God: Definition or Perspective?

Looks like this place is barren of activity. Steve and Nick are arguing over something I don't really want to step into, and all the rest of the class disappeared right after summer.

Not that I was innocent of that.

But anyways, now I present a question(s) for any and all of the visitors to this forum.
God. Well, not much to say about him. The Supreme Being. What does that say? He's omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and let's leave out omni-benevolent because that just provides even more problems (who defines benevolence?). So he's everywhere, all powerful, and all knowing. So thus, since he's everywhere, doesn't that mean that we are part of God? Anything is a part of God, right? Or is God a separate entity that is also everywhere?

If anything is a part of God, doesn't that mean that evil is also a part of God? Doesn't that mean Satan is a part of God? So why is it that people go to church? Why can't we just pray anytime, anywhere, or better yet, everytime, everywhere? God doesn't exist simply in churches. He exists everywhere, right? So it would make no difference if we go to churches or not, does it?

On the other hand, if God is a separate entity and yet everywhere at once, how does he exist? How can one be 'separate' to something yet in there at the same time?

I'm really confused about the Christian religion, really. Hopefully someone can enlighten me a bit. So far, from what I see and assume, a true Christian seems to be one who embraces everything, because anything is a part of God. I have seen self-proclaimed Christians that seem to be extremely upset about rock and roll. What difference is there between rock and choir music?

I'm just really fed up with all the things about religion. It just pains me that spirituality must be institutionalized into religion. In the end, does religion matter?

Well, I just need to dump all the trash I have about religion on this board. If anyone cares to clean it up and refill my mind with positive attitude regarding religion, please, feel free to anytime.

Basically I took a powder because I caught myself being a jerk with Nick. There is no excuse for bad behavior. I am sending you a PM so check it out.

If you truely want some answers to the questions you posted you have to be fearless. Not too many are willing to have the intellectual courage to go beyond the comfort of their beliefs and social conditioning, yet these are the primary obstacles to Self realization and the quelling of existential agnst.

As to religion? Christ was not a christian and didn't teach christianity. Budda was not a buddist and didn't teach buddism. Religion is just a postponement which prevents the actualization of both these teachers message. It is easier to postpone than to have courage.

Peace
s

Ah, yes, Steve. I didn't really expect anyone to answer so soon, especially with such a quick and potent response. But it seems really strange, all of a sudden, when you bring up how Christ didn't teach Christianity.

Religion was born out of our need for an institution of spirituality, a system, if you will. Some religion also attempts to teach the morals and values of its 'creator' (Christ, Buddha, etc.). But if religion is merely a postponement of our realization to these morals and values - in other words, the true essence of spirituality - why haven't more people noticed? It's strange, especially in some extreme (or not) cases of people refuting other theories as to creation of the universe, meaning of life, existence of afterlife, etc. Needless to say, I got easily confused over 'intelligent design' and debates based around its teaching in some states.

Now that I think more about it, God shouldn't be able to 'act' in the world. As doing so would deny not doing said action. i.e. Punishing a criminal. That would imply that God favors punishing a criminal over not punishing a criminal, and doing so would contradict himself, because the act of not punishing a criminal is also a part of God, just like how evil is a part of God.

I dunno, Steve, if it really is as easy if you said it, I'd think that a lot more people will refute religion.

Oh, btw, I'm checking out that site you sent me.

Religion was born out of our need for an institution of spirituality, a system, if you will. Some religion also attempts to teach the morals and values of its 'creator' (Christ, Buddha, etc.). But if religion is merely a postponement of our realization to these morals and values - in other words, the true essence of spirituality - why haven't more people noticed?

[/quote]

This is the mystery. I am sure that there are many factors, and for intellectual curiousity they can be explored-but this too is postponement. How we got into this situation is much less important than getting out of it. If I were to point to something similar, Plato's Cave or the Matrix, would come to mind. Both point to the mass hypnosis of society and the role of the awakened (and his difficulties in moving people from the comfort of the known). We can also take the example of lucid dreaming or hypnosis itself. If a person becomes aware that he is dreaming, is he dreaming? Like wise, can a person be said to be hypnotized when he becomes aware of the hypnosis?

I also would not dwell on morality and good/evil. When seperateness is lost so goes these notions. This is just common sense. If you were to look at me, or any creature, and see yourself, what harm would you do? I could go more into this (Bankei's teachings and the Hindu concept of 'Lila' come to mind), but again this is postponement.

I am not sure, and hope I didn't, say that the challange of waking up was easy. It is simple (and common sense points that it should be) but really it is neither easy nor hard -although it will seem very hard in the beginning. The main thing is that you have the drive, the disire, to fill the void or missing piece which is intuited, and the courage to lay it all on the line to do so. Don't underestimate the grip your beliefs, ideations and fantasys, have on you. The egoic mind is a MF and doubly so when its control is threatened.

I am more comfortable on the other board -and it is just as empty as this one now. Hope to see you there.

Peace
s

If anything is a part of God, doesn't that mean that evil is also a part of God? Doesn't that mean Satan is a part of God? So why is it that people go to church? Why can't we just pray anytime, anywhere, or better yet, everytime, everywhere? God doesn't exist simply in churches. He exists everywhere, right? So it would make no difference if we go to churches or not, does it?

I would agree with this. God is all things, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Human perception sees things differently. That concept of good or evil. These views create the very imbalance in thought and action that can be defined as evil. Yet most of us are divinely led to these conclusions. I suspect more is going on than we can appreciate.

I myself am looking forward to the return of school and more discussion classes !!!!!

John

Amen to all that you said.

This business of spirituality is primarily one of perception.
Because it (the concern) is of perception, there is no need to go anywhere,
there is no need to obtain anything new.
There is no need of religion, no need of teachers or gurus.
No need to meditate or to not meditate, no need to pray or not to pray.
Still, I meditate and pray.

To find, one need only to look in the right place. Why search under the lamp light when the house keys were dropped in the dark?

Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is within you and it is outside you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."

Jesus said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. And after they have reigned they will rest."

















"

[quote]