Atheist - Believes in zero gods.
Monotheist: Believes in one God.
Polytheist: Believes in more than one god.
I guess that one could say that a monotheist is an "atheist" with respect to gods other than the one God, but it's really not the right terminology because "atheist" simply means belief...
I can see that context is so important. In math, entire equations are represented by a symbol. I can see that "David" could often mean the "House of David" in Scripture. (David is such an important figure in Judaism.) If someone tells you that they are going to St. Augustine, immediately you...
A certain book is considered to be "Scripture" by a certain group and in the group, the meaning is not confusing. However, to someone who comes along an picks up the book, it can appear very confusing. I think to look at the themes in helpful. For example, the Jewish people believe that they...
Oh I agree 100%, sorry if I gave other impression. Some metaphor can also be more parabolic (i.e. more like a parable to relate to those who understand a certain language) - true?
You see, I believe that the Trinity doctrine is a result of terminology used in Scripture itself using "father...
I think that the Jewish people have been a model in many ways and I thank them and I am interested in their scholarship and beliefs. Pope John Paul II apologized and what the current Pope is doing are also steps in the right direction. Like metis, I think Churches need to be more open and less...
I was happy to see this and I agree with it 100% !
http://www.jta.org/2013/09/12/news-opinion/united-states/pope-francis-praises-jews-for-keeping-their-faith-amid-trials
Hi Viole,
I think it's similar sometimes.
Well then, we need to get a quack right on it (maybe Donald Duck). :smiley:
It's true that belief in God is a matter of faith. However, belief in God is also reasonable.
Reasonable Part:
I simply don't think that all creation and all of us are here...
Interesting Ben, because the Gospel of John is a later Gospel and I have been thinking that it may be heavily influenced by Greek philosophy and Greek/Roman pagan beliefs in "father-son gods" and "god-man" (from "gods" impregnating human women).
Scientists ask "why" all the time. They have faith that they will find a scientific answer. Their faith is reasonable because they have find been finding answers for centuries and science has advanced. There are questions that science doesn't address such as "Is there a Being who has authority...
Hi Viole,
Challenging, yes, but ultimately, I think it's the understanding that we humans don't really "know" anything. Even what we think we "know" is just for practical purposes. For example, we label things: "gravity", "light", "electron". This is all very nice, and we grasp physics to a...
Hi Viole,
People have trouble conceiving eternity because they want to see a "beginning". Consider time itself as a concept in our universe - the space-time fabric. So time itself is a creation. God exists. In what we call time, He (She) already knows all past and future in this universe. To Him...
Once again, I recommend lending an ear to Ben: Philippians 2:6
At the same time though Jesus says "I am". John 8:58
I do believe that God can come to us in human form but at the same time He remains infinite.
Hi, I have a decades-long background as a Trinitarian (Catholic). I know you are sincere but I think at some point we may have to just admit that the Trinity theology doesn't make sense and the terminology is from dealing with Greek/Roman/pagans. I think Jews and the early Church know that using...
The Bible may be historically correct in many areas and less so in others. In the Bible, I think that the facts may often be secondary/incidental to the message. It's not intended to be a history book. I think a key message of the Exodus for example, is that God freed His people (Jewish people...
Hi Ben, it's not "agnostic", it's "Gnostic". Gnostics are Christians who believe that the material world is evil and the creator of this world is a false "god" (or something like that). They believe that Jesus teaches knowledge so we can see past this "world" to the true "world" (or something...
I even think "return" is conceptual/rhetorical because even on earth I believe that God holds our "spirit"/"conception"/"breath of life" in His "hands".
Very interesting. Yes, I have come to think of what people refer to as our "soul" more as God's conception of us that God holds in existence ("in His hands"). The breath of life that God gives us is related to His Conception of us IMO. Jesus indicated that His Spirit was returning to God's...
Case in point: We say "Columbus discovered America"! Wow! There were already people here for centuries/millennia, and we say "Columbus discovered it"??!! I think that attitude to some extent may have been handed down from Roman Empirical mentality.