A visceral reaction to "What If...."

[poltr1]

One of my FB-friends recently posted about wanting to see the upcoming movie "What If.....", starring John Ratzenberger and Kevin Sorbo. His closing quote: "What if you followed God's plan for your life instead of your own?"

This one hit a nerve with me, and I said so in my response to him. I also said, "I am not a sheep. I am not a puppet. I don't do meek and submissive.".

This is an idea I've never been comfortable with, even when I was a Catholic years ago. "Surrender yourself to God's will." was the message I got in some homilies. Why? Why should I? (I'm sure this response didn't sit well with my CCD teachers. But I don't remember standing in the corner or having my knuckles rapped because of this "attitude".)

Do I trust God enough to let Him/Her take the wheel and drive the bus I'm on? No.

It's my will, dammit, and I'll do whatever I want, as long as I don't hurt anyone in the process. Even though I don't consider myself a Wiccan, I still follow the Wiccan Rede ("An ye harm none, do what thou will") as one of my guiding principles.

I really don't think it was ever God's intention for us to be sheep, blindly following what He/She dictates, without question.

What I do believe is that there is a divine spark within each and every one of us, blazing brightly. And that there is some type of guiding force in this world that our science cannot explain. The odds of everything occuring on this planet in sequence by pure chance alone are astronomically against it happening.

Comments

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Simpler answer, which I have found works really well "What if we already are?" If they persist, follow up with "How can you tell we're not?" and walk away.

Longer form, of course, I agree with your "I am God. Thou art God. All that groks is God" approach.

[stevieannie.livejournal.com]

I agree with redaxe. I'm a Christian, and believe that I got freewill for a reason. My deity wants me to use it. Surely, if he'd wanted us to be sheeple, he'd have taken away the option for making other decisions?

Besides, I see very little that could be taken as "God's Will", and far more that can be taken as "Man's Will with some Convenient Dressing...".

Until a burning bush turns up in my front yard, I'll just keep on being loving and tolerant of other viewpoints. I think it's the best interpretation of most holy texts, whatever their name.

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Until a burning bush turns up in my front yard, I'll just keep on being loving and tolerant of other viewpoints. I think it's the best interpretation of most holy texts, whatever their name.

This.

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

If you assume God and that you have free will, then God's plan is surely that you use it. If you assume it's all predestined, then you have no agency and it's all kind of a waste of time.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

When I was a child being raised in an Evangelical church, I was told very often to surrender myself to God's will. For some strange reason God's Will as explained to me by my parents and church leaders coincided pretty damn closely with what would be convenient for them that I do and what went against my will. Funnily enough.

When someone starts talking about God's Will to me I try to see in which hand they're holding the chains as I scurry backwards out of their arm's reach. Usually but not always metaphorically.

[kliklikitty.livejournal.com]

My *VERY* christian mother taught me an important lesson while I was very young. That there are times when it is wise to surrender myself to the higher good, and that doing so almost never turns out bad; but most of the time I need to be my own person and answer to the spark of divinity within me, that gives me life"

As I got older, I translated this, as "when it is the right thing to do, go ahead & give fully in to the powers that be; but try and remember that at all times to live as the type of deity I would like to follow if I were the type to follow like a sheeple