Posted by 64bowtie on December 2, 2004, at 23:13:24
In reply to Re: Where does your faith come from? » 64bowtie, posted by verne on December 1, 2004, at 2:08:36
> You write, "Caution: Faith is an "Inside Job", meaning it has to be something you know inside you, otherwise it belongs to someone else!"
>
> I agree with "faith is an inside job" but it's the "has to be something you know inside you" I have a problem with.
>
> In dying to self, and complete surrender, is there an ego left over that philosophizes and measures and "knows" what's inside itself? You can't both die to self and continue to evaluate, judge, and measure in worldly terms.
>
> Going back to an earlier thread and idea you espoused: that faith is a tool. Nothing is a "tool" without an ego firmly engaged in the WORLD. There is nothing spiritual about a tool and faith is far from it.
>
> This isn't semantics and can only be understood if you're "awake".
>
> verne<<< All nine senses work fine in the background when we are asleep. Vision in the foreground is the only sense totally turned off. Ever see someone asleep and snoring with their eyes open? And, the "mind's eye is busy filling the visual cortex with vision's as dreams in the background. All nine corticle centers are busy being conscious even when we are asleep. If no corticle activity is present, we have passed on....
<<< I never imply that I pit my ego against God by believing in Him... I would have to be pitting my ego against God while believing in him, according to what you are saying.....
<<< Our faith is our "ego-wrench" for believing in something greater than ourself without screwing it up and telling God how He must be. God is gonna be what God is gonna be without waiting to see if the faith he gave me for believing in him, works in my case. Mine does, however....
<<< My faith inside me is clearly known to me.... It's one of my human gifts God gave me at birth as a human child. God never implies we must stop being human in order to believe in Him. In contrast, this is our struggle; remain human and believe in Him.... If we make it, our express reward is Heaven and an everlasting life in the presence of Him.... Nothing magical to it....
Rod
poster:64bowtie
thread:419358
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20041120/msgs/423595.html