Blaspheme Continued
Let’s try this again…
I tried to write down my grand conjectures about God once before, but found that the hopeful words that were spewing out were just wishful thoughts. I wanted to create the impression that I had it all figured out. Well I don’t and hopefully this new version will express that.
I believe in God. That pretty much sums it up. I do not believe that there is one particular way to worship God, or one particular prophet/human/animal/spirit that encompasses God. I think that God is in everything and that God is inescapable. I do not believe that our lives on earth have much of an effect on what happens after we die. I do not know what happens after we die, but if it involves eternity, I seriously doubt that we will end in any Christian/Muslim version of Heaven. My instincts (which I think is one of our best connection to God) tells me that we would join that which we came from. I believe that Time is outside of God and that the question of what came before God is meaningless. Where did God come from might be more relevant.
I believe that people are connected and that there is more than just a physical nature to our bodies. There is a spirit and all people are connected to one another through it, some are more strongly bonded to each other than others. I believe that Truth is recognizable in life. I believe that the greatest satisfaction in life is to discover Truth. I believe Truth comes in many forms. I believe it is Hinduism that believes in Five Paths to Heaven. In which you may get there through work, charity, religious study and two others. Point is, there are many paths to the same destination. I make this point because I believe most people find pieces of truth in religion. Every religion seems to have some aspect of Truth in it. Maybe IN is the wrong word, through is better. I believe that religion is more of a conductor for Truth than the Truth itself. But like any conductor, much of what is transmitted is lost or distorted along the way. This is my beef with religion, and I like to consider my life goal to walking towards the Truth instead of seeing what reaches me through an extension cord (that analogy makes sense in my mind).
I do believe that some religious figures have hit upon the Truth. Those being Christ, Muhammad and Buddha (there are certainly more, but these are the ones I have studied) and that each tried to pass the truth on to others. I think the current religious structures are the result of generations of misinterpretations, but that much of the original message can still be filtered out. I feel that the principal of loving thy neighbor and treating others as you would like to be treated are the fundamental truths of any successful religion. They are the rules by which we must live if we are to be successful as a species. This is most important, because I believe that our primary motivation for all things in life is survival. Whether it is ensuring our eternal lives are intact, or just worrying about crossing the street, all of our morals and religious intents are about survival. This concern for survival is the basis of morals. It asks, what is the way we must act in order to ensure the most success for the masses? Religion has been the vessel for answering that question.
My personal favorite figure and religion happens to be Buddhism… I love the simplicity and acceptance inherent in their religion. It is also the fact that Buddha insisted that he was not a God that makes me favor his teachings. He considered himself a man who had found the way, and I imagine that is exactly how Muhammad and Christ must have felt as well. Although, finding the way may make you realize that God is inside of you. That I feel is particularly true.
I have, for as long as I can remember, tried talking to God. And every time I would hear a response that came from inside me. I thought then, and think now, that it was just me talking to myself (mostly because it said stuff that only I would say to myself…nothing divine). It was not until later, that I considered the idea that God speaks from within, and that we hear God through our own inner voices. It is just that most of the time we ignore it or listen to other voices. I consider God’s voice to be the one that speaks true.
It is the one that when I ask “Why do I not believe?” it answers “Because you refuse to make that sacrifice.” And then I laugh because it is true. Belief takes a sacrifice, and I inch towards it. I know, or at least hope that someday I will let go of that which is concrete and embrace that which is True wholly. I do not think that the Truth is hard to grasp, it just takes letting go of everything else that we hold on to.
Although I do not know where I will be when/if I make the jump, but I would be very surprised if it landed me back in my Christian ways (believing that Christ is the only way to salvation). I pray (because prayer works…as an inner covenant to yourself if nothing else) for the courage to believe more than anything, but I do now know what that belief will be.
I tried to write down my grand conjectures about God once before, but found that the hopeful words that were spewing out were just wishful thoughts. I wanted to create the impression that I had it all figured out. Well I don’t and hopefully this new version will express that.
I believe in God. That pretty much sums it up. I do not believe that there is one particular way to worship God, or one particular prophet/human/animal/spirit that encompasses God. I think that God is in everything and that God is inescapable. I do not believe that our lives on earth have much of an effect on what happens after we die. I do not know what happens after we die, but if it involves eternity, I seriously doubt that we will end in any Christian/Muslim version of Heaven. My instincts (which I think is one of our best connection to God) tells me that we would join that which we came from. I believe that Time is outside of God and that the question of what came before God is meaningless. Where did God come from might be more relevant.
I believe that people are connected and that there is more than just a physical nature to our bodies. There is a spirit and all people are connected to one another through it, some are more strongly bonded to each other than others. I believe that Truth is recognizable in life. I believe that the greatest satisfaction in life is to discover Truth. I believe Truth comes in many forms. I believe it is Hinduism that believes in Five Paths to Heaven. In which you may get there through work, charity, religious study and two others. Point is, there are many paths to the same destination. I make this point because I believe most people find pieces of truth in religion. Every religion seems to have some aspect of Truth in it. Maybe IN is the wrong word, through is better. I believe that religion is more of a conductor for Truth than the Truth itself. But like any conductor, much of what is transmitted is lost or distorted along the way. This is my beef with religion, and I like to consider my life goal to walking towards the Truth instead of seeing what reaches me through an extension cord (that analogy makes sense in my mind).
I do believe that some religious figures have hit upon the Truth. Those being Christ, Muhammad and Buddha (there are certainly more, but these are the ones I have studied) and that each tried to pass the truth on to others. I think the current religious structures are the result of generations of misinterpretations, but that much of the original message can still be filtered out. I feel that the principal of loving thy neighbor and treating others as you would like to be treated are the fundamental truths of any successful religion. They are the rules by which we must live if we are to be successful as a species. This is most important, because I believe that our primary motivation for all things in life is survival. Whether it is ensuring our eternal lives are intact, or just worrying about crossing the street, all of our morals and religious intents are about survival. This concern for survival is the basis of morals. It asks, what is the way we must act in order to ensure the most success for the masses? Religion has been the vessel for answering that question.
My personal favorite figure and religion happens to be Buddhism… I love the simplicity and acceptance inherent in their religion. It is also the fact that Buddha insisted that he was not a God that makes me favor his teachings. He considered himself a man who had found the way, and I imagine that is exactly how Muhammad and Christ must have felt as well. Although, finding the way may make you realize that God is inside of you. That I feel is particularly true.
I have, for as long as I can remember, tried talking to God. And every time I would hear a response that came from inside me. I thought then, and think now, that it was just me talking to myself (mostly because it said stuff that only I would say to myself…nothing divine). It was not until later, that I considered the idea that God speaks from within, and that we hear God through our own inner voices. It is just that most of the time we ignore it or listen to other voices. I consider God’s voice to be the one that speaks true.
It is the one that when I ask “Why do I not believe?” it answers “Because you refuse to make that sacrifice.” And then I laugh because it is true. Belief takes a sacrifice, and I inch towards it. I know, or at least hope that someday I will let go of that which is concrete and embrace that which is True wholly. I do not think that the Truth is hard to grasp, it just takes letting go of everything else that we hold on to.
Although I do not know where I will be when/if I make the jump, but I would be very surprised if it landed me back in my Christian ways (believing that Christ is the only way to salvation). I pray (because prayer works…as an inner covenant to yourself if nothing else) for the courage to believe more than anything, but I do now know what that belief will be.
posted by Anthony Jackson at 4:15 PM
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