{"id":52,"date":"2014-08-16T00:30:03","date_gmt":"2014-08-16T00:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/tregis\/?p=52"},"modified":"2014-08-16T00:33:51","modified_gmt":"2014-08-16T00:33:51","slug":"how-to-trap-a-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/2014\/08\/16\/how-to-trap-a-god\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Trap a God"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center\">Guide to Separatist Ideology<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">(in layman terms)<\/p>\n<p>Three souls sat near the lake fishing for the bounties of men, the spoils of the world. Drinking hot tea, and eating the fresh spoils these souls labored to secure the plentiful bounties that were rumored buried beneath the surface of the lake. Tired and bored with the silence of the world one soul spoke to the others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLook at my catch, thus far I have caught jewels, precious metals, diamonds, and sweet fragrances, and at this rate I will soon become rich. I have discovered secrets within the sciences I master, and I am deciphering the mysteries of the stars. Wise and powerful knowledge of an earthly and universal nature I have deciphered. The God of my world is the only God because I have followed his dictates and therefore my God blesses me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The second soul interrupted the ramblings of the first.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow can you claim exclusive access to God? Does God belong to one man? Surely this God of yours who condones and blesses your underhanded actions is not real. You have cheated with your lines that you cast into the lake and secured your spoils by adding substances to attract a catch, substances have adverse effects on the waters and environments of our lake of provisions. You steal the spoils of the one seated near you when his back is turned. I have observed as you steal your so-called blessing. What God is this who sits and allows you to call his name? You steal from your brother yet catch the most bounty. You are selfish, greedy, and devious. Your awareness of your brother\u2019s needs, his large family you steal from his meager. All this despite your plentiful bounty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The second soul was incensed and continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat right do you have stating that God blessed you with stolen goods? Even more disturbing is the thought of a God who sits and watches you rob your brother, yet blesses your rod allowing you to catch more than us, more righteous men than you. This is contrary to his nature and you, my friend, don\u2019t know God.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The third soul listened to the conversation. He was unaware that he was being robbed whenever his back was turned by the soul seated next to him. In his defense the second soul had scolded the first exposing his treachery and labeling him a thief.<\/p>\n<p>The third soul interjected.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou, have no right to label him a thief, selfish or greedy. As it is not his place to call his stolen possessions a blessing from God, it is not your place to chastise and judge him. I have heard that the nature of God does not judge our shortcomings, but loves us all despite of. The Universal God is true to created souls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Soul who originally spoke to defend the latter was appalled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI defend and protect you from this soul\u2019s underhanded schemes,\u201d he said pointing to the soul who committed the unjust acts. \u201cI empathize with your family situation and hardships, instead of thanking me you defend a thief. And who may I ask is this God that prefers the unjust, lying, scheming soul over one who tries to protect his vulnerable brother? Allowing the vulnerable brother to side with the one who wronged him. As a reward for my good intentions I am reprimanded?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>~~~<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0Three souls sat at the lake fishing for the bounties of men. A soul who sat under the shade of a large tree overheard the conversation. This was the fourth soul.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you three mean God is He? Am I not represented in this world, and by your definition the God of the Universe does not reflect me.\u201d This soul stared defiantly at the other three in the distance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIsn\u2019t God also a reflection of me? Does my sexuality pose a threat to man and the concept of God and as a consequence man determines the image of God based on how he, man, looks? Did the same God not create us both? If self-image is the ultimate reflection of God I confidently state that God is a woman based on how I look. I am also a reflection of this image of God, am I not? Therefore God is definitely, unequivocally a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The three souls said nothing for the woman\u2019s soul had spoken, and with women it was best for men to disagree in silence or risk a debate that would run into the late hours.<\/p>\n<p>A Jaybird and a squirrel seated on the branches above overheard this conversation.<\/p>\n<p>Said the Jaybird, \u201cHumans are pathetic and limited in their vision, it is obvious to the blind that the God of the Universe created beasts in his image, beast are male and female or dual in sexual nature, therefore God encompasses all. Can I say to Raven that I Jaybird am the only created being in the image of God and therefore Raven is not? Can I say to Fox that because he is cunning, sneaky, and survives on his wit that his bounty or trappings are not a gift from the Universal God? Can I say that Elephant who via the nature of his enormous build takes up excessive space, and Lion who mercilessly slays a victim for consumption leaving the young of that beast to fend for themselves that both Elephant and Lion are not of God? Large or small, male or female, beast of the ocean or land, crawling or creeping all were brought into this world by the breath and energy of the Universe. All are created in the image of the Universal God. We are the embodiment of God\u2019s purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you ask me,\u201d said the Eagle perched on the highest branch in the nearby tree, \u201cthe interpretation of the God of the Universe is subjective. The Universe in its vast wonder and bliss can never be trapped. How can man then attempt to psychologically trap the idea of God\u2019s persona?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho asked for his opinion,\u201d whispered Jaybird to the squirrel as they both stole out of sight.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>~~~<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Four souls sat near a lake debating the nature of God. The Universe looked on.<\/p>\n<p>Said the Universe, \u201cBy attempting to define my existence within the scope of human reasoning and psychological babbles many have killed or been killed. By attempting to inflict their ideology of who I am on others man has mercilessly oppressed his brother. Man\u2019s interpretation of me within his limited and changing ideology has divided the world.<\/p>\n<p>Within the recesses of the Universe Absolute emerged speaking through eternity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI exist beyond the boundaries of words, concepts, ideologies or the scope of imaginations and interpretations. I am unchanging, and I Universe am God of all animate and inanimate, visible and invisible, perpetual and finite. With open minds man should accept my indescribable nature.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Universe paused as if awaiting an audience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am beyond the constrained consciousness of men. I exist beyond the idea of infinity. Each man is a soul in search of answers and I am free to allow each man his interpretation of me.\u00a0 Peace exists when men understand that profound mysteries of life are left to the freewill interpretations of men. Every man derives his unique conclusions for the personal edification of his soul.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery creation is unique therefore man\u2019s interpretation of me is inimitable, an individual reflection of his very nature.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The four souls never heard the voice of the Universe, but continued to bicker and argue over the nature, laws, and dictates of their individual God.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Guide to Separatist Ideology (in layman terms) Three souls sat near the lake fishing for the bounties of men, the spoils of the world. Drinking hot tea, and eating the fresh spoils these souls labored to secure the plentiful bounties &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/2014\/08\/16\/how-to-trap-a-god\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6446,"featured_media":53,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/files\/2014\/08\/lake.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6446"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52\/revisions\/55"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/tregis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}