"The 'God' Thang" miscellaney part 7

34.
There is room at the table for all interpretations of God; one person's notion does not discredit or 'disprove' another's. It all ties in together; varying aspects of the same whole.

The brilliance of God is such that everything is possible.

I enjoyed a story someone shared about the blind men and the elephant; The men were all feeling different parts of the elephant's anatomy and coming up with different experiences to show for their tactile insights. They argued over who was right, as if an absolute was to be maintained.

But they were all correct; there was no need to introduce debate or bristle at the unknown.

(Don't ask your pastor or priest about all this; ask God. Look within.)



35.
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!

Just because organized religion and the established churches have distorted the message, don't assume that there isn't a God withing the message!

The simplest, purest, blessed parts of all religions (The Beatitudes, The Seven Spiritual Principles, etc.) hold true and universal.

By taking the established and decorated aspects of God's love and mangling them with the dictates of the church and man added on, people have screwed every one's perception of Love up royally.

There then becomes so much confusion and incompatibility and nonsense, that people are turned off and dispense with the whole of religion (leaving the spirituality behind as well.)

That's what the architects want; If you assume that the only way to a wondrous afterlife (or to get the answers you seek here) is by being a member of one of the 'ordained' groups with their 'holy message' and 'key to God's love,' then you will continue to support the church and bring their income and glory.

To live apart is to risk condemnation, isolation, rejection, slander, and more; but it is NOT to risk those things from God--only man.

36.
The obvious answer is usually the right one.

Most world religions maintain many similarities, but choose to ignore that in favor of differences.
The same hostile, xenophobic, limited view of other peoples and beliefs that permeates the Judeo-Christian Bible is implicit in the Code of Hammurabi and the Koran; yet they all consider themselves superior to one another in culture and mind!

On the positive side, Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism all have similarly uplifting and inclusive positivity-based beliefs. They don't spend time worrying about business cards and televangelism.

37.
If the touching of genitals is consensual and between adults, it is no one else's business!


38.
If we are happy with our selves, we have no need to find fault with others.
If we are being our best selves, we have no time to try and control others.
If we are being true to God, we do not need to speak of others and their actions.

Speak truth.
Act nobly.
Focus on self.
Give freely.

All else will care for itself.


39.
I trust very little, but a wise friend told me;
"Put your arms out, let go, and fall back....trusting that you will be caught.
Sometimes you just have to be willing to try faith."

That's a huge leap of faith. It's definitely easier said than done. But this deceptively simple act
can work in accordance with any belief system, once you get to the point of accepting. That journey to accepting that old ways are no longer working may take a while. The act of falling may take a lot of practice. Heck, easy things take practice; how many times should it take before you get the art of 'giving in' down pat? (Notice; giving in...not giving up.)



Whatever your beliefs, there is something to find hope with; life itself. Whatever will be, will be; trusting in the flow of life to put you where you need to be and to have what you need to have.
Not that circumstances will be ideal or what you anticipated; that's the whole point.

Letting go and releasing expectation and worry means giving in to life itself; recognizing the limits of man's ability to affect much on the planet. We cease struggling and we surrender to our lacking, and it is finally okay.

Whether you know it's Jesus, your own connection to love, other people, Buddha, God, Muhammad, Allah, Nature, the Universe, or Fate, you can relinquish control and find peace.