From: suhre@meltami.dsd.trw.com ()
Subject: from Adria
Originator: suhre@meltami.dsd.trw.com
Reply-To: suhre@meltami.dsd.trw.com ()
Organization: TRW Space & Defense
Distribution: alt
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 23:01:47 GMT


=====Begin post for Adria=====
Higher power concepts:
     Does god have to be a God or a G-d or a god or have -ess added to
the end?  Does god have to have a penis, testicles, and testosterone?
Does god have to have a vulva, vagina, and estrogen/progesterone?  If
"man" is created in god's image...what is an image?  Imagination?  Does
this mean that "man" is merely an IDEA in the mind of a god?
     Whose theory was it of the singular god that split in half and
is trying to put itself back together...you know, the one in which
one half knows of the split and is sane and the other half exists in
denial of it and is insane so the world is insane from god-half-2
but god-half-1 keeps trying to rectify the insanity that god-half-2
has created...but since god-half-2 is in denial of the split it
can't explain these other things in existence because it would
have to admit the existence of god-half-1, so it makes itself
more insane?  I like that one very much.

     A deity has never spoken to me.  This does not necessarily
mean that one does not exist.  This does not necessarily mean that
one DOES exist.  If one DOES exist and you all believe in it, well
bully for you--I don't think it will care what you believe in so
long as you believe in SOMETHING.  After all, if it is so far
advanced beyond we mere mortals, what we use as it's names
wouldn't matter to it.  Maybe they are all just different facets of
the same being anyway; like you have your sugar-sweet side, and you
have your bitchy side, and you have your subservient brown-nosing
side, and you have your giving side, and you have your taking side,
and you have our controlling side.  So why worry about what we call
it once WE are the ones obsessed with the "names" and "correct"
things to do to pay homage.
     If there ISN'T a deity, well bully for you for believing in
one.  It won't hurt anybody unless you try to "persuade" others
to believe the way that you do.  Your belief won't hurt anyone.
Your means for converting others will.

     I thought in the teachings of ALL the present-day major
deities of the world, the words LOVE OTHERS are held sacred.
Some even say that you should love all living beings because
you are either part of THEM or related to them.  Jesus taught
teachings of a very ancient sect of Judaism thought to be dead
long-long-long before he was born.  What he was teaching is
included in the Dead-Sea scrolls which, admittedly, aren't
open to public scrutiny so contact the Library of Congress
for permission to examine the microfiche copy.  Have your
Hebrew-English dictionary handy.  Have your Hebrew-English
bible there too because some of the terms are very archaic
and difficult to translate.

     Do unto others as you would have others do unto you?
It says to Do unto others as others would have done unto them
unless it goes against your better judgment.  It talks about
acceptance and love.  It talks about humility as a virtue,
and open-mindedness being part of that acceptance.  It says
that these are a godly way to live on the earth.
     Jesus ALWAYS spoke in stories, rarely explaining what he
meant, leaving that up for the interpretation of his closest
pals--the apostles--to teach to the masses.  Why quote something
he said as being the way to do something when he always spoke in
parables, expecting things to be interpreted?  Shouldn't we then
take this LORD'S PRAYER business, interpret it, and decide what
to say for ourselves as Jesus intended?

     And as for you people who keep going on and on about the
virtues of Judaism:  Are you forgetting the Talmud?  It is the
way of Judaism to NOT PREACH our religion.  It is the way of the
Jews to persevere in the face of adversity without letting
foolish pride stand in our way.  It is the way of the Jews to
try to talk people OUT of wanting to convert as much as we can
so that they can PROVE for themselves, TO themselves that they
are willing to to go through a lot to show their belief; lest
we forget that the Jews are the downtrodden of the earth and
frequently the butts of everyone's wars.  God forbid one should
have the bad luck of being born a BLACK Jew.  That's why
converts to Judaism are so respected; they have upheld their
beliefs in the face of adversity.

     So where is all this going?  Why, no place of course.  Pray
as you choose.  If you are TOLD to pray a certain way and you feel
comfortable doing so...go for it.  If you feel uncomfortable doing
this...don't do it.  Ask someone else of a different belief what
THEY do...or MAKE SOMETHING UP THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH.
It may be easy to do what others tell you to.  It may not be easy.
So do what you are ABLE to do in both the areas of praying (at home
and at meetings) and belief in a power more powerful/greater/whatever
than yourself.  And I'll do the same.  Than None of us will have to
debate what is the wrong thing to do and what is the right thing
to do...unless someone is making ONE way an institutionalized thing.
     THIS HAS BEEN MY OPINION.

---Adria (dog@corenllc.cit.cornell.edu)
=====End post for Adria=======
-- 
Maurice Suhre
suhre@trwrb.dsd.trw.com
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