One of our local church billboards states the following:
Now, some may find celebration in this, some may even receive the blessing of a strengthened resolve in this statement, others still may be immediately drawn to question "the truth" as postulated by these churchy words of wisdom ("me, me"...as I wave my arms frantically).
As it stands, no I'm not a "believer" in much of the pov of monotheism, and I'll accept this makes me an outsider in our little corner of the world, in many circles perhaps my pov could even paint me pariah or potentially heretical.
Guess it's a good thing "they" don't stone/burn folks for heresy any more (well generally speaking in regard to the "good ol' U.S. of A." anyway).
Per my personal pov...devils advocate?
Christian/Abrahamic dogma (don't misunderstand, I'm not referring to faith, no belief can hold monopoly on faith as faith in/of itself is a construct w/in every mind; dogma on the other hand...) teaches of the immutable (cannot be mutated/changed) nature of "god".
This teaching of "god's" unchangeable infallibility is perhaps the deepest core conviction w/in all of Christendom (and her Abrahamic sisters of Judaism/Islam) ; perhaps even more so than the messiah concept.
Abrahamic (the big 3; Islam, Judaism, and Christianity w/ all its forms/fashions) dogma by/large teaches many things that, for all intent/purpose, contradict much of its own doctrine(s).
To begin w/ (yep that would be the Genesis of religious debates) the initial argument in regard to "god's" immutability is "his" assumed omniscience/omnipresence.
The argument is this:
"Changing" ones outlook/pov/mind requires the input of NEW information and since "god" knows everything/is everywhere then there can be no NEW information for "god" to take into consideration.
Yet, we find in Genesis that when Adam/Eve hid in their naked shame "god" couldn't find them; which kinda negates that whole concept of omniscient dogma.
Genesis 3:8-9 KJV states:
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him,
WHERE ART THOU?
Now, it should be noted (for the apologists reading along) the continuing argument; assumingly to desuade the free thinking doubters, is that "god" was simply using a turn of phrase, and toying w/ A/E to teach them a lesson about playing hide/go seek from "his" presence.
However, this argument just doesn't quite walk on water.
For what reason (on "gods" green earth, just to poke the hornets nest a lil tap) would "god" go out of "his" divine way to intentionally act out w/ such a grotesquely human emotion?
Let's face facts for just a moment (I'll attempt to limit my digression to a paragraph or 2; my appreciation as you indulge me).
"He" WOULDN'T!
All of the big 3 (in Torah, Koran, and Bible) speak of "god" as compassionate, loving, paternal/maternal, caring deeply, and at times doting over "his" creation; in contrast they also teach of "his" jealousy, vengeance, and judgement.
If the intent is to appreciate, and as well celebrate the loving nature of a divine presence, and supposedly recognize this divine nature as immutable/infallible then it is imperative we also recognize the impermanence/overwhelming fallible nature of "his" alleged creation.
Mankind.
The point herein w/in my digression is to simply say this:
Religious texts are written by man to explain the unknown to the masses in such a way as to control them; cause a child (of "god") to fear it's parentage ("Our Father who art in heaven...") and you control their dogmatic pov; and thusly their politics.
Not one book of any of the 3 mentioned was written in the moment of alleged occurance of any of the supposed "history".
It is also, as w/ any society, highly likely any conquering entity would rewrite (and has rewritten multiple times throughout actual history) texts to suit their own purposes; especially in regard to all the fear/war/hate mongering.
Is it so far fetched to acknowledge "god" (or at least the human conceptualization of "god") has been rewritten as well?
That all said; and again thank you for indulging my digression, there truly is a point, the "god" of man w/in any context can only be at best literally the "god of MAN" created in his own image w/ an intent to subjugate his fellow man.
Now don't get me wrong, I do believe in "god", I'm no atheist, nor even an agnostic; I even acknowledge some level of immutability w/in the concept of a divine energy/spirit BUT....
Look at "His" Creation
It is said, ALL things (especially mankind) were/are created in "his" image yet, in this divine creation (of man, animals, earth) is there any one thing that doesn't have an attribute of impermanence; of inevitable "change"?
The answer to this question is simply an incontrovertible NO!
Everything on "god's" green earth changes...EVERYTHING!; and yet, Abrahamic teaching would have us believe that the divine whom created "us" and everything by "his" own divine blueprint doesn't change.
If "god" is assumed to be the "alpha/omega", the beginning/end then it's naturally safe to assume "he" is also the ebb/flow, the graying of our hair, the passing of time, the "changing" New year, and the return to dust we all eventually/inevitably face.
Life, death, the ever evolving/changing, rearranging, destroying/creating is ALL upon the beauty w/in the face of "the god of Man".
As I step down from my pulpit of "devils advocacy" I'll leave you w/ this final thought...
Perhaps what we've all lost in translation w/ the multitude of changed/rewritten sacred texts over the thousands of years since cuneiform is an intrinsic understanding of "god" AS changing/not changing just as "he" is conceptualized as everything else.
Perhaps what must be acknowledged in our human lack of ability to truly understand "god" IS a a concept of change itself BEing divinely immutable.
May you be blessed today w/ a recognition of your own divine immutability, and w/in this knowledge may you BE the divine change in your life.
Namaste...❤ ~C
👌👌
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