Epictetus had his way ~ the Abrahamic faiths have theirs

It's a dangerous world but with a little bit of luck you can survive it!

 

"You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what GOD requires of you: only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk modestly with your God." (Tanakh, JPS — Micah 6:8)

"Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28–30, NRSVUE)

"So truly where there is hardship there is also ease; truly where there is hardship there is also ease." (Qur'an 94:5–6, M.A.S. Abdel Haleem)

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How are to live in the world is baked into every philosophy and religion.

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When I asked Anthropic Claude to find me 3 verses from the Abrahamic faith that indicate how we are to live in this world, he had no trouble finding them. But he had a lot of trouble presenting them in a way which didn't show his bias. 1st on the list was Christianity. 2nd was the mother of all three Abrahamic faiths, Judaism. 3rd, last and least, at least in western opinion was Islam. Naturally I wouldn't let that bias stand, so I listed them historically.

 

And yes I'm writing a hobbyhorse here but if we're not aware of the subtle dangers of AI we're all doomed. 

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3 different points of view but a clear message from all three 

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• There is a proper way to live.
• When we live properly our burden lightens and our yoke becomes easier. 
•  Even when we live properly there is hardship as well as ease.

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The thing to note is that all three agree the needed changes must come from within

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It is simply not possible to overthrow the power elite of this world. I admit I'm not the world's greatest historian but if you can find me one revolution that actually changed anything other than the bosses I'll change my mind.

 

I'm not here to tell you that you should follow the Greeks or Allah or Yahweh or in deference to Judaism god with a lowercase G. 

 

I am here to tell you that you need to change. This is not some ego trip of my own this is simply a reading of philosophy and religions from time immemorial. They all acknowledge that we need to be better than what we are.

 

This means we need to be taught and be trained so that we can become the best that we can be. Once we become the best we can be, the ruling classes lose their power over us. 

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I am a retired pastor living on the side of a sleepy volcano in the Visayas. Social Gospel? Liberation Theology? How the Transnational class oversees the world. How we can accept our obligations and duties ~ and yet be free? Such are the topics you will find here.

Brian

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thekeeperofthelight@proton.me