It seems more people today are using the Christian god concept as a medication, a solution to all problems, and/or a drug that eases the most difficult of conflicts. The need for a god has never been more prominent than it is today. I was searching some things online earlier and found several sites dedicated to teens and Christ, and it seems that most of these sites were working within the ideology of "If you're hurting, let God help."
It's comforting to think that there is something beyond humanity, something proceeding death, and answers to all questions; it makes humanity feel secure in some odd way, because religion allows us to create our own answers by transferring them onto a god concept.
I believe the reason for this lies in the definition of "human nature." In theory, humanity is both based in the concepts of "good" and "evil," but this false dichotomy plagues humanity, it doesn't help it. By assigning value to thoughts and actions that are inherently neutral, we see that, because we "know" what human nature is by our own experience, and we do not know "god's" nature, we can make a god's nature anything we choose. In other words, we give God the characteristics we lack but hope to have.
Some people direct themselves and others to the bible or other "holy scripture" that defines a god concept that works well for them, but in truth, this is all based on what the person either already believes or lacks. For example, if our personal relationships are floundering or lacking in our social circles, we might view god as a personal entity we can know; if, on the other hand, we see humanity as innately evil, we view a god as having a "fire and brimstone" character, detached from humanity, and thus we need "salvation." (This actually works well for a Church.)
Our god concepts are based on our psychology- what we need, hope, and want affects our god concept. The less we need, the less we tend to think about any type of deity since we've become self-suffieicent and need a god less and less the more we grow.
From my experience, it seems that most people who do not believe in a god concept or remain theologically agnostic are people who either lack nothing or lack everything; conversely, said classification of people who do believe in god do so because they feel the need to be grateful out of obligation or need something from a god they believe they cannot acquire, thus negating their own self-worth and capabilities.
If there is a god, I doubt this deity requests our worship, let alone needs it. Furthermore, I doubt this possibly existing entity wants to be a crutch for those who lack belief in themselves. A god, who is full and capable on its own, does not desire anything by definition, so it is illogical to suggest that the Christian god concept would create us as worshipping sheep or a pathway to "him"self through a blood sacrifice and the consequent threat of eternal damnation if a creation refuses to accept this "gift."
It is true that in traditional Christian ideology, Jesus has become humanity's scapegoat, placing all "sins" on himself and sacrificing himself for us, thus eliminating separation from a god. (It's also easier to relate to Jesus than a god concept because Jesus was a human, and vulnerable to the same experiences we are.) Of course, this stands to reason that there is a chance humanity, or "a god's creation," can be separated based on "sin." However, by definition, if god is self-sufficient, there is nothing we, as mere humans, could do to offend god or become separated from "him", but according to Christian rhetoric, we can, and we do it often simply by our "sinful" nature. We have the power to hurt god, and thus be shunned to eternal damnation because "he's" offended. If we can hurt god, it logically follows that god has weaknesses that cause offense and evetually, very human (and oxymoronic) charcteristics develop in this god concept: retaliation/revenge and hope/mercy.
In terms of hope/mercy, the simple idea that Jesus became a sacrifice to a god concept is, in itself, scary and unnecessary, and yet it is still useful today because it implies humanity is weak and thus can utilize this scapegoat now in other ways-it's a necessary function based on created needs. With an all-powerful god, all this supreme being would have to do is "make it different," but instead chose a path that took to pain and torture of one so "no one else would have to experience it" (yet we do on a daily basis); then, this god concept furthered this pain by allotting free will to creation, but in the event that a creation refused this sacrifice, separation occurs.
The true god concept, one that is self-sufficient and infinite, would not need this or any sacrifice, would not desire or demand worship/appreciation for said sacrifice, or be susceptible to offense. So why is this present in modern day Christianity?
Humanity knows its own nature based in experience, but does not know a god's nature, and, as I said before, can create a god concept in any fashion (including a god's standards and personality based on a psychological interpretation of any holy book). It's easier to transfer our hopes, dreams, and objectives onto something we do not know as opposed to something we do know: ourselves, and this hurts humanity the most. To assume we lack in some regard is placing an unnecessary limitation of humanity, thus making us weak and susceptible to the same offense as the god concept we created.
This has become a sort of "normalcy" now, and most people accept the idea that they are "weak" and in need of a stronger power. I just wonder what humanity would be like if we raised children and taught adults that they don't need anything but themselves and each other.
Kelly Gorski
kellygorski@gmail.com
The dictionary defines the word forgive as: [to pardon, as... Read More
The famous prayer of Jabez, where Jabez prayed for prosperity,... Read More
Fanny J. Crosby's famous hymn, "Tell Me the Story of... Read More
What power do we hold individually in the midst of... Read More
I beheld the sky and its wonders and saw AstonishmentI... Read More
Our church is infested with lobby lizards. They crawl around... Read More
The Many Waters explores the universe and sifts through the... Read More
What the Animals Tell Us"I am the Sun's son. I... Read More
Matthew 3:1-3 The Preaching of John the Baptist1 In those... Read More
New Age Spirituality is all about getting back your power.... Read More
Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as... Read More
Did you ever see something go wrong around you and... Read More
"Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because... Read More
As we walk along our paths in life, we will... Read More
Is life challenging you to take a bigger leap? Are... Read More
I would like to share my experience, working with the... Read More
I have studied many of the great Religions, Quantum Physics,... Read More
???Now is the time for all good men to come... Read More
Unless God has changed the way he does things it... Read More
An exam is a test that is given at the... Read More
Chaos: "complete confusion" and "the formless void before the creation... Read More
My name is Had. You may know me, but you... Read More
I am often asked to explain what I mean by... Read More
The human race had their beginning, and I had mine... Read More
"Spirit is beyond the void of space. This realm, beyond... Read More
quick home cleaning Northbrook ..There is power in meanings of the old images and... Read More
Catch the express or the super fast bullet train. If... Read More
There is a natural tendency to asociate spirituality with religion,... Read More
Animal spirit totems can be viewed in different ways according... Read More
One of the first issues people on the spiritual path... Read More
Behold, a certain young maiden did often times and at... Read More
When do you pray?Prayer is the cornerstone of the Christian... Read More
I know eyebrows are probably raising about now, but let... Read More
My favorite scripture is Roman's 8:28. "And we know that... Read More
Billy Graham once said, "Being a Christian is more than... Read More
Someone asked me the other day what was the most... Read More
Believe it or not most astral Attacks are not caused... Read More
Malice is a great enemy to mankind. It is evil... Read More
About a month ago I opened up my bible in... Read More
David understood the aguish only those who have chosen to... Read More
To find out how psychic you are, try answering the... Read More
Not a Failure!Those of you who are unemployed, or desire... Read More
People rarely live up to a hundred years of age... Read More
"A common jar of clay can never become a noble... Read More
I have been reading a lot lately about the concepts... Read More
???Now is the time for all good men to come... Read More
1. Raphael means "God heals." Raphael heals physical, emotional and... Read More
We want to hear from God so that we may... Read More
Lately, I have been asked a lot of questions in... Read More
I cringed lower into the seat of my grey metal... Read More
Spirituality |