Part of the human condition explained
Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 1:32 am
I am sure we all have seen the people around us fixate on a belief system. If you are Hindu or a Christian we hear people speak of their experience of how they came to believe. Many have a vision which helps them feel that what they believe is truth from God. Some of these people when facing death will not let go of their belief system.
Now in the world we have many belief systems and people in each of them are just as sure as all the rest that they hold the truth. So something must happen to cause this change in human behavior. A very powerful personal experience that cements their view of reality. Now the belief systems may change but the mechanism to cement the belief system appears to be the same.
Now some will say the mind makes up stuff and that is what is happening. In a way for the most part I think this is true. For example if a religious person is taught by their parents one view of reality then when they start to ponder in their mind they experience a confirmation of what they were taught. This is pretty normal. If someone hears of some belief system outside of their parents then they may decide that is what they desire. Then when they ponder as an adult they will cement that new idea as reality.
But what happens to those few who ponder without a view of reality already in their head. What happens to these people? I will get into that later. But for now let me post what Ezekiel wrote many years ago.
Eze 14:1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
Eze 14:2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Eze 14:4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Eze 14:5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
Eze 14:6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
Eze 14:7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
Eze 14:8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
I think Ezekiel was actually giving us some truth about the human condition. He just used the religion of his time to give us some truth wrapped in symbolism. He says that if you come to the prophet with idols in your heart the prophet will give you back your desires. This the same as pondering in your mind. If you go in with desires in your mind it will give you back your desires.
One of the ways you can detect a person who has cemented their desires is to notice how they defend their beliefs. The more rabid the defense the more cemented they have become to their belief system. Anyway I invite comments. I will have more to say on this topic.
Now in the world we have many belief systems and people in each of them are just as sure as all the rest that they hold the truth. So something must happen to cause this change in human behavior. A very powerful personal experience that cements their view of reality. Now the belief systems may change but the mechanism to cement the belief system appears to be the same.
Now some will say the mind makes up stuff and that is what is happening. In a way for the most part I think this is true. For example if a religious person is taught by their parents one view of reality then when they start to ponder in their mind they experience a confirmation of what they were taught. This is pretty normal. If someone hears of some belief system outside of their parents then they may decide that is what they desire. Then when they ponder as an adult they will cement that new idea as reality.
But what happens to those few who ponder without a view of reality already in their head. What happens to these people? I will get into that later. But for now let me post what Ezekiel wrote many years ago.
Eze 14:1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
Eze 14:2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Eze 14:4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Eze 14:5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
Eze 14:6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
Eze 14:7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
Eze 14:8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
I think Ezekiel was actually giving us some truth about the human condition. He just used the religion of his time to give us some truth wrapped in symbolism. He says that if you come to the prophet with idols in your heart the prophet will give you back your desires. This the same as pondering in your mind. If you go in with desires in your mind it will give you back your desires.
One of the ways you can detect a person who has cemented their desires is to notice how they defend their beliefs. The more rabid the defense the more cemented they have become to their belief system. Anyway I invite comments. I will have more to say on this topic.