QUOTE(Thief)
The more pain we can handle, the more pain we will get. There is no end to suffering, and shouldn't be either. Without pain and fear what would become of us? Not sure if we could even take care of ourselves. We'd be like a mushroom for others to pick and eat.
We get stronger, we get better, but in the end we only get used.
I often use the perspective of life's evolution on earth. It is headed somewhere. And I am sure not the one running it.
I don't believe in a God that sits and do nothing. I think all is controlled, by every breath you take.
I don't think it's all controlled - what would be the point? The closest comparable situation I could use as an example would not be a liked one - imagine that you're running a roleplaying game, and you make two of the non-player characters, that you've put a ton of detail into, fall in love. The whole thing seems utterly pointless.
I'd agree that God is in everything, but I wouldn't say that it controls everything.
QUOTE(Sabazel)
After many complex thoughts I found the answer to be so simple, so obvious. Shortly after the book "An Unusual Conversation with God" by Neal Walsch or so was brought to my attention.
"Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue". I very nearly mentioned it in my post at the top.
QUOTE(Sabazel)
First you have to drop al misconceptions that religions have about their God. Why create a God that is unconditional Love and gave everyone free will yet he lets you be born in sin and wants you to do certain things in order to redeem yourself so you won't go pay a visit to satan.
(IMG:
style_emoticons/default/lol_2.gif) Too common a misconception about Christianity. I invite you to find a single place in the bible where it says that Satan rules hell. In fact, if you read it in the original Hebrew/Greek, you find out that there are four different afterlives (Heaven, Sheol (the grave, which is where all souls go to at first), Hell (a place without God) and Tartarus (slaughtering place of angels)).
And taken in that light, it makes a ton of sense - people go exactly where they want to be, either with God, or without.
QUOTE(Sabazel)
Like the angel that was happy and was always in the light, the centre of the sun. God talked about the darkness, but the angel didn't know what it was. So God told the angel where to go. Once surrounded by complete darkness the angel was scared and felt abondend by it's father. But God said not to worry, because he's there even in darkness and that he is all and you should not fear darkness but embrace it because it is a part of you as well. Embrace it and not be overwhelmed because you can return to whereever you want to be in the blink of an eye.
Not quite what it says, but then again, the book disproves its own deity in some places, if you look really carefully.
I don't dispute the author's methods, but I do have suspicions about his spiritual enlightener.