Be as a Child?

therealguyfawkes
And LOOK: this teaching of Jesus exactly mirrors the Taoist/Buddhist teaching of striving to return to your original face.

It's almost like the root of both the major western and eastern religions are exactly the same--refining the self to purify the spirit/soul. What a coincidence....

Coincidence doesn't exist my friend...

Even the word defines itself...

there is a reason for everything, but we are behind the proverbial veil... so we don't see the reasons behind everything

intrepid
My take on this is that children are innocent. They haven't been contaminated by prejudice and bigotry. Those are learned behaviors.

Correct... but how does one remove the contamination of said issues?

As per usual, Jesus gives us the simple answer...

Judge not lest ye be judged...

Look at the world through a childs eyes... without judgement

We all make mistakes... but the mistake doesn't define the person... the actions (or lack there of) of said person does...

Thanks for the thread, it came as a reminder to something I am really trying to change about myself, to not judge others or things that happen.
Judgement, especially negative, really only brings more unhappiness into one's life, I realised.
Children are so much more open and welcoming to new things and experiences, when does that change? what is it that triggers the change into an "adult" way of thinking?
is it the realisation and fear of death? That we only have a short time here, and therefore we must protect ourselves?

reply to post by athousandlives

Children are so much more open and welcoming to new things and experiences, when does that change?

It changes when we are "taught" how we should react to certain things...

When we are taught to judge our environment instead of accepting it as it is...

Thanks for your reply

reply to post by Akragon


yeah, but when did the people who taught us that change themselves? What makes us start to judge our environment?
Its a bit like what came before the chicken or the egg? lol

athousandlives
reply to post by Akragon

 

yeah, but when did the people who taught us that change themselves? What makes us start to judge our environment?
Its a bit like what came before the chicken or the egg? lol

Its the same answer... We learn from those that raise us...

Some choose to trace our morality back to biblical times...

Jesus had the right idea... Even called himself "the way"...

Then people started to mix his teaching with the crap in the OT, and they ended up back where they started...

Everyone knows whats right... Its "written in our hearts"... but not everyone listens to that little voice in their heads

Thus... IF we do not judge, the world is neutral... Neither good or bad

It just is what it is

Akragon

athousandlives
reply to post by Akragon

 

yeah, but when did the people who taught us that change themselves? What makes us start to judge our environment?
Its a bit like what came before the chicken or the egg? lol

Its the same answer... We learn from those that raise us...

Some choose to trace our morality back to biblical times...

Jesus had the right idea... Even called himself "the way"...

Then people started to mix his teaching with the crap in the OT, and they ended up back where they started...

Everyone knows whats right... Its "written in our hearts"... but not everyone listens to that little voice in their heads

Thus... IF we do not judge, the world is neutral... Neither good or bad

It just is what it is

edit on 14-11-2013 by Akragon because: (no reason given)

Hmm, well I judge that hemlock is poisonous, therefore I shouldn't eat it.
Is hemlock therefore neutral because I judged it to be poisonous and that I shouldn't eat it.

reply to post by WarminIndy


Is simple logic the same as judgement?

To judge is to form an opinion

IF something is poisonous that isn't an opinion... its a fact, and can not be altered by thought

Akragon

therealguyfawkes
And LOOK: this teaching of Jesus exactly mirrors the Taoist/Buddhist teaching of striving to return to your original face.

It's almost like the root of both the major western and eastern religions are exactly the same--refining the self to purify the spirit/soul. What a coincidence....

Coincidence doesn't exist my friend...

Even the word defines itself...

there is a reason for everything, but we are behind the proverbial veil... so we don't see the reasons behind everything

Should've put the sarcasm tag on... I mean "coincidence" in the most ironic of ways.

Truthfully I believe that the original essence of all major religions are exactly the same--purifying the self through meditation/spiritual practices. The same commonalities can be found across all major religions. There exists a common ancient knowledge of soul purification upon which all of these spiritual traditions were first founded. Jesus is as enlightened as Buddah who's enlightened as Lao Tzu who's enlightened as... you get the idea.

Truth is, all these religions are fundamentally the same. They're all taking slightly different paths, slightly different routes; but no matter which religion you follow, they're all trying to climb up the same mountain.

reply to post by Akragon


Nope. What Jesus was saying was, unless you run to him without fear and with abandon and with complete trust, you will not see the kingdom of heaven.

Those children knew who he was, even though he was a stranger to them and had never seen him before, they knew he was God and they did what Adam did at the first before he fell, ran to see their truest friend, their maker.

A good parent inspires their children, and in so doing their little ones trust them completely.

It's about putting everything in Christ and trusting him completely and that is the greatest glory you could give him.

lonewolf19792000
reply to post by Akragon

 

Nope. What Jesus was saying was, unless you run to him without fear and with abandon and with complete trust, you will not see the kingdom of heaven.

Those children knew who he was, even though he was a stranger to them and had never seen him before, they knew he was God and they did what Adam did at the first before he fell, ran to see their truest friend, their maker.

A good parent inspires their children, and in so doing their little ones trust them completely.

It's about putting everything in Christ and trusting him completely and that is the greatest glory you could give him.

Nope?

LOL

How easily you dismiss the words of your saviour.... Read the passage again... He called the child... The child did not run to him

reply to post by Akragon


And what did the Lord do when he came to Adam? He called to him, and Adam ran to him without fear. I'm not dismissing anything.

Google how many times "trust in the Lord" appears in the OT. That should tell you something. Adults have a hard time trusting, after a time we become jaded and we lose sight of that trust. Jesus fighting death and conquering him, was geared for that purpose, to restore that trust.

Do you know why Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves after they fell? They lost trust not just with God but with each other, and it brought them shame. That is why we wear clothes now instead of everyone running around buck naked like we did at the first. The fear of judgment, not the Lord's judgment but each other's. This is why only a man and his wife are supposed to be naked together, but nowadays that close bond has been corrupted and perverted.

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


Except Adam and eve never existed to begin with...

Its genetically impossible for all of humanity to have come from one man... Unless we are all products of incest.. Which we are not...

There was no time in the history of eartg where there were only two people

You have to look past the myths and legends in the book to see the truth brother

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


Where'd you get this idea? Jesus called the child to him, it says nothing about running to Jesus at all. What you're doing is called exegesis, putting your own meaning onto the words.

Jesus says you must "change" or "convert" to being like a child again. Unless change or convert actually mean run then you are wrong. His point was to not be judgmental and to forgive others like little children do.

Children do not hold grudges against others, they easily forgive and forget unlike your god who never forgives by sending people to eternal punishment. That means forever and ever, no hope of forgiveness.... ever.

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


You've never heard of nudist colonies? Those people go EVERYWHERE naked, to the store, the movies, to family reunions, and even church!

The society that man has set up has made being naked taboo, it has taught us to be ashamed of our bodies. A piece of fruit and a snake have nothing to do with it.

Children on the other hand will run butt naked down the street with a smile on their face, not a care in the world. Know why? Because they do not judge others or themselves.

Oh, and by the way, clothes have other uses besides hiding our bodies from others. The main one is to keep us warm when it is cold.

reply to post by 3NL1GHT3N3D1


LOL... Especially in Canada!!

I'd personally have no issue running around stark naked....

Except i'd freeze me Knackers off!!

reply to post by Akragon


I believe it means, give up your critical mind - and do whatever those who assume authority over you command you to do.

Follow like a sheep, have the mind of a child - yeah - Christianity was all about empowerment (of the ruling and intellectual classes).

People should understand that Christianity was the result of Constantine's dream to consolidate the western and eastern Roman Empire around the year 300AD. He brought together scholars and priests and developed the Christian religion from the myth and tales of Egypt and the gnostics. While Christianity in various forms certainly existed before 300AD, it was rife with contradictions and a plethora of rival sects - and had no central set of texts to insure a uniform approach.

Constantine's vision was to create a uniform religion for the empire, with Constantinople and the Holy Roman Emperor at its center. That this was a visionary and brilliant strategy is evidenced by the incredible duration of that empire, Byzantine. That empire is the longest lasting empire in recorded history, lasting around 1,000 years.

Christianity was a religion developed to appease the poor and to cement the power of the rich. For the poor it gave a sense of nobility in their poverty - advising them that their sufferings would be rewarded in an afterlife. That they should accept adversity, and tyranny and obey their rulers.

In short it was an ideal religion upon which to base a tyrannical empire - culture is created from the ground up, and religion - which is philosophy combined with myth, music and symbols designed to invoke emotion is by far the most powerful method to build a cultural base.

reply to post by Amagnon


Well said...

Though I wasn't talking about "Christianity" in the OP... I was talking about Jesus...

Big difference

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


Wow. Awesome response.

I always thought about that. Adam and Eve were naked and God had no problem with nudity. It was only after they talked with the serpent and ate the fruit that they became ashamed of natural Beauty and changed nakedness to only mean sex.

reply to post by arpgme


Speaking of "being as a child"... DO you like Thomas?

37 His disciples said, "When will you appear to us, and when will we see you?"

Jesus said, "When you strip without being ashamed, and you take your clothes and put them under your feet like little children and trample then, then [you] will see the son of the living one and you will not be afraid."


interesting how the OT God gives "adam and eve"... Knowledge... yet this "fruit" which the OT God gives makes them ashamed of themselves... Similar to what a good portion of Christianity teaches, that being self hatred...

Yet Jesus says "don't be ashamed"...

Judge a tree by the fruit it bears.... Right?