Above all, you are not to ask such logical questions as “If God wanted strict obedience to His laws, why did He create the possibility of those laws being violated?” Ah, your teachers tell you – because God wanted you to have “free choice”. Yet what kind of choice is free when to choose one thing over another brings condemnation? How is “free will” free when it is not your will, but someone else’s which must be done? Those who teach you this would make a hypocrite of God.
(quoted from Conversations with God, Book 1, p62)
When I first read these words I was astonished that I had never made this self-evident observation for myself. But of course I had no choice but to ignore its obvious truth, otherwise my whole christian house of cards would have to come tumbling down. To be quite honest, sometimes I am so overwhelmed with gladness to have finally broken free from the tyranny of christian fundamentalism that I feel like weeping for joy.
June 20, 2008 at 11:59 pm |
Hi Jon,
Exactly. The whole argument of “chosing hell” or “chosing to reject God” is absurd. I feel the same way…
…and most people… because they are Christians… will not understand at all and will CHOOSE to believe that people like us are just selfish and stubborn… and, apparently really want to go to hell. ?!?
~smj
June 21, 2008 at 12:09 pm |
Hi Samantha,
LOL! Great point and great to “see” you again. Isn’t it funny (and rather sad) that there is a group who choose to believe not only in the absurd notion of hell, but that those who do not choose to believe as they do will go there! Incredible!
Jon
June 28, 2008 at 8:18 am |
It is joyful to free yourself. These are such true words. The powers of the church would never want you to believe this for they would fear they would not have a job.
July 5, 2008 at 7:03 am |
Unfortunately the philosophy and theology of leading the lambs, came about because many do follow blindly like lambs. When we look at life as an all or nothing and try to lump everyone into the same, we find that we take away rather than grant freedoms. Remember this, if you remember nothing, all people are not of the same mind set, many will never have the mentality or capability to think or choose for themselves. The hierarchy was established because of the abilities or lack of abilities. Some people will always be leaders, other followers and still yet many rebels of societies main stream. It just always makes me appreciate more the phrase ” live and let live” We are here to follow up own path, but for many that path will be dependent on others, ” different doesn’t make it wrong, it makes it different”. All I know is some need the church to guide them and others feel free to live life appreciating a higher power with out guidance and some even to believe that we are alone in the mega picture. Except the beauty of diversity, only when people can truly appreciate, cultural, religious and societal differences. can we come together as a whole. Respect of others shall lead us into a peaceful future. aaaaaaahh removes my “rose colored glasses” Heaven and Hell for many is the creation of a conscience, and by all means if that keeps them in check into not striking out physically or verbally against another human being, long live heaven and Hell!!!!
July 5, 2008 at 8:19 am |
Some of the differences between the God of the Bible and the God of CWG are subtle. The big difference is in judgment and punishment (or lack of it).
The God of the Bible wants us to behave in a certain way. We have the freedom to disobey, but if we do then we burn in hell eternally. Unless of course we say we’re sorry before we die – and not a moment later. Which all sounds less like a way to run a universe than some kind of perverted idea for a TV game show. If you play the game really skilfully, you can spend all your life doing the hedonism stuff and then apologize with your last breath.
With CWG, there is still a preferred way of behaving, but God is much more relaxed if we do things differently, secure in the knowledge that we’ll all get it right eventually.
July 10, 2008 at 10:13 pm |
SImon,
It is indeed a big difference to move from a model where not only does God care about what we do but actually have a will for each of us that we must seek to follow, to a model where God does not care one way or the other, and does not require our obedience or worship!! But, once we let go of the idea that the outcome is in doubt, I find there is great relief and security in knowing that “if God is the target, it’s impossible to miss!”
Jon
July 10, 2008 at 10:16 pm |
Rachel,
My hope is that one day I will be finally comfortanle to bless each and every model that people choose to hold (even one that asserts a heaven and a hell in the afterlife!). Not there yet, but working on it. As you so rightly point out, if it serves them and “keeps them in check” then so much the better. (trouble is sometimes it can also produce a very grating arrogance)
Jon
July 11, 2008 at 9:31 am |
Hey Jon…
First of All, thanks for the wonderful words of encouragement that you left on my Blog, it is greatly appreciated.
I love these verses in the CWG about Free Will. When I read these words I almost exploded with Joy. I think we have created a god in our own image and gave this god all the fears, Ego and Drama that we have birth in ourselves. We took something Deep, Made it Shallow and called it Deep.
Gary
July 18, 2008 at 7:00 am |
Notice how Creative our Wills ARE. Notice that whatever Ideal we choose to Idolize, we become?
Our problems in Understanding and Comprehension are caused by a little concept we call ‘our Identity’.
As a child of man we Identify ourselves with our dust. As a child of God, we Identify ourselves with our Soul & Spirit.
“Fear of death” goes with the worship of our dust, where “Love of Life” goes with worship of our Spirit.
What most of us have been taught, is to believe in the rewards of one while choosing to practice the other.
Ask: do I believe in Universal Law? Do I believe in reaping and sowing?
Then ask: do I believe Life has treated me fairly?
Most of our responses are going to be contradictions. We’ll say we believe in Universal Law but would just like to see some of it while we’re living. (smiling)
When the key to Understanding is realizing that the Justice of Universal Law is ALL that we’ve been seeing.
Why would “God” need to play a crap game with loaded dice?
August 25, 2008 at 5:34 am |
Actually, I have more freedom obeying God than I ever had when I was a slave to sin; perhaps, you were never truly born-again to enjoy the peace and freedom that comes from Jesus. It’s quite liberating just as the Bible declares.
But to address your assertion in the post about free will, would you have rather been a robot? God does not force you to obey Him; you can chose the alternative, sin & death. There are only two choices.
God hates sin because it wrecks havoc; but, He won’t force Himself on anyone. God wants people to love Him and He pays great dividends.
Satan, on the other hand, gives you an apple (temporary fun through sin) so he can steal your paradise (Heaven & God’s Glory). When you serve self, you are an angel of the devil; selfish, prideful & vain.
There are only two roads.
(Joshua 24:15) “… choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
August 25, 2008 at 5:48 am |
To Simon – the game is not played that way at all; one cannot repent unless the Holy Spirit convicts a person to see their sin(s) before God. If you think that you can manipulate God with such an innuendo of a last-minute prayer, then you are seriously deluded.