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My itty bitty computer has a difficult time downloading videos, but the description of the video seems to indicate it's about whether or not Christianity/Jesus is a fabrication evolved from other ancient religions... I'm curious in what way you see that as relevant to your o.p. about faith/works?
Just showing where the Bible was plagiarized from and why all within it must be subject to doubt.
If it is the word of God, they are not from a Christian God.
The sources should be ignored, the words analyzed and a conclusion drawn through logic and reason.
My logic and reason tell me we should all walk our talk.
Regards
DL
Okay, I agree to an extent. I further believe that that logic/reason needs to be informed by "the mind of Christ" ... Love.
Also, it is my opinion that I have to draw on my personal experience as well. And that experience tells me that I do not always walk my talk, as much as I have a desire to. However, focusing on what is NOT, rather than what IS, can be discouraging and further hinder me walking in the way that I want to.
So, I focus on a belief that God IS LOVE. I further believe that recognizing that the powerful force of God/Love is in each of us is what overcomes our personal darkness, and transforms the way we live our lives.
Okay, I agree to an extent. I further believe that that logic/reason needs to be informed by "the mind of Christ" ... Love.
Also, it is my opinion that I have to draw on my personal experience as well. And that experience tells me that I do not always walk my talk, as much as I have a desire to. However, focusing on what is NOT, rather than what IS, can be discouraging and further hinder me walking in the way that I want to.
So, I focus on a belief that God IS LOVE. I further believe that recognizing that the powerful force of God/Love is in each of us is what overcomes our personal darkness, and transforms the way we live our lives.
Love will do that yes but to say that the genocidal bible God is the epitome of love is rather droll.
Love does not do genocide or teach how to beat your slaves just so.
If you need a better definition for God, try rules or laws.
At the end of the day, if you follow any God then you are following his rules.
The tree of knowledge of good and evil is a good example of this duality.
You might note that there is one tree encompassing both notions.
God did not make a tree of good and a seperate tree of evil so if he is to get rid of evil, something he likes to create, then he would also have to get rid of good.
God creates for a reason and you just do not know the reason and you want him to destroy what he created. Tsk tsk.
Regards
DL
Evil (non-love) does NOT have to exist in order for Good (LOVE) to exist. The KNOWLEDGE of it, however WILL exist.
LOVE conquers ALL.
Evil (non-Love) is being conquered by Good (LOVE).
We will continue to have the KNOWLEDGE of what non-love has done, of the destruction it caused, of the futility of it. But we will view this knowledge from a completely different perspective than what we have now. We only see bits and pieces but we will eventually see the full picture. This is why EVERY life is vital. We are all in this together, the revelation of knowledge.
Something "bad" does NOT have to exist in order for us to value and appreciate and respect and love the "good".
When all finally see non-love for what it is... when it is stripped of all the veils and we all have full knowledge of it... it will cease to exist. I'll leave it at that because I think it's fairly obvious why it will cease to exist.
Some things become obsolete...
and that is where non-love will end up.
Being obsolete.
Well, these are just my current ponderings...
peace,
sparrow
Evil (non-love) does NOT have to exist in order for Good (LOVE) to exist. The KNOWLEDGE of it, however WILL exist.
LOVE conquers ALL.
Evil (non-Love) is being conquered by Good (LOVE).
We will continue to have the KNOWLEDGE of what non-love has done, of the destruction it caused, of the futility of it. But we will view this knowledge from a completely different perspective than what we have now. We only see bits and pieces but we will eventually see the full picture. This is why EVERY life is vital. We are all in this together, the revelation of knowledge.
Something "bad" does NOT have to exist in order for us to value and appreciate and respect and love the "good".
When all finally see non-love for what it is... when it is stripped of all the veils and we all have full knowledge of it... it will cease to exist. I'll leave it at that because I think it's fairly obvious why it will cease to exist.
Some things become obsolete...
and that is where non-love will end up.
Being obsolete.
Well, these are just my current ponderings...
peace,
sparrow
I often wonder how the eastern philosophies' view of acceptance fits in with the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" and "the tree of life". The idea, as I understand it, is that labeling things as either good or bad is a construct of human consciousness that leads to suffering. We put value judgment on things, calling them either good or evil and this can cause us to cling to what we label good and avoid what is evil, (we suffer when things/people/emotions we label as good are taken from us, and we suffer when we experience that which we label as bad.) What we should be doing is simply accepting what is without labeling it ("the tree of life"?).
A quote that I find interesting says, "The absence of light cannot be called darkness. Just because the human eye cannot penetrate through the darkness, it does not mean it is ‘dark’. What can be concluded is that the difference between good and evil is not absolute but is relative and of degree.”
In some ways, this train of thought makes sense to me while, in other ways, it's a difficult if not impossible concept to reconcile. I do wonder how it fits with how we would imagine a "perfect" afterlife, the absence of darkness, and "eating of the tree of life".
Pretty sure we covered this earlier. I didn't say the "genocidal bible God" is the epitome of love.
The definition of God I have works fine for me, thanks. God IS LOVE and one "rule" covers them all, imo: Love.
Sure but then you end with rather useless rhetoric.
Try telling a rape victim that God loves her even while he watches her get raped.
Quite the expression of love.
Regards
DL
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