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K.A.

humble soul

humble soul

On Sabbatical from Rome
Member
Karen Armstrong
77 years old
Born in England
Nun in the 60s
Quit the nunnery and finally became a college professor
Taught English lit. And comparative religions
Wrote several books
 
She believes in one God but not necessarily just the Christian version. She believes that God is beyond our understanding. The Christian Bible can't possibly reveal all that God wants us to finally know.
In her view, the most important thing is our daily prayer/meditation. Our daily practice.
And therefore our behaviour. How we treat others.
She sees good in all religions. She has been an important influence in the ecumenical movement .
 
Too liberal for many. Labelled a "mystic". Which I don't see as an insult even it is intended to be.
 
humble soul said:
She believes in one God but not necessarily just the Christian version. She believes that God is beyond our understanding. The Christian Bible can't possibly reveal all that God wants us to finally know.
In her view, the most important thing is our daily prayer/meditation. Our daily practice.
And therefore our behaviour. How we treat others.
She sees good in all religions. She has been an important influence in the ecumenical movement .
Click to expand...

Yes God is beyond our understand and yes there is far more for us to learn about God that is not in the Bible, but
It is extremely arrogant to say that God has not revealed in the Bible and in Jesus All we need to know about salvation.


The of teaches there is a God and that he wants his worshippers to approach him via the method he has laid down. Not in any way we think is appropriate.

In the NT Jesus is seen as the Only way by which our sins can be forgiven and the only way again to approach God.


While there may be good practices in other religions if they do not point worshippers to Jesus they are ultimately evil.
 
humble soul said:
This sentence started well but ended badly.
Click to expand...

Follow the reasoning.

Jesus said that he was the only way to God. If that is true then All beliefs, practices and faiths that do not encourage there followers to seek Jesus are not from God.
If a religeon or faith is not from God where is it from?

How many other beliefs other than Christianity actively point there followers to Jesus?
 
-sigh- this is one of those things...

where I honestly, no really...wish I could agree. I do, honestly. And I do think that since Scripture states that God has revealed Himself in His creation and that His law is written on mankind's hearts (note the not politically correct term for humanity...lol...), those who have never heard The Good News may be judged differently than those who have heard it...

and, honestly, I'm starting to think that will include scores of people whose exposure to "Jesus" came via false religions masquerading as "Christian." ugh.

here's the deal...not to ramble on about my own story -yet again- , but I've dealt with "oh, God is everywhere" and "all religions contain elements of truth," even the Joseph Campbell, CG Jung pseudo-wisdom (although, truth be told, I do like Campbell for his multicultural approach to mythology...), and...

I've also dealt with the sophisticated, well educated, articulate proponents of this and related views. not because I'm amazing and hob nob with the intelligentsia, just...because of my background and attempts at college (LOL). and so...

it fails. it fails, miserably. not that much of the modern, established church is all that amazing at witnessing for Christ, but...

I never experienced true transformation, personally, until Jesus knocked at my heart's door and I cried out for forgiveness, became genuinely saved. the other stuff...

Jung is a dead end. I guess if one has funds and the inclination to pay out of pocket to a Jungian, maybe it'd be a self-indulgent pleasure to do a deep dive into dreams and such...

-shrug- an acquaintance, a long time ago...his dad was a psychiatrist. seemed nice enough and all, but...

just.a.man , with his own set of strengths and weaknesses. I think about him, now and then, now that I lean more towards what I suppose would be called a Christian sort of 'antipsychiatry,' and...

blind leading the blind, on a good day. i don't think there are many good days in the realm of psychiatry. and then...

i don't mean to sound 'narrow minded,' its just...I do read and increasingly believe Scripture. I have to, even when I don't find some of it all that palatable.

Jesus says that He is -the Light- and -the way- and that no one comes to The Father except thru Him (paraphrase). so, I go back to thinking...

about my former acquaintance's Jungian shrink dad...and about some former friends who adhere to a very liberal faith...and also about my own past, then about people who seem drawn to the trappings of -religion- , in any form...but not so much Jesus, for whatever reason(s), and...

they're all just...more pit stops on the broad road, I think. more important than my personal 'take' on all this, of course, is Scripture...

we are told to "hold every thought captive to Christ...," which is not nearly as simple minded as one might think at first...

honestly, I think that particular command has helped sharpen my thinking a bit.

rambled, per usual...-finished- , now. :)
 
Christ_empowered said:
-sigh- this is one of those things...

where I honestly, no really...wish I could agree. I do, honestly. And I do think that since Scripture states that God has revealed Himself in His creation and that His law is written on mankind's hearts (note the not politically correct term for humanity...lol...), those who have never heard The Good News may be judged differently than those who have heard it...

and, honestly, I'm starting to think that will include scores of people whose exposure to "Jesus" came via false religions masquerading as "Christian." ugh.

here's the deal...not to ramble on about my own story -yet again- , but I've dealt with "oh, God is everywhere" and "all religions contain elements of truth," even the Joseph Campbell, CG Jung pseudo-wisdom (although, truth be told, I do like Campbell for his multicultural approach to mythology...), and...

I've also dealt with the sophisticated, well educated, articulate proponents of this and related views. not because I'm amazing and hob nob with the intelligentsia, just...because of my background and attempts at college (LOL). and so...

it fails. it fails, miserably. not that much of the modern, established church is all that amazing at witnessing for Christ, but...

I never experienced true transformation, personally, until Jesus knocked at my heart's door and I cried out for forgiveness, became genuinely saved. the other stuff...

Jung is a dead end. I guess if one has funds and the inclination to pay out of pocket to a Jungian, maybe it'd be a self-indulgent pleasure to do a deep dive into dreams and such...

-shrug- an acquaintance, a long time ago...his dad was a psychiatrist. seemed nice enough and all, but...

just.a.man , with his own set of strengths and weaknesses. I think about him, now and then, now that I lean more towards what I suppose would be called a Christian sort of 'antipsychiatry,' and...

blind leading the blind, on a good day. i don't think there are many good days in the realm of psychiatry. and then...

i don't mean to sound 'narrow minded,' its just...I do read and increasingly believe Scripture. I have to, even when I don't find some of it all that palatable.

Jesus says that He is -the Light- and -the way- and that no one comes to The Father except thru Him (paraphrase). so, I go back to thinking...

about my former acquaintance's Jungian shrink dad...and about some former friends who adhere to a very liberal faith...and also about my own past, then about people who seem drawn to the trappings of -religion- , in any form...but not so much Jesus, for whatever reason(s), and...

they're all just...more pit stops on the broad road, I think. more important than my personal 'take' on all this, of course, is Scripture...

we are told to "hold every thought captive to Christ...," which is not nearly as simple minded as one might think at first...

honestly, I think that particular command has helped sharpen my thinking a bit.

rambled, per usual...-finished- , now. :)
Click to expand...
All views welcome empowered. None of know "the whole truth" so diverse opinion is inevitable.
 
i dunno. i don't go for rigid, authoritarian religion of any sort, especially Christianity. i thought...well, I thought maybe the problem was the church leaders, the dynamics..not the individual people who were/are in such religions. I think now...I thought wrong. :-(

and yet...I do believe that Jesus is -the way- and I'm learning to value His teachings and love Him. as with any and all other Christians, this is because He first loved me (another paraphrase from Scripture).

I do see the value in reading about, studying, and understanding other religions. I do, honestly. I'm also...well, despite my growing love of The Lord...I'm increasingly --frightened-- of religion, in the 21st century. right wing Christians intermixed with corporate and military might=hot mess in 21st usa, am I right? Right....
 
Christ_empowered said:
i dunno. i don't go for rigid, authoritarian religion of any sort, especially Christianity. i thought...well, I thought maybe the problem was the church leaders, the dynamics..not the individual people who were/are in such religions. I think now...I thought wrong. :-(

and yet...I do believe that Jesus is -the way- and I'm learning to value His teachings and love Him. as with any and all other Christians, this is because He first loved me (another paraphrase from Scripture).

I do see the value in reading about, studying, and understanding other religions. I do, honestly. I'm also...well, despite my growing love of The Lord...I'm increasingly --frightened-- of religion, in the 21st century. right wing Christians intermixed with corporate and military might=hot mess in 21st usa, am I right? Right....
Click to expand...
We all need an anchor. Or a compass in life. Some like to choose something, and make it THE truth. And the only way they can feel good about the choice, is ragging on different faiths and religions.
Fave football team..everyone likes a winner...we like to think we support the best team. Identify with the winner. So for example Some Catholics think they picked the winning team. All the other teams are losers.
But maybe there are no winners and losers in the long run.according to which team you support anyway.
 
humble soul said:
We all need an anchor. Or a compass in life. Some like to choose something, and make it THE truth. And the only way they can feel good about the choice, is ragging on different faiths and religions.
Fave football team..everyone likes a winner...we like to think we support the best team. Identify with the winner. So for example Some Catholics think they picked the winning team. All the other teams are losers.
But maybe there are no winners and losers in the long run.according to which team you support anyway.
Click to expand...
Jesus is God.
No one else.
 
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