Robert Green Ingersoll*
“In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments,
there are consequences.”
Some Mistakes of Moses[I wonder if this might not also be true with God... What would it be like to live life based on this understanding? One would, yes, be free of fear of punishment, but only if also unconcerned about rewards – while deeply aware and accepting of consequences.]
(*Ingersoll was known as “The Great Agnostic”)
Patricia, to your comment, I have long felt this to be the case just as you say: sin is not punished because sinful acts are, at essence, not our fault. We are only failing to rise above ourselves for various (infinitely so) reasons. God does not punish us. But sin has consequence, which is in the nature of things and with which we must bear regardless. Peter
ReplyDeleteObviously I agree, and so, I believe, did the Buddha. But while people don't want the punishment and are happy to see that gone, they do want reward of some sort, even a good feeling about themselves. But the equation must be complete to work and result in peace.
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