Well, I do respect that they love God, but yes, I really try to help them have the courage to take a step back and we can all use the intelligence that God gives us. I have a Catholic background and for decades I wouldn't dream of feeling free to "think" as I do now, but I actually think that...
Respectfully to LDS, I don't have any beliefs like that. I encourage people to think of God as a Spiritual Being. I don't doubt that He can appear to us in any form He wants but I don't subscribe to those views.
"Scripture is inspired of God..." The funny thing is when that was written, it must have been referring mainly to the Hebrew Scriptures because there was no NT yet I don't think. Which would also be somewhat conflicting/ironic because St. Paul says that the Hebrew Scriptures are only a "faint...
Yes and also Jesus says that He is the Alpha and the Omega and He came down from heaven, and before Abraham was "I am", and Philip, anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. Even Colossians 1:15 can be twisted because calling someone the "image of the invisible God" is a pretty blunt...
Hi, I'm listening. That's the problem, it's such a mess, once must really try to see the forest through the trees. St. Paul came on the scene by "surprise", I wonder if that was a Roman intervention, after all St. Paul claimed to be a devout Jew, why would he seek Gentiles (I know 'God made the...
Yes, like the Roman government. Notice how that's the letter to the "Romans"!? I wonder which Emperor might have told St. Paul to write that? Read about Constantine and the feudal-land system later on in 325AD.
What I encourage all people to do is enjoy their freedom on God's earth and to seek and love Him. People must realize that there are so many people who will use religion to control others and they try to make it seem like the people are obeying God. I don't doubt Roman Empire government as case...
Source? Either way, Romans could have forced Gospel writers to record Jesus praying a certain way based on their beliefs (not the Jewish understanding of God). Who knows how much of the New Testament is of God? Much of the wisdom (which I agree it does have) is also already found in Hebrew...
Yes, including major presuppositions about the Scriptures IMHO.
Yes, familiar. There's something we can relate to. The concept of not being able to find God unless He allows us or leads us, certainly makes sense. Proverbs 8:35 "For those who find me find life...". I would think that anyone who...
Jupiter was one of the main "gods" in Roman paganism. The name "Ju-piter" means "sky-father." Notice the second part means latin "pater". In latin, the Our Father is "Pater Nostre".
So "Sky Father", Father in the Sky, What is the sky to those people? The heavens?! "Father in the Sky", "Father...
Maybe that's because people are coming with their human biases and presuppositions and not listening to God. Maybe religion is used by some as a form of political/financial gain and so there is competition. Before one can even discuss truth, these other issues cannot be present or at least...
See my OP. I don't believe it is literal and I also think that there many pagan influences and possibly Roman government influences. In fact is study today about just how much the Roman government may have been involved.
For example if you are going to refer the Gospel of John, Jesus also said...
I propose that the term "Holy Spirit" is mainly terminology, i.e. a way of speaking about God. Remember the Hebrew Scriptures were teaching thousands of years ago at the 101 level to people who often were not even monotheists yet. This was probably used to explain how God could create something...
Hi Katzpur,
I think that Christians can simply believe that God came to us as a man. Plain and simple. I am proposing that father-son is merely terminology (see OP). Do you know that even Roman emperors were "Son of the Divine One" (Divi Filius), not to mention all the father son "gods" in Greek...
First, I should tell you that I come from a Catholic background and I do view Scripture as authoritative however it must be understood in terms of its context. This context goes beyond context of the sections and other passages in the Bible but also the context of the early preaching (Church)...
First, I should tell you that I come from a Catholic background and I do view Scripture as authoritative however it must be understood in terms of its context. This context goes beyond context of the sections and other passages in the Bible but also the context of the early preaching (Church)...