I have been thinking about the theory of God today. It is my understanding from religions, at least Christianity, that the widely accepted opinion is that God gave us everything we need to survive and succeed when It – sorry She, no, I mean HE – created the Earth. No one is expected magical objects to suddenly appear and make their lives better, correct? I also think that most Christians, but not all, believe God gave us free will to make our own decisions. Although, there seems to be a subgroup that believes that while your chosen path is up to you, once you choose that path, the outcome is pre-destined. Either way, it occurred to me that there doesn’t seem to be any point in your praying for things when either you have total free will or else once your decisions are made, your path is determined.
This sounds more complex than it is, so let me try to simplify. If God knows all, and that includes the particular ending to your personal path in life then everything that happens to you is supposed to happen and asking for alternatives (ie. Praying your teen stops going down a dangerous path, praying your house does not go into foreclosure, etc.) is pointless. Your path is set and God has already given you everything you’re going to get in life, so don’t expect personal miracles, if something fortuitous does happen and your teen becomes an honor roll that was not God, but hard work, choice, and luck on the part of your teen because he or she also has a path to choose.
Similarly, if there is no end result fated for every path and life is indeed a series of choices made by the free will God gave you, then to truly be among the faithful you must believe that you have the necessary tools in your toolbox. Think of it like this, God created the Earth, made man and woman, gave us the ability to reproduce, provided food to eat (animals, vegetables, and fruits), planted the resources to clothe ourselves and to build shelter, and instilled within us the ability to choose. So if this is true and most Christians believe this from what I remember and researched, then why are we still asking for more?
Can you imagine what God would say if either of the above scenarios are true? I suspect the conversation would go a little something like this: “Why do you keep asking me for shit? I gave you everything you need. This is a perfect self-sustaining planet loaded with opportunities to utilize renewable resources. You have more food than you can ever eat and the ability to create shelter to protect you from any of my natural elements (wind, flood, fire, storms, etc.). You have brilliant minds that you use very little of, but are capable of the type of logic, strategy, and analysis necessary to survive. Most of all, I gave you the free will to choose your own paths in life including who to love, if you want to have children, what you want to eat, and how you want to live. I gave you everything you need to thrive SO STOP ASKING ME FOR MORE SHIT!!!”
God may not be the swearing type, but any version of a God my mind is capable of creating is going to know how to knock around a few four letter words. The big picture here, is that with this wondrous and ever-bountiful world and the amazingly self-sufficient human body (strong and self-sustaining until we ruin it with poor nutrition and no exercise) how can we still think God is holding something back? Why give us the ability to choose our paths and make decisions for ourselves if we’re only to ask for divine intervention each time something in our life doesn’t go as we’d like. God is not responsible for saving you from that plane crash. That was luck, where you were sitting, and physics. God did not intervene to save you loved one from dying. That was medicine (which God innately gave us the ability to refine and practice), the human body (perfect machine), and the specific course of the disease or injury. So in a way, God already gave us what we need for those things to happen and whether or not we experience success rather than failure is solely due to a combination of effects put into play with the dawn of time and man (for you creationists.)
Stop asking your God for shit. He/She/It already gave you what you need, it is up to you to use it to the best possible outcome. Don’t go into a restaurant, order a steak rare then complain it’s too bloody. You made a choice, exerted you free will and then want some sort of intervention to change the outcome you put into play with the choices you were gifted to make. Religious types want to blame God for all the good and bad in life and I’m not saying that is wrong. If your God exists and is responsible for everything we see around us then I think yes, God is responsible, but only because of what God put into play with creation, not because today the deity decided the New Orleans Saints should win the Superbowl or that chick from the movie “Precious” should win an Oscar. You have the tools you need as bestowed upon you by your God, now go out and use them properly and stop whining about needing or wanting more.
I'm just gonna say- the prayer we all neeed to ask- if we believe- is for God's will. Sometimes good things happen for bad people and vise versa. God doesn't really care- at least in my opinion all the things that happen. He cares more about how we respond to those things. Who we rely on and the attitude we have. We're in a fallen world full of injustice. There are things that will happen in my life that I will never understand until I die. My brain can't understand it. Why did our pastors son die on in a car accident on the way home form the hospital after his wife just had their first child? I'll never know- But I do know that I have seen a strength in their family that only God can give.
ReplyDeleteWe all pray a lot more for God to do or give us things. You are right- why-- why-- We should be more thankful for all the things He provides.
I believe in prayer. I believe that setting our intentions to something or asking for guidance and direction absolutely will be honored by God. Prayers are answered...I've seen it and lived it. Now, for example, I recommend praying AND studying for the GRE to ensure success, but I believe prayer (or meditation) helps create the outcome.
ReplyDeletePrayer and meditation connects us with the Divine--the greater good for both ourselves and humanity, and the path that will ultimately bring our souls, our lives, our bodies and our actions into harmony with Mother Nature and Father God. Prayer and meditation opens the channels of communication between ourselves and God.
I don't pray to ask for shit. Now, if one of my children died as in Shauna's example, I know it would be very hard to pray at all. Faith is powerful, as long as it's paying positive results, or when suffering falls within normal parameters. I would hope that I could move beyond mourning, and I hope I would begin to pray for peace and love in celebrating the life of that child, if only to continue to live for the ones that still depend on me. But that's unimaginable, and I DO pray most everytime we get in the car, or they walk away from me into the world, that God and all the angels in heaven will protect them. I really don't think it hurts to ask...to visualize safety and securty. But that doesn't mean that a parent who looses a child just forgot their prayers that morning. OH NO. Like Shauna, that's one I wouldn't understand until death do I part from this human brain.
But I've had bad things happen...NOTHING akin to loss of a child, and in those times, I was able to pray that God would let my soul learn the lesson it needed quickly so I could get the hell out of....hell.
I pray daily for personal peace, wisdom in my relationships (especially parenting), compassion and understanding for those I don't agree with, and discernment to know which battles need to be fought, and which are not wise for me to participate in given my current life responsibilities.
I'm on my way to the beach with two drinks. When I get there, I will sit and absorb the beauty and the air, say a prayer for my friend who just kicked ass on her GRE, a quick prayer for the safety of my family and friends, ask for a little support in the bitchiness department, and then take a sip from each glass...one for you and one for me. GOD WILL BE PRESENT!