Pros and cons of religous forums

[yeshuaslavejeff]

It is all over the place,

This is what Hillel the elder meant when he said in regard to the commandment(love of one,s fellow)

"This is the entire Torah,
the rest is but commentary."

Deliver from death?

"For the basis and root of the entire Torah is to raise and exalt the soul high above the body,
reaching unto the source and root of all the worlds,"

You have not even named one place yet, let alone "all over the place"...
no,
instead of light, you responded with men in darkness, men who failed.

 

[Robban]

You have not even named one place yet, let alone "all over the place"...
no,
instead of light, you responded with men in darkness, men who failed.

O my!

 

[dzheremi]

Pros: You get to be in an environment where it can be assumed that your religious faith will be at minimum respected in itself, regardless of whether or not it is actually agreed with by anyone.

Cons: You get to be in an environment where it can be assumed that your religious faith will be at minimum respected in itself, regardless of whether or not it is actually agreed with by anyone.

 

[dlamberth]

no.
outside of Jesus, (He IS THE LIGHT),
outside of Jesus there is no light.

Why you resist?

I ask about the mystery because when touching it, I'm not able to limit the reach, depth and breath of the Light of God as you do. Especially with how you keep going dark all of the time. That just doesn't work for me.

 

[dlamberth]

You have not even named one place yet, let alone "all over the place"...
no,
instead of light, you responded with men in darkness, men who failed.

Back to the dark again...

 

[dlamberth]

O my!

I didn't know who Hillel the elder is. After a google search, I have to also say "O my!"

 

[Kaon]

MAJOR PROBLEM ! Just now looked up what was used in Europe decades ago, proven by nobel prize winner half a century ago,
that works easily against polio and scurvy and ebola virus, and those other ones.....
FAKE NEWS now predominates (as noted a year ago by Washington D.C. on nationwide tv by the politicians ! ! ) ....
Oh, the truth is still available, but overwhelmed by the fake news on all the media I know of - the world's media, pernicious world.

So finding the truth in that big mess sure is more difficult for anyone today,
and
impossible for anyone who trusts the world ! ! !

And if you try to tell what has been used, for example, what do you think you would be called?

The enemy doesn't have to fight hard with the lot of us; it simply uses the same tactics.

 

[cloudyday2]

Avner took a ship and went off to wherever the wind took him and was never heard from again.


Have to be careful what we wish for.

Hmmm, I used to imagine getting in a tub and floating out to sea never to heard from again. Of course somebody needs to clean my cat's litter box every day, so that idea never went anywhere.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Back to the dark again...

bye bye then. See when you get back !

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

And if you try to tell what has been used, for example, what do you think you would be called?

The enemy doesn't have to fight hard with the lot of us; it simply uses the same tactics.

The same as Jesus said - as He was called by the religious leaders et al,
we can expect no better treatment than He received,
if we choose, as we choose , to follow Him and to testify of Him.

 

[cloudyday2]

Why would an atheist log on to a religious forum? If you don't want to become even more cynical, then just log off.

I label myself a "generic theist" and also an agnostic. I don't think we can know anything for certain - especially about God - but I suspect there is some kind of God. A few times I have felt that God was trying to tell me things, but I have probably been too dense to get the message whatever it was. Or maybe God has achieved his purpose in his attempts to communicate (after all God is a pretty clever being and might be able to work within my limitations to get what he wants from me even if I don't see it happening).

 

[Robban]

Hmmm, I used to imagine getting in a tub and floating out to sea never to heard from again. Of course somebody needs to clean my cat's litter box every day, so that idea never went anywhere.

Just as well because then you would not be here.

 

[cloudyday2]

The problem (and sometimes fun) of numerology is you can make up literally any system for it, and it fits. I could probably find several dozen numbers on this thread page alone and try to contrive some meaning from it. But humans love patterns! Recognizing patterns is something our species is insanely good at, no wonder were attracted to religious where signs are hidden and shown.

Yeah, I don't think much of numerology, but apparently that was a common technique in the Ancient Near Eastern religions. The people writing the religious stories could show-off their mathematical acumen and also make their stories seem more profound and supernatural to those who believe they are historically accurate (i.e. "What is the probability that the number of fish caught in the gospels turns out to be a number with all kinds of interesting properties (153)?") On the other hand, if you think somebody invented the story then it only demonstrates the author's knowledge of math.

EDIT: It is impressive that these ancient religious people knew so much about math. They didn't have the decimal system or pocket calculators. For the Torah they were probably working in base 60. Those guys that wrote these religious texts were very intelligent. I suppose only the very brightest people had the opportunity to learn to read and write at all.

 

[Rajni]

It turns out that once you chip away at people's presuppositions about reality, god, the bible etc. they really start to question the foundation and explore on their own; which is a big no no to some.

And not for the faint of heart, either, not that I'm complaining, though sometimes I miss the simplicity of having a one-tract*-mind.

*bible tract... get it? get it??

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Honestly it was so long ago that I don't remember exactly but this sounds right. It turns out that once you chip away at people's presuppositions about reality, god, the bible etc. they really start to question the foundation and explore on their own; which is a big no no to some.

Personally, to see people expand their philosophical horizons is exactly the course of action that, in a more or less ideal world, I'd love to have happen much more often, especially within the Christian community.

 

[dlamberth]

Personally, to see people expand their philosophical horizons is exactly the course of action that, in a more or less ideal world, I'd love to have happen much more often, especially within the Christian community.

Along the same lines, I'd like to see more of an expanded Christ presented.

 

[Robban]

And not for the faint of heart, either, not that I'm complaining, though sometimes I miss the simplicity of having a one-tract*-mind.

*bible tract... get it? get it??

I can just see it, elbow, get it? get??

Haha,

 

[Robban]

i.e. apparently then, not truth.

"Test" Me.
Malachi 3:10,

The Prophet says God says "Test Me"

But we are not allowed to test God, we should trust God.

But here He says, "Test Me",

Not for personal gain, but the Talmud tells it has with it blessings of,

Life, wealth and Honor.

Charity is not just giving it is sharing and justice.

Concerning the construction of the Tabernacle, God says, "Take from Me a donation."

All things come from the One above.

What did we have wih us when we came into the world?
What do we take with us when we leave the world?

Instead of complaining about all darkness and evil,

Better to do something about it.

To give a couple of dollars to one who has nothing should be seen as an opportunity.

So yeah," Test Me" says the Holy One blessed be He.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Along the same lines, I'd like to see more of an expanded Christ presented.

What would an "expanded Christ" look like for you? I'm asking because I'm kind of having a difficult time conceptualizing an approach to Jesus that allows for further substantive education but, at the same time, doesn't necessitate a permutation of my concept of Christ which becomes so far out and broad that I essentially become a "Universalist."

So, I'm just wondering.

 

[dlamberth]

What would an "expanded Christ" look like for you? I'm asking because I'm kind of having a difficult time conceptualizing an approach to Jesus that allows for further substantive education but, at the same time, doesn't necessitate a permutation of my concept of Christ which becomes so far out and broad that I essentially become a "Universalist."

So, I'm just wondering.

Your not alone. I've become a Universalist as well.

Here’s an abbreviated version of what an “Expanded Christ” looks like to me…

I intentionally used the word "Christ" instead of the word "Jesus". Christ as I experience it is the Divine Light with in Life itself. Its way beyond and so cannot be contained or bounded by any historic figure in its Cosmic wide reach and depth of breath. Yet at the same time it’s within every Soul as well as every element of Creation. An expanded Christ is a kind of Life force that I take as that part of God that shows itself in physical form. It's such that we can see God and participate in God in the world we live in. I see it in some sense as the Christ mystery. It’s where the visible world and invisible world are put together. Being a Penenthest and not a Dualist, what that means for me is that everywhere I look, there God is.

Let the calls of Heresy begin.