Are You A Recovering Christian? Plus my interview with Jesus Chr
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- rhonda11
- Kassper
- IM1
- Kassper
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» rhonda11 - I can understand how your extreme experiences could have colored
I can understand how your extreme experiences could have colored your views. I am only sorry that you did not turn to the Bible itself and find the answers there. Basing on feelings held during your 'conversation', any sort of ideas then get treated as truth. Some of the ideas that came at that time do not stand up to the truth revealed in the Bible.....and that is dangerous.In matters of faith, feelings have a part, warning us off as in your experience, as well as confirming our contact with the Lord. But human feelings are no foundation to base such vital truths on. There must be an authority, God Himself. In Christ there is that authority as the only way to God. Either this (and Jesus Himself) is accepted or denied. All Bible history proclaims the error of 'multi-faith' options. The Israelites paid dearly for that mistake over and over again when they turned away from the one true God.
How tragic that this same 'option' is still plaguing seekers of good will through-out the world. Unfortunately, the proclaimers of our Lord have gotten their message shaded with their own pride, personalities and sin. The forgiveness of the Lord will be just as needed for them as for the darkest of sinners for just that reason.
Free will was the greatest of gifts to God's new creation....it is our gift back to him, the one thing he asks of us. We can love Him with all our hearts, minds, soul and spirit and others as ourselves. It hangs on that point all the time.
-- posted by rhonda11
» Kassper - Re: I can understand how your extreme experiences could have col
In response to message posted by rhonda11:Hi Rhonda,
Thank you for your post. I realize you posted out of love and perhaps with the intent of returning me to the flock but let me elaborate of some of your statements.
I am only sorry that you did not turn to the Bible itself and find the answers there. Some of the ideas that came at that time do not stand up to the truth revealed in the Bible.....and that is dangerous.
The Bible, although it's a wonderful book, full of stories, history, and instructions for life, is just that...it's a book written by man and translated upteen million times by man. Instead of focusing upon what the Bible says, why not ask the main characters of the Bible itself, God and Jesus? The Bible is a great reference but I'd rather talk to the authors, especially when the book is as old as it is and has been changed to suit the needs, the political and the social views of the Church. Books have been deleted, passages taken out, and meanings changed. For example: reincarnation used to be in the Bible, but the Catholic church decided that reincarnation didn't fit in their concept of what the Christian faith should be about so had it removed from the Bible!
So using the Bible as my answer book for questions...uh no thank you. Who knows what I'm reading is really true? It's been manipulated so many times through the hands of man, I'd rather just talk to God and Jesus myself and get the answers straight from Them. They don't mind, and my questions are answered without being clouded by man.
All Bible history proclaims the error of 'multi-faith' options. The Israelites paid dearly for that mistake over and over again when they turned away from the one true God.
Let's me address the fear issue again. Why have a religious figure head, in this case, the Old Testament God, that rules through fear, abuse, and murder? Taking this down to a human level, let me give this analogy:
God, is our father in a lovely yet humble home. He tells us, as his children that we cannot look at our neighbors house, which is ruled by another father (another God if you will). If we look at the house next to us, our father will punish us. Well, being kids, one day we look and get caught. True to his word, our father punishes us, and we “pay dearly” for our mistake. In our society, any father that beats, and kills his kids (and is caught) is usually arrested and tried for abuse. How many news stories are there on any given day about a parent killing their kids? In a human essence, this is wrong and as a society we don't tolerate parents killing their children. If this is the case, then why can the Old Testament God kill His children at will and we praise Him for being a fair and just God? I don't want to hear, “Well, He's God and can what he wants. We're just humans that fall short of His glory so it's expected of us to wrong.” Nope...I want to know why God is not held accountable for His fear and murder yet humans, who are children of God, can't do the same thing? It makes no sense to me.
My only logical thought on this is that it may not have happened and was added to the Bible by the Church to keep the congreation in line.
In Christ there is that authority as the only way to God.
Looking at Jesus historically, and understanding the social and political polices at the time He walked Israel, plus having many conversations with Jesus about this particular statement, you are correct; however, the context has been changed over the eons. What Jesus was doing during His life was trying to get the Jewish priests that ran...well everything to change. The priests were very corrupt, wouldn't allow poor to enter temple and worship, the poor had to pay money they didn't have to the priests. Essentially the priests were the mob of Israel. Now what Jesus was doing as a political and social upstart was to take the message of God to the poor, the infirmed, and the “unclean” - the people that most needed to hear of a loving and just God instead of the rubbish that the priests were tossing down their throat.
Jesus taught the message of God through good works, parables, and miracles. He acted the way a true child of God should act: through love, kindness, patience, and joy. So when He was saying, the only way to God is through Me what He meant is behave, think, and act in love, peace, and kindness, just like I do, and you won't need the priests, temple, or anything else because you'll then have the kingdom of God.
Somehow through many translations and such the message got turned around and became that you have to worship Jesus, and become saved in order to go to heaven, but you could act like a jerk, ask for forgiveness and you were all right again. That's not how it works. Yes the way to heaven and God is through Jesus...through immitation of His actions not just His words and acceptance of Him.
However, Jesus is just one of many paths. As long as the person acts in Love, peace, kindness, joy, and blessings of others it doesn't matter what they call their religious figurehead. Because when you behave the way Jesus did, you're still acting Christ-like, but Christ may be called Bob, Ra, Odin, Bridget, Mother and Father God, the Spirit, the Divine Universe, Buddha, Allah, and Mohamed. It the greater scheme of things it doesn't really matter. It's God, the Creator of the Universe, it can have as many names as there are sand crystals on the beach.
-- posted by Kassper
» IM1 - What a sad story.
As a Christian, I obviously disagree with your present beliefs. However, I am not writing to discuss religious views, but to apologize for the way we Christians often misrepresent God. I feel sorry for that church and its members. They apparently have not experienced the true character of God, and therefore have a problem teaching others.-- posted by IM1
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