Does God Want you to be Rich? (Part 3 of 4)

What are you implying here? Do you believe people who are devout Catholics are not as smart as the "freethinkers" in society? Do you believe that their God and His teachings have to be molded to "fit in" with modern culture? The main aspect of most religions in the world is the teaching of consistent moral behavior and values. They have a strong faith in their religion because they really do believe in the principles of that morality. Wealth, technology, science, or medicine does not compare to the spiritual connection felt in one's religion. The people who hold these beliefs dearly are not foolish or ignorant. They do believe that God loves them and they do believe that He wants them to live a happy and prosperous life. I don't think Christians beat themselves up for being successful. I think you may be missing the point of what religion offers to its faithful.

I think I’ve put all my cards on the table without implying any insults. This essay is about the relationship between religion and psychology. I hypothesize that man can not look at the universe in the same way he did 300 years ago, including how he conceives of God. In case I need a disclaimer, I admit that I could be wrong. I observe that many, many people I know, of all ages, are not getting the comfort they need from the “old” theology. You ask whether I believe the church has to mold itself to the culture. I say no, the church doesn’t have to do anything. The church can do what it wants. It just won’t be helping all of the people I know who are disillusioned. They will have to find their answers somewhere else. If this is the result the church is looking for, they should not change a thing. I’m sincerely happy for you if your faith gives you peace. I consider myself a participant in Christianity and that’s why I am a tough critic of it.

Lastly, you mentioned moral behavior and values. I’ve always felt these would be a natural result of people being at peace with themselves and the creator. Anyway, I did not go there in this essay, so I wonder why you bring it up? Are you saying that people who have given up perceiving God as a domineering patriarch don’t have moral values? Again, you can see “him” in whatever way brings peace to your heart. I would like to see God defined or presented in a way that will not make so many people neurotic. If it can, perhaps morality will live to see a better day. Not to mention world peace.

You base and measure Gods love for us to the material things we now posess as compared to our ancestors who were serfs and poor farmers etc. So God loves you more now because you can sit with your laptop and spew whatever as compared to when your great great grandfather had to use a quill pen ? And because he loves you more, you can sort of relate to him a little easier than grandad. He's alot nicer, more acceptable and accesable. In fact, it makes you feel like you can even hangout with this God. He is just one of the boys. You are even more equal to him as well. No need to bow down and fear anymore, right ? Tell that to the victims of the tsnuamis and the displaced hurricane victims. The children who see war. The old and frail, the diseased. The guy who sits in a wheel chair or the blind.

No my friend, your ancestors never qualified Gods love on their comforts nor should you. And let me nip it in the bud before I'm accused of saying God punished the people of the tsunami's or New Orleans or 9 / 11. I'm no right wing evangelist yet who are we to say anyway. My God, destroyed this earth once already by flood when he had lost patience with the acceptance of evil by human beings. He also destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gommmorah among many interventions including wars. What mans belief in God has always been based is not material things and comforts but the human condition in itself.

We are the only species who know we are going to die. We are the only ones that ponder where we came from and where we are going. We have concience and the ability to measure right and wrong and we have the ability to know that there is at least the possibility of a higher power and that alone even on the unreligious determine our good behavior so as to please him and yeah, to not piss him off. My God is a loving God who has also given us free will. He gives every chance to do the right thing. We are not animals, he made us " beings " in his image !

The time to " hang " with him will be there for all who worship him and live justly in the face of this evil earth. With all it's porn and greed, and abortion and war and self gratification through wealth and sex and drug use etc. My God is someone to fear and worship and love all at the same time. His promise after sending his only son to be sacrificed so as to cleanse this earth is nothing short of eternal salvation and everlasting life. Now, the people you know who are dissappointed and this "New Thought" is really only people who feel God like themselves and got a little taste of power and now feel hurt that they can't have it all. So they get pissed off at God because they can't live forever on this great planet with all it's pleasures. So surely we need to re - think this whole God thing, hence then comes this New Thought which comes with every generation that improves the quality of life over that of their fathers. Give em a little and they want more.

You say you live a somewhat Christian life and this is why you are tough on it, questioning it. Hopfully I helped you in your uneasyness with your faith though that was not my intention. I'm only saying the church and it's leaders, the Pope in my case stand firm and will bend but never break for modern society and it's advances. If you can't cut it then thats to bad. It's not easy being Catholic or even Christian today but we have an attitude that says, if you can't stand the heat, you should get used to it because it's a lot hotter in hell.

"My God is someone to fear and worship and love all at the same time."

"...if you can't stand the heat, you should get used to it because it's a lot hotter in hell."

is'nt that what they say ?

But I don't know your god,
so the saying doesn't really apply here.

There is only one God Antonia, just different views and interpretations of him.

AnthonyB, I appreciate your comments and I have nothing bad to say about anyone's personal faith, other than to say that it might not be right for me. But I feel I should respond to a couple of assumptions or generalizations you made...

First, I am not uneasy in my faith, I don't know what led you to think so. Secondly, I didn't say I lead a somewhat Christian life. How a person "leads their life" is a behavioral question. I never said I'm well-behaved, although darn it I usually am, but just 'cuz I don't get out enough. I don't define faith this way. Third, the books I've read on New Thought -- it makes me cringe to give a name to this thing -- have nothing to do with power, self-gratification or being pissed off. But again, I appreciate the dialogue and yer OK by me.

Look, we all question our faith and purpose in life and of course our institutions. That is the human condition. When you said you were a " participant " and thus a critic, I may have misread that to mean you were merely going along and misinterpreted that to be that you were probably uneasy in your faith. We all go through this but I apologize for reading between the lines and assuming. Usualy people will say " I am a Christian " or " I am Catholic ". I don't say i'm participating in the Catholic faith. That along with your other posts have shown me a young man who seems confused and even angry with religion in general. This is not a critisism but an observation which I see all to regularly in life. Again, your cool , I'm cool, I hope you find answers and I apologize for the fact I tend to get a little overheated but i've been bombarded in recent years and i'm like that movie," I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore " lol, good luck.

Joe, I think you took my comment the wrong way. I am not insulted by what you said, and I don't think anything you said was insulting. I'm just not sure where you're going with all of this. If people feel their religion is not providing them with the comfort they desire, why do they continue to practice it? They shouldn't change the teachings of their faith, they should probably seek another faith altogether. Religions have morals and symbolic stories established within their faith. It is a "take it or leave it" approach that most of them preach. If you're going to be a part of that community, be a part of it and follow its teachings. If you can't comply because of certain social conditions or if you're not comfortable with the answers it provides for you, then don't be a member of that religious community.

People get caught up with believing they need to be part of something, then when they can't follow certain beliefs they get frustrated and want to change them instead of simply leaving. If that's the psychological aspect you were referring to, then we can agree. I don't think any individual should try to change the belief structure of their religion for the sole purpose of a particular disagreement. If your religion is not compatible with the lifestyle that makes you happy, then find a new religion.

Very well said -- but how many people are uncomfortable? If it reaches critical mass, the institution will adapt to what people's hearts/minds/gut feelings are telling them, instead of the other way around. When it looks like times are changing, you can't tell if you're in the middle of a fad, or the beginning of a movement. (Sort of like when rock 'n' roll started, people dismissed it, and now the London Symphony Orchestra has their own rock guitarist.) I suspect that is what is going on here and why you've got all this "feel good" stuff coming from Evangelicals, but it's new wine in old wineskins for them. My perspective is having been Catholic, Protestant, Unity, and hung out with some Charismatics, Evangelicals, whatever. As a generalization, the only ones who don't seem to have a lot of angst about their faith are the ones who have freed themselves from traditional religion, but they ain't giving up on Jesus. I think these old religions are pregnant with people wanting to split, they just haven't figured out where to go yet, and they can't put their finger on why they feel so conflicted.

As a Catholic, my view of this started with Martin Luther. It has always been difficult to be Catholic. No pain no gain lol. To be serious, Luther found he could make changes to suit his view yet he could not completly rid his old foundation to start his new religion. In fact, compared to the many splinter groups from his original Protestantism, his split from Catholocism was mild. Still, however, a split. Hard line Catholics and I don't totaly disagree may say Luther could not cut it as a Catholic, so he made his own religion with it's own doctrine. Then hard line Lutherans would say Calvin could not cut it as a Lutheren etc. You have the Methodists, Presbeteryians, Adventists etc. I personaly know many who have returned to the Catholic faith but I don't disagree with your statement that many churches are bulging with dis - satisfied people. The problem lies with the feel good instant gratification and justify my lifestyle crowd. Boy that was a mouthful. Religion and faith will make you feel good and have peace within but it should never be mistaken for feel good only festival. There is worship, reflection, abstinance for many things, pennance and repenting as in my faith. These things are far from easy and not often instant feel good. If people want that they should join a health spa or a club where they can tan and whirlpool themselves and have martini's afterward with a nice lunch. That is instant feel good and yes, even justify my hard working and lets party life style.

"There is only one God Antonia, just different views and interpretations of him."

Now, really.

That's why religion sucks.

Religion does not suck. There is something beautiful and powerful in the fellowship of a group who feel and worship the same way. And take comfort in their traditions. If your alone it's easier to make qualifications and justifications for your every move. I'm not saying you need religion to worship but please don't say religion sucks. I don't say a lone worshiper sucks. Or even an agnostic or atheist. They don't suck. We are all children of God. Now of course I don't want to say it's my way or the highway as a Catholic. But my faith is descended from the very followers of Jesus Christ, the apostles. My church and our original traditions were made by them as they thought would please Christ. Some things such as communion was an actual directive of Jesus. " Do this to remember me " he said. Did they get it all right. No, they are just men. Still their traditions and what we Catholics call the Apostolic line that has overseen the church to this day try very hard to stay true to what we feel Christ would want while still bending to conform to modern society, Bending , never breaking ! Other faiths and their beliefs I'm sure feel just as passionate about their form of worship. In the end Antonia, it's all good.

Religion blows.

People suck.

just terrible lol

Antonia Dwells