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%ABUSE ACTIVE PASSIVE TREAT ANALYZE PART END I-THOU+930319
  %GODS PLACES CONTEXT CONFLICT RESOLVE HUMAN LIMIT 930319

     In early human history people tended to conceive gods
who had power within limited ranges of space,   time,  and
contexts.  In the course of human history the range of the
powers of humanly  conceived  gods expanded and eventually
various forms of mono-theism and ways of life have evolved
in which transcendent gods and their powers are  conceived
as not being as localized as once was the case.

     Finite   humans  find  it  difficult  to  accept  the
realities of human finitude and human limitations.    Some
people  like to think that they are in some way  connected
to transcendent sources of knowledge, power and being that
inform, empower, and infuse them in ways which enable them
to transcend  their merely human limitations.    Addictive
people  like  to believe that their gods will  serve  them
well in  their conflicts with mere mortals;  and they view
their  gods  as  superior means  to  achieving  their  own
desires   for   understanding,    prediction,     control,
achievement, and acceptability.

     Few people like to  reflect honestly and openly  upon
the  implications  of  believing that they and others like
them might be calling upon superior gods,  beings,  powers
to heighten the level of human  conflicts by bringing into
the  conflicts  on  opposing sides far  greater  power  to
manipulate and control than mere humans  have.    To carry
the logic even further the gods upon whom mere humans call
might in turn call upon higher levels of being in the name
of   supporting  the  battles  between  unresolved   human
conflicting ideals and value.

     It may  help to reflect openly and honestly  upon the
possible  ranges  of  powers of the gods upon  humans  may
call.  Are  all  of  their powers limited to the volume of
space inside and near the surface of planet Earth? Perhaps
some  of  the gods have powers which extend  to the  other
planets in  our solar system.   Perhaps some of  the  gods
only  have  power near the surface of planet  Earth,   and
others of the gods have powers which extend throughout the
solar system.

     Astronomers  are  very  much aware not  only  of  the
volume  of space within which the sun and  planets  exist;
but  also are  very  much  aware  of  unimaginably  larger
volumes  of  space  within which hundreds of  billions  of
other  suns with  possibly  associated  planetary  systems
exist.    Do such other  planetary systems have  their own
collections  of  gods;   or do all gods  distribute  their
interests, concerns, support  and attention over  the many
possible  planetary  system with their central stars?   Do
the   gods  communicate  throughout   these   interstellar
distances at speeds which exceed the speed of light?   Can
they influence intelligent beings on far  distant  planets
at  the  same time that  they influence humans  on  planet
earth?    Do our actions here on earth influence  the very
being  of the gods upon which we call in  some  way  which
might cause  the gods to in turn influence the intelligent
beings  on distant planets within less time than it  would
take for light to travel from here to there?

     Are there gods whose interests, influence,  power and
relationships  are limited just to our Milky  Way  Galaxy;
but  not  to the hundreds of billions of  other  galaxies,
each  with  their many  billions  of  stars  and  possible
planetary  systems?    Or,  do all the gods  have  powers,
interests  and attention  which extends over all  galaxies
throughout  the whole of the universe?   Or,  do some gods
have   transcendent   powers,   some  powers  limited   to
particular  galaxies,  some powers  limited to  particular
planetary systems,  and  some powers limited to particular
planets?

     When  we call upon our particular gods to empower  us
in prevailing  against   our  enemies  in  our  unresolved
conflicts, how high  up the ladder of gods can we reach in
calling  godly  powers to bear upon our enemies so that we
may have help in destroying our enemies?  How transcendent
can we make our  unresolved human conflicts?   Can we lead
the  transcendent  gods into transcendent divine conflicts
which originate in human ignorance,  misunderstanding, and
preoccupations  with  control?    How well can  we  do  in
getting our gods  involved in helping us win the conflicts
into which our disintegrative ideals and values lead us?

     Perhaps there  is  only one  God  with  powers  which
transcend our conceptions of time, space, objects, beings,
conflicts, ideals,  values,  virtues,  etc?    Perhaps our
conceptions  of  our relationship with God  are collusive,
addictive  and codependent.   Perhaps we need  to  reflect
upon   how  unhealthy  many  of  our  religious   beliefs,
convictions, rituals, prayers,  and institutions have been
up to our point in time and place.  Perhaps God transcends
our   conceptions   of  good  and  evil  even  more   than
astronomers'   conceptions  of  time,   space  and  matter
transcend  the conceptions of most  humans  who never give
any  thought  to the  time,   space  and matters of  their
immediate human existence.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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