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  1. Meander_Z

    Considering Jesus independently from the Bible

    Way to throw the baby out with the bath water. There are some that would argue that something is not rationally defensible unless it is scientifically provable, but that would be a person who doesn't really understand the nature of mathematics. A mathematical truth(formula) can provable within...
  2. Meander_Z

    If You. . . .

    I would still posit that a non-manifest entity (a ghost, spirit, memory, consciousness, God) has more in common with a concept than an object, but now that you seem to understand my actual meaning, I think we can simply agree to disagree.
  3. Meander_Z

    If You. . . .

    I'm not sure I can answer these questions any better than I already have without just repeating myself. God is a complex concept that has been defined a number of different ways by a number of different people, and yet we all have the ability to call the concept to mind when someone speaks of...
  4. Meander_Z

    If You. . . .

    Now we are getting into some much bigger questions... that start diverging from my original point. For all those words the original point is a very simple one. Namely: God is a concept not a object. The concept of God is bigger and more complicated than the concept of 2. Concepts can be...
  5. Meander_Z

    Considering Jesus independently from the Bible

    Hold up right there. That's a mighty big assertion and one that doesn't hold water in the least. Why does God have to be omnipotent in order for spiritual truths to be rationally defensible? God being omnipotent is one example of a spiritual truth. You might as well say All spiritual truths...
  6. Meander_Z

    If You. . . .

    I still think there is a misunderstanding of language. I assert that God is always a concept. Love is a concept. Time is a concept. Justice is a concept. Justice is a concept that is flawed. It hasn't had the kinks worked out. It exists as an ideal that is meant to be perfect but is not. Someone...
  7. Meander_Z

    If You. . . .

    Counting is an act of labeling individual objects in such a way that the amount of total objects is illuminated. The name associated with a particular amount has meaning even without any real objects present. I don't have to show you 2 objects in order for you to grasp the concept 2... although...
  8. Meander_Z

    Which God is truthful?

    Don't trust Dionysus. He's a liar, except for when he's not. If he gets you drunk he's likely to reveal all kinds of truths to you, like why it's not a good idea to drink too much, and how pleasure and misery are connected as part of a continuous cycle. But ask him a direct question when your...
  9. Meander_Z

    Considering Jesus independently from the Bible

    I'm very in favor of the spiritual/mystical interpretation of Jesus' actions leading up to his death, and I'm not against the notion of resurrection either literal or metaphorical. Either way it's deeply significant, and without it Christianity never becomes the huge powerful religion we know...
  10. Meander_Z

    If You. . . .

    Numbers are non-existent and yet we believe in them, use them daily, take our belief for granted, indoctrinate our children into this belief, and rarely ask questions about it. Numbers are useful, and non-divisive, and yet still not real. There are a lot of differences between numbers and God...
  11. Meander_Z

    Considering Jesus independently from the Bible

    I enjoy all of the hypotheses put forth, but I do feel that a number of them are losing sight of some of the more subtle aspects of what is known. Christianity was a Roman invention to gain power over Hebrews. Problems. If we give any credit to the general timeline established by canonical...
  12. Meander_Z

    If You. . . .

    I can't do it. I already do both all the time. It's the current natural state of my faith (if I can still call it that). I ask my god, "How do I know that I'm not just an evolved animal imagining myself having a conversation with a god?" His answer, "How do you know that you are not just a god...
  13. Meander_Z

    Considering Jesus independently from the Bible

    The question of who Jesus was doesn't worry me in the least. On the contrary I find these questions deeply fascinating... something of a passionate interest. You could say that I really love collecting different perspectives on the topic. I keep them on my mantle. Sometimes I walk by and give...
  14. Meander_Z

    Considering Jesus independently from the Bible

    While I do believe to some degree in the possibility of astral time travel, I do not have the discipline to achieve such things. I tried in my younger days, but was never able to have any experience that had enough authenticity to convince me that it was anything more than an active imagination...
  15. Meander_Z

    Considering Jesus independently from the Bible

    This is in fact one of the aspects that I find most fascinating about Jesus. The dying and rising god, was not a new concept... but the concept of a literal man acting out this mythological archetype in front of an audience, converting them into true believers and most poignantly doing so for...
  16. Meander_Z

    "Without Risk There is no Faith."

    And yet, he seems to be dwelling on the question of faith with much more depth and emphasis than your interpretation renders. Knowing God with certainty equals the inhalation of faith, and this does not appear to be the desired outcome. The desired outcome is the preservation of faith, faith...
  17. Meander_Z

    Considering Jesus independently from the Bible

    This is essentially a question about the historical Jesus. I find that I'm quite fascinated by the figure of Jesus. I adored him when I was Christian, and I still have a lingering affection for him to this day. Jesus was a groovy fellow, and in general I dig him a lot. Still it's come to my...
  18. Meander_Z

    "Without Risk There is no Faith."

    This is a very thought provoking quote, but I don't feel like I can say definitively what he means. To me this evokes the concept of an intimate relationship with the unknowable. Not merely a professed faith, but the daring act of engaging with elusive mysteries that will never provide solid...
  19. Meander_Z

    How do you view God?

    I had to laugh when I read the opening post, because this is exactly how I see God, and I'm absolutely down with this being an image based on my cultural biases. I'd like to say that I don't envision the absolute almighty creator of the universe this way. She's more like a giant cosmic snake...
  20. Meander_Z

    Do you know your Religion is true?

    While many religions may claim to be true, and may be true in a number of ways, there will always be problems when one begins defining truth in rational material terms and then applies this to religion. A religion cannot be true or false in the rational material sense. That would be like...
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