Jonathan H. B. Lobl

To my perception, the religious right is expanding. Certainly, the Mormon church is going through a huge growth spurt. So are the most extream forms of Protestant Christianity and Islam. If anything, it looks like liberal religion which is in decline. I think it is an expression of the wider trend of polarization. No, it is not going away. Maybe the middle is.

Or we can turn to Job for clarity. I think it was the second chapter of Job -- where Job turns to his wife and says -- "What? Should we expect good from God and not evil?"

Really? What is it that makes God good? Is it because God said that God is good? Or because Scripture says that God is good? That is an argument based on power and power proves nothing. Is God subordinate to a principle of Goodness? Then God is not all powerful and is not God. Unless God's goodness is only opinion and can be dismissed as such -- then God is not good. ( In My Opinion)

There are some things which can not be defined. The best we can do is state their characteristics. A perfect example is "life." What are the characteristics of life? They are: growth, movement, reproduction, digestion, elimination, respiration, etc. Life as such, can not be defined. What is more basic than life? What is more important than the difference between living, nonliving and dead? In the same way, we can define the characteristics of evil. Evil can not be defined. Neither can we define good.

So much for -- "God is love."

Oops.

Nobody has mentioned Queen Ester from the Passover tradition. Ester -- Easter -- Ishtar The lingusistics are clear enough.

It is a little early for Christmas humor. Still, as long as the subject has come up -- a comparison of Santa and Satan. 1. Santa and Satan are both acronyms of each other. 2. Santa is St. Nick. Satan is Old Nick. 3. Both are commonly depicted as wearing red, with black boots. 4. Both corrupt the hearts of the innocent with promisses of material goods. Clearly, Santa and Satan are the same person.

Good and evil are choices. Not in the abstract but in our actions. It is an ongoing process determined by free-will and by our character. Our character in turn develops from past actions. It accumulates.

From my Pantheist perspective; God "became" the Universe. This is not to be confused with God "Creating" the Universe. It follows that to see God, we need only look at the Universe.

This might be comparable to the American Indian Church that has a dispensation from the government to use Peyote. If there were actually a church group that practiced canibalism as a sacrament -- they might well petition the government for permission to practice their rite, only among their own group. After that, it would be up to the government and the courts. I can't predict the outcome. A Jamaican church was refused the rite of ganga.

It is good to have friends on the path. No matter how different our paths are. In meditation terms, it is "being alone, together."

I prefer friendly conversation -- with emphasis on friendly.

Yes.

People on the path of "Light" and "Good" have done the darkest of deeds. Beware the Dark Path. Beware the Light Path.

You wanted to hear from Christians and Jews. I'm a Jew. We can make this the short version. Christians don't own God. Nobody does. Christianity does not define you, or me. Don't worry about it.

One of the advantages of living in New York City is that a great deal of experiences are available without travel. I have been initiated to Medicine Buddha and White Tara. Both in an authentic Tibetan Buddhist lineage. They came with ceremonies to help me see myself as having their properties -- a true self personification of healing forces. It is all symbolism.

The theistic elements in Buddhism are only symbolism. These images are not worshiped.

I think we are getting stuck on a few words. "Faith" for instance. There are other ways to express this. "Quiet knowing" for instance, or "awareness." Or a different nuance such as "awe" -- which can be experienced by contemplating a star filled sky -- or the laws of physics -- or a flower. "Empty" is another troubling word. In Daoism, becoming "empty" is a goal. Very similar to the Buddhist idea of "enlightenment." Daoists regard being empty as a good thing. It signifies being in harmony with the "all" which is the Dao. Examples of being empty in Daoism include the empty space (hub) at the center of a wheel -- which is what makes the wheel useful -- and the empty space in a house -- which makes it liveable. I would like to mention that both Daoism and Buddhism are philosophic systems of thought which are nontheistic. It is possible to have "spiritual" philosophy and goals that have nothing to do with God or gods.

Nice observations. It made me think of Psalm 139.

Yes. Just think of all the people who pray to Hermes without knowing it. Since Hermes was the messenger of the gods and god of the road -- nobody else appreciated good footwear like him. To this day, gamblers call out -- "C'mon seven! Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!" It is amazing how the old gods live on.

Like the prophets in the Bible? Actually, Bible prophecy had two forms. One is predictive in nature. This is what will happen. Another form was the blessing and curse prophecy. If you do such and such, this will happen. If you do such and such instead, that will happen. It was how the prophets blessed and cursed the people -- and maintained their own authority.

Woody Allen married his step-daughter. It happens.

Back on topic: There is small virtue in prophecy, that is only clear in hindsight.

New York City does not have a Walmart. Let Verona rejoice. They are not the only one.