ReligionDiscuss General Theology, Religions and Denominations, God's Attributes, Predestination and Free Will, Dispensationalism, Eschatology, Philosophy, Origins, Archaeology, Science, World History and other such topics.
"5:1.8 The Father desires all his creatures to be in personal communion with him. He has on Paradise a place to receive all those whose survival status and spiritual nature make possible such attainment. Therefore settle in your philosophy now and forever: To each of you and to all of us, God is approachable, the Father is attainable, the way is open; the forces of divine love and the ways and means of divine administration are all interlocked in an effort to facilitate the advancement of every worthy intelligence of every universe to the Paradise presence of the Universal Father.
5:5.3 The fact-seeking scientist conceives of God as the First Cause, a God of force. The emotional artist sees God as the ideal of beauty, a God of aesthetics. The reasoning philosopher is sometimes inclined to posit a God of universal unity, even a pantheistic Deity. The religionist of faith believes in a God who fosters survival , the Father in heaven, the God of love.
5:5.6 Religious experience, being essentially spiritual, can never be fully understood by the material mind; hence the function of theology, the psychology of religion. The essential doctrine of the human realization of God creates a paradox in finite comprehension. It is well-nigh impossible for human logic and finite reason to harmonize the concept of divine immanence, God within and a part of every individual, with the idea of God's transcendence, the divine domination of the universe of universes. These two essential concepts of Deity must be unified in the faith-grasp of the concept of the transcendence of a personal God and in the realization of the indwelling presence of a fragment of that God in order to justify intelligent worship and validate the hope of personality survival.
5:5.13 Eternal survival of personality is wholly dependent on the choosing of the mortal mind, whose decisions determine the survival potential of the immortal soul."
Typical spiritual nebulous mumbo-jumbo covering up an essential lack of knowledge about the identity of God which when known gives us the purpose of Life.
Can you prove or specify how such denies the 'identity' of 'God'? What was shared deals with 'personality-survival' in particular, in case you didnt read it.
Slogan/motto:
We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. - Martin Luther King Jr.
Reputation:
April 11th, 2012, 05:44 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by biomystic
Well, following the Jewish religion which rebelled against Egyptian obsession with the afterlife, you are conditioned to be prejudiced against any meaningful afterlife of the soul.
There are plenty of Jews who believe in an afterlife. I usually catch flack for admitting that I don't.
I believe that the Universe is one being, all its parts are different expressions of the same energy,
and they are all in communication with each other, therefore parts of one organic whole.
This whole is in all its parts so beautiful, and is felt by me to be so intensely in earnest, that I am compelled to love it and to think of it as divine
- Robinson Jeffers
There is a distinction between 'God' and Jesus, especially from a traditional Unitarian perspective.
The traditional unitarian perspective derives from a belief system. As you entitled your post - "mere beliefs, what value have they?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by freelight
Only in an orthodox Christian perspective was Jesus eventually made out to be a divine personality within the eternal Godhead as 'God the Son', making Jesus God Almighty.
In the New Testament writings though, there is plenty of testimony to Jesus being God. And that is important. The Christ demonstrates what it means to BE God. It is a terrible thing to hinder souls from participating in such a revelation. That's my view anyhow.
Part of that revelation, for example, is God asking, "Why do you call me good? There is one good - that is God".
Quote:
Originally Posted by freelight
From another perspective we can say 'Jesus is God', just like all other souls are... an individual expression of God.
Yes, but not many souls are Christ-expressions of God. The great thing about the Word incarnate is that if you want to know what God is - look at Jesus, listen to Jesus. I'm not going to start putting stumbling blocks in the paths of Christians by starting the whole, "Oh wait a minute, let's review 1,000 years of theological history and see if we know what the word God means first", thing. IF a soul is truly listening to Jesus then HE places such questions in the depths of the soul far more effectively than I could with mind-babble.
Quote:
Originally Posted by freelight
Furthermore all souls can merge with God and become divinitized or immortal, as God is immortal,...sharing the divine nature as sons of God.
That comes from another perspective that depends on another belief system.
"Jesus is God" is a true statement and a very powerful one if people are truly earnest about then looking and listening to God in Jesus.
Slogan/motto:
I know a lot of fancy dancers
People who can glide you on a floor
They move so smooth but have no answers
When you ask "Why'd you come here for?"
~ Cat Stevens
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April 12th, 2012, 12:33 PM
We were created to love GOD and enjoy HIS love and to glorify HIM forever.
Isaiah 43:7, 21
7 "whom I created for my glory"
21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.
Revelation 14:7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory..."
Matthew 22:
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
The purpose of our life is to redeem us from sin and to bring the sinful elect to sanctification in Christ so that the judgemnt may take place without damning the sinful elect.
was Jesus God? how? find out for yourself....... -
April 12th, 2012, 03:04 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Mortimer
The traditional unitarian perspective derives from a belief system. As you entitled your post - "mere beliefs, what value have they?"
Yes, just like a traditional trinitarian viewpoint is a 'belief system'.
Quote:
In the New Testament writings though, there is plenty of testimony to Jesus being God.
Thats a matter of interpretation, since there are also passages that show clear distinction between Jesus and God the Father. My view includes both unitarian/trinitarian perspectives, because 'God' is the One Presence and Power behind all mind-differentials and con-fusions of doctrine, however one divides the Monad.
God is primal reality, essential, absolute, infinite, omnipresent.
Quote:
The Christ demonstrates what it means to BE God. It is a terrible thing to hinder souls from participating in such a revelation. That's my view anyhow.
Agreed.
Quote:
Part of that revelation, for example, is God asking, "Why do you call me good? There is one good - that is God".
This particular passage is often used by Unitarians to show Jesus making a distinction between himself and God the Father. Divinity itself is instrinsically good, so wherever divinity dwells...'that' is good. Jesus here would be pointing to the God-essence itself.
Quote:
Yes, but not many souls are Christ-expressions of God. The great thing about the Word incarnate is that if you want to know what God is - look at Jesus, listen to Jesus. I'm not going to start putting stumbling blocks in the paths of Christians by starting the whole, "Oh wait a minute, let's review 1,000 years of theological history and see if we know what the word God means first", thing. IF a soul is truly listening to Jesus then HE places such questions in the depths of the soul far more effectively than I could with mind-babble.
Indeed, Jesus, as embodying the pure Christ-principle (logos) and divinity, is the way, truth, life, archetypal pattern for all men.
Quote:
That comes from another perspective that depends on another belief system.
Of course,....one can drop all beliefs, opinions, concepts and points of view...and be totally free. Thats a frightening concept for alot of 'religious folks'. Such is the essence of Non-Duality, just being....and accepting one's own God-Presence, the Self I Am.
Quote:
"Jesus is God" is a true statement and a very powerful one if people are truly earnest about then looking and listening to God in Jesus.
Yes, if that statement is understood in proper context. - making Jesus an idol of 'God' is not helpful however, since He came not only to reveal God and his kingdom to us, but taught us to recognize ourselves also as sons of God.
Going up to one not familiar with Christian theology or dogma and telling them Jesus is God doesnt accomplish much, for this assumption is even debated within Christendom, with its Unitarian branches. So, its 'face-value' is pretty nil. So?
Traditional/Orthodox Christians can benefit from these messages from Mother Mary and Jesus himself on the matter, these given thru the messengership of Kim Michaels - highly recommended:
Slogan/motto:
"The Chief End of Me Is To Love GOD & Enjoy Him Forever!"
Reputation:
April 12th, 2012, 03:41 PM
the purpose of "this" life,is to realize it's death,and discover their is only ONE RESURRECTION,BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD. Life was made subject unto death,and death was made subject unto Resurrection. By "reason" of death,a "HOPE",established on the fact of RESURRECTION. Is most sensible "REASON" for "FAITH" in it.
But it's not as though this is some "blind" fable or just some unrealistic vain imagination that men are being "unreasonable" for believing. No...The very REVELATION of this FACT of GOD IN CHRIST, is woven into the very fabric of the "nature" HE created. Staring us straight in the face every single day! A seed gets buried underground, and "resurrects" up out of it a becomes a beautiful flower,a tree that gives oxygen for life. A worm goes into a cocoon,and comes out of it a beautiful butter fly!
It is clear to me what Jesus meant was only God is good and Jesus is not God.
Is God an object that you can observe?
If so, you can contemplate individual beings alongside God and say they are not God.
If not, then how is it clear to you that Jesus is not God?
- making Jesus an idol of 'God' is not helpful however, since He came not only to reveal God and his kingdom to us, but taught us to recognize ourselves also as sons of God.
It benefited me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by freelight
Going up to one not familiar with Christian theology or dogma and telling them Jesus is God doesnt accomplish much,
As you look at our Solar System, you see that the planets are
in pairs of smilar sized orbs.
Earth and Venus are almost the same size, Jupiter and Saturn
are similar in size
as is Uranus and Neptune. But when you look at Mars, it only
has the Meteor Belt.
What happened to the Planet that was probably there. The
Scientists say that there
is not enough Mass to make up a Planet or Moon out of the Meteors and
Comets there.
What happened to the rest of the Moon is a Mystery that may
be answered here.
About 20 Billion years ago two Energy Beings with their vast
accumulated knowledge built Millions of Angelic beings.
...
One Creator came to Earth and built Strong Spiritual Character
which He later gave to the Human beings to help them fight
and overcome and resist their evil thoughts and actions (holy spirit).
Their Reward for Overcoming would be Immortality and
Membership in The Creators
Universal Government.
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Re 12:7 And there was war in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the
dragon fought and his
angels,
Lu 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning
fall from heaven.
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend
into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:
Re 9:14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet,
Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river
Euphrates.
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was Jesus God? how? find out for yourself....... -
April 12th, 2012, 03:04 PM
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