| Religion |
[Jul. 2nd, 2006|05:37 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  hopeful | ] |
Last night I got on the subject of religion, and I had a hard time using language to figure out what I really believe. It was pointed out that it sounds as if I am trying to fit everything into a box. What I'm really trying to do is figure out what makes sense to me, and figure out what the terms are to explain it to someone else. I replied that language has predefined terms that you have to use to explain yourself. That's a serious limitation.
So, I don't think I believe in one particular god, especially not a simple Judeo-Christian God. He's got no sense of humor.
I lean more towards the "cosmic energy" idea... Atman concept from Hinduism and Buddhism. We are encapsulated energy, the same as everything else. I like this concept, because that means that what I'm trying to do is achieve harmony. It also means that I'm here for a purpose -- for my soul to learn something, some major concept I haven't learned before. And I probably will do it again.
I really like the ideas from Buddhism, but I'm not sure I like the religion itself. I like the ideology, but I'm not sure that Siddhartha Ghatama (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) was born fully formed and thanked his mother upon birth. I like that the parables and what not in the religion serve to teach and are very clear, unlike some parables in Judeo-Islam-Christianity.
It's also hard to feel like you're failing -- everyone is accountable to him or herself, and there's no wrong time to get back on the median path. It's suggestions, not rules. Live how you gotta live, and let live, but you'll be healthier overall if you live these ideals.
I also agree with the karma concept.
But in order to name what I believe... I have to explore the concept of "god." I like the idea of six realms, and gods are simply incarnations of that encapsulated energy. When something happens to them, they are reborn as something else -- a patch of grass, maybe. So thus, I am monotheistic in the same way Hinduism is -- it's all Brahman (universal energy), but different incarnations thereof. 330 million gods. Jesus and God have got to be up there somewhere.
I say I like the ideas -- Some of it means it's my world view, some of it means I haven't decided if it's what I believe yet but I like the romantic concept. |
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| Comments: |
I have serious issues with an anthropomorphic, omniscient, omnipotent god...
...because such a being would be insane or sadistic.
Considering how much of human nature is built around the mechanisms that make us reactive to the world around us in a biological way and how important feeding, fucking, and feeling good are to the human brain...
...an omnipotent being like us wouldseem to be so disconnected from us as to be totally non-human and incomprehensible.
I also have issues with reincarnation but I can't really rule it out.
EXACTLY.
I like the idea of reincarnation, because I have issues with the 'heaven' concept. I don't think what "We" are goes to another plane after death. And I, like almost all humans, have a problem believing I will cease to exist when I die. So, being realistic and slightly cynical about my own frame of mind, I like the idea of reincarnation.
Reincarnation is also a nice way to feel interconnected and responsible for the well-being of the world. And my own actions.
I like Taoism for the interconnectedness and how it makes sense, to me anyway.
There's some fun stuff when you get into the interactions between Taoism and Chinese Folk Religion.
I shall need to do more research. Mainly, I stay toward the texts and such. | |
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