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laufert@ix.netcom.com (Mike Laufert ) wrote:
>In <3u9ta4$op4@franklin.cc.utas.edu.au> madhudvisa@krishna.org
>(Madhudvisa dasa ) tatoos in some bald guy's head:
>>The human form of life is special because we have good brains and can
>>engage in worshipping and serving God. That is the main thing. The
>animals
>>are also eating, sleeping, mating and having sex, and, although we are
>>also doing these things, that is not the main purpose of human life.
>>
>You're saying that the only purpose of life is to serve a God? Why . .
> Why do we have emotions? Why can we experience love, pain, desire,
>happyness, anger, hate, fear? Why are we given so much if our purpose
>doesn't encompass all of it? (just something to think about) . . .
>life doesn't have to revolve around spirituality. It's nice to have
>spirituality, in any shape or form (it helps with enlightenment) but it
>doesn't have to controal your every action and thought.
The emotions are there in serving God too. There's no question of giving
them up. Instead of working to satisfy the animal desires we work to
satisfy Krishna. But we still experience all the feelings: love, pain,
distress, happiness, anger, etc.
It's hard to see in the beginning but serving Krishna means you are
liberated and serving our senses means we are enslaved. So you are not
controlled by serving Krishna, you become liberated by serving Krishna.
>>The problem with our Western civilization and "science" is it is
>godless.
>Does absolutly EVERYTHING require the presance of a God?
Yes. Nothing is separate from God.
>If that's the purpose of your life, it's perfecly OK, but try not to
>make this the purpose of everyone's life. I have my own purposes,
>wishes, and desires, and I'm sure that everyone else has their own
>personal fellings about this. (I like the advances in technolagy . . .
>in fact you probably like them too (you ARE using the internet,
>right?)) Technolagy makes life easier . . . what's wrong with that?
Yes we all have personal feelings. We are all individuals. There is no
question of forcing someone to serve God. It has to be voluntary, it has
to be motivated by love.
And technology DOES NOT make life easier. It moves things around, that's
all. Some things are easier but other problems are introduced as well.
Life is not easy today. It is no easier than it was fifty years ago,
things have changed, that's all. Overall it's much the same. Perhaps it's
worse now actually. More murder, more crime, more divorce, more suicide,
AIDS, cancer, pollution etc... Life is not easier because of technology!
And we can use anything in the service of Krishna. That is the best thing.
Take their technology and use it to glorify Krishna. That is the
perfection of technology.
>>God is real, and He can be experienced by any sincere soul who wants
>to
>>talk with Him, but He doesn't reveal Himself to the atheists.
>Why not? Does He have something against athiests . . .
No. But they don't want to see Him so He doesn't appear before them.
Krishna is in everyone's hearts and he knows what we are thinking. He is
helping us to remember Him if we want that and He will also help us to
forget Him if we want to. He's fulfilling our desires. Krishna has given
us independence, that means we can choose if we want to serve Him or
forget Him...
>and how exactly
>could atheists even have the slightest urge to want to believe if a God
>isn't "revealed" to them (revealing in any form).
Even if Krishna appeared in front of them they still would say, "There is
no God..." That is their nature. But devotees are always thinking of ways
to help the atheists come to understand Krishna...
>>So the
>>atheists go on comfortably assuming God doesn't exist, because He
>doesn't
>>reveal Himself to them, but God appears for the atheist as cruel
>death.
>I thought that this was a God of love, not cruelty, injustice, and
>torment.
"God of love" is a sentimental idea. Of course He is a God of love, but if
we choose to reject Him and try to get pleasure from the material world
instead we will be frustrated, we will suffer. Because it's not natural.
We are spiritual. We don't belong in the material world. So it is painful.
>>They are making so many plans to be happy here but God in the form of
>>kala, or time, is frustrating all their efforts. In time everything
>they
>>do is ruined and in time they become old and invalid...
>In my future, I see . . . a death long before this happens.
It doesn't matter. If you are not Krishna consciousness at the time of
death you will be placed into the womb of your next mother and will have
to suffer again birth, old age, disease and death. You can't avoid it.
This world is a place of suffering. It is supposed to be an impetus for us
to want to get out. A thoughtful person can see the futility of material
pleasure and therefore he looks further afield...
<snip>
>>They can't stand
>>people serving and worshipping God and ignoring them and their "big
>bang"
>>nonsense ideas...
>Whoah. Religion is belief and Science is fact (or close to it). Try
>not to confuse the two.
"Science is fact?" I think you should research this a little. Science is
not fact. It is a set of models that make predictions, that's all. The
scientists don't claim they are facts either...
>>We only differ slightly on the details, but God is in all our hearts,
>Maybe that's what's making that constant thumping noise :) (don't
>worry, it's a joke (and a bad one at that)).
>>He knows what we want. If we want to reestablish our lost
>relationship >with Him, if we want to serve Him, He knows that. It
>doesn't matter if we >call ourselves Christians, or Hindus, or
>Muslims... God doesn't mind, He >wants to see us return to Him, but He
>has given us independence, so He >won't force us. Or relationship with
>God is a loving one so we have to
>>voluntarily want to serve Him. If He forced us that would not be love.
>Good thoughts here . . . credit given where credit is due. Seems to be
>a nice way to think.
Thank you. Hare Krishna!
Madhudvisa dasa
(madhudvisa@krishna.org) /sudarsana
All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!
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