The God is just

[akbar]

If the God is unjust there can not be justifications of any sort. If the God is unjust let there be no values, no mercy, no kindness, no charities and no ethics of any sort. If the God is unjust why humans do not avail every opportunity for their personal pleasures and progress, it may be at the cost of others blood and sufferings? The God is absolutely just and all other justifications are because of him. The God created us humans so there were/are and will be human values not necessarily to be interpreted by religious clergies. Believers of the God had/have sublime human values because they had/have faith in the God and therefore in values also; so they keep values what ever conditions or circumstances may be.

Selfish religious leaders teach their followers that their God wants them to establish supremacy of their religion and in doing so they may suppress, plunder and kill others. They also preach that their God will highly reward them for this and if any of them loses his/her life, he/she will be instantly received in heaven by their concerned holy personalities. There is no such unjust God, so please do not attach such un-justifications with the God as He the merciful is the God of humans not of religions. If any group or groups believe cruel, unjust God then their God is untrue and does not exist. No doubt the God loves brave people who fight against cruelty, inequality, suppression, hatred, social injustice and who provide protection to weak against unjust aggressors. Such people are heroes or martyrs disregard of their religious attachments or clergies verdicts.

Selfish humans always want to excel others and to have special privileges in every field of life including religion or religious ceremonies so they manifest their pride to be coveted by others. They do not do such activities to please the God but to please themselves, concerned clergies and those humans who do not have faith in the God. The God does not like such ceremonies and true believers are not impressed by such frail activities. Majestic places of worship are also not built to please the God but to satisfy their architectural taste just as palaces or other buildings. Humbleness is necessary to pray the God and if majestic places cause (as often they do) loss of humbleness then actually their can be no prayers.

The God likes quality and not quantity and his quality standards are Godly. He may like much a bit of bread given by a hungry person who himself had not sufficient to satisfy his own hunger to another hungry person, than tons of food given by a wealthy person in alms. If a God’s believer who has not any wealth and does not yearn for that he/she does not have, being satisfied with his/her God's will, gives all that which he/she did not yearn for in the name of God (without materially giving) as I believe; so very high quality and quantity also can be achieved by the most poor of the God's believer. The clergies ranking, repute and influence is not awarded by the God and a lay man can be dearer to him than highest position holders of any religion. Sincerity of feelings is necessary for praying and ceremonial prayers with out feelings of attachment with concerned person/persons are merely ceremonial and not actually prayers. Pilgrimages to so called holy places are unnecessary if faith in the God is not enhanced. A person with out performing any pilgrimage can have better faith in the God than one who did. Whole universe is holy as it is God's manifestation. So poor need not worry about pleasing concerned clergies or performing pilgrimages. The God does not demand interference of clergies of any religion for granting forgiveness to humans. In fact it totally depends on sincerity of repentance and does not matter who or where the concerned human is.

Does wealth bring satisfaction or happiness? I have seen many rich persons feeling gloomy, lonely, and depressive and even committing suicides. I have also seen many poor living happily and enjoying life better than many rich. I think we all have heard stories of love in which one partner leaves luxurious life to live with his/her partner and I believe it can actually happen in some cases. No doubt they did/do it for happiness for which wealth is not necessary. No doubt sincerity in all human relations including family and friends gives happiness and satisfaction. Wealthy also some time wish to live simple, natural peaceful life. The God wants rich not to spend wealth on superfluous luxuries but to provide poor and needy with necessities of life. He warns them that if they did not behave properly, He will deprive them of happiness and satisfaction even they had much wealth and in life after death they also have to suffer. Humans bring miseries to themselves for their own faults. Affected by pride and selfishness they fight, cheat, betray and grab each others right. Such unjust activities bring suffering including illness and shortage of necessities. Had they been soft hearted, loving and kind to each other being believers of the God, they would have been certainly relieved and rewarded by the God by better life. Believers of the God can and surely live satisfied life with out luxuries.

Who so ever seeks the God whole heartedly surely finds. Followers of various religions not actually seek guidance but demand it from the God that it must be according to their cherished religion remaining with in prescribed boundaries taught by their respective clergies. Demanding guidance from Almighty with pre-conditions is totally unjust. Seeking guidance requires utter submission, surrendering all racial, linguistic, regional, and religious attachments and giving up all personal likings and attachments. The God loves every human more than any human can love him/her and if a human loves God above all attachments then he/she is surely blessed with guidance. I request clergies of all religions to free humanity and do not put conditions. No human can seek the God if he/she is not personally sincere, no matter to which religion he/she is attached with. No special prayers, special manners of prayers, special places of prayers are necessary to pray the God. He demands humbleness, truthfulness, and sincerity of feelings and does not care much about manners or group attachments as He is the God of universe, the God of mankind and not of religions, communities or groups. All humans were/are basically equal, no matter to which age they belonged and had/have equal opportunities to have faith in the God as unlike religions faith in the God is not a heritage.

The God is just and no un-justifications should be attached with his name as many religion holders or selfish humans attempt to satisfy their selfish wishes.

 

[newdeism]

I do take issue with your condescending of wealth.
If some kind of God did create the universe, in some fashion or another, it was created for a reason. As much a number of ascetic religions claim the evil of material possessions, they forget that material possessions were themselves created by God, and for a reason.

I am not going to claim that we were physically created in God's own image, but we can be created in the same idea as God; taken to an extreme, that we should be good because God is good. If God is a God of creation, of life, then to follow in the footsteps of God is to live a life of creation, of construction, of bringing more life into the world than you took out. The idea flies in the face of asceticism, at least when asceticism involves a denial of earthly and material possessions.

Money and wealth is not evil. To trade a dollar, or pound, or euro, for a product is, at its most basic, a way of saying, I created a dollars worth of product in this world, and was given this as a token of its worth, as a sign that I indeed have brought into this world what I am now asking you to give me in exchange. In this light, money is a very Godly concept.

In a way, extreme asceticism is almost an affront to God. He created this world, and we reject the materials as evil.

That's my take on the universe.

 

[akbar]

Wealth is not bad by itself and to be rich is not to be necessarily bad and wealth can be used for positive purposes for the welfare of self, relatives, friends and humanity in geneal.

 

[tru]

If some kind of God did create the universe, in some fashion or another, it was created for a reason. As much a number of ascetic religions claim the evil of material possessions, they forget that material possessions were themselves created by God, and for a reason.

I am not going to claim that we were physically created in God's own image, but we can be created in the same idea as God; taken to an extreme, that we should be good because God is good. If God is a God of creation, of life, then to follow in the footsteps of God is to live a life of creation, of construction, of bringing more life into the world than you took out. The idea flies in the face of asceticism, at least when asceticism involves a denial of earthly and material possessions.

This line of reasoning is shared. Certainly though, balance is applied to these things. As spirituality isn't a backseat rider to wealth of itself.

But your point is founded concerning God's purpose of mankind enjoying life and all that it offers. I don't believe hard "money" was in His purpose, although obviously its at heart of many and allowed.

 

[Patience]

God is All-Just! If He is not, who is then?!

 

[soulatom]

Money and wealth is not evil. To trade a dollar, or pound, or euro, for a product is, at its most basic, a way of saying, I created a dollars worth of product in this world, and was given this as a token of its worth, as a sign that I indeed have brought into this world what I am now asking you to give me in exchange. In this light, money is a very Godly concept.

Evil is a charged word. The foundation of the family ethic is that of sharing. We are in a teen phase of human evolution and therefore material gain on all fronts is the reultant outcome. Until we mature into a more adult sense of responsibility, and see the global child from a more parental view, we will continue to exploit the worlds resources, devouring them at a record pace, while 2/3's of the world's children go to bed hungry each night and we decend into an ever deepening pit of self destruct.

Custodianship is the only answer. We have to put to bed all the avarices, greed and needs to elevate one self above the another, and steward the planet, its ideologies, religions, etc. as a parent stewards a family. A single family estate.

 

[Blessed87]

Good post, akbar, especially the parts that stress humility. A "phenomenon" that is in all of humanity is this fact that all see, deep down, that we're not the answer to all questions! I find it a bit strange that we don't ask each other this: "What is the basis of all you say?" or at least we don't ask it very often. I can see why, though, because obviously there is something imprinted on every human that tells us to reach out beyond ourselves. Now to the post.

Affected by pride and selfishness they fight, cheat, betray and grab each others right. Such unjust activities bring suffering including illness and shortage of necessities.

That's my favorite piece out of all you said. We can squabble all day over ethics, sinfulness, and wrong actions, but it nearly all comes down to pride and selfishness, sometimes done deliberately, sometimes in ignorance. Here are true words concerning this issue:

7 "Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.

8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.

9 Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;

10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine." --Proverbs 3:7-10

If only we would, or even could, open our eyes every day with the truth on our hearts, in our thoughts, and on our lips every moment of every day! The only problem is: Where can we find all truth?


"Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name." Psalm 86:11