Although I still don't particularly care whether or not there is a God or gods, I have been through an absolutely gut wrenching couple of weeks, especially during the last 24 hours when I thought my very sweet cat, whom I've shared so much with and had one of the longest relationships of my life with, was on death's door.
I found myself praying to anyone who might possibly be listening and could help to get my boy through this and have him come out better on the other side of this crisis.
This has made me wonder how many of you believe that some sort of guardian angel, higher power or just the power of the universe may be able to answer your prayers and if you pray and when you're in need and give thanks when your prayers have been answered?
I found myself praying to anyone who might possibly be listening and could help to get my boy through this and have him come out better on the other side of this crisis.
This has made me wonder how many of you believe that some sort of guardian angel, higher power or just the power of the universe may be able to answer your prayers and if you pray and when you're in need and give thanks when your prayers have been answered?
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Costa Rica
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Thu, May 20, 2004 - 2:41 AMNope. I've never even looked for a higher power when faced with the death of a loved one - human or animal.
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Thu, May 20, 2004 - 9:49 AMI think focusing my will on my desired outcome, and just sort of vaguely thinking about the forces in the universe that might lead to a positive outcome (the resilience & strength of my pet, the amazing healing powers of mammals, etc.) is about as close as I get.
I guess you could call it meditation, or wishing, but I don't see a specific personality having responded if I get my wish, other than 'The Patron Voodoo Deity of Wounded Pets'....
ps. hope your cat gets better.... :) -
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Thu, May 20, 2004 - 1:56 PMThere seems to be something good in positive visualization. But no, I have not looked for help from a higher power. I don't belive in one when things are going good so I wont turn to one when things are rough. -
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Thu, May 20, 2004 - 5:56 PMI agree. So many people go with that "it was meant to be" crap when something good happens, but when something bad happens, they moan "How could God let this happen?" when in my opinion it's basically, it's all about randomness, the laws of probability and averages.
Some people have argued with me about how the world is so perfect and how could humans have simply evolved, but we're talking about billions upon billions of years here, and who's to say humans are all that special. We've got nothing to compare ourselves to, except other animals, and in many ways I feel humans fall short.
But not that I'm a pessimist; I feel like I'm more of a realist. Like with that silly glass half full or half empty question - it's both. -
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Thu, May 20, 2004 - 7:53 PMI agree, if humanity is the universe's greatest creation, I'm not impressed. And as far as that "it was meant to be" bullshit, it goes to sickening lengths. A once very good friend of mine was raped in her late teens, then found jesus in her mid-twenties. Her explanation/pseudo-rationalization was "God was teaching me something and that was the only way he could do it."
My only response was "...and you pray to this god?"
It gives me a headache just thinking about it. Believe in yourself, control your life the best you can, get over whatever you can't. Need it be more complicated? -
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Thu, May 20, 2004 - 10:12 PMLook, it's very simple. As soon as y'all realize that not only is there a god, but I am him, everything will be so much easier.
Whoops, my sarcasm meter just overloaded.
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Fri, May 21, 2004 - 2:55 PMmy definition of "god" is what obi-wan told luke in the first star wars, a force that flows thru us, blah blah
so there's no personality "listening" to our wishes for reality to be other than what it is. so peace and happiness comes from keeping as lovingly unattached to phenomenon as possible. positive thoughts and visualizations help as do compassionate friends and counsel. I'm not going to say that guardian angels or discarnate entities don't exist, just that their advice/help aint gonna keep anyone from dying or your heart from breaking. to love is to grieve. to live is to die. "god" rejoices in our experiencing all of life's spectrum.
rock on! -
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Fri, May 21, 2004 - 3:01 PMI'm sincerely not trying to start a flame war, but I need to ask Alan why he trafiics in a tribe not only meant for atheists but in one where even the discussion of whether god exists is deemed irrelevant.
"my definition of "god" is what obi-wan told luke in the first star wars, a force that flows thru us, blah blah"
""god" rejoices in our experiencing all of life's spectrum."
I find those statements to be directly in conflict with being both an atheist and an apatheist.
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Fri, May 21, 2004 - 3:39 PMapatheist isn't atheist as i understand it. i was simply responding to the first question. I was aware that the second statement of mine giving "the force" aka "god" anthropomorphic tendencies like rejoicing may not be received well here but i suppose i was trying to get to the point that all experiences are valid, both faith and faithlessness, hate and love, and "god" is as apathetic about our experiences as we are "allowed" to feel about "god". when asking about desiring to connect to a "higher power" it opens up the topic of what we think of "god" and how much or whether "it/they/he/she" intervenes and interacts with the universe.
it is not my understanding that this is a tribe meant for atheists. here's one: www.tribe.net/tribe/servl...beName/nogod
because i believe in a panentheistic god, doesn't mean i have to worhip him, worry about him, or that "he" misses my worship.
I don't feel like my attitude toward the mystery of existence is in conflict with this tribe. maybe it is.
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Fri, May 21, 2004 - 3:43 PMI'm not sure Alan's musings do violate the concept of apatheism, although perhaps they do atheism. My understanding is that apatheism is about non-religion, meaning non-worship of some god-being, which isn't what Alan was doing. I guess he was espousing a quasi-mystical "energy" that he feels may pervade the universe, but again apatheism doesn't discount the existence of such an energy, it just renders it irrelevant.
The last statement about god rejoicing, etc., was a little bit twee, but it probably just reflects his own feelings about enjoying life, rather than giving credence to some deity. -
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Fri, May 21, 2004 - 5:29 PMI have re-read Alan's statements as well as the tribe's definition of apatheism. I think Alan does have a point that just because you are an apatheist it doesn't necesarily make you an atheist. Thanks Alan for the clear and respectful explanation of where you were coming from. Again I meant no disrespect with my previous comment. That said, the part about god rejoicing did tweak me out a bit, but I'm over it. -
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Fri, May 21, 2004 - 7:37 PMi was a victim of christian upbringing... -
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Re: Wishing For A Higher Power
Fri, May 21, 2004 - 7:47 PMMany of us were, unfortunately. I have to consider myself luck, though, because my mom was raised Baptist and my dad Catholic (horrors!) but for some reason they raised us Methodist. Easy-greasy. Hang out with friends in Sunday School memorizaing aphorisms, listen to some old guy drone on about something or other, and then go to Red Lobster. That was "religion" for me.
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