nightshades131660

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

I see, and tell me how will you know what is a work of god, and what is a work of yourself? We can do no works of god. We can however let god work through us, but it is god's decision and not our own as to what those works will be. And god will only work through us when we are capable of setting self aside. It is not the pen that does the composing, just the writing. It is the author that does the composing and the pen is simply a tool. We are the tool, not the author.

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

Why does the scripture say "money is the root of all evil", because money is a symtom of self importance, it is not "evil" in itself, as you so very aptly pointed out earlier. Faith is not enough, and neither is belief or even acts. Faith and belief are human concepts as Sohaido so correctly pointed out. They are a starting point, but they are not the end and the whole. No where in the passage does it read because they knew that the pharisees were called righteous men or even

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

What may I ask do you define as "good works?" And why do you feel that they flow from god? For you Sohaido: I speak in christian terms because that is what is familiar to christians, and they have somewhat of an understanding of what they mean. One wouldn't speak Russian to a Greek and expect them to understand would they? Using terms like nirvana and samsara although they are adequate terms and accurate terms are terms that most christians are not familiar with a

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

I agree words are just concepts, but words are all we have to talk about it with. They are inadequate to be sure. Belief is not necessary. And quite often "beliefs' get in the way, because they are preconceptual. We as humans quite often reject that which we do not believe, even when we see and experience it. We decide that because our beliefs say that it is not possible, it is not. We will reject what we have seen or experienced either through denial, that it never happened, to deciding

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

[quote]If the young man kept all the commandments since birth, why was he wealthy?Gah!!!!! That was the whole point!! He didn't keep them. He just SAID he did. That's why Jesus said to go and sell all you have and follow me. Jesus knew what his heart was full of. It was full of money...not God. So he broke the very first commandment and probably more and didn't know it Coveting comes to mind as well. There are only three spoken of in the bible that walked with God. Ezekial, Henoch and Jesus

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

Please keep finding them and putting them here, they are very enjoyable.

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

I do like your cartoons! They are brilliant!

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

[quote]At no time did Jesus ask him the one commandment that says "Thou shalt not have any god before me".he didn't have to. The young man said he kept all the commandments since his birth. So Jesus said ok, go sell all you have. This to show him he wasn't being honest with himself. Money was his god. He violated the first commandment right there. Jesus knows the heart and goes right to it whether it be this rich young ruler or you or me. However it doesn't speak of those men as walking wit

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

I did not say that there were 70 in the room. I said that he had seventy two apostles. There was no difference between the apostles or the disciples other than the self aggrandizement that the Eleven that were chosen to learn the inner knowledge, gave themselves. Jesus stated specifically to them, "Those who are now first shall be last, and those who are now last shall be first." Further more they did not watch him die. Only the women were present at the crucifixion. The Eleven ra

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

[quote]Your saying that you can have wealth, and not have money be a god, and be a "good" christian is in direct conflict with what Jesus said above. If you have wealth, it is because you seek it, cultivate it and protect it, and that makes it a god.No, God gives us examples of many wealthy God-fearing men in scripture. You are referring to the rich young ruler. You can't take this one example and say we all have to sell all our possessions to follow God. Jesus knew EXACTLY what was stopping thi

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

For those christians that believe that this country was founded on christianity, a bit of American History: 1. Robert Morris a signer of the Declaration of Independence,and an unnamed jew (isn't that just like christians to not want to acknowledge them by name) funded the Continental Congress with their own personal fortunes so that this country would have a chance at becoming a country. 2. God is not only left out of the Declaration of Independence, but it was a deliberate

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

Christianity should keep in mind this one thing. Christians have subjugated more of the worlds population than the Roman Empire ever did. They have slaughtered and tortured more innocents in the name of religious truth than the Roman Empire ever did all during their persecution of the christians, and that doesn't include the inquisition by the way. Their leaders have sought and gained more power and material wealth than the Roman Empire ever accumulated. They have persecuted and murdered the

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

There are shining jewels and treasures of the truth in every religion, with a lot of human ego nonsense piled on top. The only thing that makes us think that they are saying something different is that petty little tyrant that demands that "our religion be the right and unique religion."

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

[quote]As for the church and christians of today, let me remind you of this fact, Jesus stressed that in order to follow him one must give up everything. Friends, family, wealth, personal aggrandizement, etc.and this happens daily for us who follow Christ. It means sacrifice. That's what Jesus said would happen and is what he requires. When we join Christ whether we are a Jew, Islamic, formally Atheistic or even Catholic......it means sacrifice. Many have lost jobs, family relations, or been cut

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

[quote]There is no such thing, it is indeed an invention by a man named Miller, whose followers founded the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Few christians live the word of god, and even fewer follow the path of Jesus.you're all mixed up and anti-denomination. Fine. I'm not very gung ho about denomination myself so you're preaching to the choir. But you're skewed in your thinking. You're getting pseudo-Christianity mixed up with real Christianity. You're getting religion and relationship mixed up.

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

[quote]Now while they were talking of these things,Jesus stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace to you! It is I, do not be afraid." But they were startled and panic-stricken, and thought that they saw a spirit.ok, look at what you wrote. First of all you said this: None of them recognized him, not even when he presented himself to them, they still needed proof.You said NONE of them RECOGNIZED him. The only place where they didn't recognized HIM was, as you wrote about, on the road t

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

Okay,it's back to basics I see. St. Luke chapter 24, The resurrection of Jesus, Emmaus "And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which is sixty stadia from Jerusalem. And they were talking to each other about all these things that had happened. And it came to pass while they were conversing and arguing together, that Jesus himself also drew near and went along with them; but their eyes were held, that they should not recognize him. And he said to

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

[quote]It doesn't necessarily mean that they had a vested interest, it could simply mean that they had a "lack of understanding", could it not? Scripture is quite clear that all through our Lord's ministry, Passion, Death and Resurrection, Christ reveals what will happen, but even though, the Apostles and disciples weren't able to fully understand what it all meant. Except St.John, during and after Christ's death, burial and Resurrection, the Apostles fled and were in hiding for "fear o

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

I see good and evil as mind constructs much like enlightenment. I prefer the terms positive and negative, in the sense that positive is the creative force and negative the the breaking down or destructive force. Both are necessary, one no more preferable or desirable than the other. I feel the same way about the terms "perfect" and "perfection". I am of the opinion that we are in "spirit" exactly as we should be, but that that knowledge is blocked by the illusion of physicality, and preven

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

I am of the opinion that there is nothing that can not be "known" other than "god", if one desires to know and takes the necessary steps. However, I do think that it was orchestrated and orchestrated by Jesus, who's will was one with the will of god, which would make it gods will. I don't feel that Jesus thought himself divine either. It seems that was a tag placed on him by others.

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

To rise from the dead doesn't require "divinity", simply knowledge and a link with the "all" or "god". But one can not blame those who do not have the knowledge for thinking that it would be an indication of divinity. It's not an event that is witnessed every day. It doesn't necessarily mean that they had a vested interest, it could simply mean that they had a "lack of understanding", could it not?

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

I also have a question, if you have no opinion why did you start the conversation?

Reply to Life As It Is in Religion Stardock Forums

I find "enlightenment" to be a mind construct and the mind belongs only to this reality and this body and of no use elsewhere. To me the "mind" is the witness that has gotten totally out of control, or more correctly totally in control. I do understand your meaning when you speak of being awake and present. I call that being "aware". To be aware is no small feat, most of us are not aware 98% of the time. What you call "distractio

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

I agree, dead men don't walk, however the word resurrection means to be dead and live again, but not necessarily to live again in the same body. His disciples did not recognize him after the resurrection. They needed proof that he was who he said he was. I sincerely doubt that they would have forgotten what he looked like in such a short period of time. Do you?

Reply to Was Jesus just following an existing myth? in Religion JoeUser Forums

I have read all these comments and I have a question, do you believe that the disciples of Jesus took his body away, and was the resurrection a staged production? And if so why?