I think that there probaly as many reasons to seek God(or not) as there are people to seek.
What i can say for sure is that my own decision to seek has been there since the age of about 10 or so. It could be that this is because I grew up in an atheist household, it may be for other reasons entirly. On Mar 1, 11:56 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > Was it Calvin who equated worldly success/money with God's favor/ > blessing? I forget. Those paintings of stout/obese :-) merchants come > to mind but also Midas and the Biblical tubby trying to get through > the eye of the needle. Charity is the antidote. > > As to your former reply I was thinking God is the ultimate last resort > whom we can praise or blame depending on circumstances. I do feel > history illustrates that religion or ruling/economic theories have > been used in ways I mentioned and seeking a religion or god is not a > natural inclination but one that is taught- perhaps it is a harnassing > of our natural sense of wonder or our realization of the power of > Nature and our definite demise leading to theories of an afterlife/ > paradise. The Beatitudes reward those whom the world has not, for > example. And, the very powerful Papacy was quite temporal and > militaristic with enormous political clout- which has diminished, of > course- but it wasn't so very long ago where it still asserted its > power over individual members. > > On Mar 1, 5:31 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > Hey Gabs, > > > Or it could not be. I think that depends on how the individual views > > money. > > > On Mar 1, 8:38 am, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Ah, but money is just a means to exercise power and influence others. It > > > compensates physical strength to a certain degree. In my view it is the > > > direction of human development the so called founders of new beliefs have > > > been successful in altering. That's how I also understand vamadevananda's > > > activities. > > > > On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 7:51 AM, iam deheretic <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > with rare exception Lee I think in the case of Scientology it is for > > > > the > > > > money but you need control to get the money.. In most cases the > > > > founders > > > > of beliefs are not interested in money.. it is those that follow which > > > > use > > > > beliefs as a hussle > > > > Allan > > > > > On Mon, Feb 28, 2011 at 6:27 PM, [email protected] < > > > > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > >> Hey Rigsy, > > > > >> Meh! Don't bother me none mate. > > > > >> I will say that I simply do not belife that mankind has 'created' a > > > >> religion for the sole porpose of control, perhaps we will see some in > > > >> the future and perhaps we can level that charge at the Scientologist > > > >> door, even then I think it is more about making money than control. > > > > >> I will admit that many have used and continues to do so, religoin of > > > >> any ilke to control, but that is far differant from the oringinators > > > >> intended porpouse. Yep I really do belive that all religoin can get > > > >> one to God. > > > > >> Evil people we have in plenty, and I think there is a lot of > > > >> differance between the an original goal and an userption. > > > > >> Like My Blair, taking us to war in the search of WMD, use of the > > > >> public has forever been a gameplan of the powerfull, and any tool and > > > >> every tool will they use. > > > > >> You say we cannot discount the human reasons that religoins have > > > >> existed, I would say we cannot discount the human propensity to twist > > > >> things for our own ends. > > > > >> On Feb 27, 5:24 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > I wish no disrespect to your beliefs but there have been thousands of > > > >> > religions during man's history- many claiming absolute truth about > > > >> > God/ > > > >> > gods. I do not believe all faiths lead to holiness/God as there have > > > >> > been too many cruel/evil religions. We cannot discount the human > > > >> > reasons that religions have existed: cohesion of a group, control of > > > >> > behavior, a spur to conquest, an opiate and so on. A kind, loving > > > >> > atheist is also holy in humanistic terms. Religions change or break > > > >> > away to adapt to changing social/economic realities- that would be > > > >> > understood by Darwin, I believe. > > > > >> > On Feb 25, 7:20 am, "[email protected]" > > > >> > <[email protected]> > > > >> > wrote: > > > > >> > > Hahah Rigsy. > > > > >> > > Sikhi in a nut shell is this. > > > > >> > > There is but one absolute truth and it is God. > > > > >> > > We are not seprerated from God, but live in the dualistic belife > > > >> > > that > > > >> > > we are, to realise this one only needs to keep God in the > > > >> > > forefront of > > > >> > > the mind at all times.(Which is why we chant vaherguru - or > > > >> > > wonderous > > > >> > > God(losely translated)) > > > > >> > > By doing this one eventualy becomes God conciose, rather than man > > > >> > > conciouse(Manmukh) and thus their actions become what I suppose we > > > >> > > can > > > >> > > call 'good' > > > > >> > > So there is no call to doing good as doing good comes as a natural > > > >> > > occourance of trying to become God conciouse(Gurmukh) > > > > >> > > You should then be able to infer much from the above, perhaps not > > > >> > > the > > > >> > > least being, there is no heaven nor hell, as there is no one true > > > >> > > faith, all faiths may 'lead' to God. > > > > >> > > On Feb 25, 12:11 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > >> > > > I am impressed by what I read of Sikhism. After a couple of > > > >> > > > books at > > > >> > > > home, I turned to Wikipedia. I remembered about the Golden Temple > > > >> and > > > >> > > > some other events but they were historical or news items. > > > > >> > > > I, too, am a "slow adapter". > > > > >> > > > I felt badly about jumping from the particular to the universal > > > >> > > > regarding some personal experiences for there were positives as > > > >> > > > well > > > >> > > > as negatives. It reminded me I still feel hurt and anger over > > > >> > > > some > > > >> > > > matters and will try harder to pray for understanding. Maybe God > > > >> > > > needed my attention! :-) Just kidding... > > > > >> > > > On Feb 23, 9:18 am, "[email protected]" < > > > >> [email protected]> > > > >> > > > wrote: > > > > >> > > > > Hey Rigsy, > > > > >> > > > > There is nowt to forgive my friend. > > > > >> > > > > Ignorance is not a sin rather a nateural state. We are all > > > >> ignorant > > > >> > > > > about many things, untill we take the time to learn, and part > > > >> > > > > of > > > >> the > > > >> > > > > learning is in the asking. > > > > >> > > > > Realiseing all the time that when we speak in part or on the > > > >> > > > > whole > > > >> > > > > about religious belifes we are not dealing in emprical fact but > > > >> > > > > beliefe. Some of which we can apply logical thought to, > > > >> > > > > some.... > > > >> well > > > >> > > > > not so much. Then I'll say it is my belife that the soul > > > >> inhabites > > > >> > > > > the body upon conception, or perhaps it is always present, > > > >> > > > > rather > > > >> as > > > >> > > > > RP suggest as part of the pervadidness of God? > > > > >> > > > > All of us are redemable, in the eys of God if not in the eyes > > > >> > > > > of > > > >> each > > > >> > > > > other. > > > > >> > > > > I'm a lover of nature(if this is indeed the context which you > > > >> mean?) > > > >> > > > > it's hard not to be coming from the Pagan background that I do. > > > >> I'm > > > >> > > > > also an admirerer of a certin Mr Darwin, and believe in an > > > >> absolute > > > >> > > > > sense that we arived here via the process of evolution. > > > > >> > > > > So humanity is not somehow seperate from nature but very much a > > > >> part > > > >> > > > > of it. Indeed with our abilities it is clear to see how much > > > >> > > > > sway > > > >> we > > > >> > > > > have over the lives of the other animals that we share this > > > >> > > > > planet > > > >> > > > > with. > > > > >> > > > > As to Sikhi, ahh I'm not a good Sikh. Only really because Sikhi > > > >> agrees > > > >> > > > > with many of my personal belifes about God and Gods plan. > > > > >> > > > > On Feb 23, 2:43 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > >> > > > > > Thank you for your reply and am thinking about it... > > > > >> > > > > > I think this brings up the question of potential and > > > >> > > > > > actuality. > > > >> (Does > > > >> > > > > > the fetus have a soul, for instance. Does an evil person > > > >> > > > > > retain > > > >> the > > > >> > > > > > possibility of redemption- how does this relate to religious > > > >> > > > > > and > > > >> civil > > > >> > > > > > laws? Etc.) > > > > >> > > > > > Yes- I just get my hopes up and then...HIstory is indeed a > > > >> > > > > > dance > > > >> back > > > >> > > > > > and forth but so is an individual life. We are certainly > > > >> > > > > > living > > > >> in > > > >> > > > > > "interesting times" (Chinese wish that can be taken two > > > >> > > > > > ways.) > > > > >> > > > > > My "man" just cleared another large snowfall- I think we are > > > >> > > > > > up > > > >> to 72" > > > >> > > > > > and may hit 90" by the end of March. So my spirit is curious > > > >> > > > > > but > > > >> my > > > >> > > > > > mind is distracted. :-) > > > > >> > > > > > How does Nature figure into your beliefs? I admit I am quite > > > >> ignorant > > > >> > > > > > about the Sikh faith and tend to limit it to Punjab and > > > >> > > > > > turbans. > > > >> > > > > > Please forgive my poor education- thus far. > > > > >> > > > > > On Feb 23, 5:01 am, "[email protected]" < > > > >> [email protected]> > > > >> > > > > > wrote: > > > > >> > > > > > > Hey RP, > > > > >> > > > > > > Yeah I get what you are saying. > > > > >> > > > > > > I see a disctiction though. > > > > >> > > > > > > I belive that before anything existed there was only God. > > > >> That is > > > >> > > > > > > before the creation, before matter ther was only God, God > > > >> > > > > > > in > > > >> spirt. > > > >> > > > > > > God created the creation from Gods self. That is God > > > >> > > > > > > created > > > >> matter > > > >> > > > > > > from spirt, so yes I too belive that there exists not one > > > >> > > > > > > iota > > > >> of > > > >> > > > > > > matter that does not contian the spirit of God. > > > > >> > > > > > > It goes back to my original question though what is Soul? > > > > >> > > > > > > Is soul simply spirit? > > > > >> > > > > > > No, too much relgious dogma says that only humans can reach > > > >> God, or if > > > >> > > > > > > you like only humans have soul. So what is the portion of > > > >> > > > > > > God > > > >> or the > > > >> > > > > > > propertie of God that > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
