, donating some extra money or unused items. Maybe you have an elderly aunt that lives on disability, you could offer to get her some groceries on your dime. I have had depression and often helping others helps greatly with depression so double win for you.

 

[Sandstone]

I don't believe you can blame yourself for causing suffering, not beyond the standard first world guilt that we exploited others.

I have to recognise the limits of my usefulness. I too would like to be able to help out with refugees, but I know that my condition would make me a burden not an asset. I was brought graphically face to face with this when my husband injured his leg and I went to A&E to support him. My PTSD doesn't switch off to order, so he had to support me.

There are things I can do, though. Writing to my MP actually does have an effect. Writing to news media to comment on their change from the word "refugee" to "migrant". In the end it is public pressure that makes our leaders act, and on a good day I can exert that pressure.

 

[Casey_03]

To not fully appreciate is much worse. But I don't think it's a sin. I think it's actually quite human to not appreciate things, if only out of ignorance. You sound like you have more empathy and compassion than most other people, and it's refreshing to hear someone say they are acutely aware of the world's suffering. But you are certainly not causing suffering in the world ... by no means ... and there will never be a cure for suffering. It will always exist in some form or another. Which is all the more reason to appreciate what we do have.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

If I may use myself as an example.

I was in HUGE need when I was 18, i needed to get away & where i ended up "runing to" wasnt good either. I needed $900 to move into my first apartment & my deranged mother played head games w/ me saying "i'll loan it" and then the day before "i spent it on food"....i wouldnt believe anyone spent $900 on food, not with just two people in the house & not my cheap mother anyway.

But anyway, i got 3 jobs, saved it up, moved in. The landlord was an ex marine recon; whom i think had PTSD cuz I snunk up on him once as a joke and he had me pinned against the wall by my throat in 1 sec. Then yelled at me for sneaking up on him. Back then, and his age, likely the Gulf War (Operation Desert Sheild) as this was '99 - '01 ish. He is a great man!

Anyway, i held the 3 jobs to pay rent, bills, food etc. Slept little & went w/o food more times than i can count. Keep in mind that i started to go around my dad's side of the family, reconnected w/ my dad at 19 and a lot of them have more money then they know what to do with.

Dan, my landlord at the time, being a marine and all, i guess, saw my body just breaking down. He literally forced me to quit 2 of the 3 jobs, "do it or you'll have to move" (me thinks that was his way of 'forcing' me as i was fighting him). He would fix up houses & rent them or split them into apartments or rent the rooms etc. He had 8 at the time, only 2 being rented and the one i was in (carport made into a small studio) the entire upstairs wasnt finished. So he then let me help him (teaching me along the way) fix up the houses in exchange for rent. I worked way less doing that then the 2 jobs he made me quit. He also bought me food a lot and made sure i ate it....marine style.

Years later, living in another State, Obama pulling troops out of Iraq, and also bringing some refugees over. Below me was an Iraqi family (husband & wife & 2 precious boys) the only one the knew English was the husband. We found out a week before they moved in and I feel bad but us neighbors got together and agreed that if we saw or heard a hint of terrorism to act on it.

I later learned why, the husband was helping the US military over there and his brother was killed for it and he and his family was in danger.

They moved in and i bought a bunch of toys for the boys whom were 7 & 8. I was outside teaching them how to play. They didnt know how to play, poor kids.

I taught their mother how to use a washer & drier and tried to teach her how to drive though that didnt go over well lol.

The husband taught me so much! He and i would have 'christianity & muslism' talks a lot and i gained massive respect for those that practice it PEACFULLY.

Anyway, the husband was so kind and gentle and BIG, he carried me up 2 flights of stairs after my second back surgery. But i hope that Ive since paid it foward and have since done what i could for those i could and still do.

One should respect having what others dont and i would hope that one would pay it foward (the was an amazing movie by the way) and give to those that dont have what we do!

But having and enjoying isnt where the 'sin' lies; it lies with having but not having a giving heart!

 

[Friday]

Both are pretty backwards to my way of thinking.

My misery doesn't help anyone. In fact, all it does is cause more people pain.Similarly, how can I not be happy when other people have it worse? Easy. Their pain doesn't make me feel better, either! The idea that my pain would make someone else happy, or that their pain should make me happy? Nope. Just never been into sadism.

I am, however, very much into 'Be the change you want to see in the world.'

 

[Sideways]

Re the comment about how you should be able to 'switch off' your depression (since I haven't quite nailed the Quote function) -
Depression is non-discriminatory. It afflicts people who are 'better off' than you, and it afflicts people who are worse off than you. There is no Off switch, there is only gradual paths out of it. Some of the suggestions above, bringing meaning to your life by mobilising the empathy you feel for those who are struggling- that's one of the pathways out of depression:)

 

[Ronin]

Any thoughts?

Yes. The suffering's always gonna be there, it's a fact of life, not something that can completely vanish. If it could, we wouldn't be who we are (and where's the fun in working on anything if there's a one-life time end stop?)

Two, There's always someone who's got it worse. No matter what you're doing. Often times? The 'worse' is 'they're dead already' (well... arguably that's quite a peaceful painless thing and all, but I beg to differ.) It's not the worse to look at. It's at the better.

Three, Tangential: You can only help others if you're not yourself in deep shit.

And fourth: By helping you? You ARE helping all of humanity, because you're a part of that humanity.

... Now, that prolly should go as the first point, but since my thinking composition is shit lately, here we go.

 

[Panda Bear]

By being selfish and helping myself, I am changing the trajectory of 3 little people who will one day grow and be adults with families of their own! This is not a sin, I am stopping the cycle of abuse for not just this generation, but MANY more to come! And because of that, my kids and future kids will be here to make sure injustice and peace can come to a broken world. If I didn't change this cycle???

I would only be contributing to the horrible things in this world. While I want to do more or be capable of really making a mark, starting right in your own home or neighborhood IS changing the bad in this world. Change is exponential and it starts with just ONE!

I know the suffering of the world is hard to see, but we aren't responsible for it all.

 

[sonicwhite]

I often feel when someone that I know dies, I am responsible because I either led them into tempting me to sin or never talked to them about God. I think it stems from survivors guilt when I didn't die from a OD back in 05 others have perished yet I'm still here. King David's son Soloman said it like this. Enjoy what you have and the toil you do under the sun. So I believe that you should just focus on what you can atm than when you have been getting better go for bigger things.

 

[EveHarrington]

I think we should appreciate what we've got and be thankful for what we have while trying to give forward and make the world a better place. :)