 4 May 2010 @ 15:29
DEFIANCE
Every god can be defied.
No choice, no devotion.
There have been many rebels who have chosen to defy their gods.
Without this option, there can be no true devotion to a holy concept.
For devotion is only valuable when a conscious decision is made to
follow that course, even in acknowledgment of the difficulties ahead.
Choosing to be a devout person is good. Choosing to defy the gods is
also good, for it reaffirms the basic ability of human beings to make
choices. We cannot support religions which say that there are no
choices.
Metaphysical totalitarianism of any kind stifles the freedom we have
as human beings. It is not acceptable to have a religion where the
alternative to faith is punishment -- that's how you train dogs, not
develop people. Spirituality is only great when it allows that utmost
freedom to follow it. If we suffer from difficulties, that is not holy
retribution, and we should not allow it to create debilitating
questions.
If you endure a crisis in your life, it may well challenge your
faith. Perhaps you will even respond bitterly to your gods and cry out:
How could anything holy permit this atrocity to happen to me? But gods
are not our parents or protectors. They are there only to inspire us to
be better people. They symbolize the inherent choice of this existence.
It is secondary whether we choose belief or defiance. What is precious
is that we are always able to choose.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
Deng Ming-Dao
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