There is no god in the sense of a cosmic father or mother who will provide all things to their children. Nor is there some heavenly bureaucracy to petition. These models are not descriptions of a divine order, but are projections from archetypal templates. If we believe in the divine as cosmic family, we relegate ourselves to perpetual adolescence. If we regard the divine as supreme government, we are forever victims of unfaithful officialdom. Yet it does not work for us to totally abandon faith...~ from 365 Tao: Daily Meditations, Entry 114 ~
When it comes right down to it, whatever you or I believe is based on faith. It doesn't matter what religious or philosophic tradition you favor and it makes no difference if you are an agnostic or atheist. Since none of us KNOWS what life is, where we came from and where we're going, faith in some sort of conceptual framework is all we have.
And I have faith that you will agree!! :-D
And I have faith that you will agree!! :-D
the way i see it is, there are no rigid models for how the cosmos works. there are patterns, but fluid patterns that are meant to change and evolve. you can think of god like a father or mother but your understanding will not be complete. god IS like a father and mother in some respects, but also totally unlike a human in others!
ReplyDeleteit seems to me that "faith" is not being criticized, in fact it is being acknowledged as useful (now how you define faith is another story!), what is criticized is a rigid viewpoint. many religious people and atheists, whatever their faith, have rigid viewpoints.
It's a well made point by 365 there and I agree with it.
ReplyDeleteWhen you read the religious texts, from supposedly oldest to the more recent, you can see this hierarchy creeping in. from an idea of all being wonderful, it all became sacred to it all had something sacred (other than you) - and from that point no one dared turn back.
Until that last century or so it moved from outrageous to daring to quite the norm to say God is an idea.
Belief doesn't make truth. And faith is just how you act.
ReplyDeleteIktomi,
ReplyDeleteI agree. Faith is NOT being criticized here. I also agree with your underlying point re rigidity.
Ta Wan,
Excellent point about hierarchy. In recent years, it's changed from a creep to a mad dash! ;-)
BTW, I just want you to know that I sip from your teacup daily. I haven't been leaving many comments simply because I see no need to muddy up such a clear cup of tea! You inspire me!!
Baroness,
But what is truth? Me thinks it is faith in the validity of a certain belief.
Truth? I mean something like...TAO! It's what's there whether you BELIEVE in it or not. It doesn't care what you believe.
ReplyDeleteBaroness,
ReplyDeleteFor me, the problem with equating truth with Tao is that it makes Tao sound like an entity, a specific "it."
I view the Way as a process that's ever moving and ever changing. It's the undercurrent of life. I guess what I'm trying to say is that for me Tao is beyond truth.
Can you imagine how awful the TTC would be if the translator was a Christian who had replaced all references of Tao to "He" of "God"
ReplyDelete"A so He did give to all with His ..."
I wouldn't have read it.
If you have a problem with "truth," how about like "ineffable underlying reality."
ReplyDelete