Although I have posted here once, it was only in reply to a post that I
read and felt moved to answer. After reading many of the other posts, I
see that my response was relevant, but am not sure whether it was actually
"understood" or even appropriate for this list.
My name is Ali Rashada and I have no formal training or information about
LO other than what I have been able to glean from postings that I have
received. I am 23 and have attended a couple of years in college
concentrating on computer programming and mathematics, although I have
found my real love to be rooted in the Humanities (especially music, good
art, and religion - although I follow none of the generally accepted
religions).
I hope I don't offended anyone with my next statements but they are what I
have seen, and I do not propose that I have seen the only, or ultimate
truth, but like I say this is what I see.
It appears that the purpose of LO is to understand the concepts and stages
of unconscious and conscious and directed growth, and it seems from the
posting that I've read that the focus is on intellectual growth more than
anything else. I have also noticed a focus on enabling large groups to
learn, and then re-teach themselves, even learning new ways to learn.
What I have observed though, is a missing focus, lost in the scholastic
approach to life, and I will attempt to expound on that. (Notice that I
quote no other sources, does that invalidate my observances?)
There seems to be unlimited scholarship driven by a mis-focused goal,
which is the MAIN problem with America today. We have got unbelievable
technology and look at its disbursement in our society. The Governmental
Warriors (Army, Navy, etc.) are at the top possessing bombs with cameras,
super-secret observing devices and what not. Next are the businesses that
not only are capable of sustaining a luxurious and enjoyable life on this
planet for everyone, but they even try to convince us that is their main
focus. So why then are the top execs making literally millions while the
people doing the labor make thousands? Anyone who tries to defend our
present economic system advocates elitism, suffering, poverty, crime and
many other things that are a necessity in a competition based, material
focused economy. Our system requires that everyone does not work together
towards the same goal (who would the profit come from?). The basic goal in
our system is to acquire something for as little as possible, and sell it
for as much as possible. In this system, there HAS to be a group that will
acquire more than everyone else, and if the currency used to obtain goods
is limited, as our "money" is, then eventually there will not be enough
for EVERYONE, because people like Michael Jackson, and Ross Perot have
more than they can even USE. Michael Jackson is obviously very talented,
and Ross Perot has a business sense that cannot be questioned, he HAS
succeeded in the business world. But what does that mean? They have both
acquired lots of goods, but look where they are internally. I won't speak
on Michael because he is so messed up, if you can't site and example than
you are just out of it. Ross Perot on the other hand wanted to remake
America into a larger business, raising the price of gas and other things
necessary to a good life. If our focus is having a balanced budget instead
of having a country full of nice, well groomed, geniuses who always try to
do the right things, then our focus is wrong, dead wrong and I will debate
anyone who will say otherwise. A balanced budget using imaginary money is
an illusion, with no substance. The other option speaks for itself.
Way down of the list of those benefiting from the abilities and talents of
the inhabitants of our world are those who need it most, our Youth. I live
in Detroit, and I would never send my children to a public school here. We
have schools with outdated books and little equipment, yet members of our
school board have limos, and parties and even charge their personal items
to the schools. How can we ever expect our children to "COMPETE" if we
don't give them the skills necessary? (If we don't, who will) Yet many
adults are quick to condemn this generation.
I still haven't address the correct focus but I'm getting there. The first
posting I made addressed the point of where was the strength and desire to
change to better systems to come from? (Ahh..... now we get to the GOOD
PART)
For those of you who are Atheist or unsure, this is especially important
for you!
The creation of man is a story told many ways, with many morals
and lessons embedded in the myths that have become truths to many. The
creation of man begins at the same starting point as the Earth, the sun,
the stars, and every other existent piece of matter in all the possible
aspects of reality. This beginning is God, the one truly perfect being,
the source and template of all.
Although the starting point may be the same for all that exists,
the methods through which they were created differs greatly from item to
item. You, human, have a beginning from which no one could have predicted
you as the outcome. Your birth into the universe closely resembles your
birth into this world. In one instance the seed was the planet Earth,
bubbling and seething, cooling, and coalescing in the outer space, a womb
of sorts in the cosmos, in the other, a tiny, barely visible seed, sits
patiently until its life-energy is joined with a sperm and the little
sphere begins is transformation into a two armed, two legged human. And
amazingly, yet true, both of these procedures were created by a thinking,
planning God.
We grew, evolving from the barest of nothing, amino acids, to
proteins, to cells, and organisms - spontaneous evolution many times over,
a constant reminder of the ever perfect and unfathomable abilities of God.
And our given task, our reason for existence, the simplest, yet most
powerful and logical of reason, to grow and evolve to our highest point.
You are alive to live, intelligently, beautifully, artistically,
constantly achieving bigger and better things, always learning and
teaching, growing, and helping others to grow. This is your task, and if
this is not your main focus in life, then you are wasting your time. If
your goal is to simply become the richest, or most famous, or most feared
human that has ever lived, then you have become sidetracked, distracted by
a small goal, and oblivious to the larger picture. There is a big world,
surrounded by a bigger galaxy, that's enveloped by an even larger
universe, and all of this is meant for you, to explore, to understand, to
be part of.
Now that we have a somewhat better idea of why you were created,
let's discuss at greater length your creator, called God by some, Allah by
others, Jehovah, Jesus, Shiva and many other names, depending on where you
are and who you talk to. The differences in name is mainly because of the
differences in languages, because most of the beliefs on the planet Earth
are virtually the same, in fact, the three major religions all share the
same beginnings, and middles, with the endings differing mainly because
they came at different time periods and geographical areas, to peoples
with vastly different cultures.
Lets explore the concept of God, and his attributes.
1. God exists, regardless of our inability to comprehend his plans, his
methods, or his existence fully, there is no doubt that he exists. There
is no logic or order to our universe without God. We would be the epitome
of egotism if we believed that thought, and power reached its peak in the
human being, or that we are the result of luck, or random occurrence.
2. God is complete within himself, meaning he is perfect, without a need
that he himself cannot fulfill. He is perfection is its full range,
meaning all the qualities that are desirable, or necessary, he possesses.
In truth power has no meaning in reference to God for he is the
infiniteness of perfect thought blended with the ability of all
omnipotence. Thought and action are one, and both know no bounds.
3. God is love, which is the logical procession from all power. With
perfection throughout, there is simply no need, nor any room for
imperfection. There is no need or desire to cause pain, or to hate. God
has no need for jealousy, envy, distrust, hate, or any of the other
negative emotions that humans presently experience, because he is
complete. There is nothing that we can do to truly hurt him, although when
we choose to hurt ourselves by not following his plan, our suffering does
cause sympathy, but we simply cannot hurt him. We cannot lessen his
powers, or change his mind, but we can love him, and be loved by him.
Because of his near infinite love for us, he has made a plan that will
allow us to grow, and evolve, and experience life, and love at levels that
we never imagined. Because he loves us, God has allowed us to exists, and
think, and decide, and even in this lowly state of human mortality, we are
allowed to bask in the love of God.
These are some of the things that God is, and all that God is, is
good. Any of the stories, and tales that show God as mean or vengeful,
upset or confused, illogical or rash are simply not true. These are human
characteristics, give to God by people who have either misinterpreted, or
misrepresented God. God never repented that he created man, and tried to
destroy them, God makes no mistakes, that is what makes him God.
The obvious question regarding this information, If God is
all-powerful and complete, perfect and self-sustaining, why create humans,
or any other race or species? The most important answer, because there are
many, is because of his true love. There is nothing more sublime, more
wonderful, more beautiful than living a life with the love of God within
you. There is no adventure more challenging, more poignant, more emotional
and surprising than life itself. God has given each and every human being
the ultimate gift, the chance to live, grow and experience his perfect
love.
Now that we know why we are here, it is important to understand
clearly what we must do, for no task can be completed without knowing the
plan. Before moving into the plan, let's define a few terms, as well as
clear up some misconceptions from the past. In the sight of God, there are
basically two types of thoughts and actions, Positive and Negative. Good
and bad, right and wrong are all subjective terms used by humans to
express their own ideas about the correctness of thoughts and actions, but
they do not accurately describe the categories of judgment. If your goal
is evolution and growth, then good and bad really have no meaning, while
Positive or Negative accurately express the growth, or lack thereof. If
your thoughts or actions are Positive, then you are moving forward,
upward, higher, you are advancing beyond a previous point, and if they are
Negative, then you are moving backwards, away from your goal, and away
from God. And the best thing is, it is truly as simple as that.
What are some examples of Negative things? Hate, jealousy,
violence, malice, envy, selfishness, dishonesty. These things have no
ability to improve you, to help with your growth, or aid in any
relationship with God, with humans, or with yourself. These are things
that must be avoided, not because they are wrong, or bad, but simply
because they don't help you in any way. They are simply Negative.
What then are examples of Positive things? Of course love, but
also honesty, joy, selflessness, trust, friendship, education, and
dedication. These are all things that will help you become a better
person. They will help you relate better with your fellow humans, they
will help you understand the plan of God, and ultimately they will make
you happy.
What are the consequences of choosing Negative things over
Positive things? First off we must remember that God is already complete,
and nothing that we do can truly hurt him. We must also remember that life
is his ultimate gift to us. Its is important to also note that existence
has rules and laws that govern it, meaning that in order to continue
existing in God's world you must follow his rules, his plans. One aspect
of your mortal life is that you are now being required to make decisions
every day. When you make a Positive decision, you follow God because he is
perfect, and perfection is positivity at its highest, in every aspect.
Conversely when you act Negatively, you move away from God, because he is
your goal, and he has no negativity. Now if you choose not to follow God's
plan for existence, then you are choosing to move away from him, and
ultimately not to exist in his world. No Hell, no fire and brimstone, you
just won't receive any of the love, and caring that God has to offer. You
will not experience the joy and elation of continued growth and
achievement, you will miss all of the opportunity your God has created for
you, and most truthfully, that is the worst punishment of all because God
is beautiful, and wonderful, and the ultimate giver of joy, peace, and
happiness.
Your life on this planet is your chance to prove to God that you
are willing and able to follow his plans. If you are not willing, because
God has most surely made you able, then you will not exist after your
mortal death. If this is true, then what are the advantages of choosing
Positivity, and ultimately God? The first advantage is his love, which is
more powerful, and fulfilling than anything from anywhere else. Secondly
is the joy, the joy from the love, the joy from your growth, the joy from
your evolution, the joy of experience, or simply the joy of a Positive
existence, and it is truly joyous to live by the plan of God, for he is
willing and able to do for you like no other in existence. The plan of God
takes you much further than your mere mortal life, as almost every
religion on Earth teaches. Your mortal life is a testing ground, intended
to strengthen you, test you, evolve you and make you ready for the real
journey into the realm of God.
What does this realm hold in store for you? For starters thought
and action begin to mesh. In our mortal, physical world, our actions are
limited first by our thoughts, which in turn are limited by our physical
strength, and abilities. As we grow closer and closer to God, we become
more like him in that action becomes increasing determined by thought, and
less constrained by a physical form. Eventually we will become entirely
spiritual, and in that occupy a spiritual form that will resemble our
personality, our true essence, what some call the soul. As we grow and
learn, our personality follows, and in time, the strength of our
personality will determine our abilities. Also that great big universe we
touched on earlier will become available to you as you grow. God created
this universe for you, and me, and trillions of other creatures, and when
we have proved ourselves ready, it is ours to explore.
How do the ideas about God and his plans for us differ from what
is generally accepted in the world today.
1. First and foremost The Handbook for Humanity presents God as ultimate
love and perfection, devoid of human emotions or needs. God has no need
for anger, hatred, revenge, jealousy or any Negativity.
All three of the major religions tell the story of Noah and the Ark, which
asserts that at some point the Earth became so overrun with evil, and
negativity that God repented the fact that he had ever created man. They
say that only through the pleadings of one good man was humanity itself
saved, although 99.9999 percent of the people and the animals were
destroyed. I assert that God has never made a mistake, never repented a
decision, never had to correct an error, that is why I worship and praise
him, because he is truly deserved of my praise.
The Jews portray God as a vengeful God, full of anger and
retribution, with many of their stories requiring sacrifice after
sacrifice to appease his taste for animal blood and burnt offerings. These
ideas came from their previous beliefs, and their tremendous guilt about
their continuous disobedience to what they perceived to be the will of
God. It must be noted that Yahweh, the original God of the Jew was only a
mountain God, restricted to a certain hilly area the nomadic Israelites
used to occupy. Moses adapted this regional God, and made him a larger
God, but still restricted him to the Jewish people. This God was a
conglomeration of various beliefs of the area, in fact the story about the
Jews worshipping a golden calf while Moses was receiving the Ten
Commandments is actually very logical because the calf was the original
symbol for Yaweh.
My Point is this, we may, through various studies and observances begin to
understand how or why we learn, what is the best way to manage ourselves
and our resources on this planet, but without the focus of God who created
us and has the very best idea of what we SHOULD be doing, we are going
NOWHERE with a head full of useless knowledge. Even the internet is a
waste of time if it does not help the evolution of the people using it,
and not simply intellectually, but spiritually, but emotionally as well.
What I mean is a page full of numbers has no meaning unless we understand
their context, and their purpose, and if there is no supreme creator with
the ability to create a workable, and positive plan, then life has no
meaning outside of each persons internal, personal universe.
Please forgive me if I violated the purpose of this list but I felt moved
to impart what I had to give. thank you.
Rejoice and be glad in the Lord for he has created you, and made
it your destiny to grow and evolve.
Peace Love Happiness and Success
Ali Rashada (Mastrmnd@pop.slip.net)