God As A Weapon

Bill

This is why I consider the redefinition of Faith to be so foundational.  People are very confused by the faith systems and their promoters.

You said, "Two millennia later and we are still cursing our enemies and adversaries to the hellfire and condemnation of our personal, tribal god.I wonder if people are so desperate for faith that they will accept an easy kind of faith to grow that builds trust and trustworthiness on in-grouping and Enclosure. "

A couple of things I noticed...you said "still cursing our enemies" and "desperate for faith":  While the first is very telling as regards the state we are in, the second is much deeper.  Is Faith (understood as Trust) such a natural part of life that the absence of it literally drives people to cling to anything that floats?  I may have to think on that for awhile. It reminds me of  that word you told me once that the Gnostics used in reference to the God of this world -- what was it?

reido

Reido,

Your rhetorical question as to whether faith is "such a natural part of life that the absence of it literally drives people to cling to anything that floats?" is a great way of describing it. I believe that it is. Maybe there's another name for this 'trust/trustworthyness' but faith seems to be the best or only English word (we borrowed it from French, of course) that gets at the phenomenon.

In fact, I will jump off into the deep end and say that for the soul, this faith thing is as important as food is for the body, if not as important as air. 

I recently read a story about a gathering of Islamists in London. These are Muslims who want to return the Caliphate and Sharia law to what was once the Ottoman Empire (some want to retake all land that ever lay under Islamic control), and many at this meeting, the story pointed out, were educated Europeans. One was quoted as saying something like: "it's impossible to live as a Muslim without Sharia law." And he went on to complain about police-states and western influence in the Middle East. But the point I got from his statement is that he and his fellows have no faith in any government or system of law that is not straight out of the Holy Quran. In the same way that American soldiers are willing to die to uphold the Constitution of the US, Jihadis are willing to die to return Sharia law, as they suppose it was under the bygone empire. It's about breathing air. It's about faith.

Anyway, you have come up with the best description of the importance of faith. In the water, grasping for something to get on top of is a good metaphor or allegory. This can explain why we stay with bad relationships and bad organizations, too. However, the healthier our faith, the less likely we are to get tangled up in an unhealthy relationship. This is the way it seems to me intuitively, anyway. Spiritual immaturity leaves us ripe for bad faith relationships.

Does this make sense?

bill 

Dr Rao

You used a word that has great hold on a good many people. I suspect that there is an equivalent translation to "inspire" in many languages and beliefs.  "God breathed" would be the English translation.  Very strange that this particular kind of inspiration has had greater and longer lasting effect on those who inhabit Earth.  From ancient literature it would seem that inspiration originated to move people -- that is, was directional.  But we note that the direction is Anti-God -- that is, against all that God teaches humanity. 

This is a good illustration of the power of Thematics to direct and limit behavior.  Also, I believe it illustrates how language can become aligned with Thematics to promote certain behaviors. 

Also, I think it relates to Bill's comments about Archetypes in that there is an inner desire on man's part to hear God's voice in earnest.  But I would like to hear his view on that.

reido

When this morning I read professor Rao's comment above, I was in the midst of returning to a path that I'd begun the night before, part of my now months long redefining of faith, and that path had taken me to the Latin words libido and conatus. So, when I read his words: “The name of God has been used in the present and past too to inspire gatherings and building fundamentalism. The Christian crusades fought earlier against Muslims were examples.”, the word “inspire” caught my attention and reinforced my own conatus (inclination, endeavor, impulse) to continue following this road to see whether it does in fact relate to faith.

Reido wondered whether “inspire” might relate to Jungian archetypes, or at least to my comments about them, and, as it turns out, that's exactly the connection I was following.

Evidently, when Freud, Alder and Jung worked together to understand the human psyche, libido was the term they chose to describe psychic energy. Libido is merely Latin for desire, longing or urge, but they wanted to describe the energy which fuels the dynamic engine which is the human mind to pursue and to choose at it does. Freud, with his hyper-focus on sexuality, gave libido a sexual connotation, but it was not originally intended to be applied so narrowly. As I understand, Jung's wider definition and use of this and other terms was part of the visible break between Freud and Jung. Nonetheless, Jung used libido to mean “psychic energy, which is the equivalent of the intensity with which psychic contents are charged.”

Charge sound a bit like “inspire” and energy is close to impulse, and inclination too if it has direction.

bill

Dear Mr Bill and Mr Reido,

Inspiration  could be two folds. One is externally inspired and the other is self inspired. Most of the people need external inspiration. Particularly children are inspired by  their parents, brothers  and sisters and their achievements. When a students gets  80 marks out of hundred in a subject and shows to his mother or dad invariably the parent would appreciate and would say, " try to get cent percent. You are capable". This is done in a positive way and not shouting for not getting  100 out of hundred. In a foot ball or rugby match or base ball or infact any game, whether it is a group game or individual game, the spectators applaude and  cheer up the players and they get inspired. They wave  national flags. Even in battles regimental flags are carried to cause inspiration among troops. Some individulas are inspired  by themselves. They are self motivated. With this a new word 'motivation'  comes out. Motivation and inspiration are very closely connected. People like Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed and Krishna were self motivated  and self inspired. Among us too we find many are self inspired and inspite of failures struggle and achieve goals within reach. Inspiration always may not end in sucess.  Man on the materialist front would be inspired by variety reasons. Financial success, promotion, getting the hand of a beautiful woman, position of power, estate, land  a big property or house, name and fame. On spiritual front  man is inspired by  the kingdom of heavens, salvation, bliss and better life in next birth ( For those who believe in rebirth). As fundamentalism is built up  they get inspired by the thought of landing in heavens  after dying for the cause of religion ( God). Islamic terrorists are being inspired with this and inspiration is connected to faith in the scriptures.Jesus  promised  salvation for those who  had absolute faith in him. Christians are inspired by the Bible teachings and is thus connected to faith.  Hindus are inspired by Karma Yoga proclaimed in Bhagavadgita. Thus inspiration on spiritual front has to be based on faith in scriptures and God. Thus  inspiration, motivation and faith are very closely and mutually connected and are more or less akin.

Dr K Prabhakar Rao

All

We have several approaches with a common thread that I find very encouraging.  In times past when someone would tell me he/she had lost her faith I considered it a great tragedy.  With more understanding and time I came to understand that in many cases it was not Faith that was lost, but a Misguided Inspiration that failed.

The good news is that this Energy is still available and can be redirected with the limiting boundaries and behavior modification removed.  It is then Free Energy -- sort of a Commons available to and for all.  It amazes me how easily the whole thing can be skewed so that the powerful motivation and subconscious receptor can be Misguided.  But now, all humanity needs to do is revisit the Commons of Faith.

reido