Some inspiring thoughts!FrankOne wrote: ↑December 12th, 2022, 5:17 pmOur Creator(s) love us unconditionally, always , without exception. A belief in a changeable and whimsical God binds us in chains to guilt for never being able to measure up....never. Some think that God gets angry at us or cries for us. This would mean that we can control God. He feels good when we praise him or follow his commandments, yet he feels bad and depressed when we don't obey? <That is a silly thought. With 7 billion people on the planet, he would be a basket case not knowing how to REACT to each individuals choices of obedience/disobedience.Thinker wrote: ↑December 11th, 2022, 9:30 pm Belief in a Heavenly Father & Mother loving us individually with pure unconditional love especially in a world of choice and opposition, is probably one of the most true things, or at least a healthy, inspiring and uplifting belief.
Belief in determinism or some type of simulation seems to promote gaslighting, psychological warfare and a lack of responsibility (evil).
The Father is completely unreactive because he is wholly loving with perfect understanding of us. This is the good news (Gospel) of Jesus Christ. The Father only knows to radiate love. He doesn't receive negative emotions . When someone cries out to him with sincerity, he shines on that person with the gifts of the spirit. When someone disobeys, he simply observes it without reaction....waiting for a sincere prayer which opens the individual to receiving his love and light. The Father just shines out like the sun unceasingly and we are the only reason that we can't feel it.
It really is a matter of perspective. It puts all responsibility on the person experiencing this place. There's no one to blame but us. There's no angry God, just a loving Father. He looks at as with a smile, knowing that our experience is of our choice and that no real part of us can be harmed, only our attached illusions which all need to be removed before we can return to him....by our choice. This removes guilt and replaces it with stark responsibility for our choices.
What we do brings us pain or peace. If it brings us peace, it is of our true nature. The guilt and fear doesn't need to be a part in this equation because we learn from our own actions and make new choices based upon observations of how we feel. Hurt someone, you feel hurt. Lie and you feel insecure. Condemn someone and you feel dark inside. Do for others, and you feel light. Act in charity and your feet are lightened. Let go of the world and worldliness and you get closer to the Father and you will FEEL it.
I also see God’s love as unconditional. And I agree with the general idea of God as essentially, “I AM THAT I AM” - consciousness aware of consciousness so in that sense there’s some ambivalence in terms of praise or punishment. However, I also see God as the highest GOoD - a standard by which we measure & are meant to either feel good or bad whether we get closer to or further from the mark.
And I believe that “mark” - of the highest GOoD we consider - does change. Maybe if we were omniscient gods, we’d see unchanging truths, but as subjective humans, our views are always changing which makes God seem to change. You know - children see parents as gods until they’re eyes are open… then they make authorities their gods, until again they learn more… God does seem to change & rightly so - as we’re supposed to wrestle ideas of God.
“A belief in a changeable and whimsical God binds us in chains to guilt for never being able to measure up....never.” True! That idea of such a punitive God is wrong & harmful so it should change. A better approach may be to constantly try to embrace the paradox of striving to improve toward the highest GOoD… while accepting lifetime of imperfection in ourselves & others. “What imperfection hates most is imperfection.”
I had a hard time imagining God could be so attentive to each of the many billions of people. But now I see God as that higher consciousness within us and all - so it makes more sense. To see God as external is missing the point.
“The kingdom/realm of God is with you.” Considering some of your 1st paragraph, applying it internally… Do I get angry or cry? Can I control at least some of the inner processes within me? Do I feel good when I praise God and goodness, & when I seek and do God’s will? Do I feel bad and depressed when I move away from God?
Some may see “likening scriptures” etc to ourselves like that as self-centered, & it is. Yet, how else can we improve & stop hurting ourselves & others if we don’t look within? I find it interesting that the beginning of Mark (the 1st written of the 4 gospels) talks about “the gospel of repentance,” as if that is the main point of it… Always correcting course, not in a punitive way, but in a “growth-mindset” way.
