tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494384.post1224457416513190887..comments2024-03-04T04:09:01.839-06:00Comments on And Doctor Biobrain's Response Is...: The Enlightened OnesDoctor Biobrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01641661532899934766noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494384.post-16688223931446069982007-06-29T12:32:00.000-05:002007-06-29T12:32:00.000-05:00I think some of the best nuggets of religious wisd...I think some of the best nuggets of religious wisdom come from The Ridly Scott epic, "Kingdom of Heaven." Doc, in response to your quandy about heaven/hell/eternal punishment, there's this:<BR/><BR/>"God will understand, my lord. And if he doesn't, then he is not God and we need not worry."<BR/><BR/>Good stuff. Then there's this one, from one of the Hospitaller knights:<BR/><BR/>"I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of god. I have seen too much religion in the eyes of too many murderers. Holiness is in right action, and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, and goodness. What god desires is here"<BR/>[points to head] <BR/>"...and here"<BR/>[points to heart] <BR/>"...and what you decide to do every day, you will be a good man. Or not."<BR/><BR/>Heck, I'm a devout Methodist, but that's still powerful stuff. Yes, most religion is used to control the populace. Simple fact. Despite that, I still attend church regularly. I do so because of the good we can do. And we can do more as a group than I can alone. I, and most folks at my church, don't care one whit for heaven or hell or any other "Pie in the sky, by and by" hokum. We're trying to care for folks here, now. That's something that far too many religions have lost. <BR/><BR/>Now we have a situation wehre folks are told (by their pastors) that they only have to worry about themselves and their own private morality. Say a few magic words, and *poof* you'll live forever (after you did, by and by). But it's onlt *their* particular magic words that work, and everyone else will be punished. It dividing people into arbitrary sects, setting up an enternal enemy, so people will cede more power and authority to their leaders. That's why the megachurches are so popular: you go for an hour a week, and that's it. Nothing else. You get reinforcement of your "proper" choice while you're there, and aren't asked to do anything (although a nice fat check would be appreciated).<BR/><BR/>Bah. Now I'm getting angry again, and starting to ramble. Anyhow, "Lord, save me from Your people."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494384.post-77734439083278107032007-06-29T10:54:00.000-05:002007-06-29T10:54:00.000-05:00I think you're loading a lot of presuppositions on...I think you're loading a lot of presuppositions onto what I'm saying. I'm not claiming you lose your memory at all, I'm saying we gain one another's memories and share them with one another.<BR/><BR/>That's what we do every day when we blog.<BR/><BR/>As for there being a discrete heaven and hell, it's not a useful model for me and appears to be founded on nothing. If there is a place other than heaven, it is called <I>earth</I>.<BR/><BR/>I won't write more on this if it doesn't seem helpful to you, but don't assume I take a silly position because other people might.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494384.post-3191080527779524312007-06-28T16:47:00.000-05:002007-06-28T16:47:00.000-05:00Sorry Whig, but I'm just not buying it.For your fi...Sorry Whig, but I'm just not buying it.<BR/><BR/>For your first point, sorry I didn't clarify that, but I wasn't at all referring to God not caring about earth. I would assume that he would care, but presumably only to the extent that he wanted people to join him in Heaven. Or perhaps he's a big voyeur and really enjoys watching our lives. But if we don't remember any of this in Heaven, then it still seems fairly pointless and very, very much like death.<BR/><BR/>As for your second point, I think we'd have to examine why someone would reject being part of the collective consciousness. And the reason why would be due to genetic or chemical influences, as well as our experiences. And how are we resonsible for any of that? We don't choose our souls or bodies or experiences. So why should we be held responsible for all of eternity due to a system entirely out of our control? If we made a mistake, it was a mistake based upon things that God gave us.<BR/><BR/>Beyond that, until I get a firmer grasp as to what Hell would actually be, I refuse to consider any of this. Are these just memory-less souls floating around in emptyness? Why would that be of concern to me? I'd already be dead and wouldn't know anything about it.<BR/><BR/>And would they be able to repent in Hell? I can't imagine why not. But if you could repent in Hell, who wouldn't do that? If upon death, every human was given the option of meeting God in Heaven, there is not one who would refuse. Or if they refused initially, they'd surely reconsider before too long. How is it logical that a loving god wouldn't understand that?<BR/><BR/>As for your third point, I again insist that God would understand why he was being rejected and not require the request for help. Have you never known anyone who needed help but refused to ask? Or didn't know that help was available? Do you honestly believe we shouldn't help people who don't ask for help? Of course not. If an old friend hit hard times and was homeless, I'm sure you wouldn't wait for him to ask you for assistance before you'd help him. You'd reach out and do what you can to help him. How could God do any less? <BR/><BR/>And homelessness doesn't compare at all with the fate you believe billions of us will endure for eternity. Again, I'm sorry but I find all of this entirely absurd. A loving god could not permit us to suffer as you say we will. And any god who would allow such a thing would not be deserving of love. I'm not at all trying to talk you out of belief in God, but the whole Hell thing has got to go. It's an outdated concept that's entirely offensive.Doctor Biobrainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01641661532899934766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494384.post-27887689945507141262007-06-28T15:18:00.000-05:002007-06-28T15:18:00.000-05:00It might also be a good lesson in child rearing, t...It might also be a good lesson in child rearing, the observant parent is still present and knows to keep the child out of certain kinds of danger, but when the child grows old enough to be independent the parent must step out of the way.<BR/><BR/>When the child calls for the parent, in genuine sadness, the parent is there. So it may be with God.<BR/><BR/>These are metaphors, not to be taken as words of literal truth, because the complexities are far more than could be reduced to language. But instinctively I think we understand the connection between parents and children.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494384.post-77738582862132879802007-06-28T15:12:00.000-05:002007-06-28T15:12:00.000-05:00Let me try to give you a metaphor that will make s...Let me try to give you a metaphor that will make sense -- God as a collective consciousness.<BR/><BR/>Here we have a collective consciousness between bloggers, we write and read one another's thoughts and each of us influence the other to think together of things that we might bring from different perspectives.<BR/><BR/>The highest penalty that might be imposed upon someone in a community of consciousness is to deny connection, to stop speaking and listening, to shun completely and let the individual go think for him or herself for awhile. Maybe a long while.<BR/><BR/>Does that work for you?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494384.post-37446155574605477182007-06-28T15:04:00.000-05:002007-06-28T15:04:00.000-05:00So God sent his son to this place because, what, G...So God sent his son to this place because, what, God doesn't care about what happens outside of his gated heaven community?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com