« Roseanne Barr's meditation approach sounds good to me | Main | Believing comes first, reasons and evidence follow »

July 14, 2011

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

If I had no self
Would I want you to know it?
Would I cover my nakedness
Or would I show it?

If I had no self
Would compassion be my guide
Or would self-possessed people
Make me run and hide?

If I had no self
Would I know what to do,
Do what I’m told
By god knows who,
Or never know what I’m doing
Until it’s done?

If I had no self
Would I have any fun?

"If I had no self
Would I have any fun?"
quote cc

If you had no thought
... would you have a self ?

Do amimals have a self ?

Thinking itself BELIEVES
it has a self.

But, all thought is impersonal.

Don't think of it as magic - but in natural terms, rather - like a plant (or onion even), germinating, living, wilting, and decomposing. That plant has life - a purpose - and a finite amount of time to accomplish its ends. It has DNA too - and a 'footprint' of it's existence - or wake.

Imagine for what purpose you might have been place here - who or what the enabler may be - and what you might rather be or do if you were in line with that purpose. What natural physical laws do you perceive about you - in the dark of night - the natural world - and in social interaction.

Are you a simple carbon dioxide factory? a fertilizer and seed vehicle? sabre-tooth tiger food? or a catalyst for deep thoughts amongst your peers? a driver for improvement? justice? and mediation?

I used to think about the soul some - the afterlife - and the cosmos - but now I'm just happy to be here! It's an incredible opportunity - and I love it!

He made your thoughts - your mind - and gifted you with the incredible ability to think critically - whoever 'He' or 'It' - or those 'Laws of Physics' are. We don't know - and probably never will. By our pondering though, our writing, and building - we emulate Him - the Ulimate Creator. Thank Him, It, Her for the amazing opportunity to be here - for daily provision - and fresh air!

Keep it up Hines - I like your stuff - I'm sure He does too. :-)

DNA brings up an interesting question.

We know the DNA of man came up from
the sea sponge, a fish (which still
survives off the coast of Africa)
and the monkey.

Was God having a hard time trying
to create us ?

Why didn't He get us right the first
time ?

I got new for ya - He didn't get us right the second or third or the thousandth time.

Actually, He couldn't care less. When you, as an individual body, get to that point, you will finally understand. And then - you couldn't care less.

Good question, Mike!

We're here, so was the sponge really wrong or right? and how can a living thing's existence really be wrong or right? especially if it's in our long family tree? Why is man so arrogant to think of himself as right? In another sense, it would appear many of us are not right - but who are we to judge? Why do we have a sense of right and wrong - and why is it so pervasive (generally speaking) across disparate cultures.

"For nothng worthy of proving can be proven, Nor yet disproven; wherefore thou be wise, Cleave ever to the sunnier side of doubt." - Alfred Lord Tennyson

The Jews called God YHWH, the great 'I am' - so whatever He is and we are - we are - and there's only a finite amount of time to do something worthwile with it.

I also believe your creator is still in the business of 'getting you (us) right'.

He (anthropomorhically speaking, of ccourse) is very capable of utilizing the incredible mechanisms of evolution to create and improve us, incrememntally, over billenia - and the sponge you've alluded to, plays a significant role, for some, in accepting our true place in that strategic and divine plan (Matthew 27:48).

"Reason is our soul's left hand, faith her right" - John Donne

PS - my dog thinks, has a self - and holistically, a soul.

Good point, Willie.

Religious or not, once you realize that your slef-perception affects your world-view, ambition, emotions, and treatment of others - you couldn't care less - only more.

Some think all is futile, that were are statistics to be beurocratically 'rolled' if we try to buck the system; to others, nothing matters, so get the getting while the getting is good (me, me, me!), until even that getting loses it's flavor, becomes depressing work to which we are shackled and enslaved; others believe that in some abstracct all men resemble the creator, possess a divine spark, and should be revered.

Teach them the best you can - the more you learn, the closer you are to learning the truth - and who knows who is the 10g-grandfather of the next Churchill, inventor of interstellar travel, or I am One. Perhaps a bum, and 3rd-world leperous widow, or you.

How do you think this different perceptions of 'God' affect a person's life?

1. None
2. 3 millions gods
3. Distant God
4. Authoritative or Critical God
5. Benevolent God

Make haste - and treat them the best you can.

Is there a Thinker of thought ?

WHO is thinking your thoughts ?

Is thought thinking itself ?

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Working...
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been posted. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Working...

Post a comment

Your Information

(Name is required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)

Welcome


  • Welcome to the Church of the Churchless. If this is your first visit, click on "About this site--start here" in the Categories section below.
  • HinesSight
    Visit my other weblog, HinesSight, for a broader view of what's happening in the world of your Church unpastor, his wife, and dog.
  • BrianHines.com
    Take a look at my web site, which contains information about a subject of great interest to me: me.
  • Twitter with me
    Join Twitter and follow my tweets about whatever.
  • I Hate Church of the Churchless
    Can't stand this blog? Believe the guy behind it is an idiot? Rant away on our anti-site.