The Lord Spoke directly only to one people and this is what He said

[RamaRaksha]

Speak for yourself.

I am not his child.

Basically if you believe that there is a Super being who created all you see - the planets, galaxies, stars etc - then She created all of us. It's ok if you don't believe - I call myself an Atheist Hindu - we don't view God as a Master - one who must be pleased with begging and groveling. Belief does not matter - what matters is our Karmas (actions)

 

[RamaRaksha]

Speak for yourself.

I am not his child.

Also i must apologize - i usually use the word - YOU- i don't mean personally, i was speaking generally and also the post was mostly addressed to the starter of this thread talking about God only spoke to us etc - way to divide people. We Hindus don't think that way - yes God gave us the Gita but that's not the only holy book and it didn't mean we are anything special - in fact that is what is said in the Gita - God Krishna makes it clear that He is for everyone, but he belongs to no one people

 

[james dixon]

Some scriptures contain claims that the respective gods of their religions talked to certain peoples. I don't think there is any validity to those claims; the claims' being in the scriptures doesn't automatically confer validity on them.

(Ezek 21:32 KJV) Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.

You can check the stats; the world Jewish population is declining at about 50,000 a year. Today there are some 6,000,000 in Israel, 6,000,000 in Europe and 6,000,000 in the USA. If the trend continues they have 360 years left.

The truth is we all may have even less time for enjoy our ride on this planet

 

[serp777]

The belief that an omniscient, omnipotent god plays favorites with the nations and peoples he himself has created when choosing who to talk to strikes me as little more than tribalistic and intellectually juvenile, not to mention that the idea of an omniscient, omnipotent deity "talking to" his relatively insignificant creations to dictate to them in detail how they should live their everyday lives seems to me to be just as intellectually juvenile and undeveloped.

I love the bioshock picture you have.

 

[james dixon]

Basically - then She created all of us. It's ok if you don't believe -

I for one believe earth was seeded a long time ago and then left to evolve on our own. Just as we are about to seed mars.

 

[james dixon]

we don't view God as a Master - one who must be pleased with begging and groveling.

Here we agree. Once the seed was planted we were and are being left alone to sort out our own lives one way or another. The only tool He gave us was the tool of choice. The choice is ours alone to make

 

[RamaRaksha]

(Ezek 21:32 KJV) Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.

You can check the stats; the world Jewish population is declining at about 50,000 a year. Today there are some 6,000,000 in Israel, 6,000,000 in Europe and 6,000,000 in the USA. If the trend continues they have 360 years left.

The truth is we all may have even less time for enjoy our ride on this planet

Primitive dictator religions full of threats and dire consequences for not getting down on your knees and blindly obeying
Slave ideas still with us. Pick a fact here and there - no wonder we get so many of you every time a disaster happens - you better convert or else! Like living under a dictator - you better vote for the dear leader who loves you or else someone will come break your legs
You live in a democracy today - you have freedom of speech - freedom to question and yet you follow communist/dictator religions?
These religions were born when Kings ruled with an iron fist, they had not idea about democracy - that's why these ideas came out during those times - sad to see them still in circulation today

 

[RamaRaksha]

Here we agree. Once the seed was planted we were and are being left alone to sort out our own lives one way or another. The only tool He gave us was the tool of choice. The choice is ours alone to make

My hope is to divide the 4 major religions into two - Hinduism and Buddhism being the Parent/Teacher faiths - God is there but only to advice us - the work is left to us - the world's problems are ours to solve - all we can ask God is to give us strength and guidance - no he is not coming any day now to save the day nor are we running off to some magic land of plenty, God is no Sugar Daddy - we stay right here - whether it is global warming or some other catastrophe, it is our problem to solve

 

[Papoon]

Credible text that evolved over a long period of time, came from multiple cultures....things not adding up
It doesn't matter how things came about, in fact, most things do come about this way - but what we have are Slave/Servant ideas of God - seen as a Master - a Dictator, King who will reward those who kneel and profess loyalty. We are ALL God's children but religions don't like that - divide and rule and they gain control - saying God spoke to only us is how you separate people - classic Master/Slave mentality. Would you as a Parent divide your own children? Aren't we ALL made by God? So where is this God spoke only to us coming from? God then is no longer your parent, he is now a Master and you are now a Slave - a Master WILL divide his slaves/servants and will play favorites
The joke amongst us Hindus is that while God sent messengers to everyone else(like a King sending his servants to greet unimportant people), She Herself came down for us Hindus. We don't get servants sent down, God Herself came down for us!The point i wanted to make is that if you want to play this we are one-up on everyone else, two can play the same game

The God-as-master idea is leveraging the dominance/subordinance
behavior which is fundamental to our primate genetically coded nature. 'God' is a projection of the Alpha Male. The notion of god as absolute authority came from people living harsh tribal lives in desert lands. To survive as a group, obedience was essential.
BTW, the original book of the Hindus is Rig Veda, which does not have God at all really. It is about a state of realisation induced by a drug called soma. The god stuff came later.

 

[Nietzsche]

Calling a people "Is Ra El" does not equate to "nation" but a people instead

Time for a language lesson. Gather round' kiddies!

A "nation" is a group of people who share a common culture, tongue, religion or history. A state apparatus is entirely optional. For instance, there exists a Kurdish nation, but as of yet no Kurdish state. Were there a Kurdish state, the proper term would then be "Nation-State". However, a nation exists with or without a state, because it is a cultural collective.

 

[outhouse]

Time for a language lesson. Gather round' kiddies!

A "nation" is a group of people who share a common culture, tongue, religion or history. A state apparatus is entirely optional. For instance, there exists a Kurdish nation, but as of yet no Kurdish state. Were there a Kurdish state, the proper term would then be "Nation-State". However, a nation exists with or without a state, because it is a cultural collective.

Understood bud. However, the Egyptian hieroglyphs denoted a semi nomadic people, then a nation.

Israelites at this time were still considered "proto Israelites"

Basically at 1200 BC in the highlands that would become Israel, only had a few settlements, it took about 200 years before we can really call them a nation

 

[Mycroft]

In your view, do you think primitive ancient mythology written for multiple cultures 2500 years ago to free them from their Babylonian captures should LITERALLY apply today????????????

You're looking for a world of facepalm with that question.

 

[Desert Snake]

My hope is to divide the 4 major religions into two - Hinduism and Buddhism being the Parent/Teacher faiths - God is there but only to advice us - the work is left to us - the world's problems are ours to solve - all we can ask God is to give us strength and guidance - no he is not coming any day now to save the day nor are we running off to some magic land of plenty, God is no Sugar Daddy - we stay right here - whether it is global warming or some other catastrophe, it is our problem to solve

Which hindu deity are you referring to? There are many..


Which Buddhist deity are you referring to? //you wrote 'god'., for both hinduism, and Buddhism..

 

[james dixon]

RamaRaksha;

My hope is that all religions learn to live alongside other religions in peace. The core principle of all religions is basically the same.

New International Version
And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.

New Living Translation
So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.

English Standard Version
Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

New American Standard Bible
"So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

King James Bible
Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You also must love the foreigner, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

International Standard Version
"You are to love the foreigner, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

NET Bible
So you must love the resident foreigner because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So you should love foreigners, because you were foreigners living in Egypt.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Love ye therefore the stranger; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

New American Standard 1977
“So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Jubilee Bible 2000
Ye shall love, therefore, the stranger, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

King James 2000 Bible
Love you therefore the stranger: for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

American King James Version
Love you therefore the stranger: for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

American Standard Version
Love ye therefore the sojourner; for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And do you therefore love strangers, because you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Darby Bible Translation
And ye shall love the stranger; for ye have been strangers in the land of Egypt.

English Revised Version
Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Webster's Bible Translation
Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

World English Bible
Therefore love the foreigner; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

Young's Literal Translation
'And ye have loved the sojourner, for sojourners ye were in the land of Egypt.


Clearly, Egypt played a big role in this evolving train of thought

 

[outhouse]

You're looking for a world of facepalm with that question.

Can you explain why? is the real question.

 

[Mycroft]

Can you explain why? is the real question.

I had the idea that the response to your question would be of a manner that would induce a facepalm.

 

[outhouse]

I had the idea that the response to your question would be of a manner that would induce a facepalm.

Why what was the problem ?

Do you think most people view Israelite cultures as static or singular?

 

[Mycroft]

Why what was the problem ?

Do you think most people view Israelite cultures as static or singular?

I was referring to the possibility of the OP believing in the literal nature of the scripture.

 

[james dixon]

Speak for yourself.

I am not his child.

don't be so0 sure -

 

[Tumah]

(Ezek 21:32 KJV) Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.

You can check the stats; the world Jewish population is declining at about 50,000 a year. Today there are some 6,000,000 in Israel, 6,000,000 in Europe and 6,000,000 in the USA. If the trend continues they have 360 years left.

The truth is we all may have even less time for enjoy our ride on this planet

The Orthodox Jewish population is actually increasing relatively fast.
Sorry to ruin your doomsday speech.