h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello agcB. I read this, it's good advice. I already do this kind of thing a lot. Not as formally as that, though. I spend very long periods of time in contemplation of various things. By 'things' I also mean emotions, people, concepts. I'll say more later.

Hi Grief

I thought you probably did. I find this particular one makes me less trigger-happy at all levels. And the soul needs to contemplate goodness, not evil - becuase what one contemplates grows. And I derive great comfort from doing a practice which has been done by so many people for so long. Do try it. (Did I email it to you? If not please feel free to copy it from my page and email it to anyone you want to).

Isn't it interesting that it is the theist religiouns which seek to convert at the end of a sword or a gun? Atheist and pantheist religions like Buddhism and Hunduism do not seem to feel the need to convert or eradicate in the same way.

*Praying for you and us all*

()
| |
| |
a human being called Ben

Ben, you're beeing a bit sweeping in your generalisation of the way theist religions seek to convert. I am very sympathetic to Buddhism and Hinduism, which do not have the same God-concept as Christianity and Islam, but still, there are God-concepts in those religions as well. I don't belong to any major religion - I have in fact my *own* religion - but I believe there is validity in the concept of a higher being. Call it the 'Universe' if you will. The whole deal with conversion is that people derive great positive value from their religion and 1) want to share that with others 2)identify very closely with it 3) feel rejected when others reject it 4)feel threatened personally by the opposition of others to it. Aggression is something built into people - if you remember my posting to 'why hate?'. Hatred is a natural response under some extreme circumstances. When religious people start to hate, for any reason, their religious beliefs become a part of their hatred - simply because their religious beliefs infuse all parts of them in the first place. The only 'fault' of *some* heistic religions may be that they do not place *extreme* emphasis on cultivating inner and outer peace. Or the 'fault' may be with people who forget or corrupt some of the most crucial tenets of their own religions when they are pushed towards hatred. Christianity and Islam, for instance, both include commands:

1) Not to kill
2) Not to convert people by force
3) Not to exact revenge

But people 'conveniently forget' these when, as a result of certain circumstances, the fear, hatred and/or need for vengeance rise in them.

I should not really have put 'seek to convert' in the present tense - I was thinking of the grand sweeps of history, more than of individual christians and muslims. Certainly I know no christians who would think that conversion at sword-point was conversion at all.

I guess a religion which includes an all-powerful god, includes the concept of the god-given right to do something.

Don't get me wrong - I believe passionately in everyone's right to express their spirituality in whatever non-harmful way works for them.

Take care

()
| |
| |
a human being called Ben