Monday, December 7, 2009

THESIS STATEMENT REVISION: THE ADVERSARIAL EGO

Professor Odom,

While going through my journal entries last night, I saw that my original thesis idea was on the ego as an adversary throughout the world's religions. Realizing this, I've decided to write my research paper using this point as the basis and also revising the submitted thesis.

Although you've already signed off on it, there were revisions I wanted to make anyway; and so I'm emailing you the present approach to the subject and will submit it tonight based on my initial point of view.

This is the revamped thesis:

A common source of contention in all world’s religions, is the selfishly-centered perspective of the individual ego personality.

The ego, is a psychological component in everyone that functions as a sense of self (me), separate from others, and its commitment to the preservation of personal concerns of the individual life.

Religion is always ultimately, a call to life lead by a will or ideal beyond our own.
All religious pursuit points to and is primarily concerned with transcendence of the self, be it personal or impersonally.
It is a paradox that a sense of selfish concern and defense is a prerequisite for a successful religious and spiritual adherence.

Yet, I will show that it is this very egotistical component of the psyche that serves to undermine the best efforts of the God-seeker.

Personified as the Accuser (causing disobedience) in Judaism, Satan (causing sin/separation) in Christianity, Shaitan/Iblis (causing forgetfulness) in Islam, Anarchy in Confucianism, Pain in Hinduism, Mara (causing suffering) in Buddhism and the failure to comprehend attunement/wholeness in Taoism, it is nothing more than our very own externally projected adversarial egos …a common religious enemy.


THE ADVERSARIAL EGO
A Common Religious Enemy (A Major Religious Enemy)
QIAN MECHALITH


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