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Old 10-03-2002, 12:53 AM   #61
Aimee
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These are hard questions for anyone to answer. I think that proves that we are all fallible, and that we all have the ability to fail. We are to strive to be like Christ, and take him as the ultimate example of what a person can be. The questions about whether Christ was not truly perfect are only speculations, not documented, and so they have no bearing on me.
Allison, the New testament was created for us after Jesus came to the earth. Jesus was God's way of learning what it's like to live in the flesh. So, even though we should fear what he can bring us, we must know that to be loved we must love, etc. etc.
I take the new testament as my guide to living, and I strive to be like Jesus or like the Dalai Lama, or the Buddah, or any other mortal that I know to carry these traits. And I strive to be an example to others as well in being tolerant and loving and firm without being abusive. LadyV, I admire your tenacity in arguing your point, but I still think you might be blinding yourself to other possiblities, and therefore opening yourself up to hate others instead of loving all.
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Old 10-03-2002, 07:50 AM   #62
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Three men went into the jungle on different occasions and saw a chameleon. "A chameleon is red," said the first man. "No a chameleon is green," said the second man. "Nonsense, a chameleon is brown," said the third man. Those who disagree about the nature of God are like these three men.

-Hindu Teaching Story
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Old 10-03-2002, 10:53 PM   #63
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Quote: Originally posted by LadySilk
<b>Three men went into the jungle on different occasions and saw a chameleon. "A chameleon is red," said the first man. "No a chameleon is green," said the second man. "Nonsense, a chameleon is brown," said the third man. Those who disagree about the nature of God are like these three men.

-Hindu Teaching Story </b>


Yet, they could all agree that the chameleon simply is. And that was the point they were missing. In arguing about the nuances of "God" we are failing to realize that God is fundamentally about life, the living one in all of us. Now, isn't that really the point?
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Old 10-04-2002, 09:29 AM   #64
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I really, really like that.
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No, Marcos, thank YOU!
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Old 10-04-2002, 09:42 AM   #65
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Ditto.
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they make a club and beat their brother down.
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Old 10-06-2002, 07:53 PM   #66
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to LadySilk & Altair
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Old 10-07-2002, 03:37 AM   #67
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Quote: Originally posted by Aimee
&nbsp;to LadySilk & Altair

Yes - thank you for your breaths of fresh air and perspective!
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Old 10-14-2002, 10:06 AM   #68
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i don't know if there is a God or something like that, i hope so but i don't know.

although i beleiven fate.
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Old 10-14-2002, 11:28 AM   #69
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I'm going to weigh in now, not on the present discussion necessarily but rather in answer to the original question posed: What is your belief?

Well, my birthright makes me a Jew. Yet I believe in Jesus. I believe He is the Messiah prophesied by Jewish scriptures, and I believe He is the atonement for a lot of foolish things I've done in my lifetime. I accept the Word of God, that being the Bible, and I believe it is not only His infallible wisdom but also an infallible account of the dawn of time and the history of peoples, as interpreted by none other than the peoples involved. However, I should note that I reject most rituals. I dislike the idea of holidays in general, though they're inescapable and I celebrate them by and large. I try my best not to cling to material things. I believe my connection to God is such that I do not need anything to supplement it (though I often lose sight of this and buy video games and CDs and so on). But in truth, my connection is something that transcends all things, all situations. It can be just me and God in a forest, at the beach, on a lake, walking, sleeping, dancing, breathing, and it will still be real.

I have my beliefs on what happens to people in the hereafter. I will not share them. I don't believe it's my place to tell anyone where they're going, but that's just me and anyone else is welcome to supply their opinions; I am an intensely private and personal person, which is why I choose not to (I'm almost surprised I'm sharing this much). What I will say, however, is that I think a large part of what Jesus meant to accomplish here was to take God's Earthly form in order to purge God Himself of all evil. That's not to say God Himself ever was evil, but rather to make it so that He never knew evil. Because people are Created in God's image, and by that I believe there is God in our hearts -- Jesus cleaned my heart, wiped the sins away and made me new. He's a pretty swell guy like that.

There's a philosophy which states that good cannot be good unless it knows evil, and to me, that makes sense. I think that's why we're here. I think God sparked this thing called existence to see evil and imperfection, and then to purge Himself of ever knowing it. That's where the tree of the knowledge of good and evil comes in. To that end, I believe God needed Satan like Muhammad Ali needed Joe Frazier or George W. Bush needed Usama bin Laden; God needed an enemy to validate Himself, so to speak, but I say that without meaning any disrespect to Him (especially since I know He's reading ).

I think true Hell is to not know God and to not know and firmly believe in something metaphysical existing beyond existence; I think true Hell is perishing with all material things. But... I will not claim to know any better than any of you how not to make this happen. I am fairly certain that, above all else, God wants us to treat others as we wish to be treated. I'm not perfect, and I'm not even close, but I'm trying to improve everyday. I'm being honest with myself more and more as life goes on. I am pointing out my own errors and fixing them to the best of my mostly meager abilities. I think this counts more than anything else. We mustn't directly concern ourselves with what others believe, but rather work from within and let our personal triumphs and journeys shine through as examples.

I think God wants us to be happy. I think if God Created in order to know and subsequently destroy evil, as I mentioned above, then He also simultaneously Created in order to better know love, and happiness is love. And when we thank Him, and cherish Him, we are the source of that happiness and love. This is why I try to please God, or I at least try to admit to Him when I am doing something that I know is not pleasing Him, because I want to have a conscience and I want to be as unattached to materiality as I can possibly be.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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Old 10-14-2002, 02:29 PM   #70
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I'm in a self-study group now reading Chopra's "How To Know God: The Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries." This paragraph really resonates with me..."After centuries of knowing God through faith, we are now ready to understand divine intelligence directly. In many ways this new knowledge reinforces what spiritual traditions have already promised. God is invisible and yet performs all miracles. He is the source of every implulse of love. Beauty and truth are both children of this God. In the absence of knowing that infinite source of energy and creativity, life's miseries come into being. Getting close to God through a true knowing heals the fear of death, confirms the existence of the soul and gives ultimate meaning to life."
PS - I really don't like the book's title, but am trying to ovlerook that
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