“Look for God, suggests my Guru. Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert
“Anyone who thinks sitting in church can make you a Christian must also think that sitting in a garage can make you a car.”
― Garrison Keillor
*Disclaimer*
If you are a person who brings more Love into this world and actively works to reduce suffering…
I don’t give a flying flip who or what you worship, or how you do it.
❤️
EVERY CULTURE has “something” to say about God and Religion.
EVERY RELIGION has “stories” that depict, explain and lead others to get closer to their God(s).
-Wars have been waged in the name of God and Religion.
-Billions of Lives have been lived in pursuit of pleasing their God and Religion.
THIS IS A BIG ONE.
(give grace, come curious)
1st- Let’s simplify GOD(s)
Because thats a smart thing to do today Aubrey…
GOD:
1. the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being.
2. a superhuman being or spirit worshiped as having power over nature or human fortunes; a deity.
If you could break down the ingredients of GOD into a few MAIN elements they would ALL share these 3 things:
1) Power: Ultimate authority. Power over elements. Creditor for creations.
-Imagine a watermark of ownership to a photo online. Now apply that imagery to literally EVERYTHING.
-Essentially “Made by *this* God” “Property of *that* God”
2) Knowledge: Omniscience means ALL KNOWING.
If YOU have QUESTIONS… GOD has the answer. ALWAYS.
*note the irony in the word “science” as the ending of this very religious word*
NOW for the 3rd *secret ingredient*
-the one that everyone takes to make “God” *their own*
3) Embodiment: A MOLD (or multiple molds)
-We have to put him/it/them/her in our mind to try and capture God. Condense God into a conglomerate “thing(s)/person(s)” possessing these qualities at their highest most potent states.
-“That” is God. or “that is the God of x…this is the God of y…” and so on.
Throughout recorded history, we can count between 8,000 and 12,000 Gods who have been worshiped.**
Other descriptor words attached to the most popular of deities in history include, but are NOT limited to:
-Aseity
-Eternity
-Goodness
-Graciousness
-Holiness
-Immanence
-Immutability
-Impassibility
-Impeccability
-Justice
-Mystery
-Transcendence
-Wrath
RELIGION and GOD are NOT the same thing.
*For the people in the back*
“Religion and God are NOT the same thing!”
BUT…
They go together like “rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong.”
*which ironically sounds like it could be its own worship chant*
2nd- Religion(s) *CONDENSED*
Look at this chart below! I MEAN REALLY LOOK AT IT!
Q: How much did you “know” about what is on this chart?
Q: What does the information you just got from one credited graph tell you?
Religion:
1) the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or Gods.
2) a particular system of faith and worship
3) a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.
3rd- Me(s)
I have been a lot of varieties of spiritual. I have been Christian. I have achieved most of the check marks of the religion I was born into, and zealous in following for many years.
I have big feelings and big thoughts on these big topics.
After years of processing. I can sum it up lightly by saying: “all things led me to here.” I’m ok with the “here” of my spirituality.
I never want to stop learning and growing.
I used to say I “knew” things because life was explained to me in a laid out timeline, with God and Religion being the SOURCE of answers to all of my questions.
I had the answers.
It’s different now. I don’t have all of the simple answers as fact anymore, just “option.” I also don’t just turn to a few characters and stories to parallel what I am supposed to be doing with my one wild life.
I like A LOT of the messaging from the stories I grew up hearing. I hold onto the value points. The story doesn’t have to be historically accurate for me to learn the universal gold from it.
Right now. (3-30-22) This is what I think, hope to be true, and believe in:
1) There are forces, powers, energies, and happenings that I cannot see or even fully identify but I know they are there. I feel them. I don’t care to assign a name to them so strictly. I would rather learn ALL the names for them, and how to utilize and cultivate them.
2) The more I love and learn of selfless and pure love while trusting my “inner knowing/spirit/soul/gut/intuition/self…” the more clear and meaningful my life becomes. The more I desire good things. The more enthusiasm and fulfillment I feel for life.
3) I am not interested in being a member of ANY religion at this point in time. I do not need to “belong” to a group of rules, regulations, justice and hierarchy to “belong” deeply in the way we all crave to.
4) I don’t need a figure head, or multiple figure heads to have all the universally available truths and principles to learn about, teach my children about, call upon, and use.
*to offset the grief of “losing my God” as (The One) …I joke with loved ones saying: “I can call upon any one of them that you want! Just let me know, my options just opened up wide! I’ve got ALL the Gods to pray to now!”
I still believe principles like:
Service, Charity, Hope, Stillness, Faith, Gratitude, Seeking, Loyalty, Honesty, Bravery, Judgment, Listening to that “inner voice”, Perspective, Priorities, Order, Discipline, Development of Talents, Self Esteem, Accountability, Community, Family, Improvement, Confidence, Grit and Tenacity, Humility, Meekness, Integrity, Cleanliness, Reverence, Respect, Forgiveness, Kindness, Motivation, Quality, Peace, Wholesome activities, Physical health, Identity… and so on.
I BELIEVE THEY BELONG TO EVERYONE.
I DON’T HAVE THE ANSWERS.
BUT I HAVE LOADS OF QUESTIONS.
I’M HAPPIER THIS WAY.
CHALLENGE YOUR THOUGHTS. FOREVER.
GET TO KNOW & LISTEN TO YOUR INTUITION/GUT/INNER KNOWING.
REMEMBER MY DISCLAIMER IN RED AT THE BEGINNING ❤️
As it stands today…
If I HAD to pick a God. The “trump” card of the universe. The creator and all knowing/powerful force…. I wouldn’t give it a body. Just a name.
Love.
Love beats paper, rock, scissors and everything in between.
Love is my answer.
There is never a wrong time to love.
Which is how I can say with true intention and meaning,
Love in.
Love out.
Always,
-Aubrey
More quotes too good to not share on the topic 🙂
“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”
― Dalai Lama XIV
“Just because I do not accept the teachings of the devotaries does not mean I’ve discarded a belief in right and wrong.”
“But the Almighty determines what is right!”
“Must someone, some unseen thing, declare what is right for it to be right? I believe that my own morality — which answers only to my heart — is more sure and true than the morality of those who do right only because they fear retribution.”
― Brandon Sanderson
“Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning…”
― C.S. Lewis
“You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”
― Anne Lamott
“I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It’s just that the translations have gone wrong.”
― John Lennon
“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
― Voltaire
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven..”
― John Milton
“A Cleverly Named Blog” with Aubrey 
Well done. Bravá!
You’ve succinctly organized a universe of thought.
In today’s blog, you’ve shown enormity in brief, and nailed jello to the wall.
Conclusion? Love is omnipotent. It’s logic is omniscient. It always works, and never fails. Love is the answer. Everything else is commentary.
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