Hello Everyone

[Reverend Chris]

Great Forum!! I would like to request a new forum. One titled metaphysics. I am aware that this could fall under New Age however, I think this way of thinking merits it own forum. Here is my creed:

1.Love one another regardless
2.Judge no one
3.Belief in a Creator
4.Our spirit continues beyond death for eternity
5.Reincarnation
6.Mankind is inherently good
7.No eternal damnation
8.We are here by our choice

 

[Buttons*]

sounds pretty cool welcome

 

[Bishka]

Welcome to the forums!

 

[Katzpur]

Great Forum!! I would like to request a new forum. One titled metaphysics. I am aware that this could fall under New Age however, I think this way of thinking merits it own forum. Here is my creed:

1.Love one another regardless
2.Judge no one
3.Belief in a Creator
4.Our spirit continues beyond death for eternity
5.Reincarnation
6.Mankind is inherently good
7.No eternal damnation
8.We are here by our choice

Hello, Rev! Welcome to RF and thanks for posting your creed. With a couple of minor clarifications, I can go along with 7 out of 8 of your statements. I'm looking forward to getting to know you.

 

[Reverend Chris]

Hello, Rev! Welcome to RF and thanks for posting your creed. With a couple of minor clarifications, I can go along with 7 out of 8 of your statements. I'm looking forward to getting to know you.

Lay it on me. Which one do you not agree with and what would your clarifications be?

 

[Buttercup]

Lay it on me. Which one do you not agree with and what would your clarifications be?

I'm betting it's number 5 - reincarnation.

Hi and welcome to the forum. I hope you enjoy yourself!

 

[jacquie4000]

Welcome to the forums and enjoy.

 

[michel]

Great Forum!! I would like to request a new forum. One titled metaphysics. I am aware that this could fall under New Age however, I think this way of thinking merits it own forum. Here is my creed:

1.Love one another regardless
2.Judge no one
3.Belief in a Creator
4.Our spirit continues beyond death for eternity
5.Reincarnation
6.Mankind is inherently good
7.No eternal damnation
8.We are here by our choice

Hi Rev Chris!

Welcome to religious forums;

I am quite O.K with your list with maybe one exception -

Mankind is inherently good

............

Mankind, I believe is neutral in that respect; we are neither inherently good nor bad...........we make a choice to do good (or "bad") deeds.......and I am "in favour of" reincarnation.:bow:

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Quiddity]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[powder21]

Welcome to RF! I'd have to agree with most of your creed. I'm not too sure about re-incarnation and about number 6, I still believe humans are inherent sinners do to our "animal" side and we were given free will to deny that part of us and think about the good of others/everyone rather than ourselves. Again, welcome and have fun posting.

 

[Reverend Chris]

Welcome to RF! I'd have to agree with most of your creed. I'm not too sure about re-incarnation and about number 6, I still believe humans are inherent sinners do to our "animal" side and we were given free will to deny that part of us and think about the good of others/everyone rather than ourselves. Again, welcome and have fun posting.

Hi Rev Chris!

I am quite O.K with your list with maybe one exception - ............

Mankind, I believe is neutral in that respect; we are neither inherently good nor bad...........we make a choice to do good (or "bad") deeds.......and I am "in favour of" reincarnation.:bow:

I am not referring to sin. I agree that everyone sins or does bad deeds.

Without bad deeds we would not have a learning process and probably not much of a reason to become mortal.

Webster defines inherent: : involved in the constitution or essential character of something : belonging by nature or habit.

If I am not mistaken Humanism teaches that the soul of man is inherently good because we come from God and God is good. I agree with this idea for the same as Humanism does and also for the logical reason that the population of the world as a whole, is good. If not we would be at constant war all the time with no relief in sight. There would be no such thing as morality.

Most of the human race still lives in fear and we are in constant self preservation mode. The media adds to this fear because communications are now worldwide in a split second. I think most people believe mankind is more evil in this generation than the last. It's only because of the media and we hear more of it. Good news does not sell, bad news does.

There is much more good in the world than bad you just don't hear about it.

 

[Katzpur]

Lay it on me. Which one do you not agree with and what would your clarifications be?

Okie, dokie!

1.Love one another regardless
2.Judge no one
3.Belief in a Creator
4.Our spirit continues beyond death for eternity
5.Reincarnation
6.Mankind is inherently good
7.No eternal damnation
8.We are here by our choice

Here are my comments, in brief...

1. I believe that we are commanded to love everyone, our enemies as well as our friends. I can't say that I do a very good job of it, but I agree with the statement in principle.

2. I believe that we will be judged as harshly as we judge others. That, in and of itself, seems to be to be a good reason to try to live by this principle. On the other hand, I believe that it is important for each of us to set standards for ourselves, which obviously involves judging certain behaviors to be right and others to be wrong.

3. I absolutely believe in God. No qualifications on this are needed.

4. I agree. Furthermore, I believe that God created each of us out of the essence of truth and light, which was co-eternal with him. I don't believe our spirits suddenly came into existence when we were born, but existed for millions of years before we entered mortality.

5. This is the one with which I disagree.

6. I'd say that we are born good, pure and without sin. I also believe, however, that no one who has ever reached an age where he can be expected to know right from wrong manages to make it through life without sinning.

7. I wouldn't say "no eternal damnation," but I would say that the number of individuals who will be damned forever is very, very small. I believe that almost everyone will ultimately receive some sort of heavenly reward.

8. I agree 100%.

 

[Reverend Chris]

4. I agree. Furthermore, I believe that God created each of us out of the essence of truth and light, which was co-eternal with him. I don't believe our spirits suddenly came into existence when we were born, but existed for millions of years before we entered mortality.

5. This is the one with which I disagree.

Christianity at this point in time does not widely accept the idea of reincarnation. It is my understanding at one time it did. Almost all the other religions believe in reincarnation. I believe in reincarnation because of the many thousands of testimonies from near death experiences. (NDE's)

I am doing research right now on reincarnation and the missing link in Christianity. A workshop in the works you might say.

Now my question to you is: Since you believe that we existed for millions of years before we entered mortality, why do we just get one shot at mortality?

 

[Katzpur]

Now my question to you is: Since you believe that we existed for millions of years before we entered mortality, why do we just get one shot at mortality?

I believe that one of the main reasons why we ever became mortal in the first place was to gain a physical body. Since I believe that each of us will be resurrected at some point in the future, and that our spirits will be reunited with a newly perfected, immortal body, there is no need to repeat the process in a different physical form. I may be making some incorrect assumptions about what you believe concerning reincarnation, but most people I've spoken to who believe in reincarnation believe that our spirit is reborn multiple times into different physical bodies. We could go from being a mouse to a leopard to a human to an ant to an elephant. I don't believe that. Since I believe that only in this resurrected form (being permanently reunited with the body it occupied during mortality) can the soul experience the fulness of joy, reincarnation doesn't -- for me -- make any sense. I also believe that since it will be possible for us to progress eternally as resurrected beings, we will have the opportunity to reach our full potential in the human form in which we were now exist.

 

[Katzpur]

Would you care to comment more on this statement...

We are here by our choice.

I agreed with that statement, but I don't know of many people outside of my own religion who believe that.

 

[Reverend Chris]

8. We are here by our choice.

I agreed with that statement, but I don't know of many people outside of my own religion who believe that. Would you care to comment more on this statement...

Strange that you asked that because it has something to do with reincarnation. As far as reincarnating as anything but but human, that does not set well with me, because we are far superior than other earthly lifeforms, I don't know so I have no input for that.

Reincarnation is a choice. We do not have to reincarnate; it is our choice.

From what I gather you believe, and correct me if I am wrong, that after you die you await for a rapture?

From the endless NDE reports I believe it goes as follows:

After death comes darkness, with a speck of Light in the distant. You then progress to the light in a tunnel, meet with dead relatives then get your life review, some NDEer's say they are stopped at this point and told it is not time yet and are given a choice to stay or return. Almost all report they want to stay because of the love and well being of the light, which they and I believe is God's presence. So they then are shown the remainder of their mortal life and they choose to return. The ones that don't choose to return, well your guess is as good as mine.

There are 1000's of real accounts that do not differ much but many include much more detail and experiences.

 

[Buttons*]

Christianity at this point in time does not widely accept the idea of reincarnation. It is my understanding at one time it did. Almost all the other religions believe in reincarnation. I believe in reincarnation because of the many thousands of testimonies from near death experiences. (NDE's)

I am doing research right now on reincarnation and the missing link in Christianity. A workshop in the works you might say.

Now my question to you is: Since you believe that we existed for millions of years before we entered mortality, why do we just get one shot at mortality?

*cough* Gnosticism

 

[Reverend Chris]

Gnosticism is a blanket term for various mostly mystical religions and sects, which were most prominent in the first few centuries CE.

The word gnosticism comes from the Greek word for knowledge, gnosis (γνῶσι&#962, referring to the idea that there is special esoteric knowledge, a key to transcendent understanding, that only a few may possess. The occult nature of Gnostic teaching and the fact that much of the evidence for that teaching has traditionally come from critiques by orthodox Christians made it difficult to be precise about early Christian Gnostic systems.

The word "Gnosticism" is also applied to many modern sects where only initiates have access to arcana. However, there has always been a great deal of diversity within gnosticism and modern gnostic doctrines sometimes have little to do with ancient Gnosticism.

Many elements of gnosticism are pre-Christian, and it is generally accepted that orthodox Christianity and its canonical texts do not predate the Gnostic movement, but grew up alongside it, out of some of the same sources.

Irenaeus (Adversus Haereses) described several different schools of 2nd century gnosticism in disparaging and often sarcastic detail while contrasting them with Christianity, to their detriment. Then, a chance discovery of a cache of 4th-century Gnostic texts was made at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945, and Gnosticism could be studied at first hand.

Some modern scholars, e.g. John Dominic Crossan date the Gospel of Thomas in the first century and are convinced that the Gospel of Thomas was used by 1st Century gnostics as well as by writers in the Johannine tradition whose interpretation of the person and meaning of the Christ led to the developed doctrine of the 3rd and 4th-century Christian church. Other gnostic texts make no mention of Jesus or other Christian figures.

Many Gnostic sects were made up of Christians who embraced mystical theories of the nature of Jesus or the Christ which were out of step with the teachings of orthodox Christian faith. For example, Gnostics generally taught docetism, the belief that Jesus did not have a physical body, but rather his apparent physical body was an illusion, and hence his crucifixion was not bodily.There is really no universal symbol for the variant Gnostic movements, whether ancient or modern.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

I do not believe this way of thinking. What makes you feel like I believe in gnosticism?

 

[Buttons*]

Gnosticism is a blanket term for various mostly mystical religions and sects, which were most prominent in the first few centuries CE.

The word gnosticism comes from the Greek word for knowledge, gnosis (??????), referring to the idea that there is special esoteric knowledge, a key to transcendent understanding, that only a few may possess. The occult nature of Gnostic teaching and the fact that much of the evidence for that teaching has traditionally come from critiques by orthodox Christians made it difficult to be precise about early Christian Gnostic systems.

The word "Gnosticism" is also applied to many modern sects where only initiates have access to arcana. However, there has always been a great deal of diversity within gnosticism and modern gnostic doctrines sometimes have little to do with ancient Gnosticism.

Many elements of gnosticism are pre-Christian, and it is generally accepted that orthodox Christianity and its canonical texts do not predate the Gnostic movement, but grew up alongside it, out of some of the same sources.

Irenaeus (Adversus Haereses) described several different schools of 2nd century gnosticism in disparaging and often sarcastic detail while contrasting them with Christianity, to their detriment. Then, a chance discovery of a cache of 4th-century Gnostic texts was made at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945, and Gnosticism could be studied at first hand.

Some modern scholars, e.g. John Dominic Crossan date the Gospel of Thomas in the first century and are convinced that the Gospel of Thomas was used by 1st Century gnostics as well as by writers in the Johannine tradition whose interpretation of the person and meaning of the Christ led to the developed doctrine of the 3rd and 4th-century Christian church. Other gnostic texts make no mention of Jesus or other Christian figures.

Many Gnostic sects were made up of Christians who embraced mystical theories of the nature of Jesus or the Christ which were out of step with the teachings of orthodox Christian faith. For example, Gnostics generally taught docetism, the belief that Jesus did not have a physical body, but rather his apparent physical body was an illusion, and hence his crucifixion was not bodily.There is really no universal symbol for the variant Gnostic movements, whether ancient or modern.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

I do not believe this way of thinking. What makes you feel like I believe in gnosticism?

It was just an observation I made. I know you're not gnostic... otherwise you'd have said so

Good day to you sir! and keep the cupcakes flowing