Jump to content

How much does God really "control"?


Recommended Posts

Tanyasinclair

Just to warn you, I may sound self-contradictory in this post at times, because I have mixed views on the subject and.... I guess I have kind of a toss-up feeling over it, where I feel it's all a little of this, and a little of that.

 

Also... I guess one of my pet peeves when it comes to spirituality, religion, and God is that.... at the risk of sounding like an uptight snob, (I probably am one in some ways,) I sometimes just... can't handle it very well if I feel I have learned/enhanced my knowledge in one area, and then i try to share that with someone else, (possibly the person who taught me conflicting information that I think is a tad ignorant or not fully understood), and... the other person won't bend or even take what I'm saying into consideration.

 

And.... again, at the risk of sounding like a completely unfair, arrogant snob, I guess I am left feeling like I'm living with someone who willfully chooses to stay in the dark, refusing to bend, because.... for whatever reason, even if I can't fathom it, they want to think/believe the way they think/believe, and even when you try to present them with differing, more coherent, or what you feel are more logical facts, it gets brushed off or they twist it around into some version of what they already think.

 

Lately, my biggest pet peeve in this area has been as follows:

 

As the title of the thread says, it's the factor of.... just how much God is or isn't in control. Anyone who grows up in a Christian household (especially the kind where we were all taught that all liberals are "evil") is basically taught that there is good and evil, God controls everything, and anything bad is of the devil.

 

The only problem is that this also can lead to some very complicated concepts and logic. And it can also lead to contradictory.

 

"God is in control". That is what my mother firmly believes, and the reason why this bugs me so much is because it clashes with my own learned opinion that while God is all-knowing and omnipresent, He chooses not to control everything, because that defeats the purpose of free will.

 

I mean, it just seems like people who put too much stock into taking the Bible literally and believing that God is in complete control of everything, seem to discount the human factor and how individuals have their own mindsets and their own free will.

 

I have heard my mother say that sometimes people will do things because the devil gets into them, or because God made it happen. Like if she's working a long shift at work and when a long line shows up when she's about to get off the cash register, she will say later that "For some reason God chose to bring all those people to me right then." It's just.... why blame God for something that happened in a common daily occurance?

 

Sometimes, things just kinda happen on their own. You trip over your shoelace because you forgot to tie your shoe. You burp because you drank too much soda. You get sick because you happened to get too close to someone who has a cold. While I feel that God may integrate some of these natural-occurring factors into His planning, I don't believe that He magically makes or forces anything to happen, and I also feel that God won't get personally involved in your life or anything that happens unless He is invited or asked to do so.

 

Again, respecting free will.

 

I guess another thing that just really got on my nerves one time was... when I was trying to debate a little bit, that God doesn't make EVERYTHING happen, my mother said that it must be the devil that makes it happen then, and when I said sometimes it's not him either, she got flustered and was like, "Well, WHOEVER is in charge of making everything that happens the way it does happen, then!" And I simply chose to drop the subject and I don't engage in that kind of discussion anymore, especially since she no longer brings it up much either.

 

It's just that... while she was going through a phase of questioning her own beliefs, I presented my own opinions because she was questioning and I thought I could enlighten her just a bit, and in some areas, I think I sorta did. And I never meant to be disrespectful or anything. Just....

 

I guess I just can't help but find it kind of annoying when someone seems to believe whole-heartedly that God and Satan are in charge and in control of every single little thing that every human being thinks, does, plans, etc. If they do something bad that hurts others, then the devil was controlling that person and they weren't listening to God, I guess. If they do something wonderful, then God was controlling them and making it happen.

 

I... do feel that it is important to place faith in God, but if it reaches the point where you place so much faith in God and Satan that you are completely oblivious to the human factor, human free will, and how humans are perfectly capable of acting on their own accord and doing awesome or terrible acts on their own.... I think there is a problem.

 

And yet... I don't believe that God is a dormant, background entity either... one way or another, He's watching, and He's influencing things, sometimes it's just not in this magical or mystical way that some people seem to think.

 

That is my opinion anyway, and... I apologize if I came across as demeaning, arrogant, snobby, or anything like that, I didn't mean to sound that way if I did, and I hope I haven't offended anyone. If I did, let me know so I can clarify what I was trying to say. ^^;

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

Response from an liberal athiest:

 

I have raised my kids with the idea that everyone has a right to believe what they do. It's not for us to decide if someone else's views are right or wrong. We simply accept. My kids were to never to try and persuade anyone to follow their personal beliefs and likewise, not accept anyone else trying to 'enlighten' them.

 

I'm happy to listen to what someone else believes. I've had some really interesting conversations about religion. As long as they talk about how their religion pertains to themselves and they don't try to make me think differently.

 

In your case, I would suggest that you don't try and tell your mom that she could think differently about God. And likewise, she shouldn't be telling you that her way is right either. I guess it's difficult when she's hard wired to believe as she does....so your choices are to firmly say that you respect her beliefs but don't want to hear them. Or just smile and nod.

Edited by basil67
  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

IMO, God controls nothing, as there is no God. However, like basil, I don't tell people they're wrong unless they try to impose their beliefs on me. I am happy to let them live and believe as they wish - and many believers are truly wonderful people - as long as they extend the same courtesy to me and don't try to impose any religion-inspired dogmatic values on people in general.

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

Does God control what we do? This question has been debated since the beginning, and you will find all kinds of answers. You will find Presbyterians who believe in predestination and other denominations who believe God does not take an active role in our lives at all. It's really just opinion. Religion is a way to cope with life and a way to make sense of this world. I wouldn't get too bent out of shape over what someone else believes because, again, it's all opinion. It certainly makes for some interesting debates and circular logic at times.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Know what one of my pet peeves is? Spiritual talk on forums. Not because I think it's a bad idea to talk about things, but as soon as spiritual talk comes up in a forum, it floods with opinions so quickly, it makes debating or even just communicating very difficult for me. I can never keep up with the conversations because a lot of posts turn into walls of text that are usually argumentative, and poorly written (not all, but enough to make participating unbearable). And by the time I can answer one person, there have been 3 more pages of other comments. It's just annoying.

 

I would do one on one conversing in PM. Or maybe if more people could be respectful, as well as concise, in a thread. But a free-for-all like this, yuck, strain on my eyes, and not worth the philosophizing, which takes a lot of mind energy to write, as well as light meditation, to get in touch with my spiritual side to give an answer that was as honest as possible for me.

 

With that said, I'll briefly respond to this, but probably won't go much further because I will most likely become frustrated with the way talks like this go in all forums.

 

In my view: it's sort of like both are true at the same time. God does not control anything, yet all happens according to His/Her/Its will.

 

Peace.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
lionlover1973

You're referring to sovereignty, correct?

 

Well, in that case - yes, he controls everything.

 

But, that doesn't mean you have to believe it.

 

I actually tend to think that our life is predetermined - and we live the same life, perhaps in different dimensions (science says there is a strong possibility that there are in fact multiple universes), until we achieve our sovereign purpose. That's when we are gifted with the entrance to heaven (or hell, for that matter).

 

That could possibly explain why people have deja vu. I've encountered deja vu where in that moment, I can predict (in my mind) exactly what's going to happen in the next few seconds.

 

That's just my musing on the subject. I'm not sure whether or not God controls everything.

 

One of my favorite movies, (with one of my favorite actors: Al Pacino, he plays satin and gives us his version of God, and Free Will):

 

 

Love Al Pacino.

Link to post
Share on other sites
I guess I just can't help but find it kind of annoying when someone seems to believe whole-heartedly that God and Satan are in charge and in control of every single little thing that every human being thinks, does, plans, etc.

Well...it really depends the level at which you want to define certain terms and ideas.

 

In dualistic consciousness, there must exist both ‘good’ and ‘evil’ in conflict or opposition to, and relative to, each other; thus, the temptation to resist ‘the tree of knowledge of relative good and evil’ is one of the Initiations in Spirit that each one of us has faced.

In non-duality, the Living God exists in ONENESS with All That Is, and, therefore, does not oppose or conflict with any other Being, force or agent. (Those in lesser-lower consciousness do have a sense of conflict against God and other people, and against outer-manifest conditions, circumstances and situations – but the Living God is above and beyond, perceiving/seeing only with ‘the single eye’.)

 

The original cause of the consciousness of separation and duality in which humanity is trapped today, is the direct result of the rebellion against the Living God, led, in our Sphere, by Lucifer (not Satan, who was a mere follower of Lucifer) – however, you are correct that each individual is 100% responsible for our own beliefs, thoughts, feelings, words, and actions and inaction; and for using our free will and co-creative Power to help manifest the Living God’s kingdom on Earth.

 

Spiritual ignorance, blindness and arrogance obviously come out of duality or lesser-lower impulses and consciousness – we really do need to be careful, lest we overstep our own spiritual authority and violate (or try to violate) other people’s free will decisions and choices through our own spiritual pride in thinking that we on Earth can ever have any insight at all into where other people are on their own Path, or what they ‘should be’ capable of perceiving and understanding, or what they ‘should be’ thinking, believing, doing and saying.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Just to warn you, I may sound self-contradictory in this post at times, because I have mixed views on the subject and.... I guess I have kind of a toss-up feeling over it, where I feel it's all a little of this, and a little of that.

 

Also... I guess one of my pet peeves when it comes to spirituality, religion, and God is that.... at the risk of sounding like an uptight snob, (I probably am one in some ways,) I sometimes just... can't handle it very well if I feel I have learned/enhanced my knowledge in one area, and then i try to share that with someone else, (possibly the person who taught me conflicting information that I think is a tad ignorant or not fully understood), and... the other person won't bend or even take what I'm saying into consideration.

 

And.... again, at the risk of sounding like a completely unfair, arrogant snob, I guess I am left feeling like I'm living with someone who willfully chooses to stay in the dark, refusing to bend, because.... for whatever reason, even if I can't fathom it, they want to think/believe the way they think/believe, and even when you try to present them with differing, more coherent, or what you feel are more logical facts, it gets brushed off or they twist it around into some version of what they already think.

 

Lately, my biggest pet peeve in this area has been as follows:

 

As the title of the thread says, it's the factor of.... just how much God is or isn't in control. Anyone who grows up in a Christian household (especially the kind where we were all taught that all liberals are "evil") is basically taught that there is good and evil, God controls everything, and anything bad is of the devil.

 

The only problem is that this also can lead to some very complicated concepts and logic. And it can also lead to contradictory.

 

"God is in control". That is what my mother firmly believes, and the reason why this bugs me so much is because it clashes with my own learned opinion that while God is all-knowing and omnipresent, He chooses not to control everything, because that defeats the purpose of free will.

 

I mean, it just seems like people who put too much stock into taking the Bible literally and believing that God is in complete control of everything, seem to discount the human factor and how individuals have their own mindsets and their own free will.

 

I have heard my mother say that sometimes people will do things because the devil gets into them, or because God made it happen. Like if she's working a long shift at work and when a long line shows up when she's about to get off the cash register, she will say later that "For some reason God chose to bring all those people to me right then." It's just.... why blame God for something that happened in a common daily occurance?

 

Sometimes, things just kinda happen on their own. You trip over your shoelace because you forgot to tie your shoe. You burp because you drank too much soda. You get sick because you happened to get too close to someone who has a cold. While I feel that God may integrate some of these natural-occurring factors into His planning, I don't believe that He magically makes or forces anything to happen, and I also feel that God won't get personally involved in your life or anything that happens unless He is invited or asked to do so.

 

Again, respecting free will.

 

I guess another thing that just really got on my nerves one time was... when I was trying to debate a little bit, that God doesn't make EVERYTHING happen, my mother said that it must be the devil that makes it happen then, and when I said sometimes it's not him either, she got flustered and was like, "Well, WHOEVER is in charge of making everything that happens the way it does happen, then!" And I simply chose to drop the subject and I don't engage in that kind of discussion anymore, especially since she no longer brings it up much either.

 

It's just that... while she was going through a phase of questioning her own beliefs, I presented my own opinions because she was questioning and I thought I could enlighten her just a bit, and in some areas, I think I sorta did. And I never meant to be disrespectful or anything. Just....

 

I guess I just can't help but find it kind of annoying when someone seems to believe whole-heartedly that God and Satan are in charge and in control of every single little thing that every human being thinks, does, plans, etc. If they do something bad that hurts others, then the devil was controlling that person and they weren't listening to God, I guess. If they do something wonderful, then God was controlling them and making it happen.

 

I... do feel that it is important to place faith in God, but if it reaches the point where you place so much faith in God and Satan that you are completely oblivious to the human factor, human free will, and how humans are perfectly capable of acting on their own accord and doing awesome or terrible acts on their own.... I think there is a problem.

 

And yet... I don't believe that God is a dormant, background entity either... one way or another, He's watching, and He's influencing things, sometimes it's just not in this magical or mystical way that some people seem to think.

 

That is my opinion anyway, and... I apologize if I came across as demeaning, arrogant, snobby, or anything like that, I didn't mean to sound that way if I did, and I hope I haven't offended anyone. If I did, let me know so I can clarify what I was trying to say. ^^;

 

At least use liberal athiest have not had a war where we killed other atheist to determine who controls the un-holy lands.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author
Tanyasinclair

I was always taught that it is important to try your best to follow the will of God, because God knows everything, He is everywhere, and He knows what is going to happen and how it is going to happen, and when it is going to happen.

 

I also feel that I had to learn over the years that sometimes... it can be difficult to determine what exactly "God's will" is, due to multiple factors. Like.... sometimes, something can seem like the right way to go, but it turns out it wasn't the right thing for you, maybe you only tried to go down that path because someone kept pushing you in that direction.

 

But I also feel there is a matter of balance in some areas, like... sometimes, you really do have to wait for some circumstances or events to line up. But in other areas, you don't get anywhere by sitting on your rear and waiting for some things to happen, there will always be things in life that you have to go out and do for yourself.

 

Plus I have sometimes found that I discovered something I wasn't even looking for while I was out pursuing something that someone else suggested, and this other thing ended up playing a pretty big role in my happiness or made my life easier in some way that it wouldn't have otherwise. So sometimes.... it is good to make the attempt even if you don't get the results you thought you wanted or you thought you were aiming for.

 

But I also feel that one has to be careful with... well, what a former friend of mine once referred to as "fake Jesus vibes", where... I guess it's the kind of thing where you go to a church event or go sing songs and hang out with other believers, you go away feeling really happy, but... it's the kind of thing that wears off after this break when you return to your regularly scheduled life/routine.

 

Plus I think maybe... it could be considered a form of egging one-another on? Just, not in a negative sense where two people encourage or fuel anger or negativity in one-another, but.... it's still the kind of thing where... you get into an atmosphere of vibes, emotion, etc... I almost want to equate it distantly to getting slightly "high", even if it's not the same thing, but the point is.... again, once you return to your regular life, that's it, it ebbs away.

 

But yeah I guess I'm getting a little off-track here. ^^;

 

Either way.....

 

At the start of this year, I made a new years' resolution that was combined with a promise to God that I would spend one entire year indoors. This is partly because I was suffering a lot of emotional aftermath after... some things that have been going on over the last few months. My other posts heavily indicate what. But there is more to it.

 

I have felt for quite some time now that there has been a bit of a war going on inside myself. In a way, I suppose you could even say I did kinda give up on God in some areas, especially as I turned more and more to non-Christian people for guideance and help.

 

Now, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with turning to people of different faiths or those who don't believe in God at all for anything. I can safely say that I learned a lot of things from my former atheist friend I never would have otherwise, and one thing I valued about some of my non-religious friends is that there are some areas where they seemed to have a better grip on reality/realism than some religious folks did (though I am not trying to pick on religious folks either, because there are also plenty of insightful religious peeps.)

 

I think... I don't know. I think I went through something for a while where I didn't really want anything to do with Christians, at least not much. I... don't know if you could say I sorta became a bigot in my own way, it's just.... I felt like I was raised to think that atheists were automatically of the devil, and they promoted evil, etc etc etc. Then I found myself going to almost the opposite extreme, because I found that there are plenty of decent atheists or non-religious people, and I think I became temporarily biased because I had been deeply hurt by some Christians who thought they knew it all.

 

In the end though... I felt like I had to make a symbolic gesture of penance. I had hated my family for so long, I kept focusing on the negative side of things, I kept screaming about how I wanted to move out if I could only get the chance, and my friends.... who kept seeing first-hand how much a lot of the crap had effected me personally, emotionally and mentally, what else could they do except keep pushing me to get out?

 

Especially since.... since I had spent so much time playing up, exaggerating, and overdramatizing the negative side of my family and all the crap that happened, I never said much of anything positive, so... my friends were shocked when I began to shift over to saying my family really isn't that bad, and that we were working things out.

 

In the end, I felt like I had to make a choice. I had to choose my family and God, (and for various reasons, my family needs me and I need them right now) or choose to stay in the negative nest I had made that consisted of people I had "taught" to think my parents were ogres, people who would continue to try and push me to move out or at least do this or that. (Again, partially my fault)

 

The end result, I ditched and hurt a few people, even if... I felt like my time with them was ending anyway, because there were toxic/unhealthy elements and I simply felt like the friendships were on their way out anyway.

 

And so... I guess part of this goes back to the entire notion of "Honor thy mother and father", I felt like by vowing to become a recluse, I was making a significant gesture toward God, showing my family that I was forgiving them and I was going to stay to help them in the ways they needed even despite everything, and it was also a blatant acknowledgement that I'm gonna knock off the childish attitude myself and that I am finally noticing and acknowledging just how much they have been bending over backwards trying to keep me happy even despite everything else.

 

Plus, I'm the type who just doesn't really like going out much anyway. I technically have a few friends in town, but I'm an introvert and I prefer being a recluse. Plus sometimes, when I'm dealing with my own emotions, I need long periods of time alone, or sometimes just talking to one friend on the phone once a week is good enough for me.

 

And there just isn't much out there, plus there is the fact that it is just far easier for my parents to do the grocery shopping since they can always do it right after they get off work, and if I want something I just ask for it and I get it, within reason, (and I try not to ask for too much), and this way is really a lot less of a hassle than having everybody pile into the car and go someplace, especially since we have only one driver in the family (and it's not me) and we have to be careful with the car due to it being on the firtz.

 

So in the end, I have largely happy with being a recluse, and I also felt like the vow to stay indoors was a very powerful symbolic gesture due to how much I had screeched, screamed, raved and complained about how secluded I felt all my life thanks to my family, and now that I have a number of personal freedoms and flexibilties I never had before (plus they never treat me like I am six anymore, and they no longer care if I go outside and never ask where I am going just as long as I am available to perform the obligations I have agreed to), well... I just feel like everything is working now, I can even find it in my heart to forgive them as much as I am ever going to, especially since, as I said, I can recognize they have been trying their best nowadays to make me happy and make up for past mistakes.

 

Overall, I am extremely grateful and blessed, especially since not every family gets this opportunity, and not everyone has the chance to have all/most mistakes acknowledged, aired out, and to get second chances at getting their ***** together. We all pretty much agreed that most families probably would have said "eff it" by this point and left each other a long time ago..... I'm still not sure why we stuck it out or why we're still together or how it happened. I honestly think God may have had a large part in it.

 

But anyway............

 

I broke my vow yesterday. I went outside.

 

But there was a clause in the promise, I will admit. I told God when I made the promise that I would stay indoors unless He somehow made it clear that it was okay for me to go outside again. And for a time.... it seemed like it was perfectly clear I should stay inside, especially since staying indoors was giving me a good chance to heal from some things, to get my thoughts and emotions more organized, and it did seem like I was being gently prevented from going out, because whenever something happened where I COULD have been asked to go out and do something, something else happened instead where I ended up not needing to.

 

But... two days ago, I got into a slight snit with a friend where she told me that I NEEDED fresh air, and if I was doing this for religious purposes, even monks went outside to tend their gardens or deal with traders, and that I couldn't just stay pent up dealing with my family day by day.

 

And.... I started to feel like... maybe it was time? Maybe staying indoors for a little over a month was all the penance required, all the symbolism that was needed. (plus I had to acknowledge more that perhaps another part of the reason why I was doing this in the first place was just the symbolic equivalent of sticking up the middle finger to that one pesky person who kept telling me I NEEDED to spend as much time outside as possible and do this or that out there, which... that side of things wasn't necessarily right, but I think the other aspects I mentioned held some merit.)

 

So I went outside yesterday. And it was a beautiful day, the weather was great, I had a very nice walk, and I also know that my parents apprecaited the fact that I stopped by the post office and picked up the mail because it was their day off, (and they were dealing with some issues) so it meant they didn't need to go out that day.

 

I also just spent some time at the library, interacted with a couple of people, read just a bit of a book, used one of the computers there for just a little while. And....

 

Yeah, God didn't strike me dead obviously for going outside.

 

And I am making tentative plans to go out tomorrow, especially since we are having one of those semi-rare times where we actually have a small windfall of money, and I'm gonna have a bit to just go out on the town and have fun.... maybe figure out what "fun" should be for me out there or what I should do with it.

 

So.... I don't know. I'm not sure if this post actually ended up being about enough spiritual-related or God-related, but I think I got my point across about what has been going on?

 

Sooooo.... I guess I was wondering if any Christians and/or spiritual-minded individuals had any insights or thoughts on anything I put in this post, although anyone with any belief system or whatnot is welcome to chime in. :)

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

At the start of this year, I made a new years' resolution that was combined with a promise to God that I would spend one entire year indoors.

 

This a very poor choice for your mental health.

 

WHY? Why did you make this promise? What do you hope it will accomplish? What are you doing for vitamin D?

 

I responded to your other thread – which seemed to hit you get a lot of your joy from consumerism, and I countered that I find my joy in the wonders of nature.

 

I am not religious – but I grew up in a beautiful place, full of awe inspiring nature. The natural world is my church. The sun and the breeze, and the hawks and the deer, and the flowing grasses, and the reaching redwoods, and the spreading oaks – they remind me of my place. They make me feel connected. They center my mind and open my heart. I can sit, and be still and simply take it all in – and I will find I become overwhelmed with joy, yet humbled

 

And I am not the only one – many have experienced the benefits of enjoying time in nature – after all it is our natural state! Scientists have been able to quantify and measure the benefits – ESPECIALLY when it comes to mental health.

 

GO OUT SIDE. Not to town to spend your money on consumer goods - why don't you go and get closer to nature. Take in God's creation. Not a strip mall - a babbling brook. Not a movie theater, a gentle path through a field.

Here are some articles proving the benefits of nature.

 

Here are some articles on the subject. All suggest that time in nature improves mental well being.

 

https://michaelhyatt.com/nature-going-outdoors.html

 

I think this first one may speak to you. Here is an exert:

 

What Nature Does for Your Spirit

 

To me, this is the most important. God created humans in the wild and placed us in a garden. We’re meant to live a substantial portion of our lives outdoors—and it’s a unique place to experience our Creator and restore our spirits.

 

The Bible says that nature speaks to us of God’s character and His attributes. Spending time in nature gives us a chance to slow down and notice what it’s communicating.

 

Nature is God’s reset button for our minds, bodies, and spirits. If you’re spending all day indoors, you’re missing the restorative power of nature.

 

You don’t have to start with a sabbatical or weeks away from the office. You can start with a stroll. Just walking through the trees or napping in a park will help you realign, restore, and rejuvenate.

 

Scientific based articles on the issue:

 

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/how-nature-changes-the-brain/

 

Why Nature Is Therapeutic | CRC Health Group

 

https://thetrek.co/scientifically-supported-reasons-get-outside/

 

https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/environment/nature-and-us/how-does-nature-impact-our-wellbeing

Edited by RecentChange
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
GunslingerRoland

To be honest I really don't understand what your thread has to do with God.

 

It seems to be more about you and your extremely erratic behaviors towards people and life in general.

 

You hate atheists, then you hate your parents, then you abandon your friends, and love your parents.

 

These are not normal behaviors. Why do you keep turning on people like that? It isn't normal, and it isn't Christian of you.

 

As for the religious parts woven into your story, expecting that everyone in the Christian church is perfect and that everyone who isn't is bad, is a very messed up way of thinking. It isn't very Christian at all, and if you were being taught that in your church or by your family I see why you were turned away from them. I wouldn't go to a church like that either.

 

And as for your vow to stay inside for one year, I really don't get it? Are you trying to punish yourself? I think you are trying to bring God into something that has nothing to do with God. You will neither be stricken down nor granted a sign from the heavens that it is okay to go outside. Those aren't rational thoughts for a person of faith to have, although I know you were kidding about the first part.

 

Anyway, bottom line is, I think you need to figure out what is going on with your life, outside of the context of God.

 

Also, how do you have a windfall of money, it sounds like you aren't working. You are an adult, correct? So your parents have a windfall of money. If you can go out to spend their money, why can't you go out to earn some of your own?

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
todreaminblue

I am religious and i have often been a recluse......i get really tired out in the world like really drained.....so in truth i contemplated being a nun....seriously.....only thing is i believe in love having physicality as well as emotional and spiritual release.........i am also an empath so i vibe a lot.....off people and it gets confusing.....especially peopel with deceit hidden or ulterior motives i get confused.....

 

i have to know people really well to just be myself and feel comfortable with saying hey you arent being honest.....i was isolated when i was growing up spent a lot of time by myself and i am used to it....but...i also have a really strong physical drive to connect with others....so i am screwed in other words.....i am a disaociative identity.....the physical drive is hard for me to control....because i get to be too internal without it...drives me eventually insane.....its been too long for me....years actually...and for that reason i am considering connecting with my ex again..which is against what god wants me to do....so yep struggling....because the love i had died along time ago......i just cant be untied anymore....i need to feel that connection that intimacy and deeper touch to be grounded and move forward....hoepfully towards marriage but...with my ex...its unlikely...so sigh...ill have to keep reflecting and decide what i should and shouldnt do...

 

 

now the thing is you have agency whatever god wants to do he allows us to make our own choices right or wrong he will guide bu the wont make those choices for us...thats our onus to do that.....you make your own choices and when you do ...it is you making them......not god..not anyone else ...but you...agency has responsibility personal responsibility but alos carries a commitment to the maker of that agency...god in other words....to choose the right.....and that is something that we have to accept..and take up...we have to use our agency good or bad to progress......deb

Edited by todreaminblue
  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author
Tanyasinclair

Well, the answer to why I don't have the flexibility to go out on any kind of regular schedule is simple.

 

For now, one individual has to stay home to look after a handi-capped family member and keep an eye on the place and take care of things while they are at work. And currently, I am a lot cheaper than getting any kind of outside help would be, and I have been told many times I am the most trustworthy person to do this, and anything I get is kind of given to me in exchange for the things I do, since in a way I am providing a service, and I also try to make sure the things I ask for are not too demanding and do not hinder the budget too much as bills, rent and food do come first.

 

So basically, the way things sit now, somebody has to stay home, and two people are working jobs so we all can live comfortably and keep the bills paid. If I got a job, one of them would have to quit, which would be counterproductive. Right now, the system we have at the moment seems to work for everybody.

 

If I decided to simply run off and get my own life somewhere else, that would be a major adjustment that I'm not prepared to make yet, plus it would thoroughly disrupt the lives of three other individuals in ways that I'm not prepared to disclose in public right now, as I would prefer to keep some things private, but....

 

I guess the only thing I'm trying to do is sort out my own head, the best way I can figure out how, and sometimes I find forums a good way to do that, especially since it's a way I can just organize my thoughts, spew out whatever crap is in my head, get outside insights on it, and maybe come out a little more sane afterward.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

God know when you are struggling. He doesn't care if you go outside or stay inside. He may send signs but it's up to us to interpret them and we are only human and sometimes wrong.

 

Read the Bible, go to classes. God tells you how he wants you to live in the Bible. Live like that and you'll be living a godly life.

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites
Justanaverageguy

One of my favorite movies, (with one of my favorite actors: Al Pacino, he plays satin and gives us his version of God, and Free Will):

 

 

Love Al Pacino.

 

Yes - Great movie one of my favs also. Al Pacino is really exceptional in it. Plays a very convincing devil. Vanity - definitely my favourite sin. :)

 

The interesting thing to consider when you watch the movie is: Is Al Pacino actually the bad guy or the good guy ? Did the "devil" force the main character into evil or did he actually in the end turn him away from it ? Says a lot about the role of suffering in our lives.

 

Its interesting the different way people choose to view God \ the devil-Satan. In the bible and other schools of thought such as Astrology where Saturn (where Satan gets his name) is the same archetype. He was traditionally seen as completely evil. An outside force which acts as a tempter who corrupts us.

 

In modern times the archetype has been redefined. More as the strict disciplinarian and tester. The one who actively looks for flaws and corrects us when we walk off the path. Exam time! Lets see what you have learnt. When we are behaving improperly it is only through this negative correction mechanism - sometimes horrible to endure - that we are lead back to the correct path. Just as with children's development we understand they need both discipline as well as love - the same applies to us in a spiritual sense. A balance of both is often needed.

 

How you interpret the hardships in your life and god or the devil acting in it is a matter of perspective. Is it destroying you or improving you ? Has it exposed weakness and forced you to crumble or to improve areas that needed attention ? In the end the decision on how to work with either still lies with you.

Edited by Justanaverageguy
Link to post
Share on other sites
T-16bullseyeWompRat

If God controls the land and disease,

Keeps a watchful eye on me,

If he's really so damn mighty,

My problem is I can't see,

Well who would want to be?

Who would want to be such a control freak?

 

-Modest mouse, bukowski

 

I personally think if there is a god and he's in full control then he must be a bit of a nutcase and not someone I would want to worship anyway.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
GunslingerRoland

This article might be of interest to you, it's about how siblings are often forgotten for their role in the care of the disabled.

 

https://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2016/10/19/the-other-sister

 

Anyway, helping to look after your sibling is a very honorable thing to do. I still don't think that requires you to be a recluse, and I still think you need to focus on your interactions with friends and family.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
I was always taught that it is important to try your best to follow the will of God, because God knows everything, He is everywhere, and He knows what is going to happen and how it is going to happen, and when it is going to happen.

 

I also feel that I had to learn over the years that sometimes... it can be difficult to determine what exactly "God's will" is, due to multiple factors. Like.... sometimes, something can seem like the right way to go, but it turns out it wasn't the right thing for you, maybe you only tried to go down that path because someone kept pushing you in that direction.

 

But I also feel there is a matter of balance in some areas, like... sometimes, you really do have to wait for some circumstances or events to line up. But in other areas, you don't get anywhere by sitting on your rear and waiting for some things to happen, there will always be things in life that you have to go out and do for yourself.

 

Plus I have sometimes found that I discovered something I wasn't even looking for while I was out pursuing something that someone else suggested, and this other thing ended up playing a pretty big role in my happiness or made my life easier in some way that it wouldn't have otherwise. So sometimes.... it is good to make the attempt even if you don't get the results you thought you wanted or you thought you were aiming for.

 

But I also feel that one has to be careful with... well, what a former friend of mine once referred to as "fake Jesus vibes", where... I guess it's the kind of thing where you go to a church event or go sing songs and hang out with other believers, you go away feeling really happy, but... it's the kind of thing that wears off after this break when you return to your regularly scheduled life/routine.

 

Plus I think maybe... it could be considered a form of egging one-another on? Just, not in a negative sense where two people encourage or fuel anger or negativity in one-another, but.... it's still the kind of thing where... you get into an atmosphere of vibes, emotion, etc... I almost want to equate it distantly to getting slightly "high", even if it's not the same thing, but the point is.... again, once you return to your regular life, that's it, it ebbs away.

 

But yeah I guess I'm getting a little off-track here. ^^;

 

Either way.....

 

At the start of this year, I made a new years' resolution that was combined with a promise to God that I would spend one entire year indoors. This is partly because I was suffering a lot of emotional aftermath after... some things that have been going on over the last few months. My other posts heavily indicate what. But there is more to it.

 

I have felt for quite some time now that there has been a bit of a war going on inside myself. In a way, I suppose you could even say I did kinda give up on God in some areas, especially as I turned more and more to non-Christian people for guideance and help.

 

Now, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with turning to people of different faiths or those who don't believe in God at all for anything. I can safely say that I learned a lot of things from my former atheist friend I never would have otherwise, and one thing I valued about some of my non-religious friends is that there are some areas where they seemed to have a better grip on reality/realism than some religious folks did (though I am not trying to pick on religious folks either, because there are also plenty of insightful religious peeps.)

 

I think... I don't know. I think I went through something for a while where I didn't really want anything to do with Christians, at least not much. I... don't know if you could say I sorta became a bigot in my own way, it's just.... I felt like I was raised to think that atheists were automatically of the devil, and they promoted evil, etc etc etc. Then I found myself going to almost the opposite extreme, because I found that there are plenty of decent atheists or non-religious people, and I think I became temporarily biased because I had been deeply hurt by some Christians who thought they knew it all.

 

In the end though... I felt like I had to make a symbolic gesture of penance. I had hated my family for so long, I kept focusing on the negative side of things, I kept screaming about how I wanted to move out if I could only get the chance, and my friends.... who kept seeing first-hand how much a lot of the crap had effected me personally, emotionally and mentally, what else could they do except keep pushing me to get out?

 

Especially since.... since I had spent so much time playing up, exaggerating, and overdramatizing the negative side of my family and all the crap that happened, I never said much of anything positive, so... my friends were shocked when I began to shift over to saying my family really isn't that bad, and that we were working things out.

 

In the end, I felt like I had to make a choice. I had to choose my family and God, (and for various reasons, my family needs me and I need them right now) or choose to stay in the negative nest I had made that consisted of people I had "taught" to think my parents were ogres, people who would continue to try and push me to move out or at least do this or that. (Again, partially my fault)

 

The end result, I ditched and hurt a few people, even if... I felt like my time with them was ending anyway, because there were toxic/unhealthy elements and I simply felt like the friendships were on their way out anyway.

 

And so... I guess part of this goes back to the entire notion of "Honor thy mother and father", I felt like by vowing to become a recluse, I was making a significant gesture toward God, showing my family that I was forgiving them and I was going to stay to help them in the ways they needed even despite everything, and it was also a blatant acknowledgement that I'm gonna knock off the childish attitude myself and that I am finally noticing and acknowledging just how much they have been bending over backwards trying to keep me happy even despite everything else.

 

Plus, I'm the type who just doesn't really like going out much anyway. I technically have a few friends in town, but I'm an introvert and I prefer being a recluse. Plus sometimes, when I'm dealing with my own emotions, I need long periods of time alone, or sometimes just talking to one friend on the phone once a week is good enough for me.

 

And there just isn't much out there, plus there is the fact that it is just far easier for my parents to do the grocery shopping since they can always do it right after they get off work, and if I want something I just ask for it and I get it, within reason, (and I try not to ask for too much), and this way is really a lot less of a hassle than having everybody pile into the car and go someplace, especially since we have only one driver in the family (and it's not me) and we have to be careful with the car due to it being on the firtz.

 

So in the end, I have largely happy with being a recluse, and I also felt like the vow to stay indoors was a very powerful symbolic gesture due to how much I had screeched, screamed, raved and complained about how secluded I felt all my life thanks to my family, and now that I have a number of personal freedoms and flexibilties I never had before (plus they never treat me like I am six anymore, and they no longer care if I go outside and never ask where I am going just as long as I am available to perform the obligations I have agreed to), well... I just feel like everything is working now, I can even find it in my heart to forgive them as much as I am ever going to, especially since, as I said, I can recognize they have been trying their best nowadays to make me happy and make up for past mistakes.

 

Overall, I am extremely grateful and blessed, especially since not every family gets this opportunity, and not everyone has the chance to have all/most mistakes acknowledged, aired out, and to get second chances at getting their ***** together. We all pretty much agreed that most families probably would have said "eff it" by this point and left each other a long time ago..... I'm still not sure why we stuck it out or why we're still together or how it happened. I honestly think God may have had a large part in it.

 

But anyway............

 

I broke my vow yesterday. I went outside.

 

But there was a clause in the promise, I will admit. I told God when I made the promise that I would stay indoors unless He somehow made it clear that it was okay for me to go outside again. And for a time.... it seemed like it was perfectly clear I should stay inside, especially since staying indoors was giving me a good chance to heal from some things, to get my thoughts and emotions more organized, and it did seem like I was being gently prevented from going out, because whenever something happened where I COULD have been asked to go out and do something, something else happened instead where I ended up not needing to.

 

But... two days ago, I got into a slight snit with a friend where she told me that I NEEDED fresh air, and if I was doing this for religious purposes, even monks went outside to tend their gardens or deal with traders, and that I couldn't just stay pent up dealing with my family day by day.

 

And.... I started to feel like... maybe it was time? Maybe staying indoors for a little over a month was all the penance required, all the symbolism that was needed. (plus I had to acknowledge more that perhaps another part of the reason why I was doing this in the first place was just the symbolic equivalent of sticking up the middle finger to that one pesky person who kept telling me I NEEDED to spend as much time outside as possible and do this or that out there, which... that side of things wasn't necessarily right, but I think the other aspects I mentioned held some merit.)

 

So I went outside yesterday. And it was a beautiful day, the weather was great, I had a very nice walk, and I also know that my parents apprecaited the fact that I stopped by the post office and picked up the mail because it was their day off, (and they were dealing with some issues) so it meant they didn't need to go out that day.

 

I also just spent some time at the library, interacted with a couple of people, read just a bit of a book, used one of the computers there for just a little while. And....

 

Yeah, God didn't strike me dead obviously for going outside.

 

And I am making tentative plans to go out tomorrow, especially since we are having one of those semi-rare times where we actually have a small windfall of money, and I'm gonna have a bit to just go out on the town and have fun.... maybe figure out what "fun" should be for me out there or what I should do with it.

 

So.... I don't know. I'm not sure if this post actually ended up being about enough spiritual-related or God-related, but I think I got my point across about what has been going on?

 

Sooooo.... I guess I was wondering if any Christians and/or spiritual-minded individuals had any insights or thoughts on anything I put in this post, although anyone with any belief system or whatnot is welcome to chime in. :)

 

Oh my goodness, Tanya, I read through your whole post and bolded the things that are THE EXACT things going though my heart right now with my own life.

 

I especially can relate to the 'Fake Jesus Vibes.' I am a Christian woman who has spent the last 4 years struggling with depression, especially during the winter season with SAD, as well as dissatisfaction with my marriage. In Christian circles, you feel like if you are depressed, then you just plain "aren't in touch with the Holy Spirit." I have so much trouble understanding this.

 

I went to a women's meeting called 'The IF Gathering' this weekend and it made me actually feel WORSE! It just seemed like the women hosts of the broadcast were on fire for God, had overcome their issues. They all seemed so upbeat and confident and perky and superficially 'perfect.'

 

I just wish I had enough 'Holy Spirit Power' to just snap myself out of it, like these women were able to do. :( I have prayed over and over again and sometimes I feel the happiness and contentment coming back, the motivation to get out of my house and exercise, or socialize, but then something triggers me and I'm feeling like a recluse again.

 

Like RecentChange said, I also feel like going outdoors is a natural, spiritual and emotional benefit. Where I live, this time of year there are a lot of below-zero days and even though winter has a lovely natural beauty of its own, it is hard to motivate myself to go running/walking in the cold weather, but it is what I need.

 

I just want to say that I can SO relate to both you, Tanya, and todreaminblue. :)

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
lionlover1973
Yes - Great movie one of my favs also. Al Pacino is really exceptional in it. Plays a very convincing devil. Vanity - definitely my favourite sin. :)

 

Indeed! He is also fantastic in

.

“HOOh Ah” lol

 

The interesting thing to consider when you watch the movie is: Is Al Pacino actually the bad guy or the good guy ? Did the "devil" force the main character into evil or did he actually in the end turn him away from it ?

 

I think, Al Pacino’s character (John Milton), ‘advocated’ immorality.

 

I view Milton’s hand in it as:

 

-Turning Keanu Reeves’ character (Kevin) into an egotistical ##bleep##VANITY (i.e seeking Kevin out, retaining Kevin and helping him win every case, giving Kevin cases only he could win).

 

-Causing Mary Ann (Kevin's wife) to feel insecure about herself; her inability to conceive a child; and then raping her - driving her to insanity.

 

-Implanting demons to kill Eddie Barzoon.

 

-Milton’s end goal - to have Kevin and his half-sister conceive the AntiChrist to overthrow God and destroy heaven.

 

He is the ‘serpent’ in this regard. He is diabolically cunning.

 

In the end, did Milton succeed in transforming Kevin to a good man?

Well, according to the bible, suicide is as equal to murder.

Kevin is then given a second chance to morally redeem himself, ultimately choosing the apple.

 

Did he MAKE Keanu Reeves’ character (Kevin) stray?

I think not. Enter Free Will. Or, so one would think...

 

Paradise Lost.

 

When we are behaving improperly it is only through this negative correction mechanism - sometimes horrible to endure - that we are lead back to the correct path.

 

Hmm. I disagree to a degree. A person such as Henry Lee Lucas (or any habitual offender for that matter) - never returned to the “correct path”.

 

Just as with children's development we understand they need both discipline as well as love - the same applies to us in a spiritual sense. A balance of both is often needed.

 

From a cognitive development standpoint, our brains are fully developed by age 22. And we now know some are born with a genetic variant of a particular chromosome that is defective linked to violent and psychopathic behaviors. Which, cannot be cured through discipline and/or love, or via introspection.

 

Now, if God controls everything - that would include Satan, right? In that regard it is said:

 

God wants us to learn to properly exercise a level of responsibility:

 

"Man must first learn how to discern right from wrong, good from bad, and the wise from the foolish.

 

God allowed Satan, the epitome of evil, to enter the Garden of Eden and tempt Adam and Eve to depart from God’s instructions.

 

They then had to make a choice. They chose to follow Satan rather than God".

 

So it would appear, that there is such a thing as Free Will. But at the same time, in the Bible it says "God controls everything".

 

Ah what a paradox.

 

Maybe John Milton was right after all, lol.

"Heaaaha"

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
"God is in control". <snip> while God is all-knowing and omnipresent, He chooses not to control everything, because that defeats the purpose of free will.

That is true; it would definitely defeat the purpose of God's Law of Free Will, because, through that, we human Beings of Earth have been endowed with the power and authority of being in charge over what happens on Earth.

 

God will not over-ride His Own Laws, because doing so would mean that we would no longer be able to make our own decisions and choices about what we want to believe and how we want to behave and perceive/treat each other on Earth. That is, God cannot come storming into Earth to 'save us' from ourselves, because that would necessarily mean violating His Own Law.

 

The Purpose of Earth is for us to learn to make, of our own free will, high-quality or spiritual decisions and choices (based in and arising from genuinely-felt love, compassion, empathy, forgiveness, a desire for true/spiritual justice and for equality, a sense of inner peace, etc.) - even if we have to learn through having to suffer and endure the consequences of our own detrimental and harmful decisions and choices (our spiritual mistakes, errors or 'sins') -- which is what humanity and the planet - individually, collectively and on the whole - have been suffering and enduring throughout our recorded history, until now.

 

Yes, we can also explain current conditions, circumstances and events through the actions of humanity and various phenomena observed and measured by material science, but the root causes exist beyond the physical-manifest plane - at the levels where we actually exercise our free will.

Edited by Ronni_W
clarification
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
Justanaverageguy

I think, Al Pacino’s character (John Milton), ‘advocated’ immorality. I view Milton’s hand in it as:

-Turning Keanu Reeves’ character (Kevin) into an egotistical ##bleep##VANITY (i.e seeking Kevin out, retaining Kevin and helping him win every case, giving Kevin cases only he could win).

-Causing Mary Ann (Kevin's wife) to feel insecure about herself; her inability to conceive a child; and then raping her - driving her to insanity.

-Implanting demons to kill Eddie Barzoon.

-Milton’s end goal - to have Kevin and his half-sister conceive the AntiChrist to overthrow God and destroy heaven.

He is the ‘serpent’ in this regard. He is diabolically cunning.

 

 

So let me play the "devils advocate" here :) The way that term is used I think shows what I meant - The saying means a person who advocates for an opposing cause for the sake of argument so that the original thing - perhaps an idea, concept, a policy or lets say in a legal setting (like the movie) a person - can be exposed to a thorough examination and then improved. In this context that thing being examined was the central character played by Keanu Reeves - Kevin Lomax. Al Pacino playing the devils advocate is the one who was doing the examination.

 

So let me be clear I'm not saying that the role the devilish Pacino played was honorable or fair - far from it. Calling him the good guy was definitely a bit of a stretch :lmao: - but I'm saying he served a purpose - the one that the term "playing the devils advocate" infers. It is there to test the validity of something. To see whether it stands up under pressure. Because pressure - it changes everything pressure ;)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1Oy00cEnpY

 

Now obviously in a perfect world Keanu would already have learnt the lesson that he should not do the things he did .... He craved fortune and professional success and was willing to turn a blind eye to hurting people and releasing men he knew were pedophiles and murders free in order to achieve that selfish goal. We would ideally have liked for him to already be at that stage of development where he knew that it was wrong and he didn't do it .... but he wasn't and applying pressure in the right places revealed that.

 

In this instance he was only able to reach the stage of making the correct choice - by actually making the mistake continuing down that path - undergoing suffering as a result of his bad choices - then being released from that suffering and given the chance to make a mends. What we would call old fashioned discipline the same as we would give to a child who misbehaves.

 

Hmm. I disagree to a degree. A person such as Henry Lee Lucas (or any habitual offender for that matter) - never returned to the “correct path”.[/Quote]

Even discipline has its limits - if we refuse to learn from our mistakes - generally punishment continues to get worse until eventually they throw away the key.

 

Now, if God controls everything - that would include Satan, right? In that regard it is said:

God wants us to learn to properly exercise a level of responsibility.

God wants us to learn to properly exercise a level of responsibility: "Man must first learn how to discern right from wrong, good from bad, and the wise from the foolish. God allowed Satan, the epitome of evil, to enter the Garden of Eden and tempt Adam and Eve to depart from God’s instructions. They then had to make a choice. They chose to follow Satan rather than God".

[/Quote]

 

Exactly and kind of the point I was making - that Satan\Devil\Suffering all serves a specific purpose. We have free will - but that responsibility comes with built in consequences. For me this is life the "devil" will come to us all at different times in our life to test our validity. Its methods are naturally always specific to our weaknesses. Areas we are strong - don't feel the pressure. Unfortunately we all still have some lessons left to be learnt the hard way. I've made a few recently - but having found weaknesses - I try to use the negative experience for a higher purpose. To see it as an improvement process - rather then simply in a negative context as pointless suffering.

 

Oh and I also love this particular scene from the movie :)

 

Edited by Justanaverageguy
Link to post
Share on other sites
Justanaverageguy

The Purpose of Earth is for us to learn to make, of our own free will, high-quality or spiritual decisions and choices (based in and arising from genuinely-felt love, compassion, empathy, forgiveness, a desire for true/spiritual justice and for equality, a sense of inner peace, etc.) - even if we have to learn through having to suffer and endure the consequences of our own detrimental and harmful decisions and choices (our spiritual mistakes, errors or 'sins') -- which is what humanity and the planet - individually, collectively and on the whole - have been suffering and enduring throughout our recorded history, until now.

 

Yes, we can also explain current conditions, circumstances and events through the actions of humanity and various phenomena observed and measured by material science, but the root causes exist beyond the physical-manifest plane - at the levels where we actually exercise our free will.

 

Well said! We seem to see things quite similarly Ronni - I've noted a number of your posts that seem to mirror my own views on life \ spirituality :)

Link to post
Share on other sites
Well said! We seem to see things quite similarly Ronni - I've noted a number of your posts that seem to mirror my own views on life \ spirituality :)

Thanks, Justanaverageguy. :). I had also noticed that we are 'in sync' on a number of our views - perhaps there will be a thread in which we can share some of

our 'sources of Wisdom and Spirituality' without going off topic.

 

In Love and Light,

Ronni

Link to post
Share on other sites

Great question. Without chasing everything down from the Bible. I am going to give a shoot from the hip answer from my general perpective and how I understand things.

I think it is more of a case that everything is under control. I think of it more like a case of controlling the flow of water. The course of water follows the path that us created for it. I suspect that the Lord can direct things to the final desired outcome through a variety routes no matter which way you turn. Sorta like a mobile phone map app. To help guide getting you to your destination on time, he might open up routes, put up road blocks, adjust the timing of stop lights...

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
×
×
  • Create New...