Where is God?

“It is one that I constructed to fit what I needed at the time” (Johnny)

God is a construct of our mind…which part exactly? Our imagination? Our fears? Our hopes? Our goals? Our secrets? Our inner self? Our ego? Our sub-conscious?

This is a tricky but interesting topic since how can one pin-point if God was the construct of their mind or some other collective thoughts (nature vs nurture)?

You mention organized religion for example, which is a collective bunch of data on God reinforced by the group. Is this the version of God that was problematic or just the idea of God in general? Did God need to become a myth because of the environment God was learned in or just because this is the case?

**Comment taken from blog post ‘What is God?’

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What is God?

Luke just posted an interesting question on XN Realists about the character of God, ‘Who/What is God’? I am kind of intrigued by the question because how someone views God reveals a lot about themselves as well.

When I was first introduced to faith as a youth, God was a ‘father/parental’ figure for me…I really attached to that image and it helped me to move forward in life. When we said ‘Our Heavenly Father’, I could totally relate to God being a parental figure to help guide me from the dregs of life I had  (a) created or (b) had thrust upon me. I was 17 then, that made all the sense in the world.

I am 35 now (18 years later). What is God now?

I see a ‘friend’…like in Abraham’s story. As I have grown I have become responsible for my life and my actions…I assume total accountability for those things. I look at God as someone that is my ‘friend’, someone I bounce ideas off and seek guidance on issues for (some of the time); someone that is sometimes there to hear my crap; somtimes to help me through crap. God is my friend…and maybe thats what I need?

To Tip or Not To Tip, That is the Question!

“Luxury? If they dont get tips they only make minimum wage, hardly a luxury” (John)

Tipping for you and I is a luxury (is what I meant). If we were making minimum wage – would we tip others in the same financial scenario? What about those working the hundreds of minumum wage jobs that don’t get tipped?

Facts are, if we are making a decent wage, we can afford to tip. I am finding in this society that it is becoming the ‘norm’ to tip, to not tip is deemed ‘unfair’…whether in a restaraunt or someone delivering food.

I get the good reasons to ‘tip’ – since they are doing you a ‘service’…a service mind you they are paid for by their bosses.

Shouldn’t we tip the people that work in convenience stores that serve us? This seems to be a non-tipping encounter however they may be just as handy (and even more so) than someone in a restaraunt or delivering my pizza.

*Comment taken from post previous called ‘Positivity Should Be Contagious’

Give the Money Back

I remember Chuck D talking about a concept with businesses marketing to black teens with their footwear and clothing, heck even music, and not supporting the neighborhoods these kids come from – the song is called ‘Shut Em’ Down’. I am slightly inspired by the ideas within the context of that song except on a larger scale.

98% of the wealth in the West is being eaten by 2% of the people. 2% of the wealth is being shared like crumbs amongst that other 98%. Inequity is the balance of our courrent economy, which is really economies of scale from companies without a human face. It’s a game that is seemingly one-sided and on the ‘take’. This is Capitalism ‘gone wild’.

The problem I see within that economic situation is a simple one: the basic working person is being squeezed of their every last dollar to make the society work. If you work, you pay the bill for the rich and the companies they invented for your society. People complain about paying for the poor, but this is clearly not that case economically. These companies pay their share while you flip the bill for society’s share…even if their sitting on billions and your sitting on month to month living. It’s a divine comedy of some sort.

Solution: Give the money back!

Positivity Should Be Contagious

I have a lot of friends on facebook that are Christians…and they are happy, well positive anyways.

Each morning I am checking my status updates to see who I can bother and joke around with and I notice many of my Christian friends, who feel the need to talk about God each morning, always have positive statuses. ‘God bless you today’ or ‘this is a day the Lord has made and I will rejoice’ or ‘God has made this a great day’. I like that (to be honest)…it’s a nice affirming way to start the day.

I may disagree on a lot of the theological stuff but on some of the more day to day stuff, I tend to see some real positivity within the faith of Christianity.

The Family of The Unsandaled

“If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.  

However, if a man does not want to marry his brother’s wife, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to carry on his brother’s name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me.” Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, “I do not want to marry her,” his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.” That man’s line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.” (Deut 25:5-11)

Not much to say here but quite the interesting piece of text.

Was debating the gay marriage issue and came across this tidbit on ‘remarriage of a widow’. I figured, what about this piece – do Chrisrians harp on this groovy idea? It is in the NT as well:

“On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, asking, “Teacher, Moses said, IF A MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE, AND RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.'” Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. “Last of all, the woman died. “In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”” (Matt 22:23-28)

Gall of these people asking someone who wasn’t even married. Regardless, Jesus does not shun the teaching, only the idea of being married in the resurrection. It seems like an idea that may have held some weight even in Jesus’ day.

So why is it Christians debate the gay issue so vehemently yet disregard the idea of marrying their sister-in-law if their brother does not have a kid with him?

My End Time Theory – Not That I Am One of Those Guys

Not that I am big into ‘end time’ theology (ie: eschatology) but I if the world is going to come to some level of destruction the writing is on the ‘proverbial’ wall (reference to book of Daniel).

So How and Why does it end?

Capitalism (capitalization of earth’s resources) has taken too much from the earth and could not replace it. With the West not slowing down on this craze and now China and India joining in; we have problems as is admitted by most energy scientists.

What was taken? Wood, water, minerals, energy sources (ie: oil), food (animals and fish), land (ie: monocultures destroy the soil), and the air (via pollution).

Environment cries out to warn us – stop. Global warming is the tip of the melted iceberg in this scenario. Temperature rise, weather becomes more unstable, and the push of various animals into different eco-systems destroys natures balance. Food becomes scarce because of these changes alongside population increase. Water, already a scarce resource, becomes a major fighting issue on the global scene (alongside oil). Pollution, not being curbed enough, helps to destroy our lakes and rivers – along with monocultures destroying land making it desertified.

Wars and rumors of wars is a constant thing as the battle for the resorces and best land becomes tanramount to existence on this planet. The use of bombs becomes an obvious option as planet reductionism (over-population) is considered to be core to this problem and the country with the biggest arsenal can capture the most resources.

One world gov’t and all that jazz, well it is a global community as is with trade and international business and even laws from the West are slowly moving into countries they deal with. Will there be some world leader that makes this worse? If I am a betting man knowing human greed, yes.

If I had to be an ‘end-times’ guy this is where I would go with it. All civilizations have their ending according to history, what makes us any different?

Method For Evaluating Faith

An idea called ‘Action Research’ seems to be quite reflective of good religious behavior. Just read about it in a HR class I am taking about strategic HR management.

The idea has 4 steps (well 5 actually)

1. Diagnose behavior

2. Planning (how to change)

3. Take Action (to change)

4. Evaluate

5. Repeat steps again to refine behavior

The idea within this model is organizational but I see a personal element to it. It relates to religious practice as well, at least how I have always done things anyways. An example is the best way to relate this point.

1. Diagnosis: Anxiety about my future

2. Planning: Teaching is to not be ‘anxious for anything – God seems to think you’re covered’

3. Take Action: Implement the idea of confidence about the future; take some mini-steps in change like finishing my grade 12 and applying to a college (at this point I was a drop-out for a year and half)

4. Evaluate: The steps taken worked, I feel more confident in my future. Now to refine the process even more.

5. Repeat steps: Evaluate what I am stll anxious about and develop ways to deal with those issues (ie: where am I going to live? how am I going to afford this life? Is it normal to not look people in the eyes?)

This is how religious change seems to occur, on some type of evaluation system and comparison of what works and what doesn’t. I just don’t most people have the words to put it into some methodology…so I did this one up.