The Kingdom of Heaven is here on Earth. You have to find it!

A few Sundays ago, the priest at my church was talking about finding the Kingdom of Heaven. He basically says that you don't have to wait until after death to find the Kingdom of Heaven. Basically what I'm getting from this is that he's saying that you have to actively seek that kingdom during your lifetime. So how do you go about seeking out the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth?

Is he implying that there is hidden knowledge that reveals itself to us? Is joining a secret society the first step? If so, which secret society? Do they all lead to the same truth or to different ends of the spectrum? How can you tell the fake from the legit?

Do you think that masonry is the right path to take? And why can't women take it? Are women not worthy of secret knowledge?

The Kingdom of Heaven is within you. Do not look outside for this. When kingdom is when you find that inner peace that makes you realize all will be alright. There is secret hidden knowledges to be had, but they can only be had by going within yourself. Some think they do this but they fail as you also must keep one foot in this world and one in the kingdom of heaven to bring the kingdom within to this world.

It's a matter of perceptions. Egotistical biases might try to geer you up to get upset that someone cuts you off on the freeway. Why would you get upset at this? It's the lower kingdom of the animals that teaches you to get upset at this because someone has put themselves before you. You are a fool to follow that path as you alow that one to take you to their own distruction.

The Kingdom of Heaven on earth is the realization that what you truly "need" in this world is the littlest things. These things are basicly given to a good bulk of the world now. You waste your days giving away all your time for a piece of paper that you feel buys you happiness. Your happiness is already there to be had all you have to do is reach in and take it.

Originally posted by Incarnated
The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.

In other words, it is make believe. A figment of delusional imagination.

If you seek substance, you won't find it in christianity or any other religion.

Originally posted by Lilitu

Originally posted by Incarnated
The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.

In other words, it is make believe. A figment of delusional imagination.

If you seek substance, you won't find it in christianity or any other religion.

What is the point in a stupid, closed minded and ignorant comment like that. Plenty of people worldwide gain substantial spiritual guidance and happiness from whatever religion they believe.

You should get a life - you obviously know absolutely nothing about religion except for the superficial bullsh*t that follows organized religious groups. Your opinion is your opinion but try use a bit of tact.

What makes women any different than men, and how would you know that there is even a difference if you are only one sex? Why would women not be worthy of secret knowledge, and why should any knowledge be kept secret from humanity?

These are the questions you should be asking yourself. I would be careful that you do not go down a dark path. Do a good amount of research on Freemasonry before you entangle yourself in that web. If your heart is in the right place you will be very cautious.

I think the point your pastor was trying to make is that through your actions and your interactions with others you can literally form heaven on earth.

Its a nice idea, I think the practical reality though is something that will literally take some form of "second coming" to actually make happen however.

Originally posted by Dermo
Plenty of people worldwide gain substantial spiritual guidance and happiness from whatever religion they believe.

I never said religion couldn't induce a happy state of mind. It can. So can heroin and many other illicit drugs. As Marx so elequently put it, "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people." It is however a happiness which is moored to ones internal dialog with and fantasized relationship to things imagined. There is nothing substancial there. Nothing real that is. From both the scientific and common sense perspectives it is indistinguishable from simple delusion.

Originally posted by Dermo
You should get a life...

I do have a life and I am not willing to allow a pack of psychos to run roughshod over it in the name of their imaginary friend.


[edit on 10-8-2008 by Lilitu]

From both the scientific and common sense perspectives it is indistinguishable from simple delusion.

I completely agree... in a sense. But what you said in your previous comment was excessively rude and provocative to someone who believes differently to you.

I am not willing to allow a pack of psychos to run roughshod over it in the name of their imaginary friend

Which psycho's? The one that started this thread? Why are they a psycho?

You do realize that by saying what you said, you are doing the exact same thing except from the opposite angle by trying to 'to run roughshod over' what they believe.

If you are basing your ideas of how these religions work on a few over zealous religious fanatics that you have had run ins with (and i know there are a huge amount of them out there), then you are being excessively closed minded in your views.
Try dismissing them from the equation and looking at it from an angle that excludes hatred and bias.

reply to post by Privy_Princess

You need to rephrase your question, ATS members cannot critique a sermon that you heard and did not understand. Why not ask the priest what he meant? As to the belief's about "heaven on earth" you need to learn the tenets of your faith (religion). If you are seeking truth, quit playing "semantics" with your mind. Render unto Caesar, that which is Caesar's and to God, that which is God's. They are two different issues, one is physical and the other spiritual. You must choose a course of action in both realities. The way you live in one realm is also reflected in the other. Your soul is the record of your life, every good thing you ever did, and every evil act too. The soul can be as bright as the sun or a black glowering cloud, it is your choice.

That preacher is right. The kingdom of heaven is on earth. Reno to be exact. Gorgeous little brothel with the sweetest girls.

The Kingdom of God is at hand, it is here now within you. There are those that fear what they'd find within themselves. They'd try to get you not to go there. The Kingdom of God has nothing to do with religion. The Kingdom of God is the inner peace you get when you align and overcome all that creates negitive aspects within your self. It is that inner peace that is the light that shines unto the world. The Kingdom of God is here now. Are you ready for it? Don't you want to go?

Originally posted by Lilitu
If you seek substance, you won't find it in christianity or any other religion.

This much is true to my way to thinking because the kingdom of heaven transcends religion. I don't however believe that the kingdom of heaven is a delusion, even if it has yet to be manifested.

The seeds of the kingdom of heaven reside in the hearts of men and a reading of the teachings of Jesus and other teachers confirm this.

Human society can be as hellish or paradisaical as we choose to make it.

We hold the key and that key is not some body of secret knowledge. That knowledge is to be found in many places.

Religionists are of no more value in the tasks of social reconstruction than nonreligionists except in so far as their religion has conferred upon them enhanced cosmic foresight and endowed them with that superior social wisdom which is born of the sincere desire to love God supremely and to love every man as a brother in the heavenly kingdom. An ideal social order is that in which every man loves his neighbor as he loves himself.

[...]

The kingdom of heaven is neither a social nor economic order; it is an exclusively spiritual brotherhood of God-knowing individuals. True, such a brotherhood is in itself a new and amazing social phenomenon attended by astounding political and economic repercussions.

[...]

Religion has little chance to function until the religious group becomes separated from all other groups--the social association of the spiritual membership of the kingdom of heaven.

[...]

Formal religion restrains men in their personal spiritual activities instead of releasing them for heightened service as kingdom builders.

The Urantia Book: PAPER 99 - THE SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF RELIGION

The keys of the kingdom of heaven are: sincerity, more sincerity, and more sincerity. All men have these keys. Men use them--advance in spirit status--by decisions, by more decisions, and by more decisions. The highest moral choice is the choice of the highest possible value, and always--in any sphere, in all of them--this is to choose to do the will of God.

The Urantia Book: PAPER 39 - THE SERAPHIC HOSTS

[Jesus] greeted them, saying: "Peace be upon you. In the fellowship of the kingdom there shall be neither Jew nor gentile, rich nor poor, free nor bond, man nor woman. You also are called to publish the good news of the liberty of mankind through the gospel of sonship with God in the kingdom of heaven. Go to all the world proclaiming this gospel and confirming believers in the faith thereof. And while you do this, forget not to minister to the sick and strengthen those who are fainthearted and fear-ridden. And I will be with you always, even to the ends of the earth." And when he had thus spoken, he vanished from their sight, while the women fell on their faces and worshiped in silence.

THE URANTIA BOOK: PAPER 190 - MORONTIA APPEARANCES OF JESUS

The faith of Jesus visualized all spirit values as being found in the kingdom of God; therefore he said, "Seek first the kingdom of heaven." Jesus saw in the advanced and ideal fellowship of the kingdom the achievement and fulfillment of the "will of God." The very heart of the prayer which he taught his disciples was, "Your kingdom come; your will be done." Having thus conceived of the kingdom as comprising the will of God, he devoted himself to the cause of its realization with amazing self-forgetfulness and unbounded enthusiasm. But in all his intense mission and throughout his extraordinary life there never appeared the fury of the fanatic nor the superficial frothiness of the religious egotist.

THE URANTIA BOOK: PAPER 196 - THE FAITH OF JESUS

THE URANTIA BOOK: The Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 7
[21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 13

[11] He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

[24] Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

[31] Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

[33] Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

[44] Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
[45] Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

[47] Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

[52] Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

The Holy Bible: King James Version: The Kingdom of Heaven

en.wikipedia.org...

[edit on 2008/8/11 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott


Human society can be as hellish or paradisaical as we choose to make it.

Grady, I do beleive this sentiment is responsible for more suffering and inhumantiy than any other in history. Not the idea that Human society can be hellish you understand, becasue for most of history it was for all but a few. The idea that Human society can even mimic paradise, much less equal it I mean. Human society will never be a paradise because man is inherantly imperfect.

reply to post by Shazam The Unbowed


Forgive me. I do not speak for God.

If you waste your time on a sentence of mine without reading the material I have presented, then you have short changed yourself and the message at hand.

Grady Philpott is not a prophet of God.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott


Forgive me. I do not speak for God.

Umm Forgiven?

If you waste your time on a sentence of mine without reading the material I have presented, then you have short changed yourself and the message at hand.

I did. But really it was kinda irrelevant, The idea that human society can be perfected, whether through religon, economics, politics, drugs, ideology, or any other form of human philosophy has killed, tortured, opressed and outright slaughtered more humans than all the intentional evil in world history combined. Fascism, Communism, Authoritarianism, Eugenics etc. Everyone came from the (I will assume for the sake of discussion) well meaning, yet bloody ended, attempts to perfect human society.

Grady Philpott is not a prophet of God.

Well I didnt think he was. And why are you referring to yourself in the third person?

*Shazam the unbowed has read a little history, but is not the great hole of knowledge.*

Wow thats kinda fun!