Is God A Sociopath?

I’ve been thinking lately about God, assuming He exists. Mainly, I’ve been thinking about the Judeo-Christian biblical conception of God, and asking myself, crazy as this sounds, if He exists, Is God a sociopath?

I pose this question seriously, and apologize in advance for offending anyone by probing this idea. But consider:

You are expected to worship Him.

You are expected to acknowledge His perfection.

You are expected to live by His standards.

You are expected to fear His Judgement.

You are expected to please, not disappoint Him.

You are expected to do penance when you’ve strayed from His rules.

You are expected to be in awe of, and fear, His omniscience.

You are expected to be in awe of, and fear, His omnipotence.

You are expected to prize His love, and fear His wrath.

You are expected to seek, and follow, His guidance.

When He feels unheeded, He licenses Himself to unleash cruel, violent, devastating rages (see the Flood, among countless other examples).

He is a punisher.

He is perfect.

He has no guilt; yet He instills guilt.

He “made,” and he “works,” the world and universe from “above,” sitting in Judgement of all who deviate from Him.

He is infallible.

He is unaccountable.

He is callous—a cause of, and silent witness to, untold violence and suffering in the history of humanity.

He is “entitled”—to judge, and punish, as He likes.

He is controlling to a highly pathological degree, for all the reasons stated above.

He is merciful, so long as you heed Him. Otherwise, He can be merciless.

He expects to be idealized and treated like a God.

He rages, and inflicts the cruelest of punishments, when He feels defied.

His word is the bible.

Now you tell me: If I were describing a human being in these terms, what conclusion would you draw? I suspect, if you weren’t feeling defensive, that you’d conclude that we’re talking about someone with a case of seriously malignant narcissism edging, perhaps, into the realm of sociopathy?

But, of course, I’m describing the Judeo-Christian God.

Think about this: from the earliest age, this is your almighty Father figure. You are taught to worship Him, seek His love, His mercy, accept His perfection and infallibility.

You are taught that His word is final; His wrath is justified; to feel shame before His eyes.

You are taught to have to work hard to earn your way back into His good graces, and to be grateful for His forgiveness.

His judgement is final, and even terrifying.

Now if this is the Father figure we’ve been raised to heed and idealize from birth, is it not fair to wonder how much this relationship—with God—might predispose us to end up with a sociopath?

Does one’s adult relationship with a sociopath not replicate, in certain ways, one’s relationship with God?

I pose this as food for thought, nothing else. But I will follow-up this post in the next several weeks, to further flesh out my thoughts, factoring in, as well, your initial feedback.

Source: http://www.lovefraud.com/blog/2010/07/08/is-god-a-sociopath/

(This article is copyrighted (c) 2010 by Steve Becker, LCSW.)

DivineSpirations April 27, 2010- Beyond Bliss

Had not a day gone by that I had not fought for happiness? Through the years of tears and endless depression, I stumbled down her path - fighting for her fleeting attention. Battling within my self for the light that I believed only happiness could give me, and giving up ev...erything that fooled me into believing that happiness lied outside myself. Emptying myself to the degree that I was empty. And, yes, finally finding happiness; dancing in her glow and even her afterglow – I believed that I had found the ultimate paradise.

Oh, how I love to dance in a paradise of blue skies and endless fields of gold; losing myself in the beauty of all that is. And even in the gutters of filth and disgust, I found her too; once I knew how to recognize her, happiness was waiting around every bend and turn. Playfully teasing me at times, yet always revealing herself in no-time.

Yet again, in my innocence I was blind.

One day, I came to learn that happiness is not all there is. There is so much more – even beyond bliss. You see, it is in the depth of my deepest despair and bottomless emotions that I have discovered a land so rich and sustainable that I effortlessly drown in infinite love and abundance.

When I let go to my deepest emotions, I find myself - not alone as I once feared but rather endlessly flowing with an intensity of fullness I have sought within myself in every breath I have ever taken.

Now, when happiness does sneak up upon me in those sweet moments of delight, I welcome her gladly but she and I both know I have other friends now and they are as much welcomed as she - any day.

Written by Nanice, of www.Nanice.com

The Miracle of Baisakhi / Vaisakhi

Working with Ganesha

Lord Ganesha is the God of knowledge and the remover of obstacles. He is the older son of Lord Shiva. Lord Ganesha is also called Vinayak ( knowledgeable ) or Vighneshwer (god to remove obstacles).

Festivals are an integral part of human cultural life. From ancient times they have been celebrated not only in India but also in different parts of the world. 'Olympian' celebrated by Greeks, 'Pithian' to promote poetry writing and 'Nimiyan' to exhibit skills in martial arts are, to name a few, some of the festivals celebrated outside India in ancient times. The Ganesh festival, which has its origins in Maharashtra in India, has been celebrated for over a century.

In the good old days Ganesh festival was a purely family affair. According to the eminent historian Shri Rajwade, records reveal that it was celebrated even during the reigns of Satwahana, Rashtrakuta and Chalukya. There are also references in historical records to similar celebrations during Peshwa times, Lord Ganapati being the family deity of the Peshwas.

The elephant god of India, he is the son of Shiva and Parvati. He gives one wealth, wisdom, and advocates successful enterprises. Ganesha is the remover of obstacles and calls one to their spiritual power. When he came unexpectedly to me in meditation awhile back, I took this as a sign he wanted us to work with him.

Ground to the earth, clear, and protect yourself.

Use the Transcendent Black flame to clear.

Send a braid from each chakra (starting with the base) of that chakra’s color plus silver and gold for female/male balance, to IC 2944, an emission nebula with Bok globules in Centauras. It is an unusually featureless, well-spread out emission nebula approximately 370 light years away, although astronomers are not really certain if that distance is accurate. A nebula is composed of clouds of gas (mostly hydrogen) and dust (mostly carbon and silicon). An emission nebula is one of five main types. It shines brightly by fluorescence due to irradiation from nearby hot stars. Let the energies download into you.

Ask Ganesha to come to you. When he does appear to you, send another braid from each chakra into his subtle nose chakra through the tip of his trunk.

Have him check you out at each chakra level, base to black. When debris comes up at each chakra, feel him pull it into him through his trunk. Go through each chakra this way. Do your other body’s chakras, as well.

Merge with him. See where the constricted areas in the body are and you may work with a partner to facilitate an even deeper healing process.

Thank him when you are complete. Re-ground.

Source: Cosmic Chakras