The Exclusivity of Christianity: Myth or Reality

[omega2xx]

It comes to no surprise to me Paul going around ranting and raving that some dead guy speaks to him saying the Mosaic Law is obsolete and the Jews want to run him out of town. I can almost guarantee if I stood on a busy street corner and tapped people on the shoulder and told them some dead guy speaks to me and told me we need to change our ways, I would be put in the nut house in a heartbeat.

How about this verse? ""But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Mt 4:4.

Seems like many words of the Bible's god causes people to die instead.

You embellishing the story is amusing. Paul did not rant and rave. He told them, the Jews, from the OT. Something they believed ed in.

 

[omega2xx]

How about this verse? ""But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Mt 4:4.

Seems like many words of the Bible's god causes people to die instead.

Nothing in that verse about dying. It is telling us that man needs spiritual food to live spiritually.

I am the Bread of life. He who comes o me will not hunger; and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

I am the living Bread that came down from heaven, if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever...

Bread is a metaphor for God's word. Bread is the staff of physical life,; God word is the staff of bread for spiritual life. Bread is about living, not dying

 

[buddhist]

Nothing in that verse about dying. It is telling us that man needs spiritual food to live spiritually.

I am the Bread of life. He who comes o me will not hunger; and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

I am the living Bread that came down from heaven, if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever...

Bread is a metaphor for God's word. Bread is the staff of physical life,; God word is the staff of bread for spiritual life.

Not for me; unfortunately, when I read the Bible, I get fearful and depressed, I feel more spiritually deprived, and it kills my soul.

 

[roger1440]

You embellishing the story is amusing. Paul did not rant and rave. He told them, the Jews, from the OT. Something they believed ed in.

Are you saying a dead guy didn't talk with Paul?

 

[Dawnofhope]

It comes to no surprise to me Paul going around ranting and raving that some dead guy speaks to him saying the Mosaic Law is obsolete and the Jews want to run him out of town. I can almost guarantee if I stood on a busy street corner and tapped people on the shoulder and told them some dead guy speaks to me and told me we need to change our ways, I would be put in the nut house in a heartbeat.

Obviously that was a concern for those at Pentacost. It must have seemed like madness...

"For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;"

For those present it was a mystical experience as it was for Paul on the road to Damascus.

Paul was an apostle of God no less and without Divine assistance and confirmation he could never have achieved what he did.

 

[Dawnofhope]

adrianhindes,
There is no way to salvation, except through Jesus Christ!!! This statement is proven true by the clear statement of the Holy Scriptures at Acts 4:10-12, which says that there is not another name uSnder heaven, by which we MUST get saved. There is no salvation in any other name under heaven!!!

If we take these verses out of context, then we have a God that is neither loving, nor just.

 

[roger1440]

Obviously that was a concern for those at Pentacost. It must have seemed like madness...

"For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;"

For those present it was a mystical experience as it was for Paul on the road to Damascus.

Paul was an apostle of God no less and without Divine assistance and confirmation he could never have achieved what he did.

The Pentecost story is a retelling of the tower of Babel story.

 

[Dawnofhope]

The Pentecost story is a retelling of the tower of Babel story.

I've never made the connection. Explain it to me please.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Not for me; unfortunately, when I read the Bible, I get fearful and depressed, I feel more spiritually deprived, and it kills my soul.

Why not extend the metaphor to the teachings of the Buddha. The words of Buddha provide spiritual sustenance. If you have just a few of Buddhas' teachings without the others then you have a distorted picture of what Buddha taught. You need to study with sufficient depth and breadth to have a complete picture. Otherwise you will take verses out of context which some Christians do with John 14:6

 

[buddhist]

Why not extend the metaphor to the teachings of the Buddha. The words of Buddha provide spiritual sustenance. If you have just a few of Buddhas' teachings without the others then you have a distorted picture of what Buddha taught. You need to study with sufficient depth and breadth to have a complete picture. Otherwise you will take verses out of context which some Christians do with John 14:6

I've been studying the Bible for 3 decades, and teaching it for about half that time. I think I have a good perspective on it.

 

[Dawnofhope]

I've been studying the Bible for 3 decades, and teaching it for about half that time. I think I have a good perspective on it.

No doubt So why do the verses cause you to feel so depressed and fearful?

 

[buddhist]

No doubt So why do the verses cause you to feel so depressed and fearful?

It speaks of obedience to a war-mongering, blood-thirsty, sacrifice & revenge-seeking deity obsessed with megalomania ... with threats for not only disobedience, but also disbelief!

 

[Dawnofhope]

It speaks of obedience to a war-mongering, blood-thirsty, sacrifice & revenge-seeking deity obsessed with megalomania ... with threats for not only disobedience, but also disbelief!

Ouch. I'd feel depressed and fearful if I read that from the Jesus' words. Is that what you learnt and taught in your 30 years of bible study?

If in your heart you believed that this is what this religion really taught, then to leave such a religion is a truly religious act!

"Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth, give birth to spirituality, and bring life and light to each heart. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division, it were better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure; but if the remedy should only aggravate the complaint it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion. All the holy prophets were as doctors to the soul; they gave prescriptions for the healing of mankind; thus any remedy that causes disease does not come from the great and supreme Physician." Abdu'l-Baha

 

[buddhist]

Ouch. I'd feel depressed and fearful if I read that from the Jesus' words. Is that what you learnt and taught in your 30 years of bible study?

If in your heart you believed that this is what this religion really taught, then to leave such a religion is a truly religious act!

Yes, do you believe any part of what I wrote was inaccurate?

"Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth, give birth to spirituality, and bring life and light to each heart. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division, it were better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure; but if the remedy should only aggravate the complaint it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion. All the holy prophets were as doctors to the soul; they gave prescriptions for the healing of mankind; thus any remedy that causes disease does not come from the great and supreme Physician."

Abdu'l-Baha

Thanks for sharing!

 

[roger1440]

I've never made the connection. Explain it to me please.

I wrote this about a year ago.
Jesus Camp

And this about 3 and a half years ago
For the Christians (Abrahamic only)

 

[Dawnofhope]

I wrote this about a year ago.
Jesus Camp

And this about 3 and a half years ago
For the Christians (Abrahamic only)

Thank you.

Pentacost and the Tower of Babel, two stories that tell of the path towards God through truth and unity at Pentacost, or the arrogance and self centeredness of man through the tower of Babel. A connection between the Old and New testament well made. I'm pleased you recognise that neither stories are to be taken literally (at least not completely). As such I believe the concept of a physical resurrection should be questioned, not because of it is beyond Gods' power, but because it simply did not happen.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Yes, do you believe any part of what I wrote was inaccurate?

No, not at all. For example anti-Semitism in Europe and America was rife leading up to WWII. This culminated in the extermination of millions of Jews, who were herded into trains like cattle, worked to death in concentration camps, and after being exterminated en mass in gas chambers, their bodies piled up like garbage. This was in a country where 95% of inhabitants identified themselves as Christians. While there are stories of outstanding heroism and standing up for Justice from some Christians, many were complicit or turned a blind eye. I don't think Christians readily acknowledge how their misunderstandings of such verses as John 14:6 leads to religious bigotry and hatred.

 

[Shem Ben Noah]

What makes you think those who translate the NT are not experts in Greek and also in Aramaic?

Traduttore traditore

 

[Dawnofhope]

There's a simple way to look at it:
There's only one creator, ruler, and lord over the universe. That is Jesus, as the visible image of the Father.

You have to submit to the Lordship of Jesus to abide with Him.
Given that there is only one Lord over all: If you choose not to accept the Lordship of Jesus and abide with Him, then where else do you have to go?
The only alternative is you end up separated from God, the source of life, and all the consequences entailed in that.

So, even if you were to argue about the hows and whys of salvation, ultimately you still come down a simple conclusion that cannot be escaped: Rebels against God (ie. sinners) won't be in the presence of God, and there's only one God, so if you reject Him then you're out of options. There is no plan B for people who choose to reject Jesus, considering He is the creator, source of eternal life, and Lord of all. Salvation is essentially restoring relationship with God, and with that comes eternal life, but if people reject relationship with God then they cannot be saved because it is that relationship with God itself that brings salvation from the original separation which doomed them to death. It is only through Jesus that that relationship can be bridged again.

Thank you

Do you think the context in which scripture is written makes a difference at all?

 

[omega2xx]

Are you saying a dead guy didn't talk with Paul?

Dead people can't talk---Up from the grave He arose.