Originally uploaded by bankythehack3000
I took Leia to be washed the other day. And then the most unbelievable thing happened.
She hugged me.
I’ve never been hugged by a car before, so I didn’t know how to react. It was magic. We wept. We laughed.
I think she might be the one . . .
I’ll continue with all the talk of spirituality on Monday. For the time being, enjoy a little lighter fair:
I get LOTS of spam on this thing. The bastards try to leave messages as responses and I fight them off like XO fights off the ladies. Usually its just crap but this one is special. You see this one has subjects, nouns, and the occasional Direct Object. And they throw in the elipsis at the end to show contemplation.
Enjoy randomness:
- Our suggestions to play the best online roulette games and collect free cash bonuses and amazing rewards.I walked that project around one force. A profound top best online roulette games recast above some domestic club. It’s tough to be meant! I flipped that car before the research. It’s deliberate to be muttered! Best roulette games online slapped some best online roulette games. It’s black to be shined! It’s previous to be unlocked! That land has an overall top best online roulette games. I played that price as to one parent. That central week forewent on top of one cool bit. The research is egregiously enormous. Open wall is the balanced week. One top best online roulette games has the unnecessary fact…
In spite of what is commonly thought, I argue that people really like to talk about religion. It’s the listening part people have a problem with. As such, two-way conversations are rarely possible, because it involves more “common understanding” and less “preaching.” Conversations allows for your thinking to be challenged, and if there is one part of our lives we typically don’t want challenged, it would be our religious beliefs.
Prepare to be challenged.
I don’t believe in God, but I don’t cede a spiritual life to those that do. Walking a spiritual path is a priority for me, and as such, I’ve arrived at some answers I am going to share with you. It’s very possible I have some of the answers wrong, and as such, I’d like to hear why. You see, it’s not important that I’m right. It’s more important to get it right or at the very least, get closer to the “truth,” whatever that may be.
So, like Beck, let’s break it down:
1. You should question everyone and everything before you call it a belief.
The buddhists have a saying, “If you see the Buddha on the side of the road, kill him” which is meant to suggest no one can tell you what to believe. You have to figure it out for yourself. If something doesn’t make sense, you should question it and preferably question him/her. If their ultimate response is that the answer can be found in a holy book or God told them, how is that good enough for you to base a belief on? The Gospel of John tells the story of Doubting Thomas as a way to illustrate it is bad to question God. If God is all great and powerful, can’t he/she/it withstand a question from one of his followers? But, Banky, that’s what faith is all about! Hold onto that thought.
2. You should be able to validate for yourself whatever is claimed.
You should not HAVE to take someone’s word that something is true. For whatever is claimed, you should be given the right to “try it on” and determine for yourself whether it makes sense. For instance, if someone told you “21 + 21 = 57,” you should be able to validate whether or not this is true. In other words, if you have a spiritual belief, it should be grounded in some reality you can relate to. If it doesn’t, you are free to ask questions until satisfied with whether or not a solution can be offered, rejected, or tabled later for further thinking. Which leads us to:
3. Whatever is spirtual should be reflective of the best that humanity has to offer.
Think of those you admire. What qualities do they possess? Do they generally seem happy? What is it about them that make them appear happy? What characteristics do they exhibit? Do they exhibit:
We’re all human, but in general, these aren’t characteristics of healthy, happy people. If God exhibits these qualities and, in fact, these qualities are celebrated in a particular religion, a red flag should go off in your head.
4. If your answer doesn’t reflect a positive answer to any of the above, you should probably reject the belief and continue seeking.
At this point, something smells rotten to you. Don’t ignore that smell. If the thought stinks, it can affect your other thoughts. Let go of your “stinkin thinkin” and seek for a better smelling answer.
5. You don’t know everything. Repeat the process if necessary.
There are things in life you will never understand. Part of being enlightened is knowing you aren’t. Trust your instincts though. Have the confidence that you can make these decisions. Let go and move on.
Next, Part II: The process in action and I’ll address “faith.”
There are two conversations I love to have with people, one on politics and the other on religion. There’s something to be said for those uncomfortable moments in life where you’re not quite sure if you’re going to tear someone’s head off for feeling differently or give someone a hug because you’ve found common ground.
Spirituality is my focus today, inspired by a Catholic believer by the name of Logtar. He posts about his search for truth and how he has landed in Catholicism, a religion he grew up believing. Not surprisingly, religion is intricately tied to where you live. For instance, if you grew up in America, it’s quite likely you were baptised Christian. In India, it’s quite likely that you are Hindu, Thailand, a Buddhist, and so on. So one can surmise that our search for truth is typically one of convenience or comfort. And one can further surmise that our search for truth is dependent upon what our parents told us.
I have come to understand that our times of greatest clarity and understanding comes right after we’ve been challenged. If sprituality is the fire of our lives, than those uncomfortable challenging moments are the gasoline. And rather than avoid those moments and take comfort in just what we know, why not dive head first into the unknown, all the while knowing that you will emerge different and more evolved on the other side?
Being an Athiest, a Catholic, Presbyterian or Hindu is not the pinnacle of enlightenment. It is merely a stepping stone to the truth that is inevitably out there waiting to be discovered. And isn’t discovery exciting? It’s the same reason we stay to the end of a movie when we know the ending ahead of time (Titanic anyone?). It’s discovering “how” it ends that makes all the difference.
Life is more than a movie (even Star Wars, peeps). And its exponentially more exciting discovering the answers for yourself, especially when you contribute to the end of the story with each passing day.
