Why constraint yourself to someone else's Doctrines?

[psychedelicist]

I don't think of living under God's Law as constraining -- rather, I find it the ultimate freedom. The freedom to be happy, to grow in love, and to be a creative rather than destructive force.

Think of it this way. Power of any type, without constraint, is not creative but destructive. This is a "law" of this earth. If all physical power needs constraint, why should our minds and our actions be any different?

If, when you were angry, you did not constrain your anger, it would become very destructive. We all constrain ourselves in some way; it's something we take for granted. The question is only: how much, and what type of, constraint?

God's Law, or God's variety of constraint, brings me and others in my life happiness; because God's law is not a law of judgement, but of love, forgiveness and mercy. His Law says that He loves me; and my highest calling is to love Him, and love others, with true and self-sacrificing love. In the light of that sort of love, all the problems of the world tend to disappear, because they just aren't bright enough to outshine that sort of love.

All power is not destructive, you just need to be wise enough to know the difference. We have just as much power to create as to destroy. To say our minds need constraint is a Stalinist ideal. Stalin once said "Ideas are more dangerous than guns. If we should not let people have guns, why should we let them have ideas?" This kind of sounds like what you are saying.

If all destruction stems from power, what does creation stem from?

 

[Surprised by joy]

Constraint of power is not exactly the word I was looking for, so let me rephrase that. All power without direction is desctructive. Both destruction and creation (in the physical world) stem from power; destruction stems from mindless power; creation stems from mindful and channeled power. You may disagree because you probably believe in evolution. But look at any of the physical forces in the world: they all follow certain patterns, almost as if they abide by laws and rules; if they did not, they would be chaotic, and disturb the natural "order" of things.

So my belief: power, without any intelligence guiding its application, is always destructive.

And, although in many areas I am sure I would vehemently oppose Stalin, I agree with him here. Ideas are more dangerous than guns, because they can effect more people. Once an idea gets out, it is almost impossible to silence. That is not, in my opinion, a bad thing. But even "ideas" are: power, channeled by intelligence. We do not know what it is to think without constraint, because thinking is a constraint. We constrain ourselves daily in more ways than we will ever know.

More later, and,
May the best truth win!

-- Ariel