The Lord be with you
First, I must say that I do not understand what is meant by “not existing.” We do exist. We are body and soul, live on earth. eat, drink, talk, laugh, cry, think, etc. all possible because we exist. It is not like, if this or that never happened then we would suddenly blink out of existence. Whatever good, bad or indifferent things that have happened in a person’s past have not caused them to exist. If they did not exist, then such things could not have happened to them. So, again, I don’t understand how someone can say that events cause them to exist. Events are possible, at a person level, because we exist.
Second, people speak about personal perceptions because it is harder to object to personal experience. I can say I think or feel this or that way. Who are you to say, “No you don’t.” People often confuse how they think or feel with reality, which is the problem. I may feel that I am an alien, born on Mars. If so, I would be wrong, factually speaking, but the facts may well not change how I think or feel. If someone thinks their experiences have somehow called them into existence, they are wrong. But that objective fact may well not change how they feel about the event.
Third, all our past experiences, good, bad or indifferent, contribute to who we are as a person today. A fairly obvious one is that I am a parent and grandparent because I got married. Or I am a pastor in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, in part, because I took the time to get the proper education. Or again, I am a Christian because the Holy Spirit called me through the waters of baptism and granted me faith in Jesus Christ. Each of these past events has had a profound effect on who I am today.
Apparently your main objection is that negative experiences help shape us. All I can say is that they do. For those of us who trust in Jesus, they can serve to strengthen our faith. For those who do not have such a faith, hard times can either help turn us to Jesus as we recognize our need for help, or they can crush us and turn us bitter towards God. In the Bible we find many examples of these results.
I’m unsure if I understood your comment correctly, so I’m unsure if this response addressed your concerns. If I missed your point, please let me know and I’ll try again.
Blessings in Christ
Pastor Rickert
