Sometimes we criticize lack of faith in others.
We aren’t capable of understanding the circumstances in which this faith has been lost, nor do we try to alleviate our brother’s misery – and this causes revolt and incredulity in the divine power.
Humanist Robert Owen traveled all over England talking of God.
In the 19th century it was common to use child labor in heavy work, and one afternoon Owen stopped at a coal mine where an undernourished twelve-year-old boy was lugging a heavy sack of bricks.
‘I am here to help you talk to God’, said Owen.
‘Thanks very much, but I don’t know him. He must work in another mine’, answered the boy.
How can you expect a boy in those conditions to be able to believe in God?
Understand that you are not alone when you want Divine Justice to make itself manifest on this Earth. In the Middle Ages the Gothic cathedrals were built by several generations. This prolonged effort helped the participants to organize their thoughts, to give thanks and to dream.
The desire to build a better world remains in our heart. We are building the cathedrals of tomorrow. Let’s meet the right people and do it together
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Paulo, as suas palavras são mágicas.
Quando eu tiver fé (em Deus ou em mim, ou noutra coisa qualquer), eu sei que vou ser muito mais feliz, que vou vencer na vida. Até lá, só me resta esperar.
Andreia Figo
Robert Owen was an atheist. You are writing fiction here Coehlo. Your non-truths spit on the good deeds done by Owen, an honorable, non-believing man.
You might want to check your idea of facts and fictions before ridiculing yourself by leaving such a comment.
Read “The Rational quarterly review“ and you’ll see why.
I don’t say Owen was a very stable person, how could one be after proclaiming any religion to be ludicrous imagination for most of a lifetime just to change your opinion after a few conversations with someone who’s views change yours. Nevertheless I do not disregard the “good deeds” Owen performed. But I would guess he will not be particularly proud of someone like you trying to stand up for his honor with a comment like this.
this story remind me of something my sister told me “i ask God to give you hard time in life because i know you well.” that way i will be getting closer to God.
Me apunto a mejorar el mundo con la ayuda de llos demás.
Faith for the children is very hard to happen in very impoverished families who own illiteracy. The children ‘s voices are not heard . In the poor country where I was born, I have just understood the rights of the kids when more news from the western countries…Work is a burden of the children but support the family..I do believe that our hearts , hands together and faith are highly effective to save those unfortunate children!
Tola
United We Stand – Divided We Fall !
SO TRUE!
Dear Paulo
I’ve been in the process of closing this year out for about a week now. It’s almost a ritual with me and it includes retrospection – what did I learn, how did I grow, what/who should I take forward and what/who should I leave behind. This year, I’ve also been reading again your books that I’ve got in my collection for a few years now. I gifted myself Fifth Mountain on my birthday this year. It led me to pick up and read Valkyries, and now I’m finishing The Zahir. Thank you for your books. Thank you for the honesty with which you write. I’m always led to one of your books at just the right time. The Alchemist remains my all-time favourite – it revolutionized my life.
Lots of love to you. Many thanks once again.
Wonderful words…
Very true.. even I have had the same experience and have had the same feelings… there is a book of Mr Coehlo that had a great impact on me just like how hisbooks had a positive impact on you..
From your message, one can feel the happiness, peace and gratitude that you have got.
All the very best wishes to you. May 2012 and beyond bring you the happiest times and the greatest of luck.
I too have been closing out my 2011 for about 2-3 weeks. At one point in my reflection, I was directed to The Alchemist by a lady who has become a great friend of mine just in the last few months. I had been spinning my wheels and going nowhere for a very long time and in this book, I too have been revolutionized! I am really looking forward to reading more books and, perhaps more importantly, continuing on the path God has laid out for me… I am truly looking forward to the ride of my life each and every day now! Thanks so much!
Absolutely right for my moment. It works the same for people with different paths. Some societies believe there is an A-B-C sequel to be followed and some people might not follow it for a number of reasons and they get criticized. Walking your own path is our only chance to experience God and also a great way to experience hate and the cruelty in human kind. But the more envy and hate, sometimes it may be the sign we are going in teh right direction but we still have not finished the journey, when suddenly all feelings change.
I think we have no right to judge people because no one knows what the other is experiencing. remember the thief when Jesus was crucified? who would have thought this man would make it to heaven?… the relationship with God is vertical and no one has the right to judge or criticize. if my experience had made me faithful today, it doesn’t mean it will happen to everyone in the same time. God has his own ways in everyone’s life. tolerance is important to embrace people and understand them. the way we treat people and help them can make them discover the beauty of being in good terms with God.
thank you Paulo Coelho for making it clear…
The same happened to me.
I saw my father die in front of me when I spoke I wondered about God
“Where was God when my father was murdered? Sleeping and was busy doing other things? He is not omnipotent? So he allowed my father died”
Time passed and I became a militant atheist, was always in marches and rallies in favor of a world without God wanted everyone to understand that everything was a lie.
Then I got another difficult time, addictions and more suffering for me and my family. Only then did I realize the need to believe in God.
Today I believe.
fui testigo de una vida que sucumbio a las adiciones (la mia ) y soy un creyente de dios ,como dios unico sin sacerdotes ni ministros , por que tan son pecadores ellos como yo , pero de que haya una divinidad si que la hay , nunca dude de ello . y es comun que la dudas sen similares a la mia.
John 3:16/Juan 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, so that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish but shall have everlasting life.
This is the word of God.
the million dollar question is to be or not to be?,…everyone of us is free to choose to believe, or not. It only takes a spark to get a fire going and soon all those around will warm up in its glowing,…that is how it is with God´s love once you experience it,..I am reminded of that beautiful hymn “Pass it On!” Those of us who believe have to pass the word, so that those around us can come to know and believe in God! By the testimony of all who believe others can believe,…I say to those who question the christian faith to be careful in positioning themselves in the place of the judge,…for if they believe in God,..let God be the judge of all,…who are we to judge others? blessed are they who believe without having seen Him!
In swedish:
Jag känner inte Gud
Ibland kritiserar vi andra för bristande tro.
Vi är inte kapabla att förstå under vilka omständigheter denna tro har gått förlorat, inte heller försöker vi lindra vår broders elände – och detta orsakar uppror och misstro mot den gudomliga kraften.
Humanisten Robert Owen rest över hela England för att tala om Gud.
I På 1800-talet var det vanligt att använda barnarbetare i tunga arbeten och en eftermiddag stannade Owen vid en kolgruva, där en undernärda tolvårig pojke släpade på en tung säck tegel.
“Jag är här för att hjälpa dig att tala med Gud”, sade Owen.
“Tack så mycket, men jag känner inte honom. Han måste arbeta i en annan gruva “, svarade pojken.
Hur kan man förvänta sig att en pojke under dessa villkor ska kunna tro på Gud?
Förstå att du är inte ensam när du vill att gudomlig rättvisa ska manifestera sig på denna jord. Under medeltiden byggdes de gotiska katedralerna av flera generationer. Denna långvarig insats hjälpte deltagarna att organisera sina tankar, att tacka och att drömma.
Önskan att bygga en bättre värld lever kvar i våra hjärtan. Vi bygger katedraler för morgondagen. Låt oss möta rätt människor och göra det tillsammans.
I original postad här: http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2011/12/28/i-dont-know-god/
Paulo Coelho på svenska: http://www.facebook.com/PauloCoelhoSverige
Översättning: oLaVie (kommentera gärna)
a little distracted from the topic..
should we stop child labor?
is yes…?
do you think they will survive ?
child labor is undoubtedly a great evil but its some time necessity for them .. think about that also
Hi I read all the times your books my first book your ´s Brida……… I read all yours collection, I m big fa from Raul Seixas and the best song is I was born … 20 years ago : )
Estimado Paulo:
Primero, mis mejores deseos para ti y tu familia. Disfruté leyendo tu último libro “Aleph”: la parte que contiene el Todo. Pienso (mi humilde opinión) que si quieres encontrar a Dios, al Tao, a qué importa el nombre debemos mirar en nuestro interior. El que conoce a Dios no sabe definir qué es. El que define a Dios, simplemente, no lo conoce.
Paz y salud,
Children can ‘see’ clearer than we -adults -….
It is not ONLY :’ In the 19th century it was common to use child labor in heavy work..’
At this moment in many parts of the Earth, children work in heavy work or are ABUSED. What faith do they have??? It is not difficult to find out. The U.N. and UNESCO can give us details.
Cyprus, my country is a small Mediterranean island. The population according to ‘yesterday’s’ statistics is 830,000! It is the duty of the parents, here, to send their children to school until the age of 16. This is the LAW. So I believe that if in every country the Laws are written so that the FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS of the International Human Rights Convention, are respected, this is the first and best basis for our .. Cathedral, together with FREEDOM OF SPEACH l! Because children are the adults of tomorrow. The HOPE of the World.
Blessings.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Yo perdi la mia…a veces pienso que nunca la tuve. Sabria reconocerla, pero no recuerdo nada, lo que recuerdo es un miedo inmenso a algo; eso no puede ser fe. Nunca la tuve.
now a days i believe there is an equal amount of ratio of atheist and theist so its a useless debate from the prospective of both sides. So even if you believe in the existence of God or not thats is not important, what important is that all of us should believe in GOOD even if we don’t believe in GOD
LOVE your comment : )
I really believe what Sneel has to say. What is more important is to be good, honest and helpful rather than being a theist or atheist. Nothing has created more violence than religion. The churches, mosques and temples have doubled since the last century, and so has the violence. The human race is degenerating in quality over the years. So what use these worship places serve actually??? Why don’t we rather build hospitals and schools.
@tara
see we are again talking about extreme the problem is when we stop being moderate in our approach if someone want to be happy with building church let him build it if u want to build hospital its your choice (a good one also) but then again if i may not agree with someone else approach toward life still i have no right to say he/she is wrong
We have to know God to build a better world – it’s the only way.
What a wonderful thing to have an idea of who God is. To have that seed somehow planted in your soul to seek God in the world. To have a true friend to count on for strength, courage and being able to see things with clarity. What a lonely existence it would be without him. I thank him that he exists.
Think and talk about god is a waste of time. Our limited mind cannot understand intelectually about god. And our not trained feelings cannot percive him, it, there, or any name or subject which we intent to define god. There are only limited concepts. We only must cooperate in make good things for the people and humanity and Love to all things and creatures. After that, believe or not believe in any god, mesiah or a specific religion different to another, is not important…
There is a light in all that darkness.
If religion was the easiest way to divide
people, it certainly wasn’t the only way.
If religion never existed something
else organizational or bureaucratic would emerge.
The bed rock is faith and that’s the future and the past.
A growing number of us have realized the connectedness of all things and all people. Our faith is sure, unwavering. Our influence is constant, ever expanding. Our need to accept or deny a definition of God is lost. We are blessed.
sabe,gente,creio eu que sem Deus nada do que existe existiria,sabemos que muitos tem se aproveitado da fe e boa vontade do povo para mentir,extorquir,,roubar e enganarm mais a palavra de Deus fala que ELE(DEUS deixa o homem entregue a sua propria vontade e por isso que isso tudo que esta ai diante de nos,vai estar sempre acontecendo,mais nâo vamos perder a nossa FE em Deus,se alguem nâo acredita na sua existencia que podemos fazer,a FE e individual cada um tem a sua na medida que crê.
.
On one hand, for many people, especially in Europe it is just easier not to believe in God.
Take whatever you want and don t think about the consequences! That s their attitude and believing in a devine justice would make them feel uncomfortable, because one day they have to take responsibility for their behavior.
Media deny God because many people are benefiting from a population that doesn t believe anymore, they consume more.
But on the other hand, there are a lot of great people who don t believe in God but do help to make this world a better place. They have the energy of God in their hearts even if they deny God.
Let s all try to make this world a better place, in all small actions we take every day, let s spread positive energy and take care first of our own relationship to God, this is already difficult enough.
I agree with you on making this place a beautiful place to live in. I am a god fearing person and glad that I am cause this helps me to think better to contribute right to this world. The sad part, people on the religion do all the wrong and hurt this beautiful world that the almighty has created. My request to this world is “let’s not just talk about making this world beautiful but come together and do something that will really help to make it beautiful”
Paulo, I agree with the pain that the boy is undergoing, and though there has been a lot of discussion on cutting child labour, nothing seem to have been done. I am from India and feel sad when I see poverty around and thus you see, those families have to send their children to work than school for their daily living. Its all very easy to say and write but my question is, what are we doing about it – The government talks about it during the election and the UN hasn’t really done much. The higher class people with loads of money do charity to talk about themselves than to help the needy in true sense – They call it “Giving back to the society” – Oh yeah – Shame on them. The so called large companies do CSR, again a very much marketing stint. Does the world really care for the POOR and the NEEDY.
On the other hand, there are quite a few people who are fighting to get this corrected but I really don’t know whether there’s much that has happened. Can we make this society beautiful? Can we have a loving and a caring world? Can we believe in creating than eliminating?
The Man should help the boy not with talking
absolutely true. actions always speak louder than words
Paulo!!!!!!!!! Abraços em Você e na sua esposa Cristina!
Finalmente consegui chegar aqui depois de um longo ano…
Bem meu caro, depois de tudo, minha irmã foi operada em maio para a retirada do Linfoma de Hodgkin. Após dois meses iniciamos a quimioterapia…. de tudo, sabemos que são as pedrinhas, às vezes uns pedregulhos, que atrapalham a caminhada.
Me tornei uma ouvinte de histórias na sala de espera enquanto ela tomava a medicação, de 4, 5 até 7 horas cada sessão… puxa vida, não é fácil não… mas quem disse que seria?
Ao final deste ano, para você perceber tamanho otimismo de fé que sempre a acompanhou durante todo o tempo, ela no dia 23 de dez vira para mim e diz:
“_ Se o Papai Noel no ano passado me falasse que no próximo ano (2011) eu ia estar fazendo um exame de colonoscopia, eu não iria acreditar!”
E aí eu sorri largamente e disse que esta não era a maior surpresa, o maior foi passar por cirurgia, complicações com o porth a cath, uma trombose no braço, várias, várias, várias injeções para fabricar linfócitos………………………………………………………………………….. me desculpe………….
E VENCER tudo isso! Vencer um câncer no sistema linfático! Isto sim, se o Papai Noel do ano passado, tivesse dito, nós não acreditaríamos…
A gente olhou uma para a outra e morreu de rir com a ternura mais doce que irmãs podem sentir uma pela outra….
É isso Paulo, na vida não sabemos o caminho, mas o melhor de tudo é que percebemos que não estamos sós, há um grande Ser Majestoso que de alguma forma nos segura e nos conduz pelas mãos…
FELIZ 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Uma ano de muita LUZ!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alexandra Dias
Petit Poá
As a kid, I made friends with god, even when life was difficult but there were plenty years ahead of me to make it all right and I tried hard but circumstances didn’t change easily and as I questioned life more, I delved deeper into my own consciousness, exploring god through the bhagwad geeta and learning to see that god resided in me. Then I started ‘understanding’ god and my mind decided that there was no god and that we were all on our own and god was a creation of humans to see something bigger than themselves. Time passed and my consciousness grew, to the point that I found myself in the worst crisis of my life by which time, I found myself unable to sleep and tearfully begging for help, which I did find, but my faith had gone tremendous change since then. I had made a mistake that changed my life irrevocably and I could not forgive myself hence god for letting me do it and only someone trapped in their worst nightmare can grow so hopeless. My whole destiny went a re-alignment much to lot of disillusionment and discomfort as I just went through, not knowing the end of the dark night. At this point, I’d like to tell all those who claim to ‘know’ and ‘possess’ god that when a time comes when you dont recognize yourself, you cant recognize god – I tried hard to understand god through the universal intelligence but my experience with god was becoming only more mental than personal. I knew god but I couldnt feel him. And I’ve always found it hard to lie to myself so I was pretty miserable having lost all ground. But gradually, very gradually I’ve forgiven myself, re-connected with myself, stopped being co-dependent, left completely without illusions, and just feel god in my deepest core – in my unadulterated feelings. my god neither exists in religion nor in meta-physics…he exists in my heart’s deep love which I dont expect any human to reciprocate anymore…and I am a free soul :)
Let’s put our hearts and hands together !
being a muslim i know god … U r either practical or u have experienced misery … Their is a power which controls u n all…..
Their is lot i don’t have time
For the desire to build a better world no God is necessary.
Why?
“For the desire to build a better world no God is necessary.”
- i totally agree. i find it very interesting to browse through the comments to read different view points in order to develop my mind/increase my knowledge in the q of god/or no god. i always come to the same conclusion: i do not believe in that a god exists. i have never, and feel that i will never believe in god and i also feel that it is not something that is important – NOTE: for me – in life. i have a strong desire for helping others, wnating to do as much as i can for the better tomorrow – and i believe that i will accomplish goods for the world in a larger scale when i end school – i have a respect for every human being, “until proven otherwise”;), and a forgiveness as well for all, etcetcetc. = just trying my best to be a good person. all this, i believe, is possible for me and all others without the presence and believing of/in a god,
i have full respect for all believers and wish that they could have it for me(us) aswell , even though we do not believe, The desire to build a better world can be found in every human – non-believer or a believer,
You forgot the God of survival. If anyone would ever really research the beginnings of religion, any religion, you would find that they stem from a desire to conquer and control people and their lands. The Christian religion, who is one of the worst offenders of this and is supposedly the body of Christ, is one of the most greedy and heartless organizations on this planet. While they collect riches from the people they have subjugated, pointing to the Bible as proof that God wants them to do this, it’s Gods will, their wealth grows and the followers have everything they are stolen from them.
The ones who are being conquered lose their culture, their language, their own religion and many times their lives. It’s done to them in the name of God.
No one can tell me that my father, heavenly or not, would ever do that to any other human being. No one can tell me that God is loving and caring with all the suffering in this world. It’s not about free will. That is the biggest lie ever perpetrated on humanity by the church.
The day we realize that we are all on this planet together and that there is no big guy in the sky who’s going to make everything better someday, that is the day that we take responsibility to make things better for everyone. Until then, we can turn our backs, we can look the other way and blame pain and suffering in the world on free will given to us by God. I have heard so many times from religious people that the reason those people are starving and sick is because they are a godless people. So, it’s their own fault. They rejected the truth.
If there is a god I’m quite certain and completely convinced that the religions of this world do not in anyway represent who that god is. There is too much evil that has been done and is being done in the name of God.
” i too don’t know God’ i just need someone to abuse for my bad days or sometimes just need someone to thank for something which i never beleived to happen with me” before knowing God first we should know ourselves we never know what we want actually and how we want but we think we know ourselves but the day we will know ourselves actually we will know God”
Bhagwat Gita says” God resides within us”
To do somthing together like building our cathedrals we cant choose between right and wrong people ! It is up to anyon itself to build what ever he want. What matters,is to find the ones having the same interest. And comming to this: I dont know God… is exactly wanted, becouse we are conditionated by this word in diferent aspekts. Thats why we better forget it and become free of its meenings. Discovering somthing new, big , deep inside, without words to be described will bring us an idea of divine energie…. thats all… so simple.
No one really knows God, all we know are His attributes which are manifest in all creation including us. Beauty–Majesty–Beauty that is what stirs all hearts to believe….what we can see, reach out and be part of is that circle of goodness….
that’s wrong being a muslim i know god … U r either practical or u have experienced misery … Their is a power which controls u n all…..
Their is lot i don’t have time
So true, Paulo. I too was once that child whose life was so forlorn, that the very concept of a greater good had no space in my life. Today, I am building cathedrals for the other survivors of rape and childhood sexual abuse, to show them that there is beauty in the world and that love is real. We all share the pleasure of building a better tomorrow, and you, my friend, have said it so succintly in your writing.
My teacher told me “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Working in the medical field it is very important to quiet all your prejudices or misconceptions about another’s condition or how they handle that condition before you enter the exam room. You will never know what drives each individual or what they fear if you are too busy just trying to get them to understand you or do what you want. When you LISTEN first then you can understand their position and you can work TOGETHER to come up with the best approach to new health, better life. Not just me telling one how to live, but asking how they believe good living to be, and how can I help them achieve this.
Not just me telling one how to live, but asking how they believe good living to be, and how can I help them achieve this.
superb lines..its some thing really different .. Didnt know if some one ever explained this before
I believe in GOD not because of providing good things for me but just you are my father who really loves me.
I wish we have same sense of values with GOD then we can focus on LOVE not Money, Hedonism…
GOD want us to love him and love each other not want to make gorgeous church nor pray only for yourself.
Then reason we have a evil and pain is our free will thus we decided and it’s comes from Original Sin by ADAM and EVE. Imagine we can’t choose then we would be just a marionette not human being.
BTW, someone can ask like this.. Why this 12 years old child in bad situation even he didn’t bad thing? First of all, it’s our values. We have different standard and point of view thus for us, he has no fault and he’s good but there’s no purely good person by GOD’s standard and can you say he’s unhappy and rich man is happy? Happiness would be define by themselves and comes from thankful mind about what we have. Imagine the world which has only good things. Can you thanks for all? Can you feel ? Because of bad things, you can thanks to good things. When you faced magic, you can say it’s magic but cheating as well. Like this, Miracle as well. The reason I wish to have same sense of values with GOD is this.
As a child, I collected bottles in my red wagon and hauled them to the store for money, I sold used comic books. I pulled weeds for 25 cents a row and I picked strawberrys for five cents a box. Glad there were no child labor laws in rural areas. From this, I learned the value of hard work and am now able to enjoy a low-stress lifestyle because I worked haard all my life. Let’s save our pity for those who really need it.
Ijole… que puedo decir?? En breves Le pido a Dios en el mundo te siga Bendiciendo con el don de la palabra que mueve corazones. Tambien le pido mas personas como tu para que a esta humanidad tan sedienta de amor y de fe, mediante la orientacion lleguemos al camino a laverdad y a la vida.
Admiro tu nivel de consciencia…Dios te Bendiga…
He could have said; I’m not speaking about any God but the God of Gods. One God is hunger, one God is greed, one God is money these are the Gods which force you to labour.
If you do not learn about these Gods and come to master them their God whom can remove them from you will not become visible to you. But if you defeat all evil Gods then the True God who is in power of them all will be found in your heart, and you will know him as he will know you. The only thing that stands between you and him is that which you hate and the reason why God will not take it away is because he wants you to find the same strength that he has.