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The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. They cannot see the light of the Good News -- the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is exactly like God.
These ancients that wrote scripture were very good with words and knew how to push the emotional buttons in their readers. This passage,with its underlying message, is meant to appeal to the reader's ego as it suggests that they can be special and a cut above others, just by believing. It's good food for the ego. The word "devil" is used for effect to create a division or rift between those that accept the message and those that do not. It demeans those that do not buy in.
These ancients that wrote scripture were very good with words and knew how to push the emotional buttons in their readers. This passage,with its underlying message, is meant to appeal to the reader's ego as it suggests that they can be special and a cut above others, just by believing. It's good food for the ego. The word "devil" is used for effect to create a division or rift between those that accept the message and those that do not. It demeans those that do not buy in.
How do you see it Marie Ellen?
Personally, I find it frightening. I also find it demeaning almost threatening to someone who doesn't believe.
The Book of John is so suspect in it's authorship and subsequent translations, that is not worthy as any basis for consideration of Yeshua of Nazareth being a man/god.
Also, consider that we exclaim the words "My god!" at many things. If this account were true, is it not possible that Thomas was exclaiming "My lord" to Jesus and "my God" to Yahweh alone ratherthan to Jesus?
And isn't it possible both titles were meant for Jesus? Especially when combined with Jesus' words, "I and the Father are One"?
Last edited by Horn of ‘83; 01-08-2010 at 02:11 PM..
The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe.
I don't believe any of this for a second and I wonder how people who do believe it can explain why the devil has the power to blind the minds of atheists like myself but is apparently powerless to blind the minds of Christians.
I don't believe any of this for a second and I wonder how people who do believe it can explain why the devil has the power to blind the minds of atheists like myself but is apparently powerless to blind the minds of Christians.
I don't believe any of this for a second and I wonder how people who do believe it can explain why the devil has the power to blind the minds of atheists like myself but is apparently powerless to blind the minds of Christians.
Alternatively, the passage makes you also wonder why god is unable to stop the devil from blinding so many people. There must be over 4 billion non-christians in this world "blinded by devil".
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarieEllen
Personally, I find it frightening. I also find it demeaning almost threatening to someone who doesn't believe.
If god is so ineffective in stopping the devil (based on the word of god himself), it gives me more confidence that the "god threat" is pretty empty.
Alternatively, makes you also wonder why god is unable to stop the devil from blinding so many people.
Hmmm, maybe it's like that quote from "The Exorcist", "That would be much too vulgar a display of power Karras."
Just another reason I don't buy the whole thing. A god who supposedly loves his creation, but is unwilling to use it's power to actually make it clear who and what it is but simply says "Oh well" when it "has" to send to them to eternal torment....that's just a dumb premise.
Hmmm, maybe it's like that quote from "The Exorcist", "That would be much too vulgar a display of power Karras." Just another reason I don't buy the whole thing. A god who supposedly loves his creation, but is unwilling to use it's power to actually make it clear who and what it is but simply says "Oh well" when it "has" to send to them to eternal torment....that's just a dumb premise.
Agree. Once one gets past the science / historical arguments, some of the biggest points against religion are found in religious texts and the day-to-day events surrounding us. Adherents have to do a lot of explaining and tap-dancing to try and make sense out of them.
If I had written a book on the Bible...I would have written something like that.
"Lets write that Satan is blinding those who dont believe to reassure our believers that this is true."
Hey and it worked...just look at the world today..following false religion.
And why is it false? Because you say so or because your holy book says so, and who's to say that your religion is not false. Nobody knows for sure which religion is false and which is not, just because it's written down in some book doesn't make it true, you have the right to believe what you want, and others have the right to believe what they want, but that does not mean that they are both false, yours is true you and what others believe are true to them, so to go about calling somebody's religious belief false opens yourself up to the same accusation.
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