The Buddhists would have me accept suffering as a fact of this physical life, and then have me rise above it (without the arrogance of that phrase ), and meditate my way to a happy and calm center from which all my Right Actions will spring. (I must say that a couple of years in a cave are not entirely unattractive.)
Abraham says that life is supposed to be fun. I can assess my spiritual growth (in some fairly insignificant way) by noticing the levels I have traveled up the Emotional Scale. Anger, for example, being somewhat better than Rage, but not as good as Frustration. To be centered here, I must vibrate correctly...though they might take exception to the word correctly. There is much of Abraham's theories that pull me. It's known as the Law of Attraction.
The religion of my history is very fundamentally Christian. They want me to subscribe to a Scapegoat theory that I find extremely unpalatable; then I'm told, by Jesus, no less, that I can walk on water and raise dead people, and then I need only give them 10% of the fruit of my talents, the gifts with strings. I believe intellectually understand that I can do anything Jesus did, now.
Psychologists want me to delve into family history to determine who is to blame for my dysfunction. I've gone so far as to select and claim a few of their labels.
There is an Atheist point of view, too, but I class that as the antithesis all of the above. And I notice that the more recent the convert to any of these, the more zealous is her/his discussion of the subject.
Most members of the groups, those more seasoned in the physical/mental/emotional energy used to believe in these theories in this physical Time/Space, seem to be more tolerant, if not actually accepting.
They all, as nearly as I can tell, want you to believe exactly what they believe, or you are Lost. Each group defines that differently, but they are certain that their way is the One True Right Way.
Just thinking out loud.
I like pieces of all of these and more....
...just don't care for all of any of them....
