“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?” — Nietzsche
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.
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.
Christian here. I enjoy your posts!
Maybe a Bible 2.O?