Questions are always beneficial, because without them, we can get no answers. Answers sneak up on us unexpectedly and are often not recognized as answers until later after an indefinite time they are digested, and we discover they are part of us, often without remembering when or where they first began to take root in our consciousness.
Incremental answers - seems we are raised, or programed to expect all answers to fall upon us in an "ah ha", moment of revelation. That seldom happens, and never happens by our efforts. The more we grasp for, i.e. demand answers, the more they flee from us. Grasp the dove in your
hand tightly and you kill it.
Gradual learning comes, and we are frustrated until we take a time out to realize we now have some current, perhaps temporary hypothesis that replaces, for now, a former question. The process is at work. Have patience. Find more questions, which is easy. Ask them relentlessly for a time, then wait. No hypothesis? Start asking again, and wait.
Answers for prior questions are slowly, gradually seeping in, only to be recognized later, or even in a dream, or like a lightening bolt on a clear day.
We search together. Never, never, never stop asking. Always be ready to release a hypothesis upon presentation of new insight, and be ready, but not quick, to allow a hypothesis to morph into a theory, and perhaps, after much testing and time, perhaps the theory becomes a known.
The only "god" we can kill is the one in our minds that has been falsely thrust upon us. When that god is dead and buried, we discover a god that is not nameable or describable, or destructible. It's label is "God", with an unknown, unspeakable name, too infinite to begin to grasp, but presenting Peace beyond all understanding, before whom we can only bow in deepest gratitude for All, and smile saying, "Your will be done".
Thank you, my friend, for inspiring me to remember. Stay the course. Don't "keep the faith". Quest for the Known. You are beginning to see it now. Be patient with Brenden. He has earned your patience.
Excellent idea for an article! I enjoyed it. Very honest.
My brother and I grew up “slightly “ Catholic. But out mom was Quaker, and would read the Bible to us most every Sunday morning instead of going to church. Church was on holidays, or when we visited extended family.
I’m very “spiritual “ now. And my brother is mostly agnostic. Sooooo my perspective on Religion and Faith is it’s a lot Nature and seasoned with the right nurturing.
I was reared in the same way. When I had left the Catholic school I met Dr.George King(1919-1997) in London 1958 and was introduced into the reality of Truth which has been hidden 2000 years.
The way you write suggest you may be curious enough to benefit from the words of Jesus in the book of "The Twelve Blessings", in the final address he spoke about the symbolic nature of the Cross and foolish priests.
I know, because I was present for hearing Jesus through the voice of George King in self induced Samadhic trance, being an advanced Yogi and not of this world he could do it , and all the other sacrifices in hi mission.
I will be a 100 in November, still partly independent apart from a crippling fall.
Bible 2.0 is a fabulous idea! Religion-baiting is self indulgent sport of well-to-do cynical, so-called public intellectuals because—with the rare exception of Salman Rushdie—there are no downsides. But the function of religion is to enable people to see themselves as individuals with relative autonomy in a social context. We miss it when it’s gone. Things fall apart and the centre cannot hold. I had an Anglican upbringing. Faux Catholic. And I was even more annoying than Brenden. Now I’m part of a United Chuch of Canada. You can’t get more ‘religion lite’ but it’s not enough. Instead of a smug, self-satisfied and apathetic noun (which is very Canadian) it needs to become a verb… a Uniting Church of Humanity. Religious nationalism is simply fascisim after all. The United Church claims to practice ‘radical hospitality’ but its welcome is to participate in its tired rituals as a member of the club and not a truly open invitation to everyone that is spiritually curious with a barrier to entry that is only respect for fellow seekers. That to me is a church that Jesus Christ might attend. I could not imagine him darkening the door of any others… especially ones that appear to revel in depictions of him being tortured on a cross! Bible 2.0 is waiting to be written!
Questions are always beneficial, because without them, we can get no answers. Answers sneak up on us unexpectedly and are often not recognized as answers until later after an indefinite time they are digested, and we discover they are part of us, often without remembering when or where they first began to take root in our consciousness.
Incremental answers - seems we are raised, or programed to expect all answers to fall upon us in an "ah ha", moment of revelation. That seldom happens, and never happens by our efforts. The more we grasp for, i.e. demand answers, the more they flee from us. Grasp the dove in your
hand tightly and you kill it.
Gradual learning comes, and we are frustrated until we take a time out to realize we now have some current, perhaps temporary hypothesis that replaces, for now, a former question. The process is at work. Have patience. Find more questions, which is easy. Ask them relentlessly for a time, then wait. No hypothesis? Start asking again, and wait.
Answers for prior questions are slowly, gradually seeping in, only to be recognized later, or even in a dream, or like a lightening bolt on a clear day.
We search together. Never, never, never stop asking. Always be ready to release a hypothesis upon presentation of new insight, and be ready, but not quick, to allow a hypothesis to morph into a theory, and perhaps, after much testing and time, perhaps the theory becomes a known.
The only "god" we can kill is the one in our minds that has been falsely thrust upon us. When that god is dead and buried, we discover a god that is not nameable or describable, or destructible. It's label is "God", with an unknown, unspeakable name, too infinite to begin to grasp, but presenting Peace beyond all understanding, before whom we can only bow in deepest gratitude for All, and smile saying, "Your will be done".
Thank you, my friend, for inspiring me to remember. Stay the course. Don't "keep the faith". Quest for the Known. You are beginning to see it now. Be patient with Brenden. He has earned your patience.
Beautifully put comment. Thank you for your thoughts!
Excellent idea for an article! I enjoyed it. Very honest.
My brother and I grew up “slightly “ Catholic. But out mom was Quaker, and would read the Bible to us most every Sunday morning instead of going to church. Church was on holidays, or when we visited extended family.
I’m very “spiritual “ now. And my brother is mostly agnostic. Sooooo my perspective on Religion and Faith is it’s a lot Nature and seasoned with the right nurturing.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post! I definitely share many of your sentiments toward religion!
Christian here. I enjoy your posts!
I'm glad you enjoy my posts and thank you for reading!
I was reared in the same way. When I had left the Catholic school I met Dr.George King(1919-1997) in London 1958 and was introduced into the reality of Truth which has been hidden 2000 years.
The way you write suggest you may be curious enough to benefit from the words of Jesus in the book of "The Twelve Blessings", in the final address he spoke about the symbolic nature of the Cross and foolish priests.
I know, because I was present for hearing Jesus through the voice of George King in self induced Samadhic trance, being an advanced Yogi and not of this world he could do it , and all the other sacrifices in hi mission.
I will be a 100 in November, still partly independent apart from a crippling fall.
I blog on : kasselmain.com "The Divine Heresies ".
My book "Metaphysics and The New Age" detailed attacks on the Earth in that eventful period postwar.
Maybe a Bible 2.O?
Bible 2.0 is a fabulous idea! Religion-baiting is self indulgent sport of well-to-do cynical, so-called public intellectuals because—with the rare exception of Salman Rushdie—there are no downsides. But the function of religion is to enable people to see themselves as individuals with relative autonomy in a social context. We miss it when it’s gone. Things fall apart and the centre cannot hold. I had an Anglican upbringing. Faux Catholic. And I was even more annoying than Brenden. Now I’m part of a United Chuch of Canada. You can’t get more ‘religion lite’ but it’s not enough. Instead of a smug, self-satisfied and apathetic noun (which is very Canadian) it needs to become a verb… a Uniting Church of Humanity. Religious nationalism is simply fascisim after all. The United Church claims to practice ‘radical hospitality’ but its welcome is to participate in its tired rituals as a member of the club and not a truly open invitation to everyone that is spiritually curious with a barrier to entry that is only respect for fellow seekers. That to me is a church that Jesus Christ might attend. I could not imagine him darkening the door of any others… especially ones that appear to revel in depictions of him being tortured on a cross! Bible 2.0 is waiting to be written!