GUIDANCE: A contemplation on counsel and coercion

IMAGE:    An image of a hand with light inside.

Tim:      (gazing at the image) All Abrahamic religions seem to suggest that transcendental wisdom is 
          revealed only to a few special persons at rare points in history, and we have a duty to 
          follow the edicts of sacred texts.

Chris:    Indeed. The presumption seems to be that ordinary humans are ignorant and sinful, and only by 
          scrupulously following a given orthodox scripture can any semblance of grace be attained.

Cantara:  Let's be honest: humans lifespans are short and our knowledge is very limited. In many ways we 
          are like sheep in need of guidance.

Miok:     (laughing sarcastically) Often what we call "guidance" is usually simply coercion. And isn't 
          religion itself is a form of shrewd manipulation?

Tim:      (raising his eyebrows) Well, people are always being manipulated: if not by the church or state, 
          then by various corporate interests and marketplaces. To some extent consciousness is like a 
          pinball machine and skillful operators can sway sentiments in the directions they desire.


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from Heart Scenes: Emotional Landscapes via Art, Poetry, & Prose by T Newfields
Summary:   Some thoughts about manipulation and transcendent manifestations.
Keywords:  orthodoxy, conformity, stratagems, subterfuge

Author: T Newfields [Nitta Hirou / Huáng Yuèwǔ] (b. 1955 - ?)
Begun: 2002 in Nagoya, Japan  ☆ Finished: 2022 in Yokohama, Japan
Creative Commons License: Attribution. {{CC-BY-4.0}} Granted

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TRANSLATIONS

Español   https://www.tnewfields.info/es/orien.htm
Nihongo   https://www.tnewfields.info/jp/gaidansu.htm
Zhōngwén  http://www.tnewfields.info/zh/zhidao.htm