Is it ok to study Socrates?and buddhism?

[Clintos]

Or should all my time be focused on the bible, because it is all I need?

Was Socrates an Atheist?

Can this writing from him IN MY SIGNATURE prove possible that he may of believed in God?

This writing from Buddha turned me off of him slightly.

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path. Buddha says.

But all in all, Buddhism and Socrates have some great quotes, and I look forward to study them more. But if it's opening me up to evil, then I will stay away?

Thoughts?

 

[St_Worm2]

Hi Clintos, although I hate commenting on quotes taken out-of-context, it hardly seems possible to classify Socrates as an atheist based upon your signature-line quote above. It's interesting to note that we really do not know if he believed in the Olympian gods, or if he was monotheistic, or if he believed something else entirely

As for studying non-Christian philosophies, as long as you don't begin to live your life according to one or more of Buddha's teachings, for instance, especially those that are opposed to Christ's, I see no reason not to study them. There is certainly wisdom in this world that is not contained within the pages of the Bible, though all that is needed to live well while we are here, to obey and please God, and to find our way to Him can certainly be found there, and in abundance

The quote of Buddha's that you posited for us above is diametrically opposed to Christian soteriology, and if you do not know enough about Christianity to be far more than "slightly" turned off by it, you may want to focus on deepening your knowledge and understanding of Christianity first

At the very least, I would recommend running quotes by non-Christian philosophers that you find appealing by your pastor (or by other Christians who you know to be mature, believers who have a thorough and proper knowledge/understanding of God's word .. 2 Timothy 2:15) before you ever choose to incorporate any of them, any non-Christian "philosophies/wisdom", into your Christian worldview (because that could be quite dangerous, actually).

Yours in Christ,
David

 

[RaymondG]

Or should all my time be focused on the bible, because it is all I need?

Was Socrates an Atheist?

Can this writing from him IN MY SIGNATURE prove possible that he may of believed in God?

This writing from Buddha turned me off of him slightly.

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path. Buddha says.

But all in all, Buddhism and Socrates have some great quotes, and I look forward to study them more. But if it's opening me up to evil, then I will stay away?

Thoughts?

If you believe that these book will open you up to evil, I say dont read them! If you have been taught the bible by anyone and tend to blindly believe everything they said about it with no questions.....dont read other books! If you read this or any other comment and say "This is the truth!" dont read other books! If you have a relationship with God and know how to be lead by the spirit, I dont see a problem in reading anything you feel lead to read.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

Why step on Satan's vantage ground if you don't have to? What are hoping to gain by this?

Obviously, you will do as you will do but for the record, I would council against it. There is nothing in those writings that will bring you closer to God.

 

[RaymondG]

Why step on Satan's vantage ground if you don't have to? What are hoping to gain by this?

Obviously, you will do as you will do but for the record, I would council against it. There is nothing in those writings that will bring you closer to God.

Have you read those writings to conclude that they wont bring Him closer to God? Or is this a blind opinion?

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

Have you read those writings to conclude that they wont bring Him closer to God? Or is this a blind opinion?

If you can show me one thing that these two authors bring to the table to enhance our understanding of God and draw us closer to Him, I would invite you to do so.

Said another way... I don't need to try every mind altering drug on the street to know they aren't beneficial to my relationship with God, whereas some might think they will get a spiritual connection from a good mushroom or ayahuasca trip.

 

[RaymondG]

If you can show me one thing that these two authors bring to the table to enhance our understanding of God and draw us closer to Him, I would invite you to do so.

Said another way... I don't need to try every mind altering drug on the street to know they aren't beneficial to my relationship with God, whereas some might think they will get a spiritual connection from a good mushroom or ayahuasca trip.

I cant say anything for or against the books in question because I have not read them. But I do like that one quote he gave. I was hoping that your strong comment against it was from direct knowledge to the fact. I wouldnt compare taking drugs to reading a book....I dont see the link. But I wouldnt give any comment about the affects of specific drugs either without having taken them myself. Your comment seemed to suggest that you had direct knowledge of the subject.

This is why I warns the OP about his propensity to believe things he read or hear blindly. If he just believes everything, reading different kinds of books wouldnt be good for him.

 

[rockytopva]

I have great delight in philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, Lao-Tzu, and Confucius.

 

[mcarmichael]

It's okay to study them within their proper perspective.
It's not a good idea to study them like you would study the Scriptures.
Does that make sense?

 

[Freedom~Sprite]

Or should all my time be focused on the bible, because it is all I need?

Was Socrates an Atheist?

Can this writing from him IN MY SIGNATURE prove possible that he may of believed in God?

This writing from Buddha turned me off of him slightly.

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path. Buddha says.

But all in all, Buddhism and Socrates have some great quotes, and I look forward to study them more. But if it's opening me up to evil, then I will stay away?

Thoughts?

Socrates was very likely an atheist. I don't see a problem with studying him.
As for Buddhism, it's something you can study to learn about why it is not a true faith of or in God.
Buddhism is dumb.
The short version?
A fat Indian named Siddhartha Gautama was unable to accept the fact of nature that people grew old, sick, and died.
So he sat under a Bodhi tree ,sometimes called a pipal tree, for 40 days and 40 nights in meditation seeking a way to come to grips with what he could not accept real life. I.E. aging, sickness, death.

When he left his meditative state he announced he'd had an epiphany.

Aging, sickness, and death were an illusion. Not real.
That's why true deeply committed Buddhists never grow old, get sick, or die.

 

[Clintos]

Why step on Satan's vantage ground if you don't have to? What are hoping to gain by this?

Obviously, you will do as you will do but for the record, I would council against it. There is nothing in those writings that will bring you closer to God.

I agree to a degree, I have yet to master the bible or even read the bible from cover to cover. I am a young Christian, I watch a lot of sermons and pray along with listen to Christian music. I am building myself up to go to church tomorrow for the first time in a year.

 

[St_Worm2]

Socrates was very likely an atheist. I don't see a problem with studying him.
As for Buddhism, it's something you can study to learn about why it is not a true faith of or in God.
Buddhism is dumb.
The short version?
A fat Indian named Siddhartha Gautama was unable to accept the fact of nature that people grew old, sick, and died.
So he sat under a Bodhi tree ,sometimes called a pipal tree, for 40 days and 40 nights in meditation seeking a way to come to grips with what he could not accept real life. I.E. aging, sickness, death.

When he left his meditative state he announced he'd had an epiphany.

Aging, sickness, and death were an illusion. Not real.
That's why true deeply committed Buddhists never grow old, get sick, or die.

Hi Freedom~Sprite, WELCOME TO CF ..

Interesting post. Are you serious about the particular belief of "committed Buddhists", that they believe they never age, get sick or die?

If what you say is true, I'm not sure which emoticon (or combination of them) would best describe my feelings .. or

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

I agree to a degree, I have yet to master the bible or even read the bible from cover to cover. I am a young Christian, I watch a lot of sermons and pray along with listen to Christian music. I am building myself up to go to church tomorrow for the first time in a year.

Praise God for your faith brother! Definitely, if you are new to the faith, DO NOT confuse your mind with secular philosophies.

Even with with some of the false teachings being spread around through online sermons, it is at least in the right neighbourhood.

 

[rockytopva]

I have great delight in philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, Lao-Tzu, and Confucius.

But my favorite studies are of the men of God!

 

[Freedom~Sprite]

Hi Freedom~Sprite, WELCOME TO CF ..

Thank you.

Interesting post. Are you serious about the particular belief of "committed Buddhists", that they believe they never age, get sick or die?

No. It's a caricature of what Buddhism teaches about the figment of reality.
If it were all an illusion then one would imagine the Llama would be immortal. Not the Buddha returned again and again to this illusion of life, aging, sickness, and death. Which troubled him so much that he spent days under a tree trying to figure it all out his first life around.

If what you say is true, I'm not sure which emoticon (or combination of them) would best describe my feelings .. or

Those are cute.

 

[Clintos]

Socrates was very likely an atheist. I don't see a problem with studying him.
As for Buddhism, it's something you can study to learn about why it is not a true faith of or in God.
Buddhism is dumb.
The short version?
A fat Indian named Siddhartha Gautama was unable to accept the fact of nature that people grew old, sick, and died.
So he sat under a Bodhi tree ,sometimes called a pipal tree, for 40 days and 40 nights in meditation seeking a way to come to grips with what he could not accept real life. I.E. aging, sickness, death.

When he left his meditative state he announced he'd had an epiphany.

Aging, sickness, and death were an illusion. Not real.
That's why true deeply committed Buddhists never grow old, get sick, or die.

Lol the sums it up, I am trying to open my sister up to Christianity, she is going down the path of the Buddha and I think she is searching for something meaningful in her life and that she is ready for Christ.

 

[Clintos]

Here is a quote that I love:

"Employ your time in improving your self by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have laboured hard for"

Socrates

It says imo, that we should read the bible because someone laboured hard to teach us.

 

[rockytopva]

Here is a quote that I love:

"Employ your time in improving your self by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have laboured hard for"

Socrates

It says imo, that we should read the bible because someone laboured hard to teach us.

Have you read the Republic? Do you know the interpretation of the image below?

 

[Clintos]

If you believe that these book will open you up to evil, I say dont read them! If you have been taught the bible by anyone and tend to blindly believe everything they said about it with no questions.....dont read other books! If you read this or any other comment and say "This is the truth!" dont read other books! If you have a relationship with God and know how to be lead by the spirit, I dont see a problem in reading anything you feel lead to read.

Thanks, I went through a terrible time last month on where I couldn't do anything because i felt possessed by the devil from reading about Buddha too much. I put the bible in the closet instead of leaving it beside me as I read the info regarding the Buddha and it was scary stuff it was like I went paralyzed for a week straight and almost went to the hospital.

Right now I am slowly getting back into reading about socrates and buddha And will always remember the time I almost went paralyzed. I think God was telling me something and that was to stick with my roots in Christianity.

 

[St_Worm2]

Here is a quote that I love:

"Employ your time in improving your self by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have laboured hard for"

Socrates

It says imo, that we should read the bible because someone laboured hard to teach us.

Hi Clintos, we don't read the Bible "because someone labored hard to teach us", we read it because it contains God's "breathed" words to us .. i.e. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, because we want to know Him (and how to please and obey Him .. and that's just for starters ).