Strange thing about the Bible is that though it is full of shit it's affects on spiritual growth is more along the lines of Agent Orange. IMHO.
j
JamesThomas
JoinedPosts by JamesThomas
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15
How Does Your Garden Grow?
by OpenFireGlass inlife is like growing a garden... there's alot of people who may swear by, "miricle-gro"(the bible)... but that is not the only way to grow your garden green... .
i mean, yes there is an optimal formula to grow a nice garden, but not everyone uses "miricle-gro"... some of us use bone meal, blood meal, and chicken manure.
while others use, bat guanno, soy meal, and fish emulsion.
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43
JESUS AND ZEN
by onesong inin his book " the zen teachings of jesus",michael leong presents a very different way of understanding some of the things jesus taught--thru the eyes of eastern thought.. here's a couple of examples.
(he first explains that we should try to view jesus as a poet teaching us how to live beautifully.).
when jesus is questioned as to the greatest commandment and his reply "you must love god with your whole heart, mind and strength.
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JamesThomas
Yes, onesong, I understand. I did not mean to detract from your book. I may have been responding in the light of past memory of when I considered Jesus as my Master; and for me this exaltation resulted in separating me further from the presence of truth. In other words in order to make Jesus brighter, I had to dim the light within myself. I found it more beneficial to kill the Master....as the Buddhist saying goes.
j
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JESUS AND ZEN
by onesong inin his book " the zen teachings of jesus",michael leong presents a very different way of understanding some of the things jesus taught--thru the eyes of eastern thought.. here's a couple of examples.
(he first explains that we should try to view jesus as a poet teaching us how to live beautifully.).
when jesus is questioned as to the greatest commandment and his reply "you must love god with your whole heart, mind and strength.
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JamesThomas
Jesus and Zen.
Right away there is a problem as such wording implies something specific to someone; when what the word Z-E-N attempts to points to is the identical foundational reality of everyone and everything.
It's not about anything which Jesus was refuted to have said, or what anyone says. It's not about words and thoughts, nor concepts and interpretations, nor beliefs of any kind. It's about what comes before everything. It's about what all exists in and as, right now. It's about what you really are; what everything truly is. It's about present reality.
Even though it is here already and has always been, as strange as this may seem, we can't get there via the mind. Our truth is too big and immediate.
j
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75
Infallibility of Scripture
by drew sagan inone of this biggest teachings present in mostly all christian denominations is the idea that the bible is infallibile.
my question is, where does the bible say this?
i know of many scriptures that point to the idea that what was written was directed by god, but where does the idea that what written is totally without error originate?
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JamesThomas
A fool needs his bag of tricks, and I had a beautifully embroidered and beaded bag of them past down to me be the original bag-o-trick makers. My bag was the star around which my life orbited. It gave me reason and meaning and purpose. It made me feel good and gave me hope. Then one day, the dog ate it.
Oh, what a tragedy. For a while all I knew was my sorrow and pain of loss. Then I began to notice something; all around and within was a vibrancy of reality and life that had been missed. It seems that all this time the price I was paying for my cherished bag of tricks was my ears and eyes and senses. Now I have no little bag in-which to place my soul; and instead I have life and being which goes on forever.
I have no specific place to place myself; and so -- I am free.
j
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36
A Kind and Loving God
by Dr Jekyll ina number of people have asked where i disappeared to and why i stopped posting.
so that i dont have to keep typing the reason out im putting it here.
it might just make some of you think about what a loving god you serve.
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JamesThomas
Thank you, Matt, for sharing with us the heartbreaking story of beautiful little Tyler; and may I echo unclebruce in acknowledging your presence and help in this extremely difficult situation.
As far as "God", I never found any satisfying answers from my mind and it's beliefs and deities. However, there is wisdom to be found outside the box of thought, like in the precious eyes of little Tyler. Here, shining bright even from the photo, is a purity unclouded by thoughts of right and wrong, good and bad. A pristine awareness which has built no walls of separation, or "other". What looked out from Tyler's beautiful eyes, saw only itself; and it made the body smile.
This very same pristine awareness -- just beneath all we believe ourselves and others to be -- is what we all really are.
Thank you, dear little Tyler, for the reminder.
j
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truth seekers vs. truth knowers.......Interesting thought
by PaNiCAtTaCk inpeople should be "truth-seekers", not "truth-knowers".
it's the truth-knowers that cause problems b/c they think everyone is wrong and that promotes intolerance.
whereas truth-seekers are open minded and always ready to learn new things abt the many different truths out there.
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JamesThomas
There is TRUTH that takes us beyond "open mindedness" as it sets awareness free of the mind.
This TRUTH, is the realization of what we really are.
j
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10
Did C.S. Lewis say this?
by Sunnygal41 ini was watching naomi judd's morning program, and she recited a quote and attributed it to c.s.
lewis...........i love it and wish to share it with you all: .
"god is the love that loves all loving"
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JamesThomas
Matt. 12:31 And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Sounds to me like there is a bit of grace to cover circumstances beyond our control, or our natural misunderstandings.
Yes, bebu, that sounds good on paper, but when you look at the actual actions of the Bible god in the OT you see quite the opposite. Also it is a requirement in escaping the Bible gods wrath that you accept him. Which is like saying: "God is the love that loves all loving, and will kill you if you don't believe it". I'm only expressing what the Bible has shown me if I just honestly look at it without a sacred cow to protect.j
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10
Did C.S. Lewis say this?
by Sunnygal41 ini was watching naomi judd's morning program, and she recited a quote and attributed it to c.s.
lewis...........i love it and wish to share it with you all: .
"god is the love that loves all loving"
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JamesThomas
Your first erroneous assumption: you have concluded that I take all scripture totally literal.
So, none of the murder and destruction attributed to god in the Bible is meant to be taken as real? How then do we know what is bs and what isn't?
Your second error is to assume that God needs me to defend His judgements.
Sorry, I thought you were one of his champions.
Your most grievous error though, is to assume that you have some right to judge the Creator's actions. By His very nature God sets the days of our lives in this physical realm: He is the arbiter and has all providence and assumes full responsibility.
I'm simply judging the actions of the vile little Bible god. Your grievous error is unquestionably accepting this tribal-man-god-of-war out of a story book, as our true and real source.
j
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24
I saw The Exorcist last night! ...and no demon problems yet!!! ;)
by Kudra inyee haw!
i am working my way through all the movies that are supposed to open me up to demon influences in order to attract demon possession in an effort to prove whether or not there is a god.
juuuust kidding.
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JamesThomas
I assume you are serious
It was said in jest. I am the jester. You are the jestee.
j for jest
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24
I saw The Exorcist last night! ...and no demon problems yet!!! ;)
by Kudra inyee haw!
i am working my way through all the movies that are supposed to open me up to demon influences in order to attract demon possession in an effort to prove whether or not there is a god.
juuuust kidding.
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JamesThomas
Be patient. They'll grab you when you least expect it.
j