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Many other religions teach the same virtues of love and peace. What brought you to your realization that the Christian God, versus Allah, Vishnu, Buddha, or many others, was the correct God to believe in and follow?
You mean why I said in my original post that the concept was best expressed by Jesus, the embodiment of the Christ? I just think it is clearer (in spite of 2,000 years of obfuscation) and more completer than any other expression I have seen. There could be some that are better, but I don't know them. Admittedly my "shopping" was somewhat limited, but when I found the Quaker concepts I felt like I had come home.
You mean why I said in my original post that the concept was best expressed by Jesus, the embodiment of the Christ? I just think it is clearer (in spite of 2,000 years of obfuscation) and more completer than any other expression I have seen. There could be some that are better, but I don't know them. Admittedly my "shopping" was somewhat limited, but when I found the Quaker concepts I felt like I had come home.
"more clompleter" *snicker*
I really do want to visit your "home" someday. Still hoping to find a Quaker congregation to visit.
I really do want to visit your "home" someday. Still hoping to find a Quaker congregation to visit.
I looked at that and just decided NOT to edit. That's my typing warts and all....if it weren't for typos I couldn't type at all. Btw. that would be a Quaker "Meeting."
You mean why I said in my original post that the concept was best expressed by Jesus, the embodiment of the Christ? I just think it is clearer (in spite of 2,000 years of obfuscation) and more completer than any other expression I have seen. There could be some that are better, but I don't know them. Admittedly my "shopping" was somewhat limited, but when I found the Quaker concepts I felt like I had come home.
Same here. I quit demanding evidence or signs, humbled myself and asked to be pointed in the right direction. And it is indeed that feeling of "coming home".
Can you expand on the tenets of Christianity that made the most sense to you and how you came to that realization?
Well to what I have already said, I suppose I can add the following...
One of the things which appealed to me most were the anti-religious elements in Christianity and the Bible. I saw a frank recognition that religion can be quite harmful. Contrary to what the more ignorant redneck types portray, the people Jesus had difficulty with and animosity towards where neither the nonreligious nor the less reputable (by occupation or heretical group) but rather the most self-righteously religious. And this was true of the apostle Paul also.
One way of summing up the gospel of Jesus Christ is to say that all the religions which promise, that if you do the right things then you will be on the side of God and He will take care of you, are all a lie and a cheat. What really matters is changing who you are in your very heart and soul to embrace love and decency to your fellow human beings. And while this is generally impossible for us to do by ourselves, God can if we seek His help.
One way of summing up the gospel of Jesus Christ is to say that all the religions which promise, that if you do the right things then you will be on the side of God and He will take care of you, are all a lie and a cheat. What really matters is changing who you are in your very heart and soul to embrace love and decency to your fellow human beings. And while this is generally impossible for us to do by ourselves, God can if we seek His help.
on the whole post, but this part is what I have been thinking about starting a thread on. Can I copy and paste
I've listened to many Christians who describe their belief system as based in faith (belief without tangible evidence), personal experience, revelations, tradition, training as a child, tangible, testable, evidence, and/or something else. I would like to know what your level of belief is on a scale from 1-100 from weak to strong, and what your belief is based on, with possible percentages.
' belief without tangible evidence ' is the definition of credulity or ' blind faith '
The faith that Jesus had he based his teachings on the recorded old Hebrew Scriptures.
Jesus used logical reasoning on the old Hebrew Scriptures on which to base his faith.
Jesus often prefaced his statements with the words, "it is written " meaning already written down in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Jesus had personal experience, tradition, training as a child, tangible old Hebrew Scripture for a 100% strong percentage.
- 1st Thessalonians 2:13
on the whole post, but this part is what I have been thinking about starting a thread on. Can I copy and paste
Btw WHAT is so hard about this?
Bad habits (which is what sin really consists of) are addictive, which means they erode our free will either by narrowing our awareness or short circuiting our motivation. Think of drug addiction. It pretty much removes changing your heart to love and care for others out of the realm of possibility. The chemical need dominates your brain and you cannot think around it. It varies in degrees of course, but sin is pretty much like that.
Many other religions teach the same virtues of love and peace. What brought you to your realization that the Christian God, versus Allah, Vishnu, Buddha, or many others, was the correct God to believe in and follow?
The Christian God is the only one that actively pursues man, as opposed to the other way around.
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