Posted by Richard Sabrowski on July 24, 19102 at 19:37:55:
In Reply to: Clinging to beliefs posted by Ant on July 24, 19102 at 17:00:12:
: What many people here fail to realize is that all religions, including Christianity, ultimately point to something which we can not comprehend with our temporal minds. They all suggest that to understand God, we have to go let go of and forget all of our ideas about God, indeed, the very word itself. Even many Christians say that in order to love Christ, you have to go past your image of him, and past Christian doctrine. To hold onto your ideas of him is like seeing a pointing finger, and sucking it for comfort rather than follow its direction.
: This is the real point behind the story. The images must fall away before you can truly understand the ultimate transcendence. This is why Jesus said to his apostles that it is crucial that he go away and die, that it's the only way they can enter heaven to be with God. Basically, our ideas about God must perish, however much we love and cling to them. Only then can we experience what we mean by the word "God".
: This brings to mind the difference between belief and faith. Belief is the acceptance of truth on the condition that it fits a preconceived idea, or previously held opinion. This is why we say that people cling to their beliefs; we will hold onto what we "lief", or wish things to be.
: Faith is the acceptance of truth in any form, tolerable or intolerable, whatever it might be. This is why we say that we have "blind faith" in certain things. Belief clings, faith lets go. In order to have breath, you have to let it go, not hold it.
: It is clear that many churches are more concerned with clinging to their beliefs, addressing social and political issues rather than promoting faith and addressing problems of human spirituality and transcendence.
: Understand one thing; I though am as gay as a $3:00 bill, I did NOT turn away from God bekauze of my being gay! If I did, I'd be a worthless piece of shit. I turned from God, bekauze of he shortchanging me all the time. I feel sorry for God, to tell you the truth