i'm hoping to get clarity on a few points, but please, don't think i'm too lazy to do my own research: i do not have a bible in my house.. or the koran.
or the book of mormon.
or a copy of hitchhikers guide to the galaxy (unfortunately ).
Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go to the meeting, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, and train us in the theocratic ministry school, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from the Watchtower, the word of Jehovah from the kingdom hall.
Isaiah 2:2-4 - The New World Mistranslation of the holy Scriptures
if i want to forgive someone, it's not necessary for me to punish anyone.
it makes absolutely no sense to me, why an almighty, loving god would punish his son, for an offense that someone else committed.
here is what some others to have to say on the topic.
There is nothing new about sacrificing to a god or gods. Like most of the bible the ideas are taken from mythology and rehashed. "Many religious ceremonies have included sacrifice, the act of giving up something of value and offering it to a deity. Worshipers may make a sacrifice to win the favor of the deity, to give thanks, or to maintain a good relationship with the god. Myths from around the world contain many examples of sacrifices in which animals, humans, and even gods shed blood or die. Sometimes the sacrifice is linked with creation or with the continuation of life on earth." Read more: Sacrifice - Myth Encyclopedia - mythology, god, story, names, ancient, tree, animal, war, Norse, Hindu, world, creation, life, king, people, fire, warriorhttp://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Pr-Sa/Sacrifice.html#ixzz10afH3PdE
so what silly things have you been counselled on or simply been told off for?.
back in my early 20's, i had a pair of comfy old jeans that started to tear in about 3 places on the leg.
it was the fashion at the time so not only did they feel great to wear, they also looked 'in', not that i cared for that, but it was a bonus .
Wearing suede boots on the platform.
omg i got up and tripped over some cases i had on the floor.
i landed on my forehead, left knee and left fist.. my glasses moved up and dug into my forehead so i have some pretty interesting marks there.. i have a doctor who lives two doors down from me and he came over and checked me out.. i didn't lose consciousness or have other signs of concussion.
no broken bones.. but i am sore all over.. my doctor friend said if i have any problems to call him.
Sorry to hear of your tumble. These cases you triped over were they contraband?
I hope you are on the mend.
a thought occured to me today that very rarely in the bible is god shown to have unconditional love.
his whole basis of looking after the israelites was about " do as i say and i will love you, but if you don't i will kill you!".
surely thats as about as conditional as love can get.. then of course there is jesus dying for us.
Deputy Dog Repentance of sin and faith are gifts from God as well.
Ah! I missed out on those presents.
Must have been because I didn't celebrate Christmas for so many years .
a thought occured to me today that very rarely in the bible is god shown to have unconditional love.
his whole basis of looking after the israelites was about " do as i say and i will love you, but if you don't i will kill you!".
surely thats as about as conditional as love can get.. then of course there is jesus dying for us.
Don't know if I fully concur, Gladiator.
Most people don't concur with me Jeff. I have some wacky ideas! My younger brother has not spoken to me for 9 years due to his JW allegiance. I still love him unconditionally but only because he is my brother, which is a condition.
I hope you and your sister can get close again.
Salvation is an unconditional GIFT from God obtained by repentance of sin and faith in Christ's sacrifice.
Sounds conditional to me.
You see I can't meet those requirements or conditions, so I will have to pass on everlasting life.
a thought occured to me today that very rarely in the bible is god shown to have unconditional love.
his whole basis of looking after the israelites was about " do as i say and i will love you, but if you don't i will kill you!".
surely thats as about as conditional as love can get.. then of course there is jesus dying for us.
All love is conditional. We love according to the values we hold.
For example a Christian who professes unconditional love is still unlikely to love the devil or his demons. They are instructed to hate what is bad. Though it could be argued that the devil portrayed in the bible is more honest than the Israelite god and not 'bad.'
But leaving the Christians alone, because they are such nice people on the whole, we all place conditions on whom we will love unconditionally. Do human parents love their children unconditionally? Or is the condition that they are their children. According to the bible, God loves those who choose to become his children through adoption based on faith is Jesus. For the bastards, those left outside, a day of fiery judgement is reserved.
I like to think that I am honest enough to admit that my relationships are conditional. To give your heart to someone is an act of great trust and must not be undertaken in a rash, careless and unconditional way.
Hearts can be broken.
i first heard this when i was in rehab five years ago.
i cant find the video they showed us on line may be just as well.
the speaker was a priest with some funny mannerisms but he knew what he was talking about.. .
This is very true.
It takes a lot of energy to keep recreating our version of the past in our mind.
We can stop supplying that energy and divert it to a useful endeavour.
dear ones.
rather, it is our adversary who says we will do anything... anything... to avoid it.
a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g. even curse god to his face.
The Issue is Not that God WANTS Us to Suffer...
Suffering is a part of life in the physical world. There is no God. No issue.
"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." - from Hamlet , Wm. Shakespeare; Act II, scene ii.
Its a beautiful morning here in southern England. No sign of God in my garden, just foxes, squirrels and birds. I just knew I would feel better if I settled this debate before I went out.
May your imaginary gods go with you, as do mine, and your devotion to many words not become an unbearable burden to you.
A slave of life who won his freedom.
before the age of enlightenment the earth was filled with many nations living under vastly differing beliefs about the world.. tribes, nations and empires possessed fanciful superstitious beliefs about their own importance in the big picture.. religion helped man find a place among fearful gods and demons.
faith and belief, ritual and performance duties, helped man allay fears by.
becoming active in appeasing the gods and shunning the evil spirits.. judaism allowed adherents a means of ridding themselves of sin (animal sacrifice) and accounting for wrongs (justice via law).. christianity removed animal sacrifice and substituted fealty to the church (catholic).
In answer to the topic thread, what little intellect I have is invested in being a Post-Enlightenment freedom fighter.
"I will not make any deals with you... I've resigned... I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered! My life is my own."
Patrick McGoohan as Number 6
