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Comments by Maynard S. Clark - 9 Mar 2003
In Reference to: 23 March 1997 - OUR REAL STRENGTH IS FROM THE LORD, AND NOT OF OURSELVES
This is interesting. What I see here as a vegetarian looking for some substantial spiritual nutrition, as a vegetarian, is Frank's comment:
This kind of absolute submission can come only when we totally and completely trust in the Lord.
And the ability to trust in this way only comes with unconditional love - a love so complete that it encompasses the whole of creation, without exception.
I. The appeal to submit to God (submission) seems not inconsistent with the spiritual side of Islam (submission), which is curious, I think.
II. But critical doubts we might raise in light of
(a) current history,
(b) our own life experiences and observations, and
(c) rational prospective analysis (reasonable expectations of what might emerge from different scenarios and various courses of action) might be significant and worth considering.
i. Is there God, and what does "submission" mean - if there isn't - if there is and submission makes no sense if we're unorthodox (e.g. not believers in the right God) - if there is and submission makes sense regardless of orthodoxy or lack of it
ii. If these discussions distract us from material responsibilities for a world which is SO big and vast that our spiritual and metaphysical reflections (within our minds and central nervous systems) dwarf in light of the pervasive materiality extended so far and wide and deeply throughout our beings and everything else that co-exists in space-time (matter)
The advice to "let go and let God" is difficult if we fear, and if we fear, is submission to what may merely be an "unknown" (or an unknown god) rational as a strategy?
Just mulling it over, realizing that such analyses are not uncommon in our general public, with whom we live, work, and share our social, economic, political, social, and intellectual lives.
Meanwhile, I let go of mean and animal products long, long ago, and of animal-based clothing not long after that. And I realize that -- look at the sunset or the sunrise, think of the planet and the uncounted planets elsewhere -- human history is bigger than any of us, and the biosystem greater than that, and beyond that, our bigger, biggest question might tap the inquiry into God. WHO!!
Why is there something instead of nothing at all, and do we persons make any moral or other sense in this milieu?
Maynard
Go on to: Comments by Jayne - 20 Feb 2009
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