To forgive is to remember that we have room in our hearts to begin again, again, and again. To forgive is to remember that we are so much more than our mistakes. It is a mental bath, something to set us free of the poison within ourselves. It will free you of the things that clutter your life. Like a snake shedding it's skin, forgiveness allows us to let go of what no longer serves us. Out with the old and in with the new. It isn't something that we have to do, yet it is something that flows through us coursing through our veins. Like you feel anger in your veins literally....high blood pressure, the feeling you are going to explode, shaking and even temperature rising. Now imagine the calming feeling of forgiveness. Which would you rather have coursing through your veins? It is about making room for something new and alive.
How? Be specific. Forgiveness is a creative act that changes us from prisoners of the past to liberated people at peace with our memories. No one says that forgiveness means to forget. It just means being at peace with the memories. You can never live in the present and create a NEW future for yourself and partner if you always stay stuck in the past. It really takes no strength to let go only courage. Courage and the willingness to give up resentment, revenge, and obsession - to restore faith not only in our self but in life. It really is the most important single process that brings peace to our soul and harmony to our life. It is not forgetfulness, but it involves accepting the promise that the future CAN be more than dwelling on memories of past hurt and guilt. There is no future in the past.
If you DO believe in God I leave you with this..... You must be able to forgive yourself for the mistakes or sins done, if not what is the point of asking God for forgiveness?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Why is Suffering in Life Necessary?
Question posed to me:
"If babies go to Heaven despite not suffering the trials of life, why is suffering in life necessary for the rest of us? If God exists and has the capability of sending babies
to Heaven despite the fact that they have no religion or belief, why doesn't God send everyone to heaven immediately, and therefore end all suffering?"
That's a good question & the one that probably places me in the agnostic rather than Christian category. I believe IF there is a God he certainly DOES “give us more than we can handle" at times, contrary to most Christians beliefs. And that's just basing it on my own life alone, lol!
Particularly growing up Protestant (where you are not baptized until you know why you are being baptized after you confess & repent first) vs. Catholics & others who baptize at birth. Does that mean Catholic, etc. babies are accepted into heaven (only if they make it to the baptismal first) and Protestant are not, if they die as children/babies? If everyone was just baptized at birth & didn’t have to worry about their sins why go to church at all after your baptized? That seems absurd to me!
When reading the scriptures it is really left up to interpretation like the rest of the Bible, otherwise we wouldn’t have so many religious denominations all within Christianity itself. Many interpret that babies go to heaven because there is simply no “original sin” which some denominations say is merely feeling inclined to do sinful things, not necessarily the sin itself and how could a baby “feel inclined to sin”? Then you have some teaching that sin is an individual, spiritual condition. Therefore, Adam being the “representative” for all mankind and has made us directly guilty for his sin, as if we had done it ourselves. Then there are those who believe it is unfair to be represented by Adam, but then isn’t it fair to say- it is unfair to be represented by Christ & have his righteousness attributed to us by God? So biblicaly speaking can you attribute one without the other? All babies could be considered in the same category as the mentally incompetent & have a place in heaven.
You could say that since God is all-knowing, He knows which babies will not have a chance at life outside the womb and if he wishes He can save them like David’s son (2 Samuel 12:23).
"If babies go to Heaven despite not suffering the trials of life, why is suffering in life necessary for the rest of us? If God exists and has the capability of sending babies
to Heaven despite the fact that they have no religion or belief, why doesn't God send everyone to heaven immediately, and therefore end all suffering?"
That's a good question & the one that probably places me in the agnostic rather than Christian category. I believe IF there is a God he certainly DOES “give us more than we can handle" at times, contrary to most Christians beliefs. And that's just basing it on my own life alone, lol!
Particularly growing up Protestant (where you are not baptized until you know why you are being baptized after you confess & repent first) vs. Catholics & others who baptize at birth. Does that mean Catholic, etc. babies are accepted into heaven (only if they make it to the baptismal first) and Protestant are not, if they die as children/babies? If everyone was just baptized at birth & didn’t have to worry about their sins why go to church at all after your baptized? That seems absurd to me!
When reading the scriptures it is really left up to interpretation like the rest of the Bible, otherwise we wouldn’t have so many religious denominations all within Christianity itself. Many interpret that babies go to heaven because there is simply no “original sin” which some denominations say is merely feeling inclined to do sinful things, not necessarily the sin itself and how could a baby “feel inclined to sin”? Then you have some teaching that sin is an individual, spiritual condition. Therefore, Adam being the “representative” for all mankind and has made us directly guilty for his sin, as if we had done it ourselves. Then there are those who believe it is unfair to be represented by Adam, but then isn’t it fair to say- it is unfair to be represented by Christ & have his righteousness attributed to us by God? So biblicaly speaking can you attribute one without the other? All babies could be considered in the same category as the mentally incompetent & have a place in heaven.
You could say that since God is all-knowing, He knows which babies will not have a chance at life outside the womb and if he wishes He can save them like David’s son (2 Samuel 12:23).
Don't Let Hate Blind You...
"A picture is worth a thousand words" ~ Chinese proverb
Hate is hate & if we dont start teaching our children compassion, tolerence & diversity, hate crimes & overall school violence will continue to manifest itself & when it does it won't take name, rank & serial number, just victims.
"The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed."~S. Biko
If we stop teaching & preaching hate we won't breed it. Hate consumes the heart until there is no room left for love, charity or compassion. That being said, if we teach a child to hate they will hate. Their brains are still growing & it's impossible for them to differentiate hating one person over another, so they just hate. That's a life of misery & outcast that can be saved if we just taught people to love one another no matter who they are, what their sexual orientation is, what race they are, etc. We teach people how to treat us, teach love & we will get love in return teach hate and we will all suffer the consequences. Tolerance isn't about belief, it's about action, we all need to do our part to make change. So, it's not about your personal beliefs, convictions or even about the doctrines of your religion, it's about what you can do to make society more accepting of diversity. A society filled with "cookie-cutter" people would make for a very boring world, one that people didn't think for themselves and were followers not leaders. If we didn't have people that went against the norm & thought outside the box we would live in a world that still believed in segregation & enslavery. I hope that our future generations can look back, years from now, at the treatment & silencing of our LGBT citizens & have the same utter shock of horror that we have today of past civil rights & predjudicial ways practiced by our forefathers.
"Be the change you want to see in the world." ~ Ghandi
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