A QUESTION NOBODY EVER ASKS....

Terry

What is the difference between working a math problem and, say...playing a piano piece?

The math problem has a correct answer. Getting close to the correct answer is simply called being WRONG.

Music, on the other hand, can have a wide range of expression not easily judged to be "wrong". Dozens of different

pianists can play the exact same notes but the emotional impact will widely diverge.

Why does religious worship have to be treated as a MATH problem instead of similar to musical expression?

If it were Father's Day and my kids gave me gifts of any kind I'd treasure what I received. After all--they are telling me I'm important to them and the positive flow of that is what is important to me personally.

But--what if I separated the gifts and the kids who gave them and punished the gifts I didn't really want or need? But, I hugged and praised the kids who gave me presents I was inclined to favor??

What would that say about me as a person and as a father?

Why don't we ever discuss the truly bad manners of a god who seems to ignore SINCERETY in favor of the CORRECT ANSWER?

All religious people are paying God plenty of attention.

I dare say most are truly sincere and devoted to that worship.

But, some bring to god ideas and interpretations which may not comport. Why isn't their zeal and heartfelt piety enough?

Why does any god care if you hold in your mind a point of theology which isn't 100% correct?

Does god only accept worship from A students?

Isn't that what Jehovah's Witnesses really think?

Their Light keeps getting brighter and brighter so their GRADES are improving and they seem to think they have ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE even though

their history is one of progressive changes in that so-called accuracy.

Isn't God a fetishist when it comes to ritual and belief?

BackseatDevil

Would you believe that I actually wrote the answer to this out in a book I wrote about helping my best friend through hospice. Mamy of his friends were strong Christians and I was trying to explain how he viewed religion. And it's more like math because it has finite answers in it's infinity, and less like a piano because it's not artistic expression. THAT is a generalization. Yes, there are exceptions. But anyway, this is what I wrote:

It seems to be the tendency with us humans to complicate things, all things. It sometimes comes across as variations of typical “comfort mechanism” humans normally default to. In theoretical pattern form, it seems that throughout our entire evolutionary journey we had to be able to work in the day and sleep at night without complete knowledge of the major life staples we depend on. Cavemen had to wake up, and through consistency, developed a complacency so they didn’t fear the big yellow ball and the resulting heat from its extended presence or the cold from its absence. They didn’t wonder if it was going to fall from the sky at any moment or not come up in the morning.
Religion, at its core, is a group of people who come up with an agreed upon answer about the unknown elements of our life. Of course, as humans it is then complicated with rote rituals or devout immobile beliefs that do not grow with general knowledge as these unknown elements of life are given measurable explanations. Instead we are given a perpetual treadmill of constantly catching up to the GREATER PLAN that is always JUST beyond our understanding. We are stupid, sinful humans… and such knowledge is not for us. The resulting ‘ignorance is bliss’ gives us comfort in the unknown and thus we are then able to work during the day and sleep at night. Yes, the unknown can be disruptive and a phobia, but the familiar unknown can be a life-long comfort. Consistent familiar unknowns are the grains of wheat that eventually lead to a tale of Jesus performing a miracle with the loaves and fishes. The other half, of course, would be having a successful hook to the story.

Phizzy

Those in the U.K will remeber the late Morcambe and Wise comedy duo, and their famous sketch where Eric plays the piano dreadfully for the famous conductor Andre Previn.

Mr Previn, who Eric insists on calling Mr Preview, accuses Eric of playing "all the wrong notes", Eric grabs him by the lapels and says "I am playing all the right notes,......... not necessarily in the right order !".

So, even in music a degree of accuracy is expected.

But your question is valid Terry, not one asked by JW's, or thought about much I guess.

This leads to the question, if their Jehovah does not recognise the value of sincerely serving him, but with erroneous teachings, and insists that only accurate truth is good enough for salvation, what happens to all the sincere ones who have died from Chas Russell down to the latest Noo Lite, all of whom served sincerely no doubt, but with erroneous teachings, are they all damned ?

Terry

Well-stated and an important thing for each of us to take the time to consider.

I have met so many people who are amazing helpers to their fellow human beings who have "different" beliefs.

Why sort them out and destroy all but one?

AndDontCallMeShirley

Why does any god care if you hold in your mind a point of theology which isn't 100% correct?

---

Especially when that god (hypothetically, if one existed) has given no clear answers from day one, and after thousands of years, even the most devoted people are still scratching their heads in confusion.

Oh, but any misinterpretation is OUR fault, not god's.

Convenient.

Glander

Thanks, Terry. I appreciate the math/music analogy. It is applicable in many areas where strict cults come up against people who are "live and let live" advocates and are humble enough to accept that nobody has all the answers.

Larsinger58

God is flexible. Punishments are meted out sometimes based on the ability or knowledge of an individual. For instance, those who take it upon themselves to be teachers and thus to influence others are said to have a heavier penalty for their error. Jews during the time of Jesus who should have recognized him as the messiah will have a heavier judgment since they had the benefit of scripture, etc. So it depends.

Further, even if God does indeed impose a very high standard, one which the Law Code proved no one could meet, he still can show "mercy" which is subjective and "forgiveness."

With God, though, it is also good to look at the BIG PICTURE and not so much the details. That is, what is God's ultimate plan for mankind? What does he see as achieving the eventual ideal? Life everlasting in a world of peace and harmony and open sex -- a love feast. That's what is planned for the paradise earth. All will be the same sex, like the angels. But just think. If there is say 4 billion people who will live in the earth throughout eternity and you need to meet each one, say even have an intimate relationship with each one every other year, then it would take 8 billion years to complete that cycle at the end of which time you would have had sex with every other human on the planet and you could say you know them.

Plus there will be no silly restrictions on drug use so you could get high every day if you want. Some people never get used to that and living forever is a day too short. Perhaps drugs teach us that some things are "addictive" and thus we will never get enough, which is the requirement for not getting too bored living forever.

Just my thoughts.

I know lots out there are frustrated with God and want to indict him directly or indirectly for the predicament we are in, but ultimately, Satan has to blame for a lot of man's ills and so is our personal choices or the choices of evil men. But in the end, a wonderful, creative world of people who are loving and appreciative is the goal. We're near a critical time in the plan, though, with the millennium to begin soon.

Fernando

In my experience the (legalistic, dogmatic and pedantic) math approach is sponsored by the "god of religion", whereas the music (gospel of grace) approach is sponsored by the "God of Abraham".

(Why does the "true religion" secretly blind its followers to the "Good News" according to Paul, Moses, Isaiah and Psalms?)

Indian Larry

In a way couldn't it be said that Cain and Able each gave god gifts? Apparently one was not acceptable.

myelaine

dear Terry...

suppose that Jesus gave the church the 100% correct theology and conferred on them the absolute teaching authority regarding that theology. Suppose that the church became known as the Catholic Church and they still had the authority and 100% correct theology. Suppose Luther came along and disagreed with the hierchy established in the Catholic Church while upholding that they were 100% correct in the theology. Suppose God says, "no one has "tampered" with My "Being" so, I'm ok with this development." But, suppose eventually others come along and start tampering with the 100% correct theology...they paint an entirely different picture of who God is...they even go so far as to make stuff up, listen to otherworldly entities, draw people out after themselves and or their ideas and completely disregard anything that the original teaching authority said. Why should God make allowances for sincerity if the 100% correct theology is still on the table?

Doesn't pride play a role in refusal to come under authority, to take direction?

I'm speaking specifically about nominally "christian" cults but maintaining that islam is the true religion of peace has become a pretty tough row to hoe lately as well.. I can see God's hand in making it almost impossible for man to sincerely believe these other "theologies" without making a conscience decision to turn from Him. I see that this many years into the history of the church He has made it easy to believe that the Catholic Church was given the teaching authority, 100% correct theology...God's Being hasn't changed in their hands where almost weekly He is moulded like clay in the hands of others.

God is placing all manner of hurdles before those who would tamper with His Being. It's to the point were other "theologies" don't come across as a more "enlightened" view of The God that the jewish and christian congregations worshipped but more like a reinvented God...a post-modern God more like we suppose ourselves to be...a better God than Jesus Himself could have imagined...it seems.

love michelle

A QUESTION NOBODY EVER ASKS....

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