sonflour_2001
Member
[SIZE=+0]Oh great...now she thinks she's Piaget. No. No. You guys. This thread came out of a response to whether people worship out of fear or love. It was an issue that I'd been turning over in my head for a long time. Here's what I came up with. (Do I see a future essay...:yes: Keep in mind some people may skip some of these or experience them in different order.[/SIZE]
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Stages of Growth in God
1.) Right action out of Fear (Selfishness) I think that this is the most childish of stages in regards to worshiping God. Thus, you act in regards to God because you fear going to hell or some other punishment. This is also very selfish as your actions are always motivated by escaping punishment for yourself. (I.e. "I won't help you b/c I actually care about you, but b/c I don't wanna go to hell!")
2.) Right Action out of Respect/Awe (Selfishness) While I believe this stage is considerably better than the last stage, it still doesn't quite cut for me. Respect and awe is a beautiful thing that everyone should have for the "That which nother greater can be thought", but this should not be the primary motivation for how you act in regards to your religious belief. Furthermore, there is still a bit of selfishness involved here b/c many are in awe of God's power or what he can do for them, rather than appreciating and contemplating how wonderful God simply is. (I.e. I'll help you, but only b/c I respect God for his power and it's good to have him on my side.)
3.) Right Action out of Blind Faith (Selfishness)
I'm not sure if this comes first or afterwards, but it's definitely a stage in a relationship with God. Blind faith is wonderful and everyone must engage in it at some point in their spiritual life. But I still think it's a very childlike stage, b/c you take for granted that God equipped you with faculties such as a mind, to allow you to continuously contemplate why you should act according to his commandments. God doesn't want brainwashed weak followers. He wants fully conscious, free-will utilizing followers. Also this stage is a little selfish b/c it takes God for granted, simply b/c one may be too lazy to wish to delve into thinking about God. (I.e. I'm not helping you b/c I'm making a conscious and informed decision to do so, but b/c I'm too lazy to think on my own and so it really doesn't matter why I have to help you.)
4.)Right Action out of the Intellect (Selfishness) Many eventually get over the blind faith, respect and fear modes as they move onto a want to truly understand why God wants us to go the things he wants us too do. At this stage, they pray for understanding, b/c they initially understand that the gifts of our intellect allows us to make connections between God's commandments and his overall plans. However, you've got to be careful at this stage too. The ego may urge you to wish to learn simply for the purpose of success and having knowledge over others. To be imagined with an extremely condescending air (I.e. "I'll help you, b/c my superior knowledge has shown me that it's the right thing to do.")
5.) Right Action out of Improvement/selfishness I think this is the next stage, and it's not a bad stage, but it's not one you should wish to remain at. At this stage you act right b/c you wish to improve yourself. Your intellect has helped you to make a connection between acting righteously and being a better, healthier person and so naturally you act accordingly. There's nothing wrong with this, but personal improvement still should not be the ultimate and sole reason for your actions. (I.e I'll help you, but only b/c it'll help me become a better person.)
6.) Right action for the sake of wanting to please GOD/selfishness I think this is a very high stage. Basically, you may have initially stepped out on blind faith, knowledge of God's power inspired fear in your heart, out of that fear you perceive GOD as being worthy of respect, your respect led to you to a need for a better understanding of God through your intellect, you intellect helped you to make the connection between God's commandments and becoming a better person, and now you wish to become a better person to please him because, he's worthy of respect and so on. This stage is a very big one and it's important. However, once again you have to be careful, especially if the only reason you want to please him is b/c of his blessings. Such an attitude would take you right back to acting out of fear. (I.e. I'll help you because I want to please him, b/c he'll bless me if I do, or punish me if I don't.)
7.) Right Action out of love This is one of the highest stages of growth in a relationship with God. You already act based solely on the knowledge that it's right. But now, in addition to that, you are starting to gain a complete understanding of just how much God loves you. So much so, that when faced with the decision of simply leaving you as unrealized potential, or making you an actuality...in spite of the divine omniscient knowledge that you would mess up multiple times...he still loved the thought of you living enough to let you live. Not as a mindless robot without the ability to think for itself, but in his image as a living, thinking entity with limitless potential. By this point in your relationship to God you are so overwhelmed by his love that all of your actions are motivated by the rightness that is love. (I.e. I will help you, b/c he loved me enough to help me and I can do nothing else than to help you experience such a beautiful thing through my actions.)
9.) Right action We are really starting to grow. I'm starting to realize that most people don't get past the fear stage, let alone acting for the sake of righteousness itself. This is hard. At this stage you don't act for any other reason or bribe system other than for the understanding that it is the right thing to do. Period. Action free of all thoughts of consequences. No want, obedience, faith or trust, or reaction. Complete independence and true free will. You act simply b/c you've realized your true nature is that of righteousness and complete love and you need no other reason or coercion to do so. You act complete non contingent of any consequences, much like God does. (I.e. I'll to help you.)
10.) B/C we are creatures of limitless potential who knows
Well, I think I'm still at mixture of stages 1-6. Geez...that love stage is a hard pill to swallow.
Dee
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Stages of Growth in God
1.) Right action out of Fear (Selfishness) I think that this is the most childish of stages in regards to worshiping God. Thus, you act in regards to God because you fear going to hell or some other punishment. This is also very selfish as your actions are always motivated by escaping punishment for yourself. (I.e. "I won't help you b/c I actually care about you, but b/c I don't wanna go to hell!")
2.) Right Action out of Respect/Awe (Selfishness) While I believe this stage is considerably better than the last stage, it still doesn't quite cut for me. Respect and awe is a beautiful thing that everyone should have for the "That which nother greater can be thought", but this should not be the primary motivation for how you act in regards to your religious belief. Furthermore, there is still a bit of selfishness involved here b/c many are in awe of God's power or what he can do for them, rather than appreciating and contemplating how wonderful God simply is. (I.e. I'll help you, but only b/c I respect God for his power and it's good to have him on my side.)
3.) Right Action out of Blind Faith (Selfishness)
I'm not sure if this comes first or afterwards, but it's definitely a stage in a relationship with God. Blind faith is wonderful and everyone must engage in it at some point in their spiritual life. But I still think it's a very childlike stage, b/c you take for granted that God equipped you with faculties such as a mind, to allow you to continuously contemplate why you should act according to his commandments. God doesn't want brainwashed weak followers. He wants fully conscious, free-will utilizing followers. Also this stage is a little selfish b/c it takes God for granted, simply b/c one may be too lazy to wish to delve into thinking about God. (I.e. I'm not helping you b/c I'm making a conscious and informed decision to do so, but b/c I'm too lazy to think on my own and so it really doesn't matter why I have to help you.)
4.)Right Action out of the Intellect (Selfishness) Many eventually get over the blind faith, respect and fear modes as they move onto a want to truly understand why God wants us to go the things he wants us too do. At this stage, they pray for understanding, b/c they initially understand that the gifts of our intellect allows us to make connections between God's commandments and his overall plans. However, you've got to be careful at this stage too. The ego may urge you to wish to learn simply for the purpose of success and having knowledge over others. To be imagined with an extremely condescending air (I.e. "I'll help you, b/c my superior knowledge has shown me that it's the right thing to do.")
5.) Right Action out of Improvement/selfishness I think this is the next stage, and it's not a bad stage, but it's not one you should wish to remain at. At this stage you act right b/c you wish to improve yourself. Your intellect has helped you to make a connection between acting righteously and being a better, healthier person and so naturally you act accordingly. There's nothing wrong with this, but personal improvement still should not be the ultimate and sole reason for your actions. (I.e I'll help you, but only b/c it'll help me become a better person.)
6.) Right action for the sake of wanting to please GOD/selfishness I think this is a very high stage. Basically, you may have initially stepped out on blind faith, knowledge of God's power inspired fear in your heart, out of that fear you perceive GOD as being worthy of respect, your respect led to you to a need for a better understanding of God through your intellect, you intellect helped you to make the connection between God's commandments and becoming a better person, and now you wish to become a better person to please him because, he's worthy of respect and so on. This stage is a very big one and it's important. However, once again you have to be careful, especially if the only reason you want to please him is b/c of his blessings. Such an attitude would take you right back to acting out of fear. (I.e. I'll help you because I want to please him, b/c he'll bless me if I do, or punish me if I don't.)
7.) Right Action out of love This is one of the highest stages of growth in a relationship with God. You already act based solely on the knowledge that it's right. But now, in addition to that, you are starting to gain a complete understanding of just how much God loves you. So much so, that when faced with the decision of simply leaving you as unrealized potential, or making you an actuality...in spite of the divine omniscient knowledge that you would mess up multiple times...he still loved the thought of you living enough to let you live. Not as a mindless robot without the ability to think for itself, but in his image as a living, thinking entity with limitless potential. By this point in your relationship to God you are so overwhelmed by his love that all of your actions are motivated by the rightness that is love. (I.e. I will help you, b/c he loved me enough to help me and I can do nothing else than to help you experience such a beautiful thing through my actions.)
9.) Right action We are really starting to grow. I'm starting to realize that most people don't get past the fear stage, let alone acting for the sake of righteousness itself. This is hard. At this stage you don't act for any other reason or bribe system other than for the understanding that it is the right thing to do. Period. Action free of all thoughts of consequences. No want, obedience, faith or trust, or reaction. Complete independence and true free will. You act simply b/c you've realized your true nature is that of righteousness and complete love and you need no other reason or coercion to do so. You act complete non contingent of any consequences, much like God does. (I.e. I'll to help you.)
10.) B/C we are creatures of limitless potential who knows
Well, I think I'm still at mixture of stages 1-6. Geez...that love stage is a hard pill to swallow.
Dee
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