In the Beginning There Was ()

originally posted by: Raggedyman

originally posted by: pthena
a reply to: Raggedyman
Sometimes I think Christianity is wasted on Christians.

Gandhi said,
“Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you christians, you are not like him”

Funny, if you read my threads and posts and I am sure anyone who did, they would see that your comment is a common and sincere theme within
I go to church, know many christians, I see and here it first hand, left churches because of what I see and hear. That and I am one, so Pthena, nothing not obvious to me personally.

Now what I wrote, it was a simple gospel message of love
God created us for love
We sinned
Jesus took our sin to welcome us back
Should we just accept
It’s not but a simple answer to your narrative

As for should I live it exestentially, yes we agree, I try

So many contradictions. There is no spirituality in shame and extortion.

a reply to: pthena

How did I just read this now? Haha, imagining this team together really gave me heart. Give em hell, boys!

These baby robins (2) are growing strong and popping their wrinkly fuzzy heads out quite often. Mom is busy all day tasked with filling those open beaks!

originally posted by: pthena
a reply to: Nothin

[ Where will this madness lead ? ]

Just to prove that Eidetic memory is shot full of holes:

There's this joke I heard in school once. In my memory it is associated with the time we were learning about the Erie Canal ... or was it the Mississippi steam boats ... ? What grade was that? Was it 4th grade or 5th grade? I'm pretty sure it wasn't 6th grade, because 6th grade was about Mexico History.

Anyway:
So this traveling merchant with his cart load of merchandise was riding up the road. He came to a fork in the road. There was no sign post marking which way where. So he asked a farmer standing close by: "Say, where does this road go?"

The farmer looked at the road for a bit then looked at the merchant and said, "Why mister, this road don't go nowhere. It just sits right here."

Since the farmer had a Missouri drawl, I'm pretty sure it was the Mississippi steam boats. But then again, maybe I'm just imagining the Missouri drawl. In which case:

I don't know!!!

Hey mister ! You gonna finish that hot-dog ?

Nowhere to go.
Even the road behind, fades into fogginess.

a reply to: TzarChasm

Ahh so you believe “christians” extort money from governments, business and other christians, I agree
That Christians don’t understand the bible, I agree

But that doesn’t mean you are right
People are greedy but you can’t buy faith, you can’t sell it, can’t buy belief. The greed is all the add ons that greedy people want to buy, believe will make them happy

TC, you have no concept of christianity but think you do

a reply to: TzarChasm

True spirituality is never wasted on anything.

I really don't know what spirituality is.

It got to be pretty popular (downright faddish) for people to say:
"I'm not religious but I am spiritual."

So I did a bit of analysis on religious versus spiritual.
I concluded that religion is down to Earth reality of people interacting with one another, society, and the World". The notion that religion is required to answer questions of origins of the universe and how one is to achieve immortality is of modern invention. Religion can exist quite fine without those questions being answered.

I would hazard to say that everyone is religious whether they acknowledge that or not. In fact, it does great violence to the human ( something ) to think that we can cut that part of us off. That part is what binds each individual's self together, and person to person, and person to the whole World.

As for spiritual, I don't know what that is.

That is why I have a retort to the faddish sayings:

I am not spiritual, I am religious

ETA
Maybe it's a matter of semantics:

When I say religion, people hear Divisive Organized Institutional Dogma when maybe what I should say is spiritual.

But I don't get to say spiritual because I cursed the Wind. Wind is spirit. Same word in the Greek. And as it is written in Greek:
Matthew 12:

31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

I wrote this fiction story. It's fiction because Air doesn't speak English, and someone had to be the spokesperson, J Dove wasn't qualified to claim he understood, so Air had to be the spokesperson because I didn't want to introduce a chorus.
The Suspension of J Dove

a reply to: zosimov

How did I just read this now?

There was something I had to do that I couldn't have done if brought back down to Earth to soon. So it was One Of Those Things That Happens

Now I'll tell you the situation:

My son in law contacted another painter. He's talking about moving the nest. And you know what that means when humans mess with bird's nests

So I have to gain the trust of the birds to such a high degree that they won't think it necessary to do what birds normally do.

The male's job is to distract predators. That's why they are more colorful (which also relates to female response to males). The female choice depends on whether the male seems to be able to do his job, fulfill his responsibilities.

So of course this fine example of a male is very bold in getting close to me; just in case he has to distract me by risking his life for the sake of the family, and for the future.

The teamwork is what is needed, that sense of unity of purpose. We need to have the same religion. (see response to TzarChasm for explanation).

I don't know if I'll be able to do what I must. Life is full of uncertainty.

===============
Now that I'm back down to Earth ...
...
Um,

Thank you my friend

Edit To Add:
So just now I went out. The male was in the tree.
He said, "Don't forget to tell her about the grasshopper yesterday."

Yeah, yesterday, he caught a grasshopper and got within six feet to show it to me.

a reply to: Nothin

Even the road behind, fades into fogginess.

In hindsight
I'd say
Maybe?

a reply to: zosimov

I forgot to say give my regards to the Robins;
from a safe distance of course.

Now in case I scared you into thinking that I am an atheist, you may rest assured that I am not. That closeted atheist post was merely an example of fear. I didn't say I was such.

A couple of posts on another thread proves that I am not an atheist:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

The second one is so cool that I've just got to put it here for all eternity.

My conclusion is this:

Based upon the Biblical term: The Living God.

When you find ( ) instead of ()
then you will also find that ( ) is not eternal.

I had to overcome my phobia of parentheses before I could use the proper notation.

originally posted by: Raggedyman
a reply to: TzarChasm

Ahh so you believe “christians” extort money from governments, business and other christians, I agree
That Christians don’t understand the bible, I agree

But that doesn’t mean you are right
People are greedy but you can’t buy faith, you can’t sell it, can’t buy belief. The greed is all the add ons that greedy people want to buy, believe will make them happy

TC, you have no concept of christianity but think you do

I know what institutional religion is.

a reply to: TzarChasm

Well I know what the EIC is so that makes me smarter than you does it?
Believe what you want or don’t, but don’t think you understand christian theology

The first miracle Jesus performed in the bible was His first assault on religion, he never stopped, ever

Evangelical Industrial Complex, pretty exciting isn’t it

Don’t care what you think you know, it’s irrelevant, just trying to make yourself sound relevant so you can swing your ego around
Yawn

originally posted by: Raggedyman
a reply to: TzarChasm

Well I know what the EIC is so that makes me smarter than you does it?
Believe what you want or don’t, but don’t think you understand christian theology

The first miracle Jesus performed in the bible was His first assault on religion, he never stopped, ever

Evangelical Industrial Complex, pretty exciting isn’t it

Don’t care what you think you know, it’s irrelevant, just trying to make yourself sound relevant so you can swing your ego around
Yawn

Is it not ego that craves god to take your hand and give you redemption and a seat in paradise when you die? Is it not ego which is afraid and ashamed and insists on being loved and saved? And it's rather telling that your immediate response was to attack me personally. Very spiritual and enlightened of you.

a reply to: TzarChasm

Is it not ego that craves god to take your hand and give you redemption and a seat in paradise when you die? Is it not ego which is afraid and ashamed and insists on being loved and saved?

That's a common situation.

But with regard to you raising the issue of Problem of Pain, Problem of Evil, Problem of Death on the other thread:

What if God is not eternal?
What if God lives much longer than individual mortals?
What if God is mortal too?

No going to heaven all alone.
Just staying here at home with us.

Maybe, just maybe, remembering the nameless, dehumanized victims.
Remembering the suffering, the pain, the names.
And yes, dying with us.

What if God has no problem with dying at a ripe old age?

originally posted by: pthena
a reply to: zosimov

I forgot to say give my regards to the Robins;
from a safe distance of course.

They told me to tell you this:


They said you would understand.



I will get to the rest of your post presently.

Hope you're doing fine!

a reply to: zosimov

They said you would understand.

They may well have said that.

but

Did you explain to them that still photos are not the same as videos?


They sure look big! It's like baby robins are bigger than adult wrens!

Hope you're doing fine!

"Feed me! Feed me!" I think that's what they're saying. They're babies after all.


Of course they could be singing a hymn or something. From the mouths of babes, ya know?

originally posted by: TzarChasm

originally posted by: Raggedyman
a reply to: TzarChasm

Well I know what the EIC is so that makes me smarter than you does it?
Believe what you want or don’t, but don’t think you understand christian theology

The first miracle Jesus performed in the bible was His first assault on religion, he never stopped, ever

Evangelical Industrial Complex, pretty exciting isn’t it

Don’t care what you think you know, it’s irrelevant, just trying to make yourself sound relevant so you can swing your ego around
Yawn

Is it not ego that craves god to take your hand and give you redemption and a seat in paradise when you die? Is it not ego which is afraid and ashamed and insists on being loved and saved?
And it's rather telling that your immediate response was to attack me personally. Very spiritual and enlightened of you.

Yeah, I assume thats the way you think TC, I understand that but you are projecting your thoughts, ideals and opinion on me.
Thats not entirely fair is it now.
Christianity is a lot of things but ego, no, not at all, you seem to know that hence your reply "Very spiritual and enlightened of you." isnt that funny, you use christianity when it suits as an attack, then you offer ego?
I have ego, in my rebuttal to you, just human.

My apologies

a reply to: pthena

Or imagine God was love and wanted to share His love with equals and creating those equals was purpose.
According to the bible, believers have the Holy Spirit within then, inside Jesus who is within God

What if He is eternal and wants to share His love

a reply to: Raggedyman

What if He is eternal and wants to share His love

What if eternity isn't real?

What if people put demands on God that God cannot fulfill?

If you could die(eternally) for God would you?

originally posted by: pthena
a reply to: Raggedyman

What if He is eternal and wants to share His love

What if eternity isn't real?

What if people put demands on God that God cannot fulfill?

If you could die(eternally) for God would you?

Philosophically eternity isnt real? I cant comprehend that, just cant, there must always be something, even nothing is something.
What if God has told the truth and Jesus did rise, what if He can do it?
What do I lose, I try to be better today than I was yesterday.

If I could die eternally for God, would I ? Again, not understanding the reasoning, eternal nothing doesnt scare me, I believe that is Gods plan for those who dont accept His relationship, off into nothing, a nirvana of nothing. Gone forgotten, no more, nil, burned away.
I believe heaven is being with God

a reply to: Raggedyman

What if God has told the truth and Jesus did rise, what if He can do it?

Has He told you?

I believe heaven is being with God

Faith cannot be forced.
It is real or not real.
If it is real than your faith can withstand any doubter's comments or memes.



Which seems more real?

You don't have to answer to me. Answer to yourself.

Read this story:www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: pthena

My faith is not something I have pondered lite, my beliefs are not shallow and self centred.
Jesus forgave sin before His death, many times, my opinion is He wanted to show the world what the truth was, there is a life after death for those who choose

His sole purpose was to end religion, pretty content Jesus completed that. There is nothing for me to do but try and love others.

Can chase a tail but there is no value.
It’s not about me, Jesus chose destruction over glory, no other system is so preposterous, so counter cultural, so meaningful.

I don’t buy into the esoteric psychobabble, the path is very clear in my humble opinion.

Jesus never said relax, He called for believers to have faith because, everything seems to point away from what He spoke, everything we believe and are taught by the world is opposite to what Jesus lived.
In fact Jesus told us to take up our own cross indicating how difficult this world will be for believers.
I am not expecting anything but just to hold on. No, “she will be right mate” message from Him or me in this world.
Have faith in spite of what we do suffer and will suffer, hold on, hold fast, it gets worse much worse.
Not sure your expectations of christianity, what you once believed but mine are different