Black Spirituality Religion : Why Do We Put God In A Box?

[Destee]

Peace and Blessings Family,

I like this thread too!

Thanks everyone for sharing!



Destee

 

[Kemetstry]

Hello Family,

Why do we try to confine God to a book, or a series of books / writings, or a religion, or some people's perception of things, or some way of life?

Why do we do this?

Is God not bigger than all these things?

How can you put God in a box and say, this is God?

And anything outside of that box is not God?!!

How can you do this ... when God made you ... you did not make Him/Her?



Destee

Because it is a lot easier for our little minds to deal with him that way

 

[HODEE]

Why do we try to confine God to a book, or a series of books / writings, or a religion, or some people's perception of things, or some way of life?

Why do we do this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anger

Anger is an emotional state that may range from minor irritation to intense rage.

The external expression of anger can be found in facial expressions, body language, physiological responses, and at times in public acts of aggression.[5] Animals and humans for example make loud sounds, attempt to look physically larger, bare their teeth, and stare.[6] Anger is a behavioral pattern designed to warn aggressors to stop their threatening behavior. Rarely does a physical altercation occur without the prior expression of anger by at least one of the participants.[6] While most of those who experience anger explain its arousal as a result of "what has happened to them," psychologists point out that an angry person can be very well mistaken because anger causes a loss in self-monitoring capacity and objective observability.[7]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostility

Hostility (also called inimicality) is a form of angry internal rejection or denial in psychology. It is a part of personal construct psychology, developed by George Kelly. In everyday speech it is more commonly used as a synonym for anger and aggression.

In psychological terms, Kelly defined hostility as the willful refusal to accept evidence that one's perceptions of the world are wrong. Instead of reconsidering, the hostile person attempts to force or coerce the world to fit their view, even if this is a forlorn hope, and however harmful the cost.

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Great Question Destee

I usually read some of the religious postings; I may have comment over the years a few times.

I don’t comment in this section a lot the Brothers (with the aggression ) debate hard to make points and often find, what has been said. Or discussed make name calling, character attacks, boxing into a corner with a quote so the ( typed word online attack can take place, and a ignoring based banning of the interruptor all dressed up to look like respect ensues.

Religion discussed used to get you killed. We all can agree here!

Now it will get you cornered. Like minds on board, may ostracized other whom do not know yet or seem to be able to understand..the whole group.

In a symbolic sense…THEY ARE KILLING YOU OFF.

It is believed you are upsetting the balance already established or something.

Then you sense territorial tendencies.

Men are good and we are territorial.

I have come to understand.

This is a site made up of over 80% woman and the number may be higher.

What I have come to understand.
Is the woman on here truly do and discuss loving and supporting the brothers.

Men are very welcome here and need to understand, the aggression normally exercised with each other.

May be or may need to be considered hostile sometimes as woman come in with opinions different from. The most knowledgeable (so to speak) on the subject.

Everyone MUST understand.
An opinion made from what is understood, must be open to be guided.

Then the guider must know when the points are made.
To correct the understanding patience and compassion must be a part of the teachings.

The one who is enlightened may see the new points to add.

Then shores up the who's seeking understanding from what was said.

They leave being better informed.

Sharing and care, by supporting Brothers and Sisters.

Take a moment from the focused heated debate and topic, To answer a question.

Because a question is usually asked because of a word or statement made.

If a comment within a thread makes one think or ask.

How, Why, Where or When Questions… It is good thing. Welcome questions..

Then something great has taken place.
There is an opportunity for the teacher to teach, there is an opportunity to learn by the student or questioner, and the others can be again reinforced by what they hear again. The teacher is reinforced and trusted becuase he / she is clear. Clear in recall and teachings.

Invite those who don’t know... that is what RELIGION is for.


====New Students and Curious believers ==== The circle goes back to teacher back to discussion to students new and old.====

Students ​

New Comers​

All able to support the new comers and others by what they know and learned​

​

===Discussions are formd and Discussed and Shared=====

Discussions​

Teachings​

Questions​

Comments​

​

=====TEACHER teachs FIRST then the circle goes ROUND====

Teacher​

Knowledgeable One​

Discussions​

Teachings​

Questions​

Comments​

​

One may ask a question to the teacher.

What I know is a teacher that gets upset because it appears someone less informed interrupted their flow.

Isn’t a good teacher, but someone who may be steadfast, possibly may have hostile tendencies and probably is an antagonist in some respects.




Religion to me is personal.

I will discuss GOD and my love for Jesus and the bible scripture, despite knowing the argument has been around long before it started here on Destee.

There are errors, omissions, and supposedly false hoods.

I do know GOD personally has blessed me and has protected me.

I know I have guardian angels.
I have be pulled back from death situations, controversy, trials and tribulations. I can testify to.

I have dreams where I speak to angels and they tell me positive things GOD wants to say and have me know and understand.

Thought processes comes to me and I know they are GOD sent.

I don’t see that kind of religion discussed here.
But that is OK. These things religion is personal to me.

I will discuss with an atheist and a believer of any religion their religion, without taking a stand. trying convince them in a post or in a year or in a lifetime.

It is only a discussion.

cheeryblossom stated.. in a post.

The information is the readers to crunch and decide to use, understand or walk away from.. my ad-lib of her comments.. but stop beating each other up!

I know a bit about a few religions. I have practiced a few when I was seeking. I open my door and sit down with the people coming to my door selling the Watch Tower. Jehovah's witnesses.. because I was one at one time.

I do cross my understanding of the bible and some of how they read and teach in circles getting feed back to my everyday learning. There is good in what they do and say.

I have discussed and have me a book by the Mormons. Some understanding of the Qur'an..ALLAH.. and Kismet.. some good stuff to consider.

Buddhism.. studied it.. I was a lost soul. Now I am found.

I read lots of books and I never say mine is better than YOURS!

The division. African Americans do not need it.

I will clearly ask questions where I need them, and stand firm when possible.

I never keep beating the point.
Trying to make the point.
Discuss the point if it is disruptive or I feel the point can not be absorbed.

It is my view point, will remain a view point of mine and it is my RELIGIOUS BELIEF... and no one can change or convince me otherwise of those points.

I know what I have experienced and know.

That is the agree to disagree point!

Why are there no discussions that actually seem to support the way African Americans really are taught in church and understand the bible, or religion? ,

We get scripture mostly passages on Sunday we can follow. Then after the service the passgae isnt lived, practiced, or discussed further.

That is why you may see Sunday only practitioners.

Actually think about it.

We have not learned the bible, until one actually sits in small groups and discuss their understanding of the material read.
The circle is critical... and the exchange is critical... there is no we are here and can't go back, we have to be done and move on. When it comes to such a delicate and personal issue.

Give the group or a new comer a topic, to self study and form an opinion around.

Building blocks. of learning each time. One point on top of another.

When they bring it back... then clarify and correct with the understanding that they may need more. That builds support and understanding not only in religion. But in any thing that can be learned.

A Teacher will teach in such a fashion where the student will and can get the information and understanding almost immediately.

This whole thing makes me think of an instructor I had in college. He would constantly tell me I ask to many questions and often accused me in front of the class. Saying I was not comprehending and should consider dropping the course.

At the final report time before graduation. In front of the class. I dropped his jaw. He was dumb founded of my understanding and the report I gave TAUGHT him his own subject matter. He said.. I didn't know That.

I got my grade and looked at him. I thought. I know!

The student taught the teacher... classic. That racist jaw dropped.

I teach. I train other technicians in electronics... and I am so patient.
I structure the learning with basics... then I can build on that... quickly with what they already have shared and understand.

In three days I can be confident they are confident to do the job after that... if more is needed.

I am always there to TEACH... TEACH… and TEACH again.

 

[HODEE]

It is right and a positive duty to do what Jesus said not to do?

As Brotha Info Moetry has pointed out you've employed a great number of words here showing how the bible contradicts itself. Whose side are you on?

Sister river

What you stated can be easily be put forward in a good argument.

Each passage and reference in the bible.. each taken from BOOKS and condensed into one place. Are and is taken from different writings, ( John, Matthew, etc... ) that took place at different times , by different people and with different interpretations of the same thing.

They all are on the same subject. They don't contradict, just explained by several interpretors. If I say something.. and someone else say the same thing worded differently the same meaning is there. The delivery was different and can be misinterpreted and may seem contradictory to someone.

Understanding while reading the bible comes in discerning.
That the same thing is being discussed.

The points are the same.

It is hard to read the bible. Ask before ever reading.
That understanding is achieved from the reading.

At first your eyes will tire and you may fined it boring or contradictory.. or something. Misinterpretations too can be achieved. That is how years ago.

Killing by the church of those who threatened.

The hold achieved and possible, and those who threatened the control of
the Church's teachings ( the control over those who supplied money.. the root tool ) used scripture to kill and justify it.

Slavery was justified the same way..we had to be dehumanized and made the one's who caused the fall from grace.

Mormons teach.. Cain slew Able..that is why his skin turned black. We are seen as the evil race using that doctrine twist.

Mormons wear lucky underwear.. all the time.. so what is more off.
The belief in lucky underwear or the false doctrine of one man turned black in skin color when he killed his brother.

It is a metaphor of some kind.
Relates to having a dark heart.
Then some how.. it became our dark skin.

A black heart.
If you kill you supposedly have one.
Mormons state we are black because in that time we were Cain.
The one whose skin turned black.

Then why didn't the Indians from India become enslaved like those from Africa.
In South Africa they had during Apartheid a comb test to decide who could be privileged.
It was their way of telling Indians that were there from Africans..

The saying I heard growing up that whites would say was .. it is hard to tell one black man from another. They all look alike.

Or should it have been? There is no need to be able to tell one black man from another. " I am going to mistreat you all the same."

So the comb test was discriminatory type of test.
In South Africa those who could run a fine tooth comb
thru their hair got rights and better treatment.
So the Indians from India have never suffered.

They were used by Europe and Europe settled into South Africa.


Believers of the bible who do not understanding it.
Those who do not talking personally with GOD.

Peace be Still means .. pray to him and wait. No longer let the situation worry you. Do all you can humanly do about it, and let him move on it. He can't come down personally but the situation will improve or get better. Your condition will change. Your eyes will opened. Someone out of no where shows up and helps. It is a blessing. That person may be a total stranger. It may be that homeless guy that tells you something after you stop to give him a dollar. The answer may come out of the mouth of babes. Listen.. listen.. trust him and listen.

Listen.. to your thought, trust you. The answer, and solution is in your thought process sometimes. GOD does speak.. it will be in your conscience and in dreams. He works thru others so be still. After giving it all up to him.

Trust he will provide is the summation. To each and every one of us. This exist.

Trust him and in private pray for understanding of what is read.

Murder was and still is justified because people think they are doing God's will.

They are breaking the commandment.. tho shall not kill.

If a man goes to the military and kills another during war.

He has sinned.

He has let another MAN.

Thru blind following with no true justification.
Have him break God's commandment.

If I kill in self defense.
Knowing GOD knows my heart.
Have I violated the relationship with my Creator?

I could be at peace.. but the question would linger. Until I meet my maker.


Some young Soldiers suffer from the killing they have to do.
Young boys now men that can't come to grips with it.
They may have gone against a fundamental belief.

The followers of any teaching who don't understand can and will be mislead.

The TEN things we are asked to keep.. above all.
Are the most violated Ten simple things I have ever seen.

God is NEVER WRONG. GOD IS!

 

[ru2religious]

I think this is what we're still doing Family ... laying claim to God, based on our experiences, totally dismissing another's different experience with God ... even going as far to say ... God is not there.

Who are we, that we've become so arrogant and brazen, that we believe we know God, in all of His/Her Fullness?

As if we made God, and not the other way around.

We will say, think, or whisper about another ... they don't know God ...

When in reality ... we don't know what anyone else knows ... all we know is what we know ... and we want to limit everyone else, to that ... to the box we have put God in.



Destee

My sista this is a question that I've had the hardest time coping with nevertheless I will give an answer to the bold area, the highlighted point. The answer I give will not be liked upon view but with further examination that feeling may change.

My sista many of us know god/ess because we created god as we see fit to create him/her or the androgynous one. We can attend the same church, moss, temple and have the same teaching based on the dictations of others but in each of our mind god has a different definition. In our minds god/ess looks like you, him, her, me, etc. In our minds god/ess is loving, vengeful, racist, accepting, etc. I sit next to the sista in church and she say god is a loving god but I see god as one who wants to kill me for one mistake and throw me in hell so I see a god to fear. It doesn't matter what the man in the pulpit is talking about because I've created an image of god and thus god is created in my image i.e imagination.

When people tell you who and what god is they become the co-creators of your image of god and thus you find yourself sitting in a trance consistently being bombarded with ideals of god that precedes your physical birth. When I was young I played and I had no thought about whom god was because I was free before I became enslaved to forced ideologies. I didn't know their was a such thing as a god because god was not a reality until someone had to tell me about god. I had encounters with extra extraordinary somethings that wasn't like I was but I didn't have a concept of god and they didn't explain a god to me.

In the words of John Henrik Clarke:

“Spirituality is a way of excepting the fact that there is a spiritual force in the universe larger than all of mankind. But someone had to come along and invent a word called God. Then some had to serve another God and say mine is better than yours, and some had to create faith, someone said I have the true faith.”

And again 'Image of God':

“My main point here is that if you are the child of God and God is a part of you, the in your imagination God suppose to look like you. And when you accept a picture of the deity assigned to you by another people, you become the spiritual prisoners of that other people.”

Human's have this nack for creating god and then putting god in a box which is a prison cell but they lock others into that same cell becoming a warden setting rules for the prison cell/box and its prisoners.

Who can tell you about the god/ess? They can only tell you about their god/ess or another wo/man's vision of god with their seasoning on it but that doesn't make their vision of god; THE GOD. Once this is truly understood by all those who unknowingly impose their philosophy of who and what god is on others, they then would admire the god of their choice/imagination and allow others to enjoy there imaginations. I don't speak this in contempt of any spiritual ideology but base what I say on human psychology.

I create god in my image/imagination and thus I am the creator but I also realize that I am the created from the first thought.

Peace


Ru2religious