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It's really a shame how few of us have experienced the love that all religions claim to be about.
jn
I think that's because being mean is so much easier than being friendly, and hating takes less effort than loving.It's really a shame how few of us have experienced the love that all religions claim to be about.
I really like that idea and it makes a lot of sense to me...also seems more fair."Then I looked about me and saw the sky and the wide lands and smelled the sweetness. And I said, By the Gods, this is a pleasant place: it may be that I am come into the country of Tash. And I began to journey into the strange country and to seek him.
"So I went over much grass and many flowers and among all kinds of wholesome and delectable trees till lo! in a narrow place between two rocks there came to meet me a great Lion. The speed of him was like the ostrich, and his size was an elephant's; his hair was like pure gold and the brightness of his eyes like gold that is liquid in the furnace. He was more terrible that the Flaming Mountain of Lagour, and in beauty he surpassed all that is in the world even as the rose in bloom surpasses the dust of the desert. Then I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him. But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, Son, thou art welcome. But I said, Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash. He answered, Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me. Then by reasons of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but beause we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. Dost though understand, Child? I said, Lord, thou knowest how much I understand. But I said also (for the truth constrained me), Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days. Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek.
I like that they had a choice when they were confronted with the truth. I'm sure all those animals that went to Aslan's left were denied entry into the real Narnia (Heaven) and the absense of Heaven could be considered Hell. As long as they had a second chance, I could be okay with that. I'm not at all comfortable with eternal damnation.The creatures came rushing on, their eyes brighter and brighter as they drew nearer and nearer to the standing Stars. But as they came right up to Aslan one or other of two things happened to each of them. They all looked straight in his face, I don't think they had any choice about that. And when some looked, the expression of their faces changed terribly - it was fear and hatred: except that, on the faces of Talking Beasts, the fear and hatred lasted only for a fraction of a second. You could see that they suddenly ceased to be Talking Beasts. They were just ordinary animals. And all the creatures who looked at Aslan in that way swerved to their right, his left, and disappeared into his huge black shadow, which (as you have heard) streamed away to the left of the doorway. The children never saw them again. I don't know what became of them. But the others looked in the face of Aslan and loved him, though some of them were very frightened at the same time. And all these came in at the Door, in on Aslan's right.
No person deserves to go to Hell. It's our sin that deserves to go to hell. The difficulty is that our sin attaches to us. We will go where it goes if we can't get rid of it.Who deserves to go to Hell? Does anyone? Does Hitler? Does Charles Manson?
You know, I feel that exactly the opposite is true. I think we humans, for all our failings and folly, are born to be naturally generous and empathetic rather than mean and cold-hearted. I think hate is a terrible burden that takes far more effort to haul around than love. Love is just plain and simple, really. We all know how to do it right from our beginnings, I think.........instinctively. Hate is far more complex; so much so, it has to be learned.truehobbit wrote:I think that's because being mean is so much easier than being friendly, and hating takes less effort than loving.It's really a shame how few of us have experienced the love that all religions claim to be about.