should a christian sue for pain and suffering

Alice Curtis August 6, 2001. Obviously, if a Christian is suing you, it would be preferable to work out some kind of arbitration, as described above. This article is part of the 10 Things You Should Know series. A doctor-patient relationship exists. The first glimpse of suffering we see in this church here is that something is threatening to make them "grow weary and lose heart." It is normal for Christians to have experiences of stress and suffering that threaten their faith and press too hard, or last too long and feel almost intolerable. 5. In the event that one suffers personal loss as a result of the negligence or deceit of a business or company, should a Christian file a lawsuit against them? The Parable of the Good Samaritan corroborates what Christ said about the Last Judgment; "I was sick and you visited me". There is no separation between the Resurrection and the Cross but convergence, both in Christ and in us; the Pope says, therefore, that Christ contains the signs of his wounds in his glorified Body. Paul writes, "We know that all things work . 1. 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! February 28, 2023. In this way we are within the nucleus of salvation. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website. C.S. ibid.,n. we just need to trust Him. In Exodus 21:18-19, money damages were allowed for lost wages and medical care, Exodus 21:22 showed damages for pain and suffering, and Exodus 21:27 allowed for permanent disability to a body part. To respond, the Pope leaves the areaof enigma and moves on to that of mystery. The amount of pain you feel may not match up with another persons experience of pain if they have more severe injuries than yours. Nevertheless, before suing anyone, including entities, Christians should ensure that the reasons for initiating the lawsuits are legitimate, lawful, biblical, and moral before they initiate the lawsuit. The comfort of God that we can extend to others isn't limited to the church and is not limited to shared experience. The point of Job's trials was to enable heavenly beings to see God glorified in Job. 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. We find ourselves at the heart of the Christian mystery, inaccessible except through an experience of it: no one who does not know it can prove its efficacy or find its solution. And from the Cross, not by virtue of the Cross but by virtue of the Father's omnipotence and the Spirit's solidarity and Love, the Incarnate Word recreates within us the authentic Adam, the man of truth, the model planned by God from all eternity so that we might be authentically human. Pain and suffering is one of the 76 Important factors affecting injury claims and settlements. Suffering Because of The Culture / Systems of the World. God is teaching other beings about Himself and His loved onesusas He did with Job. There are several references in the Bible to compensating a person for a loss they have suffered. The simple answer is yessometimes. You can transform our nation one family at a time! Physical pain and suffering refer to the damages related to physical pain that an injured person endures from an injury or accident. The Purpose of Pain. It can bring us to the end of ourselves and cause us to turn to the God of comfort: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all . Suffering is in our lives because we are living in a broken world. The Weekly Edition in English is published for the US by: The Cathedral Foundation L'Osservatore Romano English Edition 320 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 Subscriptions: (410) 547-5315 Fax: (410) 332-1069 lormail@catholicreview.org, EWTN | 5817 Old Leeds Rd. Then . Taken from: L'Osservatore Romano Weekly Edition in English 7 September 2005, page 9. Consider how the Lord Jesus was the exact representation of the glory of the FatherI mean, He was all window and no walls! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There are a variety of injuries that can result in pain and suffering settlements. Christians suffer for a variety of reasons, including many of the same . They were persecuted, treated maliciously, and even killed. The Pope is aware of the difficulty of reasoning in this way and therefore tells us that the reality of suffering in solidarity should only be understood through the Resurrection. 12:6). Let us now try to describe suffering. The sin committed by a person spreads by joint human liability. Some survivors, like Sue, wonder how there could be a God who would allow an innocent child to endure such pain and suffering, and others see no meaning or purpose in life. Reading Time: 8 minutes By Mark W. Hamilton The Bible helps us answer the question. Before you can recover any compensation for your injuries, you must be able to prove liability against the defendant. Fill out any forms required by that small claims court. Find the best ones near you. Should Christians be involved in lawsuits? Instead of seeing that inability to pray as a personal failure, we can rejoice that our perception of being totally needy corresponds to the truth that we really are that needy. There are many other options available besides suing those who have wronged us. Oswald Chambers reminds us that "God has one destined end for mankindholiness. Please try again later. Each of these are different ways that we can suffer, and when suffering comes, often several of these types of suffering are involved. AN INDEPT LOOK INTO THE PHRASE GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES IN CHRISTIANITY, Christian Organizations that Help the Poor. Often times, yes. Pain and suffering is a legal term that refers to the physical and mental distress suffered by a person as a result of an injury. For Christians, it is important to have a Biblical view of why God allows suffering and how we are to go through it. What Does It Mean when You Bite Your Tongue Spiritually, AN INDEPT LOOK INTO THE PHRASE GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES IN CHRISTIANITY, Christian Organizations that Help the Poor. Ray and I lost our first baby when she was born too prematurely to survive. The easiest answer is that if you are the one being sued whether by a believer or a non-believer you certainly have the right and probably the obligation to defend yourself through the legal system. It is the very reason why Romans 12:2 tells us not to conform to standards of this . These verses are like sandpaper on our modern sentiments about suffering. . Economic damages: $5,000. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); What Does the Bible Say About Helping Others Too Much? There is a statement in Deuteronomy 25:1 that states, When men have a dispute, they must take it to court, and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty. Deborah held court under a palm tree in the book of Judges and the Israelites came to her to resolve their conflicts. The Gospel, alone, is not the only form of justice that is Perfect, But this is the best form of justice that may be able to help many family members who lose family member(s) through the Wrong doing Of another in the form of injury or death due to the wrongdoing of another. But many times, pain and suffering settlements are calculated using one of two formulas used by insurance companies. 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). Solidarity belongs to divinized human life as a gift received which takes part in the mystery itself of God's very life. Mystery, in the Christian faith, is not darkness but dazzling brightness. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, "This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an . To help support our reporting work, and to continue our ability to provide this content for free to our readers, we receive compensation from the companies that advertise on the Forbes Advisor site. Special (pain and suffering) damages: $10,000 ($5,000 x 2) Total: $15,000. More ouch! The question of whether or not a Christian should file a lawsuit for pain and suffering is not explicitly addressed in the Bible.. If you can see the purpose behind the pain, you can find the way out of this lie. This often leads people into a serious search of the divine. It is the paradox that returns to being logical through the Omnipotent Love of God the Father who is his Spirit, and whose effectiveness is to be found in the culmination of human history when he grants to us the close solidarity of all peoples in the Pasch of the Incarnate Word. It is therefore advisable that the primary objective of the settlement of a dispute out of court, which provides reasonable compensation for the injured party, should be to reach an out of court agreement. The reason His strength can shine through us is because we know God better through suffering. If this is your situation, you should keep in mind that, from a practical standpoint, its rare for anyone to emerge as a real winner from any kind of lawsuit. Jesus said that we should settle with an adversary on the way to court. It can be hard to place a dollar value on the value of one days pain however. Serve the defendants notice of your lawsuit. He redeems all of it for His glory and our blessing. 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. What you are experiencing from God, you can give away in increasing measure to others. It is thought that one of the reasons that medical insurance is so expensive is that there are so many people who sue for things that were never under anyones control or were not caused by one individuals negligence in the first place. It is a joyful, shining mystery and full of happiness. Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragn, President of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, gave a lecture in July, in Aachen, Germany, on "Pain, an enigma or a mystery?". One of the most incredibly comforting things we can ever experience is someone else's tears for us. If your car being totaled resulted in a more catastrophic physical injury, it is likely that your settlement will be larger because of that even if pain and suffering is not explicitly mentioned. Trials are nothing . Pain is inevitable; none of us is able to opt out of it. You also can find your local, county-level bar associations and see who leads the personal injury and medical malpractice sections, or which section of law is applicable to your situation. Christians were murdered, women raped and sold into slavery along with their children, and whatever property they owned was either destroyed or stolen from them. It can also be helpful to keep a journal documenting your emotional suffering. The origin of the privation is sin. A Christian Understanding of Pain and Suffering, The Thinking and Theology of John Paul II. He was completely dependent on the Father, choosing to become weak so that God's strength could shine through Him. Our culture disdains weakness, but our frailty is a sign of God's workmanship in us. There is nothing in Scripture that would prohibit you from defending yourself in this way. Let me explain. There are better ways to handle disputes among believers. ibid.,n. 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. ", God never wastes suffering, not a scrap of it. Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. The number the economic damages are multiplied by will be lower for milder injuries, such as a bruised rib. God warned Adam that eating the forbidden fruit would result in death ( Gen 2 ). The per diem method sets a dollar amount for each day the claimant experienced the pain and suffering and is expected to continue to experience it. When a brother sins against you, Jesus says that you are to tell him his fault in front of just the two of you if he sins against you. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There are also times when this collective suffering becomes more acute. Although it is a little imperfect, attorneys will calculate pain and suffering at 1.5 - 4 times the amount of actual damages (costs of the injury / treatment). . The Bible does provide guidelines for when a Christian should sue for pain and suffering. Therefore, it is not unbiblical for Christians to sue corporations in order to make them meet their legal obligations as they are required to do by law. Within this therapy, they talk about pain and suffering through a context called Distress Tolerance. But just as sunlight pours through a window but is blocked by a wall, I discovered that other people could see God's strength and beauty in me because of the window-like nature of my weakness! Fortunately, the same book assures us that discipline is a sign of God's love (Heb. With the peace of Christ upon our hearts, let us love our neighbors in their suffering. That truth about overcoming sustains Christians when suffering threatens to overwhelm. No set standard exists for calculating how pain and suffering should be compensated. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. "1, It's also important for all wives, but most especially the future wife of the Son of God, to have a submissive heart. Those who have suffered tend not to judge others experiencing similar suffering. Give to the one who asks you, and does not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from does. This infinite solidarity is infinite Love, which is the Holy Spirit who has been poured out into our hearts, an infinite Love that is God himself. As we read in Proverbs, we are warned not to bring a matter to a court hastily. We get to the point of saying, "Lord, I can only make it through today if You help me . Pain and suffering can can be a blessing. This is in addition to a separate amount covering the medical bills and lost work the plaintiff has as economic damages. According to 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, lawsuits against believers are not permitted. Can a person sue for pain and suffering? This gift of solidarity is the meaning of the Incarnation and the meaning of Jesus Christ. There is no such thing as pointless pain in the life of the child of God. Evil is sin and suffering, death. Some states dont allow per diem arguments for non-economic harm, including New Jersey, where the courts have concluded they have no basis in evidence. ibid.,n. As a matter of fact, they are ordained by God himself. Of reasons, including many of the child of God 's very life there is no such thing pointless! Out some kind of arbitration, as described above is the meaning of the 76 Important factors affecting claims... The amount of pain you feel may not match up with another persons experience of pain and )... Multiplied by will be lower for milder injuries, such as a matter a! Was the exact representation of the 76 Important factors affecting injury claims and settlements our blessing two used. Recover any compensation for your injuries, you can see the purpose behind the pain, you can the! For the next time I comment the pain, you can find the to... The 76 Important factors affecting injury claims and settlements of injuries that can result in (! Bruised rib workmanship in us search of the child of God 's very.! Life as a gift received which takes part in the mystery itself God... All of it for His glory and our blessing measure to others Weekly Edition English! Person endures from an injury or accident from defending yourself in this browser for the time. Could shine through us is able to opt out of it for His and. The 10 things you should know series your emotional suffering by Mark W. 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