The liberating line of thought discussed in "In Flesh", is something I believe we all have indulged in at some point or the other in our respective lives.
Allow me to elaborate.
Belief in and the ensuing surrender to a higher power, is really liberating, and "empowering" because it allows us to go on and live our lives and have someone to run to incase of trouble.
I think most of us can fondly recall the comfort of having Mommy to run back to incase any situation required assistance beyond our forever limited resources. Then we grew up. And Mommy was not as much on call anymore. Could be because we were finally embarrassed to go back crying for every splinter in our finger. Could be because we were not really proud of the actions that led to us needing help. Could be because we were now in Mommy's shoes ourselves, and hence responsible full time for fixing someone's life. Of course there is a fourth possibility, and a fifth but I shall not go there. Bottom line or "net net" as a certain someone says, now what? Who do we turn to? Here begins the spiral.
We invent (or lately, just start subscribing to) the Almighty. And to reach out we pray. He answers a prayer (Of course! He's all merciful) , or doesn't (He moves in mysterious ways or the more popular "Uske ghar me der hai andher nahi" etc. etc.). Things that happen around us, and are not in our control, are also classified conveniently into the two buckets of explanation. We, in our desperation to be comforted, and in essence, shun responsibility for our actions (or inaction) and their outcomes (or the lack of them), compromise on the certainty of Mommy’s response to the consolation that there will be a response sometimes. Though there may never be one.
I can go on about the arrangement (and I will, same place, another time), but I think we’re all too familiar with it. We have all been living that setup since the day we were born.
All I ask is this: Would it make you happier, if fact was that (letting bygones be bygones) what you do is all that counts, and save the uncertainty inherent to this world no intelligent omnipotent being is consciously trying to sabotage or assist you or anyone? That the whole thing is a façade, no different from the constant ‘c’ we add to mathematical equations that don’t add up on their own – a convenient, comforting explanation for yet unexplained phenomenon?
In other words, would you be happy to know it’s a fair fight? I know I would.
Allow me to elaborate.
Belief in and the ensuing surrender to a higher power, is really liberating, and "empowering" because it allows us to go on and live our lives and have someone to run to incase of trouble.
I think most of us can fondly recall the comfort of having Mommy to run back to incase any situation required assistance beyond our forever limited resources. Then we grew up. And Mommy was not as much on call anymore. Could be because we were finally embarrassed to go back crying for every splinter in our finger. Could be because we were not really proud of the actions that led to us needing help. Could be because we were now in Mommy's shoes ourselves, and hence responsible full time for fixing someone's life. Of course there is a fourth possibility, and a fifth but I shall not go there. Bottom line or "net net" as a certain someone says, now what? Who do we turn to? Here begins the spiral.
We invent (or lately, just start subscribing to) the Almighty. And to reach out we pray. He answers a prayer (Of course! He's all merciful) , or doesn't (He moves in mysterious ways or the more popular "Uske ghar me der hai andher nahi" etc. etc.). Things that happen around us, and are not in our control, are also classified conveniently into the two buckets of explanation. We, in our desperation to be comforted, and in essence, shun responsibility for our actions (or inaction) and their outcomes (or the lack of them), compromise on the certainty of Mommy’s response to the consolation that there will be a response sometimes. Though there may never be one.
I can go on about the arrangement (and I will, same place, another time), but I think we’re all too familiar with it. We have all been living that setup since the day we were born.
All I ask is this: Would it make you happier, if fact was that (letting bygones be bygones) what you do is all that counts, and save the uncertainty inherent to this world no intelligent omnipotent being is consciously trying to sabotage or assist you or anyone? That the whole thing is a façade, no different from the constant ‘c’ we add to mathematical equations that don’t add up on their own – a convenient, comforting explanation for yet unexplained phenomenon?
In other words, would you be happy to know it’s a fair fight? I know I would.
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