What God? Where?
QUESTION: Sometimes I enjoy to stalk the news on TV. Every now and then i have been struck by some story which really makes me think.
One in particular was the news that a man who was legally over the alcahol limit had crashed on the motorway, injuring two and killing two. What came next were the details. The driver was a footballer on his way home from a party the morning after. The adults in the car he collided with survived but their two young twin boys age (around) 5 both died in the crash. The report went on to show compelling clips of the two sweet young blonde twin boys, who were football fans themselves, and who ultimatley would have had the rest of their little lives ahead of them. How could this be?
Life is intellegent and has always made intellegent choices. I believe that those boys were chosen to die that die so that the impact of their story would perhaps be felt and inspire true outrange and finally change. I know this wont be a popular theorie but I klnow also that this is not the only story which seems to provoke a similar view in me. What do you think?
_________
When you say "I believe that those boys were chosen to die that day so that the impact of their story would perhaps be felt and inspire true outrage and finally change..."
My mind is flooded with questions which are answers in themselves.
1. Who would have "chosen" them to die? If you're going to say "god" chose them, then that requires a huge leap of faith which has been debated since the dawn of time. If you prefer the more modernized version of saying "spirit" chose them to die, then the implication is that spirit is an intelligent force, a deity in its own right, and that it predetermines our lives by some whim of its own. So that takes us right back to another name for God. And, not to mention the consequences of such a choice - how many lives would it destroy in addition to the two who actually died? Is God such a bad communicator that s/he would need to make an example of innocent children, shatter the lives of their parents and everyone else involved, not to mention all the relatives, et al? If God is that inefficient in his "choices," s/he needs to go back to Common Sense 101.
2. When you go forward into the conclusion that the reason for this choice to kill these boys would be to bring forth awareness in other humans, don't forget that this kind of thing happens every day. If that's god's way of awakening our awareness, it doesn't seem to be working very well, since drunks are still rampant on the highways and tragedies of this calibre are, sadly, not uncommon. So, if god or spirit or some sentient (but malevolent) deity wanted to awaken our awareness to drunk drivers, I'd say a more practical way to achieve that would be to reinstate prohibition. But, then, of course, the humans would only find other ways to get themselves high and kill one another, or they'd do it while talking on their cell phones and text messaging and the like.
3. I like the sentiment of your statement - that it's a wake-up call - but the implications of saying the boys were chosen to die is too much like the xtian doctrine of claiming "God works in mysterious ways" whenever something happens that disrupts our comfort zones. The explanation is just another comfort zone.
. I just tend to have a personal button with regard to the notion of any type of god or deity that would choose children (or anyone/thing else) to die, just as a way to make its point. One more reason I could never believe in the god my mother tried to sell me back when I was 7.
"Mom, why do we put men in jail who kill other men?"
"Because they're evil, honey."
"Then is God evil, Mom?"
"No, honey. God is good."
"But last week you said God killed my Uncle Jack because he wanted him with him in heaven. So why isn't God in prison with those other men?"
"Eat your turnips, honey. You think too much."
Maybe I do. I have folks on other forums occasionally tell me I should just let it go, be free, accept all things as they are, and grin like an idiot all the way to the grave while suckling at the teat of all those things humans tell themselves so they can feel better during the day and sleep better at night.
There are times when I wish I could do that.
Then I come to my senses and remember why I'm on this path. It's a solitary journey. No gods or devils. No malevolent deities deciding my fate. No guardian angels protecting me from the predatory universe. Some would say it's not a pretty picture - and believe me, it's not a popular opinion either. *LOL* That's okay. If I wanted to sell it, I'd dress it up in pretty clothes and offer it with tours to Peru or retreats in the desert.
I tried that route briefly. Very, very briefly. Planned a retreat here in Joshua Tree, secured the facility, even went so far as to do some major advertising. Then, again, I came to my senses when Wendy said to me: "You're too honest, Della. You can't tell people what they want to hear without choking on the lie."
I cancelled the retreat and removed the "for sale" sign on my spirit. And that was the end of my days as a "guru." There's undoubtedly lots of money in it, judging by the amount of new age practitioners peddling shaman tours and the like, but I rather doubt there's much real truth in it. Why? Because when push comes to shove, people don't really want truth. They want to feel good. The two aren't mutually exclusive, but it's a long, hard road to that place where the apprentice finally realizes her own silent knowing (gnosis) and then there is no more mistaking truth for lies or lies for truth.
Of course, the problem with THAT is that most people (even most who claim to be warriors or seekers) really aren't interested in walking that road, despite what they will tell you. So, right back to square one, where folks really want-to-believe in their malignant gods and unseen angels. Guess it's easier than the truth of Knowing we are alone in the universe. Each of us - entirely alone.
A friend of mine once said, "I'd rather eat alone every night than dine with a roomful of gods or gurus."
Indeed.
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