You know the story. If you're a good little boy (girl), provided your parent(s)/relatives have the financial means, Santa will reward you with the presents (and possibly more) that you desire. If you're bad, you get a lump of coal in your stocking.
Now, we all know that Santa doesn't exist...but that still doesn't mean the idea of Santa still doesn't hold true. If you get good grades and act right, your parent(s) (playing pseudo-Santa) should reward you come Christmas. Maybe not to the lofty designs characterized by your standard Santa/Christmas images, but gift(s) abound nonetheless. The same holds true on the other hand, if you're bad and/or get bad grades, you won't necessarily get a lump of coal, but you definitely won't be rewarded for the (rotten) fruits of your behavior/labor.
I wonder if the same idea holds any relation (even in the slightest) to God, heaven and hell.
Now make no mistake, this is no atheist rant (I personally believe in a higher power and I pray every night). I just wonder if the way in which "God" is portrayed in many religions is too literal...much like Santa. Although "Santa" (with his snowy beard and the red outfit delivering gifts to all the children of the ENTIRE world by flying in his sled with 12 reindeer and climbing his fat arse up and down coal stained chimneys without getting scratched or dirty) doesn't exist, the idea of Santa is physically manifested through your parents. So, in freeing your mind from the physical/literal, does that make that make "Santa" any less real?
With respect to God and religion (specifically Christianity, Islam and other monotheistic religions...and my not-so-grand understanding of their basics), its basically if you're good and follow the word, you'll go to heaven...if you're bad and don't follow the word, you'll go to hell. If you're following the metaphor, I'm likening these to the "Santa gift bonanza" (heaven) and lump of coal (hell) referred to earlier.
Now, I haven't exactly figured out who the metaphorical "parent(s)" are with respect to religion, but in the end, that's neither here nor there. It's the ultimate "idea" of God that I'm getting at...and not its literal portrayal (I personally believe many of the stories in religious texts are parables anyways, and not to be taken as literal occurrences). It goes then, in staying with the metaphor, that neither heaven or hell are respectively gangbusters in their pleasure or pain, but do follow the theme that if you live your life as a good person (in keeping with the tenents suggested by the word), then the afterlife (in whatever manifestation you believe it to be) will be peaceful--or maybe its something along the lines of just dying in peace (i.e. without having any unfinished business on your deathbed that causes you to grief during your last days). On the flipmode, if you don't live your life as a good person (not in accordance with the tenents suggested by the word), the afterlife (or life on your deathbed) will leave you unfulfilled.
To reiterate, I'm in no way saying that God doesn't exist, I just wonder in if the way in which many people in the world view "God" is too literal. That maybe "God" is moreso the means (as in process...as in thought process...as in the process that should ideally guide one's thought) to the end that awaits each and every one of us.
Cheers.
Now, we all know that Santa doesn't exist...but that still doesn't mean the idea of Santa still doesn't hold true. If you get good grades and act right, your parent(s) (playing pseudo-Santa) should reward you come Christmas. Maybe not to the lofty designs characterized by your standard Santa/Christmas images, but gift(s) abound nonetheless. The same holds true on the other hand, if you're bad and/or get bad grades, you won't necessarily get a lump of coal, but you definitely won't be rewarded for the (rotten) fruits of your behavior/labor.
I wonder if the same idea holds any relation (even in the slightest) to God, heaven and hell.
Now make no mistake, this is no atheist rant (I personally believe in a higher power and I pray every night). I just wonder if the way in which "God" is portrayed in many religions is too literal...much like Santa. Although "Santa" (with his snowy beard and the red outfit delivering gifts to all the children of the ENTIRE world by flying in his sled with 12 reindeer and climbing his fat arse up and down coal stained chimneys without getting scratched or dirty) doesn't exist, the idea of Santa is physically manifested through your parents. So, in freeing your mind from the physical/literal, does that make that make "Santa" any less real?
With respect to God and religion (specifically Christianity, Islam and other monotheistic religions...and my not-so-grand understanding of their basics), its basically if you're good and follow the word, you'll go to heaven...if you're bad and don't follow the word, you'll go to hell. If you're following the metaphor, I'm likening these to the "Santa gift bonanza" (heaven) and lump of coal (hell) referred to earlier.
Now, I haven't exactly figured out who the metaphorical "parent(s)" are with respect to religion, but in the end, that's neither here nor there. It's the ultimate "idea" of God that I'm getting at...and not its literal portrayal (I personally believe many of the stories in religious texts are parables anyways, and not to be taken as literal occurrences). It goes then, in staying with the metaphor, that neither heaven or hell are respectively gangbusters in their pleasure or pain, but do follow the theme that if you live your life as a good person (in keeping with the tenents suggested by the word), then the afterlife (in whatever manifestation you believe it to be) will be peaceful--or maybe its something along the lines of just dying in peace (i.e. without having any unfinished business on your deathbed that causes you to grief during your last days). On the flipmode, if you don't live your life as a good person (not in accordance with the tenents suggested by the word), the afterlife (or life on your deathbed) will leave you unfulfilled.
To reiterate, I'm in no way saying that God doesn't exist, I just wonder in if the way in which many people in the world view "God" is too literal. That maybe "God" is moreso the means (as in process...as in thought process...as in the process that should ideally guide one's thought) to the end that awaits each and every one of us.
Cheers.
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1 comment:
Great questions, interesting theory; I have often thought about these things, and even more so when my mother would beg for me to go to church with her because it was the right thing to do; but if I didn't the God (who gave me free will to make my own choices) would punish me for using my free will and choosing not to go to church - ?
I am learning and understanding that I am a piece of God (make in his likeness) trying to get back to God, through the experiences that I face everyday (whether to be good or bad) that will bring me closer to Heaven or Hell (peace or pain) I could go on and on, but I'll wait til we have this discussion face to face.
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