Shakyamunison
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Originally posted by The MISTER
I just want to know why there is a problem for thanking God for all the gifts we've been given in this life.
Which god? There seems to be a lot of them in the world. However, most of them, if not all of them, are the product of the human imagination.
It’s like when someone hears me play guitar, they will likely say “you have been given a gift”. The thing they do not take into account is all the years I worked playing in bands and working on my craft. So, if I was given a gift, then it is not the gift of guitar playing, but the gift of perseverance. That gift was given to me by my mother, and I thank her all the time.
Originally posted by The MISTER
We thank people when they give us good things.
Sure, that is true, but connecting this sentence to the one before would mean we should randomly thank people who we do not know have done anything. It is an interesting possibility, but you will probably get put in jail.
Originally posted by The MISTER
The scientific origins of our world are still mysterious but the best things about life are ours and they aren't man-made. The emotions that we experience can be explained scientifically but they are personal to individuals and give us more than simple survival to look forward to.
This presents of self is neutral in nature. You are emphasizing the positive side, but the ego and selfishness is the other side of this coin.
Originally posted by The MISTER
The way our spirits are moved by displays of great love and/or compassion let's us know that we have purposes that we are called to pursue. However we are programmed though (DNA) our greatest gift is the power of choice over our lives.
The choices over our lives are limited. Consider what a child dreams of being when they grow up. Most of us do not become superman, rock stars, or ballerinas.
Originally posted by The MISTER
We are free to explore this world and influence it with an awareness of the intent behind our actions. We then carry the results of our experiences as a personal reference for future actions. We can acheive a feeling of spiritual fulfillment when we strive to what we feel is positive and succeed against much adversity. Just thinking about the role that fireman play in life can cause the spirit of love to rise an any man.
This emotional ebb and flow is a product of emotional centers that we move in and out of. We attribute the trigger for these emotions to an outside source. We might say, deep inside, I will be happy when I find someone to love, for example. However, this attachment is outside of our control, so we strive to find a mate, or other things that will allow us to decide to be happy.
Originally posted by The MISTER
We've been blessed with an amazing life and the unique ability to be responsible for it beyond simple survival. We usually appreciate what loving parents did for us as infants even though we don't remember it. Likewise we were'nt aware when life for the world was made and molded. We didn't give ourselves anything we simply recieved all that is good in life. There is so much to be grateful for.
This is a good argument for being thankful to nature, but if you are talking about a god that is detached from nature, then this argument fails.
Originally posted by The MISTER
Why not thank the maker?
If there is a maker, then I would surmise that this maker would not need thanks.