Does God Really Make You Good?

Good words. And yes, that's probably a big part of it.

 

I had lunch today with an ordained Baptist preacher who had just come from Friday services at the local mosque. He told me about the Imam's sermon, which deounced the violence in the Middle East as "not Islam". To me, this Baptist is an example of what I'd call a "good Christian"--loving, open-minded, willing to give a helping hand to those in need. When I hear the word "Christian" I think of Jesus, Saint Francis, and Pope Francis: men who are exemplars of a value system that stands for "peace, love and understanding". Just about every Christian I know has the same associations with the label. How much it influenes their behavior is a matter of conjecture, but it's my estimation that it does play an important role in their self-concept. And when I hear the word "Muslim", I think of the local Imam, and his predecessor who was so supportive in his prayers when my mother was dying. I wonder what experiences led Relaxx to think of religious folks as having just the opposite set of traits and values. Was he molested by a clergyman, beaten by an abusive parent, bullied on the playground by so-called Christians? Or did he form his opinions from watching the news, which tends to focus on the most extreme or bizarre elements of any group. In any case, it's a distortion of reality that, as Relaxx puts it, makes him "more likely to support unjust superstitions or make sketchy decisions based on faith over reason"--the faith that believers are rot to the core.

 

Okiefreak - I know you are a well intentioned person from many of your posts on here over a long period of time.

I think we have to recognize that there are good people of all persuasions - Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Atheist, Humanist - whatever they may believe or not believe.

I have my own beliefs, but when I see a person with different beliefs who is obviously sincere and committed, I don't seek to change that person's mind, or their faith or their scepticism. I think it's better to accept it all as a part of the rich tapestry of life the divine , or pure chance, has called into existence.

So you have your Jesus, I have my Krishna, the atheist has his blind watchmaker.

You and I are probably closer to truth

 

I just threw up a little

 

What is god's purpose?

 

Lila.

Part of God forgets it is God and becomes all this. All of us. The whole purpose is our awakening to what we are That same divine.
. The universe becoming conscious of itself perhaps. The animal gradually transforming into something higher, something more conscious - a divine being perhaps..

 

^
Great post, MeAgain... Although probably just because I agree a lot with it (oh that nasty subjectivity )

Ever since I took notice of this hypothesis I found it really interesting. But in the end I concluded it could very well be wishful thinking.

 

Who is Lila?

 

Or fantasy run wild? I must admit I sometimes have similar thoughts about the divine presence at work, but I try keep them on a short leash and grounded by a least some reference to evidence and reason. This chick is operating on a purely intuitive level, and is going on and on as though what she's saying is the truth. It's been my experience that such approaches aren't worthwhile. Where is Relaxx when we really need him?

 

Aren't worthwile? Why not? Coming up with thoughts like that and speculating on them can be worthwile enough I know it helped me spending a bit of time on both thoughts that came from fantasy running wild and on more 'orthodox' thoughts of others or from traditional sources. Can't say I found the latter more worthwile by default

 

Not worthwhile in an academic sense. To go with your gut could be the influence of indigestion. On the other hand if you are sincere you will self adjust in the light of the mutually evidential.

 

Yeah ,in an academic sense. You're right. The right hemisphere and the left hemisphere of our brains each play consturctive roles. But if we let one or the other do all our thinking for us, we can get into trouble--academically speaking, that is. The woman in the video reminded me of a young lady from the Unity Church I used to date from the Unity Church. When I told her we shouldn't be walking in a certain neighborhood, she told me I shouldn't think such thoughts because doing so would make them true--mind over matter, you know, and it's all quantum physics. Gimme a break! But deep down I do believe there may be more to the "Evolution-Involution" idea than I'm willing to admit.

 

It's implicit in a lot of Indian philosophy, But it's only one way of viewing things. As you say, it could all be just speculative imagination. But the same can be said for all philosophical cosmology etc that isn't based purely on science. As far as I can see anyway.

At least though it's an attempt to give some kind of structure to the concept of the soul, which is very amorphous in Christianity.

But really, none of this stuff can ever be proven conclusively to be true or not. Even if a person says they have experienced the divine spark within, still it's only their subjective experience. If another has not had it and denies it is a possibility, that is their subjectivity too.

I'm interested in general in spiritual or magical cosmologies. It's interesting to compare them. This particular idea of involution and evolution is one that's had quite a long shelf-life in India. And probably there are elements of in Judaism and even some Christianity, mainly of the mystical variety.

 

the mystical approach of self revelation tends to transcend creed and the esoteric challenge then, know thyself

 

Could be it goes back further than that even, as the Veda was an oral tradition before being written down.