Thought for the Day

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

One might wonder about the nature of "it."

Yes...

Ask and ye shall receive... but what will ye receive....

Yes, indeed. I think the standard answer must be: forgiveness, which is the basic idea of Christianity. Sin is the problem, and forgiveness is the solution.

But what if all I want a simple basic happy life... followed by nothing... endless nothingness... lights out... oblivion... nothing...no afterlife... no nirvana... nothing?

I'm not greedy... I don't want and don't need eternal life, heaven, bliss...

All I want to "seek"... to "ask for"... is a simple basic life with minimal drama...

Why do I have to seek "forgiveness"...?

If all I want is one life... one simple life... then "sin"... my sin is not the issue.... why does god want me to seek forgiveness when I don't want it... I don't want "forever"... I just want one roll of they dice and then the end of the game...

Why must I be forced to choose be eternal opposites?

That isn't fair and is actually stupid and evil.

I don't believe that God forces us to do anything, but we do deal with the consequences of our actions.

You say that you're an atheist. That is supposed to mean that you don't believe in a connection between pride and submission, sin and forgiveness, or suffering and reincarnation, so one wonders why you ask the question.

Choice >>> heaven or hell. God is making us choose.



I don't think that is a fully true statement.

While I am NOT an atheist, I do believe the atheists (and the atheists I know) believe in "pride" and "submission", "forgiveness", "right" and "wrong"... and "suffering"... though probably not reincarnation.

Oh no... I have never said that I am an atheist.

I am absolutely not an atheist.

Just because I don't believe in the god of Abraham does not make me an atheist.... and just because I don't believe in "heaven" nor "hell" does not make me an atheist.

Question for you: What do believe heaven to be... please describe heaven for me... preferably a version of heaven that would not end up being hell.

Sorry for jumping in. Would you happen to be Agnostic or a Theist who believes in a different religion?

1. No I am not agnostic.

2. Not a Theist who believes in a different religion

I do not believe (nor follow) any organized religion.

I believe that truth is a pathless land (I borrowed that phrase and can share its source if you like).

I believe in god, but resist (normally) any description of 'my" god, as any description of the infinite is ridiculous.

>>> Imagine being a single cell organism on a hair of a flea on the tail of a dog in a house in a city in a state in a country on planet earth in "our' galaxy in "our" universe, and having the arrogance to believe that you (as this single cell organism) have the ability to define or even distantly describe or understand an infinite god.<<<

That is complete absurdity.

Metaphorically speaking: I believe in the Great Sky God, the Mother Earth & the Cave Bear... metaphorically. (I could explain that if you like, but it would be like describing the infinite by drawing a line in the sand on a windy day that precedes a tropical rain storm.)

I suppose that is true. Life is choices. Am I gay or straight? male or female or trans? good or bad? this profession or that? married or single?

You asked me to describe heaven. When we talk about heaven, it is mostly in jokes.

A Baptist minister went to heaven. Saint Peter gave him a Chevrolet to drive. He noticed that a Catholic priest had a Cadillac.

Saint Peter explained that the priest had lived a simpler life, so he deserved a little more.

Then the minister saw a Rabbi driving a Ferrari.

Saint Peter explained that the Rabbi was related to the boss.

In my brand of Christianity, we don't talk much about cosmology and the conditions and creatures there-in, but I do remember a boy at a summer camp asked about hell.

The camp counselor said that heaven is a place where God is. Hell is a place where God is not.

Thank you for that insight. May you please explain the metaphor at the end? I believe in the Abrahamic God, but I do believe that God is much more complex than we can fathom. I know for sure that as time went on, we (humankind (generally speaking)) have created our own understanding and passed it on throughout generations, tainting our religion(s) in the process. This is why I stated last year that I wanted to venture away from religion and find a better understanding of spirituality and God.

Metaphor....

The Great Sky God, the Mother Earth & the Cave Bear.

The Great Sky God is the overseer and source of all things... light, energy, matter, stars (suns), planets, from subatomic particles to massive supernova....the Universe is all that is... above and around and part of everything. (This is not far off from the god of Abraham).

The Mother Earth is the provider of life (on earth)... life... everything "we" need to survive every day... food, water, energy... all comes directly from the "Mother Earth" (and indirectly from the "Great Sky God" ).

The Cave Bear is that which motivates us throughout our lives: Fear, joy, excitement, motivation, challenge... metaphorically speaking "you" are standing outside of a cave. You need shelter. The Cave Bear has your shelter... maybe even your food. Do you run? Do you stand frozen in awe. Do you muster all that you have (physically and mentally) to address the challenge? To you join with your friends, your tribe, and fight the Cave Bear? You you leave and find a safer home. Do you make weapons? What do you do? The Cave Bear is that which motivates you to do any or all of these things. The Cave Bear could be a snake... lion... mountain... ocean... it is metaphor for the challenges of life.

There is no need for religion.... no need for church (the world is your chapel, the universe your cathedral)... the sky is your Sistine Chapel... The wind and oceans provide your hymns... There is no need for dogma "good" is that which is sustainable... bad is that which is wasteful... There is no need for stories of mythology or religion as "it" is all there for you to see and learn from... Sacrificing a bull or a ram or a son or a god are useless and needless...

etc.

Ok... a bit over simplified.... I suppose I should create a religions, except I am against that.... truth is a pathless land.

That would be a good description, except "god" is universal and thus everywhere.

And God can do anything, so I suppose he could chose not to be some place.

CS Lewis described Hell as the last stop on a bus ride. Maybe heaven is the first stop


Anyway, I'm the wrong person to ask. At my church we talk Christian behavior, not about the Christian view of the universe.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.