Log In, "Where your heart is, there will your treasure be" (and you know how they're always sayin` they're "piling up treasures in Heaven" whenever they donate to charity-etc.) Why then do they promote the lie that 'Heaven' is someplace an 'infinity' away in the far-distant future? Why don't they realize that Heaven is WITHIN THE MIND OF EVERY HUMAN (was gonna say 'every believer,' but I thought-&-realized that "believers" are just 'humans who have STARTED the Heavenward journey')? That's why I like Nichiren Buddhism. You need to unlearn some old things about Buddhism and learn the replacements thatLog In gives for them. First of all, this right Buddhism is not 'the worship of a Buddha' (that's right, I said a Buddha). Nichiren Buddhism teaches that we are ALL 'Buddhas'---that Buddhism is one ofLog In--states or conditions that we carry in our minds all through our 'lives' (yes, Buddhism proposes the belief in reincarnation; but they don't focus too much on that)--of which 'Heaven,' 'Hell' and 'Humanity' are also "Worlds." The more-&-more we HEAR the lie that Heaven is someplace far away, the more-&-more WE CHOOSE TO THROW HEAVEN AWAY! (we can't help it ... the subconscious-mind believes everything it hears!) I would rather believe that--as Lord Jesus said--"The kingdom of Heaven is 'at hand' ('within you now')." Lord Jesus also said, "From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." That heart ... is that the same as the 'heart' where your treasure is? Does that mean that Christians pride themselves on the ability to throw Heaven far away?
That post there makes a lot of sense, although I don't think that "Christians pride themselves on the ability to throw heaven far away". I think it's just that their culture, language used and the times they live in make it seem like heaven is this far away place of true happiness you only go to when you die, like they have to look outside themselves to find it, and it is a bit sad that they can't find inner peace, like you said. We can't just assume that because some people's beliefs do not spur them to take certain actions that they think this and that or feel a certain way. They might have some totally different hangup that we're unaware of. I'm glad to see that you are learning about different religious beliefs just as I am when I ask you and other people questions about such things.
An apostle (James, Paul, one of `em) says "By your works you will be judged." He might be talking about God's judgment, but I think he's talking about the judgment of people in the world (both non-believers AND other Christians). If someone does this-or-that, we CAN see that they are going THE SAME WAY AS one who feels "a certain way." We can't assume that they'll never change their minds, but what we think about 'what they MIGHT do' has nothing-to-do-with 'what they ARE NOW doing' & 'how they ARE NOW acting like they feel NOW.' And if your brain cut me off at that 'might be talking about God's judgement,' remember that an apostle told us, "Be ye perfect even as Our Father in Heaven is perfect'; and then read the last paragraph with that request in mind.
Well, that is true that someone who has a hangup about one thing may do the same as one who has a different hangup but on the same subject. All I meant by that is that we should take all evidence into account before making a judgement as to why someone does a particular thing, even if a hangup is a hangup. My brain did not cut you off at that part about "God's judgement", though, and I'm glad to notice that you seem to think that what the rest of my post said made sense because sometimes I'm unsure about how I express things. It's very difficult for me to be perfect like God so I have nothing to rely on to make sure I'm doing that but your feedback and the feedback of others on this site. It is a goal I doubt I will ever fully achieve, perfectionist tendencies aside.
For some weird reason, this thread made me think of a different topic that's sort of related. A pair of Jehovah's Witnesses used to come to my door to tell me about the end days. This was around the time I was having serious financial problems and worrying about being evicted. They would talk to me about the glorious future awaiting mankind if I would just live a Godly life. I asked them "How do you stay so calm and peaceful when bad things happen? Don't you have any worries?" They said that because Earth will be a paradise soon, I should be comforted and none of my little problems matter in the grand scheme of things. That kind of seems silly and unrealistic. How is the average person supposed to take comfort in the end days and Jesus coming back ,when their electricity is about to be cut off or they just lost their job? The Jehovah's Witnesses never had a solid answer for anything, they just kept telling me to focus on the end of the world and paradise. I eventually had to ask them nicely to stop coming because they were ticking me off. Your thread about keeping treasures far away reminded me that some religions ask you to take comfort in far away events that might or might not occur long after you're dead. Don't any religions have words of comfort and inspiration for the actual problems that people are experiencing in real life? "Keep calm, the world is ending soon." is NOT comforting to a single mother with bills piling up.
Actually, most Christians, like those who are very strong in their faith are at peace. Not to mention it isn't just a focus on "going to heaven one day." The world we live in now is like a test. A test to show kindness and love to others. A test to stay faithful in the storm because the light always shines afterwards. A test to not worry because you know God will take care of you if you let him. So in realty, Christians are suppose to be calm and peaceful without worry, because they are suppose to have faith. They are suppose to do good, because it is right. Heaven is the reward after a life of hard work, love, and belief. Heaven is a place you can go when you die, but I believe love and happiness is a small piece of heaven on earth that many people enjoy and are thankful for.
This made me think (as lots of things do) about St. Peter walking on the water to Lord Jesus. As he looked at Jesus, he could walk on water as on dry land; when he looked at the water, his feet & the reality of the situation, he started to sink (because that is "what one does in such a situation"). Now a lot of Christians "understand" that as saying that looking at Jesus gives you the 'magic powers'-etc.; but the Truth (verified by years of physical therapy that changed me from a bedridden vegetable to the walker I am today) is that 'you look where you're going.' (Walking around the PT-gym, I would generally trip over if I was looking toward the ground; looking up at eye-height, my subconscious would generally handle the foot-placement and leg-movement.) The truth is, Christians are going where all the other humans are going (back to the dust). But putting our focus there is not "be(-ing) fruitful & multiply(-ing)." Which is where we should put our full focus. That way, it doesn't matter "where we go" as long as we continue to be (or -to have been) 'fruitful, multiplying'-tools. Again, Heaven is a "world" we each carry within us. If you insist that 'we go to Heaven when we die' ... you're right, as Christians keep 'Heaven on their minds' (Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice song from JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR ) right next to the world of "Humanity"; so when 'Humanity' flakes off at death, the world of your dreams swoops right in! Maybe "this world is a test," but many Christians are tempted to think that nothing in this world matters because Heaven is gonna be somewhere else. OH NO IT'S NOT! You remember John the Revelator writing about how Lord Jesus would reign HERE? how he saw a new heaven and a new earth touching down HERE? how the dead in Christ RISE FROM THE GROUND?
