Application of old pagan concept of trinity

Many who believe in the trinity are surprised to learn that the idea of divine beings existing as trinities or triads long predated Christianity. Yet the evidence is abundantly documented. So let us have a look at some of the evidence.

Marie Sinclair, Countess of Caithness, in her 1876 book Old Truths in a New Light, states,

“It is generally, although erroneously, supposed that the doctrine of the Trinity is of Christian origin. Nearly every nation of antiquity possessed a similar doctrine. [The early Catholic theologian] St. Jerome testifies unequivocally, ‘All the ancient nations believed in the Trinity’.” — (p. 382)

Notice how the following quotes document belief in a divine trinity in many regions and religions of the ancient world.

Sumeria

Ur III Sumerian cuneiform for An or Anu, the earliest attested Sky Father deity. In Sumerian religion, he was also “King of the Gods“, “Lord of the Constellations, Spirits and Demons”, and “Supreme Ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven”, where Anu himself wandered the highest Heavenly Regions.

“The universe was divided into three regions each of which became the domain of a god. Anu‘s share was the sky. The earth was given to Enlil. Ea became the ruler of the waters. Together they constituted the triad of the Great Gods.” — (The Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, 1994, pp. 54, 55)

Babylonia

“The ancient Babylonians recognised the doctrine of a trinity, or three persons in one god— as appears from a composite god with three heads forming part of their mythology, and the use of the equilateral triangle, also, as an emblem of such trinity in unity.” — (Thomas Dennis Rock, The Mystical Woman and the Cities of the Nations, 1867, pp. 22, 23)

India

Purana or “ancient, old” Manuscript

“The Puranas, one of the Hindoo Bibles of more than 3,000 years ago, contain the following passage:

‘O ye three Lords! know that I recognise only one God. Inform me, therefore, which of you is the true divinity, that I may address to him alone my adorations.’

The three gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva [or Shiva], becoming manifest to him, replied,

‘Learn, O devotee, that there is no real distinction between us. What to you appears such is only the semblance. The single being appears under three forms by the acts of creation, preservation, and destruction, but he is one.’

Hence the triangle was adopted by all the ancient nations as a symbol of the Deity … Three was considered among all the pagan nations as the chief of the mystical numbers, because, as Aristotle remarks, it contains within itself a beginning, a middle, and an end. Hence we find it designating some of the attributes of almost all the pagan gods.” (Sinclair, pp. 382, 383)

Greece

“In the Fourth Century B.C. Aristotle wrote:

‘All things are three, and thrice is all: and let us use this number in the worship of the gods; for, as the Pythagoreans say, everything and all things are bounded by threes, for the end, the middle and the beginning have this number in everything, and these compose the number of the Trinity’.” — (Arthur Weigall, Paganism in Our Christianity, 1928, pp. 197, 198)

Egypt

“The Hymn to Amun decreed that

Re-Horakhty.svg

Re, also spelled Ra or Pra, in ancient Egyptian religion, god of the sun and one of the creator gods, who rose from the ocean of chaos on the primeval hill, creating himself and then in turn engendering eight other gods.

‘No god came into being before him (Amun)’

and that

‘All gods are three: Amun, Re and Ptah, and there is no second to them. Hidden is his name as Amon, he is Re in face, and his body is Ptah.’

… This is a statement of trinity, the three chief gods of Egypt subsumed into one of them, Amon. Clearly, the concept of organic unity within plurality got an extraordinary boost with this formulation. Theologically, in a crude form it came strikingly close to the later Christian form of plural Trinitarian monotheism.” — (Simson Najovits, Egypt, Trunk of the Tree, Vol. 2, 2004, pp. 83, 84)

Other areas

Many other areas had their own divine trinities.

In Greece they were Zeus, Poseidon and Adonis. The Phoenicians worshipped Ulomus, Ulosuros and Eliun. Rome worshipped Jupiter, Mars and Venus. In Germanic nations they were called Wodan, Thor and Fricco. Regarding the Celts, one source states,

“The ancient heathen deities of the pagan Irish, Criosan, Biosena, and Seeva, or Sheeva, are doubtless the Creeshna [Krishna], Veeshnu [Vishnu], [or the all-inclusive] Brahma, and Seeva [Shiva], of the Hindoos.” — (Thomas Maurice, The History of Hindostan, Vol. 2, 1798, p. 171)

Arthur Edward Pearse Brome Weigall, English Egyptologist, stage designer, journalist and author, at the Temple of Edfu, before 1913

The deception is beautifully seen by the astonishing admission of Arthur Weigall who himself is a Trinitarian. Egyptologist Arthur Weigall summed up the influence of ancient beliefs on the adoption of the trinity doctrine by the Catholic Church in the following excerpt from his book:

“It must not be forgotten that Jesus Christ never mentioned such a phenomenon [the Trinity], and nowhere in the New Testament does the word ‘Trinity’ appear. The idea was only adopted by the Church three hundred years after the death of our Lord; and the origin of the conception is entirely pagan …
The ancient Egyptians, whose influence on early religious thought was profound, usually arranged their gods or goddesses in trinities: there was the trinity of Osiris, Isis, and Horus, the trinity of Amen, Mut, and Khonsu, the trinity of Khnum, Satis, and Anukis, and so forth …
The early Christians, however, did not at first think of applying the idea to their own faith. They paid their devotions to God the Father and to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and they recognised the mysterious and undefined existence of the Holy Spirit; but there was no thought of these three being an actual Trinity, co-equal and united in One …The application of this old pagan conception of a Trinity to Christian theology was made possible by the recognition of the Holy Spirit as the required third ‘Person,’ co-equal with the other ‘Persons’…The idea of the Spirit being co-equal with God was not generally recognised until the second half of the Fourth Century A.D… . In the year 381 the Council of Constantinople added to the earlier Nicene Creed a description of the Holy Spirit as

‘the Lord, and giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and Son together is worshipped and glorified.’

Andrey Davidson, Kingdom of God – Arius’ non-trinitarian Christian  theology

(Arian Church Facebook Group)

Christian Doctrine of the Trinity

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Preceding

Roman, Aztec and other rites still influencing us today

Christianity without the Trinity

Next: A Father Who begat a son

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Additional reading

  1. Tri-union gods and Pagan, Christian, Muslim and Jewish views on the Creator God
  2. Looking for answers on the question Is there a God #1 Many gods
  3. A Triple God or simply a rather simple One God
  4. Trinity matter
  5. Trinity – History
  6. How did the Trinity Doctrine Develop
  7. History of the acceptance of a three-in-one God
  8. Altered to fit a Trinity
  9. The Trinity – the truth
  10. Trinitarian philosophy
  11. Does there have to be a Holy Trinity?
  12. Problems correspondents have with the Trinity Doctrine
  13. How do trinitarians equate divine nature
  14. The Great Trinity debate
  15. Newton not believing in the Holy Trinity
  16. Inspired Word
  17. The habitual misreading of John 1 and the ‘Word being God’ #1
  18. The habitual misreading of John 1 and the ‘Word being God’ #2
  19. Who Is Jesus? God, or unique Man?
  20. Jesus the “God-Man”: Really?
  21. The saviour Jesus his godly side
  22. The saviour Jesus his human side
  23. Omniscient God opposite a not knowing Jesus
  24. Jesus Christ being dispatched as the Figurehead of a Religion
  25. The Christ, the anointed of God
  26. Challenging claim
  27. Challenging claim 1 Whose word
  28. Challenging claim 4 Inspired by God 3 Self-consistent Word of God
  29. Deity manifested in Messiah
  30. Germanic mythological influences up to today’s Christmas celebrations
  31. Problems correspondents have with the Trinity Doctrine

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Further reading

  1. Is God comprised of three persons, or is He just one person?
  2. Questions for those who believe in the Trinity
  3. Trinity And Pagan Influence
  4. The Trinity: paganism or Christianity?
  5. Trinity in the Bible
  6. Shiva, the destroyer yet the preserver
  7. Universe according to Pythagoras – pt. 1 – Tetractys
  8. A Note on ‘Biblical’ Simplicity
  9. 1 John 5:7 And Matthew 28:19 – Fabricated Trinity Verses
  10. What is God’s Glory and Why does it Matter?
  11. Ethno-nationalism and the Christian Trinity
  12. In the Newness of Prepositions
  13. Labyrinth of the Week #2: Trinity Lutheran Church
  14. Oneness Pentecostalism and Their False Doctrine of Modalism
  15. ALiF Quotes: “Plurality of One is Duality and Plurality of Two is Trinity; everything else is their derivatives.”
  16. Embrace the Mystery: Does all of theology “make sense”
  17. The Trinity Dogma and the Worship of Angels
  18. The Lord Jesus Christ and The Divine Trinity
  19. A Glimpse of the Trinity
  20. What is the Trinity?
  21. The Trinity: It’s Not That Hard to Believe.
  22. Easy Way To Know God’s Will
  23. Trinity, logically described
  24. Trinity, Part II
  25. ​Unity of the Blessed Trinity
  26. (Study) Jesus Is God
  27. A Quick Stop at The Shack
  28. Random Submission
  29. Testament 26: His word is our bond
  30. Islam and the Doctrine of the Trinity
  31. Robert Wells Needs Help Responding to Muslims on Blogging Theology
  32. The Hospitality of Abraham: The Liturgical Witness
  33. Hays on Mark’s Jesus: The God Who “Walks By” On the Water
  34. A Dove, 3, 7, and Creation
  35. Irenaeus: Salvation is the work of the Trinity
  36. Do Not Be Anxious to Be Modern In Theology
  37.  Testament 24: how to receive grace and mercy 
  38. Virgin Birth (Symbolism, Mythology, and Mystery)
  39. Is Jesus a lesser God?
  40. No One Knows the Father Except the Son: H.R. Mackintosh on the Radical Exclusivity of Revelation in Christ
  41. Delighting in the Trinity
  42. The Good God
  43. The Curious Christian
  44. Misquoted Verses #1: Judge Not
  45. Let’s Get Lost: Mapping Religion in the 21st Century
  46. The Most Shocking Thing Ever Uttered

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Writers needed to preach to non-believers

Growing Islamisation

The Great Mosque of Brussels is the oldest mosque in Brussels. It is located in the Cinquantenaire Park. It is also the seat of the Islamic and Cultural Centre of Belgium.

The Great Mosque of Brussels is the oldest mosque in Brussels. It is located in the Cinquantenaire Park. It is also the seat of the Islamic and Cultural Centre of Belgium.

It may be said that Christians seem to fail there where Muslims succeed. In Belgium we could see the Muslim community grow enormously in the last decade. Though we do not see so many preachers on the streets. In certain quarters the Islamic preachers are very actively on the street or in the parks, but in others you can’t see them. It seems a lot of youngsters do find their Islamic teaching on the net but do not find it countered by Christian teachers. Those who do have an idea that there could possibly be one God to be worshipped mostly can find Catholic and evangelical groups teaching trinitarian doctrine. Jehovah Witnesses go from door to door but most people are so much afraid of the groups and of the name Jehovah they really do not want to listen to them or to take some study material from them.

English: took it myself to illustrate open-air...

Open-air preaching (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many people in several western countries stopped listening to the pastors, priests, bishops and those who say they are ‘men of God’ because they saw what happened in the many churches were priest and nuns used young children to please themselves. Lots of people saw that many preachers who did use lots of words to frighten the people, did not bother to do those things they told their flock not to de because they would end up in hell, a place of torment and eternal suffering. In many denomination the pastors or priests make use of the comparatively easiness to convince a man of his sin and then to frighten him for the consequences of that sin.

Guilt is a majority of our spiritual make up.  And it is the substance that leaks out into our fleshly day. {The necessity of the Gospel}

No good answers by clergymen for searching people

No Preaching sign in Australia

No Preaching sign in Australia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having a guilty conscience many became bewildered, looking for real justifying answers. But the priests or pastors could not deliver them. By that “awakening” of getting conscious he had to do something against his sins, man becomes aware of a need to cleanse himself.  Some might than think

by that means, it is also comparatively easy to convince a man that Jesus is a necessary aspect of this cleansing.

but it does not seem to be so easy and it can not be brought over by staying in the church-walls. The preacher has to get out of those walls and come into the open to tell others what for possibilities there are and how Jesus can be found and is there for all of those who are willing to accept his ransom offer.

We read and hear of people saying that they need the Lord all day long.  Just a cursory look into the Christian announcement by His people will provide a rather overwhelming view of our sense of need.  And how can that be a fault?  All men know of their guilt.  It is a natural outcome that others should hear us speaking of our need for the Lord’s blood in decimating our sins. {The necessity of the Gospel}

Though people want to feel that they are helped and guided. The clerical people demanding from the ordinary human person to become holy, having to keep to all sorts of difficult things, therefore got lots of people stopping to listen to the men of their church because they know they cannot, or are not willing to, reach to the greatest of Christianity.

Need of human example

In The Swinging Doors is written:

Often, in a man’s frightful plight, he needs a human example.  As the little boy was reported to have said to his mother, “Sometimes I need a Jesus with skin on”. {The Swinging Doors}

Many churches made Jesus into their god and did not want to accept it was a man of flesh and blood who really died for the sins of many. They taught their believers that no man is capable to follow all through God’s commandments; So why bother many say. Many people also came to see that such teaching of a man who was not a man but was a spirit, who in one place says he cannot be tempted and in another place in Scriptures it says he was been tempted by the devil, could not be a real good teaching but only a misleading teaching.  Lots lost faith in their church of the misleading doctrines and found more clarity in the Islam teaching. The big problem is they did never tried to look at other Christian religions who do keep to the biblical Truth. Not many took time to look at the different non-trinitarian groups, because they thought all Christians are the same and do think the same. They also got frightened to look at the other denominations because they were made frightened by their own church who always told them it were heretics and not Christians.

No one willing to come down

Those who left the dogmatic Christian groups, Catholics, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, did not encounter on their path to other non-doctrinal Christians people who were confessing they only believed in Only One God. None of those non-trintiarians thought it necessary to come to them. Most of them who say they have the truth and are not a Jehovah Witness do not go away from their position in their church or ecclesia.

None will venture to ascend their hill.

They remain in their known group and are willing to give exhortations in their ecclesia, but to go out on the streets or to go to teach and preach somewhere else, not many wanted to do. so, those looking for God did not encounter people who wanted to tell them that in Christianity there may be found answers and may be found people willing to help to come closer to God.

In many of those non-trinitarian and trinitarian churches they are saying “God calls the people” which is true, but does not give you the right to sit on your ass and do nothing. Jesus was clear to his disciples and wanted all his followers to go out in the world to preach the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God. But in many churches the people in charge say we do have to be patient and the right people just shall come up to us. Is that so? Shall people be able to find you?

Given task

We should be prepared to bring honourable service and give ourselves into the Hands of God, offering ourselves as servants of Christ and servants of God. Faith without works is dead and true faith demands dedication to God’s sovereignty.
Preaching should be done across the entire world, every day and night regarding this subject, by those who believe in the things which are grounded in their heart. That what did not have enough opportunity to grow in the heart can not be shared. There has to be a willingness to hear others and to come to them to talk and share ideas with them. Ears have to be opened to the Word of God, but so few hear it.  So few accept it.  So few do it.   Why?

Because salvation from guilt and sin is a natural desire of the human mind.

says the writer of Words From There.

But the walk of Jesus comes from the Holy Spirit.  As we learn to listen to the Holy Spirit, we find ourselves compelled to agree with the Father in Heaven. {The necessity of the Gospel}

this should bring people united under Christ in the understanding of  the necessity to live as the Lord Jesus lived.

Servants for God

 He became a servant, though He is the Son of God.  We too are called to become servants, though we are sons of the same God.

The big question is: How many do want to become a humble servant in the hands of God? How many are willing to follow up the task Jesus has given his disciples?

Understanding the true nature of God by observing phenomena on earth is like exclusively studying shadows to examine the Sun.  The resultant assumptions would most certainly fall short. {Thoughts from Isolation}While some people ponder the very existence of a God, His people ponder His promises. {Thoughts from Isolation}

Short time to stand at the side

There are too many questions to be answered, and time on earth is too short to get all the answers right. When we do have to find out everything on our own it (perhaps) will take a long time, but when we can find help in what others can show us from the Bible we can grow with each other and come to a better understanding sooner. It is easy to say

Why is there not even a hint of concern in the majority of people?

and do nothing. Standing at the side, staying in the close environment, the safe surrounding of the own ecclesia or church is easy. It is high time to come out of the ‘building’ and to go out in the  ‘wild nature’.

Messengers with wrong motives

Soon after Jesus his death it happened already that people made use of his name and his popularity. The apostle Paul noted already that there were some that preached Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. (Philippians 1:15-18) Many centuries later not much has changed. We still can find people who are more interested in their own good and their own name, instead of sharing the gospel with many for the matter of  Jesus his name. We shamefully notice that everywhere we can find people who preach Christ out of selfish ambition. But perhaps this should not bother us so much because whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this we should rejoice.

Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org, Author of Making Sense of the Bible wrote

What security in the gospel! Even if the messenger has wrong motives, the message remains unstoppable. This means that God has built into the gospel a self-correcting power for every abuse of the gospel at the hands of men. Men misused the Bible to promote slavery in Africa and America, yet the abolitionist movement came out of the church.

All of us should be thankful we are good in something. We all have been given a gift of God’s grace for the good of His people. As the least of the Lord’s people, Paul knew that these graces were not given based upon any personal merit, so stop disqualifying yourself to use the gift of grace that God has given you. God has created all things, including you and your capacity, and God wants us to focus upon him and use what he has freely given us. And each person who comes in Christ should also as a member of the body of Christ use his or her gifts to let that body grow.

Poisoned and mislead

Arthur W. Pink was aware that we should use the gifts we received more to proclaim the Word of God

those whose whole time and energies are to be devoted to seeking the spiritual and eternal welfare of souls, and the better equipping of themselves for that most blessed, solemn, and important work. Their principal tasks are to proclaim God’s Truth and to exemplify and commend their message by diligently endeavoring to practice what they preach, setting before their hearers a personal example of practical godliness. Since it be the Truth they are to preach, no pains must be spared in seeing to it that no error be intermingled therewith, that it is the pure milk of the Word they are giving forth. To preach error instead of Truth is not only grievously to dishonor God and His Word, but will mislead and poison the minds of the hearers or readers. {Arthur W. Pink-Interpretation of the Scriptures}

Many people felt dishonoured and mislead by their common church. The Muslims seemed to honestly keep closer to the Word of God and kept more to their holy Scriptures, doing what was requested by them.

Governing bodies have taken over the Pauline churches which at early Christendom were free communities.

It is true that the early apostles held a council in order to examine more closely certain issues. Upon holding this council a letter was drawn up and sent to the Gentile churches. This letter gave basic rules of how to conduct oneself as a Christian. Paul later went back and wrote too many of these Gentile Christians and gave them a fuller explanation on what it meant to be a Christian and how to live as a Christian.  {Does an Independent Minister have a right to preach what he so desires? Pt 3}The reason men like Harold Camping can gather disciples around him are because people have remained silent. They fear persecution and do not want to live a life of being shunned or spoken evil against. I am not going to be unloving when I examine other ministers’ doctrines, but I also will not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. I will not shun being persecuted by remaining silent concerning the truth of God’s word. Therefore I will not be silent concerning the doctrines of the ‘Teacher’ nor Otis Graves.

writes a a Reformed Baptist, from a Covenantal, Amillennial perspective in Does an Independent Minister have a right to preach what he so desires? Pt 2. This while too many keep silent and do not dare to step on toes. But no congregation is free of the silent ones or of those who do not want to go out to those who do not belong to the community. This made that many in the city or at the countryside did not find it interesting enough to go to hear in the church-building what the preacher had to say. those who stayed at home and did their normal daily business did not find somebody on their path to work or to the shops who tried to convince them of the beauty of Jesus his ransom.

Unlearned men

‘Church’ wanted people to believe they could not understand the Bible, because they did not follow special university courses. In the past they had also told Luther that if the scriptures were translated into the common language of the people that a flood gate of sin would come out of it.

They told him that the church would begin to split and splinter into all kinds of different denominations. This is because that unlearned men will not take and interpret scripture according to the tradition of the Church. Luther responded by saying that he knew that if he put the scriptures in the hands of ignorant and unlearned men, that it would open a flood gate of iniquity, but nevertheless every person ought to have the scriptures to read for themselves. {Does an Independent Minister have a right to preach what he so desires? Pt 2.}

We may not forget that in the first century of this common era, like in the centuries before people did not get a university degree to read and understand the Holy Scriptures. The disciples of Christ got their training first hand from the master teacher Jeshua (Jesus Christ). They continued the same practice as Jesus to educate others in the teachings of Christ Jesus. They wrote down what they had learned so that others in places far away could use the writings as edifying material. We too have that educational material at hand in our own language. We can use the many Bible translations to receive the Biblical Wisdom. We should use it.

Right to read and to interpret

So the Reformation opened the door for private interpretation. But just because we have the right to interpret scripture privately does not mean that we have the right to distort scripture. The Reformers taught what is known as the perspicuity of scripture or that the scriptures are so plain that even a child could understand it. This doctrine does not teach that scripture is plain in every place, but it teaches that the doctrines that are essential to salvation are so clear that even a child could find his was to Christ by reading them. {Does an Independent Minister have a right to preach what he so desires? Pt 2.}

People need help in their interpretation and it are the elders and scholars who can and should help. In time the church has developed a science of interpretation known as ‘hermeneutics.’ This science and art of interpretation is our key which can keep us from falling into much error when we interpret scripture. Not everybody is been given the art of hermeneutics but those that have received it should use it and help others to come to a better understanding of what is written in the Bible.

While the Bible is filled with many types of literature it also uses many forms of speech within that literature. The Bible uses hyperbole, simile, symbolic, irony, sarcasm, metaphor, parallelism, synonymous parallelism, metonymy, personification, anthropomorphisms, anthropopathisms, and many more. The Bible also uses types and shadows to convey its message. So without a properly working hermeneutic we all would misinterpret scripture all the time. {Does an Independent Minister have a right to preach what he so desires? Pt 2.}

But it are the communities and those in charge of the ‘churches’ who should take care their flock is trained to come to good Bible reading and good Bible interpretation. Every person in the ecclesia should try to come to a good Bible knowledge and should help others in reading and interpreting the Bible.

Not staying in own cocoon

As we go on, after we have been baptised, and grow in our faith, we do have to carry it with us and should share it with others. We cannot keep our faith to our own. We also may not stay in our little cocoon just staying safe with those we do know and with those whom we love. Out of love for the others, we should go out to reach them and to show them the Way.

Thomas Manton asked

“What is the reason there is so much preaching and so little practice? {So much Preaching and so Little Practice – Thomas Manton}

but we wonder where all that preaching is. We can not see many Christians on the streets, in parks, in public buildings or in public transport, teaching the Word of God. It seems to stay in between closed doors.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon by Alexander Melville.jpg

One of the great inspirers for many Christians and strong figure in the Reformed Baptist tradition: Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon

We do need constant thoughts which are operative so that musing makes the fire burn. {Thomas Manton} The British Reformed Baptist preacher who remains highly influential among Christians of different denominations, among whom he is still known as the “Prince of Preachers,”  Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon in his lifetime preached to around 10,000,000 people, often up to 10 times a week at different places. His sermons are reprinted many times and are still going strong. He knew very well the importance to go out on the streets and to take sure educating thoughts would be spread amongst many. We should remember him who said

Preaching! Man’s Privilege and God’s Power!

A Privilege to be taken seriously

Jonathan Edwards, A.W. Tozer, A.W. Pink, John Owen, Oswald Chambers, Andrew Murray, E.M. Bounds, John Bunyan, George Whitefield, Mary, Thomas and their son Octavius Winslow, John Fullerton MacArthur, Jr. and many more understood the need of reaching to the people, covering topics on many aspects of the Christian life. We should take them as an example and not limit ourselves to our own community, staying only at our own ecclesia.

For sure it might be easier just to preach for people who believe the same as we do. It is easier not be confronted with people who have other ideas and want to ask questions. It is easier to avoid such questions and keeping to a close group where one is sure they all believe the same and/or do not dare to question.

Like Aiden Tozer’s passion for a deeper knowledge of God led him to study the great devotional writers of the past, we should not hesitate to look at such works from the past but always should see them in the light of the Holy Scriptures, which constantly should be the main guide.

People wanting to know God

The move of many churchgoers to become mosque goers proves that there are enough people wanting to get to know God. You can wonder how they can get to know God when nobody wants to come to them and tell about God.

Prayer and worship were the hallmarks of many previous Bible teachers  their life. but they did not stay in their own little environment, their safe surrounding of their church. They stood up and went to those who did not yet belong to their church or even did not believe in a god or the God. Like them we should come forward and present our thoughts and our writings to people who are looking for God and perhaps not belong to any church, or did not find the Truth.

A W Tozer.jpg

Aiden Wilson Tozer

Our preaching as well as our writings should simply become an extension of our faith and prayer life.

In modern evangelicalism, contended Tozer, we work, we have our agendas–in fact, we have almost everything except the spirit of true worship. He defined worship as a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe, astonished wonder and overpowering love in the presence of the unspeakable Majesty. He reminded the pastors, “We’re here to be worshippers first and workers only second; Out of enraptured, admiring, adoring souls God does His work. The work done by a worshipper will have eternity in it.” {A. W. Tozer Sermon – The Unpopularity of Jesus and His Doctrines}

Tozer called the doctrine of the Holy Spirit “buried dynamite”. Yet he always insisted that the Spirit and the Word operate in harmony. He exhorted the overzealous to a warm heart and a cool head:

“The history of revivals in the Church reveals how harmful the hot head can be….These are days of great religious turmoil. Let love burn on with increasing fervour, but bring every act to the quiet test of wisdom. Keep the fire in the furnace where it belongs. An overheated chimney will create more excitement than a well-controlled furnace, but it is likely to burn the house down. Let the rule be: a hot furnace but a cool chimney.”

– Walter Unger {A. W. Tozer Sermon – The Unpopularity of Jesus and His Doctrines}

Simply taking up the task given by Christ

We should not aim for great fame and popularity as a preacher, but we should be well aware that we do have to come together, read and study the Bible with others, preach the gospel and make new believers.

In many church services other than those of the Christadelphians not much time is given or spend at the Word of God. God’s Word in Scripture, if ever used at all, comes in sporadic bursts of verses here and there, and in evangelical churches they are just parts of phrases being shouted out repetitive whilst most of the time entertaining songs sweep up the public. Very often bible texts are stripped of their intended meaning, stifling the work of the Spirit in His sacramental function of quickening the Word, and robbing the people of blessing. At other places the sermon or the exhortation has not much to do with the Bible fragments read.

Though time has to be spend to go deeper into the reading and to give some examples of how the Bible text relates to our daily life. That we need much more, so that people can see how the stories of the Bible still have relevance today. Further we also need more stories of influences of the Bible and faith to people in our society. The Lifestyle magazines Stepping Toes and From Guestwriters would love to bring such Bible and Faith related stories. But we need more people who can bring such stories and show people what it can do to have the Christian Faith.

You to can play your role

It is high time there shall come forward more Christian believers to proof to others they are not children of the bond-woman but of the free (Galatians 4:31) and to show the world which blessings come over those who are willing to accept Christ in their life.

When the early church went out into the world, armed with the truth through which alone true unity could be effected, they, as well as Paul, met with opposition. The had to conquer their fear for speaking in public. It took time but with the aid of the Holy Spirit and with their trust in God they managed to spread the faith very well. We better take up their courage and start evangelizing like they did in the early days.

You too can do your share. For sure you too have something to tell; something that changed your life; something you feel inside, something you notice in the world; let it be known to others. We are willing to give you a platform where you can let your voice be heard so that your voice can put an other cobblestone on the big road to be made.

As time went on, however, the church no longer loved God enough to see, feel and talk about the wonders of the Divine Creator. Let those Works of God be better known. Open people their eyes and ears so that they can see and hear the beauty of nature, the Hand of God in our world. Show the world where there can be growth of true worship in the face of daunting challenges so that it can be faith-strengthening and inspiring to God’s people everywhere. Let the sun never sets on the Kingdom-preaching and disciple-making. Remember the prophet Zechariah his words

 “who has despised the day of small things?” (Zecharia 4:10)

and do not hesitate to join the small group of enthusiast preachers.

Declaring Good News

Let us “declare good news” like Jesus demanded from his followers. Each of us can “bear news; announce; act as a news bearer.” (1 Samuel 4:17; 2 Samuel 1:20; 1 Chronicles 16:23)

Jesus recognized that his divine commission called for a preaching work, and he carried it on publicly, in cities and villages, in the temple area, synagogues, marketplaces and streets, as well as in the countryside. (Marcus 1:39; 6:56; Luke 8:1; 13:26; John 18:20)
Do you want to go wherever you can entering into villages or cities or countryside or bring  your texts on the internet so that it can come in the homes of many people?

Jesus had stressed that he was ‘sent by God’ (Luke 9:48; John 5:36, 37; 6:38; 8:18, 26, 42), who gave him “a commandment as to what to tell and what to speak.” (John 12:49). The apostles who followed the directions of Christ knew that they publicly had to declare that Jesus is Lord, and that we have to exercise faith in our heart that God raised him up from the dead, so that we will be saved.

For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation. (Romans 10:9, 10)

Like John the Baptist Jesus did more than preach. His teaching receives even greater emphasis than his preaching. Teaching (di·da′sko) differs from preaching in that the teacher does more than proclaim; he instructs, explains, shows things by argument, and offers proofs. The work of Jesus’ disciples, both before and after his death, was thus to be a combination of preaching and teaching.(Matthew 4:23; 11:1; 28:18-20).

The writings which we present as such shall have to bring preachings and teachings, sermons and exhortations, bringing examples that show how God is at work also today and is still calling everybody who is willing to hear His Voice.

We have to share our heartfelt feeling for Christ and for each other. We have to share like Christ did, our love for the Only One God and our love for brothers and sisters in Christ, but also our love for the whole creation (man, animals and plants). As this in the old times was shared by all disciples, men and women, we too should till “the conclusion of the system of things” proclaim the Good News and share our faith with others, bringing a call to the world to join us and to become a member of the Body of Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:46-49; Acts of the apostles 2:17; compare Acts 18:26; 21:9; Romans 16:3.)

18 And Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: “All authority*+ has been given me in heaven and on the earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples*+ of people of all the nations,+ baptizing+ them in* the name of the Father+ and of the Son+ and of the holy spirit,+20 teaching+ them to observe+ all the things I have commanded YOU.+ And, look! I am with YOU+ all the days until the conclusion* of the system of things.”*+ {Matthew 28:18-20 Reference Bible}

Let us make sure that on the basis of Jesus his name, repentance for forgiveness of sins will be preached in all the nations and that you with us may be a witness of these things. Jesus was sending forth upon us that which is promised by his heavenly Father. We, though, have to follow the decree given by Jesus to be a pupil but also a teacher, a follower and a leader, always a servant, one for the people and one for God.

coming closer to the Last days we should be fully aware that Jesus said

‘“And in the last days,” God says, “I shall pour out some of my spirit*+ upon every sort of flesh,* and YOUR sons and YOUR daughters will prophesy and YOUR young men will see visions and YOUR old men* will dream dreams;+ 18 and even upon my men slaves and upon my women slaves I will pour out some of my spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. {Acts of the apostles 2:17 Reference Bbile}

Sharing and blessings for all

All sorts of men and women shall go out in those days, but we do not have to wait to the last moment be part of them. Today you can stand up and show your alertness and your vivid will to be part of that community which want to show others the way to God. You can start to speak boldly in your own surroundings and share your voice on this platform and on From Guestwriters. You can let people hear and see that they too can find a place where blessing are shared with love with all who want to come along and with all who want to celebrate the greatest love a person has ever given.

We have to show others that it is not sufficient just to take the posture of politely and respectfully listening, not doing much of anything else. Jesus wanted active followers, doers of the Word. Those who come to church or enter the ecclesia perhaps would (all) agree that they are there to learn and be challenged in the Word, but in actuality, they are very inactive in the learning process, very passive in the spiritual discipline, and very unengaged while the preacher is preaching. We have to show them that is not what is wanted form a member of Christianity, a follower of Christ. we have to stimulate them that they also get up and start showing the works of faith. doing our work not forgetting how Christ should be our anchor and our focus

All believers are still hold to the task of challenging the wider Church which is asking, struggling, journeying about how we, those who are called to be “Preachers”, “Teachers”, “Leaders” can create sacred spaces so that those outside our community feel as welcomed and share with us too, how the Good News impacts, revitalises, renews, re-forms their and others lives, and how they impart their own wisdom empowered by the Holy Spirit to encourage who we have been called to be.

All human beings, regardless of age, gender, nationality, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or economic status,every human being has sinned and falls short of the glory of God.”

Let us take many into our company, showing the blessing we receive on daily basis, and expound the way of God more correctly to them.

May your time spent here be blessed.

Isn’t this what we are called to do?  We are to ascend to our place near the Lord.  From there we are commanded to proclaim regardless the response.  Can you count the number of us who have gone into the city?  How many of those tiny houses contain artifacts of man?   How did they get there?   The Lord did not put them there, nor did He have them delivered. {The Swinging Doors}

++

Find to read:

  1. More Muslim children than Christian children growing up in our cities
  2. Christians fail there where Muslims succeed
  3. Trying to get the youth inspired
  4. When discouraged facing opposition
  5. Christianity without the Trinity
  6. Bible in the first place #2/3
  7. Bible for you and for life
  8. Dedication and Preaching Effort 400 years after the first King James Version
  9. The Most Reliable English Bible
  10. The Bible and names in it: Proclaiming the Name of The One and Only Who Is and has Ever Been
  11. Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation
  12. Atonement And Fellowship 4/8
  13. Reasons to come together
  14. Not many coming out with their community name
  15. Jehovah’s Witnesses not only group that preach the good news
  16. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
  17. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #2 Calling upon the Name of God
  18. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #5 Prayer #2 Witnessing
  19. Looking for True Spirituality 7 Preaching of the Good News
  20. Not all ability to preach
  21. Breathing to teach
  22. Church sent into the world
  23. Blogging in the world for Jesus and his Father
  24. Missionary action paradigm for all endeavours of the church
  25. Our openness to being approachable
  26. Words to push and pull
  27. Preaching to an unbelieving world
  28. How should we preach?
  29. Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach
  30. Good or bad preacher
  31. Many forgot how Christ should be our anchor and our focus
  32. Learn how to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News of the coming Kingdom
  33. Holland Week of billing
  34. Asia Cahaya Conference focusing on preaching
  35. It is Today
  36. Belonging to or being judged by
  37. Follower of Jesus part of a cult or a Christian
  38. Manifests for believers #5 Christian Union
  39. A Society pleading poverty
  40. Dealing with worries in our lives
  41. Sunday 7 September service: Imitate prophets and Paul
  42. 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritualy
  43. Risen With Him
  44. Why did Christ not reveal the exact time of his second coming?

+++

Additional reading:

  1. Thoughts from Isolation
  2. To the stump
  3. Your Post
  4. The necessity of the Gospel
  5. Jehovah’s Message
  6. Following Jesus’ Footsteps
  7. The Good News of God’s Kingdom
  8. Does an Independent Minister have a right to preach what he so desires? Pt 2
  9. Does an Independent Minister have a right to preach what he so desires? Pt 3
  10. A. W. Tozer Sermon – The Unpopularity of Jesus and His Doctrines
  11. Rev. Duncan Campbell Sermon – Action and Obedience
  12. Puritan Thomas Watson – Christian Joy!
  13. Thoughts concerning the preacher
  14. What if Jesus Preached What Modern Preachers are Preaching?
  15. What if Modern Preachers Preached What Jesus was Preaching?
  16. Preaching the Gospel in the Power of Signs and Wonders
  17. On Preaching “To the Men”
  18. The Primacy of Preaching
  19. Expository preaching – friend or foe?
  20. How to Spread the Gospel
  21. 4 Principles for Collaborative Preaching
  22. 6 Ways to Your Teacher’s Heart
  23. Preaching is a two-way street
  24. What do you think about preaching someone else’s sermon?
  25. Sex, murder, and preaching: How much is too much for Sunday morning?
  26. Redemptive-Historical Preaching Vs. Moralistic Preaching in Sanctification
  27. How to Get More Out of the Preached Word of God
  28. Four Reasons You Should Go Easy On Yourself After Failure, Divorce or Abuse
  29. Preach It, Sister!
  30. What do you need…?
  31. The Mystery of Being In Christ: A Review of Paul and Union with Christ
  32. Community Houses are Better than Church Buildings
  33. Proclaim Christ Thru Service to Others
  34. Cavite Hosts I-Proclaim! 3 on National Bible Week 2012
  35. Proclaim Jubilee: A Spirituality for the Twenty-First Century
  36. How to Proclaim Restoration

+++

  • Jehovah’s Witnesses descend on Melbourne in pictures (theguardian.com)
    A large sign across the turf at Etihad Stadium reads: ‘Keep Seeking First God’s Kingdom’
  • Taking the plunge at Etihad Stadium into a life of faith serving Jehovah (smh.com.au)
    Cameron Dobber’s nerves had mostly settled by the time he took his place in the middle of Etihad Stadium in front of more than 65,000 people.The 27-year-old forklift driver from Sunshine had been preparing for this moment for more than four years.After months of Bible studies and a three-hour interview with church elders, it was finally his turn to step into the baptismal pool and become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
  • Suppository preaching (onedaringjew.wordpress.com)
    A Christian is called. To do what? “Follow me.” And the crucial part of this calling by Jesus is getting nailed – as Paris Reidhead once said – to the back of the cross; the “purpose-driven” crowd’s worst nightmare.+

  • 19. Daily Bible Verse (12160.info)
    It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
  • Watch: ’19 Kids & Preaching’ Video Highlights Duggar Family’s Christian Faith (blackchristiannews.com)
    A new video called 19 Kids and Preaching shows that the Duggar family members are passionate about their Christian faith. While they often pray and talk about God on their TV program, this video shows them getting out of their comfort zone to share their faith with others.
  • Preaching What God’s Word Says about the World (reformedreader.wordpress.com)
    [T]he principle that the Christian minister is to preach only the Word of God most certainly does not forbid him to apply the teaching of Holy Writ to the specific needs of his hearers and the peculiar conditions of his day. Application, as well as explanation, is of the essence of preaching.
  • 970) Whether I know what preaching is! Taught by Srila Prabhupada! (pmdasa.wordpress.com)
    A devotee should not only give respect to the devotees, but he should try to make others a devotee. That is, means preaching.
  • The Active Power of Faith (codybateman.org)
  • “Coming Up Short”; Jeffrey Sartain’s sermon, Oct. 26 (plymouthspirit.wordpress.com)
    Acts of generosity draw goodness and blessing toward us. When we give, we receive blessings far greater than what we have given.
  • “The way I finish a sermon” by Charles Spurgeon (tollelege.wordpress.com)
    I have preached this Gospel for many years, and I do not think I ever finished a sermon except in one way—by trying to explain what is meant by this simple trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Koran tegenover veel oudere Heilige Geschriften

Ontevreden moslims boos over de wereld

Ik begrijp dat er heel wat moslims heel boos kunnen worden als ze kijken naar de “moderne wereld“, hoe deze evolueert en hoe de mensen zich durven te gedragen. Ook zij die zich Christen of Jood noemen zouden neerdunkend moeten kijken op sommige gebeurtenissen.

Als men de decadentie van onze westerse samenleving bekijkt is het niet verwonderlijk dat diepgelovigen zich hiertegenover ergeren en het op de duur als ontoelaatbaar aanschouwen dat er niet gereageerd zou worden op zulke levenswijze.

Ik kan het met hen eens zijn dat we misschien terug naar een decadente tijd gaan zoals wij reeds eerder in de geschiedenis andere periodes van teloorgang van zeden en gebruiken hebben gezien. Wij treffen botsingen aan van generaties en zien dat er teruglopende prestaties plaatsgrijpen en dat er een vermindering is van ethiek. Ook in onze tijd treffen wij nu een verval aan, zoals in de goede zeden of de kunst.
Dat verval of de morele degeneratie van een groep mensen, heeft meer dan eens plaats gegrepen in de menselijke geschiedenis, altijd aan het einde van een ‘hoge cultuur’. Maar dit staat niet toe dat de islamieten hun woede omzetten in agressie tegen de westerse publiek. Met behulp van terreur, marteling en verkrachting als middel om mensen te bekeren tot hun geloof is een volstrekt onaanvaardbaar iets en ook een onnuttige zaak daar zij enkel zal uitdraaien op een valse bekering. Van zulke bekeringen kan er niets goeds voor de islam voorkomen. Integendeel zal het meer kwaad dan goed kunnen doen. Dat hebben wij al kunnen zien in het christendom, waar men in de afgelopen eeuwen veel geprobeerd heeft om de heidense bevolking tot Christus te brengen, maar door het forceren van de conversie op hen konden ze veel heidense gebruiken en tradities overbrengen in de christelijke godsdienst, waardoor deze minder zuiver werd en een hele reeks doctrines tot het christelijk geloof bracht en meerdere stromingen met verscheiden leerregels deed ontstaan.

Kort menselijk bestaan

1° European verbcular language Quran 1647

Koran vertaling naar een Europese taal, het Frans in1647

Het leven is zeer kort en daarin krijgen we veel te leren, te verwerken en worden overladen met een hele boel materiaal om te lezen. Een van de belangrijkste boeken die ik vond dat ik moest lezen in mijn leven, waren boeken die door velen als heilige boeken worden beschouwd.
Een van die heilige boeken kon ik niet lezen in de originele Arabische taal en moest daarom uitkijken naar meerdere vertalingen, die ik met belangstelling en vertrouwen gelezen en vergeleken heb. Sommige van die vertalingen waren gemakkelijk te lezen en te volgen, anderen waren heel moeilijk. Maar van alle van deze vertalingen zijn er nog die zeggen dat we niet die vertalingen kunnen lezen en volgen, omdat we alleen de oorspronkelijke taal zouden moeten lezen, namelijk het Arabisch.

Voor mij zou dit heel vreemd zijn, omdat de mensen die dat ook zeggen, beweren dat zij er zeker van zijn dat hun boek het Woord van God is. Maar als alleen mensen die Arabisch kunnen spreken en begrijpen in staat zouden zijn om dat Woord van God te lezen, zou dit dan niet inhouden dat die god dan de andere mensen iets te kort doet? Zou deze God dan niet de kans geven aan die mensen om ook Zijn Woord te leren kennen en om dat door te geven aan andere mensen? Zou een God van liefde Zijn heilig Woord voor mensen die geen kennis van het Arabisch hebben onthouden?
Is Het Woord van de Schepper dan niet voor al Zijn schepselen?

Alzeggend Woord voor allen die godsbewustzijn willen hebben

Is het ook niet zo, dat de God der goden Zijn woord vertelt aan de wereld dat alle mensen worden gemaakt op basis van een enkele man en een vrouw, en dat Deze God/Allah de mens onderverdeelde in rassen en stammen, zodat zij elkander zouden herkennen. Is het ook niet opgetekend in de Schrift, dat in Gods ogen, de meest geëerde van die mensen degenen zijn die het Woord van God willen leren kennen? Staat Hij juist niet open voor hen die Zijn Woord willen bestuderen en meer inzicht willen krijgen in het Plan van die Schepper?

049.013 يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
049.013 O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).

Al-Qur’an, 049.013 (Al-Hujraat [The Private Apartments, The Inner Apartments])

Text Copied from DivineIslam’s Qur’an Viewer software v2.913

O, mensdom! Wij hebben u uit man en vrouw geschapen en Wij hebben u tot volkeren en stammen gemaakt, opdat gij elkander moogt kennen. Voorzeker, de godvruchtigste onder u is de eerwaardigste bij Allah. Voorwaar, Allah is Alwetend, Alkennend. (Soera 49:13).

O menschen! waarlijk, wij hebben u uit een mannelijk en een vrouwelijk wezen geschapen, en wij hebben u in volkeren en stammen verdeeld, opdat gij elkander zoudt kennen. Waarlijk, de achtingwaardigste uwer in Gods oog, is de vroomste, en God is wijs en alwetend.(49:13)

English: An Ilkhanid Koran with Persian transl...

Een Ilkhanid Koran met Perzische vertaling tussen de lijnen. (Foto credit: Wikipedia)

Als ik denk aan de vele keren dat ik de koran las en herlas kreeg ik toch de indruk dat de woorden van de oude joodse en christelijke geschriften werden samengebracht en nog eens werden uitgelegd, soms in een andere volgorde, maar nog steeds hetzelfde bleken te willen vertellen. Had ik het mis om deze indruk te krijgen en te begrijpen dat volgens de koran onderwijs, religieus pluralisme van vitaal belang is voor de sociale orde en vooruitgang te krijgen? Had ik het mis om de indruk te wekken dat, op dezelfde manier waarop Jezus sprak over agape liefde, dat de Koran ons ook kwam te vertellen dat God wil dat mensen die tolerantie opbrengen voor anderen? Hebben de woorden van de profeet Mohammed ook niet hetzelfde te vertellen over de houding die we naar anderen moeten aannemen? Zou de kennis van de Koran ook niet de sleutel tot verdraagzaamheid bieden? Indien de zogenaamde voltooier van het monotheïstische geloof dat volgens de islam is begonnen met Adam en daarna werd geherintroduceerd door Nuh (Noach), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Mozes), Isa (Jezus) en de overige profeten werkelijk een Boodschapper van God is, zou deze profeet dan ook niet in diezelfde lijn blijven voort prediken en al de voorgaande gezegden van de Allerhoogste hoogachten?

Verschil koesteren

Zijn er niet veel van de leerkrachten in de islam, die ons leren dat de Koran de verschillen viert tussen de mensheid, en niet alleen een geloofsgemeenschap instrueert, maar de gehele mensheid leert om goede daden te verrichten,de goede zeden en moraal leert te behouden, en aanmaant in vrede te leven met elkaar.

In de afgelopen jaren van het lezen (meerdere malen) van de Koran kreeg ik toch de indruk dat in de verscheidene kampen dit boek geweld werd aangedaan. Ik had, als ik mij goed herinner toch de indruk dat die woorden in dat boek herhaaldelijk gericht waren tot de mensheid als geheel en de wereld vertelde hoe we ons moeten gedragen, hoe we moeten proberen om ons eigen karakter te vormen, en hoe we onszelf aan anderen moeten presenteren. Een aantal geleerden van de oude islamitische school beweren ook dat de Koran  mensen naar rechtvaardigheid leidt, en hen morele en spirituele waarden ingeeft. Die vroegere islamitische wijzen verwijzen de Islamieten of Mohammedanen zich naar daden van aanbidding en de islamitische wet te richten.
Ze zeggen ook dat:

De Koranische boodschap van diversiteit en samenleven de hoeksteen is van het islamitische principe voor een rechtvaardige en harmonieuze samenleving. Zo is religieus pluralisme, volgens de het onderwijs van de koran, van vitaal belang voor de sociale orde en vooruitgang, en biedt het de sleutel tot tolerantie: “Er is geen dwang in de godsdienst (2: 256);

“Je hebt je religie en ik heb de mijne.” (109: 6).

Opgezet tegen elkaar vanwege misverstanden

Folio from a Koran, Abbasid dynasty, Near East...

Folio van een Koran van de Abbasiden dynastie, het Nabije Oosten en Noord-Afrika. Inkt en kleur op perkament, 23,9 × 33,3 cm. Een deel van de Al-Fath Sura (48) verzen: 27-8. (Foto credit: Wikipedia)

Vanwege de hedendaagse moeilijkheden in het Oosten en in Noordelijk Afrika is er een verzuring ontstaan. De onderlinge ruzies waarbij de godsdienst als wapen gebruikt wordt heeft verschillende moslims, joden en christenen hun houding doen veranderen en gaat er heel wat verkeerd onder elkaar. Wegens de toenemende negatieve houding tegenover elkaar, vond ik het belangrijk om de woorden uit die drie monotheïstische godsdiensten samen te brengen en onder een loep te vergelijken. Met een opzet van neutraliteit wil ik die teksten onder de ogen van onze lezers brengen en hen ook vragen om er onbevooroordeeld naar te kijken. Persoonlijk durf ik dan ook nog mijn christelijke Christadelphian standpunt voor te leggen.

Graag zal ik de Koran verzen vergelijken met wat wij in de Bijbelvertalingen kunnen vinden. De Islamisten die bezwaren hebben aan een vertaling van de Koran verzoek ik dan naar de Arabische versie te kijken en naar de Arabische versie van de Bijbel en de vertaling daarvan.
Deze verzen naast elkaar leggend hoop ik dat wij en zij meer duidelijkheid kunnen krijgen in wat er werkelijk in die Heilige Geschriften geschreven staat.

Iedereen moet een idee krijgen van wat er werkelijk in die heilige boeken geschreven staat zodat zij ook kunnen nagaan waar mensen afwijken van wat er in die Heilige Geschriften staat, ook al beweren zij die te volgen..
Die Geschriften zijn: De Thora ook gespeld als Tora/Torah (Mozaïsche Wet / Tawraat) ook wel bekend als de Pentateuch, de Nevie’iem of Profeten, de (Aleph) Kethuvim/Ketoeviem of Hebreeuwse Geschriften, Bet- Kethuvim of Messiaanse of Griekse Geschriften (Nieuwe Testament met de evangeliën of Injil/Indjil (openbaring aan de profeet aan Isa/Jeshua/Jezus/Jesus gegeven), Apostolische Geschriften of brieven van de apostelen (epistels) en de Openbaring van Johannes de apostel) en de veel later geschreven Koran, die door velen ook wordt gezien als het woord van de “Heer van de Heren” of het “Woord des Heer des Heren”, dat Allah geopenbaard heeft aan Zijn “Boodschapper Mohammed (vrede en zegeningen van Allah zij met hem)”, om de mensheid voort uit de duisternis naar het licht te brengen.

In geval we het woord van Allah, God, kunnen vinden in dat boek dat ook “de recitatie” wordt genoemd, zoals het gepresenteerd wordt, als God de Almachtige Die mondeling geopenbaard zou hebben aan de profeet Mohammed in de 7 ° eeuw CE, moeten die woorden  in harmonie en complementair zijn met de vorige woorden van de Goddelijke Schepper.

De vorige geschriften niet het eliminerend

Veel mensen lijken te vergeten dat de Koran de vorige geschriften, die bekend staan als het Woord van God niet uitsluit. Het boek dat we nu vaak vermeld horen in het nieuws en waar veel van die terroristische groepen over schreeuwen, namelijk de Koran (Quoran/Quran) bevestigt de Boeken die ervoor kwamen, namelijk de bovenvermelde Tawraat of Tawrat (Torah) en de Indjil (Evangelie). Velen lijken niet te begrijpen dat de Koran er ook eigenlijk een getuige van is, zoals Allah zegt:

005,048 وأنزلنا إليك الكتاب بالحق مصدقا لما بين يديه من الكتاب ومهيمنا عليه فاحكم بينهم بما أنزل الله ولا تتبع أهواءهم عما جاءك من الحق لكل جعلنا منكم شرعة ومنهاجا ولو شاء الله لجعلكم أمة واحدة ولكن ليبلوكم في ما آتاكم فاستبقوا الخيرات إلى الله مرجعكم جميعا فينبئكم بما كنتم فيه تختلفون

Al-Qur’an, 005.048 (Al-Maeda [The Table, The Table Spread])

005.048 To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what Allah hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee. To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to Allah; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute;

Tekst Overgenomen uit DivineIslam’s Qur’an Viewer software v2.913 (Engels interpretatie van het koranvers):

مَا آتَاكُمْ ۖ فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ ۚ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

Wij hebben u ook het boek, den Koran, gezonden, met waarheid, bevestigende de schrift, welke te voren was geopenbaard en dat haar voor verminking behoedt. Richt dus tusschen hen, overeenkomstig hetgeen God heeft geopenbaard, en volgt hunne begeerten niet, door van de waarheid af te dwalen, die u is geworden. Ieder uwer hebben wij eene wet gegeven en een open weg. En indien het Gode had behaagd, zou hij zeker één volk van u hebben gemaakt; maar hij heeft uwe getrouwheid willen beproeven, nopens de inachtneming van hetgeen hij u heeft gegeven. Streeft er dus naar, elkander in goede daden te overtreffen. Gij zult allen tot God terugkeeren en dan zal hij u datgene verklaren, waarover gij getwist hebt.(5:48)

En Wij hebben u het Boek (de Koran) met de waarheid geopenbaard vervullende hetgeen daarvََoor in het Boek (de Bijbel) was (verkondigd) en als bewaker daarover. Richt daarom tussen hen naar hetgeen Allah heeft geopenbaard en volg hun boze neigingen niet tegen de waarheid die tot u is gekomen. Voor iedereen bepaalden Wij een wet en een weg. En indien Allah had gewild zou Hij u allen tot één volk hebben gemaakt, maar Hij wenst u te beproeven met hetgeen Hij u heeft gegeven. Wedijvert dus met elkander in goede werken. Tot Allah zult gij allen terugkeren, dan zal Hij u datgene mededelen, waarover gij van mening verschilt.

Dezelfde of een andere god sprekend

Wanneer het de God van Mozes is die spreekt tot de favoriete profeet en boodschapper Abu al-Qāsim Muhammad ibn’Abd Allah ibn’Abd al-Moettalib ibn Hashim, beschouwd als de grondlegger van de religie van de islam en voor de moslims over de hele wereld geaccepteerd als de laatste van de profeten van God, over het heilige boek dat Koran (Quran) dan zou het diezelfde waarheid moeten verkondigen als die boeken die vóór hem werden opgetekend als het Woord van God. De Koran zou deze boeken dan moeten bevestigen en Muhaymin (betrouwbaar in hoogheid en een getuige) zijn over die oude geschriften.

Bahá’í-wereldcentrum in Haifa.

Volgens Sahih al-Bukhari, werd de Koran gereciteerd onder Levantijnen en Irakezen, en werd het ook besproken door christenen en joden, voordat het werd gestandaardiseerd. Er zijn ook een aantal niet-islamitische groepen die de Koran als heilig aanschouwen, zoals de Bahà’i en Druzen. Unitarische Universalisten kunnen ook inspiratie zoeken uit de koran.

Als een van de meest verguisde figuren uit de geschiedenis van het Westen van de 7de eeuw tot vrij recente tijden heeft Muhammad of Mohammed, ook veel controverse ondervonden, en zijn, door de eeuwen heen, zijn leven, daden en gedachten besproken door aanhangers en tegenstanders.

De verovering door de kruisvaarders van Jeruzalem in 1099

Omdat in het verleden er personen waren die proberen om het geloof tot de anderen te brengen en daarbij een heleboel agressie gebruikt hebben, is er een angst gekomen aan beide zijden voor de andere gelovigen in de Goddelijke Schepper. De kruistochten en inquisitie staan bekend als een verschrikking voor anders gelovigen dan de Katholieken en heden ten dage lijkt het alsof er een nieuw soort kruistochten aan de gang is met de Moslims nu als strijders.

Volgelingen van valse profeten en valse leraren

Vlag van de Islamitische Jihad Beweging in Palestina met Koran vers in de banner

Door godsdienstige verschillen of gelegitimeerd door godsdienstige argumenten zijn er in de geschiedenis meerdere valse leraren geweest, die de kans mooi zagen om hun leerstellingen te gebruiken om mensen tegen elkaar op te zetten.
Vandaag liggen zo de termen “heilige oorlog” of “jihad” op vele lippen. Op de vlag van de Islamitische Jihad Beweging in Palestina kan men zo een vers uit de Koran terugvinden: “En degenen die de jihad doen voor ons, zullen we begeleiden naar onze wegen. En God is met hen die goed doen. ”

Strijdlustige Taliban in Herat, juli 2001

Vandaag is het zelfs uitgegroeid tot een groter probleem, met groepen als die welke inspiratie vinden bij Osama bin Laden, Al Qaida, de Moslimbroederschap, Moedjahedien, de Harakat al-Jihad of Palestijnse Islamitische Jihad (PIJ), Hezbollah, Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami, Hamas, Boko Haram, de Taliban, en dichter bij ons de Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Beweging en andere jihadisten die beweren dat hun wereldwijde jihad is gebaseerd op de Koran en hun strijd berust op “goddelijk gebods ethiek.” De leiders van die groeiende groepen doen aanspraak op het gezag van de religieuze tekst juist te interpreteren. Net als we sommige conservatieve christenen vinden die de Bijbel geschriften zeer letterlijk opnemen en geen rekening houden met de spreektaal van de vroegere schrijvers, vinden wij ook bij de islamieten volgelingen van Muhammad of Mohammed die geen rekening houden met de zegswijze van de oude taal. Die de islamitische predikers zijn echt er van overtuigd ‘dat zij alleen’ de waarheid zien en dat anderen hen zouden moeten volgen, omdat zij de ‘zuivere islam’ prediken.

Logo of Boko Haram.svg

جماعة أهل السنة للدعوة والجهاد People Committed to the Prophet’s Teachings for Propagation and Jihad

De ‘zuivere islam’, die deze leraren prediken, is een geloof

“om Allah Azzawajal te behagen door de islam te dienen binnen de middelen die Hij heeft geschonken aan de wereld” Insha Allah “”.

Ze zeggen dat hun gids de Speech van Allah Azzawajal is zoals het is opgenomen in de Koran en hun voorbeeld is in de authentieke Soennah van Mohammed sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa salaam

“Zoals die door de Sahaabah radiallaahu ‘anhoem en de rechtschapen dienaren van Allah Azzawajal gepraktiseerd wordt, door hen die in hun edele voetsporen hebben gevolgd.”

De Kafirs en Kaffers

Velen van hen die door de Saoedische soennieten betaald worden aanschouwen veel andere islamitische groepen als ‘kafir’ (كافر) welk vergelijkbaar is alsof ze “ongelovige” zouden zijn. In het Nederlands betekent het niet-gelovige, niet-mohammedaanse, en de variant ‘kaffer’, is een scheldwoord dat de betekenis heeft van boer, boerenpummel, lomperd, schooier, schoelje, ragamuffin schelm, schurk,; eikel; bastaard, lomp persoon; boor; lomp; ongelovige.

Ik geloof dat om de ware, vreedzame islam, te begrijpen wij best we ook de Koran moeten lezen en er inzicht in krijgen door er kennis in te verwerven. Alleen door ook hun heilig boek werkelijk onder de loep te nemen kunnen wij de die moslimbroeders beter te woord staan over hun Heilige Schrift. Door kennis van de Koran te hebben kunnen wij ook diegenen die er misbruik van maken of de woorden verdraaien er op wijzen en terecht wijzen. Te veel zien wij dat er mensen zijn die de ene of andere groep verwerpen maar eigenlijk hun leerstellingen niet kennen.

Brabbeltaal ten opzichte van niet begrepen bewoordingen

Title page of the first German translation of ...

Titelpagina van de eerste Duitse vertaling van de Koran in 1772: “De Turkse Bijbel, of de eerste Duitse vertaling van de Koran uit het Arabische origineel” door professor M. David Friederich Megerlin 1772 (Foto credit: Wikipedia)

We moeten ons ervan bewust zijn dat de grote meerderheid van de moslims in de hele wereld vandaag de dag, geen Arabisch spreken noch voldoende kennis er van hebben, zodat zij ook net als wij afhankelijk zijn van vertalingen. Het grootste gevaar is dat veel van die moslims niet durven om een ​​vertaling te gebruiken, maar koranverzen in het Arabisch reciteren, zonder echt te weten wat ze zeggen, een beetje zoals een aantal decennia geleden in Europa in de Katholieke Kerken, waar de priester sprak in het Latijn, terwijl de meerderheid in de kerk niet echt wist wat hij werkelijk zei. In bepaalde moskeeën wordt er zo ook in het Arabisch gepredikt en weet een deel van de moskeegangers niet echt wat hij zegt. Voor het uitleggen van die teksten kan de prediker dan ook van alles zeggen en de mensen doen geloven geloven wat hun denominatie wil dat ze geloven. Dat is ook wat we vandaag zien gebeuren met de verschillende islamitische groepen. Ik ken gezinnen in mijn straat die getrouwde kinderen hebben in twee verschillende islamitische groepen die elk van de ander zegt dat zij totaal verkeerd zijn en slechte moslims zijn. Maar geen van hen is bereid om de zaken te bespreken of om te kijken naar een Nederlandse Koran vertaling. De vraag is of zij wel degelijk de Koran lezen, zoals wij die vraag ook naar Christenen kunnen stellen. Hoevelen lezen werkelijk regelmatig de Bijbel?

Met het prevelen van gebeden komt men niet echt verder in het begrijpen van de Heilige Geschriften als er ook niet daadwerkelijk de inzet is om meer van de tekst te leren kennen en te begrijpen. Persoonlijk heb ik nog onvoldoende Islamitische diensten kunnen vergelijken en predikers hun ‘kudde’ horen toespreken. Wel heb ik al diensten gezien waar iemand in het Arabisch sprak maar de meesten die tal niet machtig genoeg waren om alles goed te verstaan.

Spreken met elkaar

De volgelingen van de profeet Jezus moeten alle kansen waarnemen om over hun geloof te spreken. Zij, in de groeiende islamisering van onze wereld, moeten anderen laten zien wat Jezus predikte, en hoe hij de vorige woorden van zijn hemelse Vader verduidelijkte. In geschriften van de profeet Muhammad wordt hier trouwens naar verwezen (openbaring van Isa = Openbaring van Jeshua/Jezus/Jesus). Het is waar dat het niet Jezus zelf was die zijn woorden heeft opgetekend noch de Woorden van zijn vader heeft opgeschreven, maar Mohammed liet ook de schriftelijke vastlegging van zijn berichten door anderen verrichten. Beiden staan gekend als profeten en hun woorden moeten ook zo als meldingen van profeten met elkaar worden vergeleken. Alleen door te erkennen wat de ander leest in zijn Heilige Schrift is er een mogelijkheid om tot een goed begrip te komen. Maar door de woorden van de geschriften en de woorden van de predikers te vergelijken kan ook worden aangegeven waar bepaalde islamitische predikers fout gaan en zelfs zo ver gaan om de zaken in strijd met de Koran aan te leren.

Daarom is het belangrijk met enige kennis van de Koran die mensen er op te wijzen waar bepaalde moslims verkeerd gaan of afdwalen en hen terug te brengen op het juiste pad, plus aan beide, niet-gelovige, gelovige in een of andere god, jood, christen en moslim een idee te geven van wat bedoeld wordt in dat geschreven woord en een beeld te geven wat er degelijk in bepaalde geschriften staat. Om dit mogelijk te maken, zal ik een vergelijking van de Koran en de Bijbel presenteren en soms de verzen van beide boeken bespreken.

Net als in het christendom zijn er veel menselijke schrijvers of theologische geleerden die ideeën en scholen in de Islamitische godsdients teweeg gebracht hebben. Zoals in het Christendom we veel tradities kunnen vinden, kunnen wij ook in islamitische gezinnen meerdere tradities vinden die eigenlijk niet in overeenstemming zijn met wat er in de Heilige Geschriften staat. Hiervoor kunnen wij ook een aantal boeken van de traditionele commentaren onder ogen nemen, om licht te werpen op de verschillende passages uit de Koran. Ik zal ook daar durven om een ​​blik op hen te nemen en nodig moslims en christenen uit om hun commentaar of inzicht ook daarop te geven op al die verzen, traditionele scholing en commentaren.

A qur'an from the 9th century. It is an allege...

Een koran uit de 9de eeuw. Het is een vermeende 7e eeuw origineel van de editie van de derde kalief Uthman (Uthman Koran), maar dit is omstreden, omdat het is geschreven in kufic. De Koran is bewaard in de kleine Telyashayakh moskee in Tasjkent. (Foto credit: Wikipedia)

Door te kijken naar de Koran en de Bijbel, naast elkaar, kunnen moslims en christenen tot het beter begrijpen van elkaar komen, geloof ik. Maar het zal ook de mogelijkheid geven om beter in staat te zijn om tot meer duidelijkheid te komen wat de jihadisten aanhalen en waarom – en misschien zullen wij hierdoor ook wel makkelijker een weg vinden hoe zulke fundamentalistische denkers te woord te staan,  hen te begrijpen, maar ook wat we kunnen en moeten doen om ze te weerstaan​​.

Door die hun geloof aan anderen op te dringen en dit zelfs te willen doen door middel van geweld, ondergaat de islamitische gemeenschap meer schade dan dat het haar ten goede zou komen. Het is ook geen hulp voor de islamitische gemeenschap dat de meeste islamitische leraren zichzelf verstoppen of niet openlijk reageren tegen die valse leraren in de islamitische wereld. Door hun stilzwijgen zijn heel veel mensen in het westen beginnen te geloven dat die woorden en daden van die fundamentalisten echt worden gepromoot in de Koran. Veel mensen beginnen te geloven dat wat die vechters beweren te doen voor het goede doel van het geloof is gebaseerd op de Koran. Maar dat is niet zo. Zeer veel van die dingen die ze doen zij  zelfs verboden volgens de Koran.

 

Vergelijken van de Koran, joodse en christelijke Heilige Geschriften

Vele christenen willen de relatie van de grote verhalen verteld in de joodse en christelijke geschriften niet zien. Daarom zou het niet slecht zijn om de centrale religieuze tekst van de islam, waarin moslims geloven dat een openbaring van God te vergelijken (Arabisch: الله, Allah) met het Boek van de boeken van het christendom. Om die reden wilde ik ook een aantal islamitische leraar de vrijheid geven om uit te leggen hoe de moslims de koran hoofdstukken (soera’s genoemd) en zijn verzen of verzen interpreteren. Hoewel na maanden geduld en velen aangesproken te hebben kon ik toch niemand bereid vinden om dat te doen. Dit geeft mij alleen de keuze om het zelf te doen. Om Christenen zowel als moslims te laten zien wat de Bijbel en de Koran zeggen, ofwel hetzelfde, of iets anders, begin ik hier op dit platform met de vergelijking van beide geschriften en wil ik zo laten zien wat de Goddelijke Schepper, Allah, de Allerhoogste God der goden  Zijn schepselen wilde doen horen, begrijpen en laten volgen.

In de hoop een manier te vinden waar we in vrede kunnen leven volgens de Wil van Allah, de Allerhoogste God, de Almachtige, de Elohim Hashem Jehovah.

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English readers may find:

Public not informed enough about Jihad terrorism in Belgium

Quran versus older Holy Writings of Divine Creator

 

English: Some translations of the Quran by the...

Sommige vertalingen van de Koran door de Ahmadiyya Moslim Jamaat op de Frankfurter Buchmesse 2009 (Foto credit: Wikipedia)

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Aanvullende lectuur:

  1. Rond God de Allerhoogste
  2. Onze God ook deze van de moslims
  3. Boek der boeken en groot meesterwerk
  4. Schepper en Blogger God 12 Het Oude en Nieuwe Blog 2 Blog voor elke dag
  5. Woord van God
  6. Geïnspireerd Woord
  7. Mondelinge of schriftelijke overlevering en aantal auteurs
  8. Boek der boeken, de Bijbel
  9. Het schrijven van de Pentateuch
  10. Kroniekschrijvers en profeten #4c Latere of Kleine Profeten
  11. Ongelezen bestseller
  12. Het belang van het lezen van de Schrift
  13. Order of Bible Books – Volgorde Bijbelboeken – Liste des livres de la Bible
  14. Oude spreekwijzen kennen om de Bijbel te begrijpen
  15. Vertrouwen, Geloof, Roepen en Toeschrijving aan Jehovah #3 Stem van God #2 Instructies en Wetten
  16. Vertrouwen, Geloof, Roepen en Toeschrijving aan Jehovah #3 Stem van God #3 Ernstig te nemen zegenende stem
  17. Vertrouwen, Geloof, Roepen en Toeschrijving aan Jehovah #4 Vergankelijkheid #1 WelvaartTwee staten van bestaan voor God
  18. Vertrouwen, Geloof, Roepen en Toeschrijving aan Jehovah #4 Vergankelijkheid #2 Zuiverheid
  19. Vertrouwen, Geloof, Roepen en Toeschrijving aan Jehovah #4 Vergankelijkheid #3 Behaging in Volhouding
  20. Missionaire hermeneutiek 5/5
  21. Hermeneutiek om uit te dragen #8 Tegenspraak
  22. Wat betreft On religion and science
  23. Religie en samenleving één geheel
  24. Fragiliteit en actie #11 Horen
  25. De maatschappij weerspiegelen
  26. Materialisme, “would be” leven en aspiraties #6Hoe de rijken de wereld regeren
  27. Materialisme, “would be” leven en aspiraties #7
  28. Kinderen leren atheïsme
  29. Tegenstroom voor Terreur of omringende angst
  30. Woede en vertrouwen
  31. Breivik geen enkeling
  32. Rellen en Oude Geschriften
  33. Rellen in Frankrijk en BelgëKritiek op Israël niet gelijkstellen met antisemitisme
  34. De nacht is ver gevorderd 2 Studie 1 Zijn het de laatste dagen? 1 IntroDe nacht is ver gevorderd 3 Studie 1 Zijn het de laatste dagen? 2 Wat betekent dit alles?
  35. Wat betreft Wees de beste…
  36. Virussen van onze maatschappij
  37. Moslims, Christenen en Gratis Heilige Boeken
  38. Is Islamfobie uitgevonden door fundamentalistische regimes
  39. Nieuwkomers, nieuwelingen, immigranten, allochtonen en import
  40. Voor- en nadelen van internetspiritualiteit
  41. Ademen om les te geven
  42. Elke man zijn werk is altijd een portret van zichzelf
  43. Moslims, Christenen en Gratis Heilige Boeken
  44. Graven in woorden, theorieën en artefacten
  45. Feestdagen, consumeren en besparen

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For English readers to remember:

I do understand that many Muslims may be very angry when they look at the “modern world”, seeing the decadence of our western society.
In Christendom, where in the past centuries many tried to bring the heathen populations to Christ but by forcing conversion on them allowed them to bring heathen uses or traditions into the Christian religion, making it less pure and bringing lots of umbilical doctrines to the Christian faith.
By wanting to push faith onto others by force, the Islamic community is undergoing more damage than receiving good.

Lots of people start believing that what those fighters claim to be for the good cause of faith and based on the Quran, is really based on what is written in the Quran. But that is not so. Lots of things they do are forbidden by the Quran.
Noble QuranLots of Christians do not want  to see the relationship of major narratives recounted in the Jewish and Christian scriptures. Therefore it would not be bad to compare the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be a revelation from God (Arabic: الله‎, Allah) with the Book of books of Christianity.

Lot of teachers in Islam teach that the Quran celebrates the differences amongst humankind, and instructs not only one faith group, but all of humanity to do good deeds, remaining good manners and morals, and to live in peace with each other.

The Quranic message of variety and coexistence is the cornerstone of the Islamic principle for a just and harmonious society. Thus religious pluralism, according to the Quranic teaching, is vital for social order and progress, and provides the key to tolerance: “There is no compulsion in religion (2:256); “You have your religion and I have mine.” (109:6).

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Find also to read:

  1. Creator and Blogger God 8 A Blog of a Book 2 Holy One making Scriptures Holy
  2. Corruption in our translations !
  3. Created to live in relation with God
  4. Being Religious and Spiritual 3 Philosophers, Avicennism and the spiritual
  5. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #3 Of the earth or of God
  6. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #4 Mozaic and Noachide laws
  7. Palestine, Israel, God’s people and democracy
  8. Mocking, Agitation and Religious Persecution
  9. Migrants to the West #1
  10. Migrants to the West #2
  11. Migrants to the West #3
  12. Migrants to the West #4
  13. Migrants to the West #5
  14. Migrants to the West #6
  15. Christian fundamentalism as dangerous as Muslim fundamentalism
  16. Public not informed enough about Jihad terrorism in Belgium
  17. Islamic State forcing the West to provide means for Kurdistan

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Additional reading:

  1. Pentateuch
  2. Full text: bin Laden’s ‘letter to America’
  3. Fears as young Muslims ‘opt out’
  4. About Pure Islam
  5. New segiment – [Today’s Hadith . #1]
  6. Critique of Pure Islam

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  • The Mysterious Moderate Muslim (americanthinker.com)
    Islamic values are codified in the Koran. The idea that some Muslims might interpret those values in a moderate way is like saying there’s such a thing as jihad lite. There’s no getting around the fact that a central tenet of the Koran is mass murder – whether through the directive to kill infidels (non-believers), apostates (those who leave Islam), or hypocrites (Muslims who don’t practice their religion appropriately). In other words, most of civilization is fair game for slaughter. What, pray tell, would be a moderate version of that?
  • The Sword of the Quran: a Treatise on Religious Violence in Islam (heavenboundpkay.wordpress.com)
    Islamic militancy is rooted in divinely mandated blood-lust. Many would object, and yet it is more evident now than ever to the world that the Quran provides the theological and ideological framework within which bigotry, brutality and bloodshed is not sanctified but demanded from the faithful.It is more shameful to know that the words of this book are mostly inspired by the thoughts of the man Muhammad who was a brutal conqueror, marauding towns, and laying cities to waste, massacring men, enslaving their children and usurping their properties. He actually inspired his followers to battle when they felt it was not right to, promising them captured humans as commodities – slaves; and threatening them with Hell if they would not oblige. Muhammad allowed his men to rape women captured in battle, sometimes on the same day that their husbands were slain like wayward livestock.
  • Destroying churches part of ‘Islamic doctrine’ (wnd.com)

    A campaign by ISIS, also known as Islamic State, to destroy churches across Mosul, one of the ancient seats of Christianity where the faith has been practiced for 2,000 years, complies with the teaching of the Quran, according to several analysts.

    The ISIS army of Islamic terrorists has been marching across Iraq, destroying Christians and evidence of their faith for months now. ISIS is blamed for the destruction of about 45 churches in Mosul.

  • Former Muslim Tells Obama How It Really Is With Islam and ISIL (pjmedia.com)
    A former Muslim, the son of a Moroccan imam, posted a video this week called “A Message to President Obama From a Former Muslim,” in which he outlines both the dangers and motivations behind radical Islam.“Brother Rachid,” as he calls himself, says sarcastically that he does not disclose his full name because Islam is “the religion of peace.”  He begins, “Dear Mr. President, with all due respect, sir, I must tell you that you are wrong about ISIL.” Rachid explains that his father is an Imam and he spent more than twenty years studying Islam. He said the president was wrong when he said that ISIL speaks for no religion. “I can tell you with confidence that ISIL speaks for Islam,” he said. “Allow me to correct you, Mr. President. ISIL is a Muslim organization.” He noted that even the name suggests ISIL is an Islamic movement.Brother Rachid, who has said that he converted to Christianity after listening to Trans World Radio broadcasts into Morocco, now preaches Christianity via an Arabic satellite TV program, which is broadcast throughout the Middle East. He explained to President Obama in his video that ISIS’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, holds a PhD in Islamic studies.”I doubt you know Islam better than he does. He was a preacher and an Islamic leader in one of the local mosques in Baghdad. ISIL’s 10,000 members are all Muslims. None of them are from any other religion. They come from different countries and have one common denominator — Islam.”
  • Top Guantanamo Detainees Release Statement Defending 9-11 Attacks on America (thegatewaypundit.com)
    Many thanks to God who revealed the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran, and may God praise his messenger, the prophet Mohamed, so that he causes mercy to the two realms. Also, may God praise the prophet’s household, his entire companionship, and his followers until judgment day.With regards to these nine accusations that you are putting us on trial for; to us, they are not accusations. To us they are badges of honor, which we carry with pride. Many thanks to God, for his kind gesture, and choosing us to perform the act of Jihad for his cause and to defend Islam and Muslims.Therefore, killing you and fighting you, destroying you and terrorizing you, responding back to your attacks, are all considered to be great legitimate duty in our religion. These actions are our offerings to God. In addition, it is the imposed reality on Muslims in Palestine, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, in the land of the two holy sites [Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia], and in the rest of the world, where Muslims are suffering from your brutality, terrorism, killing of the innocent, and occupying their lands and their holy sites. Nevertheless, it would have been the greatest religious duty to fight you over your infidelity. However, today, we fight you over defending Muslims, their land, their holy sites,and their religion as a whole.
  • SHOCK: For First Time Ever Pope to Allow Reading of Quran and Islamic Prayers at Vatican This Sunday! (libertynews.com)
    The Muslim world is finding much to rejoice about in a confusing and quite shocking decision made by the Pope. The Pope will allow Muslims to read from the Quran and chant Islamic prayers from the Vatican in a move said to promote peace.
  • Islam Condemns Terrorism (ireport.cnn.com)
    I am a member of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. We are Muslims who believe in the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the only Islamic organization to believe that the long-awaited Messiah has come in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) of Qadian, India. Ahmad claimed to be the metaphorical second coming of Jesus of Nazareth and the divine guide, whose advent was foretold by the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad.
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    The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believes that God sent Ahmad, like Jesus, to end religious wars, condemn bloodshed and reinstitute morality, justice and peace.   The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the leading Islamic organization to categorically reject terrorism in any form. More than a century ago, Ahmad emphatically declared that the doctrine of violent jihad goes against the teachings of the Holy Quran and the practice of Muhammad. The Holy Quran says, “Whosoever killed a person – unless it be for killing a person or for creating disorder in the land – it shall be as if he had killed all mankind.” ( Ch.5: v. 33)
  • Former imam: God saved me from torture after Christian conversion (catholicnewsagency.com)
    “The holy Quran converted me to Christianity,” said Mario Joseph, a former imam who shared the story of his conversion and subsequent persecution with the HM Television program “Changing Tracks,” broadcast by the EUK Mamie Foundation run by the Home of the Mother religious community.
  • The Ice Bucket competitor: Can the Quran Challenge go viral? (religionnews.com)
    Issam Bayan, a 26-year-old student and professional Islamic singer, came up with the idea as a way to awaken Muslim piety, just as the Ice Bucket Challenge raised awareness and well over $30 million for ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a degenerative condition also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease..While the #QuranChallenge has no specific cause, Bayan, who lives in Germany, said he wanted to make it available to all Muslims regardless of their financial ability to make a contribution. In an email interview, he said the benefits for this challenge are the rewards that a Muslim receives for reciting the Quran.
  • Muslims are crucifying Christians who refuse to convert to the Religion of Peace (wdtprs.com)
    Won’t convert?  Won’t pay your fine for being an infidel? You have 4 punishments options: public execution (Qatl), crucifixion (Salb) and amputation of one hand and one foot from opposite sides (Yuqata’ Aydihim wa-Arjulihim) or exile (Nafy).
    +
    To the awe of its readership, a recent Daily Mail article reports that the “jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and Levant [ISIL],” [ISIS] which is currently entrenched in Raqqa, Syria, “publicly crucified two Syrian rebels in northeastern Syria in revenge for a grenade attack on members of their group.”While the Daily Mail is to be commended for exposing these barbaric acts-along with posting photos of the crucified-it nonetheless minimized their significance, in two important ways: 1) by repeatedly saying things like “even al-Qaeda is distancing itself from ISIL,” and so implying that the act of crucifixion is some wild aberration that even the poster-child of jihadi terror, al-Qaeda, wants nothing to do with it; and 2) ignoring the much “sexier” story that Christians in Syria are also being crucified simply for refusing to embrace Islam (as opposed to the rather mundane but politically more correct story of Islamic jihadis crucifying each other in the context of vendetta killings).

 

Marriage of Jesus 7 Impaled

In the previous chapters I looked at the papyrus, which if authentic, suggests some people in ancient times believed that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. Most historians agree that Jesus did in fact exist even may be the most famous man who ever lived, but surprisingly little is known about his life. The circumstances surrounding his life and death — and the supernatural occurrences linked to them — make it difficult to separate fact from legend.

English: Baptism of Christ

Baptism of the man born in Bethlehem, who came to live in Nazareth and was called the Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most historians believe Jesus was a real man of flesh and blood, who could be seen by many without them falling death, whilst the Scriptures tell us that God can not be seen by man or they would fall death. For many Christians it is very difficult to believe Jesus could be a human being. They prefer to see him as the God. Contrary to their belief that he is God they still want to put full human feelings in his character and would love to see him to be a married man, because at his age any ‘normal man’ would be married, according to their feelings.

Most Christians also do not want to accept Jesus Christ was a Jew and say he was a Christian, forgetting that his movement, first called the Way, was a Jewish sect, and later became an independent religion, called Christianity or Christendom.

The Jewish historian Josephus tells about the Nazarene Jeshua from Nazareth, today better known as Jesus, whom he also describes as a wise man, a teacher and healer in Galilee and Judea. Several sources mention Jesus’ crucifixion at the hands of Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect. But we can not really find many writings where is been spoken of him having a special relation with some one, a woman or a man. Before 2012 no indication was found that Jesus would have had a wife.

Opgehangen aan een paal

Hanged on a tree. Christ Jesus impaled.

Throughout the ages several artefacts where so called found are attribute a special meaning. As such various physical relics, such as the crucifixion nails and crown of thorns Jesus wore on the ‘cross’, have decidedly less historical or scientific backing. The symbol of the + cross was already something which is not historically right, because the Romans did not yet use such way of bringing people to death. They used poles or wooden stakes, like the word ‘stake’ is originally in the gospel writings, but often now translated as ‘cross’. People at that time where impaled and would not be hung in such a way that their body weight would pull their hands from the T-crossing and bring the body down. Lots of Christians do think a person being crucified would be hanging a person on the 15° century presentation of a cross. In earlier translations we do find a more correct form ‘he was hanged’.

‘Look, we’re going up to JeruSalem where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the Chief Priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death.  (19)  Then they will hand him over to the ethnics, who will make fun of him, whip him, and impale him. But on the third day, he will be raised!’  (Matthew 20:18-19 2001)

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,  (19)  and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day he will be raised up.” (Mat 20:18-19 VGNT)

“Nu we fareð to ierusalem. ænd mannes sune beoð ge-seald þare sacerda eldren & bokeren. & hyo ge-niðeriað hine to deaðe.  (19)  þeoden to bisemerienne. & to swingenne. & to ahonne. & þam þridde daige he arist.” (Matthew 20:18-19 WS1175)

“The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus whom you killed and hanged on a tree. ” (Acts of the apostles 5:30 WEL)
“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree.” (Acts of the apostles 5:30 VGNT)
“The Elohim of our forefathers resurrected Jesus, who you killed and hanged on a tree.” (Act 5:30 UTV)
“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a tree.” (Act 5:30 KJ2000)

English: Jesus ahead of Pontius Pilate and Her...

Jesus ahead of Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipater (Dvakrat 52 Bibliszke historie, 1847)  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most scientific studies suggest that these relics originated long after Jesus died. Also a lot of stories, and mysteries got around and throughout the ages lots was written about that special man, who many would have loved to have killed again or to destroy for ever.

“If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they impale to themselves the Son of Elohim afresh, and put him to an open shame.” (Hebrews 6:6 WoY)

Many also wanted to give him a bad name and therefore send all fictitious stories into the world or doubted his sincerity, his purity and integrity. Several Christians therefore refuse to accept Jesus to be a real man. According to them not one man could stay pure and keep to the commandments of God. But in case nobody could keep to the commandments of God you could question such Laws which are impossible to keep. When they would have been made by a God who loves His creation that would be very strange, surely when He knows everything and should then know that nobody could fulfil His Will, and everybody would from the start be allegedly be condemned to death.

The Jew Saul (Paul) was very well aware of our position as human being and therefore after having come to understand the real position of Jeshua (Jesus Christ) he wrote several letters as further motivation for the readers to press on to a mature understanding of their Christian faith and  points out the seriousness of apostasy (e.g. letters to the Hebrews). It is of the greatest importance that the readers give heed to the message of the author and receive the “solid food” he is offering them. Unless the readers go forward, the author predicts, they will meet with disaster. But even today we do find lots of Christians who do not like to hear that message and want to keep to doctrines created by human beings.

Also today they are often carried away by human thinking and placing the character of Jesus in their own way of life, where it is normal that a man of a certain age would be married, so their God Yahweh and their god Jesus also should be married persons.

In the woman who was at the ‘cross’ (Mary Magdalene) they like to see the sinner, even a prostitute, who was been converted to ‘Christianity’ and had become the most precious person of their god, and therefore he had taken her to his wife on earth like he had a wife in heaven.

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Are you curious to get to know that wife in heaven also? Continue reading in: Marriage of Jesus 8 Wife of Yahweh opposite wife of Jesus

Preceding articles:

Marriage of Jesus 1 Mary, John, Judas, Thomas and Brown

Marriage of Jesus 2 Standard writings about Jesus

Marriage of Jesus 3 Listening women

Marriage of Jesus 4 Place of the woman

Marriage of Jesus 5 Papyrus fragment  in Egyptian Coptic

Marriage of Jesus 6 Jesus said to them “My wife”

To be followed by:

Marriage of Jesus 8 Wife of Yahweh

Marriage of Jesus 9 Reason for a new marriage

Marriage of Jesus 10 Old and New Covenant

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Additional reading:

  1. On the Nature of Christ
  2. Preexistence in the Divine purpose and Trinity
  3. Christianity without the Trinity
  4. The Advent of the saviour to Roman oppression
  5. The day Jesus died
  6. Nazarene Commentary Luke 3:18-20 – John’s Teaching and Imprisonment
  7. Nazarene Commentary Luke 3:1, 2 – Factual Data
  8. Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition Matthew Chapter 27
  9. Hebraic Roots Bible Matthew Chapter 27
  10. Entrance of a king to question our position #2 Who do we want to see and to be
  11. 14 Nisan a day to remember #5 The Day to celebrate
  12. Imprisonment and execution of Jesus Christ
  13. Death of Christ on the day of preparation
  14. Icons and crucifixes
  15. Swedish theologian finds historical proof Jesus did not die on a cross
  16. Not making a runner
  17. Eostre, Easter, White god, chocolate eggs, Easter bunnies and metaphorical resurrection
  18. Hellenistic influences
  19. Catholicism, Anabaptism and Crisis of Christianity
  20. Doctrine and Conduct Cause and Effect
  21. For those who have not the rudiments of an historical sense
  22. Called Christian
  23. Integrity of the fellowship

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Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pontius Pilate p...

Antonio Ciseri’s depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Christ to the people Ecce homo! (Behold the man!). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Find also to read:

  1. The Implicit Thought Of Jesus In John 2:19 (Against Trinity)
    Jesus proved to be worthy of as a sacrifice since he died literally and he had placed his spirit unto his Father thus his spirit is not the one who made himself alive. It was through God’s will and God’s spirit that Jesus became alive.
  2. Some common misconceptions about the truth
    There is no writing in the Bible that speaks Jesus as God coequal with the Father. John 1:1 speaks of the Word who is a “god” and not as the God.
  3. The underlying truth in John 1:1
    An example verse in the Greek Scriptures (NT) where Paul is identified as “theon” (god) without article is below. Here, Paul is being considered as a god and not the God. Someone who has a quality of a god because the power of God is manifested through him by the miracles he had performed in the eyes of many people. You can check the interlinear link of Acts 28:6 here (http://www.interlinearbible.org/acts/28.htm) Paul is described as GOD (THEON) without article therefore it shows qualitative and that he may be a god also.  Thus, we can say that if the subject is defined by a noun then it has an important and necessary force of meaning within that noun. However, we can only get the right and exact interpretation of the word based on the context of the whole sentence. We would not interpret the word that identifies the subject as it would contradict the other phrases. Thus, in getting the meaning of the word that identifies the subject, we have options on how to deal with the grammar structure of the whole sentence.
    +
    the head of Christ is God and that he is going to give his kingdom to his Father after he defeated all his enemies and he will subject himself to God – 1 Corinthians 11:3; 15:27 – 28) These shows that they are not equal (Jesus ≠ Jehovah). Other translations use “The Word is God” to say that he is the God himself or equivalent to Jehovah but in John 1:1b and verse 2 it does shows that they are not equal but distinct who are both present at the same time. One thing would fail in the nature of Jesus with Jehovah is Jesus was created and has beginning while the God Almighty has no beginning and no ending or cannot die. – Proverbs 8:22-31 (Jesus is called the master worker or the craftsman); Colossians 1:15, John 1:14, 18; Habakkuk 1:12; Psalms 90:2
  4. The Jesus god of Christendom
    Of all the gods in the world the most popular of them all is the “Jesus” god of Christendom.
    The vast army of two billion almost-Christians happily proclaim that their Jesus is “God, the son”, a happy god who loves everyone. Many of the Jesus-worshipers believe that they are “saved” merely by knowing and accepting Jesus as their god.
    +
    “Yahshua never heard the name Jesus. That was a name given to him by the early church many years after His crucifixion, they wanted to remove any Jewishness from the new church. They eliminated His Jewish name (Joshua / Jehoshua) and blended the name of “Zeus” into the Christian church to make it comfortable for all those who previously worshipped
    the Greek and Roman gods – to become Christians.
    Since Zeus was the top god of their experience, attaching the name Ioesus to Yahshua (Yehoshua) gave Him top priority in the worship hierarchy.”
    -Believer or Follower?
    The Sound of the Shofar
    By Jon Thompson
    +
    “The name that American Christians use for the Messiah is Jesus. This is a derivation of Iesus which is literally translated from Greek as ‘Hail, Zeus’. Using “SUS” at the end of the word is related to Zeus. When Constantine proclaimed Christianity as the state religion of Rome on his deathbed in 300 AD, he changed the names of the Roman gods to become names of Catholic deity and saints. It merged paganism with Christianity and distorted the Gospel message. Christ’s real name in english would
    be “Joshua” (or Jehoshua) – the Messiah.”
    – Vision Outreach Ministries
    KB Gunn & Anamcari
    “”Je-Sus”; “Je” (Ie) in Greek meaning “hail” and “Sus” (Zeus) meaning hail Zeus. The Greeks used the ending –sus in naming many of their towns to give homage to their main deity Zeus. Thus, by following modern traditions, we may actually be praising a Pagan God.”
    – The Name of the Messiah
    Torah Ministries
  5. Who Is Jesus Christ?
    Unlike us, Jesus was perfect. So he did not need to die for his sins—he never committed any. Instead, Jesus died for the sins of others. God expressed extraordinary love for mankind by sending his Son to die for us. Jesus also showed love for us by obeying his Father and giving his life for our sins.—Read John 3:16; Romans 5:18, 19.
  6. Who is Jesus?
    God’s son was born of Jewish parents who did not know the Greek langauge.
    +
    Jesus. That was a name given to him many years after His death. Rome wanted to remove any Jewishness from the new church. They eliminated His Jewish name and blended the name of Zeus in order to make it comfortable for all those who had previously worshipped the Greek and Roman gods. Since Zeus was the top god of their experience, attaching the name Ioesus (hail Zeus) to Yahshua – gave Him top priority in the worship hierarchy.
    +
    “It is known that the Greek name endings with sus, seus, and sous were attached by the Greeks to names and geographical areas as means to give honour to their supreme deity, Zeus.”
    -Dictionary of Christian Lore and Legend
    Professor J. C. J. Metford
    +
    “The Hebrews called their coming Savior, the Messiah, Jahshuawah (Jehoshua). The disciples of the Savior accepted Him as such, and to them He was known as Jahshuwah the Messiah. The Greeks, however, rejected the Hebrew name, and called Him (IESOUS-Jesus) instead.”
    – The Origin of Christianity by A.B. Traina
  7. Christ never heard himself called Jesus
    No one ever called Christ by the name of “Jesus” during his earthly life.  As a Hebrew, he was referred to as “Yehoshua” by his 12 Jewish disciples.   But Rome would not have anything to do with it.  After the apostles left the earthly scene, Rome adopted the religion of Christ and made sharp changes, not only to Christ’s teachings, but even to his name.  Constantine and the entire Roman Church Counsels – altered and changed Christ’s name into something more Greek than Jewish; and they even burned books that contained Christ’s original true name.   All of these changes were in the interest of the large pagan population in Greece and Rome at that time.
    +
    “In 1415, The Church Of Rome Took An Extraordinary Step To destroy all knowledge of two Second Century Jewish books that it said contained ‘the true name of Christ.’
    -What Was The Church Trying to Hide?
    by Tony Bushby
    “The plan of the Greeks was simple, they merely dropped the Hebrew terminology of names which referred to the Hebrew deity, and substituted the name, or letters, referring to the name of the supreme deity, Zeus.”
    -The Faith Magazine
    Volume 69
  8. Will Gods-people be stumbled by the name of Jehoshua
    The Messiah has been called “Jesus” ever since the Roman’s took over Christianity as a state religion. That’s a long time.  So much has been said and done in the name of “Jesus”, that to call him anything but that – will appear as sacrilege in the eyes of many.
    But that doesn’t change the fact that “Jesus” never was his name.  Christ was never called by that name while he was alive on this earth.  His Jewish Apostles never called him that, and the earliest of Christians never called him that.  It was only the Greek-speaking apostates, who changed his name to suit their pagan appetites for a god-man with 3 heads to suit their trinity tradition of pagan worship.  And along with all these changes, was a complete destruction of Christ’s Jewish heritage and his Jewish name – which translates directly into English as did his Father’s name.
    Since Jehovah’s Salvation – called “Jehoshua” is what Christ wants to be called, we should take his request very seriously.  It is not a matter of holding onto tradition, or a matter of pleasing those who find the erroneous name “Jesus” to be so dear to their heart.  No, it is a matter of “Truth”.
    Jehoshua came to the earth to bring mankind back to truth.  NOT to be molded into a god that mankind thinks he should be.  Jehoshua was sent by Jehovah God, to bring mankind back to him.  Christ had an objective of turning the Israel of God back to
    truth again.
  9. “Jehovah” and “Jehoshua”
    “…in the name of (Jehoshua) Christ the Naz·a·rene´,  whom YOU impaled but whom God raised up from the dead, there is no salvation in anyone else, for there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved.”  – (Acts 4:10,12)
    +
    “the construction of theophoric names, starting with the letters “Jeho” is evidence that God’s name is actually ‘Jehovah’
    (and that Christ’s name is actually Jehoshua)”
    – Smith’s 1863
    “A Dictionary of the Bible”
    Section 2.1
  10. Christ did not get paid for his preaching work
    Christ was a carpenter.  Many of his followers were woodworkers, tent-makers (Paul), fishermen (Peter), common laborers, animal herders, a doctor (Luke), and workers in the field, etc.
    +
    Christ and his apostles, miraculously healed the sick and raised the dead.  Christ preached fabulous sermons and discourses that lasted for many hours, where people came from far away to listen to him and to be benefited by his miracle healing.
    +
    Christ did not candy coat anything.  He was not trying to win Converts to make money.  He was not selling himself or his teachings as a means to make income. In fact, he told all of his followers that they should never charge money for their services.  They received the knowledge of the truth for free and they were supposed to share that knowledge with others at no cost Whatsoever.

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  • Crucifixion from ancient Rome to modern Syria (bbc.co.uk)
    Disturbing photographs recently emerged from Syria showing the bodies of two executed men hanging on crosses. Why has a punishment used in ancient Rome now emerged as a feature of Syria’s civil war?
    +

    Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan, Islamic scholar and senior researcher in Islamic Studies at the Quilliam Foundation in London, says this form of punishment arises from a very literal, or fundamentalist, reading of the Koran.

    Verse 33 of the fifth book of the Koran says: “Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment.”

  • Nothing Here, But the Blood (brokenbelievers.com)
    The Jewish people no longer sacrifice lambs, and the Gentiles have never caught on anyway. But sin has never gone out-of-style. Perhaps this is a result of the New Testament teaching that Jesus offered His blood as the payment of every sin committed. His death wiped our slates clean, forever.
  • Easter Science: 6 Facts About Jesus (livescience.com)
    Most historians believe Jesus was a real man. To test the veracity of biblical claims, historians typically compare Christian accounts of Jesus’ life with historical ones recorded by Romans and Jews, most notably the historians Flavius Josephus and Cornelius Tacitus.
    +
    Most historians fully accept one of Josephus’ references to Jesus and while most believe that parts of the other reference are interpolated by later Christian writers, many if not most historians believe that there is a core that acknowledged Jesus. And no, the Tacitus account is not “widely” thought to be forged – thought so perhaps by anti-Christian ideologues, but not historians. The similarities to other religions are often wildly exaggerated. The vast majority of the “Jesus as myth” crowd are not historians, have little if any relevant expertise, and are basically a movement of anti-Christian zealots. And your point about the Shroud of Turin is silly. As if there is some typical way miracles occur (if that was a miracle). As if an omnipotent being intended to create an impression of Jesus on a shroud, looked at it, and then exclaimed, “Oh no! It looks all spread out!”
  • Craig S. Keener: Jesus Existed (huffingtonpost.com)
    Contrary to some circles on the Internet, very few scholars doubt that Jesus existed, preached and led a movement. Scholars’ confidence has nothing to do with theology but much to do with historiographic common sense. What movement would make up a recent leader, executed by a Roman governor for treason, and then declare, “We’re his followers”? If they wanted to commit suicide, there were simpler ways to do it.One popular objection is that only Christians wrote anything about Jesus. This objection is neither entirely true nor does it reckon with the nature of ancient sources. It usually comes from people who have not worked much with ancient history. Only a small proportion of information from antiquity survives, yet it is often sufficient.
    +
    valuable as examining such historical evidence is, we must return to where we started. Logically, why would Jesus’ followers make up a Jesus to live and die for? Why not glorify real founders (as movements normally did)? Why make up a leader and have him executed on a Roman cross? To follow one executed for treason was itself treason. To follow a crucified leader was to court persecution. Some people do give their lives for their beliefs, but for beliefs, not normally for what they know to be fabricated. Jesus’ first movement would not have made up his execution or his existence. How much they actually remembered about him is a subject for a future post.
  • Lost Tomb of Jesus (eyeoncitrus.com)
    During the last two centuries, fewer and fewer people born into the Christian faith have accepted the four Gospels as the last word on the birth, life and death of Jesus. Ever since the French Enlightenment, a growing number of scholars have begun to look at the New Testament “critically,” trying to unravel the history of the people who wrote it and who appear in its pages.
  • I am fascinated by Jesus (blogs.timesofisrael.com)
    No, not by the central figure of Christianity. I am interested in the Jewish rebel leader who stars in Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan.
    +
    As a Jew living in the modern State of Israel, I am putting my beliefs and faith aside and openly stating that I am interested in the historical figure that lived in this land two thousand years ago. There are two hard facts about Jesus of Nazareth. First of all, Jesus was a Jew who led a popular Jewish movement at a very tumultuous time. The second fact is that Rome crucified Jesus for doing so.These two facts set the stage for the meticulously researched biography by Reza Aslan, published just last month. Entitled Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, this book challenges many long-held assumptions about the man whose life and teachings form the foundations of Christianity. Aslan is not the first author to consider the case of the historical Jesus, but his jargon-free, unprejudiced, reader-friendly presentation of both Scripture and history will ensure that his message will reach a large lay audience.
  • Did Jesus exist (maasaiboys.wordpress.com)
    I don’t understand this inspiration business. Since the gospel authors do not claim to be witnesses for example Luke 1: 1-4 , how do they claim to know what Jesus thought in some occasions when he was in private?
  • Pope, Netanyahu spar over Jesus’ native language (trust.org)
    Pope Francis and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traded words on Monday over the language spoken by Jesus two millennia ago.”Jesus was here, in this land. He spoke Hebrew,” Netanyahu told Francis, at a public meeting in Jerusalem in which the Israeli leader cited a strong connection between Judaism and Christianity.

    “Aramaic,” the pope interjected.

    “He spoke Aramaic, but he knew Hebrew,” Netanyahu shot back.

  • Relentless Reliance on Repentance (innercitychurch.wordpress.com)
    The Gospel can be (possibly) summed up by four questions;
    Where do we come from? The answer to this questions is God. God creates us, God loves us, and God moulded human kind in His image. This is essential to understanding the other points – from love, God created people.
  • In the article Islam Is a Profoundly Political Religion With Uniquely Prominent Incivil Qualities (venitism.blogspot.com) it is clearly shown that many so called Christians do not understand that Muslims do have a problem not because of them being Christian, but because them adhering three gods. The majority of Muslims do not have any problem with real Christians who believe in only One God and who take Jesus to be Jesus a real son of man
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Interpreting the Scriptures (Part 5)

We would consider that in many cases intentionally certain doctrines where presented to be taken by people as the rules to follow. Throughout history many were looking to the freedom from error. We should trust the Words of God, like they are written down in the Holy Scriptures. There is no extra formula necessary, nor extra theological masters necessary to come to understanding. All may find inspiration in the Words like they are brought to us. We should allow that Word to have the full authority. We only have to be willing to open our ears to the Word of god so that it can come into our soul.

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To remember:
  • Church leaders in the 1500s did not think the average Christian was capable of  understanding the scriptures.
  • Leaders give doctrinal boundaries through which to interpret the scriptures.
  • Not teaching people to ask questions and find their own answers => teaching their own brand of theology.
  • Sacredness of bible = basis for seminaries and bible colleges.
  • God will speak to you through whatever
  • Biblical interpretation = not merely a task individuals perform => grows out of our participation in family of God in the broadest sense possible.
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  • P1 – An overview of 3500 years of Bible interpretation (biblicalexegete.wordpress.com)
    Following the Reformation, we see the increasing emphasis upon rationalism and a de-emphasis upon revelation. Protestant theologians would come to adopt reason and philosophical investigation as part and parcel of Bible intrepretation – i.e protestant scholasticism.
  • P2 – An overview of 3500 years of Bible interpretation (biblicalexegete.wordpress.com)
    In addition to those men, movements and other men would come to shape how the wider scholarly worlds of Europe and America would come to develop an ever increasing critical stance towards the scriptures. Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleirmacher’s epochal systematic theology: “On Religion, Speeches to its Cultural Despisers”, written in 1799, could be viewed as marking the unofficial beginning of modern liberal theology. As other Old and New Testament scholars began to apply 18th century rationalism and the then newly developed theories of evolution from Charles Darwins’ “Origin of the Species” in the 19th century, the Bible came to be increasingly viewed as a book of religion, fraught with errors, a book of men and not the Word of God.
  • Keeping a Simple Perspective on Biblical Interpretation (jacksonwu.org)
    Everyone can understand something. Seek the big idea of the text, but don’t assume it. It’s ok not to understand nuanced points. Keep at it. It may take days, weeks, even years. However, such perseverance frequently pays off in yielding the insights we want.
  • Five Ways Not to Teach Biblical Interpretation (Part 2) (jacksonwu.org)
    People sometimes never think of the fact that writers may talk about the same topic in two passages, but have different points to make.As a result, our ability to apply Scripture is limited by our selective reading. We will not grow because we will constantly assume we know what the author is getting at.
  • Lecture Review: “Reflections on the Bible, Evolution, and the Journey of Faith” by Peter Enns (mpworth.wordpress.com)
    For Enns, a literalist approach to Scripture “assumes that the mark of divine inspiration is to isolate itself from cultural context”—Enns doesn’t agree; therefore, we cannot simply “graft” evolution onto evangelicalism—by suggesting that Adam and Eve could have been some early hominid couple chosen by God, etc. The first gene pool was no less than about 10,000 humans, and this must be accounted for (see, for example, Dennis Venema’s article, “Genesis and the Genome.”).
  • Thy Word Is Still Truth: A Brief Review (reformedreader.wordpress.com)
    For those of you who want a mini-Reformed library on the doctrine of Scripture contained in a single volume, this one is for you.  It is true that almost everything in this book has been published previously elsewhere, but it is handy to have them all in one book.  And to top it off, there are very extensive indices (topical and scriptural).  Even though you probably won’t sit down and read Thy Word Is Still Truth straight through, it contains many excellent resources that will stimulate your studies for years to come.
  • How the Ancient Church Interpreted Scripture (theophiluspunk.wordpress.com)
    I have many problems with the very term inerrancy:

    • It’s more a political term than a theological one.  Seriously: “inerrancy” is mostly used as a club for beating up people one disagrees with, declaring who the truly saved are and aren’t.
  • Interpreting the Scriptures (Part 1) (supernaturalgospel.wordpress.com)
    If texts could speak for themselves, then everyone honestly and openly reading a text would agree on what the text says. But interpretations of texts abound, and people in fact do not agree on what the texts mean. This is obviously true of the texts of scripture: simply look at the hundreds, or even thousands, of ways people interpret the book of Revelation, or consider all the different Christians denominations, filled with intelligent and well-meaning people who base their views of how the church should be organized and function on the Bible, yet all of them coming to radically different conclusions. – Bart Ehrman
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    Reading the scriptures is a subjective endeavor; you can never remove you and your interpretation from the picture.
  • Is Christianity Biblical?-Part 2 (spyghana.com)
    The greatest error committed by all translators of the Bible lies in their translating of all names of people they found in the Hebrew Holy Scriptures. That is not only wrong and unacceptable, it is ridiculous. It is ridiculous because, whereas, names of towns, places and other landmarks in Hebrew have remained essentially the same in the English Bible, albeit in corrupted pronunciations, all names of people originally found in the Hebrew Holy Scriptures have been translated!
  • The Sufficiency of Scripture: Is God’s Word Enough? Part 2 (randomtheoloblog.wordpress.com)
    Sufficiency means that something is enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end.  It refers to something being what is necessary or desirable for a specified need.  Simply put, if something is sufficient it is just what the doctor ordered.  When it comes to Scripture, God’s Holy Word, it means that the Bible is totally adequate, and competent to meet the needs of every individual Christian in every circumstance of life (see 2 Peter 1:2-3).  Nothing else is needed to guide us in our everyday living.
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Supernatural Gospel

Privileged elite interpreters & self-perpetuating systems

The Reformation was about taking authority away from a man and giving it to a book. The Catholics could control their masses through the doctrine of papal infallibility, the Protestants through the doctrine of Bible inerrancy. – Glenn Steers

Church leaders in the 1500s (like many church leaders today) did not think the average christian was capable of  understanding the scriptures. They felt christians needed priests to explain to them what God demands of them.

Nowadays Christians are allowed to read bibles, but “leaders” think they need to be given “lenses” (basically doctrinal boundaries) through which to interpret the scriptures. This is the purpose of bible colleges and seminaries – not teaching people to ask questions and find their own answers, but rather teaching their own brand of theology.

As Christians, we are taught by our leaders to believe certain ideas and behave in…

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Science, belief, denial and visibility 2

When one compares the cohesive developments of scientific understanding with the diversity of religious belief in the world you will find lots of variations and many different thoughts of which some will be contradicting.

We do agree with Theo Philo, who writes:

“I must admit with Baggini, the scientific understanding seems to have more continuity globally than does religious understanding.  Although certainly there are disagreements and different schools of thought in science, there is nothing like the full blown comprehensive, fundamental, and irreconcilable contradictions that exist between different religious traditions in the world.”

“In fact, people from radically different religious traditions often find themselves working side by side in the field of science taking for granted the same scientifically established truths on which they base their further inquiries.  It seems reasonable to suppose that such cohesion in the discipline of science is largely owing to the chief method of inquiry: induction.” {Can A Theist Appreciate Baggini’s Atheism? :: Book Review of Julian Baggini’s book Atheism: A Very Short Introduction}

In the previous article you could find that we do have the things that can be seen and scientifically proven, but that we do also have things which can not be seen and which can not be scientifically recorded or testified. We can witness many things we can not understand, and in the past lots of things where contributed to either natural phenomena or gods, being which should have been responsible, because many people do not want to believe that anything can happen without man intervening or without a god causing it to happen.

Today there are still lots of people who do not want to know about God, but as soon as something serious happens in their life (a death, a serious accident, an earthquake or flood) they accuse God of doing that to humankind, though God has nothing to do with it. therefore many do question:

  “What is the best explanation for the observable phenomenon of the world and the universe?”

People are mostly connected with their inner soul (their own being), their psyche, their rational and irrational thinking. They would love to make sense of one’s own personal experiences of the world rather than global or universal phenomenon in general (which would need to include the personal and social experiences of people in general—including those of other religious commitments). {Theo Philo}

The subtle nuances of Hick’s pluralist hypothesis avoid claims that all religions are different paths to the same truth and accepts as a starting point the contradictory claims of the world’s major religious traditions, views that Baggini rightly excludes as untenable. {Can A Theist Appreciate Baggini’s Atheism? :: Book Review of Julian Baggini’s book Atheism: A Very Short Introduction}

Faith should not always be the believe in a god or in the God or be the major element of believing God’s revelation without needing any human arguments to establish it. It is easy to believe in the things we can see, hear and feel. Having faith in the things one has good evidence of is not exactly ‘faith’ but more a believe that it is so.  Faith goes a step further than just believing those things we can be aware of or which can be proven scientifically. It is also more than having the experience of something but it is associated with that inner feeling for those things which not always can be explained. It is also more than the expectation that something would happen because our reasoning just says so and it happened so often before, like the sun ‘going under’ knowing that it does not go deep under the earth or expecting the sun rise, knowing it will not come out of the underworld to lighten the upper-world.

According to Theo Philo:

It seems right to reserve the word “faith” in the common vernacular to refer to belief in God, miracles, transcendent realities and deities in the absence of the “ordinary support of evidence or argument” and therefore either go beyond reason or [at least seem to go] against it (33).  The field of apologetics in the Christian worldview that seeks defend Christian faith need not be taken to presuppose that one must have good evidence and argument before one accepts faith, but can be seen rather as more of a defense mechanism against attacks of skeptics who claim that Christian faith is irrational, as Baggini understands it (93).

Faith is the belief in things not seen yet and having hope in that what the person beliefs would be or become a reality and part of its or their own life. Faith also does not have to be build on everything which can be made clear or would have to sound sensible.

Faith is not the same as believing.  Believing in nothing is also faith, because the person has the faith he is right and the other is wrong. As such atheist also believe in things, like the world is round or did commence with the Big Bang or with something else. They also might think or believe this or that may happen when they die or with the world in the future.

All people have to make choices in their life of what they want to believe and what they want to follow as something where they can believe in or have faith in. In Scriptures we are told that we do have to make choices to take care of our life. In the Book of books is warned that we should make the right choices to find the right path, because there are many directions human being can go to.

Faith is much more than religion, believe in the seen and unseen. It is a state of mind which demands action. In the previous chapter we spoke about the Soul which was presented by the ancient philosophers and storytellers as the Psyche or Eros, which had everything to do with love, which makes us heads turn round. That ‘love‘ is an action which demands an other action. So also faith requires action. It is more than just a state of mind, a state of heart, an intent, or emotion. Biblical Faith is so much more than the worldly faith which can do not much. We do believe the words of the Holy Scriptures which tell us that the Biblical Faith can move mountains.

Faith can be found on earth, though Jesus asks his followers if it would be possible to find it when he returns (Luke 18:8). After Jesus had rested his soul and was resurrected by his Father, the apostles their soul found peace when the Comforter had given them the power to speak about their faith in Christ. Today there are still many, but not so much, who still keep the same faith as Jesus and his followers. They feel they are ‘one’, ‘united in Christ’ having one master, one faith, one hope, one and the same direction on the path of Truth and aiming to enter together the small gate to the Kingdom of God.

” (1)  I call upon you therefore, I the prisoner of the Master, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,  (2)  with all humility and meekness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,  (3)  being eager to guard the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace –  (4)  one body and one Spirit, as you also were called in one expectation of your calling,  (5)  one Master, one belief, one immersion,  (6)  one Elohim and Father of all,1 who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Footnote: 1Mk. 12:32,34, 1 Cor. 8:6, 1 Tim. 2:5, Mk. 12:29-34.  (7)  But to each one of us favour was given according to the measure of the gift of Messiah.” (Ephesians 4:1-7 The Scriptures 1998+)

Without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto the Creator of heaven and earth. Those who want to believe in God do have to take the right steps and must believe that God is the Most High, and that He is a rewarder of them that seek after him. (Hebrews 11:6) Those who have faith in Christ would love to have the love Jesus had for all those around him. And there where many people with different beliefs which came to see the Nazarene. The rabbi created a pluralistic community of tolerance where unconditional love was practised and still should be practised by those who call themselves Christian. Jesus world is one where the virtue of good deeds outweighs the virtue of formal creeds and where nobody imposes doctrines on others.

Religious authority may by many placed in a denomination. But the church or community Jesus had in mind is not build on an other than God and on the person Jesus, who should be the cornerstone. In case it is constructed on a book, it should be the Book of books, the Bible or Holy Scriptures. Faith and religiosity do not lie in an other person, or institution, but in ourselves. For all people in the community believe should continuously be growing and that should make the religious wisdom ever changing. God His Revelation is continuous and we all have to grown in His Wisdom. All are created in the image of God, believers but also atheists. All have the inner feelings or that what some would call “instinct”.

Faith in God and His son brings people of the same faith together to dwell with each other in peace like brethren and sisters and helping each other to seek knowledge in God’s Gift of Knowledge and Guidance, which can be found in the Bible. In Christ we are liberated of the chains of the world and should also be willing to give all others that freedom, to serve humankind in fellowship — “to the end that all souls (= all beings) shall grow into harmony with the Divine” — Thus do we covenant with each other, and with God.

Most Non-trinitarians or Unitarians do have similar views on our relationship with others in the world, Jesus, the son of God and his Father, the Only One God. They are ware that scientists have good reason to point at the natural causes of disasters. A great deal of the suffering and injustice in the world is owing to human agency, and it is up to human agency to set it right.

According to us those who do not believe in God should still have a purpose in life, and to make the best of it they also should have certain faith in something or somewhat.

Theo Philo quotes in Atheist Purpose and Meaning :: Book Review of Julian Baggini’s book Atheism: A Very Short Introduction:

a purpose or meaning given to a creature by its creator just isn’t necessarily the kind of purpose or meaning that we are looking for in life when we wonder what the point of living is for us.  If the only point in living is to serve somebody else’s purposes then we cease to be valuable beings in our own right and we merely become tools for others, like paper knives or cloned workers.  This is why a belief in a creator God does not automatically provide life with a meaning.

We do believe the Divine Creator has implanted in every human being the capacity to think and to make choices. Created in the image of the Creator each person has some elements of God implanted in his or her genes. This makes that each individual can use his or her brains to find the truth. For God each individual is himself or herself responsible for the choices he or she is going to make on the path of life.

God does not want to see or is interested in people being content with being a slave to someone else’s purpose and adopt that existentially for himself or herself so that it becomes not just a purpose for somebody else, but for him or her also.

Baggini compares this to a cast system where a certain class of people genuinely thinks it’s their purpose to work for the aristocracy and the upper class.  This certainly puts a dark spin on the otherwise glowing boast of theists who claim to have a “higher” purpose. {Atheist Purpose and Meaning :: Book Review of Julian Baggini’s book Atheism: A Very Short Introduction}

It is wrong to think

the religious has to take something on complete blind trust

The Creator wants people to consider what they do. He would love to see people who make the right choice because they thought about it and have reasons to make such or such a choice. We do agree that there are many religious people who actually don’t have any clue what the meaning or purpose of life is, but that they simply trust God has one for them.

Baggini writes in his book Atheism: A Very Short Introduction:

“there is still the troubling doubt that a meaning that is given to us by others isn’t necessarily the kind of meaning which makes life meaningful for us. … So God or no God, if life is to be really meaningful it must be so in a way which speaks to our own projects, needs, or desires and not just the purposes of whatever or whoever created us”

Such a personal speaking in our inner self, our inner soul, is what going to form us and shall make us into the being that we shall be at the end of the ‘ride’, the ‘end of life’, when all the books of our being shall be closed and we shall find ourselves facing death in peace or in angst.

When people start the race of life, they at first have not enough background to think reasonably and to put their words and way of thinking in good order. When they get older they should come aware of what is good and and what is bad, even when they do not believe in a god or in the God. As we become older and get more knowledge we can open our mind to the “Beginning of everything” it is the Divine Creator, so that He can call us. When He calls us it it up to us to decide if we want to listen to His Words deep in us and want to find His Words in the Book of Guidance He has given the world. Once called the ball in in our camp and we do have to make the goals.

On our way we can encounter all sorts of people and can read all sorts of book, which can give us more knowledge or can get us to think so that we can build up our knowledge to come to more wisdom. With all the information we can get we can come into a state where we do not need to have scientific proof for certain things. We shall have enough knowledge to know which works (books, documents, documentaries, films) we shall be able to trust. But we shall have also enough knowledge to get to know which words we do have to follow and to believe. The seen and unseen shall than not be so important, because the mind shall be constructed to find the necessary building-stones to continue to build in faith.

When we allow knowledge and intelligence create the background for our life and are prepared to change things, we can let faith conquer. when we reached that stadium faith shall be able to give life. Than faith does the impossible. Though we should be aware that faith has to be practised and that it is dead when there are no works to proof the faith.

“(17)  Now this I say, Torah, that came four hundred and thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously confirmed by Elohim in Messiah, so as to do away with the promise.  (18)  For if the inheritance is by Torah, it is no longer by promise, but Elohim gave it to Aḇraham through a promise.  (19)  Why, then, the Torah? It was added because of transgressions, until the Seed should come to whom the promise was made. And it was ordained through messengers in the hand of a mediator.  (20)  The Mediator, however, is not of one, but Elohim is one.  (21)  Is the Torah then against the promises of Elohim? Let it not be! For if a law had been given that was able to make alive, truly righteousness would have been by Torah.  (22)  But the Scripture has shut up all mankind under sin, that the promise by belief in יהושע {Jeshua} Messiah might be given to those who believe.  (23)  But before belief came, we were being guarded under Torah, having been shut up for the belief being about to be revealed.  (24)  Therefore the Torah became our trainer unto Messiah, in order to be declared right by belief.  (25)  And after belief has come, we are no longer under a trainer.  (26)  For you are all sons of Elohim through belief in Messiah {Jeshua}.  (27)  For as many of you as were immersed into Messiah have put on Messiah.” (Galatians 3:17-27 The Scriptures 1998+)

” (17)  So also belief, if it does not have works, is in itself dead.  (18)  But someone might say, “You have belief, and I have works.” Show me your belief without your works, and I shall show you my belief by my works.  (19)  You believe that Elohim is one. You do well. The demons also believe – and shudder!  (20)  But do you wish to know, O foolish man, that the belief without the works is dead?  (21)  Was not Aḇraham our father declared right by works when he offered Yitsḥaq his son on the altar?  (22)  Do you see that the belief was working with his works, and by the works the belief was perfected?  (23)  And the Scripture was filled which says, “Aḇraham believed Elohim, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.” And he was called, “Elohim’s friend.”  (24)  You see, then, that a man is declared right by works, and not by belief alone.  (25)  In the same way, was not Raḥaḇ ? the whore also declared right by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?  (26)  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also the belief is dead without the works.” (James 2:17-26 The Scriptures 1998+)

People of faith may look at the people of science and may listen to the men of philosophy, but they also should give priority to the Words of the Most High and trust in His guidance, trying to find out about the seen and unseen, and not just taking everything for granted, always should he be prepared to question things and to do his research.

Every day we should try to get more knowledge and consider that the Spirit fathoms all things, even the inmost depths of God’s being. For what man is there who knows what a man is, except the man’s own spirit within him? We should keep looking for answers and new things. From the beginning of creation god has given man the right to name things and to create things for himself. We should not stop trying to answer the many questions that come unto us. We also may look at the world religions where they may or may not worship a godhead. (It is wrong to think religion requires a belief in God. There has never been a universal legal definition of religion in English law, given the variety of world religions, changes in society, and the different legal contexts in which the issues arise. The court decided: Religion should not be confined to faiths involving a supreme deity, since to do so would exclude Buddhism, Jainism, and others)  The Christian religion or faith in God and in His son is all about not just A god but about the True God, though many of us may not know exactly what or Who He/She/It is. (see previous posting.) So, also, no one comprehends what God is, except the Spirit of God.  When we choose to follow Christ Jesus we took a stand and we should know that it is not the Spirit of the World that we have received, but the Spirit that comes from God, that we may realize the blessings given to us by Him.

We should speak about these gifts, not in language taught by human philosophy, but in language taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things in spiritual words.  The merely intellectual man, when he is vain, shall probably reject the teaching of the Spirit of God; for to him it is mere folly; he cannot grasp it, because it is to be understood only by spiritual insight. But the man with spiritual insight is able to understand everything, although he himself might be understood by no one.  For ‘who has so comprehended the mind of the Most High Supreme Being as to be able to instruct him?’

Real Christians, however, have the very mind of Christ.

“(4)  And my word and my preaching were not with persuasive words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,  (5)  in order that your belief should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of Elohim.  (6)  Yet we speak wisdom among those who are perfect, and not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age that are being brought to naught.  (7)  But we speak the wisdom of Elohim, which was hidden in a secret, and which Elohim ordained before the ages for our esteem,  (8)  which no one of the rulers of this age knew, for if they had known, they would not have impaled the Master of esteem.  (9)  But as it has been written, “Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, nor have entered into the heart of man what Elohim has prepared for those who love Him.”1 Footnote: 1Isa. 64:4.  (10)  But Elohim has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all matters, even the depths of Elohim.  (11)  For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? So also, the thoughts of Elohim no one has known, except the Spirit of Elohim.  (12)  And we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from Elohim, in order to know what Elohim has favourably given us,  (13)  which we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Set-apart Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual matters with spiritual matters.  (14)  But the natural man does not receive the matters of the Spirit of Elohim, for they are foolishness to him, and he is unable to know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  (15)  But he who is spiritual discerns indeed all matters, but he himself is discerned by no one.  (16)  For “Who has known the mind of יהוה {Jehovah}? Who shall instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Messiah.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-16 The Scriptures 1998+)

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Preceding article: Science, belief, denial and visibility 1

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Please do also find to read:

  1. Creator and Blogger God 4 Expounding voice
  2. Creator and Blogger God 7 A Blog of a Book 1 Believing the Blogger
  3. Of the many books Only the Bible can transform
  4. Experiencing God
  5. Cosmos creator and human destiny
  6. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
  7. He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
  8. Faith
  9. Do not forget the important sign of belief
  10. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
  11. Not enlightened by God’s Spirit
  12. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
  13. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
  14. Choices
  15. Always a choice
  16. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
  17. A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses
  18. To be chained by love for another one
  19. No man is free who is not master of himself
  20. Fear and protection
  21. Only the contrite self, sick of its pretensions, can find salvation
  22. Choose you this day whom ye will serve
  23. It is a free will choice
  24. For those who make other choices
  25. Your life the sum total of all your choices
  26. Answering a fool according to his folly
  27. You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone
  28. What’s church for, anyway?
  29. Feeling-good, search for happiness and the church
  30. The one who has not had a taste of love
  31. Casual Christians
  32. Christianity is a love affair
  33. The Law of Christ: Law of Love
  34. What Jesus did: First things first
  35. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
  36. The Greatest of These is Love
  37. A treasure which can give me everything I need
  38. The task given to us to love each other
  39. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love
  40. God demonstrates his own love
  41. Agape, a love to share with others from the Fruit of the Spirit
  42. Unarmed truth and unconditional love
  43. Unconditional love
  44. The Spirit of God imparts love,inspires hope, and gives liberty
  45. No fear in love
  46. When we love we do not need laws
  47. Love envieth not
  48. Love turns one person into two; and two into one
  49. Love is like playing the piano
  50. Love will cure more sins than condemnation
  51. If we love one another, God lives in us
  52. Spread love everywhere you go
  53. Love and cultivate that which is pure
  54. Blessed are those who freely give
  55. Those who make peace should plant peace like a seed
  56. Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair
  57. Work with joy and pray with love
  58. Self-preservation is the highest law of nature
  59. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
  60. Growth in character
  61. God let my compassionate affection be tolerant and kind
  62. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
  63. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
  64. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
  65. A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
  66. Parts of the body of Christ
  67. Breathing and growing with no heir
  68. God loving people justified
  69. United people under Christ
  70. Small churches of the few Christadelphians

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Additional reading:

  1. Atheist Purpose and Meaning :: Book Review of Julian Baggini’s book Atheism: A Very Short Introduction
  2. Can A Theist Appreciate Baggini’s Atheism? :: Book Review of Julian Baggini’s book Atheism: A Very Short Introduction
  3. Against Religion? :: Book Review of Julian Baggini’s book Atheism: A Very Short Introduction
  4. Concluding Remarks :: Book Review of Julian Baggini’s book Atheism: A Very Short Introduction
  5. The Unitarian Universalist Church: A Personal Encounter
  6. What Evidence is There That God Exists?
  7. What is faith and is it the only thing required
  8. Direct Faith & Belief
  9. Understanding faith for our salvation
  10. We Have the Best Home
  11. Warning! Get Out of Her – My People!
  12. Researching outside of the Bible – is it safe
  13. “Exercise Faith” / “Believe” and the New World Translation
  14. Why Watchtower has no place criticizing other Christian faiths as unscientific

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  • Why The Big Bang? (thebuybulljournal.wordpress.com)
    The difference in The Big Bang and Creationism and why The Big Bang has credibility and Creationism has none.
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    Believing in something does not make it true. No amount of belief makes something true.
  • Come on, atheists: we must show some faith in ourselves | Zoe Williams (theguardian.com)
    This week a 23-year-old Afghan man became the first person to be granted asylum in this country on the basis of his atheism – which, his lawyers argued, would have made life impossible in his country of birth, where religion permeates every aspect of life.
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    Australia accepts the principle of atheism as a belief to be protected, while the United States doesn’t. It’s one of those things nations can cherry-pick from the fruit bowl of international law without feeling that their “civilised” status is compromised. It may be the only belief of that kind right there in the 1951 refugee convention, but with no back-up institution vulgar enough to insist upon it. That is part of our problem, us atheists: we don’t organise.
  • The Irrationality of Relying on Science Alone: God and Science Are Not At War (stopsines.wordpress.com)
    I want to be clear up front that science is not the means to “discovering” God. Science is an immanent discipline. It studies this dimension of our existence. I have always been curious then as to why we’ve tried to use it to justify our belief or lack of belief in a transcendent being. While we hold that science only tests the physical reality, we do not hold that God is bound by the dimensions of this physical reality. By nature, he is beyond time and space. This is what it means to be God. What potter is confined to the size and shape of his clay pot? God is beyond or outside of our dimensions. This is what I mean by transcendent. This is why I say that science will never arrive at God. It is an immanent discipline, testing only what is confined by time and space, and therefore cannot discover transcendent truths.
  • Philosophy v science: Julian Baggini talks to Lawrence Krauss (3quarksdaily.com)
    Julian Baggini No one who has understood even a fraction of what science has told us about the universe can fail to be in awe of both the cosmos and of science. When physics is compared with the humanities and social sciences, it is easy for the scientists to feel smug and the rest of us to feel somewhat envious. Philosophers in particular can suffer from lab-coat envy. If only our achievements were so clear and indisputable! How wonderful it would be to be free from the duty of constantly justifying the value of your discipline.Philosophy-science-009However – and I’m sure you could see a “but” coming – I do wonder whether science hasn’t suffered from a little mission creep of late. Not content with having achieved so much, some scientists want to take over the domain of other disciplines.
  • Atheists Should Accept the Grim Truth Wherever They Find It (str.typepad.com)
    Atheists should point out that life without God can be meaningful, moral and happy. But that’s “can” not “is” or even “should usually be.” And that means it can just as easily be meaningless, nihilistic and miserable.Atheists have to live with the knowledge that there is no salvation, no redemption, no second chances. Lives can go terribly wrong in ways that can never be put right…. Not much bright about that fact.

    Stressing the jolly side of atheism not only glosses over its harsher truths, it also disguises its unique selling point. The reason to be an atheist is not that it makes us feel better or gives us a more rewarding life. The reason to be an atheist is simply that there is no God and we would prefer to live in full recognition of that, accepting the consequences, even if it makes us less happy.

  • A Bad Reason for Thinking that Atheism is not a Religion (maverickphilosopher.typepad.com)
    a mere lack of belief in something cannot be a religion.  But atheism is not a mere lack of belief in something.  If atheism is just the lack of god-belief, then tables and chairs are atheists.  For they lack god-belief. Am I being uncharitable?  Suppose someone defines atheism more carefully as lack of god-belief in beings capable of having  beliefs.  That is still unacceptable.  Consider a child who lacks both god-belief and god-disbelief.  If lacking god-belief makes him an atheist, then lacking god-disbelief makes him a theist.  So he is both, which is absurd.Obviously,  atheism is is not a mere lack of belief, but a definite belief, namely, the belief that the world is godless.  Atheism is a claim about the way things are: there is no such thing as the God of Judaism, or the God of Christianity, or the God of Islam, or the gods of the Greek pantheon, or . . . etc.  The atheist has a definite belief about the ontological inventory: it does not include God or gods or any reasonable facsimile thereof such as the Plotinian One, etc.  Note also that if you deny that any god exists, then you are denying that the universe is created by God: you are saying something quite positive about the ontological status of the universe, namely, that it does not depend for its existence on a being transcendent of it.  And if it does not so depend, then that implies that it exists on its own as a brute fact or that it necessarily exists or that it causes itself to exist.  Without getting into all the details here, the point is that if you deny that God exists, this is not just a denial  of the existence of a certain being, but implies a positive claim about the ontological status of the universe.  What’s more, if  there is no creator God, then the apparent order of the universe, its apparent designedness, is merely apparent.  This is a positive thesis about the nature of the physical universe.Atheism, then, is not a mere lack of god-belief.  For it implies definite positive beliefs about reality as a whole and  about the nature and mode of existence of the physical universe.
  • Are Liberals Too “Special” to Go to Church? (religiondispatches.org)
    New research from psychologists from the New York University suggests that the desire to feel unique can undermine consensus, cohesion, and mobilization—at least in political contexts.
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    Stern, et al found that “liberals underestimated their similarity to other liberals, whereas moderates and conservatives overestimated their similarity to other moderates and conservatives.”Further, the researchers found that liberals “possess a greater dispositional desire to be unique,” which, they suggest, “likely undermines their ability to capitalize on the consensus that actually exists within their ranks and hinders successful group mobilization.” The “desire to conform” among moderates and, to a greater extent, conservatives, likewise, “allows them to perceive consensus that does not actually exist and, in turn, rally their base.”Liberals, that is, emphasize in their beliefs, actions, and self-understanding uniqueness, creativity, and non-conformity even in the face of sameness. Moderates and conservatives, by contrast, focus on similarity and commonality even when little may in fact exist.
  • Atheism Was the First to Show Me Compassion (jessedooley.wordpress.com)
    what is the issue with the idea of God that pushes most atheists to reject religion and to see it as the supreme evil?
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    When the tribal deity is the supreme king, and that deity is interpreted from a fundamentalist, all-or-nothing approach, then nothing can penetrate or alter that worldview, regardless of the reasonableness of the argument.
  • Julian Baggini – Can you be too intelligent? (prn.fm)
    Our brains are incredible things, for sure, but without the motivations, desires and preferences generated by our animal natures, they would have nothing to do. At this time of the year, for example, we celebrate good food, good drink, good friends, and family – good or otherwise. From a purely rational point of view, none of these things would have any value, because reason alone distinguishes only true and false, not good and bad, better or worse.
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Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one

Often when people in a discussion come upon talking about the higher elements of life and speak about believes in God or in divine beings people in the previous years were curious to know if that person belonged to a certain church.  Today there might be not so much interest in talking about the spiritual. And when they encounter people more interested in spiritual matters we encounter a shift in questions.

Ryan Killough also noticed that and mentions in his blog:

Homo sapiens sapiens - Deliberate deformity of...

Homo sapiens sapiens – Deliberate deformity of the woman skull, “Toulouse deformity “. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The question I receive more frequently now is, “oh, what are you?” I always want to answer that question by saying: “I am a species of Homo sapiens from the kingdom of Animalia, pleased to meet you earthling” but it is clear what they mean. So instead I answer, “I am …” Wait, should I answer? I wonder if it’s worth it, because the second it is heard what, “I am” will the attitude and thought behind anyone reading this entire post now change? Not that this ever happens in politics, but why take the risk? There is nothing specifically wrong with the question, “what are you?” My concern is not the question itself, but the change in social norm causing the shift to this question. The question is often asked, not always to learn about someones relationship with Jesus, but to figure out what his or her beliefs are. That is the problem I am addressing. {Church/Denominations}

for him it seems to be a problem when people wonder what he believes. But is that not the first thing to come into a relationship with the person in whom you want to believe?

He should know that people are curious when they encounter somebody who dares to mention he believes in something. When it is Jesus or God that person believes in, he becomes a test person. Than that believer becomes the target to question to see if his beliefs are really well structured and sound. Most people do know that there are many churches and people with so many different believes but that they also often got against each other, even killing each other for their believes. For many the believes or connected with religion which was a ’cause’ (according to them) of many wars. they find it strange that those different churches often claim to be talking about the same God.
Ryan Killough also agrees and questions:

Even though we attend different denominations, we are all following the same God. We should be of the same mind and thought. So if God new all these religious sects would occur where differences and discord would take place, did He make a mistake with the idea of church? Absolutely not. {Church/Denominations}

The Seven Sacraments by Rogier van der Weyden, ca. 1448.

He finds Church is a necessity for teaching, admonishing, and worshipping but agrees that through weekly patterns in our forms of worship, we can deceive ourselves into believing in wrong philosophy.

Our church practices should not be our belief! We should not put tradition and spiritual rituals over what is right, good, and true. Traditions are for the purpose of acknowledging God and, again, are not to become our beliefs. Communion, baptism, confirmation, hand movements, church membership, fasting, or any other church sacraments will not give you salvation! They will not make you any more holy or deserving of Gods grace. These sacraments are simply to express our gratitude of God’s love for us, and allow us to become closer to Jesus in our personal relationship with Him. {Church/Denominations}

But it are just created sacraments and religious actions of those churches which are build on human traditions and not on biblical traditions of the Judean people of God. Many denominations created rules how to do things in the community which are not always totally Biblically funded. Through the years several theologians brought in different teachings and took followers or believers with them, often forming a new church-community  or worse, a new denomination.

Some might think the church does need its theologians to stay in existence, because without good doctrines, good theology, or wonderful expositions it would not be able to survive and be lost in the land of fables and cute stories. Without institutions, temples or churches there would be not much for religion to have a feeding ground. In Religion that church also needs life. In Christian religion this may be the resurrection life of Christ.

No doctrine, idea, theology, or exposition can replace the life of Christ. Only the life of Christ and that which issues from it will prevail against the gates of Hades.

writes Eric Adams in his writing on the British missionary in China, Margaret E. Barber. {My Experience In The Word Of Faith Movement Pt. 6-Watchman Nee, Miss Margaret E. Barber, Roman Catholic Mystics}

according to him

Heaven and God are far away, so we must find ways to ascend to heaven. Like the old African American spiritual says:

We are climbing Jacob’s ladder,
We are climbing Jacob’s ladder,
We are climbing Jacob’s ladder,
Soldiers of the cross.

Every round goes higher, higher,
Every round goes higher, higher,
Every round goes higher, higher,
Soldiers of the cross.

But we may know that God is not far away. He is every moment of the day very close to the world, everywhere and knows every person his or her heart. In their life every person is somewhere else on the Jacob’s Ladder. He can either look down and be afraid or look up and be of full hope.

The Christian Flag displayed next to the pulpi...

What some call “The Christian Flag” displayed next to the pulpit on the chancel of a church sanctuary. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many religious people do want to grab themselves by the bootstraps, and try to work their way into God’s good graces, not by grasping or lathing themselves to the Bible, but preferring to  cling to theologian writings. Some may seek for God internally through emotional or mystical experiences and become preoccupied with their own spirituality. To come into a spiritual life which also can become a religious life the person has to be able to hear God’s voice, and to be willing to come to understand God’s Will. When not willing to understand and than to follow the Will of God his faith would not be of much value. Children also often do know what they should do but do something different. That will bring them in problems. The same for adults who have an inborn ethical feeling, which they can ignore or follow. Maturity also informs most of us which influence our feelings may have on others and vice versa. When grown up the person knows how sustained feelings can ‘strangle’ a person and how he can become enslaved by preventing emotional growth to progress beyond the sense of pain having been precipitated, in some way, by whom or what is not liked or hated (i.e., another person, group or class of persons).

As such every person in the world, all created in the image of God can come to hear the call of righteousness and have the feeling of good and bad in them. The difference for the Christian religious person is that he or she should hear that Voice of God and offers himself or herself to follow that Voice more than any other voice. This makes Jesus so special. He could do what he wanted to do and could strike all honour for the things he seemed to be doing; But he never claimed that he could do those things on his own. He recognised he could not do anything without his Father, to whom he prayed to have things done. Jesus was in the world to have his Father to be known better. He also lifted up his eyes to heaven asking his Father to accept and glorify him the only begotten son, in order that he, Jesus the Son of God, may glorify the Only One God who had given Christ authority over all flesh. The religious person who wants to call himself Christian should be a follower of Christ, Jesus the Messiah from whom he or she can get eternal life.  But to be able to get that eternal life those persons should come to the understanding Who is who and should come to know the Only True God, who is the Adonai Elohim Hashem Jehovah, and Jesus Christ, whom God had sent to the world.

Jesus never glorified himself, neither should we glorify ourselves. We should become like Christ, but by doing so we shall not become Christ himself like he did not become God himself. Jesus always had glorified his Father, the God of Abraham as the Only One True God. Jesus knew his lower position than the heavenly beings (angels), but also knew that God was the Most High and always should and shall be the Most High Elohim.  The son of Joseph and Miriam (Mary/Maria) from the tribe of King David only wanted to be the will of his Father and wanted to complete on earth the work that his Father, Allah the God of gods had given him to do.

It was this Nazarene man who has revealed God His name to the men whom God gave him out of the world. Jesus never claimed those to be his. He knew that those men who were willing to follow him, were given by his Father. They were God’s, and He have given them to Jesus, and they have kept God His Word.  Those disciples continued the work of Christ after he was killed and resurrected. By the sent Comforter, requested by Christ Jesus,  they lost their fear and went out into the world, understanding that all the things that God had given to their master teacher Jesus came not from their rabbi, but came from his Father, which they now also could call their Father, the Only One God, whose name Jehovah they knew already from Torah, but was now better known by the words and works of His son Jesus.

It was from that Nazarene man the disciples got their words. They received them and knew truly that Jesus had come from God, and they have believed that God had sent him. They never believed that it was God Who had come down onto earth, because they also remembered the voice, at the baptism of their master, Who told the people present that it was “His beloved son” who stood there and did not tell them that it was God who had come down to earth. They also had heard enough from this man to know his relationship with his Father, whom Christ considered to be the Only One true God, to whom Jesus prayed and asked them also to pray to.

” It came to pass when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while he prayed the heaven was opened,  (22)  And the Holy Spirit descended on him, like a dove, and a voice from heaven, saying, You are my beloved Son, with whom I am pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22 Lamsa NT)

Jesus had always asked  the things to happen on behalf of the people around him, but they also remembered Jesus telling them that he did not ask God on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom God had given him, because they are God His,  and all Jesus his things are His. They also remembered that Jesus was pleased that His Father had given His world into the hands of him, and that he could been glorified in them. Jesus became no longer in the world, and they were in the world, Jesus went up to his Father in heaven to sit at His right hand. Though Jesus left not his disciples, nor us, on their own. He asked God to keep them, and those who were willing to follow him, in God His name. Being under the Guidance of Christ and his Father all followers of Christ should become like Christ, becoming one the same way like Jesus and God were one. This would not make us to be Christ, like it also did not make Christ to be God. Otherwise we being one with Christ, Christ being one with God, in case Jesus was God we also would become God.  But that is impossible. Like Jesus was a man of flesh and blood, a material being we also are of flesh and blood material beings. Even when we try to become so spiritual that we overcome the material site of ourselves, we shall never be able to become as immaterial or spiritual beings as angels or as the eternal Spirit God.

Jesus has given us his word that he kept us in God’s name and told us all those things in the world so that we may have his joy completed in ourselves. Jesus does not live any more in this world, but we who are living in this world, are still submitted to the Laws of God but subject to the laws of the country were we live in. The world may hate us because we have chosen to follow Christ Jesus and to believe in the One God Who is One. Not believing in the worldly gods we also do not want to be of the world just as Jesus was and is not of the world.  Jesus did not ask his Father that He would take us out of the world, but that He would protect us from the evil of that world.

“But Jesus said to them, My Father works even until now, so I also work.  (18)  And for this the Jews wanted the more to kill him, not only because he was weakening the sabbath, but also because he said concerning God that he is his Father, and was making himself equal with God.  (19)  Jesus answered and said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, that the Son can do nothing of his own accord, except what he sees the Father doing; for the things which the Father does, the same the Son does like him also.  (20)  For the Father loves his Son, and he shows him everything that he does; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may marvel.  (21)  For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to those whom he will.” (John 5:17-21 Lamsa NT)

“Jesus spoke these things, and then he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, O my Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you.  (2)  Since you have given him power over all flesh, so that to all whom you have given him, he may give life eternal.  (3)  And this is life eternal, that they might know you, that you are the only true God, even the one who sent Jesus Christ.  (4)  I have already glorified you on the earth; for the work which you had given to me to do, I have finished it.  (5)  So now, O my Father, glorify me with you, with the same glory which I had with you before the world was made.  (6)  I have made your name known to the men whom you gave me out of the world; they were yours and you gave them to me; and they have kept thy word.  (7)  Now they know that whatever you have given me is from you.  (8)  For the words which you gave me I gave them; and they accepted them, and have known truly that I came forth from you, and they have believed that you sent me.  (9)  What I request is for them; I make no request for the world, but for those whom you have given to me; because they are yours.  (10)  And everything which is mine, is yours; and what is yours is mine; and I am glorified by them.  (11)  Hereafter I am not in the world, but these are in the world; and I am coming to you. O holy Father, protect them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.  (12)  While I was with them in the world, I protected them in your name; those you gave me I protected, and not one of them is lost, except the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled.  (13)  Now I am coming to you; and these things I speak while I am in the world, that my joy may be complete in them.  (14)  I have given them your word; and the world hated them, because they were not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  (15)  What I request is not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should protect them from evil.” (John 17:1-15 Lamsa NT)

The religious and spiritual person in the Christian faith should come to the essence of Christ Jesus his teaching. Like Jesus was not of this world they also should try to cleanse themselves, have their spirit clear, proper for God and not being tempted by the material world, loving the traditions of the world. As such they should try to dispose themselves of those celebrations which are kept in the world, but have elements not in accordance with God His commandments.  We should strip our world from all the heathen or pagan elements. The world were we do want to live in should be removed from all those things which are mentioned in the Bible, the Word of God, as things which are not right.  By avoiding all the things God does not want the world might not like us, because they will notice that we do not want to be “of the world”, even as Jesus was and is not of the world.

In history when churches went astray from the teachings of God, religious people wanted to bring them back on the good track. Their teachings being in conflict with the general or traditional church, made that new denominations were formed. Many allowed legalism, the theological doctrine that salvation is gained through good works, to take a higher stand than God and wanted certain actions to be part of the service a religious person ought to do. Instead of giving more attention at our personal daily walk with Christ and with his Father, which is more important than the sacraments we can burden ourselves with, they brought limitation to what people could do or gave specific strict rules to what people could not do. Sacraments became used as a tool to enter heaven, instead of looking at those sacraments as a symbol of our gratitude toward Gods unfailing grace.

Those ‘renewing teachers’ their followers created new churches and considered that only those people could be saved and go to heaven who became a member of their congregation. They had forgotten that Christ Jesus saved everybody and is the cornerstone of the Church. It is not by belonging to a church a person will secure his position in a place called heaven or in the Kingdom of God. Instead of so many different churches which exclude the other churches, all followers of Christ should be united in that Body of Christ. Those teachers claiming people could only be saved by being a member of their church, also had forgotten that יהוה , YHWH and Love are Four-letter words which are inextricable bound up with the Body of Jesus Christ and his Father, Jehovah God. There were two or more people are gathered in the name of Christ, Jesus is present and there should be peace and Christian brotherhood. The church should offer a place for Christian community, in order strengthen the members their faith, for the purpose of coming closer to God and of spreading God’s Word (by preaching) to the world and worshipping God in everything they do.

Going into ourselves, the spirituality should bring the person in a pure state of mind, clear to receive the entrance to the Supreme Being and becoming one with Him. It should be the aim of the spiritual minded and of the religious person to clear his or her mind of all the unnatural things. The Christian person aiming to get such an open mind to Jesus his Father, like he had, being sanctified in God His Truth, knowing that only God His Word is Truth.  Coming to the knowledge that it was God Who had sent Jesus into the world, and that it was not God Who came down Himself, the religious person should recognise that it was that man Jesus who also sent him or her into the world to become sanctified in Truth.

Jesus did pray to his Father concerning those who will believe in the Messiah Jesus through their word, that all may be one, as God is in Christ that they also may be one in Jesus and in Jehovah God so that the world may believe that God sent Jesus.

Jesus did give his disciples the glory which Jehovah God had given him, that they may be one, as God and Jesus are One. The real Christian his or her main aim should be that oneness with God, like Christ Jesus was one in his apostles we also should become one in Christ like Jesus had unity with his Father, that we may be perfected in one; and that the world may know that it was Jehovah God Who sent Jesus and loved them, even as God loved Jesus.

The spiritual minded Christian should aim to come in such transcendent state that he reaches that goal to become like Christ united with his Father. The transcendence should bring the person wherever Jesus would be. His desire to be one of those whom Jehovah God has given Jesus, that where he is, they may be with him also, that they may behold his glory which God gave Jesus, because God loved Jesus already before the foundation of the world. Because God knows everything, He already knows us as well already from the beginning of the universe. We do not know anything from that period when everything came into being (because we did not exist yet, like Christ did not exist yet), but our spirit should be willing to be part of that foundation of the world, that does not want to know about their Creator, but Jesus knew God and made him known to the world. We also should now become part of that New Foundation, where Jesus as the second Adam opened the gates to the Kingdom of God.

“I with them and you with me, that they may become perfected in one; so that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them just as you loved me.  (24)  O Father, I wish that those whom you have given me, may also be with me where I am; so that they may see my glory which you have given me; for you have loved me before the foundation of the world.  (25)  O my righteous Father, the world did not know you, but I have known you; and these have known that you have sent me.  (26)  And I have made your name known to them, and I am still making it known; so that the love with which you loved me may be among them, and I be with them.” (John 17:23-26 Lamsa NT )

In the spiritual mood the person wants to become perfect like the Father of Jesus in Heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48 )

“So he that descended is the same also that ascended far above all heavens, that he might fulfil all things.  (11)  And he has assigned some, apostles, and some, prophets, and some, evangelists, and some, pastors, and some, teachers;  (12)  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  (13)  Until we all become one in faith, and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and become a perfect man according to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:  (14)  That we henceforth be not as children easily stirred and carried away by every wind of false doctrines of men who through their craftiness are artful in deceiving the people;  (15)  But that we be sincere in our love, so that in everything we may progress through Christ, who is the head.  (16)  It is through him that the whole body is closely and firmly united at all joints, according to the measure of the gift which is given to every member, for the guidance and control of the body, in order to complete the edifying of the body in love.” (Ephesians 4:10-16 Lamsa NT)

The person getting into spirituality wants to become one with his full being and with nature. That nature is part of the universe God created. The spiritual person tries to go deeper than the material site of the world, coming into the mystic site. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, some pastors, and some teachers may help the person to find subject matter and to get him or her on the way to do good research. Those surrounding the person who wants to be religious and spiritual should provide the right spiritual food so that this person can come to unity with himself and with the Christian Church community, being a good working element and ‘being one’ in, and of, the Body of Christ.

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Preceding articles:

Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience

Being Religious and Spiritual 2 Religiosity and spiritual life

Being Religious and Spiritual 3 Philosophers, Avicennism and the spiritual

Being Religious and Spiritual 4 Philosophical, religious and spiritual people

Being Religious and Spiritual 5 Gnostic influences

Being Religious and Spiritual 6 Romantici, utopists and transcendentalists

Next: Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious

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Find also to read:

  1. A world in denial
  2. Catholicism, Anabaptism and Crisis of Christianity
  3. To mean, to think, outing your opinion, conviction, belief – Menen, mening, overtuiging, opinie, geloof
  4. Being prudent – zorgvuldig zijn
  5. Choices
  6. Choosing your attitudes
  7. Not the circumstances in which we are placed constitutes our comfort
  8. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
  9. Our stance against certain religions and immigrating people
  10. Our relationship with God, Jesus and each other
  11. Parish, local church community – Parochie, plaatselijke kerkgemeenschap
  12. Attitude to others important for reaching them
  13. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
  14. How us to behave
  15. Not liking your Christians
  16. Who are the honest ones?
  17. Greatest single cause of atheism
  18. What’s church for, anyway? (by Marcus Ampe)
  19. How we think shows through in how we act
  20. Act as if everything you think, say and do determines your entire life
  21. People should know what you stand for
  22. Remember that who you’re being is just as important as what you’re doing
  23. Followers with deepening
  24. Determined To Stick With Truth.
  25. Fear of God reason to return to Holy Scriptures
  26. Preaching to an unbelieving world
  27. True riches
  28. Doctrine and Conduct Cause and Effect
  29. Morality, values and Developing right choices
  30. Fixing our attention
  31. Being religious has benefits even in this life
  32. Faith
  33. A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
  34. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
  35. A Living Faith #4 Effort
  36. Faith antithesis of rationality
  37. Faith is a pipeline
  38. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #2 Instructions and Laws
  39. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #5 Prayer #3 Callers upon God
  40. To mean, to think, outing your opinion, conviction, belief – Menen, mening, overtuiging, opinie, geloof
  41. Two states of existence before God
  42. God receives us on the basis of our faith
  43. Grace is Gods acting love
  44. He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
  45. Jesus begotten Son of God #6 Anointed Son of God, Adam and Abraham
  46. In the death of Christ, the son of God, is glorification
  47. Are Christians prepared to Rejoice in the Lord
  48. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us
  49. Self inflicted misery #8 Pruning to strengthen us
  50. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
  51. Are religious and secular ethicists climbing the same mountain
  52. Caricaturing and disapproving sceptics, religious critics and figured out ethics
  53. Theology without spirituality sterile academic exercise
  54. Trinitarian philosophy
  55. God of gods
  56. Only One God
  57. Jesus Christ being dispatched as the Figurehead of a Religion
  58. Gaining Christ, trusting Jehovah
  59. Happy who’s delight is only in the law of Jehovah
  60. Being one in Jesus, Jesus in us and God in Jesus
  61. Good or bad preacher
  62. Words to push and pull
  63. If you have integrity
  64. Set free from any form of mental torment or self-condemnation
  65. Emotional pain and emotional deadness
  66. From pain to purpose
  67. Everything that is done in the world is done by hope
  68. Honour your own words as if they were an important contract
  69. All Positive Energy People Are Acceptable
  70. Messengers of Jesus will be hated to the end of time
  71. Discipleship way of life on the narrow way to everlasting life
  72. Church sent into the world
  73. Communion and day of worship

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Additional reading:

  1. What is the difference between Philosophy and Spirituality
  2. Who is the Only “True God”? (John 17:3)
  3. If the Father is the “only true God” (John 17:3) , does that mean that Jesus is a false god?
  4. Following Jesus’ Footsteps
  5. Church/Denominations

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2013 St. Patrick's Day Races: 5k Participants,...

Are you running the right race, having the right goals? – 2013 St. Patrick’s Day Races (Photo credit: ianhun2009)

  • Critically examine the relationship between gender, religious participation and religious organisations. (cheapbestessaywriting.wordpress.com)
    While it is difficult to know precisely whether or not spiritual beliefs differ in relation to males and womanishs, it is evident that unearthly rule and participation does show relatively clear sexual urge differences. This is sure across all forms of religious organisation. Almost two-thirds of churchgoers are women. However, as with social factors worry class and age, it is clear that in that respect is no overall pattern of male / female religious attendance, since there are evident differences between denominations.
  • The Authority of the Catholic Church (zeal4thefaith.wordpress.com)
    I have heard the argument from Protestants that the Bible is the only authority. They do not believe that the Catholic Church has authority on earth at all. Well, the Bible says absolutely nothing about being the only authority.
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    Anglicans, Baptists, Born-again Christians, Brethren-in-Christ Churches, Calvary Churches, Episcopalians, Bible Fundamentalists, Non-denominational churches, Methodists, Presbyterians, start up churches too numerous to count and the list goes on and on. They all teach different theologies and they all have different pastors who went to different seminaries which teach different interpretations of Scripture. Which ‘church’ is correct? Which interpretation is correct?
  • Picking fights over religion and the separation of church and state (santamariatimes.com)
    “We have just enough religion to make us hate,” wrote Jonathan Swift, “but not enough to make us love one another.” A lifelong religious controversialist, the 18th-century Irish satirist definitely knew whereof he wrote. After all, it’s fewer than 20 years since Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland quit dynamiting each other’s gathering places.
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    Even here in the United States, it often seems that picking fights over religion increases during the Christmas season. If anything, claiming to be persecuted while expressing contempt for others’ beliefs appears on the rise.
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    Like Swift, Jefferson recognized the dangers of religious strife. That’s precisely why, he assured Connecticut Baptists in 1802, the First Amendment decreed “a wall of separation between church and State.”
  • Sunday Worship- Understanding and Teaching (eggflip.wordpress.com)
    Sunday Worship is a core practice of the followers of Christianity, but it’s meanings and it’s enactments represent a wide variety of different traditions and rituals loosely associated with different denominations of Christian Churches and sects that are associated the world religion of Christianity. As is precisely within the Roman Catholic Church, the Liturgical calendar is a key part of Sunday worship for Catholics, with liturgical cycles determining which scriptural passages are read out in sermons on each Sunday of the week. Anglican Churches and the Church of England are examples of other churches that retain their own liturgical calendar. Sunday worship is an important part of many different churches own liturgical calendars, and in part defines and how the Christian year is organized.
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    part of understanding the practice of Sunday worship as a religious commitment and a religious experience, and the impact it has on the followers of Christianity, or Catholicism
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    C Peck (2007) describes the Church’s rationale for Sunday worship “There are approximately two billion professing Christians on earth. They attend over 2,000 different church denominations and organizations in the United States alone. This number continually increases, bringing no end of confusion over beliefs and disagreement between them.
  • Spirit of Medjugorje Update: Patience (zenobiuszjuz.wordpress.com)
    a good Christian life cannot be pursued without a regular examination of conscience and a good grounding in the virtues…

    …virtues stem from the grace deposited in the ground of the soul by God..the root of all virtue is humility which is characterized by a patient and loving submission to authority…
  • Religulous Bastards (venitism.blogspot.com)
    In the Iran of the Mullahs, the Persian Gulf emirates and even in those countries where Orthodox Christian patriarchs still wield considerable influence, journalistsare branded as heretics as soon as they dare to describe the far-from-holy practices of the regime and its clergy. And if they dare to denounce the atrocities of an armed Islamist group in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Nigeria, theyare gunned down as infidels even when they are Muslims.

    Although used for political ends, religion often carries real weight in societies where no boundary between the spiritual and secular is recognized. When an Omani publication quoted gays as saying they were better off in Oman than in neighbouring divine-right petro-monarchies, it was accused of promoting “moral depravity” and therefore “sacrilege.” Subjects such as the role of women, sexuality and reproduction – all markers of secularization – are surrounded by taboos.
  • Significance of followers of Islam beliefs (lovevisiblesim.wordpress.com)
    I met a man in my days with SAT-7 from Tunisia – an Anglican by denomination but a true follower of Jesus among the people of Islam – a friend to followers of Christ.He shared these thoughts –

    For one, it is a myth that the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims are unified in the embrace of classical Islam’s religious precepts.  On the contrary, man Muslim peoples have a poor understanding of what their religion is really all about.
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    But the followers of Islam are religious people and under the right conditions, open about sharing their beliefs.  The word of God, presented under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and watered by the intercessory prayers of God’s people, can do its work in their heart just as in the heart of any who seek truth.

    The follower of Christ’s responsibility is to share the same love and concern for the followers of Islam that God has, the truth as it is in Jesus Christ — the One who can make him free indeed.

  • When Do Christians Have Church Services (christianity.answers.com)
    Christianity is the most prominent religion in the United States, and most Christians regularly attend worship services. However, not all churches offer the same services on the same days. If you are interested in giving it a try, learn a little bit about when Christians hold their church services.
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    In most churches, holiday services revolve around the birth and death of Christ, or Christmas and Easter. On Christmas Eve, many churches hold traditional evening services that sometimes include candle light ceremonies and Christmas carols. Some churches also hold services on Christmas Day. The days leading up to Easter, including Palm Sunday and Good Friday, are usually celebrated with special services. Easter Sunday, of course, is celebrated by nearly every church with an upbeat service.
  • Spirituality and Your Health (evelynmmaxwell.com)
    Our spirituality and philosophy are the roots to our tree of life.  Whether or not our spiritual beliefs and philosophy of life provide us with psychological comfort and hope, rather than distress and discouragement, is very important.  Whether or not they provide us the wisdom and courage to act affects us for life as we branch out in our “decision tree” (a term used in the medical field for the decisions we make in relations to our perceptions of the situations, for example, if “this” is true, we do something for “this”; but if “this” is not true we do something different). And, the strengths and weaknesses of our spiritual lives contribute to our society’s strengths and weaknesses.
  • Explaining Christmas to Children (joiedevivreheather.wordpress.com)

Being Religious and Spiritual 6 Romantici, utopists and transcendentalists

Hagia Sophia ; Empress Zoë mosaic : Christ Pan...

Hagia Sophia ; Empress Zoë mosaic : Christ Pantocrator; Istanbul, Turkey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the previous chapter we have seen that already in the time of the apostles there where teachers who took the focus on Christ Jesus, the Messiah his offering and our personal relationship to our own person, the people around us, Jesus and the Father of Jesus, the Only One God, away. By concentrating more on the institute of the church and putting dogmatic teachings as the obligatory string for the community, the self-development and the role of free choice became a minor point to the acceptance and following of the church doctrines and ceremonials.

By the years there were many influences of several theologians who at their turn looked at different philosophers. More interested in the retrieving of power, the real spiritual matters were often put aside or forgotten. Though in that world of many fraternities there were also people who were greatly respected and widely sought after masters who went out into the hills to escape the hustle and bustle of society. some took refuge in a shed in the countryside, others took up residence in a cave, far away from the clergy their institutions.

Several devout people wanted to escape the authoritarian church and did find Christ had liberated us instead of bringing new chains in to the world.

There are many spiritual traditions, each of which has its own unique language and concepts concerning the nature of the ultimate, the path that must be followed to experience the ultimate, how spiritual realizations are confirmed, the nature of spiritual enlightenment, and the implications of spiritual understanding for ordinary human life.

Lots of people spend their whole lives trying to become an idealized version of themselves that they want to be or of that what their church pictures them that they should become. Not having a found foundation, this causes many to  rebel against their natural chaotic states. Not finding enough background or trustworthy teaching they put endless amounts of energy into maintaining stability, and trying to mold their lives into an ordered state that they themselves find pleasing. In short, what we’re fighting against isn’t poverty, starvation, instability, unhappiness.  Mostly they are fighting against entropy; the tendency for ordered systems to degrade into a chaotic state. They may have lots of energy but can not centralise it, not able to pattern it or organise it they seem to be lost in their own world of chaotic thinking. They may receive lots of information from their church, magazines, but do not manage to channel it in accordance with what they can find in the Bible or other sacred books.

Most people are taking their life, their very essence, for granted as though it’s some permanent guarantee and all others have to fit to their life. Having to adapt to others seem too awkward.

It are always the others who cause pain and make our experiences so difficult.

do think many who are confronted with the feelings of inadequacy, loss of perspective.
They also consider others talking to them as a nuisance. Many do find it an infringement on the privacy when other question their sayings or their actions. Certainly today lots of people consider it their right to say whatever awful words or to insult others who dare to come too close to their own personality. Not many do want to hear the voices of others, and the least of institutions or of those who seem to represent institutions or organisations. Luckily there might be others who are hearing the voices of the people who question their actions, but some might loose than the essence of what it is they are trying to do.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Español: Ralph Waldo Emers...

Ralph Waldo Emerson (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wondering what the self is doing demands the question what it would like to do and why it wants to do what. Whilst our society loves ego tripping the spiritual minded person just wants to strip himself or herself from his/her ego. Trying to get into the deeper self it should not be done from some sort of self passion or love for the ego, because then the person would turn round in circles staying in the dark. Like the American essayist, lecturer, and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson wanted to find himself outside the traditional religion that had coursed throughout his family for generations, many today are also looking for the self and a place of the self out of the classical or traditional church. This at a time were other just want to strengthen the feeling of being part of a church which wants to hold to tradition and to the old values they remember from their grand grand parents. They forget that perhaps their ancestors just reacted against the corrupted society and its institutions — particularly organized religion and political parties. Strangely enough are there people like Sarah Paling crying we should return to the values of the Pilgrims and the founders of the United States of America.  As a trinitarian either she overlooks or she does not want to see that it were just those people who fled the European ties of corrupted and false religion. Those who came to settle in the United States tried to find new grounds to start all over again, afresh and liberated from all religious chains, but grounded on the teachings of the book they read regularly. Today there are not many people who really take every day time to read some chapters from the Bible. Some politicians do want to restrict other people and get them to believe the same as they believe. Often they already think that everybody believes in the same god and the same values as they do. Several people want to have their religion to become the state religion — ultimately corrupting the purity of the individual, and that is want the peoeple who fled Europe had felt and would be afraid of finding such a repeating system. The ones who fled Europe had faith that people are at their best when truly “self-reliant” and independent. Today, again as in the time of the gnostics and the church of the 4th and 5th century those who do not want to comply with their believes are considered not to be Christians. Those conservative Christians posing their idea of Christianity onto others are also against the spiritual individu, because that person could be a danger for the group.

But the real spiritual person just wants to become closer to the self and wants to liberate himself or herself from the mass or group. The person looking for spirituality often wants to liberate himself from the person looking for a religion. The spiritual person believes to become at his best when he can be truly “self-reliant” and independent. For them it is also clear that it is only from such real individuals that true community could be formed.

Sensations and perception not necessarily are the basic and most important form of true cognition. The ones who came into the New World had learned to struggle, to battle against all sorts of weather conditions, and got to walk on their own feet, working with their own hands but they also wanted now to speak their own minds.

“A nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believes himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men.” {1837 speech “The American Scholar}

Again there was a reaction against the aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and a reaction against the scientific rationalization of nature. Again people wanted, like some would love to see it again today as well, a form of live where the emotions are again of value in a liberated and radicalised environment. A real spiritual person would love to encounter the inner emotions, because they can be considered as an authentic source of aesthetic experience. In romanticism there was placed such new emphasis on such emotions as apprehension, horror and terror, and awe and now with transcendentalism liberal thinkers, “agreeing in nothing but their liberality” {Gura, Philip F. American Transcendentalism: A History. New York: Hill and Wang, 2007: 5. ISBN 0-8090-3477-8} could find unity of willing persons to exchange ideas without having to give up their freedom to think differently than the majority, but recognising where in the differences there were/are also like-minded men and women.

Along with Andrews Norton, William Ellery Channing (April 7, 1780 – October 2, 1842) was the foremost Unitarian preacher in the United States in the early nineteenth century

Rooted in English and German Romanticism, the Biblical criticism of Herder and Schleiermacher, and the scepticism of Hume, and the transcendental philosophy of Immanuel Kant (and of German Idealism more generally), the transcedentalists movement, intimately familiar with the English Romantics, might have been an American outgrowth of Romanticism. From Unitarianism the transcendentalists took a concern for self-culture, a sense of moral seriousness, a neo-Platonic concept of piety, a tendency toward individualism, a belief in the importance of literature, and an interest in moral reform. They looked to certain Unitarians as mentors, especially the great Boston preacher William Ellery Channing. Theology was in crisis during Channing’s prime. Almost from the beginning there were two warring parties in New England. The Calvinists believed in a jealous God, the depravity of mankind, and the absence of free will. The anti-Calvinists believed in a merciful God, the potential redemption of all mankind, and the existence of free will. As the 19th century proceeded, the fight between the parties sharpened. Channing, after much deliberation, sided with the anti-Calvinists. Channing’s religion and thought were among the chief influences on the New England Transcendentalists, though he never countenanced their views, which he saw as extreme. Transcendentalists came to reject key aspects of the Unitarian worldview, starting with their rational, historical Christian apologetic. Many prominent ministers, reformers, and writers of the 19th century were associated with it, including Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) who was considered the most thought-provoking American cultural leader of the mid-19th century. In Concord he met a prickly young Harvard graduate who became his disciple, friend, and occasional adversary, Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862). Among his close friends were Bronson Alcott (1799–1888), George Ripley, and Theodore Parker (1810–1860).  Margaret Fuller (1810–1850) and Orestes Brownson (1803–1876) also associated with him.

Emerson spoke out against materialism (the belief that material or physical things—not spiritual—are the most important), formal religion, and slavery. Emerson spoke of slavery in the context of the Fugitive Slave Law (1850), saying, in one of his rare bursts of obscenity (foul language), “I will not obey it, by God.”
He believed in a reality and a knowledge that rose above the everyday reality to which Americans were accustomed. He believed in the honesty of the person. He believed in a spiritual universe ruled by a spiritual Oversoul (the basis of all spiritual existence), with which each individual soul should try to connect.

A spiritual person should look for those values, trying to be honest to himself in the first place, choosing for those thing he really believes in because he does understands them; and not choosing for dogma’s because others accept them and by not accepting them he would not be able to be part of that group or community. Going to search in one self the person should also try to come over or to deal with human losses and failings. In such essays as “Compensation” and “Experience,” Emmerson tried to suggest how to deal with human losses and failings and in such pieces as “Self-reliance,” “Spiritual Laws,” “Nature,” “The Poet,” and “The Over-soul,” he explained the inborn goodness of man, the joys of nature and their spiritual significance, and a universal god (a god that exists everywhere and belongs to all).

English: A collage of photographs from K Stree...

A collage of photographs from K Street and Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary Schools in Fresno, CA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Various organizations and periodicals gave the Unitarian and transcendental movement shape. The earliest was the so-called “Transcendental Club” (1836–1840), an informal group that met to discuss intellectual and religious topics; also important was the “Saturday Club,” organized much later (1854). Many transcendentalists participated in the utopian communities of Brook Farm (1841–1848; located in West Roxbury, Massachusetts), founded by George Ripley (1802–1880) and his wife, Sophia Dana Ripley (1803–1861), and the short-lived Fruitlands (1843–1844; located in Harvard, Massachusetts), founded by Alcott. A number of transcendentalist ministers established experimental churches to give their religious ideas institutional form. The most important of these churches were three in Boston: Orestes Brownson’s Society for Christian Union and Progress (1836–1841); the Church of the Disciples (founded 1841), pastored by James Freeman Clarke (1810–1888); and Theodore Parker’s Twenty-Eighth Congregational Society (founded 1845–1846). The most famous transcendentalist magazine was the Dial (1840–1844), edited by Fuller and then by Emerson; other major periodicals associated with the movement included the Boston Quarterly Review (1838–1842), edited by Brownson, and the Massachusetts Quarterly Review (1847–1850), edited by Parker. {Dictionary of American History, 2003}

But also in Europe in the 21st century we still can see such a romantic movement going on, or should we perhaps say more an utopist movement like the one political or social reformer, visionary preacher and idealist Marcus Ampe is still dreaming of. He may not be influenced by Asian religions, but the thoughts and ideas he would love to realise are similar as in many of those and older traditions and religions, but very founded on the Torah, the Old and the New Testament, which he considers the most complete guide for the community. For him it is clear that without going into the inner-self, not being in the clear with the self, a person can not come into the clear with God. Those who have (moral)qualms or who did not yet have come to terms with themselves, loving themselves, shall not be able to love others and shall have it difficult to come in front of Christ, loving him and loving his Father, the only One God. Those who have not seen the light in themselves often want to find light in elements of nature and by doing so will create different gods. This can be clearly seen in the writings on many blogs about God and religion. To come to Biblical Truth, people should study the Bible, look at it from the way of thinking in the periods it was written and in the manner of speaking it was written.

The transcendentalists varied in their interpretations of the practical aims of will. Some among the group linked it with utopian social change; Brownson connected it with early socialism, while others considered it an exclusively individualist and idealist project. Emerson believed the latter. In his 1842 lecture “The Transcendentalist“, Emerson suggested that the goal of a purely transcendental outlook on life was impossible to attain in practice:

You will see by this sketch that there is no such thing as a transcendental party; that there is no pure transcendentalist; that we know of no one but prophets and heralds of such a philosophy; that all who by strong bias of nature have leaned to the spiritual side in doctrine, have stopped short of their goal. We have had many harbingers and forerunners; but of a purely spiritual life, history has afforded no example. I mean, we have yet no man who has leaned entirely on his character, and eaten angels’ food; who, trusting to his sentiments, found life made of miracles; who, working for universal aims, found himself fed, he knew not how; clothed, sheltered, and weaponed, he knew not how, and yet it was done by his own hands. …Shall we say, then, that transcendentalism is the Saturnalia or excess of Faith; the presentiment of a faith proper to man in his integrity, excessive only when his imperfect obedience hinders the satisfaction of his wish.

Many churches do not like to have their members to go to deep in their self and questioning the church or community, because this would be seen as a doubting the community and the church as institution. Many churches  or religions impede on the individual coming to individual spiritual development. Any form of religious dogma should be abolished and church should be able to trust on the choice God makes, because it is Him Who calls. The traditional church got afraid that ordinary people could get a simple belief in human moral, in godly and brotherly love and according to the clergy and theologians the common person would not be able to understand the Bible, but that would mean they say God did not make His Words clear for everybody, so He would have not have given everybody the same chance to be saved. God, Who is a God of order and clarity made His Word clear enough for those who are willing to read it and to think about it. In each individual is enough potential and intuitive capacity for discovering spiritual truth. Divinity or having a Godlike character or the state of being divine, lays in man, who is created in the image of God, and nature, and so true religion means seeking the divine in oneself and one’s surroundings. Inward experience was seen as the ultimate path to spiritual satisfaction, and thus the Transcendentalists cultivated a lifestyle that encouraged contemplation, communing with nature, continuing education, and creative expression. Many kept regular journals, which they considered invaluable tools in the process of self-examination.

The spiritual minded person should seek to cultivate the capacity to do good in themselves and others.

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Preceding articles:

Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience

Being Religious and Spiritual 2 Religiosity and spiritual life

Being Religious and Spiritual 3 Philosophers, Avicennism and the spiritual

Being Religious and Spiritual 4 Philosophical, religious and spiritual people

Being Religious and Spiritual 5 Gnostic influences

Next: Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one

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Please do read also:

  1. Only One God
  2. God of gods
  3. God is One
  4. Jesus spitting image of his father
  5. Jesus begotten Son of God #8 Found Divinely Created not Incarnated
  6. Jesus begotten Son of God #9 Two millennia ago conceived or begotten
  7. Jesus begotten Son of God #18 Believing in inhuman or human person
  8. Yeshua a man with a special personality
  9. Reasons that Jesus was not God
  10. Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ
  11. It is a free will choice
  12. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
  13. Hellenistic influences
  14. The early days of Christianity: Politics and power first priority #1
  15. Politics and power first priority #2
  16. Foundation to go the distance
  17. Re-Creating Community
  18. Leaving the Old World to find better pastures
  19. The imaginational war against Christmas
  20. Nativity scene of the birth of the Bill of Rights
  21. More-Letter-Words
  22. God doesn’t call the qualified
  23. Can we not do what Jesus did?

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Also interesting to read:

  1. The Hermit
  2. Post 4: Entropy pt. 1
  3. Post 5: Sacrifice
  4. Why I chose Emerson

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English: Ralph_Waldo_Emerson_1940_Issue-3c.jpg...

Ralph Waldo Emerson 1940 ssue-3c.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

  • Rewriting History – The History of America Mega-Conference: Part Three, “Religious Liberalism” And Those Magnificent Mathers (homeschoolersanonymous.wordpress.com)
    Eidsmoe spoke warmly of early Americans who celebrated Christianity. The Constitutional Convention, he claimed, had mostly Christians in attendance and involved God in their work. He dismissed the deist Founding Fathers in attendance as “outliers”. He discussed the message of 18th century preacher George Whitfield, who did much to unite Americans under a common faith, he claimed.Eidsmoe also smiled upon Benjamin Franklin for praising Christian preaching and social endeavors, suggesting that the Founding Father appreciated Christianity. However, I found his portrait of Franklin to lack nuance. While Franklin did celebrate the Puritan virtues of his upbringing and respect preachers such as George Whitefield, he also referred to himself as a Deist in his 1771 autobiography, embraced Enlightenment ideas, endorsed religious pluralism, and spent time at a London Unitarian congregation.
  • Transcendentalism (womenshistory.answers.com)
    Transcendentalists made a distinction between true reason and a merely analytic understanding. They believed that subjective intuition was at least as reliable a source of truth as empirical investigation. They wanted to base their religion and philosophy on principles that were not related to the physical senses. Transcendentalists were familiar with the ideas of the English Romantics. The movement is sometimes described as a slightly later, American version of Romanticism.
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    What is transcendentalism?
  • “Unitarian Universalism” and “Unity” Churches – similarities and differences (ironicschmoozer.wordpress.com)
    Unitarian Universalism (UUism) has been more of an institution-based movement from the beginning, while Unity has been more of a message-based movement, with an extensive publishing outreach that touches people beyond its churches.  Of note is Unity’s “Daily Word” devotional booklet.
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    Both UUism and Unity affirm goodness in everyone and divine love for all.  Both have a diversity of concepts of the divine in their literature and in their congregations.  However, there are very few UUs who like terms like Father or Lord, and Unity is often comfortable with it.
    UUs include many self-describe Religious Humanists–who are atheists or agnostics and don’t respond to God language.  Most UUs, especially Humanists, disagree with the idea that there is a soul separate from the body.
  • 140/365: When “Spiritual but Not Religious” Is Not Enough (makethreesixtyfive.wordpress.com)
    I had chosen not to be confirmed as a junior high student, and my relationship with the church was tentative, though it provided me with such a network of safety, joy, and service.
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    Lillian explain what I have always known: that faith might be personal, but the community of faith is the most important, valuable part of the church. She writes, “Church is a school for sinners, not a club for saints.” In the end, my sin has always been in my faith, in my disbelief. With all things that you are supposed to “just know”, I have struggled: love, faith, life choices. But Lillian says, “I pitch my tent in the field of mystery, and have yet to nail it down,” which I think is a perfect analogy for the journey I’m on now, in all parts of my life, but particularly with spirituality.
  • Spiritual Fathers (krclynn.org)
    calling earthly men “spiritual fathers”.  I hear these words from the mouths of so many carelessly and I always flinch at the sound of it.  Are we to have mentors and people that we look up to in the church to point us to Christ?  Absolutely!  Do we need men and women of God to give us words of direction and minister to us when we face problems in different areas of our life?  Absolutely!  The problem is that the term “spiritual father” is not found in scripture nor is it supported.
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    Did we forget that Jesus is the head of the church and the chief apostle?  Did we forget that God qualified Jesus as a perfect High Priest, and He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him – Hebrews 5:9.  Although there are more mature Christians than us and have more knowledge of scripture than we do, No Person has no more holiness than the average Christian and is not entitled to be called “these exaggerated names.”
  • Pop culture and spirituality without religion (christiantoday.com)
    Pop artists are fond of provocative religious imagery, but Ted Turnau says that should not be surprising for Christians and rather than getting offended, they should be looking for ways to come alongside today’s secularised pop stars to help them use such religious imagery appropriately.
  • Want to Argue About Creeds? I Don’t (theresauuco.wordpress.com)
    Unitarian Universalists are fond of saying that we believe in “deeds not creeds.”  Almost every Sunday I start the worship service by welcoming visitors telling them that we value diversity of all types. Our congregations include people who self-identify as Christians, Pagans,  Humanists, Agnostics, Jews, Atheists, Buddhists, Muslims, Spiritualists, and pretty much everything else.  I say that what matters most is how we treat other people and how we care for this planet of ours.  That is another way of saying “deeds not creeds.” Our faith tradition has a long history of respect for the individual right of conscience.  Believe whatever makes sense to you about God and what happens after we die, but let’s see if we can get together and try to make our own lives and this world a better place.  We can discuss differing theological beliefs. I love hearing what others believe about the big issues, and I like to talk about my own, always evolving, sense of the universe and what this life of ours is all about.  Arguing is pointless, however, and generally serves to increase the distance between people rather than bring them closer together.
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    Unitarian Universalism is changing and we will keep changing; change is in our DNA.  We were formed from the merger of two Christian denominations, both of which date back to the 1700′s in this country.  That history is still part of us, but I don’t think many of our religious ancestors would necessarily recognize us today.  We brought in science and humanism, incorporated wisdom from other  world religions and from the earth centered traditions.  The Transcendentalist also had a huge impact. For those of us who believe in God, revelation is definitely not sealed.  For those of us who believe in the human spirit, change is simply part of life.
  • Is Yoga New Agey? (elephantjournal.com)

    Emerson, one of the foremost minds of 19th century America, was himself heavily influenced by Vedanta, the spiritual teachings of Hinduism, which originated in India. With regard to the concept of karma, for example, he wrote, “You cannot do wrong without suffering wrong.”

    Ralph Waldo was a transcendentalist who read the Bhagavad Gita and considered himself a yogi. (Albeit his lineage was more jnana than hatha; more about knowledge and wisdom than breath and movement.)

    The “new” doesn’t refer to time but rather new as opposed to established Western societal beliefs. The “age” refers to the Aquarian Age (as in, ‘this is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.’)

  • Can You Be Spiritual and Not Religious? (drcindysimpson.com)
    “I’m spiritual but not religious.”  I hear and read this many times.  What does this phrase mean? For people who do research in the area of religion and spirituality, however, separating the two is very difficult, if not impossible.  For millennia the word religious had about the same meaning as the word spiritual.Today religion is popularly labeled as the doctrine and beliefs of a group.  Spirituality, on the other hand, is individualized and only concerns itself with the relationship of that person to the sacred or transcendent (Koenig, 2005, pp. 44-45). Yet current research finds that at least 74% of people do not make a distinction between religion and spirituality.  How then can we best define the relationship between the two?
  • Transcendentalism vs. Puritanism: The Enduring Relevance of Competing Ideologies in Modern American Society (theiridescentbubble.com)
    Transcendentalism and Puritanism share an enduring relativity embedded in modern American individualism. Transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau espoused the tenants of a quasi-religion governed by individuality and nature while Puritans like Jonathan Edwards, though influenced by the academics of free thinking, knelt at the altar of altruism governed by an angry God. While we indeed have deep roots within Puritanism as a nation, we are equally influenced by the individualism that is Transcendentalism. In reflecting upon the condition of modern American society, it seems clear that the divisions that separate these two distinct ideologies, their seeds planted during the time of our foundation, still frame the divisions we face as a collective people today.
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    the exploration of the core tenants of Transcendentalism sheds the greatest light on that which differentiates it from its Puritan opposition.  It is a form of philosophical idealism that calls upon the individual to rise above the animalistic impulses in life, as well as the cultural restrictions imposed upon the individual.  In Transcendentalism, God is a life force found in everything which negates the necessity of churches or holy places.  God is found in both nature and human nature; he is a “light” in everyone.  As a rule, one must ruminate over and nourish the inner light to keep it alive and healthy.  Everyone is in possession of intuition or an inherent understanding of right and wrong but culture and society tend to corrupt the intuition.  To actualize the authority of our intuition, we must learn, think, and reflect.  Further, neither our past nor our future should limit the present.  We must live close to nature because it is our greatest teacher and our connection to God.  Individualism is that the very heart of Transcendentalism and self-empowerment is borne of the defiance of social conventions – even God is not the ultimate authority.  To the Transcendentalist, evil is not the opposite of good, it is simply the absence of good, but good is thought to be more powerful.  Finally, all things are encompassed and contained by the Oversoul, which has spiritual power.

The Immeasurable Grace bestowed on humanity

A passionate seeker for spiritual Truth wherever It is found blogs now for one year with ‘Purple Rays‘. This writer knows that we cannot all blaze a trail! But she is aware that we can all Light up our Corners and leave footprints of Light in the sands of time!

2008 Mingdau University Fashion Fusion Show: T...It may sound ridiculous that we as small human beings somewhere in this vast universe would be able to bring words that can change something in the world. But I am convinced we can do bring change, each in our own environment, and in case we join hands, we can even bring change in places far, far away from where we live. I may send messages from tiny split dark and wet Belgium, but looking at the statistics those messages are read more abroad than in the Flemish, Dutch , French and German parts of this section of the Low Countries.

Inspired by an earnest volition and love to share her thoughts with the world and to learn from the world, the writer brought already a few poetic musings while she seems to be aware that there is a battle of two wolves inside us all. She writes:

A war like the raging calm of the sea! A war with an ominous end! A war difficult for man to win! Since he feeds the wolves at both ends! Arming both friend and foe alike! Devout in prayer but wicked in deeds! Angel in words but evil at heart! How can he win the war and find peace? When he rides on the back of a tiger, And can only end in the belly of the tiger! {The Intellect Continuously Wars Against The Spirit!}

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Photo from Purple Rays category Engraved in gold series

Though there may be this constant battle in the world she also sees the solution that there is made available for all who want to grasp the Hand of the Provider.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalms 46:1 CJB)

She is also aware that the gods and goddesses of old are not figments of the imagination but, nature beings existing through the Will of God and still active today. But I would not agree with her calling them ‘servants of God’. Perhaps they ever tried to be a servant for the Divine Creator and were made more than they themselves wished, because it was, like she says, mankind who erred by making them objects of veneration and worship! I think many of those gods created by man are not serving the Most High Creator, the Spirit God.

To 99% of her listeners, the Purple Rays writer is a Buddhist and for non-Buddhists, her person is defined by what she might not be; not a Moslem, not a Christian, not a ‘believer’, not a true child of God and even worse negative descriptions! But for those people criticising others they should know we all are children of God.  Whatever we may believe, even when we do not want to believe that there exist a God who created heaven and earth, That Divine Creator stays the Maker of everything and the Father of all.

It is God Who allows all those people and gods to exist, and He is it who gives certain qualities to people which they can use for the good or the bad. God has given every body the free will to chose which way to go. It is not a dictator Father who only allows His Ways. Every one of us can say ‘I go my way’ or ‘It is My way’. All received a mind to use and have the freedom to think what they want, to follow those who they want to follow and believe in. The only thing is at the end of the trip, we are ourselves responsible and shall not be able to blame others for our own mistakes.

All people in the world are given the free choice by the Creator to choose in what and in whom they want to believe. He allows us to trust and accept what others say. He is not blind for the many teachers, good ones and false-teachers, there have been and still shall come in the world. We too can choose if we learn something from beings like Buddha, Confucius, Darwin, Gandhi, Muhammad or would like to follow the master teacher Jesus Christ, Jeshua the Messiah and the son of God and the best or real Servant of God!

Yuzen, a buddhist monk from the Sōtō Zen sect ...

Yuzen, a buddhist monk from the Sōtō Zen sect begging at Oigawa, Kyoto. Begging is part of the training of some Buddhist sects. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Purple Rays publishes:

Anyone who is privileged to read the untainted, transmitted accounts of the life and times of these truth bringers, with an open mind, will definitely perceive the Immeasurable Grace bestowed on humanity by their missions on earth! With Divine guidance, they were placed at different times and in different cultures/races to raise the collective consciousness of humanity from one level to the other!
Through countless un-celebrated Sages as well as renowned ones like Krishna, Zoroaster, Lao tse, Cassandra in Atlantis, Buddha, Moses, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Prophet Muhammad down to Abd-ru-shin, mankind has received the truth unblemished! Each teaching dovetails into the other to form a luminous flight of steps: some at the bottom and some at the top, each forming an inevitable step in the stairway to spiritual maturity and emancipation! {Religion, Beliefs And Worship! (religionists are extreme believers of some sort!)}

She has good reason to believe that

If religion had evolved without prejudice like science and technology, today’s humanity would have recognized which piece each Messenger added to the spiritual consciousness jigsaw puzzle! They would have gone past bitter inter and intra religious rivalry, violent conversions, fanaticism and intolerance! They would have drawn the line between the truth and contrived creeds, dogmas and doctrines!
They would recognize and believe the truth irrespective of whether it issues from the mouth of a Bishop, an Imam or the Dalai Lama!

When people would also recognise the language of others, or all could come to understand and speak the same language, they would not have so much confusion and they would come to see that Allah is the title for God of All. And when they look further they will come to know That God, who can and should be recognised as the Divine Creator of heaven and earth. They shall come and should come to know that That Allah or God has a name which shall have to be known by many before the End of Times will come. His holy or set apart name being Jehovah:

2 And Elohim spoke to Mosheh and said to him, “I am יהוה {Jehovah }.” 3 “And I appeared to Aḇraham {Abraham }, to Yitsḥaq {Isaac }, and to Ya’aqoḇ {Jakob }, as Ěl Shaddai {The One Most High; The Almighty }. And by My Name, יהוה {Jehovah }, was I not known to them? 4 “And I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Kena’an, the land of their sojournings, in which they have sojourned. 5 “And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Yisra’ĕl whom the Mitsrites are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 “Say, therefore, to the children of Yisra’ĕl, ‘I am יהוה {Jehovah}, and I shall bring you out from under the burdens of the Mitsrites, and shall deliver you from their enslaving, and shall redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments, 7 and shall take you as My people, and I shall be your Elohim. And you shall know that I am יהוה {Jehovah } your Elohim who is bringing you out from under the burdens of the Mitsrites. 8 ‘And I shall bring you into the land which I swore to give to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq, and to Ya’aqoḇ {Jakob }, to give it to you as an inheritance. I am יהוה {Jehovah }.’ ” (Exodus 6:2-8 The Scriptures 1998+)

Though there may be many gods in the world, the God of gods, the Adonai Elohim Hashem יהוה, Jehovah is the Only One God, heavenly Father of every one and Maker and Maintainer or Upkeeper of everything.

Every day we do have to be part of that universe This God of gods allows to exist. In it we do have to find our ways. Without fail and often without even realising it ourselves, we can and we do make some sort of impact on the life of someone else – either directly through our words and actions, or indirectly through our presence and example. We ourselves have to Sow and harvests in the garden of our own heart. We not only have to Control our destiny or somebody else will, we should be careful how we influence others and how we can have an impact on others.

Too many people do forget this impact they can have on others. We all should make more use of the power we have in ourselves, not only to build up or to make ourselves but also the power to change someone’s life, give someone hope, and change someone’s perspective. We should make more use of the power the Creator has given each person to inspire another soul.
Those who believe in That Creator should trust Him more and allow Him to enter their minds and to use them as a messenger, so that He can make us even more powerful and more extraordinary than we may realise and give ourselves credit for.

We shall be surprised that we can shift more stones than we ever thought and that people who see beyond any superficial (imagined) ‘imperfections’ shall be able to find and inspire each other. We also shall be able to meet people who see the magic and the Be You-Ty that lies hidden away in our hearts. {Extraordinary}

With every new heartbeat we may grow and find opportunities to look for wisdom in people their writings and sayings. Above those human beings we do have The Book of books which can guide us through our life as non other. The Words of That Writer, the God of gods, can transform us. And when we are wiling to take the many words of the world in consideration, thinking about them and putting them in the right perspective we can change with every new sunset.

We are not the same person we were yesterday, nor are we the person we will be tomorrow. Somewhere amid the challenges and the frustrations…  the successes and the setbacks… and the hardships and moments of happiness… our cocoon transforms into a butterfly. {Transformation}

When we look at the world, we notice that beauty is born out of every day tensions, suspense, pressure, anxiety and that the beauty is In these tensions because these tensions are called Life.

And life is beautiful.

Let’s remember this season when we are facing again a year coming to its end, soon to face a new year in the ever evolving world, that  there is a reason for everything we are now going though in our lives.

In moments of self-reflection, let’s remember how much we have transformed…and how far we’ve come.

And lets smile at who we have become…and who we are becoming. {Transformation}

World citizen

World citizen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mary Anne Radmacher said:

Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Laugh. Play with abandon. Fail with enthusiasm. Continue to learn. Love well. Appreciate your friends. Practice wellness. Choose with no regrets. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.

Autumn reminds us how life can be so short and soon be taken away. It is the now that we do have to live. It is the now we do have to make it. We should not hesitate. We should not postpone until to morrow or until later, to become until never, forbearance being no acquittance. Do not tempt that all would not be lost that is delayed. Be sure that tomorrow never comes for such people.

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Preceding:

Patriarch Abraham, Muslims, Christians and the son of God

Holidays, holy days and traditions

Hanukkahgiving or Thanksgivvukah

Thanksgivukkah and Advent

Please do find to read:

  1. Change
  2. Only I can change my life
  3. Time for global change
  4. The wrong hero
  5. Idolatry or idol worship
  6. Worship and worshipping
  7. “Who is The Most High” ? Who is thee Eternal? Who is Yehovah? Who is God?
  8. The manager and Word of God
  9. The Word being a quality or aspect of God Himself
  10. Did the Inspirator exist
  11. God Helper and Deliverer
  12. God is one
  13. God of gods
  14. Only one God
  15. Attributes to God, titles ascribed to Him or Names given to JHWH, the God of gods.
  16. One God the Father, a compendium of essays
  17. Full authority belongs to God
  18. Creator of heaven and earth and everything around יהוה
  19. God about His name “יהוה“
  20. Praise the God with His Name
  21. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #1 Kings Faith
  22. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #2 Calling upon the Name of God
  23. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #2 Instructions and Laws
  24. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #3 A voice to be taken Seriously
  25. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #4 Words in Scripture
  26. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #5 To meditate and Transform
  27. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #5 Prayer #3 Callers upon God
  28. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #7 Prayer #5 Listening Ear
  29. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #11 Prayer #9 Making the Name Holy
  30. The Divine name of the Creator
  31. Hashem השם, Hebrew for “the Name”
  32. Jehovah Yahweh Gods Name
  33. Who Is Jehovah?
  34. Creator and Blogger God 10 A Blog of a Book 4 Listening to the Blogger
  35. Lord or Yahuwah, Yeshua or Yahushua
  36. Jesus Messiah
  37. Jesus spitting image of his father
  38. Servant of his Father
  39. Religious Practices around the world
  40. The Trinity: paganism or Christianity?
  41. The Trinity – the Truth
  42. How do trinitarians equate divine nature
  43. About a man who changed history of humankind
  44. The Christ, the anointed of God
  45. The radiance of God’s glory and the counsellor
  46. He has given us the Pneuma, the force, from Him
  47. Promise of Comforter
  48. The inspiring divine spark
  49. Fearing the right person
  50. No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation
  51. If you think you’re too small to be effective
  52. Communion and day of worship
  53. En Soma: One Body
  54. Parts of the body of Christ
  55. What part of the Body am I?
  56. The Church, Body of Christ and remnant Israel synonymous
  57. United people under Christ
  58. Rebirth and belonging to a church
  59. Making church
  60. A learning process for each of us
  61. Chief means by which men are built up
  62. Character transformed by the influence of our fellowships
  63. If we, in our prosperity, neglect religious instruction and authority
  64. Holiness and expression of worship coming from inside
  65. Being of good courage running the race
  66. Fellowship
  67. An ecclesia in your neighborhood
  68. Intentions of an Ecclesia
  69. Church sent into the world
  70. Sow and harvests in the garden of your heart
  71. Careful what you sow, it might grow
  72. Control your destiny or somebody else will
  73. Act as if everything you think, say and do determines your entire life
  74. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
  75. Faith related boycotts
  76. Quit griping about your church
  77. Migrants to the West #6
  78. Migrants to the West #10 Religious freedom
  79. Try driving forward instead of backwards
  80. Aim High: Examples of Godly Characters to follow
  81. Gods hope and our hope
  82. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God
  83. Only worship the Creator of all things

Additional reading:

  1. Will God’s People Be Stumbled By The Name Of Jehoshua?
  2. Jesus – The Promised Messiah
  3. If the Father is the “only true God” (John 17:3) , does that mean that Jesus is a false god?
  4. The Father (Jehovah) is God Alone
  5. Is God comprised of three persons, or is He just one person?
  6. What Does the Bible Say About Free Will? Is God in Control?

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  • Declaring Your Power (thedivinecovenant.wordpress.com)
    Let it be known to all past, present and future, that this most sacred Covenant known as Pactum De Singularis Caelum, also known as the Covenant of One Heaven, is registered, recorded and recognized in all Heaven and the Universe as the deed that has lawfully conveyed any and all property back to the Society of One Heaven, so that no Level 6 Life Form, person, higher order spirit, entity or aggregate may claim to hold separate title, possession, occupation or ownership of property, unless it has been legitimately granted through the Society of One Heaven or an associated entity;
  • Immeasurably More (poynterjourney.wordpress.com)
    I love the word “immeasurably” – too large to measure! That is our God! He is able to do more than we could ever think or imagine because He is the bomb like that!I think we underestimate God way too much.  We put Him in our mind like He is a human.  Humans fall short, humans fail, humans let each other down.  God is not a flawed human – He’s a Perfect God and He loves you beyond what you could ever imagine.
  • “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible” The DalaiLama (pocketperspectives.wordpress.com)
    Sometimes, it might seem easy to access a sense of kindness. Other times, it seems, at least for me, a bit more “challenging.”  ( “whenever possible” seems to be my range… “always possible” is an aspiration: “look, far away there  in the distance are my highest aspirations”...Louisa May Alcott )
  • An Encounter with the Dalai Lama (asiasketches.wordpress.com)
    If there was a reason we chose McLeod Ganj, it was to be in the Himalayas and encounter a bit of Tibetan culture. We had no idea we would attend a teaching by the Dalai Lama.
    +
    Buddhists must first respect all religions. First respect, then learn, understand. Buddha not want all the world Buddhist, not want all Buddhist teach Buddhism” and I try in vain to imagine the leaders of other major religions saying something similar.He relates the importance of religious pluralism and then says, “OK, so, let’s have some tea,” and releases a deep sincere belly laugh as he raises his cup. The seated admirers raise cups and drink and eat their biscuits.
  • “If you think y… (js250226.wordpress.com)
    “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try getting in bed with a mosquito.”- Dalai Lama XIV
  • Pope Francis I: The Catholic Dalai Lama? (elephantjournal.com)
    Pope Francis:“It is clear that, when we show respect for the religion of our neighbours or when we offer them our good wishes on the occasion of a religious celebration, we simply seek to share their joy, without making reference to the content of their religious convictions.”
  • Gerald O’Donnell ~ Happy Thanksgiving 2013 And Beyond (shiftfrequency.com)
    It is customary in many countries around the world and part of ancient traditions to join in thanksgiving festivities addressed to the Creator for the bounties and the harvest that have been bestowed upon each of us in the prior year.This tradition is not only part of the new world but is as old as mankind’s birth as an organized family and community.
    +

    What really counts is what is alive: humanity, and its living environment of the natural world. What counts is what has consciousness, which is part of the Divine, and not what is but dead matter and dying dreams created by fear and lack-oriented consciousness.

    What really counts is to decide, in common accord, to enter a bountiful oriented consciousness, that knows that all that is needed is already present, some of it in yet unmanifest format, ready to be discovered and activated by us, but most of it already in manifested format.

    What is needed, is to dream and act for the good of all humanity and be willing to gift unconditionally in the name of unconditional Love your presents, and presence to all, without expecting anything in return, as a mother or a father would want to gift to their child.
    +
    You will notice that all other old forms of lack and fear-based systems have all been fundamentally strengthened in recent times, on purpose, as a lesson for all of humanity to feel their painful consequences. These will soon be witnessed, by all of you, as fully and terminally imploding under their own weight as they show us the misguided choices and roads they caused us to travel and travail in hardship for thousands of years.

  • Unpacking Unthankfulness (ccmirvine.org)
    … we are minimizing God’s grace and goodness and trampling on His glory by belittling what He has done for us? Unthankfulness isn’t just a rude or inconsiderate act, it is an affront to God Himself. That is how unthankfulness is offensive to God.
    +
    We have seen the offensiveness of unthankfulness, but what about the effect that this sin has on us?
    +
    If we do not destroy this sin of unthankfulness, it has the potential to destroy us.
  • All BEings are Divine (amuseinharmony.wordpress.com)
    all beings, including human beings are divine manifestations of Creator Source on the physical earth plane materialized in various forms for the purpose of expansion. the earth is mother to us all. we are organisms formed from her womb. as she ascends, so shall we. the mother loves her humans as she does all creatures or our existence would no longer be. our love and unity with her and all her inhabitants is our duty as earth walkers.
    "Mother Earth" by Karl Bang
  • Words Of God (thedivinecovenant.wordpress.com)
    Before any higher order society, religion, or civilization existed within the star system we call the Solar System; Before the first thoughts, symbols or words were ever conceived, drawn or uttered by our higher order flesh ancestors; Before even matter itself existed, the idea of existence did exist in the form of that which we call God, the Universal, the Absolute, the ALL, the Divine Unique Collective Awareness;
  • Tibet in India (asiasketches.wordpress.com)
    Repression of the Tibetan way of life in Tibet and the draw of education at the Tibetan Children’s Village in McLeod Ganj pull these children to India. The stronger magnet, however, is the chance to see and be in the presence of the 14th Dalai Lama, who lives in McLeod Ganj. For Tibetans, the Dalai Lama is the closest thing to a god that exists. In China, Tibetans have been led to believe that he died in 1960.
  • Dalai Lama speaks on harmony to religious followers at Tokyo temple (japandailypress.com)
    The famous leader went on to explain that most of the problems humans encounter are of their own making, and thinking that they are all different from one another. This kind of thinking has a tendency to separate people instead of uniting them. His speech centered on the essential “oneness” of all people and emphasized on the divisiveness that comes with focusing on the “them” and “us,” rather than on the “we”, as a whole. Religious harmony is one thing that His Holiness has committed himself to, and hopes that it is something that Japan can contribute to as well.
  • China vows to silence Dalai Lama in Tibet (nation.com.pk)
    The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, says he advocates greater autonomy for Tibetans rather than independence.
    Chen referred to Tibet as “a front line of the struggle against separatism” and vowed to “strengthen the role of party committees at every level, as the sole power”, in the editorial.
    Tensions between Tibetans and the Chinese government continue run high, with more than 120 members of the minority setting themselves on fire in protest in recent years, leading to a security crackdown.

Something Most False Christians Have In Common

In many denominations of Christendom the words of theologians took more importance than the Word of God. Christianity got defiled by doctrines, rules people just had to believe because their church said so and could not proof it clearly by the Holy Scriptures, the Bible.

Now those Christians are mostly afraid to step away from their church because they are bounded by those dogmatic teachings and by traditions which they would like to keep. = That is part of being of the world , like described in the Bible, and the most difficult bit for many to get rid off.

Bible Study 1

Additional readings:

  1. American atheists most religiously literate Americans
  2. Women, conservative evangelicals and their counter-offensive
  3. Texts, writers, accessibility and willingness
  4. Are Christians prepared to Rejoice in the Lord
  5. Poverty and conservative role patterns
  • Fal$e Teacher$ (themappsquest.wordpress.com)
    Don’t be deceived by what America’s sending y’all, man.
    +
    Deception within the church man, Who’s lettin’ ‘em in?
    +
    The lie is you can achieve a crown without a cross.
    And I hear it all the time when they speak on the block.
  • Watch: John Piper Praises Rapper Shai Linne for “Fal$E Teacher{title}quot; Rap Song (blackchristiannews.com)
    Retired pastor John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minn., had high praises for Christian rapper Shai Linne for his defense of his new song “Fal$E Teacher$” in which he gives a withering criticism of the “prosperity gospel” and an explicit list of some of its more popular preachers like Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes and Benny Hinn.
    +

    In the video Linne explained that he was inspired to tackle the “prosperity gospel” in the song after receiving mail from some of his fans in Africa discussing the wave of prosperity preachers on the continent whose actions have been hurting desperately poor people.
    “[The prosperity gospel has] been embraced,” he further explained in an interview with WADE-O RADIO. “You have these rallies where literally over 100,000 people will come to hear these guys talk about prosperity. The people who are coming are impoverished like crazy and they’re buying into it thinking that this false theology is going to be their way out of poverty. They figure, ‘Hey, it must work because it’s working for these guys in America.'”
  • How Holy Bibles Strengthen Christian Faith (comptaenligne.wordpress.com)
    The Bible has become the symbol of Christianity that it is one sacred book treasured by the religious and faithful. In fact, this has been translated to many languages so people of other nations will come to know its teachings. Moreover, the existence of Cambridge Bibles came to be so that we can always remember the moment when the holy words have reached the common people.
  • The Primitive Christian Catechims (Graphic) (missiolinks.wordpress.com)
    Carrington demonstrates that the Apostles shared a similar outline when “catechizing” new converts into the Christian life. This chart shows the major categories: New Birth/Creation,Putting off/Putting on,Submission,Spiritual Watchfulness, and Spiritual Resistance.
  • Interview: Ian J. Keeney (Part 2 of 2) Director of The Meaning & former Satanist on Atheist/Christian relations, conversion (godfromthemachineblog.wordpress.com)
    Can atheists and Christians find common ground?
    +
    The reason I’m hesitant about that “Christian” label is because nobody really has a clear picture on what that means, especially people who are not Christian. Does saying I’m Christian mean I’m a Republican? Does it mean I hate gay people? Does it mean I believe the universe is only 6,000 years old? Does it mean I’m intolerant of other people’s religions (especially Muslims) and think all atheists are going to Hell? No. I’m the opposite of all those things. I don’t believe any of that, but often, that’s the first thing that comes to non-Christian’s minds when they hear that word “Christian.”
    +
    Also, what about what Christians think of each other? Is it enough that I believe in Jesus? Well, for Jesus, yeah – it is. For a lot of Christians, no – it’s not. I’ve been told that if I don’t speak in tongues, I’m not a real Christian. I’ve been told that I shouldn’t believe in Evolution if I’m a Christian. I don’t want to be associated with that sort of thinking. It gives Jesus a bad name and Jesus never said anything about the Earth revolving around the sun, the world being created 6,000 years ago, etc. I think throughout history and through today the Church has done itself a lot of harm when it takes a firm stance on these extra-biblical ideas based on things Jesus never said.
    +
    Jesus said, “Follow me.” That’s what I do. Does that alone make me a “Christian?” I don’t know. Jesus was Jewish. He said, “Follow me.” He didn’t say, “Be a Christian.”
  • Atheists Use A Popular Bible App To Evangelize About Unbelief (theyawningbean.wordpress.com)
    “While it’s unknown how many atheists use YouVersion or other Bible apps, polls show atheists are among the most religiously literate Americans, topping Jews, Mormons and other Christians in a 2010 Pew Research Center poll.”

Biblical Subjects

 By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen

      What do most false Christians have in common? It’s not their clothing. It’s not their hairstyle. It’s not where they live. It’s not their education. It’s not their income. It’s not their nationality. It’s not their language. In fact, it’s not a lot of things.

      So, then, what is it? Although it is a fact that they might have several things in common, what I want to point out is that they all derive some, or many, or all, of their religious doctrines  from some source outside of the Bible. This is in direct contrast to the teachings of historic, orthodox Christianity, which has always correctly looked at the Bible as the one objective, infallible, and final source for Christian doctrine. 

       False Christians might believe that the Bible is the Word of God in written form. But they often believe that religious truth has been made known by God through…

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