If God is infinitely important, then why is fanaticism bad?

[tabycat]

Hey there,

Yes, this is what our lord wants from us! We must deny ourselves in his name and give everything to him! Look at the saints, did they compromise? not once! Padre Pio, St Francis of Assisi never left anytime for themselves but for God! Do NOT listen to those who say God would never have us do this because only the saints were fanatic and they are the only ones in heaven, the others are lost! Remember that God is a harsh God too, otherwise why would there be hell for the majority of mankind? please ignore the people who try to sugercoat everything, fear God and his terrifying wrath!
God Bless!!!

Only God knows who is in Heaven and Hell. are you saying that you know who is in Heaven and Hell? Are you God?

 

[StrawberryJam]

Slaves are not usful to God because they have do what He says to do, not by their free will.

Spelling is optional for God also.

 

[fakename]

Slaves are not usful to God because they have do what He says to do, not by their free will.

But is anything really useful to God? After all we are unprofitable servants.

You’ll have to define useful and show how God needs man in this sense and how this need justifies us in choosing not-God sometimes.

 

[fakename]

But is anything really useful to God? After all we are unprofitable servants.

You’ll have to define useful and show how God needs man in this sense and how this need justifies us in choosing not-God sometimes.

My question is equivalent to asking why do people breath if God is so worthy of being chosen? Clearly if we believe that we should breath before we pray or if we believe that we should sleep before we go to Church then we are putting mere sleep above the Infinite.

However, I think the beginning of the answer of this question can be found in Aquinas’s Summa when he says that anything tends towards what is absolutely good according to its power. So therefore, man cannot tend towards God except in our own finite way.

Also, Aristotle’s Ethics supplies another possible answer where he critiques the efficacy of the Form of the Good as a motive for and cause of, human happiness, even if it exists.

 

[wanstronian]

Monetarily speaking, wealth is not important, but it is necessary to maintain our health.

Presumably then, everything that is not absolutely essential to maintain your health, you give away, as Jesus commanded?

Do you own a TV? A coffee machine? Did you type your post on your own pc?

It’s amazing how many people who claim to believe, live their life as if deep down, they don’t.

 

[Alberti_Devoveo]

Presumably then, everything that is not absolutely essential to maintain your health, you give away, as Jesus commanded?

Do you own a TV? A coffee machine? Did you type your post on your own pc?

It’s amazing how many people who claim to believe, live their life as if deep down, they don’t.

Except that Jesus was speaking to that man and not to everyone in the passage you are referring to. The man Jesus spoke to was asking Him what he could do (a single task) to gain eternal life and Jesus responded with ‘give away all your possessions.’ He did not, however, command this to everyone. He often ate at his friends houses, showing He was okay with possessions.

 

[Viewscreen]

That is, if God is so important then why is life, health, wealth, etc. even important at all? For if God was so important wouldn’t we crawl on our bellies in Church, or wouldn’t we not except people from the Sabbath on account of their sicknesses? If God was so important, then wouldn’t he insist on being literally always obeyed w/ instant punishment for any offense? And yet, we don’t see that non-believers are constantly struck by lightning .

Fanaticism in my sight is always bad because its really another form of hypocrisy and self-deception. If we truly lived from our truest, and most sincere motivations, there would be no fanaticism. Fanaticism is all about compulsions, about doing things because you “have to” do them and not because you earnestly want to. Fanaticism is the black heart in all of religion, and I think, whether you consider yourself a theist, atheist or agnostic (yours truly) you should do yourself a service and dispense with fanaticism.

Just be yourself. Not a “saint” or a “sinner.” Or if you happen to be one, then that’s you and you shouldn’t change yourself. There’s nobody else you have to be… but YOU.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Fanaticism in my sight is always bad because its really another form of hypocrisy and self-deception. If we truly lived from our truest, and most sincere motivations, there would be no fanaticism. Fanaticism is all about compulsions, about doing things because you “have to” do them and not because you earnestly want to. Fanaticism is the black heart in all of religion, and I think, whether you consider yourself a theist, atheist or agnostic (yours truly) you should do yourself a service and dispense with fanaticism.

Just be yourself. Not a “saint” or a “sinner.” Or if you happen to be one, then that’s you and you shouldn’t change yourself. There’s nobody else you have to be… but YOU.

I think most people feel lost and feel the need for guidance. I feel most people have been brought up to believe things from birth.

What kind of advice can you give to people like that?

 

[Viewscreen]

I think most people feel lost and feel the need for guidance. I feel most people have been brought up to believe things from birth.

What kind of advice can you give to people like that?

What’s wrong with guidance? Whether you get it from your family, intimates, spiritual leaders - it’s all good,… as long as it doesn’t become fanatical.

What does fanaticism look like in practical terms? Well, I can’t really speak for all times and all places. A rule of thumb that works for me is: if you are doing this thing we call ‘life’ from spleen, and not heart, you’re doing it wrong and you should drop whatever you’re doing.

If push comes to shove, try something else.