Quote:
Originally Posted by pianoperformer  I'm saddened that you find the universe to be so impersonal. I know that you've gone through quite a bit in your life, and I won't try to lessen the impact of that. However, the experience of my life so far, since I was a child, is that I'm definitely not alone in this universe. |
The fact that I consider life impersonal means that I simply don't take life personally. Life disappoints and annoys me, but I don't feel picked on. I can see that everyone else has pretty much the same existence, whether or not they want to look at it head on.
God has not abandoned me. He was never there in the first place. The only thing that has abandoned me is my illusions about god.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pianoperformer Perhaps some people are just tested more. The example of Job comes to mind. He never did anything wrong, but he was tested to the extreme. |
It's true that some people have an easier time of it than others. It appears random to me, although there is a weak relationship between what the Buddhists call "right action" and good outcomes. What you might call a tendency. Again, impersonal.
The story of Job is an interesting one to consider. If god is god, no testing was necessary; god already knew all about Job. God was actually using Job as a demonstration to Satan that god's confidence in Job was not misplaced. Satan said, in effect in that story, "Tsk, tsk, Godly Job, big deal. All that a man has he will give for his life. But take his health and possessions away from him, and he will curse you to your face."
I'm not sure Job actually fared any better as a showcase than I have in that regard. He was pretty ticked off before it was all over, and he spent a great deal of time bemoaning The Unfairness of it All (tm). Apparently god had big shoulders though, because rather than smite him, god restored everything Job had lost many times over.
Or did he? If you consider people to be fungible commodities, perhaps. I don't recall that Job's children or servants who died in the collapse of the house were resurrected.
But therein lie the perils of drawing too much out of a parable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pianoperformer I also respect your position, but just wanted to voice my opinion. |
Likewise. I wish you well on your journey.
--Bob