Oh My God. Do you have any idea how many times a day those words are uttered? But how many of us say it without thinking about it? It's become "the thing to say" when you're amazed. When you're surprised. When you don't really know what to say. But how many of us still think of God when we say it?
Some might say it's not right to use the Lord's name in vain. But when I use it, how do you know it's your god I'm referring to? Maybe I have my own concept of the divine. In fact, I'm pretty sure I do. To me, the names and faces we associate with dinivity are nothing but a way for us to make sense of something that is, quite simply, beyond our grasp. I refer to a goddess as often as to a god. I won't get into the why or how of that, right now. Maybe I'll write another post about that. Maybe not. ;-)
Today, I wanted to talk about why people can't just agree to disagree. Yes. You guessed it. That's my approach.
For that purpose, I will share my Divine Cake Theory with all of you.
Original image courtesy of Canva.com
Tiny's Divine Cake Theory: This Witch's View on Religious Differences
Let's think of Divine Energy as a cake. Why? Well, why wouldn't we? Everything is made better when you add cake. Right? Right.
I actually got this idea from a contemporary Buddhist quote. It involved cake and religions. I can never quite remember it, and I couldn't find it again when I looked for it. But I never forgot the bottom line. This theory has stuck in my mind, growing and evolving like... uhm... Dinosaurs?
Who Wants a Slice?
If Divinity were a cake, every religion is a way of cutting the cake. Yes. In this post, we can have our cake and eat it too. Every single belief system or religion approaches the cake in a different way. Some will cut a traditional wedge out of our cake. Some will take a slice off the side. Some prefer the strawberries--or maybe the icing. Those are the sneaky ones that swipe their finger through!
But in the end, they eat the same cake. Chocolate cake, buttercream filling, and whipped cream and strawberries on top. They just approach it from a different direction.
Enough of this Cake Talk, Tiny. You're Making Me Hungry!
Religions are like that too. They are a way for our minds to grasp something that is beyond our understanding. Humans have an innate need to do this: most of us need to understand the things in our world. If something is too abstract for our minds to deal with, we'll pour it into a less abstract mold. Yes. I'm still sticking to my cake analogy. Some people make tiered cakes and other prefer bundt cakes. Both are quite tasty, if prepared well.
So, every time we have an argument with someone whose beliefs are not the same as ours, we should try to remember that. They too, are trying to make sense of the world.
Does it matter that I feel very close to my goddess? More so than her male counterpart? Does it matter that you call your god Shiva? Or Quan Jin? Maybe you meditate over Buddist mantras with the hope of gaining insight.
In the end, every religion boils down to some very important basics. Love. Acceptance. Wisdom.
The universal truth behind them remains the same. I don't know if my views are correct or not. When are we ever certain of something like that? But I know that they are mine, and I've gotten used to them. I'm quite fond of them. Very much like my favourite cake molds.
I did decide a long time ago, that I was OK with disagreeing with people. I don't mind when someone tells me they believe different. Whatever makes them happy. I decided to let it go, as long as they returned the favour and refrained from converting me too.
Let me tell you: it certainly keeps life peaceful.
As always, dear reader, thank you for sharing with me.
Hugs
Tiny