PS Who is a rotten apple and who is not is often subjective and depends on the wisdom eyes of the beholder
For a religious belief system to appeal to the masses, it cannot just appeal to the few wise enough to grasp but it must appeal to the large sections of the masses who may not grasp the core purpose or mission of the the system. That is the paradox but is not an issue for God and saints.
For one thing, the good need little help. The lost and wayward should be the focus but the only way to bring them in is to attract them at their terms.
To put it bluntly, it is pointless to dangle spiritual attainments like purification of the heart and achievement of the no-ego state. Such lofty ideals merely cheese off the worldly who see not the need for such ideals but want more of what they can get now in this world, such as status, marriage, power bases, good fortune through lottery and what have you.
Certainly everyone wants these but may not admit it. But there will be a few who know that there is more than these that men must go for.
Life is more than the at most hundred years we have as man. But many are blind to this and will say, "So what if this is so?"
Religions cannot make headway if they do not allow followers to tune to the mundane and it is the mundane that matters to them. So in any religious institutions, the pioneer years are simply wonderful but in time when there is established concrete foothold, many more will come to join the fold but these many others just want the milk the nectar and not the flower. Can the flower or the saint who initiate the setting up be blamed?
To put it in another way, a religious institution will attract rotten apples amongst men, but it is these rotten apples that it is set up for and they are the ones who need to be converted. But what if they are not and yet stay put to run the organisation? Worst still, what if they cause other apples to rot?
From the view of the common men, why not ban the rotten apples so that they will not cause good apples to rot or the good apples to stay away from the organisation. If this was the right way, then the rotten apples will go to hell even before they leave this world.
God and saints will not let them be left to rot away but will welcome them to a temple or church with open arms and even let them run the temple or church. This is the difference from men and that is why God and saints are what they are.
Rotten apples are more than welcome and they can even helm the management body of a temple or church. Even if they do not make amends and remain rotten, this is the prerogative of God and saints.
Divinity do not give up hope and allow leeway for wrong, so long as the rotten apples can be a bit less rotten, a wee bit good and that is good enough. They are like prodigal sons and others may scorn at them for they don't seem to change and make good.
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| Lord Bo Tien |
Lord Bo Tien says that a saint may choose to train a criminal if the saint chooses. He may train that man and even thrust him into management and key positions. That man may remain a rotten apple till end of life but a good saint is more far sighted and a saint sees and goes beyond this life or even the next.
That man may fail again and again but the saint will never fail to persist and be benevolent to help him to amend not just in this life but in after life as well.
The options for rotten apples are always open as far as God and saints are concerned. But if you leave this to Man, there is only one option for rotten apples, which is to throw them away. This is not the way of God and saints.
In any mission or sub-mission of the lord saint (Lord Bo Tien), there too will be rotten apples and they are that blessed to play key roles but they may alter the course of the mission as they are after all rotten apples. That is of no concern, for the lord is benevolent to give near endless chances.
But there are consequences of actions and there will be those appointed or injected from the start to intervene now and then so that the rotten apples will be saved somewhat and the mission is ever on course.
That may be the very reason for the unique roles of his archangels like Mou Chi Sun and the human controllers, vis-a vis the die-hard fundamentalist elders. They need to ensure conformity of sorts to the core mission. They need to exercise painful options like excising the rotten parts of the apples to save them and enable them to carry out their current spiritual roles and for better or repeat roles as such and if need be in the afterlife.
If they are not prompt in excising the rotten parts at the right time, the erring ways of the wayward men are akin to more sugar added to the rotten apples causing more rot and ending the life of the men. At the same time, they must adopt a more or less hands-off approach. They must allow freewill and initiative. The archangels work through the human controllers - the elders who ensure that fundamentals are adhered somehow in the long term.
Who is a rotten apple and who is not is often subjective and depends on the wisdom and insight of the beholder. Good apples may be regarded as bad and bad apples good. That is the problem.
Do be mindful that the perspective of men is not the same as God and saints. But in the eyes of divinity, it is the rotten apples in men that need more help and opportunities to make good. Men would just throw them away and go for the good apples.
Lord Bo Tien said with regards to followers and devotees. The far may be near and the near may be far but even the wayward will be welcome to come for the nectar and helm the mission at human level.
In a way, no one is regarded as a rotten apple by God and saints even if there are rotten apples. They who are far (rotten) may be near and deserving more help even if help will not make any headway in current life time.
If they are not prompt in excising the rotten parts at the right time, the erring ways of the wayward men are akin to more sugar added to the rotten apples causing more rot and ending the life of the men. At the same time, they must adopt a more or less hands-off approach. They must allow freewill and initiative. The archangels work through the human controllers - the elders who ensure that fundamentals are adhered somehow in the long term.
Who is a rotten apple and who is not is often subjective and depends on the wisdom and insight of the beholder. Good apples may be regarded as bad and bad apples good. That is the problem.
Do be mindful that the perspective of men is not the same as God and saints. But in the eyes of divinity, it is the rotten apples in men that need more help and opportunities to make good. Men would just throw them away and go for the good apples.
Lord Bo Tien said with regards to followers and devotees. The far may be near and the near may be far but even the wayward will be welcome to come for the nectar and helm the mission at human level.
In a way, no one is regarded as a rotten apple by God and saints even if there are rotten apples. They who are far (rotten) may be near and deserving more help even if help will not make any headway in current life time.
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