There has been a lot of talk lately about the stalemate in congress on just how to fix our economy. There has been many a talking head and pundit criticizing this politician or the other for what is clearly a problem caused by all parties and no one has really posed anything that seems like it will work. Some have said that this has been done purposely to force us into a one world currency and / or government or that it's the bankers and the IMF that is responsible for this mess. I believe that it is because we have ignored some basic biblical principals that, if applied, could easily solve many of our economic problems.
WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF OUR POOR
Imagine what would happen if we followed the simple biblical principal of seeing to it that the poor are taken care of? Some of you might be thinking that there are already multitudes of government programs that assist the poor, and I would agree with you, but this is not supposed to be the job of the government. The fact that so many are dependent on the government is a serious sign that we have forgotten some of these basic biblical principals given to Israel but very relevant for today.
Lev. 19:9-10 says:
‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
Please note that the verses quoted didn't put the blame on the poor for being poor, nor did it point the finger and accuse of them of doing something that made them poor, it simply points out that there are poor people among you and this is what you should do.
So why did G-D tell them to do this? Two reasons, one is so that they would understand that they were but stewards of the land and that the land and all that it produced belonged to G-D,but also give them a way that they could help and be a blessing to their poor neighbors. Those that were poor didn't have to beg for help because G-D had provided a way for them to eat without the humiliation of having to beg! In fact if you go and look through all the laws that concerned the poor, it never had anything to do with government intervention, instead it had to do with those that had more, helping those that were in need. Even in the cases where people became the servants of others it was only allowed for a certain period of time and then all debt was forgiven and the person could have a fresh start. So the short version was that it is our responsibility not the governments to take care of people.
Imagine what could happen if we followed that principal. Imagine what could happen if all the big corporations and agri- farms came to the understanding that G-D has blessed them so that they could, in turn, bless those that are less fortunate?
Here, where I live, We have a Sylvania plant that makes automobile lights. Now just imagine what would happen if the owners or the CEO of the plant looked around town an realized that there are many people out of work and they decided to do something about it. They might go out and hire several hundred more people to work at the plant but then they would loose some of their profit margin. What could they possibly gain from this? First it would increase production, more workers usually mean more production, and it would also give them a larger loyal customer base. Think about it, first you would have those that were hired being grateful for the job, thus allowing them to take care of their families, and word would get out about what they did, and I know that I would be buying all my lights from them after that, knowing that they were willing to sacrifice some profit to help those in need. I suspect that many others would feel the same. Its a win -win situation. I am not saying that this should be the motivation, just suggesting that it could be a result.
Some might say that this idea is nothing but Socialism,well I disagree. I don't believe in "redistribution of wealth" or that you should be forced to pay for my disabilities, the government sent me to war not you. What I am saying though is simply this; if everyone from individuals to business applied that one basic principal we could effectively end poverty here in the United States and ,perhaps, the world as well. If we all became our "brothers keeper" there would be no need for government intervention and ,as a result, we could fix part of our messed up economy.
This is just one principal. There are more to come.
Shalom,
Ignacio
Friday, June 24, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Live Long and Prosper!
I am a Star Trek fan. Not to the point of dressing up like characters from the show but certainly a fan enough so that I have a collection of the various TV episodes and movies. There is just something about the idea of exploring what is out there on other planets that I just find really appealing and of course the idea that, on the show anyhow,you could make up things as you go. Think about it, for those of you who have watched the show, how many times have they re arranged the Dilithuim crystals to push out energy that they didn't really have in the first place, and you sat there and watched the show and nodded in agreement with what they were doing? Had no clue as to what they were rambling on about but it sure sounded good! Of course you also knew that anyone that you didn't know who was wearing a red shirt was toast, some things were just a given.
I think , at least for me, that part of the appeal was that they lived in a harmonious world. Greed was gone, prejudice a thing of the past, war and disease eliminated, at least as far as the earth was concerned, and everyone lived comfortably. They could talk about flying off to Alpha Seti 4 just as easy as they could discuss going to San Francisco, overall life was good.
Probably one of the most famous lines ever from that show was when Spock would raise his hand, part his fingers into a "V" and say "Live long and prosper." I have thought about that line just a bit and have always kind of been curious as to what he meant by that. If you believe the scenario that they present then everyone on the planet ,and Vulcan as well I assume, is already prosperous. Remember in their universe all the things that make the world a bad place have been eliminated so what does it mean, then, to prosper? Live long is easy one, but to prosper in a world that's already as perfect as it can get? Perhaps it's a message to us, the viewers.
We don't live in that perfect world, so what does it mean to prosper? In our world when you think of prosperity you think of great wealth and having the various toys and whistles that accompany that, but is that the real definition? The dictionary defines prosper as "to be fortunate or successful or to thrive." So what does it mean then to prosper? If by "fortunate" you mean wealth , then by that definition I have failed miserably, as I suspect that most of us have,but if you mean being greatly blessed then I am indeed a fortunate man , who has a wonderful loving wife and children and some of the best friends any man could ask for. If you mean by successful that I have my own business or practice or that I am CEO of some major corporation, then no,once again, I fail the litmus test. If ,instead, you mean that I have taught my children right from wrong, have taught them the values of honesty and integrity and personal sacrifice and have shown them what it means to truly love your family then I would say that I have been successful. If by thrive you mean the accumulation of things then I have failed that as well. Quite frankly, my wife and I look for ways to make do with what we have and if we have things that are not needed or we never use ,we give them away. If there is any any thriving to be done in that , it would be that we can be a blessing to others so that they can thrive.
So I guess when it comes right down to it you have to ask yourself what does it mean to you to "prosper." For me I think I am quite prosperous but it has very little to do with the accumulation of wealth or of things. I am prosperous because I have a family that I love and they love me. I have, as I said earlier, some of the best friends a man could want and I worship a G-D who loves me, not because I can do anything that makes that so but simply because he created me. I am, indeed, a very prosperous man.
Live long and Prosper!
Ignacio
I think , at least for me, that part of the appeal was that they lived in a harmonious world. Greed was gone, prejudice a thing of the past, war and disease eliminated, at least as far as the earth was concerned, and everyone lived comfortably. They could talk about flying off to Alpha Seti 4 just as easy as they could discuss going to San Francisco, overall life was good.
Probably one of the most famous lines ever from that show was when Spock would raise his hand, part his fingers into a "V" and say "Live long and prosper." I have thought about that line just a bit and have always kind of been curious as to what he meant by that. If you believe the scenario that they present then everyone on the planet ,and Vulcan as well I assume, is already prosperous. Remember in their universe all the things that make the world a bad place have been eliminated so what does it mean, then, to prosper? Live long is easy one, but to prosper in a world that's already as perfect as it can get? Perhaps it's a message to us, the viewers.
We don't live in that perfect world, so what does it mean to prosper? In our world when you think of prosperity you think of great wealth and having the various toys and whistles that accompany that, but is that the real definition? The dictionary defines prosper as "to be fortunate or successful or to thrive." So what does it mean then to prosper? If by "fortunate" you mean wealth , then by that definition I have failed miserably, as I suspect that most of us have,but if you mean being greatly blessed then I am indeed a fortunate man , who has a wonderful loving wife and children and some of the best friends any man could ask for. If you mean by successful that I have my own business or practice or that I am CEO of some major corporation, then no,once again, I fail the litmus test. If ,instead, you mean that I have taught my children right from wrong, have taught them the values of honesty and integrity and personal sacrifice and have shown them what it means to truly love your family then I would say that I have been successful. If by thrive you mean the accumulation of things then I have failed that as well. Quite frankly, my wife and I look for ways to make do with what we have and if we have things that are not needed or we never use ,we give them away. If there is any any thriving to be done in that , it would be that we can be a blessing to others so that they can thrive.
So I guess when it comes right down to it you have to ask yourself what does it mean to you to "prosper." For me I think I am quite prosperous but it has very little to do with the accumulation of wealth or of things. I am prosperous because I have a family that I love and they love me. I have, as I said earlier, some of the best friends a man could want and I worship a G-D who loves me, not because I can do anything that makes that so but simply because he created me. I am, indeed, a very prosperous man.
Live long and Prosper!
Ignacio
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The Outing of a Closet Crunchy
Over the years I think I have really confused a lot of people on what I believe and where I stand on many issues. I have gone from being a very conservative Christian to following the teachings of Judaism and I have hit many places in between. There was even a time where I totally dismissed G-D, as I had been taught about him, and started getting into some of the Pagan and Indian religions. To say that I have been around the block is an understatement.
On the political side there has been even a greater change in my my beliefs. Just as I was once very conservative in my religious views I was once very conservative in my political views . In fact I was a big fan of the various conservative talk shows and thought we were justified in our actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. I remember being on my way to Iraq, and all of us sitting around at night and talking about it, and while most of us didn't really see what kind of threat Iraq was to us, we had our orders and that was that. Amazing how time in a war can change your opinion on a great amount of things. That conservative view has changed dramatically for me over the last few years.
For some of you who have personally known me for many years, none of this will really surprise you,a few of you might even be thinking " well duh" but the truth of the matter is that I really can't subscribe to the conservative right point of view any more. I am not saying that I have become a far left Liberal either, but I have had to really come to terms with the fact that much of what I had once held to be true just isn't.
If I had to put a label on myself I would have to say that I am a cross between a Libertarian and what I fondly refer to as a "closet crunchy." My definition of a crunchy would have been a hippie when I was a whole lot younger and though I don't have the long hair (any hair on my head is an amazing sight) I have come to understand and appreciate the ideas of peace and social justice. You might find my belief in " social justice" to be a bit surprising because, as many of you know, I once believed that just about anything that started with the word "social" had to be communist in nature. I was told things to that nature in my conservative world and, as such, I took them to be true. I was wrong. How can it be " communist" to help your neighbor, or the elderly or poor? How can it be that when both Christianity and Judaism beliefs call for that very thing that in this quasi religious nation it can be considered to be a bad thing?
I am in effect a Crunchy Libertarian.
Here are some other things I believe and while I don't expect you to agree with everything, at least it might give you some pause for thought.
I believe in peace as I believe any sane person in this world would. I have no use for war or our continuous war efforts. I am for defending ourselves against anyone who attacks us, but none of the countries that we are currently at war with has attacked us.
I am for social justice. By social justice I mean the collective efforts of the people to take care of those that have needs and assistance for those who need a hand to get them selves back on their feet. Having said that I am not for the government playing a major role in that effort. To often where the government gets involved, there is no progress or real help for those in need and instead they tend to get stuck into the system and can't get out effectively. I grew up like that and wouldn't wish it on anyone.
I do not like the way our "two party" system works, or more correctly doesn't work. There are many reasons for this but the best being that there really isn't any real difference between the parties any more. There was a time that you could easily pick out a republican from a democrat simply based on what they stood for, but that's not true any more and with a two party system there is no real viable option for any real change to take place. Any one who is seen as a third party candidate is generally marginalized or ignored by the powers that be so we are left with a stalemate at best and no real changes . The only real difference between the parties now is simply how they spend your money and the inventive ways that they have found to blame it on the other party or some other entity.
I am for a small government and an ending to all our wars. We call ourselves a Judaic/ Christian society with a large population of Muslims and yet we are engaged in immoral and unnecessary wars. Where is the justification? Where is congressional approval? If OBL is dead why are we still there? Don't talk to me about the stability of the region, that region of the world has never been stable. We are interfering in places we have no business being nor are we wanted. Personally I think it all has to do with the oil and perhaps the heroin trade. If I am wrong , and it's for supposed humanitarian reasons, then why aren't we engaged all over Africa? Why aren't we involved anywhere that there is a need ? Then it would be consistent and might even be justified.
I believe that all the money that is being spent overseas, whether it be our wars or helping nations that hate us would be better spent here in our own country. How can it be that we spend billions of dollars on these wars and hateful nations when our own people sleep in cardboard boxes or live in the kind of squalor that you think only exists in third world countries? I have been to those "homes" I have seen how the people, American people, live. This is just plain wrong. Wouldn't the money be better spent helping our own people and then providing relief for those countries and people who truly need the help?
Our government has now fallen prey to not only those who would perpetuate war but also to those who would control the worlds food supply, big pharma, big everything. They have granted patents on modified food to big agri- companies such as Monsanto, while going after small family farms for having the nerve to sell raw milk to those who want it! They have regulated the food supply to the point that the average farmer is going broke and it won't be long before the only ones left is the big agri-farms. The quality of most of that modified food is so bad that we are not getting the right kind of nutrition for our bodies. If you think I'm wrong just ask yourself a question; Why do we need all the vitamin supplements if our food supply is doing as well as the government would have you believe? Why, if they are not in bed with the big agri-companies, do they go after small farms? The small farms ,especially the organic farms, have not been the ones that have been producing all the bad food, it has been the big agri- farms. What are they so afraid of ? If our food supply is so good why do we need so many drugs to cure us from things that were never heard of back when our grandparents had their own farms? As the saying goes;" follow the money honey" that will answer many of those questions.
Let us speak briefly about oil and alternates. I am all for finding other sources of energy, but until that time comes we need to get out heads out of our collective back sides and use the resources that we have available to us right here in our country. Instead of regulating them to death, let the companies do what they can to make us self sufficient and, at the same time, look for alternatives knowing that this is a limited supply at best. This is not difficult to do if you have people with the courage to do so. Also consider that our dependence on foreign oil has made a bunch of thugs vastly rich while they keep their own people in poverty.
Our personal freedoms have been under serious attack for the last 50 years and with the renewal of the Patriot act ,with the help of both parties, we can rest assured that more and more freedoms will be wiped away. Ask your self this, if we really have the freedoms that our forefathers had, then why are there so many regulations and taxes concerning everything? Try going hunting and fishing with out a license and see what happens. Try building on you own property without the proper permits and see how fast you get stopped. Why should Gay, or straight couples for that matter, have to involve the government at all just to get married, what gives the government the right to decide such a thing? Don't want the police in your home in violation of the 4th amendment? Tough. The supreme court has said that they can enter your home under nothing more then suspicion and your not allowed to resist. These are but a few examples. To write about the violations of many other rights as described in the bill of rights and the amendments would take way too long. The point is that we have nothing left but the illusion of freedom unless we are willing to go back to the constitution, and our G-D given rights.
Some of you may be thinking well these are dangerous times, I agree that they are, but what is the real danger? A questionable threat from a vague foreign opponent who may or may not have attacked us and who have been decimated by all accounts, or the one who puts fear into you and then slowly takes your liberties away all the while telling you it's for your safety?This is the real threat to our freedoms. If we allow our liberties to be removed then we simply don't deserve them.
It simply boils down to this; we have all been lied to and manipulated for the last decade or two. We are nothing to them because we have given them the power rather then the power staying with the people as it's supposed to be. It doesn't matter one bit what the party is any more they have all lost the high ground and they will be the death of this nation unless things change.
Some things I need to add to this, in the last few days as I have been writing this and re writing it,a couple of things happened that again show just how far down hill we have come, you'll need to either Google these or check alternate news sources, but one is a group of people being arrested at the Jefferson memorial for dancing led By a man by the Name of Adam Kodesh and then one,which I have posted from "seeds of truth" is a group in Orlando Florida being arrested for feeding the homeless in a public park.
This is the partial views of this Libertarian Crunchy.
Ignacio
On the political side there has been even a greater change in my my beliefs. Just as I was once very conservative in my religious views I was once very conservative in my political views . In fact I was a big fan of the various conservative talk shows and thought we were justified in our actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. I remember being on my way to Iraq, and all of us sitting around at night and talking about it, and while most of us didn't really see what kind of threat Iraq was to us, we had our orders and that was that. Amazing how time in a war can change your opinion on a great amount of things. That conservative view has changed dramatically for me over the last few years.
For some of you who have personally known me for many years, none of this will really surprise you,a few of you might even be thinking " well duh" but the truth of the matter is that I really can't subscribe to the conservative right point of view any more. I am not saying that I have become a far left Liberal either, but I have had to really come to terms with the fact that much of what I had once held to be true just isn't.
If I had to put a label on myself I would have to say that I am a cross between a Libertarian and what I fondly refer to as a "closet crunchy." My definition of a crunchy would have been a hippie when I was a whole lot younger and though I don't have the long hair (any hair on my head is an amazing sight) I have come to understand and appreciate the ideas of peace and social justice. You might find my belief in " social justice" to be a bit surprising because, as many of you know, I once believed that just about anything that started with the word "social" had to be communist in nature. I was told things to that nature in my conservative world and, as such, I took them to be true. I was wrong. How can it be " communist" to help your neighbor, or the elderly or poor? How can it be that when both Christianity and Judaism beliefs call for that very thing that in this quasi religious nation it can be considered to be a bad thing?
I am in effect a Crunchy Libertarian.
Here are some other things I believe and while I don't expect you to agree with everything, at least it might give you some pause for thought.
I believe in peace as I believe any sane person in this world would. I have no use for war or our continuous war efforts. I am for defending ourselves against anyone who attacks us, but none of the countries that we are currently at war with has attacked us.
I am for social justice. By social justice I mean the collective efforts of the people to take care of those that have needs and assistance for those who need a hand to get them selves back on their feet. Having said that I am not for the government playing a major role in that effort. To often where the government gets involved, there is no progress or real help for those in need and instead they tend to get stuck into the system and can't get out effectively. I grew up like that and wouldn't wish it on anyone.
I do not like the way our "two party" system works, or more correctly doesn't work. There are many reasons for this but the best being that there really isn't any real difference between the parties any more. There was a time that you could easily pick out a republican from a democrat simply based on what they stood for, but that's not true any more and with a two party system there is no real viable option for any real change to take place. Any one who is seen as a third party candidate is generally marginalized or ignored by the powers that be so we are left with a stalemate at best and no real changes . The only real difference between the parties now is simply how they spend your money and the inventive ways that they have found to blame it on the other party or some other entity.
I am for a small government and an ending to all our wars. We call ourselves a Judaic/ Christian society with a large population of Muslims and yet we are engaged in immoral and unnecessary wars. Where is the justification? Where is congressional approval? If OBL is dead why are we still there? Don't talk to me about the stability of the region, that region of the world has never been stable. We are interfering in places we have no business being nor are we wanted. Personally I think it all has to do with the oil and perhaps the heroin trade. If I am wrong , and it's for supposed humanitarian reasons, then why aren't we engaged all over Africa? Why aren't we involved anywhere that there is a need ? Then it would be consistent and might even be justified.
I believe that all the money that is being spent overseas, whether it be our wars or helping nations that hate us would be better spent here in our own country. How can it be that we spend billions of dollars on these wars and hateful nations when our own people sleep in cardboard boxes or live in the kind of squalor that you think only exists in third world countries? I have been to those "homes" I have seen how the people, American people, live. This is just plain wrong. Wouldn't the money be better spent helping our own people and then providing relief for those countries and people who truly need the help?
Our government has now fallen prey to not only those who would perpetuate war but also to those who would control the worlds food supply, big pharma, big everything. They have granted patents on modified food to big agri- companies such as Monsanto, while going after small family farms for having the nerve to sell raw milk to those who want it! They have regulated the food supply to the point that the average farmer is going broke and it won't be long before the only ones left is the big agri-farms. The quality of most of that modified food is so bad that we are not getting the right kind of nutrition for our bodies. If you think I'm wrong just ask yourself a question; Why do we need all the vitamin supplements if our food supply is doing as well as the government would have you believe? Why, if they are not in bed with the big agri-companies, do they go after small farms? The small farms ,especially the organic farms, have not been the ones that have been producing all the bad food, it has been the big agri- farms. What are they so afraid of ? If our food supply is so good why do we need so many drugs to cure us from things that were never heard of back when our grandparents had their own farms? As the saying goes;" follow the money honey" that will answer many of those questions.
Let us speak briefly about oil and alternates. I am all for finding other sources of energy, but until that time comes we need to get out heads out of our collective back sides and use the resources that we have available to us right here in our country. Instead of regulating them to death, let the companies do what they can to make us self sufficient and, at the same time, look for alternatives knowing that this is a limited supply at best. This is not difficult to do if you have people with the courage to do so. Also consider that our dependence on foreign oil has made a bunch of thugs vastly rich while they keep their own people in poverty.
Our personal freedoms have been under serious attack for the last 50 years and with the renewal of the Patriot act ,with the help of both parties, we can rest assured that more and more freedoms will be wiped away. Ask your self this, if we really have the freedoms that our forefathers had, then why are there so many regulations and taxes concerning everything? Try going hunting and fishing with out a license and see what happens. Try building on you own property without the proper permits and see how fast you get stopped. Why should Gay, or straight couples for that matter, have to involve the government at all just to get married, what gives the government the right to decide such a thing? Don't want the police in your home in violation of the 4th amendment? Tough. The supreme court has said that they can enter your home under nothing more then suspicion and your not allowed to resist. These are but a few examples. To write about the violations of many other rights as described in the bill of rights and the amendments would take way too long. The point is that we have nothing left but the illusion of freedom unless we are willing to go back to the constitution, and our G-D given rights.
Some of you may be thinking well these are dangerous times, I agree that they are, but what is the real danger? A questionable threat from a vague foreign opponent who may or may not have attacked us and who have been decimated by all accounts, or the one who puts fear into you and then slowly takes your liberties away all the while telling you it's for your safety?This is the real threat to our freedoms. If we allow our liberties to be removed then we simply don't deserve them.
It simply boils down to this; we have all been lied to and manipulated for the last decade or two. We are nothing to them because we have given them the power rather then the power staying with the people as it's supposed to be. It doesn't matter one bit what the party is any more they have all lost the high ground and they will be the death of this nation unless things change.
Some things I need to add to this, in the last few days as I have been writing this and re writing it,a couple of things happened that again show just how far down hill we have come, you'll need to either Google these or check alternate news sources, but one is a group of people being arrested at the Jefferson memorial for dancing led By a man by the Name of Adam Kodesh and then one,which I have posted from "seeds of truth" is a group in Orlando Florida being arrested for feeding the homeless in a public park.
This is the partial views of this Libertarian Crunchy.
Ignacio
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Blaming G-D
Has it occurred to any one that most of the problems in this world have nothing to do with G-D? Instead it has to do with mans warped view of G-D and what He wants?
I have been mulling over this thought for a while now, as I try to come to terms with many of the misconceptions concerning G-D that we have all been taught over the years. By mis conceptions I am talking about doctrines and beliefs that we have all been taught were true and never really took the time to question or to study for ourselves , just kind of assuming that our religious leaders were all ways telling us the truth and never taking the time to dig out the facts for ourselves.
This of course, has caused me a whole lot of problems as I have challenged just about everything that I have ever heard or been taught. Yet at the same time it has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done , because I find that I have a much better understanding of G-D and what He wants, while also being able to publicly say that there is so much that I don't know or understand! This my friends is probably the the source of the greatest relief that I have ever known; the simple idea that I don't have to know everything in order to enjoy a relationship with G-D. I don't have to go after others beliefs about G-D because G-D has never asked us to do that. He has two very simple requirements of all people, Love G-D and Love your fellow man, engage in serving Him through worship and by acts of kindness. As the Reform Jews put it We must engage in "Social Justice" and that ,in part, is a part of worshiping G-D.
Some of what has brought me comfort as well, is things like the Talmud and other writing that the Jewish sages of old have written, because it shows me that even these great learned men didn't know everything about G-D and while they certainly tried to clarify things in the law, they didn't always know or agree with each other, but at least they took the time to study it out for themselves and come to a general consensus, then as time has passed and other things came to light, more debate took place and things changed.
So how does this fit with my opening statement? I am becoming quite weary of all those who seem to think that they have a monopoly on G-D and His ways, when the truth to the matter is that G-D is G-D and we are mere mortals who are striving to learn His ways, but will never be able to fully comprehend Him. Just because we have a particular belief or pet doctrine, does not mean that we can fully understand His ways. Think about this, how many millions of people have been killed over the centuries because someone thought that they had the right ideas about G-D and everyone else was wrong? How many wars have and still are going on all over the world based on that same notion? Now consider this, what would happen if everyone came to the understanding that we can't possibly know everything that there is to know about G-D and came to acknowledge that we might just be wrong in spots? Most of the wars would end and quite possibly a massive amount of loving would result. Pipe dream? I think not.
Both Christian tradition and Jewish belief tells of a time at the end of all things when a universal knowledge of G-D and of peace will come about through Him and His anointed one, but that can't happen until a time comes when all of us acknowledge that we were wrong and we seek the truth, getting away from all the man made dogmas,bringing an end to all wars, eliminating poverty and greed and removing our biases and prejudice. When that day comes and we are all "singing the same song of freedom" blaming G-D for our own stupidity and mistakes will come to an end as He promises to place His ways on our hearts. This brings me joy and this is what brings me peace in a chaotic world, I don't have to know everything now, nor is it my job, or anyone else's for that matter, to force my belief upon you, instead we strive to learn and we rejoice in what we can know and we can wait patiently because that day will come when we will know the truth about G-D because G-D will put it in our hearts!
Shalom,
Ignacio
I have been mulling over this thought for a while now, as I try to come to terms with many of the misconceptions concerning G-D that we have all been taught over the years. By mis conceptions I am talking about doctrines and beliefs that we have all been taught were true and never really took the time to question or to study for ourselves , just kind of assuming that our religious leaders were all ways telling us the truth and never taking the time to dig out the facts for ourselves.
This of course, has caused me a whole lot of problems as I have challenged just about everything that I have ever heard or been taught. Yet at the same time it has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done , because I find that I have a much better understanding of G-D and what He wants, while also being able to publicly say that there is so much that I don't know or understand! This my friends is probably the the source of the greatest relief that I have ever known; the simple idea that I don't have to know everything in order to enjoy a relationship with G-D. I don't have to go after others beliefs about G-D because G-D has never asked us to do that. He has two very simple requirements of all people, Love G-D and Love your fellow man, engage in serving Him through worship and by acts of kindness. As the Reform Jews put it We must engage in "Social Justice" and that ,in part, is a part of worshiping G-D.
Some of what has brought me comfort as well, is things like the Talmud and other writing that the Jewish sages of old have written, because it shows me that even these great learned men didn't know everything about G-D and while they certainly tried to clarify things in the law, they didn't always know or agree with each other, but at least they took the time to study it out for themselves and come to a general consensus, then as time has passed and other things came to light, more debate took place and things changed.
So how does this fit with my opening statement? I am becoming quite weary of all those who seem to think that they have a monopoly on G-D and His ways, when the truth to the matter is that G-D is G-D and we are mere mortals who are striving to learn His ways, but will never be able to fully comprehend Him. Just because we have a particular belief or pet doctrine, does not mean that we can fully understand His ways. Think about this, how many millions of people have been killed over the centuries because someone thought that they had the right ideas about G-D and everyone else was wrong? How many wars have and still are going on all over the world based on that same notion? Now consider this, what would happen if everyone came to the understanding that we can't possibly know everything that there is to know about G-D and came to acknowledge that we might just be wrong in spots? Most of the wars would end and quite possibly a massive amount of loving would result. Pipe dream? I think not.
Both Christian tradition and Jewish belief tells of a time at the end of all things when a universal knowledge of G-D and of peace will come about through Him and His anointed one, but that can't happen until a time comes when all of us acknowledge that we were wrong and we seek the truth, getting away from all the man made dogmas,bringing an end to all wars, eliminating poverty and greed and removing our biases and prejudice. When that day comes and we are all "singing the same song of freedom" blaming G-D for our own stupidity and mistakes will come to an end as He promises to place His ways on our hearts. This brings me joy and this is what brings me peace in a chaotic world, I don't have to know everything now, nor is it my job, or anyone else's for that matter, to force my belief upon you, instead we strive to learn and we rejoice in what we can know and we can wait patiently because that day will come when we will know the truth about G-D because G-D will put it in our hearts!
Shalom,
Ignacio
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