Church and God

When Einstein gave lectures at U.S. universities, the recurring question that students asked him most was:

- Do you believe in God?

And he always answered:

- I believe in the God of Spinoza.

Baruch de Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher considered one of the great rationalists of 17th century philosophy, along with Descartes.

(Spinoza) : God would say:

Stop praying.

What I want you to do is go out into the world and enjoy your life. I want you to sing, have fun and enjoy everything I've made for you.

Stop going into those dark, cold temples that you built yourself and saying they are my house. My house is in the mountains, in the woods, rivers, lakes, beaches. That's where I live and there I express my love for you.

Stop blaming me for your miserable life; I never told you there was anything wrong with you or that you were a sinner, or that your sexuality was a bad thing. Sex is a gift I have given you and with which you can express your love, your ecstasy, your joy. So don't blame me for everything they made you believe.

Stop reading alleged sacred scriptures that have nothing to do with me. If you can't read me in a sunrise, in a landscape, in the look of your friends, in your son's eyes... ➤ you will find me in no book!

Stop asking me "will you tell me how to do my job?" Stop being so scared of me. I do not judge you or criticize you, nor get angry, or bothered. I am pure love.

Stop asking for forgiveness, there's nothing to forgive. If I made you... I filled you with passions, limitations, pleasures, feelings, needs, inconsistencies... free will. How can I blame you if you respond to something I put in you? How can I punish you for being the way you are, if I'm the one who made you? Do you think I could create a place to burn all my children who behave badly for the rest of eternity? What kind of god would do that?

Respect your peers and don't do what you don't want for yourself. All I ask is that you pay attention in your life, that alertness is your guide.

My beloved, this life is not a test, not a step on the way, not a rehearsal, nor a prelude to paradise. This life is the only thing here and now and it is all you need.

I have set you absolutely free, no prizes or punishments, no sins or virtues, no one carries a marker, no one keeps a record.

You are absolutely free to create in your life. Heaven or hell.

➤ I can't tell you if there's anything after this life but I can give you a tip. Live as if there is not. As if this is your only chance to enjoy, to love, to exist.

So, if there's nothing after, then you will have enjoyed the opportunity I gave you. And if there is, rest assured that I won't ask if you behaved right or wrong, I'll ask. Did you like it? Did you have fun? What did you enjoy the most? What did you learn?...

Stop believing in me; believing is assuming, guessing, imagining. I don't want you to believe in me, I want you to believe in you. I want you to feel me in you when you kiss your beloved, when you tuck in your little girl, when you caress your dog, when you bathe in the sea.

Stop praising me, what kind of egomaniac God do you think I am?

I'm bored being praised. I'm tired of being thanked. Feeling grateful? Prove it by taking care of yourself, your health, your relationships, the world. Express your joy! That's the way to praise me.

Stop complicating things and repeating as a parakeet what you've been taught about me.

What do you need more miracles for? So many explanations?

The only thing for sure is that you are here, that you are alive, that this world is full of wonders.

Spinoza. 

Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 17

 Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 17    

"The old people must start talking and the young people must
start listening."  
-- Thomas Banyacya, HOPI          

We are at a critical time in transferring cultural knowledge and spiritual ways. During
the last few years the young people have not been interested in learning the old ways.
The only place this knowledge is found is among the Elders. We must encourage the
young to visit with the Elders. The adults need to think also about learning the culture.
The Elders are getting old and soon will go to the other side. Each of us must pause and
think about our individual responsibility to learn the culture and teach this to our young.              

Great Spirit, help us to learn and remember the old ways. 

Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 16

Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 16    

"To me, the wisdom the Elders have to manifest is in teaching
people how to live in harmony and balance with each other and
the Earth."    
-- Sun Bear, CHIPPEWA

You cannot give away what you don't have. You need to give away what you have in
order to keep it. Our Elders have lived their lives with a lot of trial and error. They
have experienced how to do things well and they have experienced what didn't work
for them as they grew old. They know things about living that we don't know. So,
through the years the Elders have gained wisdom. They usually have a whole different
point of view because of all their experiences. There are two ways to learn. Someone
tells us what they did and we do the same thing or someone tells us what they did and
we choose not to do it. Both of these paths will help us to live.        

My Creator, teach me about choices and decisions and consequences. Put an Elder in
my life to guide me

Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 16

 Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 16    

"To me, the wisdom the Elders have to manifest is in teaching
people how to live in harmony and balance with each other and
the Earth."    
-- Sun Bear, CHIPPEWA

You cannot give away what you don't have. You need to give away what you have in
order to keep it. Our Elders have lived their lives with a lot of trial and error. They
have experienced how to do things well and they have experienced what didn't work
for them as they grew old. They know things about living that we don't know. So,
through the years the Elders have gained wisdom. They usually have a whole different
point of view because of all their experiences. There are two ways to learn. Someone
tells us what they did and we do the same thing or someone tells us what they did and
we choose not to do it. Both of these paths will help us to live.        

My Creator, teach me about choices and decisions and consequences. Put an Elder in
my life to guide me

Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 15

 Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 15    

"Knowledge is a beautiful thing, but the use of knowledge in
a good way is what makes for wisdom. Learning how to use
knowledge in a sacred manner, that's wisdom to me. And to
me, that's what a true Elder is."             
-- Sun Bear, CHIPPEWA

We grow in wisdom by developing ourselves according to the four directions of the
Medicine Wheel - emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. Let's say we started
drinking and drugging in our teenage years. Our emotional development will stop, but
we will grow older physically. We could then develop into an immature adult. As adults
we might be acting like we were teenagers. Once we stop drinking or drugging, our
emotional development will begin again. We need to grow and nurture ourselves in all
four directions. We need to involve the Great Spirit's guidance in our development. That's
the only way we  become wise individuals and live our lives in harmony and in a sacred
way.       

Oh Great Spirit, guide my thinking today. Let me walk in a sacred way on the Red Road.
Let me be a learner of lessons and give me Your greatest gift - wisdom! 

Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 14

 Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 14    

"Follow the Old One's advise."  
-- Tom Porter, MOHAWK        
    
The Old One is called by many different names - Grandfather, The Four directions,
Father Sky, Mother Earth. We should seek the advice of the Old One to help us build
our vision. He will put inside of our mind and heart the vision that we are to follow.
This vision is recognizable by the feeling that it has with it. This feeling is hard to
describe. It feels right, it feels calm, it feels joyful, it feels warm, it feels sacred. The
Old One has a way of letting us know it really is His advice. Listen carefully!     

Grandfather, I'm listening.

Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 13

 Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 13    

"The most important thing you can do during the course of
the day is to pray."
-- Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE   

There are many things we do during the day that are important. There are many
places we have to go and there are many things to accomplish. The old ones say,
the most important thing we can do is remember to take the time to pray. We should
pray every morning and every evening. In this way we can be sure that the Great
Spirit is running our lives. With the Great Spirit we are everything but without Him
we are nothing. All Warriors know their greatest weapon is prayer. To spend time
talking to the Creator is a great honor.               

Great Spirit, thank You for listening to my prayers