chuck, I do not know what happened on that fateful night, but something happened that influenced me, both mentally, and physically. I was standing on the edge of a bottomless black hole, and something threw me backwards, and rattled my brains. That exerience caused me to seek answers to what had happened. At the time of my recovery, I was told that it had to be an act of God, and was not clear enough in thinking to argue the point at that time.
I can't take credit for my "rebirth" because that was not on my agenda. I was ready to die to leave the woes, strifes, and misery, of my world. Perhaps it was my subconscience, but I will never know if that was the case. What ever happened, made me look at the world, and my presence in it, in a totally different way. In Texas, we called it pulling ourselves up by the boot straps.
The principle of the golden rule, is an obvious way to live one's life, if he takes the time, and thought, to see it. If every person that has ever lived on earth, had followed the tenet of the golden rule, there never would have been a war, murder, theft, rape, or any of the other malicious acts done by humans.
I haven't taken the time to check the time line, but Confucius taught the same message as the golden rule. I think he lived before the time of Jesus. It is not that I think that Confucius was a god, of any sort, but it indicates that the principle of the golden rule was considered by other people all over the world, and not just in the Middle East.
I have no use for the types of holy men that you mentioned. To me, they are just human beings that have chosen a career in preaching, and in ways, control others that may come to believe them as on the right hand of god. They latch on to the concept of a certain faith, or religion, but in many cases, they twist, and alter, the core of the belief to fit their own human thoughts, and desires.
What ever may have happened, I have become a better citizen, neighbor, friend, helper, and listener, than ever before in my life. That is good enough for me. If anyone says that I am going to hell, I find it amusing that they, as mere humans, think they are qualified to make that decision, or comment, as if they were of the elite, or even more ridiculous, elected by some super power. IMO, that it the height of pomposity. |
