Metaphysical totalitarianism of any kind stifles the freedom we have as human beings. It is not acceptable to have a religion where the alternative to faith is punishment -- that's how you train dogs, not develop people. Spirituality is only great when it allows the utmost freedom to follow it.~ from 365 Tao: Daily Meditations, Entry 124 ~
Whenever I'm participating in a blog OR I meet someone face-to-face who starts to tell me what God, Tao or the cosmos definitely is all about, I tend to quit listening. Nobody knows what the great IT encompasses or is all about; if a person thinks he/she knows, then the person either is pompous to the max or completely delusional. Either way, I know from experience that it will be next too impossible to engage the person in a cogent form of conversation!
For people such as this, there can be no debate or questions. They believe there is one way and only one way -- THEIR way -- to understand these sorts of things. If you don't bow down and shout, "Amen" to whatever it is they are presenting, then you are an apostate or worse.
In my book, one way is no way. I so agree with the above passage in that there must be freedom afforded to walk different paths. Where freedom is not allowed, all you have is stagnation, repression and guilt.
Sorry, but that's not my idea of a vibrant way of engaging this mystery we call life.
For people such as this, there can be no debate or questions. They believe there is one way and only one way -- THEIR way -- to understand these sorts of things. If you don't bow down and shout, "Amen" to whatever it is they are presenting, then you are an apostate or worse.
In my book, one way is no way. I so agree with the above passage in that there must be freedom afforded to walk different paths. Where freedom is not allowed, all you have is stagnation, repression and guilt.
Sorry, but that's not my idea of a vibrant way of engaging this mystery we call life.
It is after all infinite so I celebrate the unique and pity those who follow.
ReplyDeleteI don't train dogs with punishment, either. Even they respond far better to rewards.
ReplyDelete