Gods Laws Do Work.
I have an experiential connection with the divine, as per my own inner and external experiences, but not nearly as much as some. My life is better when I am nearer to people like MG and aghogday.
This drew me down the road to reincarnation. Maybe there is actual reincarnation, sort of like Groundhog Day, and we have to do life over and over again until we get it right.
And to bring it back to the OP, one of the things I feel certain is divinely inspired, or per God's words and/or the Bible as MG is saying, is boundless giving to others.
Somewhere, I have a newspaper article about a man who worked tirelessly to keep prisoners on death row from being executed. He lived in a small apartment with almost no furniture. He lived on very little money. When asked why did he do this, he answered that when he does he "feels the pleasure of God."
I know there are people on this forum who believe this is all rubbish, and this is not posted for you. It is posted for MG, and others who consider what is beyond our knowledge and understanding. How to move beyond the transactional relationships. How to be more loving and kind with each other.
I feel you 100%, you are a true follower of Christ.
I do understand your perspective. I have gone out of my way, seriously, to help people and then been turned on with the other person or people quite literally hating me even to the extent of legal problems for me. And it has crossed my mind that I am getting f'd over when I was trying to do good.
I don't think this is what MG is talking about. Gratitude or other direct appreciation of your efforts to do good is not guaranteed or even expected. What MG is talking about (MG, correct me if I am wrong), is the faith that when he does makes the world a better place and that by living this way, more good comes to him than bad.
Now, obviously, someone who was born into Somalia or other war-torn country, is going to have a much harder time of it. So the argument breaks down when one extends it to extreme situations. (Although there are studies showing that the people who survived the concentration camps in WWII were people who continued to help others. Such as holding them up when they were too weak to stand, so they wouldn't get shot. Sharing the only slice of bread you have for that day.)
Here is an illustration, not all that good, but I was thinking about it yesterday. I have a client with Down Syndrome who is totally dependent on others for everything. When I first started working with her, she would reach out and grab me. She would pull me into very strong hugs; she would grip my hand and not let go. She would put her face close to mine and vocalize. It was nice to be so appreciated.
But the reason she clung to me was because she had no one else. She sat at home all day with the TV on and one caregiver.
She now attends a day program and also goes out into the community once a week. She has friends at the day program. Lots of people to watch, lots of people who give her attention. She is so happy.
When I visit her, she no longer welcomes me. She doesn't even look at me if she is at her day program. She no longer showers me with all that attention and affection. And I confess, I miss that.
But I am so happy. She is so happy. She has what she needs without me. And that is the highest blessing for me to see.
So that is nice. Very nice.
_________________
The river is the melody
And sky is the refrain - Gordon Lightfoot
I do understand your perspective. I have gone out of my way, seriously, to help people and then been turned on with the other person or people quite literally hating me even to the extent of legal problems for me. And it has crossed my mind that I am getting f'd over when I was trying to do good.
I don't think this is what MG is talking about. Gratitude or other direct appreciation of your efforts to do good is not guaranteed or even expected. What MG is talking about (MG, correct me if I am wrong), is the faith that when he does makes the world a better place and that by living this way, more good comes to him than bad.
Now, obviously, someone who was born into Somalia or other war-torn country, is going to have a much harder time of it. So the argument breaks down when one extends it to extreme situations. (Although there are studies showing that the people who survived the concentration camps in WWII were people who continued to help others. Such as holding them up when they were too weak to stand, so they wouldn't get shot. Sharing the only slice of bread you have for that day.)
Here is an illustration, not all that good, but I was thinking about it yesterday. I have a client with Down Syndrome who is totally dependent on others for everything. When I first started working with her, she would reach out and grab me. She would pull me into very strong hugs; she would grip my hand and not let go. She would put her face close to mine and vocalize. It was nice to be so appreciated.
But the reason she clung to me was because she had no one else. She sat at home all day with the TV on and one caregiver.
She now attends a day program and also goes out into the community once a week. She has friends at the day program. Lots of people to watch, lots of people who give her attention. She is so happy.
When I visit her, she no longer welcomes me. She doesn't even look at me if she is at her day program. She no longer showers me with all that attention and affection. And I confess, I miss that.
But I am so happy. She is so happy. She has what she needs without me. And that is the highest blessing for me to see.
So that is nice. Very nice.
And This is What it
Means to be Human...
Is it Enough...
i Believe It is...
All We Need
Is To Be Love...
Give Love And Be
Happy To Watch the
FLoWeRS Grow We Plant With Love
Truly Lived By LoVE When Living Now
iNHaLinG Peace Exhaling LoVE iN JoY oF LiGHT
iN DarK
Thru LiGHT..
_________________
KATiE MiA FredericK!iI
Gravatar is one of the coolest things ever!! !
http://en.gravatar.com/katiemiafrederick
You certainly could be correct. And I have no interest in changing how you worship God and see your path through this life. Based on what you post here, I have nothing but admiration and respect for you.
(What I had said earlier about the New Testament is just my personal opinion. My personal opinion is pretty much irrelevant to other people.)
_________________
The river is the melody
And sky is the refrain - Gordon Lightfoot
I have an experiential connection with the divine, as per my own inner and external experiences, but not nearly as much as some. My life is better when I am nearer to people like MG and aghogday.
This drew me down the road to reincarnation. Maybe there is actual reincarnation, sort of like Groundhog Day, and we have to do life over and over again until we get it right.
And to bring it back to the OP, one of the things I feel certain is divinely inspired, or per God's words and/or the Bible as MG is saying, is boundless giving to others.
Somewhere, I have a newspaper article about a man who worked tirelessly to keep prisoners on death row from being executed. He lived in a small apartment with almost no furniture. He lived on very little money. When asked why did he do this, he answered that when he does he "feels the pleasure of God."
I know there are people on this forum who believe this is all rubbish, and this is not posted for you. It is posted for MG, and others who consider what is beyond our knowledge and understanding. How to move beyond the transactional relationships. How to be more loving and kind with each other.
I feel you 100%, you are a true follower of Christ.
I appreciate your sentiments, but I am not a follower of Christ in the sense that is usually meant. I don’t mean that in a mean way. I just want to be clear so that others don’t think I am lying or presenting myself as what I am not. (We can be pretty picky, us aspies. ) My spiritual practice is just that, a practice of leaving myself open as much as possible to divine leadings and relies more on current revelation, rather than worship and supplication.
It is important to remember we are all human beings and whatever God you believe in or don’t, that God must be beyond human understanding. If we were able to understand God, what good would that be?
_________________
The river is the melody
And sky is the refrain - Gordon Lightfoot
I do understand your perspective. I have gone out of my way, seriously, to help people and then been turned on with the other person or people quite literally hating me even to the extent of legal problems for me. And it has crossed my mind that I am getting f'd over when I was trying to do good.
I don't think this is what MG is talking about. Gratitude or other direct appreciation of your efforts to do good is not guaranteed or even expected. What MG is talking about (MG, correct me if I am wrong), is the faith that when he does makes the world a better place and that by living this way, more good comes to him than bad.
Now, obviously, someone who was born into Somalia or other war-torn country, is going to have a much harder time of it. So the argument breaks down when one extends it to extreme situations. (Although there are studies showing that the people who survived the concentration camps in WWII were people who continued to help others. Such as holding them up when they were too weak to stand, so they wouldn't get shot. Sharing the only slice of bread you have for that day.)
Here is an illustration, not all that good, but I was thinking about it yesterday. I have a client with Down Syndrome who is totally dependent on others for everything. When I first started working with her, she would reach out and grab me. She would pull me into very strong hugs; she would grip my hand and not let go. She would put her face close to mine and vocalize. It was nice to be so appreciated.
But the reason she clung to me was because she had no one else. She sat at home all day with the TV on and one caregiver.
She now attends a day program and also goes out into the community once a week. She has friends at the day program. Lots of people to watch, lots of people who give her attention. She is so happy.
When I visit her, she no longer welcomes me. She doesn't even look at me if she is at her day program. She no longer showers me with all that attention and affection. And I confess, I miss that.
But I am so happy. She is so happy. She has what she needs without me. And that is the highest blessing for me to see.
So that is nice. Very nice.
Beautiful post Blazing Star.
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-christians-get-wrong-about-turn-the-other-cheek.html
If you simply 'turn the other cheek' - your enemies know you are not the same as them and that you are morally decent, and so become self aware of their own shortcomings, if they are not truly evil.
The path to enlightenment lies in Christianity for me, personally.
Everyone is different. You don't have to be a Christian but you'll probably live a less peaceful life by not being.
Good quote from the article:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Russia is a good example of a hell hole for disabled people. Even worse than the U.S which is pretty terrible.
They don't have disabled ramps, or public toilet facilities for disabled people, or any kind of accomodations really in most places. It is completely brutal.
Pursuing authoritarianism ends with disaster.
P.S, I think I posted this in the wrong thread.
If you simply 'turn the other cheek' - your enemies know you are not the same as them and that you are morally decent, and so become self aware of their own shortcomings, if they are not truly evil.
The path to enlightenment lies in Christianity for me, personally.
Everyone is different. You don't have to be a Christian but you'll probably live a less peaceful life by not being.
Good quote from the article:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
I agree with the part about giving your enemy food and water, but not with the last bit about burning coals.
I don’t want anyone to suffer burning coals or anything like for any reason. The value of feeding and clothing all people is to envelop them and everyone with love.
_________________
The river is the melody
And sky is the refrain - Gordon Lightfoot
I'd go with the Quaker Way myself....were I a religious person.
I just don't believe God would like it if people obsess about Him all the time.
It seems to me that He created the world for its citizens to go about their business without letting God intrude in their lives all the time.
If you simply 'turn the other cheek' - your enemies know you are not the same as them and that you are morally decent, and so become self aware of their own shortcomings, if they are not truly evil.
The path to enlightenment lies in Christianity for me, personally.
Everyone is different. You don't have to be a Christian but you'll probably live a less peaceful life by not being.
Good quote from the article:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
I agree with the part about giving your enemy food and water, but not with the last bit about burning coals.
I don’t want anyone to suffer burning coals or anything like for any reason. The value of feeding and clothing all people is to envelop them and everyone with love.
Oh, that passage isn't meant to be literal - it's a metaphor for being behaviourally nice to your enemies so that they feel bad about their own negative behaviour towards you, lol.
If you attack your enemies, you justify their retaliation.
I think the "you reap what you sow" thing is one of those half-truths. Obviously it's going to work some of the time. But people don't always deserve what they get, it's not always the result of them choosing to do the obviously right thing. Unlikely twists of fate do happen, and sometimes people reap what others have sown. Life is to some degree a lottery, and there are winners and losers, often through no fault or merit of their own. But obviously there are times when for example you decide to make a hat, you go to the trouble of finding out how to do that, you do a bit of careful work in the right way, and you end up with a hat, while the chap next to you couldn't be bothered, and he doesn't end up with a hat. It can be that simple. But not always.
More like attribute everything to a higher power.
The ancient Greeks attributed lighting to Zeus but modern people stay say lightning damage to your home is an "act of god"
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