In Reply to: that's the problem posted by porceleindoll on July 01, 2003 at 20:16:48:
hey pd. you do state the issue clearly. buddhism, not having a concept of a personal diety , removes the issue of trust from the equation. there are certainly many insights w/in the system that might be helpful in ordering ones choices, (tho if one really gets into some of buddhas teachings on issues like women, or individuality for example, it would seems the old delete key might get something of a workout among exmems...esp. female!)
but we all end up w/ some sort of a religious philosophy to live by, even if its materialism, or whateverism.. i think there may be a tendency among exmems of destructive groups to sit back and wait for God, or whoever , to in someway "show up." i haven't yet figured out exactly how He fills in His appointment schedule, and it does seem that he does show up in some rather unexpected places from time to time. but it also seems to me the principle of "seek and ye shall find" has a place in the dynamic. just keeping the internal conversation alive may provide a greater liklihood of recieving some indication of whether there really is anybody out there. the psalms always strike me as dialogue between a wounded, puzzled, and sometimes pissed off follower letting it all hang out to this God person. it at least opens the door to an answer coming in sometime... like those seti project signals and listening stations.
in rev. the resurrected messiah sends a message to a guy on an island...to pass on to some folks in a pretty ambivalent state of mind. "behold, i stand at the door and knock...if any man hears my voice and opens the door, i will come in..." personally, i can say the priniple does seem to work. never quite on my time table, or exactly the way i wish, but in a way that my confidence in his ultimate goodness increases, the more i listen, hear and invite.
may the road rise up to meet you.