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Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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I sometimes think that some personality types are not as suited to some religions. Since I was told of God's absoluteness, my conception of God was not as a personal friend in the sky, but as an abstract force almost. I mean I do believe he Loves and cares for his flock, but I see him less as a 'Person' who gets angry, is intimately involved in our lives, but more as a clock-maker or a sustainer of the Universe. It seems most Christians emphasize the personal aspect - which is why I don't relate to most modern Christian praise music which sounds like love songs. I don't relate to an angry deity; I relate to the chaotic forces of nature. I don't relate to a bogeyman called Lucifer who is out to get me, I relate to the idea that Evil is within us, and is an abstract force. I don't believe that some people are good and some people are evil, I believe evil as a force within all of us.
I find some ideas make sense - like Reincarnation - but they appear incompatible with Christianity. I also relate a lot to the philosophical worldview of Taoism - the connectedness of everything, instead of the Judeo-Christian view where God only really cares about humans, where animals are separate things that are used for us, that the whole of existence is compressed within a few thousand years, that one's eternal destiny is the result of simply saying a prayer that takes a few seconds. It just doesn't gel with me. I guess what I'm saying is I don't relate to much of modern day Christianity where you just say the word to be saved, believe in all the theology your church teachers and you'll get to heaven, while 95% of humanity is tragically separated from God. I relate to the principles of God's creation, his love, the symbolic significance of Christ as bridge between God and man, but I don't relate to a lot of aspects of Christianity the religion and the beliefs and attitudes of a lot of Christians.
Furthermore I was thinking about morality - I don't relate to a list of rules, but an underlying principle. The principle, I think, is that sin is basically fleshly living that prevents us from attaining a higher spiritual state - akin to Enlightenment in the mystical tradition. I honestly don't get the hang-ups over individual sins - it's the principle that counts. I now see that most sin is really a result of being unspiritual.
I sometimes think that some personality types are not as suited to some religions. Since I was told of God's absoluteness, my conception of God was not as a personal friend in the sky, but as an abstract force almost. I mean I do believe he Loves and cares for his flock, but I see him less as a 'Person' who gets angry, is intimately involved in our lives, but more as a clock-maker or a sustainer of the Universe. It seems most Christians emphasize the personal aspect - which is why I don't relate to most modern Christian praise music which sounds like love songs. I don't relate to an angry deity; I relate to the chaotic forces of nature. I don't relate to a bogeyman called Lucifer who is out to get me, I relate to the idea that Evil is within us, and is an abstract force. I don't believe that some people are good and some people are evil, I believe evil as a force within all of us.
I find some ideas make sense - like Reincarnation - but they appear incompatible with Christianity. I also relate a lot to the philosophical worldview of Taoism - the connectedness of everything, instead of the Judeo-Christian view where God only really cares about humans, where animals are separate things that are used for us, that the whole of existence is compressed within a few thousand years, that one's eternal destiny is the result of simply saying a prayer that takes a few seconds. It just doesn't gel with me. I guess what I'm saying is I don't relate to much of modern day Christianity where you just say the word to be saved, believe in all the theology your church teachers and you'll get to heaven, while 95% of humanity is tragically separated from God. I relate to the principles of God's creation, his love, the symbolic significance of Christ as bridge between God and man, but I don't relate to a lot of aspects of Christianity the religion and the beliefs and attitudes of a lot of Christians.
Furthermore I was thinking about morality - I don't relate to a list of rules, but an underlying principle. The principle, I think, is that sin is basically fleshly living that prevents us from attaining a higher spiritual state - akin to Enlightenment in the mystical tradition. I honestly don't get the hang-ups over individual sins - it's the principle that counts. I now see that most sin is really a result of being unspiritual.
I do. I find other religious concepts fascinating.
Are you familiar with Jacob Needleman? If not, you might want to Google his name. His belief (very simplified here) is that sin is not being all we can be.
I find some ideas make sense - like Reincarnation - but they appear incompatible with Christianity.
From a mathematical point of view reincarnation is possible, but it only involves the flesh and not the spirit.
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