Tom,

That was excellent!  That is EXACTLY my point!

Namaste: No one is disputing the inherent interrelationality of humanity...the organic wholeness of humanity.

Brandon who has now changed his name to--Brandon:  OK.  I never questioned that anyone was questioning this.  What was being questioned was whether the telos for humanity (ultimate fulfillment and satisfaction) was to be found solely in union with God.  What Tom said.  My schtick about this is that we are multi-dimensional beings.  One of those is the psycho-social aspect, such that we are “less human” when we do not exist in an “I-Thou” relationship or in relation to others.  Hence, one of my hang ups about this discussion.  I mean think about how this is played out in our relationships with others.  Think about how children are not loved by their parents (see my "B" below).  Rent the movie, "Monster" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0340855/  and Jet Li's "Unleashed"  http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0342258/

Namaste:  AND no one is saying that the total fulfillment of the human telos is STRICTLY, SOLELY related to JUST one's love of God. Again, how can anyone say this...when the Great Commandments say what they do.

Brandon:  See, that’s not what I was understanding you to say.  When you said, The ONE THING...the SOLE THING that each individual person should be concerned with in their lives is growing into loving unity with God in Christ.

The ONLY THING that we should be concerned about is seeking God FOR GODSELF with all of our hearts, minds, and strength. 

That's all we'll NEED.  Knowing God's presence always and at all times which is our ultimate telos, the thing we were made for.

Namaste:  What I was saying was that...

1) there is a PRIORITY by which the Great commandments occur, such that singleminded pursuit of God can NATURALLY LEAD to a healthy love of self and all others. If we seek God, God WILL push us out towards others!! To attempt to love self and others without FIRST rooting out the idols that bedevil our minds...is problematic. This is why Jesus talked about abiding in him and seeking HIS kingdom FIRST.

Brandon:  Couple of things about this. 

A.  Your “single-minded pursuit of God” seems to be equated with “CONSTANT AWARENESS” of God.  I agree that single-minded pursuit of God is what should be our goal but this seems to me, something that can be played out in ways in which one is not ALWAYS cognizant OF God.  A sort of “posturing” of the heart if you will.

B.  I was NEVER questioning that if we seek to know God that this will translate in love in tangible ways towards others.  What I was questioning was the second part.  I can think of millions of people around the world who attempt to love self (healthily) and others (and others accepting this love healthily, see my note above about parents and children) without seeking God.  Why?  Because THIS is how they are wired.  I’m just working out that inter-relationality that you spoke of along with scriptural texts like the Genesis narrative.  I would say, that in one sense, cognition of God’s presence at all times has nothing to do with it.  In another sense, God has everything to do with it because it was God who made us for relationality and sustains us so...whether we ever realize it or not.  Thus, there are many non-Christian people who are living according to the telos that God has for them.  They are “living better than they believe” if you will.  They just don’t recognize its God.  Now if you want to say, that we have to be cognizant of God’s presence at all times to be able to LOVE TRULY?  I have problems with that.  Because not only are there many people who are not cognizant of that that DO love truly, but there are “Christians” (or so-called) who don’t (As a matter of fact, don’t true Christians genuinely NOT love truly?? Who am I to judge?  That is, what I'm saying is they are genuinely seeking God, but at times they have a “moral relapse?”  And even here, I’m not saying it’s a once in a while thing.  I can think of people in my own life that I STRUGGLE with to GENUINELY LOVE.  At other times, I have ugly, smelling, fat, dry scales on their legs, hookers, druggies, adulterers, thieves get on my bus all the time and I take the time out to attempt to love them).  Atheists use the “moral argument” as well to drive home the point that the moral argument is not a good argument for the existence of God.  I even think Craig has spoke about this in his moral arguments sometimes.  The Christian apologetic is basically, EVEN NON-CHRISTIANS can love the way God intended for them to love just as they can be moral like God made them to be.  Essentially, they are living better than they believe.

Namaste:  2) if it is POSSIBLE to exist in a state where one of always consciously aware of God being in and around them, this is a good end to which energy can be placed. To be always consciously aware of God is NOT to all of a sudden be UNAWARE of everything else. One can be consciously aware of God during any activity...just like one can be consciously aware of themselves during any activity.

Brandon:  But one cannot be aware of God AT ALL POINTS IN TIME where one is also at the same time aware of everything else.  It seems to me that if all you are aware of is God, God then takes up the TOTALITY OF YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS such that there is a loss of distinction and identity.  That is to say that one cannot distinguish between themselves and God.  Hence, God as IN and AROUND us at this level of consciousness would be what you refer to as UNION.

I’ll use another analogy.  We’ve all heard this.  Little Johnny says to mommy, “Mommy, what are we going to do when we get to heaven?  Are we going to be sitting on clouds and playing harps all day?”

Sadly, on this elementary level, this is the way many people see it.  But it seems that your saying that we are “to be ever-cognizant of God's presence...to actually postively prehend God at all times...such that you would feel union with God's reality at all times...wouldn't that be a state of affairs to desire for ourselves?” is not too much different from this.  For example, I imagine that you think that when we are on the other side of the grave, that all we should desire is to be in God’s presence.  Thus, forever and ever and ever, we’re all going to be standing around the throne of God, simply worshiping God.  After all, isn’t this essentially what you are getting at?  If we should start aligning ourselves with that NOW, just think what it will be like when we get THERE?  There won’t be the need for ANYTHING else.  If we have to STRIVE for that way of life here, we won't have to there.  We will be able to enjoy immediacy and union at a level of where God is in and around us at all points in eternity.

But you see, that’s not what I read in scripture.  I read that the heavens and the earth will be new.  That we will rule and reign with God in THIS PLACE.  That this ruling and reigning will be in ways which are very culturally explicit.   That we’re not going to be just basking around the throne.  That we’re going to be VERY busy for the Kingdom.  Busy such that I don’t think we’re going to be ALWAYS COGNIZANT of but rather postured toward single purpose of heart because we are going to be fulfilling other teloses of God.

So.  Have you cleared it up?  Ummm…no.  Not really.