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Good questions, Mr. Redrum_69. Did your mom put you up to this?
I'm a person who isn't really a fan of spirituality that lacks practical application. I fail to see the benefit of living a relatively "good" life only to be rewarded in death. Conversely, the notion that "bad" people only receive punishment for their naughty acts at some later time also strikes me as wrong somehow. Although it may happen, it makes human existence itself seem a little unnecessary.
In my life, I've found that some events (call it coincidence, happenstance, fortuity, whatever) seem to fall into place for both good purpose and no immediately obvious reason. Interestingly, the more I attend to the spiritual side of my own existence through meditation, prayer, or communion with the unseen world, the more frequent, positive, and frankly amazing these occurrences seem to be.
I couple this with a statement from Jesus Himself who said (paraphrased), "If you don't believe in me, at least believe in my works." This was, of course, referring to His miracles. Apparently, He wasn't relying solely on the afterlife to right wrongs or improve conditions here on this mortal plane.
So, I prefer to think of men and women as having some association with the Higher Power, or the Ethers, or God, or whatever you wish to call it whether they like it or not. The late, great, and quite fascinating (albeit somewhat simplistic in his writings) Joseph Murphy held the view that our sub-conscious mind was the mechanism whereby this association takes place. It's funny that his opinion has become more popular and accepted in Western culture, of late.
I tend to reject most straightforward "Pauline" versions of Christianity, but I hold a deep appreciation for and fascination with the figure of Jesus as I firmly believe that He maintained this association and, in His case, the connection was incontrovertibly powerful and effective. That's why I think people who discount Him and His message are making a huge mistake (perhaps the greatest mistake possible) - not in terms of religious affiliation or understanding, but in terms of applying common sense in order to live the most fulfilling, abundant, and satisfying life possible under these circumstances. He had a great deal to say to those with ears to listen.
FAX THE PHILOSOPHER
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