By JOSH GRANT-YOUNGStaff WriterSuffering, contrary to popular belief, isn’t running out of orange juice.

The multi faith chaplaincy discussion panel met March 9 to discuss suffering in various religions. Dr. David Goicoechea, professor emeritus of philosophy at Brock University, Professor and writer Alexandra Fic and multi faith chaplaincy adviser Mehdi Wolf were present to discuss traditions in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and the Baha’i faith. Reverend Prince Conteh, the college’s multi faith chaplain, chaired the event.Goicoechea, in lecture format, discussed the concepts of suffering in Judaism and Christianity, drawing parallels between the canon of both faiths. Comparing Jewish figures like Adam, Moses and David with Jesus and his followers writings on suffering and redemption, Goicoechea concluded that suffering is not only a major theme in Jewish tradition but translates into a positive force in both Jewish and Christian thought.With Judaism, Goicoechea noted that major stories in the Torah and Tanakh deal with the suffering of the Jewish people for two reasons: testing and redemption. In the story of Adam and David, these figures and their kin suffer as a result of their transgressions and are punished before redeeming themselves. Job, a man in the Tanakh, is tested by God to prove his steadfast faith despite the hardships he endures and is justly rewarded.In Christianity, the concept of suffering is surprisingly positive. Jesus, the Christian Messiah, is a central figure who suffers so that “all flesh may be saved,” a concept Goicoechea reinforced later following questions. The early Christian faith is a tradition in which suffering for one’s faith is seen as a noble practice, with numerous saints who suffered and died in order to save, convert or teach others the message of their faith.Fic’s coverage of the Buddhist and Hindu tradition was particularly intriguing, as she has traveled to numerous countries in South Asia, giving her a panoramic view of numerous Buddhist traditions around the globe.“The Four Noble Truths and Eight Precepts are the only thing all schools agree on. The rest is debated,” Fic noted as she explained Buddhist tradition, which took up most of her speaking time. The number of traditions and schisms within Buddhism have made the topic often too generalized, a problem Fic easily avoided by intensely focusing on certain schools and offering succinct answers when questioned.In Buddhist tradition, life is pain, but not the “running out of orange juice” kind of pain, Fic says. The evolution of Buddhism is rooted in some Hindu ideas, as the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama was raised Hindu. Siddhartha Gautama’s life plays a major role in understanding Buddhism. Gautama was born as a prince in India and lived a pleasant and comfortable life. However, one day, he is said to have left the palace he lived in and witness a beggar, a sick elderly person, a dead body and an ascetic (a religious tradition in India of denying yourself worldly pleasures for spiritual improvement). Gautama’s Hindu upbringings play a role in Buddhist thought, as he preserved the teaching of Karma. Karma is, simply put, consequence for every action. Buddhists and Hindus believe what form you are reincarnated into is based on the theory of Karma.“You are accountable for every action, for every word, everything you do.”Fic is working on her second book focusing on Buddhism. The book is based on Siddhartha’s memories of his past 550 lives before his birth as a Buddha. Many in the audience raised an eyebrow at the number. However, Fic reassured them that many of the tales associated with Siddhartha’s life were “passed down from oral tradition” and should be expected to be odd. Wolf, the final speaker, represented the Islam and Baha’i religious traditions. Despite the treatment of Baha’i people in Iran, a Muslim majority, Wolf drew many parallels between Baha’i and schools of Islam. The Baha’i religion is a young Abrahamic faith, having roots in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Baha’is strive to create religious and social unity in the pursuit of global peace. The Baha’i faith was founded by Bahá’u’lláh, who is believed by followers to be the final prophet of God, who places emphasis on the Bab, another figure who Bahá’u’lláh had followed before founding the Baha’i religion.Wolf presented various ideas on how Islam and the Baha’i faith both view suffering in a similar manner. Suffering, as Wolf puts it, is not because God wants to indiscriminately punish. Suffering comes in two forms: trials and punishment. Some, as Wolf put it, need to be tested in faith while others need to be punished for wickedness. This sentiment is common in all Abrahamic faiths and further explained by `Abdu’l-Bahá , the eldest son of Bahá’u’lláh. “To attain eternal happiness one must suffer. He who has reached the state of self-sacrifice has true joy. Temporal joy will vanish.”The last event in the multi faith panel discussion will be held April 13 on Niagara College’s Welland Campus in Lundy 3 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The topic is dialogue between Abrahamic faiths with Rev. Prince Conteh chairing.