Qs about Xtianity-for any Xtians to answer

Ravyn

this is a copy of a post that I put on a xtian forum after being asked directly what my problem with xtianity was. I open it to anyone who wants to answer me here also. I am trying to learn tolerance amid a hostile environment of extremes. ------------------------------------------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I have a question that seems to be the root of my discontent with Christianity. I will await your answer with the same anticipation that I have patiently cultivated everytime I ask this to another group... WHY should I worship the Jewish God Jehovah? I am not Jewish. More questions, if you would bear with me. Is there room in your particular understanding of Jehovah to allow for a Mother and not just a Father God? It is my understanding that in ancient Jewish myth the female consort of Jehovah was Shekinah and it was only after the rise of patriarchic society that Shekinah was changed into just a symbol. I understand YHWH to be Yod(male-Father) He(female-Mother) Vau(male-Son) He(female-Daughter or Bride of the Son). An all-male, trinity, godhead makes no sense to me at all. The qualities attributed to Holy Spirit are motherly--comfort, wisdom, inspiration...etc. Finally, (for now), do you hold the Bible to be inerrant and closed to further discoveries of ancient manuscripts(such as the Nag Hammadi and Dead Sea Scrolls, other Apocrypha and Pseudopigrapha?) and related to this, how are other religions and their Holy Books viewed? I am really not sure I can return to Christianity after the things I have learned against it(or atleast against how it is represented today.) I have seen the contradictions and discrepancies in the Bible as it is today, and frankly the only way I see some of them being resolved is with the help of some of the other books I mentioned above, yet every group I have researched condemns those very books! I consider myself at the moment to be a New Age(because I do believe in the goodness of some 'spiritistic' practices of this new age) Deist (I do not think the First Cause is a personal god per se, but that there are many other higher entities who have been made gods by humans in our search for divinity) and a Witch as I recognize the need for ritual in my life and feel that magick is merely yet-unproven science. I will wait for your answers. Please take this post as sincere. I really do want to know what I asked and will consider all answers honestly. Ravyn Giuliani

JamesThomas

Deities, are simply creations of an imperfect, finite, carnal and temporal mind. The best the mind can do is create a god or gods in it's own image and likeness, with human imbalance, frailty and shortcomings. There is no reality to them. They are just ideas. We can knock our heads against the wall for the rest of our life trying to make sense out of anthropomorphic celestial beings, but we will never find fulfillment, integrity, wholeness or truth where this is none to begin with. The minds creations are inherently tattered and fragmented....and can change like the weather. Why waste time with them? The true mystics throughout time have harmoniously pointed away from concepts of gods outside of us, to the Infinite depths within as being the domain of divine Truth. JamesT

Liberty

Hi Ravyn,

To me, the concept that the Bible is the inspired word of an intelligent super spirit being capable of creating the Universe (God) is complete and utter nonsense. The Bible is merely another set of human made books filled with some practical wisdom, superstition, and lots of outdated foolishness. I refuse to worship the psychopathic murderer described as God by the Bible. Luckily, all the evidence proves that this Biblical God is just a figment of murderous human psychopaths' imaginations and not a real super spirit being since He is so brutal, stupid, and human-like. It seems to me that the worship of sand mounds or any tangable visible object is preferable to the worship of invisible imaginary insane ego maniacs like Jehoover, His so called human son Jesus the masochist, or the later copy-cat God, Allah the equally violent and murderous. Though I am skeptical of all supernatural claims, being a witch and worshipping trees makes more sense to me than being a Christian, Jew, or a Muslim. Praying to invisible blood thirsty super beings makes less sense to me than believing in magic so, compared to religious fanatics, I'd say being a witch seems pretty normal to me now.

Satanus

Good questions. To your first question, i would add that the genesis word elohim comes from adding the plural suffix, 'him', to the feminine form of god 'eloy' (maybe it's 'eloi'). Thus, in the most primitive part of the bible a word containing the ideas of goddesses and gods is present.

I have not been able to find any evidence of a personal divine supreme being. I tend towards what jamesthomas said, as well as god being organic like, in formation. I heard alan watts describe 'god' in this way.

SS

Robdar

Greetings Ravyyn

You ask great questions.

Please keep in mind that I am not a fundie so, other answers will be different. WHY should I worship the Jewish God Jehovah? I am not Jewish. I don't think that you have to worship Jehovah. The "Creator" is known by many names including "HU". When addressing God/Goddess, I usually use the terms "Universal Spirit, Creator, Father, Mother, or Christ" I usually address that aspect that I feel will best identify with the experiences I am talking to them about. Is there room in your particular understanding of Jehovah to allow for a Mother and not just a Father God? It is my understanding that in ancient Jewish myth the female consort of Jehovah was Shekinah and it was only after the rise of patriarchic society that Shekinah was changed into just a symbol. I understand YHWH to be Yod(male-Father) He(female-Mother) Vau(male-Son) He(female-Daughter or Bride of the Son). An all-male, trinity, godhead makes no sense to me at all. The qualities attributed to Holy Spirit are motherly--comfort, wisdom, inspiration...etc. You are correct about Shekinah. They have even unearthed ruins of her temples in Israel. Perhaps you saw this documented on the History Channel? To many Xtians, the Holy Spirit is feminine. I address her as such. Finally, (for now), do you hold the Bible to be inerrant and closed to further discoveries of ancient manuscripts(such as the Nag Hammadi and Dead Sea Scrolls, other Apocrypha and Pseudopigrapha?) and related to this, how are other religions and their Holy Books viewed? I have read portions of the Apocrypha, The Book of Enoch and the Quran. I find them to be interesting but haven't gotten any real info out of them. The Book of Enoch offered a little more info regarding the "elect" but it really didn't alter my beliefs. It was too vague. As more books or scrolls become available, I will read them. When I have time.... I hope that these answers help you on your quest. Love, Robyn

Ravyn

***You are correct about Shekinah. They have even unearthed ruins of her temples in Israel. Perhaps you saw this documented on the History Channel? To many Xtians, the Holy Spirit is feminine. I address her as such.***

Dear Robdar,

I have heard some about that--did not see the show--wish I did. But I got my info from Barbara Walker, primarily her Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets.

thanks everyone so far! Most of your responses reflect more or less how I feel about it too. So what about some actual xtian responses? yoooohooooo anyone out there?

Ravyn

Robin, SS, Liberty and James T:

so what, if anything, do you call yourselves? (I do not want to appear hung up on labels, but it helps me define myself and gives me something to answer to when I am questioned by others.....)

Ravyn

Satanus

I don't call myself anything, really. I have settled on certain things that appear true. These can come from tibetan buddhist, taoist, individual, or scientific origins, or my own experiences. Also some from the christian mystics.

SS the unlabelled apostate

Nomad Soul

"So what about some actual xtian responses? yoooohooooo anyone out there?"

LOL, sounds like you want someone to contradict you, so you will try to win an argument.

But hey, it may just be me.

Francois

I fully agree with the sentiments of my fellow traveling brother, James Thomas, upon which I cannot improve - so I won't try.

I call myself a son of God, a citizen of the universe, immortal from this point forward. If I had to select from the list of labels currently available, I would without hesitation call myself a Mystic. I do have enough characteristics of what is known as a mystic to adopt that label: I am aware of the aura, in a non-visual manner, of one person or a room full of persons; I derive considerable & valuable information therefrom. I become instantly aware of the germane aspects of a person with whom I am engaged in conversation long before that person reveals that information to me. And I am right far more often than I am wrong. I frequently know much about the end of any given situation from the beginning. My own personality has undergone massive, tornadic change since the first day I first put my foot on the Razor's Edge and consciously began the Infinite Journey. And, far more important and telling than all the foregoing, I have had multiple experiences with The Light, and would be happy and content to live forever in the presence of that Light.

For these reasons and others, I call myself a Mystic - in the right company.

francois

Qs about Xtianity-for any Xtians to answer

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