A Bit About Holiness

Are We As Holy As We Can Be?

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Saturday, October 22, 2016
A Bit About Holiness
10/22/2016

Hello, Everyone,

Hope all of you are well - and really enjoying life. I am sure we are all ready for elections to be over - and soon, November 8th, they will; but it is nice to know that nothing really impacts the holiness of life itself - not even nasty campaigning or potential subsequent nasty government.

I must admit that earlier in life, I had a very different perspective on holiness than I have for the last 40 years of life. For those last 40 years - and even more - my idea of holiness is that it is not something that is "earned." It is simply something that "is." Contrary to what a whole lot of the world believes, I believe that holiness is simply being in the presence of God. If God were isolated and not everywhere, then I guess holiness would not be everywhere; but given that God is probably everywhere, so also must be "holiness." Surprise, Surprise! That makes us all equally "holy." The problem, as I see it, is that few of us realize that - and often go through life looking for holiness in all the wrong places, so to speak.

In a manner of speaking, my next religious column article for the local paper, The Laramie Boomerang, addresses that notion. I am told my article - HOLIER THAN EARTH? - will print tomorrow. Of course, many will not agree with it; but a few of you might. I will also copy it to my writings website - www.una-bella-vita.com - as the latest blog of my blog feature of that website.

Hey, get ready for our elections! Personally, I am very much looking forward to choosing among candidates - though more than likely I will be voting for "losers" because Wyoming is far more conservative in its thinking than I am. No matter. It's always a privilege to vote; and I highly value the freedom to do so. How about you?

Be in touch!

Gently,

Francis William Bessler (Sonny, Frank, Will)
Laramie, Wyoming

HOLIER THAN EARTH?
By
Francis William Bessler
Laramie, Wyoming
10/9/2016

Is our Earth holy? If it is, why do so many people believe that life somewhere else might be holier? Is it possible that one holy can be "holier" than another holy?

For so many religious types - but I include myself as a "religious type" - the answer to that initial question is: No, the Earth is not holy. I would ask, why not? They might argue that the Earth may have been holy at one time, but that holiness supposedly disappeared when man sinned against God. Yes, all was holy way back when it all started, but that holiness left when God left because man sinned against God.

In practice, then, those who argue that the Earth supposedly changed in holiness when man sinned, believe that "holy" is dependent upon man and is not an absolute unto itself. If the Earth could have been holy before man sinned, and became "unholy" after man sinned, then "holiness" is relative and not an absolute. What do you think? Can holiness itself be relative? Can a place lose its holiness dependent upon the actions of its citizens?

Before I thought about it, I would have concluded that, of course, a place can lose its holiness dependent upon the actions of its citizens. Before I thought about it, I would have concluded that it is possible for an Eden to become a "non-Eden" if the citizens of this Eden chose to make it an unholy site. Of course, Eden as a holy place could be "contaminated" and lose an original magnificence and/or holiness if as a citizen of Eden, "I" contaminated Eden by some action I might take.

Whoa! Some will be responding: Hey, Dummy, Eden never became an "unholy" territory when man sinned against God. God remained in Eden. It is that man was expelled from Eden and sent into "unholy" territory. Eden remained holy because God remained there. That would be their argument; but that which they overlook completely is that it is impossible for man to be "sent" into unholy territory simply because it is impossible for any territory to be "unholy" if an Infinite God must be everywhere. And beside that, if Eden remained a "territory of God," where is it today? Is God still there, sitting about, twiddling His thumbs and waiting to see if man will ever return to Eden?

Let me repeat what I said before. I happen to be a very strong believer in God - or that God is; but believing in anything should always be attended with rational thinking; or else anyone who wants to mislead another can claim he or she comes from God and devise some arbitrary standard as having come from God. In my opinion, this has been the long historic plight of man - having to deal with standards devised by ordinary men as having come from God.

In truth, it makes no sense that an ever present God could possibly exist in one place and be absent from another. Thus, the entire story of Eden becomes suspect simply because a true Infinite God could not possibly "dismiss" anything or anyone from "His" presence. When you think about it, if you dare to think about it, it makes no sense that anything or anyone can be dismissed from the presence of God - and thus, no one need worry that any idea suggesting that one can "lose God" could ever be correct. How can anyone lose that which has to be "inside" of him - or her or it?

But God is not inside of everyone! Many will argue that. Those would argue that I am wrong in believing that God has to be everywhere and in everything. "Their" God can go wherever "He" wants; and if their God chooses to locate Himself some place and not another, no man should believe otherwise.

I have long believed that I am in Heaven here on Earth simply because it makes no sense that the Earth can be missing an Infinite God - or that any place on this Earth can be "missing God." Because of my "rational belief" that all is sacred because an Infinite God must be in it, I have long believed that all places in the wide world of existence must be equal in holiness. Nothing is holier than Earth because nothing can be holier than any other place - just as the Earth can not be holier than any other place or planet or whatever. When I die, if I have a soul, it will either stay here on Earth or locate to another paradise; but wherever it goes - just as wherever it is - it will always be holy.

For me, holiness is not dependent upon what I do, but what I am. I believe I lead a very modest and moral life because of that belief. Only those can wrong others who believe they can or should have power to impose on others - either to save them or despise them; but those of us who believe that everyone is blessed with the Infinite Presence of God can do no evil simply because we don't believe in it. I think you have to believe in evil - or that some are evil - to be disposed to even think about responding with some sort of evil - and, perhaps, calling it justice.

Next: THE GENDER OF GOD!