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Originally Posted by Angela  Hey, Cantando. The Easter Bunny not so much, but the use of imaginary beings as a means to control me -- "be good, and you'll be rewarded by the Creature! Don't be bad, or you'll be punished by the Creature -- if you're bad enough, the punishment will last forever!" The Easter Bunny was way more into pleasure than pain, fortunately; not so with Jesus and Santa Claus. And let's not even talk about the Tree Monster or the Toilet Monster. 
Maybe you're right about good, solid advice or words of comfort coming back to you as you face death. It's just that I never saw religious training as being either good, solid, or comforting. I could see early on that it was all made up, and that the major use of it (that affected me, anyway) was control and manipulation. So my pain body was activated when I read your words (religion seems to be a very big activator of my pain body!) and my meta-message to you was "don't tell me what will happen when I die. Don't try to constrict me, buddy!" Of course that was just me reacting and has nothing to do with you. Of course you are entitled to express what is true for you, and I'm sorry if I got in the way of that.
Your sentence about how you realize in your lucid moments that it's an illusion that people think they are creators sort of hornswoggled my brain, because to me it all looks like illusion, and it feels like Zeus and Hera throwing lightning bolts at each other. This might be due to my cold medicine.
I think I will stay away from religious threads, at least until my sinuses clear up. |
That's OK, Angela. I do tend to go in, all guns blazing, then immediately regret what I have posted! Sometimes, I think I can't word what I want to say tactfully or diplomatically enough and just have to shout it out.
Depending on how I feel in the morning, I may revert to my Christian roots, or at other times, agree with what Max is saying. I swing from one extreme to the other very quickly. Hopefully, I'll get it right one day!
Thanks for your patience and understanding.
I agree with you - I don't know what will happen when we die. I was more referring to the last moments here on earth and how well we will be prepared.
I admit - yes, I do feel fear sometimes, but some people seem to think it is weak or un-macho to feel afraid.
I'm not trying to sell any religion, but I do sincerely think there is an awesome, majestic presence which fills the universe. Even an atheist must look up at the stars at night and marvel sometimes.
I think there is a good argument for saying that this awesome power is scaled down into human terms and assigned a personage and referrred to as God.
A physical analogy would be the sun - if you look too long at it you will go blind. If you go too close to it you will fry. We need the atmosphere, clouds and shade for protection.
Some saints and mystics have got closer than most of us to this awesome presence, but I'm happy to know that in this life, while operating through my ego and body, I will do the best I can, and that this power/presence loves me and every one of us.