Have you ever known a person who speaks in rhetorical questions (this, by the way, is not rhetorical)? I had a professor one time who liked employing this method of discussion, and she would often rattle off several questions in a row that were not intended to be answered. The idea behind a rhetorical question is to provoke the listener to think deeply and critically about an issue. The answer is never arrived at because the journey consumes the entire process.
A common example is, "What is the meaning of life?"
We could poll a hundred different people, resulting in a hundred different answers. No one would be 'right,' but each person would have a perspective that added to the discussion. Rhetorical questions are useful for prompting ideas and helping us consider things we might not normally think about. They allow us the convenience of dissecting arguments and themes without the embarrassment of being right or wrong. Basically, there is a lot of wiggle room to search our own values and beliefs while applying them to different situations.
At one time or another, every staff member at Samaritan House has viewed something or had a conversation with someone that has given us reason to pause and reflect on life. Here are a few questions that might hopefully inspire some thoughts you hadn't thought of before. Is that okay? The previous sentence was rhetorical.
"Why does he say he loves me if he continues to hit me?"
"How come there is no section for 'life experience' on this job application?"
"Which is safer: sleeping in my car or the shelter?"
"What is keeping people from simply getting a job?"
"What is more important, rent or gas money?"
And lastly...
"How can I make a difference?"
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