ex-I,
Pink Panther:
I am sorry, but what a joke ... you just cannot bring yourself to admit you just might be wrong about a single thing, can you?
Gee Awakening, I asked a simple question for clarification and you pull out?
God can be whatever anyone believes God is.
I feel unfortunate for us to still struggle with this. Believe me, I have tried my best to make these points clear by being both elaborate and redundant. However, for reference, I am quoting a few:
Since I believe that everyone (including me, obviously), is imperfect (expect only God), anyone's opinion could be incorrect (or partially incorrect). Thus, any of the possibilities can turn out to be reality, as otherwise that possibility would not have any considerable believers or have survived for any considerable period.
And I am OK with this. I agree to disagree. Does it mean that I don't care what you think? Before you make any other assumption about me, I wish to let you know that one of my central beliefs is that one day, everyone, including me, will know the truth. When that happens, all opinions will cease to exist (as there will be no need for them), and will thus cease to matter. I also understand that I may be one among those who discover in the end that I did not have the right/accurate view. That is why I am constantly researching, observing, learning and evaluating myself. I believe that others who do these, do them for the same reason too.
I am fine with "anyone's God" being "right".
I believe that if a view (clarification: any view, including one similar to the one I have) causes degradation of values and life in general, it should be discarded as soon as that realization takes place.
I gather that the following quote concerning "my God" and "your God" is your opinion, by all means, and may or may not be shared by others. My opinion, which again may or may not be shared by others, is that there is only one God. I like to see a little beyond the literal words in the Tibetan saying, which I thought we agree with:
On this basis, that your God is perfect, logic surely must ring alarm bells to tell you that the BKs’ ”god” is not God because ‘he' is far from perfect, wouldn’t you agree?
As for the following,
You phrase it as all just equal ... "views" or "opinions". I am sorry, but no.
I would like to further clarify that I understand there are facts that do not need opinions. So many of them. From things like human beings generally have two eyes, two ears, two hands, etc.; to knowledge about so many components in Science, such as known elements and their properties, molecular structures of compounds, physical laws, etc.
Why are these facts and don't need opinions? Because these can be verified and thus concluded to be true by anyone at anytime, provided the required resources are available or the required conditions are met.
So things that do not have such proof are, in my humble opinion, opinions.
I also understand that you may or may not agree with me. You certainly have the right to you own opinion.
And thank you
quantum, for your acknowledgement and further clarification with reference to the above:
...in Psychology, there is a belief that, people do what they do due to a "Percieved" payoff....and there is no reality, only one's own"perceptions"...
Obviously then, the following are your perceptions:
Maybe awakening has gone as far as he can intellectually and spiritually go right now...
People have all variety of conscious and sub conscious motives for entering into discussions here. Some maybe more challenged than what is 'spiritually comfortable' for them, and don't want to take off the 'rose colored glasses' all at once.....as their sense of 'truth and their perception of reality' is crumbled beneath them.
While the above may or may not be facts, I wish to let it be known that they do not cause any concern to me.
ex-I, you are absolutely right:
...tolerant of other beliefs...
But for the following:
..."many paths to God"...
I have already attempted to clarify that while I don't believe that there exists "one and only one" path, there do exist few paths. It is to be observed that these paths share a lot in common and are very similar to one another if you see beyond the superficial and obviously observable, and you pay attention to only the path, not worrying about how a preacher is practicing the path. This is what I believe, of course.
Perhaps that is why you might not know or 'get' what BKism is really about?
I wish to clarify that I understand that any person who quits a spiritual org., does so because of some reason great enough to cause the person to leave the org. I have not had such a reason yet in the case of this org. Thanks for the concern and warning, though.
Allow me to give you an example. Most of us have heard of or know people who had felt deceived or had some other significant experience with various different cults, spiritual orgs. and religions, causing them to leave. While the incident with the person is significant and unfortunate, the org. itself may or may not be the cause. However, when it is found that the org. is the cause of such incidents in a majority of such incidents, we also know that they have been shut down and the authorities locked away. There are so many people who adopt and convert across religions and spiritual beliefs. Some even have hybrid beliefs. For so many reasons, of course.
I do not have any different view of the following:
Here's the truth from a 'BK point of view' (not mine) ... from a strict BK point of view.
Having done the course, they will believe you will take some rebirths in heaven, but not making efforts, and not surrendering after 15 years, you are only a half-BK. A "subject soul".
They will consider that you are a Silver Aged soul at best ... that you'll miss out on the Golden Age and only take rebirth at the end of the Silver Age. 60 births instead of 84 and no births in a royal family.
Does that mean I got the same education as you did? Maybe, maybe not. Should be, definitely, but not is also possible. I am starting to feel it was similar but for some reason (you have already suggested few), not identical.
I do not have a reason to doubt your words. Just that I did not have the same experiences. And I have already emphasized that I like to concentrate on understanding the path itself and don't like to worry myself with how well anyone has been able to follow it, as long as the path is acceptable and comprehensible to me.
Om Shanti! Satyamev Jayate!