1) However, if you accept the term Master then surely you must accept that we must supplicate to Him, worship Him, not try to be buddies with Him or comprehend Him?
2) To try to get to know G-d seems such an arrogant persuit to me.
3) Really our relationship with G-d becomes so much easier when you accept this and stop trying to 'know' G-d.
4) Why does anyone feel a need to know G-d in this life?
Speaking of turning points, I believe there was something that hit me in your last post!!!! You and I are heading in completely opposite directions . . . I understand now why the idea of pursuing something personal with God might be seen as arrogant. But let me explain my thinking . . . It has more to do with something I see happening within Christianity (internal) than about Islam or not another religion outside of Christianity.
My ideas are a response and reaction to something I see happening within Christianity.
In all religions, there is often a traditional/conventional mindset and a more "free-thinker" mindset. Sometimes when I post something, I talk more about "idealisations" in Christianity than "reality." Other times I am practical.
If you're Christian, or have been Christian before, you might be familiar with this. During the past 2,000 years, Christianity has been dominated by a mindset that is now called the "traditional/conventional/classical" mindset. One of the things that dominates the modern "traditional/conventional/classical Christian mindset" is opposition to individual beliefs. I'm aware that I might be being a bit simplistic here, but a traditional/classical mindset often does not approve of individual Christian believers (particularly laypeople) choosing their own beliefs. The traditional/classical mindset often makes rules about what people have to believe. It dictates that everybody must have the same beliefs. The layperson must adhere to beliefs that the organisation/establishment/religious leader teaches. Anyone not having the same beliefs is seen as not true to the purpose of Christianity (as taught by the organisation/leader) and deemed as being "led astray."
This, I would say, is rather impersonal. The individual's ability to reason is disregarded. Personal feelings, personal beliefs, personal life experiences are not important. The religious leader, the one who has the knowledge, makes the rules. But even in liberal environments, and even extremely liberal ones, there is still something "impersonal" about the way Christianity is taught. You align yourself to some banner, some slogan, and belong to some group. That group, in turn, is led by someone with the knowledge, comes up with the ideas and makes the rules. Even in liberal environments, you always belong to some group.
In Christianity, there is no individual. Individuals are seen as selfish,
arrogant and self-absorbed. Now we see a "similarity" between what I am talking about here and what you said about pursuit of a personal relationship with God being arrogant. In Christianity, individuals that pursue an individual agenda are seen as arrogant and selfish. In reality, every Christian is a slave, a slave to a group, a group mentality, an organisation, establishment or religious leader who comes up with the ideas, ideologies and paradigms. My fellow Christians may not agree with this, but I assert this as being quite true. We may not think of ourselves as slaves. But often we submit our identity to something we believe is greater than ourselves. Yet that entity to which we submit our identity is not God, nor even the Messiah chosen to lead us to God.
My "Christian Dream," the Dream that I see Christianity to be, and the Dream, parts of which I've been depicting and expressing in these forums (and which may not be part of the norm of Christian doctrine), is a personal reaction of mine to this form of slavery within Christianity. My concept of the Christian Dream is to see these Christian slaves freed and liberated. The enemy of Christianity that I see, is often not other religions, but within Christianity itself. The enemy of Christianity is our own religious leaders, our own organisations and establishments. The enemy is within. As Christians, we have given ourselves as slaves, slaves of a group mentality, an organisation or establishment.
To me, I see one solution. It is to embrace something personal. It is to seek God, to replace these impersonal, inhuman institutions with something better. Unity with God, therefore, is a way of achieving liberation. In the past, we saw these systems, these organisations and establishments as our provider. Now we see God as our provider. Christians seeking a personal relationship with God is a way of freeing ourselves from slavery.
I must apologise for not explaining this to you. I had a "personal agenda" that I kept to myself.
![Eek! :eek: :eek:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
I was exploring an idea that was at the back of my mind. The idea arose out of internal conflicts within Christianity. I saw this "Dream" as the solution. I suppose it's only now that I am talking to a Muslim, that my ideas/thoughts have come under closer scrutiny that what's in the back of my mind (in the subconscious) has come to the surface.