AndyBaker

Reply to Looking at the comming of the Anti-Christ in Religion JoeUser Forums

Myrrander, thanks for sharing those verses. You’ll notice that they all refer to the Kingdom of God, and you missed the most significant verses of them all, which make sense of them and bind them together in wisdom, (i.e. soul-logic): "The Kingdom of God does not come visibly. No one will say 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!'; because the Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17.21) … “The Kingdom of Heaven is already at hand” (Matthew 3.2) The verses which you quote

Reply to Looking at the comming of the Anti-Christ in Religion JoeUser Forums

it's been 2000 years for Christ to come back, even though he said that his generation would live to see him return Myrrander, where does Jesus say that? (Just curious)

Reply to A Strong Case AGAINST Divorce in Personal Relationships JoeUser Forums

I hereby vow to not be a crazy lady What a wonderful vow! You have a place in my heart already Where is my family??? We're all your family Ang

Bill Murray's Groundhog Day in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

I saw Groundhog Day the other night, and thought it was great. I've seen it a few times before and had previously found it quite irritating. But this time round the movie's deeper connotations became more apparent to me. Its theme can be interpreted in many ways, but to me, it shows the learning curve of the soul. Every lifetime that we have on earth can be analogised in one of Phil's 'groundhog days'. At first, when Phil learns abo

Reply to Help Me Interpret this Aesop's Fable in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Help me interpret this Aesop's Fable The Old Woman and the Physician . . . He who plays a trick must be prepared to take a joke

Reply to Does Evolution enrich Christian faith? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Dan, I agree we with you that humans defy the laws of physics. Consciousness isn’t 'physical', in the strictest sense. Self-awareness , intrinsic experience, feelings and emotions etc. are spiritual, not physical. Yet the fact that they are all part of reality means we can’t really say that they exist ‘outside’ cosmic law, in the sense that they require miraculous explanations. They require natural explanations, which speaks volumes about the profundi

Reply to What Makes a Good Buddhist? in Religion JoeUser Forums

Preacherman, everyone has their own views, and are usually settled in them. Preaching often comes in the form of imposing one’s views on another, uninvited and dogmatic. It can be a bit like getting an annoying housefly in the room, which buzzes around and doesn’t go away. That’s not always the case, mind, and I don’t mind your preaching, preacherman. You wear it on your sleeve, and you have compassion and integrity. You have good circles, and people accept you for it, so stay with it.

Reply to What Makes a Good Buddhist? in Religion JoeUser Forums

and while I admit that it probably isn't the most positive of emotions, I'd be a liar to say that I am free of it. That's the case with us all. If we can be at peace with it then we're on the path to Buddhahood. That was the point I was trying to make, not very succincly, mind. <TABLE cellpadding=8 width="95%" align=center bgColor=#FFF39

Reply to What Makes a Good Buddhist? in Religion JoeUser Forums

In the first place, I never called dharma (or anyone else, for that matter) a "bad Buddhist." Oh, I must have missed something. Has there been an argument? Dharma, in that last post, when I said "if we think we’re a ‘bad’ person", I wasn't talking about you. I was talking about human beings in general,

Reply to What Makes a Good Buddhist? in Religion JoeUser Forums

I'm not perfect. I'm simply a human who is trying to walk the Buddhist path. Yes, I fail sometimes. Yes, I get emotional, yes I get angry...like I said, I'm human. Does that make me a 'bad' Buddhist? I don’t think it makes you a bad Buddhist, Dharma. It makes you a good one. It's part of being human, and Buddhism teaches acceptance of ourself and

Reply to Buddhism – a threat to Christianity, or a harmonious ally? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Happily, you've just demonstrated that both principles are right .. blah blah blah Is it me, or do I come across as a pompous, overly smug tosser? I need to do something about this before I turn into a complete wanker

Reply to Buddhism – a threat to Christianity, or a harmonious ally? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Cor 13:11 Myrrander, that verse, along with the points I made about child-like faith, demonstrate the depth and scope of the Christian message. What I've been trying to say throughout this blog is "grow u

Reply to Buddhism – a threat to Christianity, or a harmonious ally? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

I just want to wrap this up by saying that one of the most beautiful things to me about Christianity is Jesus’ statement that all we need to understand the Truth is a "child-like faith". This means that regardless of our intellectual capacity, we can comprehend ultimate Truth with childlike simplicity and humble trust in God. It doesn’t matter about other religions believe, or about conflicting views or apparent contradictions. We can humbly be at peace with our own faith, and trust it, regardle

Reply to Buddhism – a threat to Christianity, or a harmonious ally? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Gideon, thanks my friend. I saw your testimony the other day, and was deeply moved. It's things like that that gives a person substance and depth, especially when they come out of it positively. There's a higher purpose to everything, I'm sure. You demonstrated that life can't defeat us if we've got the right attitude. In fact, regardless of what happens, our attitude is what its all about.

The nature of the soul in Religion JoeUser Forums

Every soul is an angel in disguise. Why? Because everyone we encounter provides an opportunity to exercise love. "Love", in this context obviously isn't of the romantic kind. It's the stuff that makes a soul strong and wise. It's the stuff that makes us want to understand why another person might be hurt, or bitter, or misguided. A person who abuses another person, in whatever form and to whatever degree, is surely hurt, bitter or misgu

Reply to Buddhism – a threat to Christianity, or a harmonious ally? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

I've just re-read that last post, and I come across as an arrogant twat. Note to self: Room for growth. Be more compassionate.

Reply to Buddhism – a threat to Christianity, or a harmonious ally? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

I've just re-read that last post, and I come across as an arrogant twat. Note to self: Room for growth. Be more compassionate. Humble is the way.

Reply to Buddhism – a threat to Christianity, or a harmonious ally? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

the idea of an "Infinite" clashes with true atheist, and especially materialism This isn’t really true. Many atheists believe that the universe has existed forever - an infinite universe, without purpose and without a transcendent God. It’s still belief in the nature of the Infinite. <TABLE cellpadding=8 width="95%" align=center bgColor=

Reply to Buddhism – a threat to Christianity, or a harmonious ally? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

I dunno about that.....I know quite a few Christians who live in fear of faiths they know little to nothing about. Instead of trying to understand what different faiths are all about, they just condemn them You’re right Dharma. We still haven’t got there quite yet, but I’m giving Christians the benefit of the doubt. I’m an optimist, and I’m proje

Reply to Buddhism – a threat to Christianity, or a harmonious ally? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Since Buddhism predates Christianity by about 600 years, wouldn't it be a better question to ask whether or not Christianity is a threat to Buddhism, or if Christianity might be a harmonious ally to the older philosophy/religion Good point Myrrander. History has shown that Buddhists are a lot calmer and more laid back than Christians, so I'm sure

Reply to Buddhism – a threat to Christianity, or a harmonious ally? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

if it's all from the same god, then the god must suffer from MPD It might be humans that have MPD, rather than God. God remains the same, regardless of what humans say or write about Him / Her. Holy Scriptures are our written foundation of religious belief, said to inspired by God and giving insights into God’s promises and plans. Yet the Scriptu

Reply to The Cosmic Story - Part II in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Jesus came to earth as God incarnate to spread the most profound message humanity has ever known. ... although strictly speaking, the Buddha scooped the cream by disclosing the greatest secret of all. Yet it's one that most Westerners aren't ready to hear, (yet): We are God. If you follow the logic outlined above, you c

Reply to Buddhism – a threat to Christianity, or a harmonious ally? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Dharma, that's true. Buddhist philosophy is non-theistic, but Buddhist practice is agnostic in principle. My point is that when both Eastern and Western wisdom is merged, we can attain a more enlightened perspective of reality. I don't think that we should claim that any one religion has a monopoly on the Truth. That's what gave Christianity such a bad name. Christianity has been through it's learning curves, and Buddhism doesn't have to take the same route. Consider the following words

Reply to Buddhism – a threat to Christianity, or a harmonious ally? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Messybu, the religion that we feel inclined to follow primarily depends on where we are born. If you had been born else-where, you might now be claiming that all non-Muslims are liars, including Christians. There's a great common ground in all our religions, and the love-litmus test can dissolve many apparent contradictions. Where there are inconsistencies between Eastern and Western beliefs, Christians can interpret them from their own Christian persp

Reply to The Cosmic Story - Part II in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Incidentally here’s Part One that I posted a few months ago under an alias. This stuff is taken directly from some inspired books I read, also written by psychics. (Whether you believe in psychics or not doesn’t matter. Just bathe in the logic.) The Cosmic Story Part I In the beginning, that which Is is all there was, and there was nothing else. Yet All That Is could not know itself – because All That Is is all there was, and there was nothing else. And so,