Prayer for Love and Mercy

 Last time, I said that "sexual desire is sacred insofar as it is connected to love, marriage, and life," but how strictly this is interpreted varies depending on the religion or sect. The strictest interpretation would mean that even contraception is forbidden, and there are actually some sects that preach this. It's true that animals don't practice contraception, but that's because even if many offspring are born, many are eaten, and the population is naturally balanced. In other words, they have a high birth rate and high death rate. Until recently, humans also lived in a high birth rate and high death rate society. It was common for a single mother to give birth to five or six children. It could be said that a strong sex drive was necessary to maintain that level of reproductive ability. However, in modern times, we have shifted to a society with low birth rates and low death rates. With scientific advances, sanitation has improved and infant mortality rates h...

While God forbids lust, it seems he also praises love. He blesses marriage as sacred. So, if you wonder if humans are the only ones who fall in love, when you look at nature, you'll find that it's actually quite amazing... I saw this on an NHK animal show recently: a male deep-sea squid was illuminating its entire body to attract females! Here's the AI ​​explanation: The most famous squid that "attracts females by illuminating" is the firefly squid, also familiar in Japan. Recent research has also discovered a species that displays a surprising courtship behavior that combines "ink and luminescence (white glow)." Here are some of the most notable examples: 1. Firefly Squid Firefly squids, famous for their "suicide jump" in Toyama Bay, have hundreds of light organs all over their bodies. Communication through light: Firefly squids have excellent vision, able to distinguish between three colors: blue, light blue, and green. It is believed that ma...

 From the perspective of someone like Christ, who has no sexual desires, we could potentially be aroused by simply looking at a member of the opposite sex, so simply looking at them constitutes "adultery." I thought that was a bit harsh, but then how does Islam deal with this? "Women must wear a veil in public." That's certainly a temporary solution. Even if we acknowledge that men are weak creatures whose sexual desires are instinctively aroused at the sight of a beautiful woman, what should we do? Is that the only thing we can do? It's easy to understand. Once women wear a veil, men can't see. For men, it's the same effect as having your eyes gouged out to see women. It's so simple and clear that I can't argue with it, but then we can't fall in love either... Christ denied sexual desire, but did Muhammad deny love? Hmm. While the Bible does not suggest that Christ fell in love, what about Muhammad? "The Messenger of God fell in lov...

 One of the most strict teachings of Christ is on the issue of adultery. I'm pretty sure the Bible says that simply lusting after a woman is considered adultery, and that you should gouge out your eyes. It's better than not going to heaven at all. I think it was someone else's wife. This is strict. Actually, it's almost impossible. I think many people will shy away from Christianity after hearing this teaching. I even had a friend who pointed this out to me and said, "That's a bit much." I'm not saying that you should lust after someone else's wife and then just let it happen and engage in sexual activity. Doing so would destroy families and throw society out of control. What I'm trying to say is that even if lust arises when you see a woman, it's possible to suppress it with reason and willpower and not allow it to lead to sexual activity. However, denying the very idea of ​​lusting at the sight of the opposite sex... I think this is impos...

 Christianity used the "foul play" that Christ is the son of God. And it defeated me, but because it was a foul play, that ultra-secret came with serious side effects. That was the  "Trinity." If Christ is the son of God, how is he connected to God the Father? The Holy Spirit connects the Father and the Son, and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the Trinity... What's that? No matter how many times I hear the Trinity, I just don't understand it. It's completely incomprehensible, even before I even consider whether I believe in the Trinity or not. I just can't understand it. By the way, what about his mother, Mary? Whenever I hear priests say things like "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen" during Christian prayers, I always think, "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Why are there three?" and think it sounds so complicated. It's so difficult that my intellect can't keep up. Am I the only one who doesn't ...

 In the Old Testament, prophets are sent one after another. Each time, humans refuse to listen to them and always "rebel against God." God is patient, and no matter how many times we rebel, he continues to send new prophets. But why do we seem to not understand God's love? He's troubled. "Even after all this, you still don't understand?" And so He sent Christ. His beloved, only Son. He cleansed our sins by sacrificing His own Son. God commanded humans to offer their firstborn to Him, and He Himself offered His beloved, only Son as a sacrifice for humanity. When I heard this, I thought, "I've been defeated!" I was listening from the perspective of a disciple of Shinran, or more specifically, a Buddhist. I thought the greatest way to show mercy to others was to offer yourself to them. Even the Buddha has a story about feeding himself to a hungry tiger. I used to think that giving your life for another person was the ultimate form of love, but...