Find Your Middle Ground

God would have said: go out into the world and enjoy your life

โ€”

God as understood by Spinoza. Inspiration from Stephen Paul and the 17th century ๐Ÿ’

Stephen Paul's avatarStephen Paul's Blog

Image may contain: 5 people, people standing

Did you know that when Einstein gave lectures at the numerous US universities he was invited to, the recurring question that students asked him was:

Do you believe in God?
And he always answered:
I believe in the God of Spinoza.

The ones who hadnโ€™t read Spinoza didnโ€™t understandโ€ฆ

I hope this gem of history, serves you as much as it does me:

Baruch de Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher considered one of the three great rationalists of 17th-century philosophy, along with Renรฉ Descartes in France, and Gottfried Leibniz in Germany.

Hereโ€™s some of his wisdom:

God would have said:

Stop praying and punching yourself in the chest!
What I want you to do is go out into the world and enjoy your life. I want you to enjoy, sing, have fun and enjoy everything Iโ€™ve made for you.

Stop going to those dark, cold temples that you builtโ€ฆ

View original post 631 more words

24 responses to “God would have said: go out into the world and enjoy your life”

  1. Ann Koplow Avatar
    Ann Koplow

    Thanks for helping me enjoy my life, my friend !

    ๏ปฟ
    Val Boyko posted: “God as understood by Spinoza. Inspiration from Stephen Paul and the 17th century [๐Ÿ’] “

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Val Boyko Avatar
      Val Boyko

      Thank you Ann ๐Ÿ’•

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Thanks for sharing this, Val ๐Ÿ™‚ Very good reminder.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Val Boyko Avatar
      Val Boyko

      Thank you. So glad it resonated with you ๐Ÿ’›

      Like

      Reply
  3. lslvrstn Avatar
    lslvrstn

    Thanks for sharing this, Val ๐Ÿ™‚

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Val Boyko Avatar
      Val Boyko

      So glad you enjoyed it Laurie ๐Ÿ’›

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. Jet Eliot Avatar
    Jet Eliot

    I really really enjoyed this post from Stephen Paul on the God of Spinoza, Val. Thank you for sending this joy and truth my way today, dear friend.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Val Boyko Avatar
      Val Boyko

      So glad you enjoyed this as I did Jet. ๐Ÿ’›

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. Epi B Avatar
    Epi B

    I see a lot of streets named after Spinoza and the place where my work is situated quite close to the place where he used to live. Yet, I did not know about his thoughts on God. Thanks for enlightening me!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Val Boyko Avatar
      Val Boyko

      I didnโ€™t know either. Thanks to Einstein for bringing it home to us ๐Ÿ’›

      Like

      Reply
  6. Betty Hayes Albright Avatar
    Betty Hayes Albright

    Thanks for sharing this, Val – wonderful words of wisdom!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Val Boyko Avatar
      Val Boyko

      Thank you Betty – so glad they resonated โฃ๏ธ

      Like

      Reply
  7. Vicki Avatar
    Vicki

    Thanks for sharing these words of wisdom, Val.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Val Boyko Avatar
      Val Boyko

      Thank you Vicki ๐Ÿ’›

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  8. Writer Lori Avatar
    Writer Lori

    Fresh perspective on this quiet Sunday morning. Thank you, Val!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Val Boyko Avatar
      Val Boyko

      Thank you Lori. Glad you enjoyed this share ๐Ÿ’›

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  9. Jim Borden Avatar
    Jim Borden

    that was wonderful; I had never heard of Spinoza, but I like what he had to say in this essay!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Val Boyko Avatar
      Val Boyko

      Check him out. He was a heretic in the Jewish religion and Catholic Church and was excommunicated in July 1656….
      Perhaps take a moment to consider why you have not heard of him.
      May we all find our own voice and way in the world, especially here in the supposed land of the free, and in these times.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
      1. Jim Borden Avatar
        Jim Borden

        thanks, Val. Now you’ve got me really curious!

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
  10. nrhatch Avatar
    nrhatch

    I studied Spinoza as a Philosophy major . . . like Einstein, I believe in Spinoza’s God.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Val Boyko Avatar
      Val Boyko

      Me too … so much to learn and appreciate from the past. Spinoza was condemned as a heretic.
      Grateful that we can embrace our own beliefs and philosophies now.
      Thank you ๐Ÿ™

      Like

      Reply
  11. Carrie Cannady Avatar
    Carrie Cannady

    Amazing how the idea of a loving God has been used, weaponized and misappropriated in the West to serve as a method to control the people. This is a wonderful reminder. Thank you, Val. ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป๐Ÿ’•

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Val Boyko Avatar
      Val Boyko

      Thanks Carrie. There is more than one awakening here for us to embrace ๐Ÿ’‹

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Carrie Cannady Avatar
        Carrie Cannady

        Yes, indeed! There are many paths up the mountain. So happy I found another. ๐Ÿ’š

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

I’d love to hear from you …

โ— About Me

My name is Val Boyko, a dual citizen living near Philadelphia, originally from Scotland.

This blog came to life one morning in 2013.  I woke up with these words in my mind:  “Life is a series of highs and lows. Be grateful for the highs. Be graceful in the lows. And find contentment in your Middle Ground.”

Find Your Middle Ground blog started to explore, reflect, ask deep questions, share insights about awakening, and connect with wonderful people like yourself. Thank you for being here and being such an inspiration.

โ— Recent Articles