• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

-57

Well-Known Member
Sep 5, 2015
8,701
1,957
✟77,658.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private

Problem being...is the books you mention contradict the bible on many issues. Getting back to Swedenborgism...who claims to be Christian...we can easily recognize his writing are not Christian in many aspects.
 
Upvote 0

-57

Well-Known Member
Sep 5, 2015
8,701
1,957
✟77,658.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
They contradict YOUR interpretation of the Bible on many issues.

But I will leave it there. I have explained the limits of my own interest.

Thanks

When it comes to salvation the bible is pretty clear. So clear that when a false salvation is presented the false salvation sticks out like a sore thumb.
The problem I have is when people like to pick and choose scripture bending it a bit to make it conform to belief system that is not presented in the bible. Swedenborg has done that on many issues.
 
Upvote 0

Fizzywig

Namu Amida Butsu
May 9, 2016
1,152
234
76
UK
✟25,051.00
Faith
Humanist
Marital Status
Married
When it comes to salvation the bible is pretty clear. So clear that when a false salvation is presented the false salvation sticks out like a sore thumb.
The problem I have is when people like to pick and choose...

No it is not. There are various issues ( e.g. of the need for baptism or not ) that have been a constant source of dispute between the various Protestant denominations and between Catholic and Protestant.

You yourself pick and choose.

Happily I no longer look towards my own interpretation ANY book as affecting my own" salvation" .

Thanks.
 
Upvote 0

-57

Well-Known Member
Sep 5, 2015
8,701
1,957
✟77,658.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private

There always will be dispute. In the above I see one view as correct and the other as incorrect....both can't be correct.
Swedenborgism would align more with the Protestant view rather than the catholic view.
 
Upvote 0

awitch

Retired from Christian Forums
Mar 31, 2008
8,508
3,134
New Jersey, USA
✟26,740.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Pagan
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Democrat
Basics:
  • God is infinitely loving and at the center of every life.
Is he at the center of the life of abused, diseased, and starving children who die slow painful deaths? If he's supposed to be infinitely loving, then, no, I don't think so.

Truth is love in action. Actions performed out of love are genuine expressions in a physical form of what love means.

This sounds like a failed attempt to sound really deep and intellectual.

There is one God whose essence is Divine Love and Wisdom. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all aspects of God just as body, mind, and soul are all aspects of one person.

My personal belief happens to entail multiple deities with unique personalities so I'll pass on this one.


Sure the Bible has some good stuff in it, but it also has a lot of stuff that I find horrifyingly bad. A real word of god, or even a real inspired word of god could never be wielded as a weapon to take away/deny people rights or justify bigotry and violence. Again, especially if it supposedly came from an infinitely loving god.


I reject the idea of an eternal heaven and hell. Any speculation of an afterlife is really wishful thinking.

God gives everyone the freedom to choose their beliefs and live their lives accordingly.

I'll agree with that.

Salvation is available for people of all religions.

I don't personally believe salvation is a thing, however, I expect deities to appreciate any sincere attempt to contact the divine. Additionally, they are cool with atheists as well because, as mentioned above, gods give everyone the freedom to choose and believe accordingly.

The Second Coming has taken place—and in fact still is taking place. It is not an actual physical appearance of the Lord, but rather his return in spirit and truth that is being effected as a present reality.

This sounds scripturaly based and since I don't really adhere to Biblical scripture, I'm going to pass.
 
Upvote 0

Fizzywig

Namu Amida Butsu
May 9, 2016
1,152
234
76
UK
✟25,051.00
Faith
Humanist
Marital Status
Married
There always will be dispute. In the above I see one view as correct and the other as incorrect....both can't be correct.
Swedenborgism would align more with the Protestant view rather than the catholic view.

Indeed, there will always be dispute.

Until it is seen that all are saved by grace. Not by allegiance to particular interpretations of a book.

Yet please dispute THAT if you so wish

I have engaged enough on this thread.

Thanks
 
Upvote 0

Albion

Facilitator
Dec 8, 2004
111,127
33,263
✟584,002.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
Swedenborgism would align more with the Protestant view rather than the catholic view.
Not necessarily.

If we are saved in accordance with our works, it's more Catholic than Protestant.

If revelation is given to Swedenborg and this is considered, along with the Bible, to be the word of God, that's more Catholic than Protestant.
 
Upvote 0

-57

Well-Known Member
Sep 5, 2015
8,701
1,957
✟77,658.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
Indeed, there will always be dispute.

Until it is seen that all are saved by grace. Not by allegiance to particular interpretations of a book.

Yet please dispute THAT if you so wish

I have engaged enough on this thread.

Thanks

I don't disagree...people are saved by the gift of faith and grace. That's what the bible teaches. No special interpretation needed.
 
Upvote 0

-57

Well-Known Member
Sep 5, 2015
8,701
1,957
✟77,658.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
Not necessarily.

If we are saved in accordance with our works, it's more Catholic than Protestant.

If revelation is given to Swedenborg and this is considered, along with the Bible, to be the word of God, that's more Catholic than Protestant.

My bad....the discussion was pertaining to water baptism.
I also agree with what you said, swedenborgism is works related and more close to the Catholic Church on that issue.
 
Upvote 0

Arthra

Baha'i
Feb 20, 2004
7,060
572
California
Visit site
✟86,812.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Other Religion
Marital Status
Married
Upvote 0

Albion

Facilitator
Dec 8, 2004
111,127
33,263
✟584,002.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
It's unfortunate that we list the names of people who were "influenced by" Swedenborg, because that suggests that they accepted most of his teachings. In reality, most of them held beliefs that were nothing like those that Swedenborg emphasized. But they took inspiration from him in one way or another, which, however, is quite a different matter.
 
Upvote 0

Fizzywig

Namu Amida Butsu
May 9, 2016
1,152
234
76
UK
✟25,051.00
Faith
Humanist
Marital Status
Married

I actually have a little ebook cheapy, "Swedenborg: Buddha of the North" by Suzuki. I understand it was written in Suzuki's early years when he was eagerly abdorbing a lot of western religious ideas and writings. Unfortunately I have not given the book more than a cursory glance, having bigger fish to fry, such as 'The Hungry Caterpillar" and "Willy Wonka".

Thank you for the link.
 
Upvote 0

nightflight

Veteran
Mar 13, 2006
9,221
2,655
Your dreams.
✟45,570.00
Faith
Agnostic
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
Upvote 0

Chesterton

Whats So Funny bout Peace Love and Understanding
Site Supporter
May 24, 2008
26,616
21,607
Flatland
✟1,106,538.00
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
Wow, did not know that. Big red flag to say the least.

Interesting article. But being ‘attacked by adulterers’ in your sleep? I could think of worse people to be attacked by.
 
Upvote 0

Albion

Facilitator
Dec 8, 2004
111,127
33,263
✟584,002.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
Wow, did not know that. Big red flag to say the least.

Interesting article. But being ‘attacked by adulterers’ in your sleep? I could think of worse people to be attacked by.
By the way, we're told that this material comes from Swedenborg's diaries. He could be entirely wrong about all of this information and it wouldn't mean much except for what we might think of him as an individual. His published works, OTOH, are what he and his followers consider to be a new testament, divine revelation. That's the religion.
 
Upvote 0

Chesterton

Whats So Funny bout Peace Love and Understanding
Site Supporter
May 24, 2008
26,616
21,607
Flatland
✟1,106,538.00
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
Yeah I knew that about his writings. So, he'll have to get in line with the other prophets who have "official published" new gospel.
 
Upvote 0

Albion

Facilitator
Dec 8, 2004
111,127
33,263
✟584,002.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
Yeah I knew that about his writings. So, he'll have to get in line with the other prophets who have "official published" new gospel.
Maybe, but there is a difference. Self-proclaimed prophets typically do not deliver a third Testament of Holy Scripture but instead deal in lesser info. They do, however, seem to cultivate the devotion of those who believe them. Swedenborg, on the other hand, claimed to have been the conduit for a new Testament but was quite unimpressed with himself and had no idea why God had chosen him to be the one to do this.
 
Upvote 0

Chesterton

Whats So Funny bout Peace Love and Understanding
Site Supporter
May 24, 2008
26,616
21,607
Flatland
✟1,106,538.00
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
Maybe, but there is a difference. Self-proclaimed prophets typically do not deliver a third Testament of Holy Scripture but instead deal in lesser info.

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, but their "info" usually gets "canonized", or deemed to be official by their followers.
You're saying he expressed humility? So did Muhammad, Ellen White, Joe Smith, et al.
 
Upvote 0

Albion

Facilitator
Dec 8, 2004
111,127
33,263
✟584,002.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, but their "info" usually gets "canonized", or deemed to be official by their followers.
Well, there's no set and unalterable pattern, of course, but the nature of Swedenborg's revelations was way above what the ordinary prophet, whether genuine or not, reveals. That makes him either more important or, if we look at it the other way, much less credible.

You're saying he expressed humility? So did Muhammad, Ellen White, Joe Smith, et al.
There's no comparison. Really.
 
Upvote 0