This-essay is a7910111.htm which is available at the web-site www.essayz.com. See more notes at the bottom. Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay By-Months By-Years By-Words Webs of Like-&-Un-Like ESSAYS <==> Like-&-UN-Like This-One ========================================================== %BALANCED PERSONAL GOD 791011 Often God is pictured as an exclusively personal being who controls his creatures by a system of divine rewards and punishments. Since he is presumably a loving God he has contracted out the job of punishments to the devil, but he keeps the job of rewarding conformal behavior in the manner of a human father who promotes conformal behavior by rewarding children who do as his will dictates. This exclusively personal God is not pictured as showing respect for natural processes which are described by scientists. For example, he is pictured as requiring his creatures to suffer the consequences of unregulated population growth or give up sexual communication. He is not pictured as a balanced being with respect for both personal and non-personal aspects of reality. His punishments are pictured as originating in his personal decisions, not in the natural processes which can be described by natural scientists. Personal relationships with this personal God are pictured as ones of reward and punishment, not ones of personal intimacy between lovers who respect each other. Yet, in a strange paradox this personal God is called the God of Love. What sense does it make to portray God as being less balanced than the most respected of people? We respect people of integrity who lived balanced lives which are inclusive, rather than exclusive. We respect people who are not manipulative through rewards and punishments, yet are very influential through the way they love and facilitate dialogue. Are we to respect such a god because he is portrayed as having more power to do violence to us than the violent people whom we despise? Are we to respect such a god because he has more power to bribe us into conformal behavior than the corrupt special interests groups who undermine our government's integrity? Are we to honor and worship such a god because he is more specialized than the most alienated specialists who invent weapons of alienation and destruction? Are we to pay homage to him because self-appointed spokes persons portray him as one to be feared above all others, and tell us what we must do to avoid his wrath? If so, what is the ultimate nature of the eternity which we will then inherit for conformal behavior? (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in www.essayz.com Search for Integrity and Honesty (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================
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