Tod Cage Spiritual Teachings |
| Harming in the name of God, does God condone violence to vindicate his authority? |
| It is believed in the Holy Books that God uses violence to enforce his will and his plans. In the Torah and the christian Bible (the book of Exodus, among others) God is portrayed as using violence. The same can be proven in the Quran (Sura 8. Al-Anfal, among others) that God uses violence for his purpose. In the Bhagavad Gita the dialogue takes place on a battlefield. Some have used the Gita to support war for "the righteous", but in the case of the Gita the battlefield and battle to take place is between the desire nature and the passions vs the spiritual nature and the light. In all of existence God has never killed or supported killing one single living thing of any dimension, aspect, or kind. It is a misconception people have of God. If a person worships a God that is willing to kill, it simply means that that person is willing to kill. People make God who they want him to be, but it does not mean that God himself has changed, only the picture one has of him. If a person pictures God in a different way than he is in reality, it means that person is looking at God through a bent lens. You cannot change God to suit you. You can however choose not to see the reality of God, and create for yourself a false impression of him. A person can easily live in this false perception their whole life, without ever detecting the reality. This is virtually what always happens to people. Then your ego tells you, "it is impossible that I am wrong since I have been worshiping my God way to long and have seen too many signs". The ego goes on, "there is no truth about God beyond what I have perceived in my life". The ego will also tell you, "I cannot be wrong because if I am, then it means I do not Know, and that cannot be the case with me, I have performed too many good works for myself and others to be wrong". A person can have this very limiting and stubborn attitude. However it might be said, "that is not ego that is faith". But did you know that faith is not stubborn at all? Faith is a very deep Knowing, but never does it manifest through stubbornness or the ego, this is a confusion many have. The inspired writers who support war were unfair in their assessment of God's will. If the inspired writers did not want to condemn the actions of their culture during times of war they would have adopted the, "God condones war attitude" because it seemed to be true for them and they were convinced they knew the truth. Otherwise, how would they explain those terrible actions of violence? Would they confess and say, "By condoning violent actions we admit we do not Know God's true will on all things, and therefore we can not offer you the truth in all things?" Rather they claim to have truth in it's fullness. If God is like a Father who punishes in order to express his love then he has broken with peace. Peace would have to be broken in order to punish, be sure that God does not break peace with anything or anyone. If someone tells you this they do not know who God is or what peace is. If you really love someone you would not harm them, even for their own good. Rather you encourage them to do good, otherwise you are merely oppressing them into doing good, and that makes two wrongs instead of one. Did you know it is possible to raise a child in perfect guidance without punishment? If a human can do it do you think God can? It is also said that when a bad man dies from the hand of one who some might consider righteous, the righteous man does not the killing but God. But did you know that the man had a choice and therefore a part in killing? If God sanctioned the action why even make a distinction. Is it said to help that man's conscience? Is that passing the blame? If God can do anything, would not he kill the violators without an intercessor? Is it possible that the men who say this are only claiming the action to be God's? Have you ever heard the question, "If everyone jumps into a fire does that mean you should?" This question is very relevant to the belief that God uses killing to enforce his will. Rather it is people who are willing to kill to enforce their own will, God has nothing to do with it. If God is Love he cannot be hate. If God is Peace, he cannot be anger. If God is faithful, he cannot break faith. Do not transpose your beliefs on God for it will not change him it will only change you. Be sure that God is one, God is divine, and God is holy. If he is not, then he is not God, but something else. If you want to have faith in something else, it is possible, but it does not mean it's God. God respects you on all levels. God does not want to see you murdered and killed, or for that matter any other living thing whatsoever. Just as well, God respects all life on all levels. The question then becomes, will you? |
"Thou shall not Kill" Moshe (Moses) (Musa) |
| "when it is said to them: "Do not make mischief on the earth," they say, "why we only want to make peace!" Surely, they are the ones who make mischief, but they do not realize it." Muhammad |
| "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" Jeshua (Jesus) |