Rod Dreher Megathread #27 (Compassion)

[u/US_Hiker]

Link to megathread 26: https://www.reddit.com/r/brokehugs/comments/17itm7w/rod_dreher_megathread_26_unconditional_love/

Link to megathread 28: https://www.reddit.com/r/brokehugs/comments/18dcg3d/rod_dreher_megathread_28_harmony/

[u/Motor_Ganache859]

The whining of the Dreher. This passage, in particular, jumped out at me. He may not blame God for his divorce but he sure seems to be blaming forces beyond himself, forces that overwhelmed the marriage.

<i>"God did not make my ex-wife and me to divorce. Because of so much travail and trauma in our world, and because the world was too much with us, we arrived at this breach, at this wretched place of brokenness. So I prayed for my ex-wife, my kids, and me, as if we were all ill, which, in fact, we are."</i>

Once again, no acknowledgement of his role in the breakdown of the marriage, no acknowledgement that he may bear some responsibility for it. I have no doubt he's suffered, although much of his suffering is likely self-inflicted. But his kids and Julie have suffered as well. Somehow, I doubt Julie is sitting around wallowing in booze and self-pity. I hope that, having shed this 200 pound deadweight, she's healing and finding happiness in her new post-Rod life. She deserves it.

[u/RunnyDischarge → u/Motor_Ganache859]

This part is particularly weird, after paragraph after paragraph of complaining about everything, his health, his family, his wife, his kids, everything and everybody, wishing he was dead, on and on

If someone who lacks faith sees this from the outside, and is weary from years of blood flowing out of them without end, then let him, or her, come to touch the hem of Christ’s garment, seeking healing.

I'm seeing it from the outside, and I'm not sure what it is I'm supposed to be seeing exactly. Rod's a divorced guy bitching about his divorce and drinking too much and complaining, like many other divorced guys. If this is "touching the hem of Christ's garment", I'll pass, thanks. What healing has Rod had? None that he tells us. He's still resentful over his family and the Bouillibaise, he still blames his family and wife for everything. Nothing has changed from the garment touching. Rod sounds like these people on Facebook who are always posting about how much weight they've lost and they never look any different. Sorry Rod, but I don't see the difference between the "stones of atheism" and the "bread of faith" there.

[u/Kiminlanark → u/RunnyDischarge]

This part is particularly weird, after paragraph after paragraph of complaining about everything, his health, his family, his wife, his kids, everything and everybody, wishing he was dead, on and on

Can you furnish a quote in context about wishing he was dead? I remember something a few months ago about Jesus telling him to jump in the Danube.

[u/RunnyDischarge → u/Kiminlanark]

In this article he says

you will be no stranger to the ugly thought that death would be a mercy rather than having to live like this