Jane Lake Makes a Mistake

I agree that God's intent is not to punish us.

I also disagree that "human nature causes people to stray from being good as soon as temptation is presented." In fact, I must call BS on that. What, after all, is "good?" Your post presents a couple of examples of varying definitions of "good:" Jews who keep kosher are not to eat shellfish. Sex outside marriage is a sin if you are Catholic.

So, if I am a lobster-loving Catholic, am I good, or am I not good? Did Christ tell his followers that they were no longer accountable to Levitical law?

Furthermore, I am of the opinion that only pathological are good out of fear of punishment. If the only reason you're not out beating people with hammers is that you are afraid of prison, I recommend seeking professional help.

Anne:

My point is that Levitical law has its purpose. You are not bad if you don't follow it, but even today I believe you are less healthy by eating shellfish and pig, etc.

Sex outside marriage is a sin, but sins can be forgiven, so again you can still be good.

In both these examples, by following the rules, you are in a healthier place.

I am not talking good and evil here. We are all pathological to some extent and we all need boundaries.

Er, who are you to guess what God is and isn't? What if he wants people to kill in his name, and doesn't forgive a damn thing?

It's just guesswork. You can believe whatever you want about God, but in the end, when you and he are eye to eye, you'll have to explain to him why you were worthy enough to tell the world you knew what God was really all about.

I don't believe that organized religion has any merit.

I get what your are saying.

In a sense I get from your point that we may put unrealistic judgements upon others if we try to look at people through a rigid framework.

In Christian and Jewish belief it is agreed that man is imperfect and man cannot judge the level of good of any person. Only God can be the judge.

Laws of the state are that which adhere to a culture and politics. Punishment by laws of the state are set because of a set of rules of the state. They are judgements of course, but they judge acts supported by facts. They do not judge the soul.

Religious law is all to do with faith and self-development. In some cases Sin and Crime are one in the same. But mostly we can all say we are sinners, but we cannot all say we are criminal.

All faiths require the believer to do their best to be good. Lists of Sins are a guideline to follow when your judgement becomes clouded and confused. All of us will be this way at times in our lives, for we are just imperfect humans, seeking afformation from God for our use and understanding of faith law.

Difference being that Christians believe they have an advocate with the father(God) through Jesus Christ. So Christ would stand as Brother and Advocate when we stand before God to be judged

And

Jews believe they are the Chosen. Thus must adhere to Jewish Law to ensure the don't stray in a direction away from the Chosen.

Islam states in their law that all must follow the words spoken by all true prophets including those of Jewish law and Christianity.

I have believed my whole life that I answer to God. As the carnal person I am I must do my best to be good. Whether it is in Christendom or in Orthodoxy. Whether a Gentile or a Semite.... I believe in evangelizing my faith by who I am, what I do, and how I treat others. I believe my conscience and morality is created by faith. Beyond that I am an open vessel for my God to teach me through what I see and experience in life.

Do I Evangelize my faith by attending a mass, adhering to the Dogma, or living within a community of religious support of a colony? Or do I take a reformed approach to my faith and just talk the talk?

In any case I have to feel faith within. The spirit of my ideals has to exude from me. I have to give in to the Spirit of it before I can ever make a decision to be it.

You have a great post for food-for-thought and religion. I have had a religious upbringing (Hindu) but my parents have instilled the practice of embracing all religions and taking the best of what they have to offer.

Now, that I see religion in a more rational point of view, I see its use to control human society. Actually, we don't have a better tool than that. All our laws, moral, and ethics stem from religion. That is what provide legitimation to all other human constructs.

Who ever invented religion and the concept of God is brilliant, and far seeing.

Religion is an ancient form of social control so effective that people actually still accept and believe in it. Quite an achievement, even if it is one that is preventing the world from living in peace - that`s a bit of a simplification, but nonetheless quite true.

God Jane Lake is stupid.

Umm, if you don't keep kosher you aren't a "bad" orthodox Jew -- you just aren't an *orthodox* Jew (maybe you're a Reform New York Jew).
And you don't eat kosher 'cause it's healthy (though it might in fact be a healthy diet for middle-easterners in the pre-refrigeration era) -- you keep kosher 'cause God asked you to (if you're Jewish). You do it cause he asked and if it turns out to be healthy - bonus!