aladenheim
New Member
Did the Pharaoh have a choice in refusing to let the people of Israel go? By this passage, the answer is no. There are many possibilities, here: God is selfish and seeks glory; the Egyptians were not human beings and so were used as tools to show the Israelites Gods power; or, perhaps, there was a mistranslation. Just by changing I will harden his heart to his heart will harden makes the greatest of difference.
Let me stress this: God is not selfish. God does not seek our praise. He doesnt need it! God is absolute, and embodies everything, even us.
The goal we must align ourselves with is not to enhance Gods honor, Gods praise, or our honor. The reason we are is to instill happiness into this world.
A Universal Goal and Morality
Happiness is the essence of our struggle on earth, and the ultimate goal we all share. The very concept of good and happiness comes from God, and that is why we exist. We do exist to give glory to God, but not because God wants us to praise him, but he wants us to create magnificent beauty; inspire hope; and help to spread happiness through the world. It is the second, less recognized definition of glory that we must aspire to give to God.
Making the world, a happier, better place is what has secretly driven man from the dawn of time, and all that God truly wants from us now. Now, one seeking solely ones own happiness is in fact committing a very selfish act, but to help others seek happiness and to enjoy the world is the whole point of being alive. It is easy to dismiss happiness as too simplistic a goal, and also one that easily comes into conflict with others ideas of what happiness is. This is where the discussion of morality comes into being, and that idea I will argue later.
For now, let us segue and examine the idea of the world not as an intermediary step and test and man not small and unworthy, but rather the world as an amazing opportunity, and man as a piece of God that is seemingly imperfect as an individual, but as a whole, truly seamless.
When God created the world, the last passage of Genesis 1 is and God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. Key word? Everything. Man, the world, light, and even darkness: all of these things are good. We were not born naturally sinful or wicked. For even Adam was good, though he made mistakes. Paradoxically, there is perfection in our imperfections: what would good be, unless we could taste evil? What is hope, if one has never known despair? The world is beautiful because there are ugly parts, and so in summation, all is perfect. Man makes mistakes because there are two kinds of perfection: absolute perfection, in God, and the perfection of understanding that we, as part of God, can achieve.
Further, if the world is perfect, than how different is Heaven? It is folly to dismiss the perfect world and stunning opportunity of mortal life and put credence only in eternity. How can one live life to its fullest if he believes that it doesnt matter in the end, and the only point of life is getting into Heaven, which is better. The only way to perfection, and to true understanding, is to value life as priceless, and to seek to live it to its fullest.
This is where happiness and morality kick in. Happiness is a measure of how full and rich a life one has had. For cannot the poor lead happy lives? Then happiness is immaterial. A spinster is not always lonely and miserable, so happiness is not romantic love. No, happiness truly is how much one has come to understand their part in the world as its guardian, and what one has done to make it more beautiful for those who will follow.
God would not have created us and given us life if we were not important. As I mentioned when I began, it is truly saddening to see someone pray by first throwing themselves down on their knees, and then proclaiming that they are nothing; that they are unworthy. There is nothing more untrue. We were all given Gods spark, and life entered us, so we are here for a reason. How much more worth can one attain? We have a purposenoan obligation to do what we can to make this world better.
For by living life to its fullest, we not only show God that we appreciate life, but we display true selflessness. It is selfish to do good deeds because we desire entrance to Heaven. For isnt then Heaven a motivator? A goal for ourselves alone that we seek? It is as a war fought fairly for unjust reasons. It makes the war no more just, just as seeking Heaven for ourselves makes our good deeds no less wicked.
So when we live life to its fullest, we must do this selflessly: by caring for others; by being kind to one another; by doing the right thing because it is the right thing. If there is another reason, then our good deeds turn to selfishness.
However, remember that part of living life to its fullest is also seeking joy and understanding for ourselves: it is perfectly right to seek happiness for ones self, but not when doing so is at the expense of others. This is where morality comes into play. Walzer, in his book Just and Unjust Wars, notes that there is a language to describe morality. There are things that are right, and there are things that are wrong, universally, which all men share an understanding of. Part of living is learning to do the right thing, and the people around us help shape our understanding of ethical behavior.
We Are ONE
Much of this has been written from a seemingly Judeo-Christian perspective, but it applies to all religions and all faiths. At the heart of any faith are the principles that we should do good, and that God is the creator, even it be many gods. My point is, it doesnt matter what religion you follow, or how many gods one worships: if you impart good into the world, make others happy, defend what you believe in, then you truly have lived life to its fullest, and achieved the most perfect understanding one can hope to achieve.
Religion teaches us that we should hate other religions, and not worship other gods. I say, ultimately, theres only one right answer to which God is what, and maybe it doesnt matter which one it is. We all interpret things differently, and understand them based on where we come from and what weve been exposed to. Man explains God differently based on variations in culture, customs and location. But it doesnt matter. All one has to do is believe. As it is said, after that, faith manages.
The Final Word
Faith has become masked by religion. Faith in God means worship through good deeds; through thanking God for our spark of life and an opportunity to make the world a better place, and not making that as an empty promiserather, acting on that opportunity, and really reaching out to those around you. Only then can one hope to pursue ones own happiness, or live life to its fullest, which really is all that God asks from us.
Religion, on the other hand, teaches us to fear God, and to hold God in awe, instead of recognizing that God really lives inside all of us. Religion teaches us that God loves us, but only if we sing praises to Him and glorify His name. Instead, it should be helping to teach us to love one another, and to be kind to each other, and to learn what right and wrong is, and why it is important to defend good. Religion should teach us the value of life, and not tell us that it is merely a step to heaven, or that we should spend it trying to decrypt religious texts that have been changed by history and vested interests.
Science is not wicked, nor is it the enemy: it is our way of explaining the properties of the world, and how God helped guide the world into its present form. We should delight in science, and understand it, for only then can we truly understand the perfection and beauty of God and the world around us.
Morality is built into us, because God lives within all of us. At our hearts is our soulthe Breath of Life that God imparted to us. It speaks to us, sometimes, guiding us in our decisions of whats right, and whats wrong. Listen. Listen, too, to what your parents have taught you, and what youve learned from the people around you. These people guide our lives and shape us as much as God does, for God lives in them as well as you.
It doesnt take much to be a good person: do the right thing, and leave the world knowing you made your mark on it, for good. Thank God for your life, and show Him you mean it by actually living it. Dont do these things because you are obliged to, or because you fear Hell: rather, be a good person because you want tobecause its the right thing to do.
(cont. PART 3)
Let me stress this: God is not selfish. God does not seek our praise. He doesnt need it! God is absolute, and embodies everything, even us.
The goal we must align ourselves with is not to enhance Gods honor, Gods praise, or our honor. The reason we are is to instill happiness into this world.
A Universal Goal and Morality
Happiness is the essence of our struggle on earth, and the ultimate goal we all share. The very concept of good and happiness comes from God, and that is why we exist. We do exist to give glory to God, but not because God wants us to praise him, but he wants us to create magnificent beauty; inspire hope; and help to spread happiness through the world. It is the second, less recognized definition of glory that we must aspire to give to God.
Making the world, a happier, better place is what has secretly driven man from the dawn of time, and all that God truly wants from us now. Now, one seeking solely ones own happiness is in fact committing a very selfish act, but to help others seek happiness and to enjoy the world is the whole point of being alive. It is easy to dismiss happiness as too simplistic a goal, and also one that easily comes into conflict with others ideas of what happiness is. This is where the discussion of morality comes into being, and that idea I will argue later.
For now, let us segue and examine the idea of the world not as an intermediary step and test and man not small and unworthy, but rather the world as an amazing opportunity, and man as a piece of God that is seemingly imperfect as an individual, but as a whole, truly seamless.
When God created the world, the last passage of Genesis 1 is and God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. Key word? Everything. Man, the world, light, and even darkness: all of these things are good. We were not born naturally sinful or wicked. For even Adam was good, though he made mistakes. Paradoxically, there is perfection in our imperfections: what would good be, unless we could taste evil? What is hope, if one has never known despair? The world is beautiful because there are ugly parts, and so in summation, all is perfect. Man makes mistakes because there are two kinds of perfection: absolute perfection, in God, and the perfection of understanding that we, as part of God, can achieve.
Further, if the world is perfect, than how different is Heaven? It is folly to dismiss the perfect world and stunning opportunity of mortal life and put credence only in eternity. How can one live life to its fullest if he believes that it doesnt matter in the end, and the only point of life is getting into Heaven, which is better. The only way to perfection, and to true understanding, is to value life as priceless, and to seek to live it to its fullest.
This is where happiness and morality kick in. Happiness is a measure of how full and rich a life one has had. For cannot the poor lead happy lives? Then happiness is immaterial. A spinster is not always lonely and miserable, so happiness is not romantic love. No, happiness truly is how much one has come to understand their part in the world as its guardian, and what one has done to make it more beautiful for those who will follow.
God would not have created us and given us life if we were not important. As I mentioned when I began, it is truly saddening to see someone pray by first throwing themselves down on their knees, and then proclaiming that they are nothing; that they are unworthy. There is nothing more untrue. We were all given Gods spark, and life entered us, so we are here for a reason. How much more worth can one attain? We have a purposenoan obligation to do what we can to make this world better.
For by living life to its fullest, we not only show God that we appreciate life, but we display true selflessness. It is selfish to do good deeds because we desire entrance to Heaven. For isnt then Heaven a motivator? A goal for ourselves alone that we seek? It is as a war fought fairly for unjust reasons. It makes the war no more just, just as seeking Heaven for ourselves makes our good deeds no less wicked.
So when we live life to its fullest, we must do this selflessly: by caring for others; by being kind to one another; by doing the right thing because it is the right thing. If there is another reason, then our good deeds turn to selfishness.
However, remember that part of living life to its fullest is also seeking joy and understanding for ourselves: it is perfectly right to seek happiness for ones self, but not when doing so is at the expense of others. This is where morality comes into play. Walzer, in his book Just and Unjust Wars, notes that there is a language to describe morality. There are things that are right, and there are things that are wrong, universally, which all men share an understanding of. Part of living is learning to do the right thing, and the people around us help shape our understanding of ethical behavior.
We Are ONE
Much of this has been written from a seemingly Judeo-Christian perspective, but it applies to all religions and all faiths. At the heart of any faith are the principles that we should do good, and that God is the creator, even it be many gods. My point is, it doesnt matter what religion you follow, or how many gods one worships: if you impart good into the world, make others happy, defend what you believe in, then you truly have lived life to its fullest, and achieved the most perfect understanding one can hope to achieve.
Religion teaches us that we should hate other religions, and not worship other gods. I say, ultimately, theres only one right answer to which God is what, and maybe it doesnt matter which one it is. We all interpret things differently, and understand them based on where we come from and what weve been exposed to. Man explains God differently based on variations in culture, customs and location. But it doesnt matter. All one has to do is believe. As it is said, after that, faith manages.
The Final Word
Faith has become masked by religion. Faith in God means worship through good deeds; through thanking God for our spark of life and an opportunity to make the world a better place, and not making that as an empty promiserather, acting on that opportunity, and really reaching out to those around you. Only then can one hope to pursue ones own happiness, or live life to its fullest, which really is all that God asks from us.
Religion, on the other hand, teaches us to fear God, and to hold God in awe, instead of recognizing that God really lives inside all of us. Religion teaches us that God loves us, but only if we sing praises to Him and glorify His name. Instead, it should be helping to teach us to love one another, and to be kind to each other, and to learn what right and wrong is, and why it is important to defend good. Religion should teach us the value of life, and not tell us that it is merely a step to heaven, or that we should spend it trying to decrypt religious texts that have been changed by history and vested interests.
Science is not wicked, nor is it the enemy: it is our way of explaining the properties of the world, and how God helped guide the world into its present form. We should delight in science, and understand it, for only then can we truly understand the perfection and beauty of God and the world around us.
Morality is built into us, because God lives within all of us. At our hearts is our soulthe Breath of Life that God imparted to us. It speaks to us, sometimes, guiding us in our decisions of whats right, and whats wrong. Listen. Listen, too, to what your parents have taught you, and what youve learned from the people around you. These people guide our lives and shape us as much as God does, for God lives in them as well as you.
It doesnt take much to be a good person: do the right thing, and leave the world knowing you made your mark on it, for good. Thank God for your life, and show Him you mean it by actually living it. Dont do these things because you are obliged to, or because you fear Hell: rather, be a good person because you want tobecause its the right thing to do.
(cont. PART 3)