Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion Not-Quite-Science Forum Philosophy of Religions--all religions, including,

Always the relative ideals of what it means to be human is measured within the concepts of how we view reality. That weighed against the beliefs in what God is also determines what we choose to accept as reality. We can choose to be wealthy and find ourselves living in squalor, struggling to find a way to make ends meet.
In reality we find that there are differences in the way we see, hear and experience life from the ego. Some find it easy to make what they will of themselves and the world and others, not so much.

The foundation of belief will determine what we accept and how far our reach is. History shows us that for the most part our humanity has chosen to let God be in charge when we choose to become religious and to give away our destiny to a power greater than that of our own determination.
Primarily this is because of our own failures to accomplish goals that we set in our lives, as well as the experience of our human frailty, where sickness comes to us regardless of how we choose to take care of ourselves or whether we choose to be healthy or not.

Choice is always a part of reality.
Knowing who we are and what God is, prepares those who wish to make a stand and to the power we choose to claim and to the success or failures we experience when we make a choice when relating to God. Having a stable experience that doesn't change, but rather follows us thru the changes we experience is often wiser than trying to grasp at the changing meanings and experiences when trying to define ourselves, or God and any relationship we might think we have.

As children we desire candy and toys. As adults our desires don't change much.. The candy is substituted for caviar and the toys get more expensive when we desire to have houses and cars.. Whether we are stable enough to commit to the desire and whatever it takes to achieve what we desire in the relative is always subject to our ambitions and our beliefs, then progress often makes it way towards achieving the goals we set. Some are wanting to give, and others to take. Some want recognition and fame, others not so much. No one person is the same as another and there has never been one mold for all of humanity. Trying to make sweeping statements that are absolute never have stood for very long in the minds of man. Every belief changes with time.

Religionists and Atheists are not that different than each other when they choose to set their minds to a desire. When psychological points of reference are unconscious, and when the surface of the mind wanders in the imagined or in the illusions created from stories that are spun from the imagination of others, we dream and choose to be princes and princesses in a world that we experience as something other than a kingdom of princes and princesses..
I am..
The ego builds its boundaries where the universe has none, other than those we self impose.
I know..
When the ego closes the doors to the open universe it stands in a box with boundaries. For the human, to know something is always measured against what is taught. We are taught to think in a box.
I Do...
History has its share of doers and self proclaimed heroes. Yet we are still living in the world where our humanity and our gods are defined by our state of mind.

Few ever surrender to the greater reality that exists outside of their self made systems of measure. Therefore their will can only demand illusions that are derived from illusions...