Why Has God Created a World in Which There Is Suffering? part1
Wed, 01/30/2008 - 13:07 — admin
TEACHER: Then I’d better give you one! I intend to develop the argument something like this:
God is all-merciful, all-just, all-loving, all-powerful, etc.
He has endowed all living beings with freedom of choice.
Our freedom of choice balances on the decision to serve or not serve God.
God has created this world as a residence for those of us who do not wish to serve Him.
The world is designed not for enjoyment, but for attempted enjoyment. Perfect happiness cannot be found in this world.
In addition to point 5, this world is also designed as a place of rehabilitation and reformation-not a place of punishment- for those who have chosen to seek pleasure away from God.
By experiencing the world, the fallen soul is gradually reformed.
The reformed soul, by his own free will, chooses to serve God and thereby enters into union with Him.
The soul who exists in harmony with God is immersed in perfect bliss.
Now that I’ve given you an outline of my proposal, let’s analyze each point in more depth.
In Sanskrit, the word Bhagavan is used to describe the Supreme Being. Bhagavan can be rendered into English by the phrase “He who is full with all opulences.” Bhagavan, for example, is the most beautiful, the most powerful, the most compassionate, the wisest, the most wealthy (God owns everything), and also the most renounced. When we refer to God or Bhagavan, then, it must be understood that there is no question of deficiency in the matter of excellences.
God means Number One, unexcelled-the Supreme Personality who cannot be equaled or surpassed. God, of course, is much more than these few paltry phrases. But the purpose in making these rather sweeping statements is not to attempt a delineation of the qualities and characteristics of the Supreme Lord at this time, but rather to establish (at least generally) what the term “God” means.
In view of this definition, there is no question of making a statement declaring God to be unmerciful, devoid of power, etc. As soon as we start talking about someone who is not cent percent merciful or cent percent powerful, then obviously we are not talking about God. A being who is not omniscient, omnipotent, and full of compassion is not God, no matter how great his or her qualifications may be.
You are your body, right? You are chemical in essence … right? At least, that’s what one of America’s most influential scientists claims:MICHAEL: I’ve got a good hunch it will be the latter-but I haven’t got a clue as to how you intend to prove it.
I am a collection of water, calcium and organic molecules called Carl Sagan. You are a collection of almost identical molecules with a different collective label.*
Like Sagan, most people believe that they are their body. So if you ask them who they are, they think and respond in terms of bodily labels.
”I’m Susan. I’m blond, 29 years old, a mother, and still 36-24-36!”
”I’m Henry. I’m a white American male and proud of it!”
”I’m John. I’m a lawyer. I’m 40 years old and getting older every day.”
”I’m Alice. I’m a female student. I’m fat and I’m a Methodist.”
Name, race, age, sex, religion, nationality, occupation, height, weight, and so on — all these are bodily labels. Therefore if you consider your body to be yourself, you automatically identify yourself with such labels. If your body is fat and ugly, you think, “Woe is me! I am fat and ugly.” If your body is 60 years old and female, you think, “I am a 60-year-old female.” If your body is black and beautiful, you think, “I am black and beautiful.”
But is the body really the self? Are you really your body?
Science of Identity Foundation – Siddhaswarupananda
*Carl Sagan, Cosmos (New York: Random House, 1980), p. 127.
TEACHER: Then I’d better give you one! I intend to develop the argument something like this:
God is all-merciful, all-just, all-loving, all-powerful, etc.
He has endowed all living beings with freedom of choice.
Our freedom of choice balances on the decision to serve or not serve God.
God has created this world as a residence for those of us who do not wish to serve Him.
The world is designed not for enjoyment, but for attempted enjoyment. Perfect happiness cannot be found in this world.
In addition to point 5, this world is also designed as a place of rehabilitation and reformation-not a place of punishment- for those who have chosen to seek pleasure away from God.
By experiencing the world, the fallen soul is gradually reformed.
The reformed soul, by his own free will, chooses to serve God and thereby enters into union with Him.
The soul who exists in harmony with God is immersed in perfect bliss.
Now that I’ve given you an outline of my proposal, let’s analyze each point in more depth.
In Sanskrit, the word Bhagavan is used to describe the Supreme Being. Bhagavan can be rendered into English by the phrase “He who is full with all opulences.” Bhagavan, for example, is the most beautiful, the most powerful, the most compassionate, the wisest, the most wealthy (God owns everything), and also the most renounced. When we refer to God or Bhagavan, then, it must be understood that there is no question of deficiency in the matter of excellences.
God means Number One, unexcelled-the Supreme Personality who cannot be equaled or surpassed. God, of course, is much more than these few paltry phrases. But the purpose in making these rather sweeping statements is not to attempt a delineation of the qualities and characteristics of the Supreme Lord at this time, but rather to establish (at least generally) what the term “God” means.
In view of this definition, there is no question of making a statement declaring God to be unmerciful, devoid of power, etc. As soon as we start talking about someone who is not cent percent merciful or cent percent powerful, then obviously we are not talking about God. A being who is not omniscient, omnipotent, and full of compassion is not God, no matter how great his or her qualifications may be.