The bible and gays

[Norman]

Sure, its great to move on, as I have but it is NOT pragmatic or beneficial to forget the atrocities done by your alleged well meaning missionaries. What makes you think that going to a tribe in Africa who have their own faith and have had that faith for generations would want to forced into your faith? There are stories of tribal leaders getting it so wrong they still today burn witches at the stake. Have you ever read about what missionaries and Christian peoples did to my ancestors? No sir, we will never forget.

Norman: Who are your ancestors?

 

[Norman]

It makes me think of an exclusive men's club or something. One of those who look down their noses at those who are not allowed to join. To borrow a line from Al Pacino in The Devil's Advocate....worship that? Never.

Norman: What God (s) are you referring to?

 

[Norman]

Yes I agree, but the way many religious people carry on, you would think they knew everything he did, this is why I cannot take the bible too serious.

Norman: Hi psychostice, what is your own religion?

 

[psychoslice]

Norman: Hi psychostice, what is your own religion?

Hi Norman, I don't have a religion, I was once a Seventh Day Adventist, but could never get too involved, I felt there was something missing. I was always interested in Buddhism and Hinduism, but these days no I don't have a religion, I have my own inner connection to whatever you want to call it, I prefer calling it the Source, or Consciousness, I don't like the word god, it is a loaded word with so much negativity within it.

 

[JoStories]

My awareness of the NA is limited to , a little common knowledge and a book I read recently" kiss the sunset pig " by Laurie Gough. She was a young idealist wanting to change the world , starting in the NA culture , helping where she could then seeing what was next . Good amusing stuff , but she was horribly disillusioned only after a few days teaching in a tribal school , perhaps you have read it ?

You said that you had hoped that I had gotten your point about the Jews. And I asked what that point was. Not about NA culture. And no, I have not read that book.

 

[JoStories]

Norman: Hi JoStories, are you referring to the United States of America?

Yes, I was.

 

[JoStories]

Norman: Who are your ancestors?

My mother is full blooded NA and my father was from Scotland.

 

[JoStories]

Norman: What God (s) are you referring to?

That was a remark to Leibowde about some churches and such that act as exclusive clubs, I was not talking about any gods.

 

[Norman]

That was a remark to Leibowde about some churches and such that act as exclusive clubs, I was not talking about any gods.

Norman: Oh ok, sorry about that. I do have a question about your remark about some Churches act as exclusive clubs. What Churches are you referring to? Why do you feel this way? You are Buddhist as I understand, do you consider Buddhism not one of those Churches?

 

[Norman]

My mother is full blooded NA and my father was from Scotland.

Norman: NA = Native American? Do you live in the United States? What nation is your Mother?

 

[Norman]

Yes, I was.

Norman: Well, I agree that our Government is going farther and farther away from our Constitution, in my opinion, there is no where on earth that I would rather live than in the United States. We as citizens must continue to help those that we vote into office to remember that they serve the people.

 

[Norman]

Hi Norman, I don't have a religion, I was once a Seventh Day Adventist, but could never get too involved, I felt there was something missing. I was always interested in Buddhism and Hinduism, but these days no I don't have a religion, I have my own inner connection to whatever you want to call it, I prefer calling it the Source, or Consciousness, I don't like the word god, it is a loaded word with so much negativity within it.

Norman: Oh, ok, thank you for answering my question. Do you feel that maybe it is people who give God the negativity?

 

[InfiniteZero]

And when the ones you were doing it all for, were cursing you, and hammering in the nails. Are you sure ?

On a slightly related note, I am a gay man and have done this very thing. My family has almost fully rejected me and I still walked away from them and my old faith for love of my LGBT brethren and an unwillingness to tolerate the lies and evil dished out against them by my old church family. Many of my LGBT brethren I would likely not get along with or like very much. Additionally, I still maintain a love of my mother, grandparents, and all those even though their rejection has and continues to hurt me.

 

[InfiniteZero]

God’s name is the epitome of who and what He is, and He says His name is Jealous. Jealousy is not merely a passing mood with God. It is the essence of His person. He cannot be other than jealous. Since He is the highest and greatest being there is, infinitely holy and glorious, He must be passionately committed to preserving His honor and supremacy. He must zealously desire exclusive devotion and worship. To do less would make Him less than God.

Research has linked several traits to greater jealousy: low self-esteem, neuroticism, insecurity and possessiveness, unhealthy dependence on a partner, feelings of being inadequate as it relates to being in a relationship, and suffering from an anxious attachment style (an orientation toward romantic relationships that involves a fear that a partner will leave or won’t love you enough).

Do you understand why, then, so many are baffled by the concept of a "jealous" god? Jealousy is a lower-order emotional response to something that God, by the very definition of who He is according to you, cannot be. Jealousy is a response to brokenness, not a healthy and normal state of being.

 

[psychoslice]

Norman: Oh, ok, thank you for answering my question. Do you feel that maybe it is people who give God the negativity?

Yes I do, myself I don't believe in a personal God, that is a God that is like us, God to me is all there IS, there is nothing that is not God, but to call any one thing God is reducing God to an idol, so yes, most religions are really idol worshipers.

 

[Norman]

Yes I do, myself I don't believe in a personal God, that is a God that is like us, God to me is all there IS, there is nothing that is not God, but to call any one thing God is reducing God to an idol, so yes, most religions are really idol worshipers.

Norman: Do you read the Bible at all psychoslice? If you have at one time do you remember in Genesis where it says we are created in God's image, for example, Adam and Eve.

 

[Norman]

On a slightly related note, I am a gay man and have done this very thing. My family has almost fully rejected me and I still walked away from them and my old faith for love of my LGBT brethren and an unwillingness to tolerate the lies and evil dished out against them by my old church family. Many of my LGBT brethren I would likely not get along with or like very much. Additionally, I still maintain a love of my mother, grandparents, and all those even though their rejection has and continues to hurt me.

Norman: Hi InfiniteZero, I am against homosexuality, however, I am so sorry that your family treated and it looks like they are still degrading you. I would never dis-associate with anyone in my family if they told me that they were a homosexual, never, I would still love them with all my heart and defend them and protect them. Again, I am so sorry that you are going thru this.

 

[psychoslice]

Norman: Do you read the Bible at all psychoslice? If you have at one time do you remember in Genesis where it says we are created in God's image, for example, Adam and Eve.

We are in the image of God as pure Consciousness, that verse is not to be taken literally, as if God would be a human being, or look like a human being, that is too silly to even imagine.

 

[Norman]

We are in the image of God as pure Consciousness, that verse is not to be taken literally, as if God would be a human being, or look like a human being, that is too silly to even imagine.

Norman: Hi psychoslice, OK, thanks

 

[chessplayer]

We are in the image of God as pure Consciousness, that verse is not to be taken literally, as if God would be a human being, or look like a human being, that is too silly to even imagine.

Made in the image of God ?

Why are we so innately aesthetic, whether in art, drama, music, dance, or literature? Daniel Dennett, an outspoken atheist and an authority on understanding cognitive processes, answers from a materialistic perspective:

“But most of this research still takes music for granted. It seldom asks: Why does music exist? There is a short answer, and it is true, so far as it goes: it exists because we love it and hence we keep bringing more of it into existence. But why do we love it? Because we find that it is beautiful. But why is it beautiful to us? This is a perfectly good biological question, but it does not yet have a good answer.”

Why indeed if everything about us as humans must be explained based solely on survival fitness and differential reproductive rates is art, in all its forms, so important to us? Dennett, probably the world’s leading thinker on this question from the materialistic evolutionary perspective, tells us that we just do not know. From the Biblical perspective it is because God is artistic and aesthetic. He made things beautiful and enjoys beauty. We, made in His image, are the same.