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Very relevant post, especially with so many immigrants crossing Canadas' borders. I'm enjoying seeing them being mostly welcomed with some open arms.
 
For humor in your temporal departure ...

An aged friend told me about her option to Facebook ...

She walks down the street speaking to everyone and assisting all she is able ...

She claims it works as she now has several followers ... including 2 policeman and a psychiatrist ...

Something to take with you wherever you goes ...
 
Luce NDs said:
For humor in your temporal departure ...

An aged friend told me about her option to Facebook ...

She walks down the street speaking to everyone and assisting all she is able ...

She claims it works as she now has several followers ... including 2 policeman and a psychiatrist ...

Something to take with you wherever you goes ...
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Pretty good joke, Luce. The world would indeed be a bizarre place if we interacted face to face the way we do on social media, wouldn't it.
 
revsdd said:
Pretty good joke, Luce. The world would indeed be a bizarre place if we interacted face to face the way we do on social media, wouldn't it.
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You wanna believe it ... some think me a crazy 'd Aamon as I can't take this world seriously ... just look at the environment that surrounds us with dead ringers ... for what? It proves to me if there is a fair god ... Chi's yet to come ... beyond us ...

Even Sam Johnson ventured to define intellect as beyond human passions ... there's gotta be more to Ide ...
 
There is a part of me that worries that the Greek/Egyptian etc... understandings and stories of the various "other" gods resurrecting within other ancient religions, has infiltrated the origins of Christianity as time passed and Emperors sought to unite religions into "one" Christianity.

Is resurrection unique to Christianity?
 
revsdd said:
I've been off for the last few weeks so just getting back to writing my weekly reflections. For my first week back I wanted to focus on something important to me, so I'm reflecting on the importance of the resurrection of Jesus to the Christian faith, using 1 Corinthians 15:16-17 as a starting point.

My Faith Thoughts: A Thought For The Week Of September 4, 2017
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I largely agree with you and it is largely why I am no longer a Christian. Many UUs take the "Jesus was a great moral/spiritual teacher" line so how is a Christian who believes that different from a UU who does so? To my mind, being a Christian requires addressing Jesus' own faith in God and in his mission as well as the Resurrection. If you reject all that, you're largely tossing out a big chunk of the faith anyhow.

Question, though: What about those who do take the Resurrection seriously, but as a myth (in the sense of a powerful, meaningful story) rather than literally?
 
Waterfall said:
There is a part of me that worries that the Greek/Egyptian etc... understandings and stories of the various "other" gods resurrecting within other ancient religions, has infiltrated the origins of Christianity as time passed and Emperors sought to unite religions into "one" Christianity.

Is resurrection unique to Christianity?
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No, it is not. It is a common myth in Mediterranean and Near Eastern cultures. What is unique is the Gospel claim that it supposedly happened to a real human contemporary with some of the readers and maybe writers. Most resurrection myths are about gods and divine heroes in some glorious past.

Does the existence of these other myths mean the Christian narrative need also be taken as myth? Not necessarily but, for me at least, it points that way. I certainly see the supernatural elements of the Gospel story in mythological terms. BUT, as you know, I also don't claim to be a Christian. As I have already asked of @revsdd, I wonder if one can take a mythological approach to the Gospel and still be a "Christian".
 
Mendalla said:
No, it is not. It is a common myth in Mediterranean and Near Eastern cultures. What is unique is the Gospel claim that it happened to a real human contemporary with some of the readers and maybe writers. Most resurrection myths are about gods and divine heroes in some glorious past.

Does the existence of these other myths mean the Christian narrative need also be taken as myth? Not necessarily but, for me at least, it points that way. I certainly see the supernatural elements of the Gospel story in mythological terms. BUT, as you know, I also don't claim to be a Christian. As I have already asked of @revsdd, I wonder if one can take a mythological approach to the Gospel and still be a "Christian".
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Of course the gnostics, whom we are told were never Christians, believed in reincarnation for those who had not yet attained a spiritual resurrection. A physical resurrection was never part of their BS.
 
Mendalla said:
I largely agree with you and it is largely why I am no longer a Christian. Many UUs take the "Jesus was a great moral/spiritual teacher" line so how is a Christian who believes that different from a UU who does so? To my mind, being a Christian requires addressing Jesus' own faith in God and in his mission as well as the Resurrection. If you reject all that, you're largely tossing out a big chunk of the faith anyhow.

Question, though: What about those who do take the Resurrection seriously, but as a myth (in the sense of a powerful, meaningful story) rather than literally?
Click to expand...

Ah. That's the issue, isn't it. In my opinion, that only works if you want to relegate the entire Jesus story to the realm of mythology. While I would agree that there's a mythic nature to the stories of Jesus' life (as there is to the lives of most famous historical figures - like George Washington's "I cannot tell a lie,", which never happened but is trying to make a point about Washington's honesty) I don't agree that the entire story is myth. I cannot read the Gospels without believing that those who wrote them intended for the resurrection to be taken as a real event that they had experienced - and not just as a way of saying that Jesus' memory or work lived on. So I would have some difficulty equating the belief that the resurrection was a myth with a profession of Christian faith.
 
Steve cites Paul's point that, if Christ's resurrection is a myth, then Christian faith is "in vain" and sin cannot be forgiven througb Christ's incarnation and atoning death. By Paul's standard, then, modern progressives who reject Christ's literal Resurrection forfeit their right to be considered true Christians.

In the context, Paul "hands down" the sequence of Resurrection appearances that he "has received (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)." . The source of this list is ultimately the eyewitness testimony of the apostles. After his conversion, Paul's apostolic calling and Gospel required validation and confirmation by the Jerusalem apostles. He meets with them in twice, first with Peter and Jesus' brother James (Galatians 1:18-19) then again with the Jerusalem church leadership, including Peter, John, and James. These eyewitnesses are the obvious source of the Resurrection appearances listed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. Paul celebrates the fact that the Jerusalem church leaders validate his Gospel and give his preaching their stamp of approval. This in itself calls into question modern attempts to marginalize Paul's Gospel as less than orthodox.

By apostolic standards, Christianity stands or falls with the credibility of eyewitness testimony and the anecdotes of Resurrection appearances. The credibility of these anecdotes derives support from the transformation and new energy and dedication of the eyewitnesses. Of course, Paul's Resurrection appearance transforms him from persecutor to the most effective missionary Christianity has ever seen. The appearance to Jesus' brother James seems to have convinced previously skeptical family members that Jesus' self-understanding and mission are valid. The appearances to the other apostles transforms them from frightened followers in hiding to fearless witnesses to Jesus' message, atoning death, and Resurrection, witnesses who are willing to sacrifice their lives for this message. The NT teaches that the credibility of this eyewitness testimony is reinforced by the inner witness of the Holy Spirit that derives from an intimate personal relationship with Christ.
 
I'm not sure that there's as much an effort to marginalize Paul's letters as much as to identify which are actually his, and which have different authorships/different theological positions.
 
Paul has repeatedly been marginalized by certain posters here and on other sites. But you are3 right: in the academic community the issue is which epistles were and were not directly composed by Paul.
 
This is a comment from revsdd faith thoughts post ------

How is it possible to claim to be a Christian yet deny the resurrection of Jesus ------

unsafe says and posted scripture

This hits the nail on the head for me cause in my view ---we can call our self a Christian but we are really not one ------This word Christian was in the beginning meant for people who actually have received the Holy Spirit and follow Jesus Christ by faith ---just saying we follow what Jesus taught without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit does not make us a True Christian ---it makes us a fake Christian in my view ----and then is there really such a thing as a fake Christian ----we are either a Christian or we are not one -----

Can a person who calls themselves a Christian without the Holy Spirit bring Glory and Honor to God in their good works and deeds -----that is the question ----Can the person without the Holy Spirit call on God's Grace to keep them from committing sin --that is the question ----

Romans 8:9 (GNT)
9 But you do not live as your human nature tells you to; instead, you live as the Spirit tells you to—if, in fact, God's Spirit lives in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

Can we really follow Jesus without the Holy Spirit -----do we have the ability to follow Jesus by and through faith on our own power -----some believe they can but in my view they are only fooling themselves -----

Matthew 10 tells us that Jesus didn't come to bring peace but came with a sword to divide -----He is sending out His Disciples to the wolves where persecution is very real ----Do we think we can follow Jesus and bring peace following His teachings and preaching the real truth ----

Pope Francis: God is real, too many Christians are fake
Pope Francis: God is real, too many Christians are fake - Vatican Radio
 
revsdd said:
Ah. That's the issue, isn't it. In my opinion, that only works if you want to relegate the entire Jesus story to the realm of mythology. While I would agree that there's a mythic nature to the stories of Jesus' life (as there is to the lives of most famous historical figures - like George Washington's "I cannot tell a lie,", which never happened but is trying to make a point about Washington's honesty) I don't agree that the entire story is myth. I cannot read the Gospels without believing that those who wrote them intended for the resurrection to be taken as a real event that they had experienced - and not just as a way of saying that Jesus' memory or work lived on. So I would have some difficulty equating the belief that the resurrection was a myth with a profession of Christian faith.
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Yet as Marcus Borg would suggest, we have no problem putting faith or meaning into a parable that Jesus tells us and seeing the value in the teaching. As such, could it be possible that there can be meaning behind the resurrection if it is taken as a parabolic teaching? Mark or Luke telling us that Jesus will not be found in an empty tomb, He has risen and you won't find Jesus in the land of the dead. Why do we seek the living among the dead? He is out there, and we are able to be transformed when we hear and follow Jesus' teachings.

We can ask ourselves what is added by believing in the physical or literal translation of the story as opposed to it being a parabolic teaching. Can we not be changed just the same by believing either way?
 
ROMANS 10:10 --
CEB
Trusting with the heart leads to righteousness, and confessing with the mouth leads to salvation.

So trusting that the resurrection is not a Myth and did happen is a heart and speaking your faith issue ----you only speak what is in your heart ---so believing in itself is not enough to be changed if you have doubt in your heart -----


images



Here is the thing ----The resurrection can't be tested for truth -----all we have is God's word which says it is Truth we either believe His Truth or we don't -----there is no in between ---we can't through any light on the belief of the Resurrection -----it's own light blinds the minds of unbelieving eyes ----What we have to decide is which side of the road we want to be on the belief side or the unbelief side ----you can't have it both ways and be changed ------

Satan believed that Jesus was Lord but Satan is not going to be Saved ------so we have a choice we can believe like Satan and know there is destruction road ----or we can believe with our heart and confess with our mouth professing our faith like Paul leading to a Salvation road --there is no in between unfortunately ----We Humans want our cake and eat it to -----

Belief or unbelief ----we can't do both at the same time -----


images
 
unsafe said:
ROMANS 10:10 --
CEB
Trusting with the heart leads to righteousness, and confessing with the mouth leads to salvation.

So trusting that the resurrection is not a Myth and did happen is a heart and speaking your faith issue ----you only speak what is in your heart ---so believing in itself is not enough to be changed if you have doubt in your heart -----


images



Here is the thing ----The resurrection can't be tested for truth -----all we have is God's word which says it is Truth we either believe His Truth or we don't -----there is no in between ---we can't through any light on the belief of the Resurrection -----it's own light blinds the minds of unbelieving eyes ----What we have to decide is which side of the road we want to be on the belief side or the unbelief side ----you can't have it both ways and be changed ------

Satan believed that Jesus was Lord but Satan is not going to be Saved ------so we have a choice we can believe like Satan and know there is destruction road ----or we can believe with our heart and confess with our mouth professing our faith like Paul leading to a Salvation road --there is no in between unfortunately ----We Humans want our cake and eat it to -----

Belief or unbelief ----we can't do both at the same time -----


images
Click to expand...

Satan doesn't need to be saved as the sol / soul is immortal as sowel (relating that dead sensation when Halloween sets into the bottom line ... sole) to applies to hollow ene ... the damned thing keeps coming up in distressing dialogues from people that don't like thought arising from the organ of thought ... soul ... while the heart is limited in feeling ... about thoughts!

Such stories stimulate the abstract psyche ... something to do wit mine 'd if you research such odd words along with God as a word put in Jame's Gospel as put out in a version of bent truth as authorized by King James the I or VI depending on whether you are Celtic of Anglowing extraction ... from an inky well!
 
Mendalla said:
Question, though: What about those who do take the Resurrection seriously, but as a myth (in the sense of a powerful, meaningful story) rather than literally?
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I don't see how that would substantively be different from a Christian, taking a look at it from the respect of fruit (actions etc)? Not that any of us have complete and utter control over what we believe etc.

 
Do actions start from a rest point as initiated ... generally due to some view of the rye NDs ... hard cover?

One must dig to get to wit ... offspring of the ancient ankh of getting the mine to crank ... thus the go round of environment that is sowel rounded in nature ... the Ba'aL s go with a thump ... then you know tis gone ... critical measure? Some one's juiced or Jew'd out of JudE ... where the spirits left ... remains a question ... improper spin ... or accrued English on searate sects ... for tribulation?
 
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