Eric B
ⒺⓉⒷ
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2008
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- INTP
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- 548
- Instinctual Variant
- sp/sx
I have been able to put together a proposal of a short outline of what the purpose of life is from a particular perspective (explained a bit in the last point), which actually appears to offer answers as to long standing questions as why things in life and with God look the way they do.
I was weighing whether to post here, but figured, it would be interesting, plus, it also has helped me a bit in my understanding of the unconscious in relation to archetypes that I wanted to add to the archetypes thread, so I can reference back to this. (i.e. the ego struggles against some of these points, especially #4, and this creates part of the battle with the unconscious complexes and functional perspectives of the shadow).
It is basically from a Biblical theistic view, but one that differs from conventional Christian eschatology and penology (doctrine of retribution).
(I should also add, that as an Ne "Good Parent", a lot of my ideas are what you can consider proposals. Most of it is not purported to be certainty. Though when things seem to be fitting, I might often hype it as if it were such.
This I realize, from having some people challenge some of my ideas, and their objection seems to almost hinge on it being some solid certainty, but they don't realize that the theory has a built in allowance for possible error).
•The purpose of life is for God to make and remake man in His own image (i.e "become like Him").
•The purpose of evil being allowed to exist is Grace. (Rom.5:15-21, 11:32) God has grace towards our sin, and we in turn are to have grace towards others.
This is the means by we are "made like Him". Thus, when we suffer, we "partake in His suffering".
Justice will likely involve people (who've done evil to others, or thought they were good before God) realizing just how much grace they received. Even without sentencing to eternal torment, this will be quiet humbling.
•The purpose of life being left in a "painful" state is that it provides opportunity to love and serve others, again, making us like Christ.
It seemed this would make eternity better and more appreciable than an existence in which everything had always been "perfect".
Also, much of our pain is more likely from our own perception of life, based largely on a survival/procreation instinct gone wrong. (e.g. our desire for comfort and ease, to have our own way, gratify insatiable hormonal desires, etc. These often lead to gluttony, greed, sloth, vengeance, depression over past, heartbreak, abuse and infidelity, etc and thus the psychological and emotional problems that result. Basically, an overreliance on self-protection that makes pain and discomfort less tolerable).
If it wasn't for all of this, thorns & thistles, hard work, sickness, physical injuries, death, etc. would still be less than comfortable, or painful, but they would not cause so much emotional stress and then become added to any perception of "fallenness"; that the physical world in itself is corrupted.
•Our need for Equity [and perhaps other ontological needs; identity, competence, significance etc] is connected with the "fruit of knowledge of good and evil". This is one of the main causes of emotional pain (and hence, a greatly heightened, overly vivid perception of "wrong" in life). It is what drove Satan to rebel, and lead man to fall with him. It leads to all our wars and crime.
While these needs are genuine, still, we were never given the capacity to know how they should truly be met.
Our sense of guilt from sin is itself also a product of knowledge of good and evil. After all, it was then (after originally taking the fruit) that we sensed we were "naked and ashamed". We have a sense of good, but know deep inside that we do evil.
Hence, the loss of "equity" in man's relationship with God (to a state of being in debt, and feeling the need, somehow, to make/prove ourselves right, even if by denying any problem altogether). Hence, grace undoing this, leaving only the Tree of Life. (Rev.22:2).
Satan's tactic (as with Job) is to convince us we must secure these things for ourselves now (also like his temptation of Jesus), or we are being punished, either rightly (accusations of sin) or wrongfully (denial of sin).
•God has ceased special revelation to as part of Grace, to protect us from the "unpardonable sin" (rejection of special revelation carries a more severe penalty; "to whom much is given, much is expected").
•God has obscured general proof of Him and knowledge of the afterlife, because if people knew for sure there was "a better world" beyond this one, more would be killing themselves when life got too difficult here. (He did not put us here to just escape into the next world).
It would also skew our motivations for doing good here and now. It would be about "gaining rewards" (for self) rather than love. Hence, it is by "faith".
•These premises only work under a "Fulfilled Grace" paradigm, where forgiveness through Christ's death has spread to all unconditionally (with no "requirements" of any sort placed on man, leaving most still "lost" and forfeiting this grace. The Law man was condemned under was finally abolished upon the destruction of the Temple in AD70, after three decades of overlapping with the New Covenant).
Outlining these points is one thing; putting it into practice during frustrations in life is quite another.
So this is what I'll be looking into in my walk in life.
Does all of this make sense to anyone else?
I was weighing whether to post here, but figured, it would be interesting, plus, it also has helped me a bit in my understanding of the unconscious in relation to archetypes that I wanted to add to the archetypes thread, so I can reference back to this. (i.e. the ego struggles against some of these points, especially #4, and this creates part of the battle with the unconscious complexes and functional perspectives of the shadow).
It is basically from a Biblical theistic view, but one that differs from conventional Christian eschatology and penology (doctrine of retribution).
(I should also add, that as an Ne "Good Parent", a lot of my ideas are what you can consider proposals. Most of it is not purported to be certainty. Though when things seem to be fitting, I might often hype it as if it were such.
This I realize, from having some people challenge some of my ideas, and their objection seems to almost hinge on it being some solid certainty, but they don't realize that the theory has a built in allowance for possible error).
•The purpose of life is for God to make and remake man in His own image (i.e "become like Him").
•The purpose of evil being allowed to exist is Grace. (Rom.5:15-21, 11:32) God has grace towards our sin, and we in turn are to have grace towards others.
This is the means by we are "made like Him". Thus, when we suffer, we "partake in His suffering".
Justice will likely involve people (who've done evil to others, or thought they were good before God) realizing just how much grace they received. Even without sentencing to eternal torment, this will be quiet humbling.
•The purpose of life being left in a "painful" state is that it provides opportunity to love and serve others, again, making us like Christ.
It seemed this would make eternity better and more appreciable than an existence in which everything had always been "perfect".
Also, much of our pain is more likely from our own perception of life, based largely on a survival/procreation instinct gone wrong. (e.g. our desire for comfort and ease, to have our own way, gratify insatiable hormonal desires, etc. These often lead to gluttony, greed, sloth, vengeance, depression over past, heartbreak, abuse and infidelity, etc and thus the psychological and emotional problems that result. Basically, an overreliance on self-protection that makes pain and discomfort less tolerable).
If it wasn't for all of this, thorns & thistles, hard work, sickness, physical injuries, death, etc. would still be less than comfortable, or painful, but they would not cause so much emotional stress and then become added to any perception of "fallenness"; that the physical world in itself is corrupted.
•Our need for Equity [and perhaps other ontological needs; identity, competence, significance etc] is connected with the "fruit of knowledge of good and evil". This is one of the main causes of emotional pain (and hence, a greatly heightened, overly vivid perception of "wrong" in life). It is what drove Satan to rebel, and lead man to fall with him. It leads to all our wars and crime.
While these needs are genuine, still, we were never given the capacity to know how they should truly be met.
Our sense of guilt from sin is itself also a product of knowledge of good and evil. After all, it was then (after originally taking the fruit) that we sensed we were "naked and ashamed". We have a sense of good, but know deep inside that we do evil.
Hence, the loss of "equity" in man's relationship with God (to a state of being in debt, and feeling the need, somehow, to make/prove ourselves right, even if by denying any problem altogether). Hence, grace undoing this, leaving only the Tree of Life. (Rev.22:2).
Satan's tactic (as with Job) is to convince us we must secure these things for ourselves now (also like his temptation of Jesus), or we are being punished, either rightly (accusations of sin) or wrongfully (denial of sin).
•God has ceased special revelation to as part of Grace, to protect us from the "unpardonable sin" (rejection of special revelation carries a more severe penalty; "to whom much is given, much is expected").
•God has obscured general proof of Him and knowledge of the afterlife, because if people knew for sure there was "a better world" beyond this one, more would be killing themselves when life got too difficult here. (He did not put us here to just escape into the next world).
It would also skew our motivations for doing good here and now. It would be about "gaining rewards" (for self) rather than love. Hence, it is by "faith".
•These premises only work under a "Fulfilled Grace" paradigm, where forgiveness through Christ's death has spread to all unconditionally (with no "requirements" of any sort placed on man, leaving most still "lost" and forfeiting this grace. The Law man was condemned under was finally abolished upon the destruction of the Temple in AD70, after three decades of overlapping with the New Covenant).
Outlining these points is one thing; putting it into practice during frustrations in life is quite another.
So this is what I'll be looking into in my walk in life.
Does all of this make sense to anyone else?