Spiritualists, Christians

[Fucksandflowers]

And anyone else who believes in God, spirit, karma etc, could you explain something to me?

1. Why do we have prey and predator?

Why would God or a creator or whoever create animals who cannot survive without killing others?

And why would those animals destined to be prey have the ability to feel pain, fear etc?

All this talk of treating others kindly, not killing, Yoga masters having to be vegan, non animal foods having higher vibration etc, seems crazy to me when all around us creatures have to die, and feel pain and terror as a result to keep another creature alive?

1. Why is it that certain animals particularly claimed to be spiritual, like cats, are predators?

My cat has a mouse, I heard the squeaking earlier in the garden and managed to rescue the mouse and bundle the cat inside the house. Until DH accidentally let her out again... I am not going to try and rescue the mouse again because I suspect it will be injured and die a long and painful death. But at the same time, I have no doubt that the cat is currently engaging in absolutely torturing said mouse and I’m feeling really upset for the poor little mouse. Why would an animal that allegedly protects and keeps negative spirits away and allegedly has healing powers take such enjoyment in the torture of an innocent creature? It just seems totally at odds with this idea of everything happens for a reason and there being lessons taught to make us better people and the importance of living kindly causing no harm etc?

Suffering = soul development, it's as simple as that. You can't have the positive without the negative. That's the way the universe works.

Why do animals suffer that's not at the hands of man? Everything suffers at one point or another.

Maybe after the mouse has suffered it moves up to being a cat!

I have heard the soul development/a lesson to be learnt explanation before but how does that work if the person/animal hadn’t done anything awful in their lives and was already a high vibration/very compassionate individual?
What or where is the lesson within the suffering?

I don't think there is a grand plan. Its back to the old argument - omniscient god (who can foresee innocent suffering) or benevolent god. But can you have both? Unless god just sets up the moral universe and sits back - non interventionist. Lets everything get on with it. Some theorise that prey animals go into a shock state which limits pain. Obviously many creatures do suffer in life/death though.
Surely if universe has intelligent design there would not be so much suffering? This was always my issue with Christian Theology. Why would god send his lovely son to die a terrible death (yes I know what the usual explanation is - redemptive suffering and sacrifice for the rest of us mortals)

I think you can tie yourself up in knots with questions like this - my solution is to honour the Mystery of life. There are certain questions we can't answer - why do bad things happen to good people and vice versa, what happens when we die/before birth - if you believe in spirit/soul. No I bow down mentally and say I just don't know at this moment but Life is a marvellous thing/awful and awesome and we just make our decisions the best we can.

For example, we can choose not to be a creature who kills. For a lion, well, they can't do that. Left to itself, nature has a series of excellent checks and balances to make sure the antelope don't multiply and eat all the grass. Think she's asleep on the job with us though!!

OP, if you try and think back to a time when you suffered, the death of a loved one, an illness, or someone was nasty to you. These situations create opportunities to develop for the better. Or it could go the opposite way, more suffering could be created. Many won't like or accept this reality but nevertheless there it is.

If one thinks of all this happening over the span of one lifetime, of course it seems unfair. But for the soul to completely develop to where it needs to, takes thousands of lifetimes. Souls don't come to earth perfect, this is what all the development is about.

That saying: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Another thing people don't like to accept either is that we choose the situations/lives we come into.

My understanding of it as a Christian is that suffering and the need for predator/prey came about as a result of humans turning away from God - the 'original sin'. Before that, the world was perfect with no suffering and e.g. the lion lay down with the lamb. Humans were able to turn away because God gave them free will.

I agree with PPs as well that sometimes we grow through suffering and sometimes we cause our own suffering. In fact, most of God's commandments are there to stop us from causing ourselves suffering, so it's hardly surprising that when we break them, we often suffer.

When the end times come, whenever they may be, and God brings his Kingdom for those who choose to follow Him to live in, it will be a perfect world again. But until then, we just have to do our best.

That's my understanding, anyway.

That saying: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Polio? A stroke?

Before that, the world was perfect with no suffering and e.g. the lion lay down with the lamb.

What did the lion eat?