Christain misinterpretation of "I am The Way" causes uneccesary division and bigotry.

"I am the way"

Religion is a pathway in which pure love of God is bought to its fullest potential. That is the ultimate goal of religion. A goal of brotherly love and unity.
The Word. Gods Word is present in all the world’s major religions. It is the spring, the foundation to which religions are seated. It is a principle that is based on pure unconditional love to which all the religious branches rest.
In the Christian bible there are a set of teachings called a covenant. A covenant which is a binding agreement between mankind and God. An agreement that places us under the protection of the Lord.
Jesus came to remind & re establish the principles of the covenant. To remind people of the principles of religion which are based on Love. To remind people about what is at the core. To not let the customs, traditions and especially the ingrained beliefs, become stumbling blocks, impeding the progress of ones own spiritual progression.
One only has to recall Jesus teaching on the Sabbath.
It is in fact, the very beliefs which are ingrained, all across humanity, which are the cause of the great divisions present in our world. Its is these belief based divisions, which are the cause of so many conflicts between humanity. You will find that these beliefs quite often lead good people away from what is at the very core of what God teaches us. Leading them to ill thought and ill action.
It was happening when He appeared in this world. And it is happening right now in our present world. Among people of all religions. Christianity is no exception. In fact Christianity does not recognize that any other religion may contain Truth. Or at least have a foundation based in Truth.

John 14:16
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The above statement has been misinterpreted and the cause of division among Christians for many hundreds of years.

John 1:4
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Jesus was a vessel for the Holy Spirit and of God. A living human representation of Gods Word. “The Living Word of God” and a vessel for the miraculous energy and healing divine spirit which is “The Holy Ghost”

From the above chapters taken from John, it is clear by following the law, given to us by Moses and going even further into following the stricter tenants of the living word, or Gods Word.
We will be lead on a path to Heaven & eternal life.
Christians (not all) have a tendency to separate themselves dividing themselves from other faiths. Falsely believing that “The word is not embodied anywhere else apart from there own faith” They are often too stubborn to read any scripture from there neighboring religions.
This is not there fault, but the fault of the body itself. It is the Christian Church body which has failed to see. Failed to recognize there own error. It is there failure to see Gods Word elsewhere. A failure to not even search.
This false belief is a huge stumbling block. That not only Christian Faith’s have to overcome. But people from many faiths have to overcome.
It is very clear that, “Gods Word” is present in Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, The Hare Krishna teachings and also in Christianity. You only have to read there core teachings to see this.
As explained in a previous story from “The book of Enoch”. These are the six mountains
A stumbling block is set forth for humanity to overcome. But moreover it is a bigger stumbling block that the Christian religion must overcome. Because of the present mainstream belief of the Christian community. They have willingly divided themselves from Gods own Word and there brothers and sisters, which are present in all the worlds dominant faiths.
This modern day attitude, and misleading teaching, is the cause of a great divide between people of different faiths.
It is coming. A time is coming, for it has already been prophesied .
As I have mentioned before, a lot of things attach themselves to what is at the core of the worlds religions. Whether it’s the traditions the customs, differences of opinion, etc etc.
So if we think of the Law and the Living Word. Which Christians have adamantly claimed for themselves. Believing these things not to be present in other religions. We will find that they themselves have been misdirected and willingly put on there own blindfold. Refusing to except the fact that, “The Law” & Gods Word exists outside of there own faith.
This false teaching took root hundreds and hundreds of years ago. It has grown and now it blinds and divides Christians from excepting other faiths. From excepting God loving people who adhere to Gods word, just under a different guise.
It is quite clear, if anyone takes the time to investigate for themselves, instead of blindly rejecting without any inquiry, that the Grace and Truth that John spoke of (John1:17) is absolutely and undoubtedly present, in all the worlds, major religions. Not just Christianity!
Here is wisdom. It was prophesied in age long ago. That Gods pure religion will live once again.
The truth is, it is coming. But there is a long road ahead. Until Christians give up this attitude of ownership of Gods Word. And this divisive belief that they have blindly accepted without any further investigation outside there own faith. They will not progress. They will remain divided believing themselves more special than there brothers and sisters of varying faiths around the world. The Christian belief that there doctrine is the only one that “The Word “ is present in, is a false teaching.
I am saddened, because this belief, is so ingrained in the modern thought stream of the Christian community. It a huge hurdle for them to overcome. It will take time, for Christians in general to accept they have made a mistake. Most will most likely never accept it. But the few will.
It pains me as I suffer internally because of this misunderstood verse that has blinded Christian teachers.
For time is coming that Christians will have to seriously question there own belief system.. This will be a very difficult time for some. It will require a great deal of humility on there part. A time when the white horse will prevail. Gods pure teaching will manifest itself within the Church bodies, cleansing the unclean things and beliefs which have attached themselves to the modern Churches, limiting there capacity to grow.
The biggest failure of the modern Christian belief system is there incapacity to see “Gods teachings & Gods Word” outside of there own Church body.
There is also a failure to see this connection among some of the other branches to. But the oldest branches! They can see this!

a reply to: TheInfiniteFantastic

One man's religion is another man's cult.

i appreciate the sentiment, OP. you correctly see that all religions have truth in them and all are man's attempt to relate to the world and find the way through it. star and flag

a reply to: [post=22792957]dfnj2015[/post

One man's religion is another man's cult.

Very interesting! adeptinitiates.com..." target="_blank" class="postlink">adeptinitiates.com...

Below passages was taken from the link above.

Fulfilling “The Law” Within

The Gospel of the Holy Twelve declares that in order to achieve eternal life, “The Law” must be fully obeyed. In this respect this text shows us a very “Essene” Jesus indeed, with his unequivocal focus on “The Law” that must be obeyed. But “The Law”, to this Jesus, was not altogether the same Law written in the Hebrew Old Testament, but rather a universal Law pre-written into the inner being of Man. The Law given by Moses, this Jesus claimed, had been altered, betrayed and adulterated by the priests of Persia during the Jewish people’s captivity there. The true Law given by Moses was, this scripture maintains, the same ancient Law that is pre-written in the hearts of all men – the “Law of Love and the unity of all life in the One-Family of the All-Parent”.

One man's religion is another man's cult.

i appreciate the sentiment, OP. you correctly see that all religions have truth in them and all are man's attempt to relate to the world and find the way through it. star and flag

a reply to: fiverx313

Oh thank you. Its nice to feel a little love!

Although I am bracing for the hate!

a reply to: TheInfiniteFantastic

Jesus was a vessel for the Holy Spirit and of God. A living human representation of Gods Word. “The Living Word of God” and a vessel for the miraculous energy and healing divine spirit which is “The Holy Ghost”

Then why did Jesus tell His disciples to go and wait until He sent The Holy Sprite ? Jesus said that He (the comforter) would be with the believers until the end of the world and would teach them all things. Jesus is the way the truth and the life ...God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Sprite are one God and our Savior The Lord Jesus Christ .

We the believers become the Temple of God when the Holy Sprite takes up His abode in the believer and will never leave us .We are simply, sinners saved by the grace of God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and not by works lest any man should boast . The good news is that salvation is for anyone who decides to get saved . Just turn to God in faith and He will do the rest .

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
Holy Sprite

i prefer the holy dr. pepper myself...

What really puzzles me is the word "truth" when it comes to all religions around the globe. Acceptance of a good hearted person with a kind, sharing, caring and loving mind and having the understanding how the real world works in "truth", one realizes that it is really has nothing to do with "truth", but only the ACCEPTANCE that is considered the environmental "truth" in any spiritual settings here on Earth.

Just my thoughts. You take the life of the Mormon follower and you'll find that the Utah Mormon life style is different from lets say a Mormon follower living in Thailand. The ACCEPTANCE of any religion changes according to the "truth" of the living environment that a religious based follower chooses at any given moment in their life.

I heard Christian people are taught to "forget and forgive". Is that the "truth" or the "ACCEPTANCE" of ones spiritual living environment ?

Then why did Jesus tell His disciples to go and wait until He sent The Holy Sprite ?

a reply to: the2ofusr1

I am not too sure about Holy Sprites? Sounds cool though.

Hey brother. Its been a long day I am just kidding. The holy Spirit as far as I know prefers a clean vessel. Otherwise you might have some other type of spirit guiding you. The way I see it, there sure are a lot of Christians running about in this world. Millions and millions right? However isn't the Christian belief that only a chosen few get to Heaven? All those millions of people must have pure hearts I guess. I guess i am no good at maths. Its my understanding that it is a requirement of a pure heart to see God.
My message will only be accepted by a few people. I already know that most Christians will not accept my message.
I will say this simply. If you have a pure heart you go to Heaven. If your are a good guy who breaks some rules here and there, no biggy, you will inherit the earth. If you are evil, well you may have to pay a heavy price.
But, whether we choose, bad, good, evil or pure. God has a place for us. Its our choice. But if you serious about living in His Eternal Abode with Him, you gotta follow His rules. That''s all. If you came to my house you would have to follow my rules. Otherwise I would ask you to leave. Peace. I am out.

What really puzzles me is the word "truth"

a reply to: musicismagic
I guess its Truth when its binding ingredient is LOVE. Like Love thy neighbors in other religions as they should love you. Accept them without trying to change them and they probably will have a whole lot more respect for Christians as a whole
.

a reply to: TheInfiniteFantastic

The way I see it, there sure are a lot of Christians running about in this world. Millions and millions right? However isn't the Christian belief that only a chosen few get to Heaven?

Nope . They all make it to heaven .Well the ones that truly believe do . Jesus said that all that His Father gave Him He would loose none and no one could take them from Him . You see that not all Christians are real Christians because some don't really believe like Bart Ehrman . eta John 3:16 does not say that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that who soever has a pure heart should not perish but have ever lasting life ...think about it , and you are probably correct that not many Christians will embrace your message but you may be picking up those Christians that don't really believe ...so there is that .

But if you follow Yeshua:s teaching that all will be objectively put where they deserve regardless if they say they are Christian:s as in sheep:s and goats then Christianety lose all the beings who become faith driven to get special dispensation from their fruits/karma.

And this faith driven dispensation is in all three Abrahamic religions not only Christian faith.

I can see how a consciousness can use the teachings of Yeshua to increase awareness of the self and bring what is under the surface in the unconsciousness to consciousness including knowing the soul and telepathically connecting to the higher levels of awareness/understanding that includes logic thru entanglement.

But you will have to go thru body reconfiguration to goo deeply down that rabbit hole. The Amygadala is part of that equation since it is connected to how bliss states are manifested in the body and the creation of the body calmness. Feeling the flows of spiritual water and fire in the nerve system.

They all make it to heaven

a reply to: the2ofusr1

I think the important message Jesus imparted was pure devotional love.
If you follow Jesus you should also manifest the same qualities of a pure heart.
In doing so you follow the way to Salvation.
But this message has been taught by many people throughout the ages in all different cultures.
Here is some Indian scripture below.

eko devah sarva-rupi mahatma
gauro rakta syamala-sveta-rupah
caitanyatma sa vai caitanya-saktir
bhaktakaro bhakti-do bhakh-vedyah

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of all transcendental potencies, and who may be known only by devotional service, [bhakti vedyah] appears in innumerable transcendental forms. He has appeared in red, white and black complexions, [gauro rakta syamala sveta rupah] and He will also appear in the golden form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He will assume the role of a perfect devotee [bhakta akarah] and He will teach the conditioned souls the path of pure devotional service [bhakti dah]."

Exert from:
Sri Caitanya Upanisad, Text 6 (3)
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. 

There are many branches on the Great Tree.

www.harekrsna.com..." target="_blank" class="postlink">www.harekrsna.com...

a reply to: TheInfiniteFantastic

I don’t think that there is any confusion on how John 3:16 should be interpreted.

“For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, so that whosoever believe in him shall not parish but have everlasting life.”

I guess I get to be the contrarian.

the operative word is 'THE'. Jesus is the ONLY Way to the Father.

I'm not saying all non-believers are doomed to hell. the will be judged case-by-case on how much did they understand and what did they do with.

but ALL have sinned and Jesus represents the ONLY propitiation for same.

other faiths can say good things and encourage good works but works will NOT save anyone.

sheep:s and goats

a reply to: LittleByLittle

the operative word is 'THE'. Jesus is the ONLY Way to the Father.

a reply to: ElGoobero

Then that interpretation is the problem.
It immediately shuts down the average Christians ability to further inquire into the other branches.
I remember when I was young. I met a Christian group. I took one chap from the group to eat at the Hare Krishna restaurant which is vegetarian as they forbid killing/eating animals. This is a higher principle.
But the Christian chap refused to go in and eat. He didn't know anything about the Hare Krishna Org. But he had already decided without any inquiry that he would not enter. Utter madness. But he happily would go eat a cow which was mercilessly butchered in a western corporate slaughter house. You see this is not logical? But that is the typical mind set that has trapped Christians. It really is a brain washing that is difficult to change. They are not aware of the brain washing.

There are also mystery schools which can lead one to purification. People don't even realize they exist. They are out there. Subud for example is one of these. SUBUD Susila Budhi Dharma

www.subud.org..." target="_blank" class="postlink">www.subud.org...

Subud gives people a way to directly experience God One on one. They welcome all people regardless of what religion they follow. They welcome all inquiring minds. Searchers of Truth. But that is all I am going to say about them.
There are others to.

If you have eyes, then you will certainly no that something is amiss with The Christian Bible lately.
If you are a true sheep then you will see the corruption of it before your very eyes.
If you are a goat you may be blind to it. But if you have not noticed then you may be in trouble.

Jesus is a contemporary figure in the scheme of things. There are many other figures in history who are just as significant, if not more. If you read ancient scriptures you will come to realize this. People worshiped God well before Jesus arrived.

Seriously right now we are in a very blessed period. Never before in our known history have we had all these ancient texts and scriptures converted not only into our own language. But at our finger tips. But silly stubborn Christians don't take advantage of this. They cling onto the slowly corrupting Bible. Which has been ravaged over the centuries and right now in our time is slowly transforming more and more corruptions. You would have to be blind not to notice. And you would have to crazy not to take advantage of inquiring into other scripture. The Bible today is not what it was in the past.

If you only understood whats is going now and in what will happen in the future. All these scriptures and writings are slowly going to be taken away from the general public. This will eventually happen. And people in that time wont' have the luxury of reading them at will like we do.

Most people would have heard of Martin Luther King. He was famous for saying there are many paths to the top of the Mountain. Just think about that for a second. He is revered for his progressive attitude. Many paths to the top of the Great Mountain. Hmmm.

Anyway we have free will. You are free to stay stuck in a mind set which does not allow you to make inquiry otherwise. You are free to cling onto a slowly decaying Christian Bible. You are free to believe supporting the corporate slaughter houses and consuming millions and millions of animals is okay. You are free to believe the pastors who go round bashing other religions. You are free to turn a blind eye to the good fruit that other branches (religions) are producing. You are free to ignore the bad fruit that is coming out of the Christian branch. This is your choice.

originally posted by: TheInfiniteFantastic
But if you serious about living in His Eternal Abode with Him, you gotta follow His rules. That''s all. If you came to my house you would have to follow my rules. Otherwise I would ask you to leave. Peace. I am out.

True. And that's a conclusion easily reached with simple straightforward logic. I love that kind of truth that one can figure out for themselves without having to be a rocket scientist. That's the kind of stuff I'm looking for on ATS, as much as I can find.

Since you were speaking about "His Eternal Abode" and the concept of someone's house it may be useful to keep in mind Isaiah 66:1-4:

This is what Jehovah says:
“The heavens are my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
Where, then, is the house that you could build for me,
And where is my resting-place?”

2 “My own hand has made all these things,
And this is how they all came to be,” declares Jehovah.
“To this one, then, I will look,
To the one humble and broken in spirit who trembles at* my word. [Or “is anxious about.”]

3 The one slaughtering the bull is like one striking down a man.
The one sacrificing a sheep is like one breaking the neck of a dog.
The one offering a gift—like the blood of a pig!
The one presenting a memorial offering of frankincense is like one saying a blessing with magical words.* [Or possibly, “one praising an idol.”]
They have chosen their own ways,
And they take delight* in what is disgusting. [Or “their soul takes delight.”]

4 So I will choose ways to punish them,
And the very things they dread I will bring upon them.
Because when I called, no one answered;
When I spoke, there were none who listened.
They kept doing what was bad in my eyes,
And they chose to do what displeased me.”

The Bible’s Viewpoint

Are All Religions Different Roads Leading to God?

“I FIND it literally incredible that the God of the whole universe has chosen to be known by one religious tradition,” stated author Marcus Borg. Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu said: “No religion can claim to have the whole truth about the mystery” of faith. A popular Hindu view is “Jotto moth, totto poth,” which means when loosely translated that all religions are but different roads leading to the same goal. Buddhists also share this viewpoint. Indeed, millions of people believe that all religions are different roads leading to God.

Historian Geoffrey Parrinder stated: “It is sometimes said that all religions have the same goal, or are equal ways to the truth, or even that all teach the same doctrines.” The teachings, rituals, and deities of religions are indeed similar. Most religions speak about love and teach that murder, stealing, and lying are wrong. In most religious groups, some put forth sincere efforts to help others. So, then, if one is sincere in his beliefs and tries to live a good life, does it matter what religion he belongs to? Or are all religions just different roads leading to God?

Sincerity Alone—Is It Enough?

Consider the case of the first-century Jewish man named Saul, who became the Christian apostle known as Paul. He was a very zealous adherent of Judaism, and this led him to try to stamp out the worship of the followers of Christ, which worship he felt was improper. (Acts 8:1-3; 9:1, 2) But through God’s mercy Saul came to realize that very religious people like himself might have a zeal for God, and yet, because of not having all the facts, they might be wrong. (Romans 10:2) When Saul learned more about God’s will and dealings, he changed and began to worship with the very ones he had been persecuting—the followers of Jesus Christ.—1 Timothy 1:12-16.

...

Source: Are All Religions Different Roads Leading to God? Awake!—2001

a reply to: TheInfiniteFantastic

1) once I have found the Truth, why should I bother looking elsewhere? what does any other religion have to offer me but error?

2) it's not about purification, it's about salvation.

3) the Holy Bible has withstood 2000 years of attacks and abuse and stands unblemished.

There are many other figures in history who are just as significant, if not more. If you read ancient scriptures you will come to realize this. People worshiped God well before Jesus arrived.

no, no, and no. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. no figure in history can compare.
His existence did not change our worship (of the Father) it made it possible to be reconciled to Him.

4) no one is denying that other faiths do 'good works', I mentioned that in my post. and no one is denying that some Christians are bad trees that produce bad fruit. Christianity is imperfect because it is made of people, who are imperfect. this does not diminish the perfect God and his perfect Word.

a reply to: ElGoobero

no, no, and no. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. no figure in history can compare.

Come now friend. Do we read just one page in a book and know the whole story?

There is much you do not know.
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It is far wiser to read all the pages in the book and come to your conclusion then. Can you not see the corruptions appearing in the book of your own branch?

Modern Christians have the condition of being like frogs in a well.

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