No 334 of Living Life Series 1
The greatest gift we have from God is freewill, without which we will be slaves to instructions or be robots under command. Without freewill, we will not be responsible for our actions. As the Taoist axiom puts it, "as in Heaven so also on Earth". We know that this freewill is the freedom to live but must take into consideration others' freewill to live as well. When extended to animals, this is referred to as animal rights. Perhaps this extends to all beings as well.
God gives us this freewill to allow us to choose and learn to be more like Him and His saints or at least to be a bit like Him. We can choose the long road or the short road or even to go in circles. God provides guidance but not dictate. The guidance comes as precepts and commandments at the mico level and as religions and sects at the macro level.
There is freewill and variety in Heaven with saints galore and heavenly domains aplenty. But there is harmony and complementary synergy as per the will of God. This too must be mirrored on Earth as in Heaven.
But men being men will at times not agree that others can go their own separate ways. They will want others to be like them even if this means they need to instill fear and inject coercion to point of being near authoritarian or dictatorial. This is one extreme of the spectrum when men insist that they have the right to interfere and restrict others lives. They threaten others with fear, death, pain and hell fire if others do not see eye to eye with them.
The greatest gift we have from God is freewill, without which we will be slaves to instructions or be robots under command. Without freewill, we will not be responsible for our actions. As the Taoist axiom puts it, "as in Heaven so also on Earth". We know that this freewill is the freedom to live but must take into consideration others' freewill to live as well. When extended to animals, this is referred to as animal rights. Perhaps this extends to all beings as well.
God gives us this freewill to allow us to choose and learn to be more like Him and His saints or at least to be a bit like Him. We can choose the long road or the short road or even to go in circles. God provides guidance but not dictate. The guidance comes as precepts and commandments at the mico level and as religions and sects at the macro level.
There is freewill and variety in Heaven with saints galore and heavenly domains aplenty. But there is harmony and complementary synergy as per the will of God. This too must be mirrored on Earth as in Heaven.
But men being men will at times not agree that others can go their own separate ways. They will want others to be like them even if this means they need to instill fear and inject coercion to point of being near authoritarian or dictatorial. This is one extreme of the spectrum when men insist that they have the right to interfere and restrict others lives. They threaten others with fear, death, pain and hell fire if others do not see eye to eye with them.
This is not the way of God and saints but the way of demons and ignorant men driven and intoxicated by pride, bigotry and ego under the cloak of religious fervour or crusades. This as a trend may go awry to give rise to terrorism or bring about such in those at the receiving end.
Freewill is good but must have boundaries. We cannot have freewill to manage the lives of others and to force our beliefs down others throats even in the name of religions. That would be sheer bigotry. Thus the universal precepts introduced by Lord Bo Tien has as the second precept the need to respect what all saints preach in words, thoughts and deeds and all that are written. This refers to the teachings of the various religions and sects. We must respect the principles and values of the various religions and sects even if some of these may be very different and at odds with our own.
Freewill is good but must have boundaries. We cannot have freewill to manage the lives of others and to force our beliefs down others throats even in the name of religions. That would be sheer bigotry. Thus the universal precepts introduced by Lord Bo Tien has as the second precept the need to respect what all saints preach in words, thoughts and deeds and all that are written. This refers to the teachings of the various religions and sects. We must respect the principles and values of the various religions and sects even if some of these may be very different and at odds with our own.
Lord Bo Tien reminded us that God reaches out to different beings and sectors of men and need various ways to help them in difficulties, bring them to God and ultimately to save their souls. Thus God allows for not one religion or way but many religions and sects. Dogmas and values may differ but the prophets are given the leeway to do what were best for the context of the times and situations.
For any religion, with the passing of time, the original teachings too may evolve or devolve to extent that will erode the pioneering zest and originality. This is however an issue though changes can at times be good to tailor to the changing times.
But if changes were misdirected to meet the worldly agenda of men rather than the mission of God and saints, then there is need for concern and to look back. There is need to rekindle the original fervour and spirit. This is what is referred to as going back to the basics or the inner truth.
But do note that men of faith can differ in how to present them and to hold on to the people in their fold so long as they not go for the agenda of men but the mission of Heaven. That is men of religions and sects can do more so long as they know and stick to basics
There is freewill to do what is necessary in the context of the times and the people but this must be in keepimg with the basics common to all religions and sects. The basic is to help all beings as beings have difficulties all the time. Over the long haul, it is to bring beings to God and saints and to save their souls from unending issues in life and from cycle of rebirths.
Freewill is in the will of God and His saints but freewheeling is a different matter and can end up adding to the difficulties and issues of men. The issues of men are many and plentiful. Saints like Lord Bo Tien often remind us that they are the very reason why there is need for the mission to help all beings men included.
There is need to provide not just one way but many through the various religions and sects so that every being has choices aplenty. A being can nearly always find one that is quite tailor fitted for him. He has the freewill to do so but he must be focussed. He must not freewheel and lost focus. He must be able to converge on the basics as he diverges and converges along the way and from life to life.
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