|
Register | Sign In |
|
QuickSearch
EvC Forum active members: 66 (9164 total) |
| |
ChatGPT | |
Total: 916,461 Year: 3,718/9,624 Month: 589/974 Week: 202/276 Day: 42/34 Hour: 5/2 |
Thread ▼ Details |
|
Thread Info
|
|
|
Author | Topic: To "Believe in God/Jesus" Means | |||||||||||||||||||
jar Member (Idle past 416 days) Posts: 34026 From: Texas!! Joined: |
that is hopefully below the radar screen of any Admins.
I grew up as one of the only Christian families in a Jewish neighborhood of Baltimore. From somewhere around five or six my constant companions were all Jewish families and so I was exposed pretty early to the Jewish take on religion. From that environment I went straight into an Episcopal church boarding school that emphasized looking beyond the confines of literal Biblical interpretation and studying other religions as well as my own. I wonder if there is a trend showing here? Aslan is not a Tame Lion
|
|||||||||||||||||||
ramoss Member (Idle past 634 days) Posts: 3228 Joined: |
Ok.. you would make a good Reform Jew
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Monk Member (Idle past 3946 days) Posts: 782 From: Kansas, USA Joined: |
purpledawn writes: So does "believe in" in regards to God and Jesus mean to accept that they exist or to trust their abilities? IMHO, for a believer, it is both and for a non believer it is neither. I think it depends on where one is on life’s journey. For someone who has recently accepted faith in God, believe in is simply acceptance. As one matures in the faith, then trust in God’s abilities become the meaning of belief.
purpledawn writes: The people of the Bible supposedly had physical evidence from which to make their decision. Today we are expected to trust without it. Doesn’t seem fair does it. With all the miracles of the Old Testament it seems ridiculous that the Israelites continued to lack faith and revert to paganism and corruption. Or consider the teachings of Jesus and the miracles he performed. To us, it would seem easy to believe if we were a witness to those events. Events that were external to the individual. Now consider our present day where we have no miracles visible to a broad group of people. Externally, there is nothing except the written Word and testimony of believers as the basis for belief. Therefore, we not only question the abilities of God but also God’s very existence. Why is this so? Why are there no major miracles today that would remove at least the question of God’s existence? Why has God raised the bar for belief? All God would have to do is send down a little manna from heaven, like he did to the Israelites in the desert, and there would be a huge number of converts. Obviously, that’s not the way God wants it. He gave us free will for a reason. It seems to me there is a progression in how God relates to mankind. Sort of a maturing process. There is a movement from a distant and often vengeful God of the OT who performed quite a few rather spectacular miracles. Here, God was very active in proving his existence by revealing his power over nature. To the Israelites of that time, there was no question about God’s existence. Then with the NT, there is a progression to a more personal and loving God, a further revelation. Jesus’ messages were accompanied by personal miracles,(i.e. more of the one-on-one healings and less involved with power over nature). At this point, the existence of God had been established. The Jewish religion had matured through long held traditions focused on the worship of God. Finally on to the present day, where there are virtually no external miracles, (i.e. miracles witnessed by a large group of people). Nowadays, there is only the Spirit of God, working through the individual, as the primary basis for belief. A further step in the maturity of faith. I believe God has made it clear that He desires a personal relationship with His people, a mature relationship. IMHO, God wants us to honor the OT and understand the history of God’s interactions with mankind as a basis for belief, but move to the NT relationship. A relationship that does not require great external miracles. Since God has been using the personal approach for the last two thousand years, it seems this is His preferred method of communication and path to belief.
|
|||||||||||||||||||
purpledawn Member (Idle past 3479 days) Posts: 4453 From: Indiana Joined: |
quote:I belive there is a maturing process. Just as offspring mature to eventually be independent of their parents, so to is mankind maturing to eventually be independent of the need for a parental God figure and accompanying rituals. I feel that ex-believers have cut the apron string so to speak. "The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which lasts forever." --Anatole France
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Andya Primanda Inactive Member |
quote: Salamun alaikum Ianat, I'm currently the only Muslim active in this forum [AFAIK]. Welcome!
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Monk Member (Idle past 3946 days) Posts: 782 From: Kansas, USA Joined: |
Your opinion was shared by Sigmund Freud when he wrote:
quote: Yes, that is the other side of the coin. But do you believe that in the distant future, given enough time, mankind will eventually completely abandon all religion? My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind. ---Albert Einstein
|
|||||||||||||||||||
purpledawn Member (Idle past 3479 days) Posts: 4453 From: Indiana Joined: |
quote:Don't know, but it is a possibility. "The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which lasts forever." --Anatole France
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Carwoofer Inactive Member |
Hi! I have been reading along and find this discussion extremely facinating! Many of you here have great points to make.
I would just like to invite you to come share some of those views with us at a special place located here - proboards42.com is for sale | HugeDomains ((Please cut and paste the link to browser if not clickable)) Your interesting imput would be greatly appreciated on many of our interesting discussion boards on spirituality. Thank you. I shall continue with the great read here now. Chris.
|
|||||||||||||||||||
oblivionlord Inactive Member |
Seems odd that people of science who currently can not prove theories of today can actually conclude their own belief to say that there is a solo creator of all the infinte and that is God. What says that there is just 1 God? Why not more? Exactly how can a conscience exist with nothing prior to its own existance to say that it always was and exclude the possibility that this conscience could infact never existed at all but, just random occurances? Evolution can easily answer the many amazing things you see beyond the stars but, it doesnt prove or disprove a God. How can you possibly come to any direct conclusion as to what the answer is unless you consider your beliefs to be possibilities in which case I will not argue with.
Beliving in somthing without justification is nothing more than Blind faith. Humans just naturally can not know if their loved one truly loves them nor if their best friend truly loves their parents. Feelings are subjective. I can easily agrue that wood is glass and nothing you say can alter my belief therefore how am I wrong? The real question is... are you capable of looking outside of your beliefs and see that maybe your just letting coincidence or fear overwhelm your reality? Edited by oblivionlord, : No reason given.
|
|||||||||||||||||||
jar Member (Idle past 416 days) Posts: 34026 From: Texas!! Joined: |
Huh?
Sorry don't have a clue what you are asking there. Love to try to answer if there is a question in there. And welcome to EvC. Aslan is not a Tame Lion
|
|||||||||||||||||||
oblivionlord Inactive Member |
I provided many questions and my own insight
|
|||||||||||||||||||
ringo Member (Idle past 434 days) Posts: 20940 From: frozen wasteland Joined: |
So, how are things in oblivion?
If you search further down the list of topics, you can probably dredge up some even older ones and subject us to your insight on them. Or, you could find a more current topic to discuss. Help scientific research in your spare time. No cost. No obligation. Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC
|
|||||||||||||||||||
oblivionlord Inactive Member |
I have started with the most recent of topics and worked my way down.
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Parasomnium Member Posts: 2224 Joined: |
Ringo writes: Or, you could find a more current topic to discuss. No, no, that would be totally out of character. You see, Oblivionlord is master of all thing oblivious. Oblivionlord obliviates or 'disobliviates' things at will. Jocularity aside, that's not a very nice way to welcome someone in our midst, is it? Give them a chance! Edited by Parasomnium, : No reason given. "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science." - Charles Darwin. Did you know that most of the time your computer is doing nothing? What if you could make it do something really useful? Like helping scientists understand diseases? Your computer could even be instrumental in finding a cure for HIV/AIDS. Wouldn't that be something? If you agree, then join World Community Grid now and download a simple, free tool that lets you and your computer do your share in helping humanity. After all, you are part of it, so why not take part in it?
|
|||||||||||||||||||
oblivionlord Inactive Member |
nice attack Parasomnium. Is this how you welcome new comers?
|
|
|
Do Nothing Button
Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved
Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024