So my daughter brought home her new fiance. She met him through some stranger on a street corner who screamed at her until she gave in and came over to be introduced.
Her new beau is really something. He is very set in his ways, never budging an inch on any issue. He insists she sever ties with any "unclean" family, friends and acquaintances that don't agree with him. He has promised she will be with him forever if she loves him and does what he says. If she doesn't, he'll torture her, kill her, and then see that others spend all of eternity desecrating her corpse. He even killed his own son as a way to pay for all the sins he says my daughter has committed. He did it for her. Otherwise, he couldn't let her near him. He says those are his rules.
What's not to love?
"I am a jealous God."
ReplyDelete"Thou shalt not covet..."
It can be a little confusing.
“The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.” - Lau Tzu
ReplyDeleteYay, what a way to posit a philosophical argument.
ReplyDeleteThe question becomes how to come to terms with the messages in book.
The book, having been assembled by men at the urging of an emperor seeking to establish one, single religion in order to halt the warfare going on by various religious factions in his country.
- JDP
God is love, so he would never torchure us or threaten us. He would not ask us to give up our loved ones. He invites us to come to him, and forgives larger than we can comprehend. It is imperfect men who add these stipulations and rule through fear.
ReplyDeleteDogma stands in the way of confronting complex issues and does not resolve them. And, as is the mystery of life, there will be many things we cannot "solve." If faith is based on love, then we are strengthened to go the extra mile for our fellow people, as well as recognizing and accepting the limitations of our understanding.
ReplyDeleteGod doesn't threaten or torture us. He is always there for us and will always agree with whatever our des desisions are. Gow would not ask us to give up something as special as family or friends. He wants us to go to him with our problmes. God can forgive us even if it's something horrible because he will only help. Some people need to learn to love the right way. Don't fall for someone just because they will sacrifice someone or something for you. Love them because you love them.
ReplyDelete