Christianity & Other Religions

[Soma-Sight]

Jesus helping the poor and the outcast is not optional: it is the essence of what it means to love God. Jesus said, "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." When the righteous answered that they didn't recall doing any of these things, he said, "as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."

Exactly!

I love how those that "have the Holy Spirit" brush over the repeated times Christ tell us to give up ALL for the poor and His Kingdom!

Remember the parable of the Rich young man? How much was he to give up?

All!!!

Remember the widow who gave only a very small amount to the collection but it was actually worth more than all the rich peoples dontations? Why?

Because she gave All!!!!

 

[Solo]

Jesus helping the poor and the outcast is not optional: it is the essence of what it means to love God. Jesus said, "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." When the righteous answered that they didn't recall doing any of these things, he said, "as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."

Exactly!

I love how those that "have the Holy Spirit" brush over the repeated times Christ tell us to give up ALL for the poor and His Kingdom!

Remember the parable of the Rich young man? How much was he to give up?

All!!!

Remember the widow who gave only a very small amount to the collection but it was actually worth more than all the rich peoples dontations? Why?

Because she gave All!!!!

Maybe ... Jesus was a leftist!

....

 

[Soma-Sight]

Luke 21 (King James Version)

Luke 21
1And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.

2And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

3And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

4For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

Mark 10:21

21Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Deut. 15:7. If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.

Deut. 26:12. When you have finished paying the complete tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and the widow, that they may eat in your towns, and be satisfied.

Lev. 19:19ff. Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.

Prov. 31:8ff. [Commandment to kings.] Open your mouth for the dumb, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

Is. 58:66ff. Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Jer. 22:3. Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.

Luke 12:33. "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys."

Luke 3:11. And [John the Baptist] would answer and say to them, "Let the man with two tunics share with him who has none, and let him who has food do likewise."

Mt. 5:42. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

 

[soma]

Liberals believe in affordable health care for U.S. citizens, for the elderly, for women and American children. You call people leftist because they believe in higher taxes for the rich and lower taxes for the middle class and the poor. Liberals or leftist love their spouses and children and faithfully attend their churches to worship God. Liberals love America, hate terrorism and have proved it by fighting in every war for this country. Yes, they are against the Republican White House selling a contract for security to 6 of our ports to a company run by an Arab country associated with terrorism. Liverals or Leftist are found in the ranks of Protestants, Catholics, Jews, agnostics, and atheists.

To generalize Conservative Republican policies generally favor the wealthy and ignore the needs of the poor. Their policies are greed-driven in favor of big corporations, with no concern for the environmental or societal consequences. Jesus taught that the love of money is the root of all evil. Christians should oppose greed-driven policies that expoit other people.

Solo you try to paint Democrats and liberals as anti-God and anti-American and conservative Republicans as the only true Christian patriots, but you are wrong. There is great need for repentance on the left and the right. If we write to try to bring balance you get all angry for nothing. The effects of powerful lobbyists, special interest groups, greed and corruption abound on both sides of the aisles of Congress. The Republicans are in power in the White House and both houses of congress so can be responsible for immoral issues or unfair issues that they pass. We should all try to correct the sorry state of affairs that is American politics is in at the present time and not just preach about how bad the liberals are.

With that said I would say Jesus is a liberal progressive. You can form your own conclusions. The conservative religious structure that He spoke against hated him so they crucified Him. They observed His life, how he helped the poor and people in need and were against him. He challenged the religious conservatives of His day. He advocated pacifism, to turn the other cheek and to love your enemies. He liberated the oppressrd. He healed people on the Sabbath and forgave sinners. He went to the drunks and other social outcast, not the country club. He embraced the Spirit instead of the letter of the law so was disliked by the religious right at the time. He loved sinners and was progressive. He was judged, accused and crucified for it. The self-righteous leaders of religion at that time rebuked Jesus and He called them hypocrites.

 

[Lonelyguide]

Sometimes I am waiting for a traffic light and I find myself looking at the people on the pedestrian crossing in front of me; all of them coming from or going to their jobs, most of them lost in thought ... one thought about something that happened many years ago, another thought about something that happened somewhat more recently, another thought about something that may happen in the near future and yet another thought about things that may or may not happen in the distant future ... and indeed few of them have happy faces and ostensibly none of them have thoughts about right now.

... and I find myself wondering ... would any of them realize that they are children of God ... would any of them be aware of it how incredibly special they are?

And then I come to a place like this and have to read the kind of stuff that you guys are writing about.

And I wonder to which extent those of you who are so concerned about your doctrines are aware of the extent to which you do not live according to the teachings of Christ.

... and I find myself wondering ... would any of them realize that they are children of God ... would any of them be aware of it how incredibly special they are?

John 1:12, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,"

Refutes your point.

You haven't understood a single fragment of what I was talking about, have you, Free?

And I wonder to which extent those of you who are so concerned about your doctrines are aware of the extent to which you do not live according to the teachings of Christ.

I thought you were against judging?

I am. Are you saying that in your judgment of me this is not the case? But do you have a beter word for Pharisee, Free? I mean, what do you usually call people who weigh words on a scale of gold but don't give a hoot about content and intent? Do you get my drift?

Funny how you think that some of "us" are concerned about doctrine and not following the teachings of Christ, when much of our doctrine comes from the teachings of Christ.

Much of it eh? Why not all? And where does the rest come from, Free? I mean ... why was that rest necessary? Was Christ incomplete? : Did He need to be corrected? Now who whould have thought of that! :-? And how important have these additions/corrections meanwhile become, Free? As important as the teachings themselves? Almost as important? And what are we to think of the people who created these additions/corrections and of those who attach such great value to these additions/corrections?

 

[Lonelyguide]

... and I find myself wondering ... would any of them realize that they are children of God ... would any of them be aware of it how incredibly special they are?

John 1:12, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,"

Refutes your point.

LOL do you remember that criminal on the cross next to Christ, Free?

Christ did not grant that man access ... that criminal, whether he himself was aware of it or not, gave himself access the very moment that he accepted (expressed his Faith in) Christ. We are ALL children of God, Free ... each and every one of us, whether you and all of those who need to see themselves as "more equal than others" like it or not. The "essence" is there for all of us ... always. We "only" have to embrace it.

How could you possibly believe that a Father like ours could love some of His children more than others?

The evil you see in others will only judge you, Free; nobody but you!

 

[Solo]

... and I find myself wondering ... would any of them realize that they are children of God ... would any of them be aware of it how incredibly special they are?

John 1:12, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,"

Refutes your point.

LOL do you remember that criminal on the cross next to Christ, Free?

Christ did not grant that man access ... that criminal, whether he himself was aware of it or not, gave himself access the very moment that he accepted (expressed his Faith in) Christ. We are ALL children of God, Free ... each and every one of us, whether you and all of those who need to see themselves as "more equal than others" like it or not. The "essence" is there for all of us ... always. We "only" have to embrace it.

How could you possibly believe that a Father like ours could love some of His children more than others?

The evil you see in others will only judge you, Free; nobody but you!

You have shown that you do not know the Word of God as well as you know your own deceptive beliefs. Not all are children of God. Some are children of the devil, but I suspect that you deny the existence of the devil and explain it away as the absence of good, an old new age trick.

7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 1 John 3:7-10

 

[Lonelyguide]

Ah, Solo! You're the one who once - in some thread or other in this forum - claimed that he was inspired by Holy Spirit in order to win an argument, aren't you?

You may have noticed that I have never responded to any post of you.

That - with the exception of this one post - is how it will remain.

I have nothing to say to you, Solo.

 

[Solo]

Ah, Solo! You're the one who once - in some thread or other in this forum - claimed that he was inspired by Holy Spirit in order to win an argument, aren't you?

You may have noticed that I have never responded to any post of you.

That - with the exception of this one post - is how it will remain.

I have nothing to say to you, Solo.

I recognize that you have a problem with those of us who know the Word of God better than you, but it would do you good to follow the counsel of those that know as opposed to those that don't. Your quote that said that states that all are children of God shows your inadequacy of knowledge of the truth of the Word of God. Leave the New Age garbage, and come to the truth, so that you can be set free from evil.

The following quote from you contradicts the Word of God.

We are ALL children of God, Free ... each and every one of us, whether you and all of those who need to see themselves as "more equal than others" like it or not.

7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 1 John 3:7-10

PS I am beginning to understand why your user name is Lonelyguide. Come to the truth and start teaching the Word of God and you will have many to guide.

 

[soma]

Solo you are just like Pat Robertson, your logic, your hatred and your narrow view of Christianity. The following is a quote Pat made about the Equal Rights Amendment.

"It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."
Pat Robertson, speaking of the Equal Rights Amendment Mar. 22, 1930

 

[Lonelyguide]

1 Corinthians 2:14

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I mentioned this in another thread, Soma, for all those who have made spirituality into the enemy of Christianity. They will never understand, Soma. It is like the soil on which Christ warned us not to sow or like the Pharisees He would often avoid: a complete waste of time. My heart, however, goes out to all of them; especially to those who pile more guilt upon themselves with each time that they raise an accusing finger against others.

 

[Solo]

Solo you are just like Pat Robertson, your logic, your hatred and your narrow view of Christianity. The following is a quote Pat made about the Equal Rights Amendment.

"It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."
Pat Robertson, speaking of the Equal Rights Amendment Mar. 22, 1930

That is just plain hateful, Soma. I wasn't even around in 1930. I didn't know you were that old. :o

 

[Solo]

1 Corinthians 2:14

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I mentioned this in another thread, Soma, for all those who have made spirituality into the enemy of Christianity. They will never understand, Soma. It is like the soil on which Christ warned us not to sow or like the Pharisees He would often avoid: a complete waste of time. My heart, however, goes out to all of them; especially to those who pile more guilt upon themselves with each time that they raise an accusing finger against others.

Jesus never warned anyone to not sow on certain soils. Reference please. Jesus told the Pharisees of their error and called them vipers and hypocrites, just as I am warning you of your error, except I don't know you well enough to call you a snake or a hypocrite. One thing that we know about the Holy Spirit. He will never contradict the Word of God.

PS Guilt is for the guilty of which I have been redeemed. I hope you are redeemed also, and not just hung up on new age garbage. Good luck.

 

[Soma-Sight]

Solo,

Lonelyguide has a lot of good posts if you take the time to actually think about what is being said. They are deep posts that have gotten me to ponder a lot of issues in a new Light.

There is no need to "lump us in with children of the devil" as you like to say.

We are all trying to understand God and follow the Way so please have patience with the slow learners around here. Maybe someday we will feel as comfortable as you with Faith and preach so boldly!

 

[Solo]

Solo,

Lonelyguide has a lot of good posts if you take the time to actually think about what is being said. They are deep posts that have gotten me to ponder a lot of issues in a new Light.

There is no need to "lump us in with children of the devil" as you like to say.

We are all trying to understand God and follow the Way so please have patience with the slow learners around here. Maybe someday we will feel as comfortable as you with Faith and preach so boldly!

I didn't lump anyone in as children as the devil. I refuted Lonelyguide's statement that we all are children of God. That is incorrect according to the Word of God. Some are children of God and some are children of the devil. I was a child of the devil prior to being a child of God, as each believer is.

However, anyone mixed up in the New Age movement is either a child of the devil or continues to remain a babe in Christ, very ignorant of the Word of God.

 

[Lonelyguide]

Soma and Soma-Sight ... and others ,

The ego of those who, despite their relative age/experience/knowledge, have deluded themselves into believing that they, as mere humans, know it all and that there is nothing left to learn will experience any knowledge greater than theirs as an attack on what they believe is their identity/existence.

Those who resist growth and who deal and dwell in that self elected closed-minded darkness will not be able to experience even the smallest ray of light as anything other than an attack, because that ray will blind them to their darkness ... to the very place in which they dwell.

And when you offer them your gift with the fire that may be in you, these individuals will invariably "reward" you with the punishment for the pyromane. Do not give them anything. Rather let them beg for the merest spark, for your gifts are wasted upon them.

At all times do remember that Light is Love and that any reflection of that Light which bounces back at you, mixed with ego/satan and venom, is there to warn you of what made it bounce back.

Unloving, agressive persons are a vexation to the spirit. Overlook them rather than address them. Not so much because one cannot reach them where they are, but rather because one becomes what one fights.

Their way of judging, fighting and pointing fingers is not the way. Certainly not for you. So don't allow yourselves to be drawn into their incessant arguing. Holy Spirit is the call to Atonement. Amor vincit omnia.

What a pity that certain individuals create conditions in this environment which oblige us to constantly remind ourselves of this.

 

[Soma-Sight]

Unloving, agressive persons are a vexation to the spirit. Overlook them rather than address them. Not so much because one cannot reach them where they are, but rather because one becomes what one fights.

Wow.....

I have actually been guilty of being angry and lashing out at others peoples belief systems in the past before I realized exactly what you are saying here in your post.

I was not arguing to try and convince someone else of my point. I was arguing because of my own insecurities and lack of Faith. It was anger directed at others to give me security in my own position.

Your post hits the nail right on the head and should be posted in its own category for all to see!

I am going to take your advice on this.

 

[soma]

Lonelyguide, Thank you for your loving guidance.

 

[Lonelyguide]

I have actually been guilty of being angry and lashing out at others peoples belief systems in the past before I realized exactly what you are saying here in your post.

Many in this world identify with what they are not. Many identify e.g. with the skin ... the exterior ... that envelopes them. They look into a mirror and think that what they see is their identity. Others identify with the belief systems that they have created and many have misplaced identities such as these. They identify with a myriad of transient things that they are not rather than with their true selves. But then this is understandable to some extent because the hurried little voices of their egos create such incessant "noise" that, rather than hearing the "silent voice" of their soul, they can only hear the runaway computer that their minds have devolved into. Thus many are being controlled by their minds rather than that it is they who control those minds

Descartes (Cartesius), for instance, made his most colossal mistake when he uttered the words "cogito ergo sum" or "je pense donc je suis" or, if you like, "I think and therefore I am," therewith equating thinking with being while proving that he, as many do, was identifying with "mind" rather than with his true eternal self ... rather than with his immortal soul.

The Bard (Shakespeare), one of mankind's greatest spirits and much, much more than a mere playwright whether many are aware of that or not, said "to thine own self be true" and also spoke the words "to be or not to be, that is the question" and he was right, because "being" is where it is at. Just "being" or, if you like, living as consciously as one can. Why, God Himself indicated as much when saying to Moses "YHVH" (Yod He Vau He), therewith pointing out that "Being" was the/His essence.

If we see what the world/society that mankind has created has devolved into and if we note to which extent the milestones of mankind's history have been tainted by the blood of countless innocents as a consequence of endless suffering, we have good reason to mistrust the human mind and many of the thoughts it produces. People need to learn to silence their minds to find the silence in which the "silent voice" can be heard.

I was not arguing to try and convince someone else of my point. I was arguing because of my own insecurities and lack of Faith. It was anger directed at others to give me security in my own position.

Precisely: when we try to convince others we merely demonstrate that we are insecure and that our own Faith in our so-called Truth is lacking. At that time we also illustrate our need to "be right" (ego!) and as long as that need continues to prove the existence of ego in what we say and do, we simply cannot be right, because Truth and ego never walk the same path Simultaneously the underlying psychological reality of any attempt to convince others is that in essence we are basically still trying to primarily convince ourselves ... we simply aren't sufficiently sure yet and this shows that we are not yet "of one mind" and the reason why we are not is because our mind is still divided/conflicted because of the role that the ego still plays in it

 

[soma]

Lonelyguide, very nice post.

Since Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, the principles of consciousness are contained within man in ideal equilibrium. The tree of knowledge of good and evil puzzled Adam, and he lost the spiritual connection with the whole. Adam saw everything through the veil of his individual ego so he saw things menacing him and separate from God because the balance of the universe became blurred. After leaving the Garden of Eden and the state of pure consciousness, Adam tried to regain his original state by creating his own balance. This creation of individual consciousness is not reality because it is a state of isolation on the physical level, not a working together in harmony with the whole.