The Augsburg Confession, the original refutation of Melanchthon, Martin Luther and some other reformers of the Catholic church, states the following: "For without faith human nature cannot possibly do the works of the First or Second Commandments. Without faith it does not call upon God, expect anything from God, or bear the cross, but seeks and trusts in human help." Really this matter of faith comes down to this: either one relies solely on humans and human capabilities to create and destroy, or one looks to God for some comfort and strength. This is not to say that I do not need human relationships to sustain me, for I certainly do, and I wouldn't be me were it not for the human contact I've had. However, this is what I think God is: strip away everything that is me: my body, my relationships, my personality, my possessions, and what is left? At the end of the day, I believe that whatever caused my existence was that pure existence itself: I call it God. Some call it chance. Some may call it nothingness.
Well, I do believe that God is in us. But I also believe that there is real sin/evil in people, specifically in the oppressive structures of oppression that humans set up in this world that perpetuate violence, social injustices and poverty. Without that element of evil, I can't explain the existence of murderers and fanatics like Hitler or David Koresh.
Molly, I can. I see people as either "healthy" or "unhealthy" rather than "evil" (which is a concept that is outdated). Child molestors, mass murderers and dictators are all "unhealthy". This way of thinking is a general harm and is opposed to the "health" of freedom and equality. As a psychologist and a philosopher, I tend to be ultra-liberal and oriented toward progressive ways to prevent crime and poverty. I believe in the power of psychotherapy through conditioning and chemicals (such as psychoactive drugs) in a controlled setting. Many people think I am insane, others consider it WAY ahead of it's time. Either way, I see it that way.
No. It was embedded in him, either in spirit or as a chemically inbalanced brain. Libertine, I believe in psychotherapy and drugs as well. But I call all that separates us from God evil, whether that be a chemical inbalance, or an abusive parent, or an unfair judgment from someone you love. I call that separation from God sin. (If I were a Hindu, I could call it Maya.) All those elements or disturbances are things that block our spiritual vision, and block our ability to experience God's peace and love.
With what? Peace and love? That's it...really. It's peace and love. That's why I love hippies. Man, sometimes it all seems so simple. Let's smoke a joint.
mollybloom, i am having some god trouble right now, might you help me out if you got some time. here's a link to my post : http://www.hipforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125087
