"The unexamined life is not worth living" Socrates

- - scatterings of ideas sent to my younger self, a sensitive girl who was fooled into believing she was a boy because of anatomy - -

Wednesday 16 January 2013

THE truth

There are some things that are difficult to describe to others. Some things, nobody is going to get, no matter what you say or do. There are some ideas that one has to suss out for oneself.
If you have read some of my stories about dreamtime meetings with alternate or past selves, you can tell I am a believer in life being a journey, not a destination. There is nothing wrong with giving someone a little nudge though, in the hope it changes things a little.

Just a few minutes ago two friendly young women from a religious group came by with their version of the New Testament and a pamphlet in their hands and a question that (I guess) was supposed to be thought-provoking enough to lead into my conversion to their club. We ended up our short discussion agreeing to disagree about some pretty fundamental ideas, the biggest being how their particular edition of the NT was "The Truth" since their particular editors had been inspired by Jehovah himself (their gendering) unlike so many other groups of humans who had taken on the task before. Not sure whether they believed those other humans to be uninspired, or perhaps inspired by some different God. They didn't seem to be monotheists, interestingly.

As I say, they were nice young people, intelligent enough to know when their time was being wasted. I do not suspect what I had to say (including a history lesson on the New Testament by the way, something they obviously had no idea about) had any influence at all on their thinking, but they did get me thinking. Perhaps God (or was it my muse Aadi?) does move in wondrous ways.

These young salespeople represent a disturbing subsection of society for me. They are those who think that for everything there is a single truth, and if we can only find it, we don't need to think anymore.

One Answer for every Question.

Sounds pretty boring to me, but you knew that about me already didn't you? :-)

The interesting thoughts, by the way, were
1. how happy I am to be someone who doesn't twist myself into knots anymore trying to be who others think I should while at the same time, am happy to accept that others have the very same right to be themselves,
and
2. how I recognize myself as one who cannot resist an opportunity to apply a strategic nudge.

I'd love to know if one of those young women takes the time to research the history of the New Testament.





5 comments:

  1. I have a BA in religious studies. I always enjoyed talking with the people on campus who were trying to recruit others to their faith.

    I remember one time in particular when someone asked me if I really knew who Jesus was and I began a conversation regarding the historical Jesus course that I was in. They got kind of upset with me. Apparently the Jesus I was learning about was not the Jesus they wanted me to know about.

    In my studies I learned that I like just about every religions texts but that I hate how humans go about practicing their faith.

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    1. Absolutely agree that religious documents and the ideals they represent are often the very best part. It seems when people invest themselves with the need to defend their religious beliefs it changes things.

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  2. Definition of my faith is 'My way of life'.
    I live it - I don't push it on others - no need to defend it.

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    1. A faith you are living is the only kind that makes any sense isn't it?

      Seems to me a famous spiritual person once was quoted saying "You will know them by their fruit."

      Not something to defend or prove. It is who you are. Wonderful.

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