ALGOREisRICH, your post with the psalm has warmed my heart.

Spindoc, I understand your argument about religions not working, but please read ALGOREisRICH's words carefully, because the word "religion" was not even mentioned there.

"we do have a world where the majority of people have indeed embraced Gods or a God, and to be fair we have some 34,000 registered religions"

Yes, many have accepted 'God' as an intellectual concept, but how many in fact love God with all their heart?

Thinking "God exists" is as good as any other thought. Loving, on the other hand, with or without that particular thought, is a whole different dimension.

There are so many factors to take into consideration, so many personal hypotheses that justify or explain what and why the world around us is not adhering to what we think should be and how it should come about.

I agree with what the initial post is suggesting, in admiration, also with pelicans input on the matter.

Label me how you will but I too am compelled to express my opinion on this topic, so here goes.

The problems I see in everyday society is not the lack of love for a god but the lack of love for oneself, love for the people around them, love for an unknown person or being. I'm not saying flower power is the answer here, I am suggesting that once an individual can learn to love who they are truly, they will lead a happier life without the constant depressing voice of others, and worst of all yourself, nagging to change the things that make you, you.

Without acceptance there will be no peace of mind, when a person accepts that every event has a reason, that what has happened in the past can't be changed, nor the future foreseen, there will be constant conflicting within oneself.

I think that when people stop pressuring themselves to constantly upgrade or fit into a stereotype then the happier they will be.

We are vulnerable spindoc because we want to believe that the pup will make us happy, we are taught to want what other people want us to want at a very early age (say that ten times fast!. I speak as though I have the answers and by all rights I may be way off the mark. But that is my opinion in the air, forming my identity and without it, I would remain unheard.

The American author Marianne Williamson once wrote:

"For almost every worldly source of happiness, there's a fear-based reason to worry. We may have incredible children, for instance, but a day doesn't go by that we're not concerned about their welfare for one reason or another. The very fact that we love our children so much, juxtaposed with all the danger in the world, is enough to keep any parent anxious. We may have a great career, but the pressures are intense. We may have wonderful relationships, but people are still people. We may have a lovely house but there are big responsibilities to that one too."

Children are happy because they don't yet have a file in their minds called, "All the Things That Could Go wrong." They don't have a mind-set that puts "Things to Fear," before "Things to Love."

Children are happy because they don't have all the facts yet.
Perhaps happiness requires that we give up a wordly orientation - not wordly things, but a worldy attachment to things?

“Nearly 20 percent of Australian teenagers now have mental health problems. Nearly a quarter of all families now rely on welfare. Suicides among 15-19 year old males have quadrupled since the 1970s. Obesity has increased in teenagers from around 10 percent in 1985 to nearly 25 percent today. A quarter of all children aged four and five are now overweight for their height. The number of people aged 12 to 18 who are homeless on any given night has increased dramatically to 26,000 last year. Documented increases are evidenced in substance abuse, child abuse, binge drinking, teenage pregnancy, eating disorders, juvenile crime, juvenile diabetes, low-birth weight babies, Neuro developmental complications, asthma, serious behavioral problems and autism. Twelve year old children are having mental health problems, depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, schizophrenia, right through to violent behavior towards teachers”.

You wanna know why?

It's called 'broadening the definitions'.

Just like when the NSW governmnet (Or city rail?) redefined late as plus or minus at least 10 minutes.

Just like rape is now 'sexual assault' that includes being pinched on the bum, or even 'regretted sex'.

Just like the entire Australian Rugby Union team has a BMI above a level that has them defined as overweight.

Just like domestic violence now includes shouting

Just like getting drunk is now 'binge drinking', and a 'binge' is now any more than 2 glasses in one sitting.

Just like little boys not sitting still for a 1 hour reading of war and peace is ADHD.

Just like a good smack is now 'child abuse'

The list is endless.

'We had no incidence of bullying and the bureaucracy set up an anti-bullying unit. First job, to convince people they were bullied. '

Houel that was epic.

This is how the shrinks fill their books and people are turned into cash for all the services that are forever expanding the definitions.

Lexi,

"Perhaps happiness requires that we give up a wordly orientation - not wordly things, but a worldy attachment to things"

Certainly, that's the key, but how do you get there?

The reason you need God's Grace, or call it what you may, to lift your worldly orientation was stated by Archimedes: "Give me a firm location outside our earth, and I will lift the world off its hinges".