choosing to take responsibility

in #life7 years ago (edited)

The middle path

Aleister crowley: Do what thou wilt.
Jesus Christ: Turn the other cheek.

Screwing people over. Acting on a whim. Pure self interest, and taking from others. Dominating(becoming a great beast). Embracing the inner pedophile or murderer?
Everything is just a reaction against the will of other people.

or

Not participating in the scarcity game. Rising above ones own needs. Neglecting ones needs? Depending upon the support of God? Not working for oneself in ones own interest?

A Synthesis

Are there times when it is good to take from other people? To express ones will.

But is ones will necessarily always at the expense of other people? Or is it the other way round, whatever I do could never harm other people? That self expression is always innocent? This seems self evidently false.

The representation above of the jesus position would lead to basically becoming a slave to the whims of other people(suffice it to say that it's probably a misrepresentation of what Jesus meant).

I believe we are here to do good. But there will be times where one benefits at the expense of other people or other interested parties.

Shame and guilt

We should not stop acting in self interest. But it will happen when we overextend ourselves. We become, greedy, or lazy or selfish, etc.
We should not fear of becoming a bad person, as it is inevitable if we are to try to do good.

If we are in sin or gone astray, by grace we can feel the appropriate guilt and change our ways. Shame on the other hand is seeing our flaws, but not seeing that we can change that flaw. To overcome shame: It is not that I am bad. But what I do, that is bad.

Shame focuses on generality. So much so we cannot see the actions and abilities that will make things right. We do not believe that we have the power to change the situation.

A person's Character flaws are flawed adaptations due to shame. Unable to look at oneself accurately due to avoiding shame. If shame is to be overcome we must search for what can be done. Shame creates a fatalistic attitude to oneself and what can be done. Nothing seems to be possible to change a bad situation. Either no action seems powerful enough, or you avoid responsibility and blame others.

God will give you want

But he will make you pay for it.

God does not, take favourites. He will not grant miracles just because you believe in him. E.g. asking him to levitate things in front of you to test him.

If you pray he will help you. You can create miracles , and achieve something great. But it is your responsibility to take on reality and overcome the challenges of life.

If you confront your fears, maybe then you will witness miracles. You will die and be reborn to what you thought you were and what you thought you were capable of.