Simone Well:
"Every time we say 'Thy will be done,' we should have in mind all possible misfortunes and all possible blessings, because a blessing may be more difficult to accept than a misfortune. Better yet, we should have in mind nothing at all." I think this quote is really interesting. Gods will was to give us free will. So if we have free will then will God intervene when we say "Thy will be done"? If he does would that or wouldn't that be denying us of free will...

Franz Kafka:
"Between being lost and being found, there is the consciousness of being lost: the only true agony, as when a foot that was asleep begins to wake up." All I have to say is this is hilarious. I hate it when I wake up in the morning and I am actually really scared and freaked out because I can't find my arm. I'm like where is it. Where is it! Then I quickly realize its asleep next to me and I have to physically pick it up. LOL

Henry David Thoreau:
"When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, that petty fears and petty pleasures are but the shadow of reality." I really like this quote because its so true of the world today. We are constantly worried or consumed by stupid temporary pleasures. Whats the latest movie, video game, or whatever. If we would all just spend more time on our relationships we would be a lot happier as a whole.

Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"The true doctrine of omnipresences is that God reappears with all his parts in every moss and cobweb." Have you ever looked at a cobweb for a long time. I have stared for what seems to be forever. It amazes me that such a little animal can create something so intricate and sturdy. I look at the creativity put into such a small animal and I can't help but stand in awe. I see his fingerprints on everything.

Novalis:
"Marriage is the highest mystery." When I look at people like my parents I feel like I understand this quote. Their love, compassion, and connection are indescribable. Honestly its a complete mystery that two people could be so perfectly made for each other. My mom grew up in Pennsylvania and my dad in Washington state. They both ended up going to a religious school in LA where they met. I don't believe in coincidence.

"The scientist's religious feeling takes the form of a rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, in comparison with it, the highest intelligence of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection." I like this quote because I would think being a scientist would strengthen someones faith in a higher intelligence. After seeing up close the intricate details and harmony in natural law it seems impossible to deny that there is a higher power.

"The most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the sower of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead." I love this quote. Honestly I love not knowing how things work. I am not 100% sure on a lot of my beliefs and the fact that I can wonder and constantly try to gain knowledge is fascinating. When I stand outside on our property I am constantly amazed at how detailed our world is. I don't know how it all works and I love that no matter how hard I strive to learn all the answers I will never know them all in this life. With an open mind life is so much more inspiring.

Maximus of Thre

At first while I read through this I really liked the idea that we should all worship God in the way that helps us remember him. It gives each individual an individual relationship with God. A relationship all of their own. A relationship that unites them together. I also really like the metaphor that when a lover dies anything that allows them to be remembered is greatly valued and cherished. The Mahayana sect of Buddhism has a similar belief called Syncretism which says that people should be able to incorporate what ever practices they desire in their worship of God if it will help them reach Nirvana.

After thinking about this more and more I found that I have some moral problems with this belief. In some tribes human sacrifice is necessary in their practice of worshiping God...well I'm not really thrilled with the idea that its "ok" for humans to kill other humans to "remember God." I also don't think wars should be fought over "holy lands" because people believe that they need that land to worship God or remember him.

I realize that there will always be extremists in this world who take things to far. And that people will always try to justify horrific things by using God as there means. And that most practices are pretty harmless overall and I think people should have religious freedom to worship God the way they want. But there needs to be a line drawn somewhere because some practices are extreme.

Philo

I love this selection. I really like the idea that God is the root of all love, joy and happiness. When i look at two people who are truly in love, like my parents i see something that is indescribable. The love that they share can't be put in words but it can be seen by everyone. They are the kind of people you look at and everyone knows they belong together. Complete one another. To see that love, the most powerful force in the universe, and to realize that it is just a small fraction of the love God has is unfathomable. The creator of that kind of love and happiness is one that I am happy to spend my life loving and worshiping.

I find the idea that a wise man is a playful man full of laughter very intriguing. Most of the time when I think of a wise man I think of someone meditating, deep in thought, almost still. This idea that the "goal of wisdom is laughter and play-not the kind that one sees in little children who do not yet have the faculty of reason, but the kind that is developed in those who have grown mature through both time and understanding" is very different than what I have traditionally pictured. I like this new though because a wise man should realize that God has given us our sense of humor, joy, laughter, and happiness. A true wise man should be able to look at the world around him and rejoice in life itself. Life is a joyous experience and a day with out a smile is a wasted day.

Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

I love this reading because it gives so much glory to God. It talks about how he created all things that we love and enjoy in this world, including our own lives. He gave us all abilitys or talents that we have. We are so quick to praise ourselfs when we accomplish something when it is he who gave us the ability to accomplish anything. It amazes me the love he has for each of us. unconditional love. I always think of a small child and how they love unconditionally. They make friends with anyone they meet and they hold no records of wrong. We all need to strive to be like little children. It also talks about the passion that we each hold. How much passion, love, and time do we put into our daily wants. How many hours do we watch tv, play a sport, or go out with friends? If each of us would just take a fraction of that passion and give thanks to God our world would not be such a bad place. Our country would not be so material based and we would all be a lot less selfish. I love the way he ends this passage. Even thought he is an incredible man with so much knowledge he apologizes if he is unclear in anyway. He says that it is "no easy task to discover the unclouded glory that lies behind the veil." He may not be able to define Gods love and comapssion 100% acurately but he did a pretty good job. And I am so impressed that he is humble enough to ask for forgiveness just in case he didn't get it all right.

Muhammad

I think that this excerpt really shows the jewish roots of islam. Especially when he refers to God creating the earth in 6 days and resting on the seventh. He also talks about God creating night and say when he says, "he makes the night to give way to the day." He also describes God in many of the same ways that the Hebrew bible does. He is called the first and last, knowledge of all things, ruler of heaven and earth.

I also think that certain parts of this seem to share an understanding with hinduism. For example, it says, "Do not despise the world, for the world too is God" or "whoever knows himself knows God." This seems to point to the idea that we all are conected or one. Also when it says, "when we surrender ourselves fully, there is nothing but God: not even a "there"; not even an "is"; not even a "God". This seems to point to the fact that once you reach the point that we are all one the term God becomes irrelevant. The word God is just a restraint that are limited minds create. A box that we wall our ideas in. Once we are free of that then we are God.

I was curious about the first paragraph though when it says, "We created man." I thought that Muhammad was a monotheist since Jews are...this seems to indicated that he is a polytheist.

Jesus Of Nazareth

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you." This is one of the most difficult teachings to follow, but its one of the morst important. Jesus himself lived the perfect example of this. When they are crucifying him he prays, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). I have wrote about his many times because its one of my favorite stories because its mind blowing. How could someone be so selfless to be praying for other people when they are killing you. Steven then does the same thing later on in the new testament. This is such an important lesson and it is an essential teaching in most religions including Buddhism and Hinduism (nonviolence).

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be open to you. For everyone who asks, recieves." I love this idea that if you seek for Gods way you will find it. In proverbs it says seek for truth as if it were silver and gold. This idea does pose a difficult question though. Thousands and thousands of people, chiristans and other religions alike, say that "God" led them to the truth. Well how can opposing ideas all be the truth? I mean how can one person say this is the truth because God "showed them it" and someone else say no that is the truth and I know because God "showed" me. Well who is right? Can it be that God brings us all to different truths at different times, and no one has the entire truth.