Advancing
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Bear up with a Right Way
Rewarding sayings may be stringed to work even better. And these two essays could change your life - hopefully not end it. - Tormod KinnesHuman Nature
George Cheyne, a Scotch physician, when a person was talking about the excellence of human nature, exclaimed: "Hoot, hoot, man. Human nature is a rogue and a scoundrel, or why should it perpetually stand in need of laws and of religion?"Some still think otherwise and come up with different conclusions. There is a Renaissance story in the Decameron where a Jehannot sighs: "Alas. If my buddy goes to the court of the pope in Rome and see for himself the wickedness of the priests lives, he will never become a Christian."
The buddy went to Rome. He could see much that took place. But it displeased him in the "right" way; and he said:
"What else could I gather than this: The blessed Spirit is the true helper in darkest gluttony and much else, more true and holy than any other to bear up with it. Now I freely open my heart to this -"
Jehannot had expected a very contrary conclusion. [See Boccaccio: The Decameron, First Day, Second Novel]
Counsel: Go with Cheyne.
Of the Bible, in Other Words Inferior?
Compare: Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." [Mark 2:17]. The question is which sort of sinner and sick guy. Jesus tells that the sound ones do not need him. And that is best. Shall we then go into vast arrays of Bible sayings to the contrary? - into inferor matter? I hardly think so. For time is short, and there is much to do and accomplish. Stay as healthy as you can, keep away from degenerative influences, look forward, as you go for solid gains as you come across them. They include deeply moral ones, affluence, harmonious relationships too. That is hardly erring in life.Learn to think twice concerning some fixed ideas you may encounter and which infiltrate or penetrate your culture, for some customs and ceremonies keep very many people trapped in religious ideas of very little use, and at times hinder the climb up into better conditions. For example the value of dumb sports and just as silly entertainment. Dare to ask: "What is of real value? Isn't there something better to do?" instead.
And even if you see glimpses of something better to spend time on and with, you have to go against many degenerate currents in the large society. Don't brag. Being trapped by conformism, that is, common living, is nothing to boast of either.
Find time to cultivate yourself
Man or woman, find time to cultivate yourself soundly and laxly enough. Learn to relax. That involves going along with the sincere interests too, presumably, and should make you happy if you find a formula for decent, balanced living. Not everyone does that, after all.Also, enhance the opportunities to get mentally better, for free will and spaceous and deeply rewarding living, and enjoy your opportunities.
You Can Drop the Bible and Jesus
Now, since the New Testament is about and for Jesus, and Jesus says the healthy ones do not need him and that a man is worth more than a sheep, try to recover from being an infirm sheep or Bible bleater. Here is part of how to do it:- Drop New Testament notions on the whole.
- Drop almost everything of the Old Testament too - boring enumerations of names and families from thousands of years ago and worse.
First, if you are of sound mind and moral, do not need Jesus. He says so. And who was he but one with his Father? Hence, you do not need the God of the Old Testament at all. One goes with the other. Then find better things to do. And refrain from entering a cult where they hail Jesus, to be on the safe side in a possible phase of weakness or tenderness.
Second, if you have been enslaved by inferor teachings and plots, the right Spirit is inside and leads onward and upward, and into such wisdom. Attune to that by delving skilfully into deep meditation. Transcendental Meditation, TM, may be fine, shows research. That is my advice. And Buddha's way of avoiding extremes, going for healthy, happy, rewarding living along with inner development, could suit you. You do your best.
As for authoritarian structures and icons all over, they are served by certain beliefs around, and not served by all others. For your own good you had better not be taken in by ideas, customs and rituals that serve tyranny. If fellowship is needed, a fair and lax company could be best.
Clippings
Just adopt the healthy attitude and corresponding doings in the matter. Keep steady in deeply rewarding attitudes and pursuits. Just go ahead and live up to higher standards and get into better living. Basical Buddhist living could be good enough for anyone, but authoritarian plots are into that way of life too. So be careful, and do not dispense with your own heart.I do not say all of this will be easy, but what are the alternatives? Learn to consider; take time for deep thought as you go along in what is hopefully a rewarding direction for yourself. If you find yourself in the gutter, get out of it, even if the ground is slippery. Crawl out of it, if crawling is what is needed.
The chosen king of Jews was found hiding among baggage
The people of Israel wanted a king rather than God's leadership through judges. "Set a king over us," they demanded.Saul was chosen. When they looked for him, they could not find him. God said, "He has hidden himself among the baggage."
Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see the man God has chosen?"
Do you? Heh! [1 Samuel 10 (extracts)].
Could Philistine entities be behind Christianity and be served by it?
As a matter of fact, the two previous chapters of Samuel inform us that God had been forsaken by the people [1 Samuel 8], and he therefore installed an upper-class enemy in ambush to lord it over them [1 Samuel 8]. The spirit shared with Saul, entered him when he associated with Philistine prophets [1 Samuel 10; 5 etc].Then what about the other customs of the Philistines - long after king Melchezedek of Jerusalem, he who blessed Abraham and is hailed in Hebrews? "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." [Psalm 110;4; Hebrews 5;5-6; Genesis 14;18-20; cf. 1 Samuel 10;10].
Interestingly, Jehovah of the Jews later fought the Philistines with very different attitudes, and next the king of Jews was made by what appears to be a Philistine spirit . . .
Not really needed
Jews were waiting for an earthy king, but God had been forsaken first. Original followers of Jesus died in no small numbers. Jesus said it was to be like that. But why? That he died for all and that everything was possible for he who believed in the right spirit, even to surpass Jesus - did he deplore his own big words? And why did the Jews stop sacrificing a goat each year - the one that could have taken all the sins away from the people on a yearly base - in other words, why interchange Jesus for some goats?Some things are not really neccessary. Sacrificing Jesus was not necessary, according to the Law that God has set up to regulate the fare of his people. Sacrificing oneself for Jesus is very bad. Among other things it means being fooled.
And this hailing of of "wonderful kings", the up to desperate attempts to call Maria's illegitimate son a king (compare the hiding Saul), a messiah, a saviour of Jews by the blood line of Joseph. That hailing is beneath you. Royal half-symbiosis should be well beneath you too. Instead, try to clearly realise that a king lives off his people, his status is grafted onto him or some time, and that kings have a reputation for being ruthless to their own, at times slaughtering millions of them in wars.
You do better. That is the invitation. After all, much mess in the world is caused by verbiage and masked enmity. But we love to do better.
Is there a fifty percent chance the heaven-door will be opened?
"To him who knocks, the door will be opened [Luke 11:10]." Some cling to clichés like that like crazy, only at the cost of ignoring that "The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins with lamps, expecting their bridegroom. While five of them went to buy oil for their lamps, the bridegroom arrived and the door was shut. They came with oil and said, "Open the door for us.' But he would not [Matthew 25:1-13].The five left virgins did not even sin; they could have been warm and cosy too. Jesus shows: "Call and implore, and it shall not be opened for all, but only fifty percent." So do not be taken in by promising words, especially when there are other words of the same source that devalue them. Those who put much faith and actions on parables and sayings that tell two different things, may be fooled by both.
Swindling Ones Are Not Kind for It
The term "Christ" took off from the concept "oily" (oil-anointed), i.e. king - but grew much taller, it is documented in many New Testament letters. It took off. Boasts function at times like that. Do not let big boasts of "gods" devoid of satisfying evidence serve you.Why on earth did the Holy Ghost and the disciples drop major teachings of Jesus? - when the Ghost was to remind of all he had said, and the disciples were to do it, and do better? [Matthew 5:17-20 and Acts 15]
Also contemplate that the main efforts of Jesus were directed toward Jews. He rejected to help others most of his life. Only after the Jews had refused him in the most brutal way, he found it all right to cast the nets of heaven on gentiles - that is non-Jews.
According to Matthew 5:17-20 he said the Law of slavery, ritual circumcision, Saturday rest, bloodshed and ruthless executions was to be counted on as valid. Yet he ignored significant items of that Law himself. He "messed it up" quite extensively, it appears.
But see John 14:12 and realise that God's chosen ones hopefully could waive lots of Jewish tenets as they went on. With God all is possible, massive lying, hypocricy, stealing, persecutions, murder, and other infamities: "With God all things are possible." If these were not, Jesus would be lying again. Here is the question: "If God is almighty, can he create a stone he cannot lift?"
Do not be taken in by big words like "almighty" and "infinite" any longer. That is a handy lesson to derive from here.
Consider the Mess and Drop Bleating
Do not be content with evil companians and conditions. To follow Jesus like statues of salt (the salt of the earth) may not be pleasant either. But remember, you can do better (John 14:12). If not, your life may become frozen too. Keep a fit distance to messy ones, avoid contact with darned fools, and for your own good. That is a Buddhist teaching. And "Who keeps company with wolves, will learn to howl, not only growl. [cf. Dp 36]"You cannot help others if you go down through sympathy that is misused, and neglected self-help. Let that come first, but keep it balanced. It may not always be an either-or thing. Charity begins at home, but it does not have to stop there (American proverb). Let it sink in, and stop sacrificing yourself. Remember, healthy ones do not need Jesus and to be sacrificed through whims and sleek words put in the mouth of the top-dog - or even worse.
For your own possible good, then, keep aloof from Jesus (John 14:12) and fellows who say they serve him, without showing any of the signs - throwing mountains into the sea, for example - who do not give away everything, and so on, and yet are served by gobbling Bible phrases in your face. Take a historical snapshot right here: All his chosen dear ones deserted him. The bravest of them denied Jesus three times. These were the chosen ones, and so was that Judas who betrayed him - hand-picked. A decent leader should attract all right commanders beneath him, and it is similar in business.
By the way, have you observed that the gospel of Thomas and other interesting scrolls of the early church were not discovered by followers of the Holy Spirit who was comissioned by Jesus to lead them into all truth, but by Moslems. Lost scrolls of antiquity.
Get companions that go for fair play, fair deals, rather. And leave Christian baptism, sacraments, the speaking of tongues, the mission command that honours Jesus as the sole master - and why? Because it is of sick sheep, is the notion of Jesus, or rather, two or more.
Next go for constructive, health-helping outlets too, according to the light you have. And if you find it fit to trust someone else, consider too, for it is better to have some initial reserve than being outright cheated into some bleating, ailing herd creature.
This does not mean that every isolated decree in the Bible is of no worth, however. Still, you may probably find that basic teachings of Buddha tackle problems far better. And it is probably better for most people to take a more rewarding course than one that includes faulty and messy Bible slogans and citations.
It can work well to visualise that we can amount to much and get better, and then practice toward the goal performances and goal circumstances visualised. There is evidence that judo-like visualizations work well.
Advance Soundness to Develop
Adjust to Please Your Self
You cannot please everyone. Please your inmost Self, then. Sagacity helps too.Not all train platforms need to be heavily trafficed at all times. Not all minds have to be bright for thriving and regularity-founded survival and fitness. Not all brilliant minds have to show off. You can build towards it, in part by staunchness, uprightness. And do not let good opportunities flitter and float away.
Fit rationality can be evolved. Good schooling is for that. We suggest lessons in basic psychodynamic thinking. Well-founded teaching is a boon too.
1. However, adequate and skilled thinking often gets ridiculed by those riding on top of destroyed cognitive development of their members.
2. Lessons that presuppose mental soundness and not darned foolishness, may be set in too late in sect members. Talk for reasonable development of free will as you are up to.
Crude and perverted minds take to crude, perverted thinking. Guess that the farmer that becomes a wise and compassionate thinker, could be in for trouble and lose his farm - He should accommodate well to advancing feelings as they appear.
The Depth of Yourself is Brighter than Your Conscious Self
A completely infallible "master" is seldom found, but the true Self is hopefully at work within you. Work with a plan and have a reserve plan or two or three at hand too. In this way you may attain more and better. It helps to be prepared too. Being skilled and well educated also helps too.A cult member could have been deprived in his or her depths - that smacks of the deep sacrifice going on in his life, perhaps. Not all Jews have astonishing intellects. Some undermine their own living conditions. There could be quite a lot is missing or lying undeveloped in the mind of a sectarian. There may be reasons to go almost on tip-toe out of tyranny terrains.
Handle Lies Better
The Bible tells Adam survived for 800 years after the day God said he would surely die from eating forbidden fruit [Genesis 2:17, 5:5]. The lesson is: Do not believe everything you are told. A further example: The Euphrates terrain and much else of Irak and Jordan has never been possessed by Jews, no matter what was promised to Abra(ha)m back in Genesis.Do not like lies, silly untruths and gossip either, but "drift away from there" to your ability. "Tell my servant David, "This is what the Lord Almighty says: . . . I will provide a place for my people Israel and . . . they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore . . ." [2 Samuel 7:8-10].
Oh yeah?
Do not like lies and narcissism slogans of demagogy and propaganda. Being adequate and clean-cut is better.
Must Anyone Believe in Fake-Everlasting Covenants?
"Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance" [Exodus 27:21 etc]. Such "lasting" items and rituals have been disabled - some for thousands of years - like many other things the God of the Bible instituted.David was born, took another man's wife and had Solomon, who made the whole dynasty fall apart. "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man [1 Kings 4:29-31]." He was wise enough to make the dynasty be ruined after taking to other gods - is that a lesson?
There are very many places in the Bible where God allegedly promises this and that - a lasting dynasty, for example, and what later happened shows it did not come true. Moreover, did things that God institutionalised last as long as he intended them to, with his chosen people? Look to the goatskin tent ceremonies and the ark itself - they and it disappeared. It is very well to bear such facts in mind if surrounded by canonical jerks. Bible phrases are taken to for reasons of comfort by many. Look around and get it verified soon.
One bible passage reads, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth - men and animals . . . and birds of the air - for I am grieved that I have made them." But Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord [Genesis 6:7-8]."
God found the people living on earth corrupt and violent, and wanted to get rid of them, but God's measures did not suffice. As a matter of fact, God did not keep his resolve, and mankind survived, for a drunk Noah had sex with his daughters, the Bible adds. By the way, can you drown a swimming whale by adding water? And how can you drown an albatross that can sail on and on at sea, float on the waves and loves fish?
Moses too found that God's promises could be averted. After Aaron had made a calf of gold and the whole people had worshipped it, God wanted to burn and destroy them [Exodus 32:9-10]." But Moses said to him: "Remember . . . you swore by your own self: "I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky [is there really enough place on this planet for that many if put on top of each other all over the earth for three hundred storeys?] and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them . . . forever.'" [The Euphrates terrain and very much else remains to be given to this day, though]."
Jehovah breaking his promises and oaths is really nothing new. Moses reminded him and swayed him. For all that he wasn't allowed to enter Canaan - but many others of those idolaters and their offspring were all allowed to [Deuteronomy 34]. Life is not always fair.
The Message "Real Jews Will not Be Oppressed"
Jehovah is reported to have told the prophet Nathan: "Tell my servant David, "This is what the Lord Almighty says: . . . I will provide a place for my people Israel and . . . they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore . . ." [2 Samuel 7:8-10].Is that really so? Look up in some history book. And see what happened to God's Forever-Kingdom too: "The Lord himself will establish a house for you: . . . I will raise up your offspring to succeed you . . . I will establish his kingdom. . . . I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. . . . He will be my son . . . my love will never be taken away from him . . . Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever" [2 Samuel 7:11-16].
Forever is a long time. Try to absorb the lessons in this, and stay firm on facts where you find them. Life works better that way, at least generally. Adjust to basic facts of life as profitably as you can, including the facts of history if you find them. Be no misty Bible freak. There is much more to discard as of no account in the Bible - in fact everything.
That is a lesson to reach from "God says one thing and something different happens" - The reality is far better than shared and cultish fads and fancies. We have to accept that several God-promises recorded in the Bible never came to pass. Adjust your steps to that. And seek to draw a line between what God allegedly has promised and the possible or real promise.
Slaves - can they good or bad or in between?
Bible slaves may have had functions of their mind off-set, to say the least. Further notice how the Bible's attitudes toward slaves differ. The best heir of Abraham was probably the one he got by a slave woman, if "those who would be the greates among you, be the slaves (servants) of others," as Jesus was into.Neither he nor Paul went consistently against slavery. Paul encouraged a runaway slave to get back and be an exemplary slave. But don't want to be a slave. Freedom and the good life is far better.
God's promises should not be freak trusted; it stands out from many parts of the Bible. "All of us who are mature should take such a view . . . Let us live up to what we have already attained. [Philippians 3:4-16]
If Reliable, Rise Above Bleating
Go for getting thoroughly reliable: that could be good. By "buying" and conforming to big lies you could undo good. Hence, there is much good to say for the jolly pig. When he squeals, he seldom or never mislead young minds by dumb hearsay canon. I have said: What is untrue, don't want that. What is unreliable, drop it, and for your own good. Consider your steps out of the gutter, and be as skilful as you can.Good luck. Mind that not all good things come easy.
Literature
Jug: Stevens, Anthony: Jung. Oxford University. Oxford, 1994.
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