(10-28-2010, 10:43 PM)Bring4th_Monica Wrote: [ -> ]Also, there are a LOT of other scriptures that never got included in the Bible. You might want to check out the Gnostic Christians, who acknowledge a lot of other scriptures as being authentic. (Although, what is authentic? Authentic what?)
My sister-in-law claims that she "knows" the Bible is the word of God, as he dictated it to the prophets, and that it's a perfectly correct, "word for word" dictation. I asked her how she 'knew' this and she said that people have actually found the "actual"..."original" first writings of the Bible, and that many, many copies have been made which are also word for word, perfectly matching the "original". I was like, "uuuuh...yeeeeah." And who made the decision that they were indeed "the" original? ;o)
(10-28-2010, 10:43 PM)Bring4th_Monica Wrote: [ -> ]I think gharghur was referring to the STS infiltrator, who used the name Yahweh to impose fear and domination on the tribal people. There are some threads about Yahweh on this forum, exploring the references in the Law of One.
I haven't finished the LOO, but I can't wrap my mind around the idea of people trying to hurt other people (the STS people being the ones who want to hurt). I don't understand what they expect to gain. Are the STS entities humans AND disembodied entities? Could these be the "evil spirits" and "demons" and "devils" that are spoken of so often?
By the way, I've told some religious people that since leaving my past religion, I am no longer plagued by any kind of "evil spirits" that I used to fear greatly. I told them I don't even really think about stuff like that or give it my attention. They told me that this is a very bad sign, because it's showing that the devil is backing away from me, trying to get me to believe that he and the demons don't exist, so I will focus on staying away from the church.
(10-28-2010, 10:43 PM)Bring4th_Monica Wrote: [ -> ]...even if you could get the perfect translation [of the Bible], you'd be essentially putting your faith into the humans who wrote it.
I mean, it was written by humans. It might be considered channeled, but written by humans nonetheless. How it is any different from any other 'holy scripture' which humans in other cultures wrote? Just different people expressing their own quest for God. Each cultural group thought they had the 'truth' but it was just their own limited understanding.
Exactly! Every human has their own opinions, beliefs, views, etc., all stemming from the conditioning they received as they grew up and even beyond. It's like the old Elephant story - each person feeling a different part of the same elephant and they all have different ways of describing it.
This reminds me of cussing.
My point is, we are conditioned about everything and anything, and the interpretations in books, as well as the experiencing of original "holy events" is up for interpretation by weak, conditioned human beings. Even having a "bad day" and being in a crappy mood can intensely affect how we "view" something.
(10-28-2010, 11:12 PM)gharghur Wrote: [ -> ]Hi Monica,
I think gharghur was referring to the STS infiltrator, who used the name Yahweh to impose fear and domination on the tribal people. There are some threads about Yahweh on this forum, exploring the references in the Law of One. The I AM presence is still working feverishly in this very day.
Reading the Old Testament is an emotional jolt for me - negatively. (but I haven't read it for a looooong time). The "God" in the O.T. is a big mean dude.
Wow...what a destroyer and a jealous, self-centered type of entity. I've often talked to the Christians in my life about how they tell me that God is "the same today, yesterday and forever". They also tell me that "his ways are unchanging". So I ask them, "If that's the case, then why aren't you living all of the laws that are mentioned in the O.T., especially the ones in Leviticus?"
They say, "Those laws were fulfilled when Jesus came to earth, and he became the new law". I then say, "Well then what happened to the part where his ways are unchanging? Then I get some stuttering and stammering, then some answers that don't make any sense.
(10-29-2010, 12:06 PM)peelstreetguy Wrote: [ -> ]Ahh yes, the mormons.....
I could write a lot about what I think about them, but I won't. Just as I don't berate them when they come up to talk to me. Because what I think is very negative and born of frustration. So I simply laugh and inside I feel sad for them and their brainwashing program. This leads to frustration for me, because no matter what I say, they won't listen. They don't dare listen. They are quite used to their fantasy world. I feel the same way about many religions.
It took me a VERY long time to overcome the negative feelings that I had for the mormons. I was furious that I had spent so many years devoted to that church, including serving two missions for them, and paying a LOT of money to them (tithes, offerings, etc.). After investigating the church thoroughly for months, and finding it was false and based on lies, I was so upset that I had to join a support group to get over the anger. I have to be honest and say that I'm not totally over the anger. This manifests when a mormon crosses me and won't listen to anything I have to say, but they feel totally free to "bear their testimony" to me when I don't want to hear it. I also feel the anger rise (sometimes fury) when they tell me where I'm going when I die, who I'm serving (devil), how "deceived" I am (who told them?), and when they shun me (like family members have) because I don't see things the way they do. I also get really upset when they point fingers (like they are doing to the gay population right now). It's all just very, very sad. However, truth be told...I can't totally fault them. I used to be EXACTLY like that in the past, so I know what mind set they're in. They seriously think they are doing the "righteous" thing.
(10-29-2010, 12:06 PM)peelstreetguy Wrote: [ -> ]Kristy, I am very happy for you that you broke out of it. It gives me hope that others might see the bull$hit that it is and breakout too.
Me, too...I can't even tell you how grateful I am to have broken free of it. I have to thank a High Priest in the church who found the truth on the internet and got me to look at the church records, the old diaries and journals and history books, etc. I was trembling when I found it all...but I'm so glad I did. I never was seriously happy in the church, and this caused me to feel, on a constant basis, that I was somehow "unworthy". I never felt I measured up to God. What a sad, sad way to live.
(10-29-2010, 12:06 PM)peelstreetguy Wrote: [ -> ]As a side note, I do believe in Jesus, but laugh at the bible, as I think so would Jesus.
I have mixed feelings about Jesus. I want to believe he existed, but do NOT want to believe in a "Father" (God) who would create us the way we are - weakness and all - and then tell us to "get over it, or else". And since we can't get over it on our own because he created us to be dip-sh*ts in nature, he sent down 'his only son' to get the whooping for us. That sounds ridiculously mean.
I CAN wrap myself around the idea that a Jesus exists and was crucified, but only because people thought his teachings were radical and blasphemous.
Have you or anyone on here ever watched Zeitgeist? That show shook me up bad when I first saw it quite some time ago. But since then, it has made me really think and wonder if Jesus is just a myth. I honestly don't know what to think. I just have no clue on this one...was Jesus really real??
(10-29-2010, 12:56 PM)gharghur Wrote: [ -> ]All faiths have the positive purpose of teaching their followers to believe in something greater than themselves.
All religious dogma, however, uses that belief to control them by making the religious leaders a representative of that greater.
True. But if only they could leave it at realizing there is something wonderful and great - a creator. The dogma - that's like poison in the drink. That's like a gross oil spill in the ocean. I remember in my church having to teach my children a song called "Follow the Prophet". The word included "follow the prophet, don't go astray, follow the prophet, HE knows the way". {{cringe}} That was such a way to start teaching our kids, when they were tiny, to not rely upon their own inner voice, but instead to listen to an "authority" in the church - a leader - because he had connections to God that we didn't possess. One of the leaders of the church actually got up and addressed the church and said, "When the prophet has spoken, the thinking has been done."
(10-29-2010, 12:56 PM)gharghur Wrote: [ -> ]Yet, as the world has witnessed in recent decades, these religious leaders are no different than anyone else. And sometimes, they are even more negatively biased.
I can attest to that first-hand. I had married into a family that had leaders of the church (including a major leader - like the "quorum of the twelve") in the family. There were things I witnessed of them that were less than holy. We are all human, and we all make major mistakes. The sad thing is, a lot of people who take on leadership positions, very often paint themselves as infallible.
I am working very hard to try and love them all unconditionally, though. This will be/IS one of my greatest tests.
(10-29-2010, 02:23 PM)Aaron Wrote: [ -> ]I just feel I have to say that I happen to know a person with a brilliant, shining open heart who is a Mormon. I would put a bet on the fact that she's a wanderer and isn't awakened yet...... Although I understand your frustration, I can't say that all Mormon are bad or ignorant as much as I could say that about any other group. Not to mention another bright and shining example of a person who has chosen to experience the Mormon religious structure during this life is reading this... kristy1111!
Thanks!
Yes, I agree...I know of many, many mormons who are such sweet people and they only want to do what's right. I also recognize, however, that if you challenge their beliefs, they can turn quite venomous and hostile (not all, of course). It's been termed "Righteous retribution". My mom is a staunch mormon and she is a stellar human being...with faults, of course. But boy!! Don't cross her when it comes to her faith. ouch!!
I have a Facebook friend who is mormon - very active. She often shares her beliefs and faith, etc., and her love of God. But she can really turn harsh when someone presents something that she doesn't agree with. Recently she read an article about Stephen Hawking when he said he didn't believe a higher power created our universe. The friend got on Facebook and declared, "It was a very sad day for this planet when God created this pathetic waste of a little man! I hope he dies!! Now excuse me while I go throw up!!"
akkkk!!
I gently brought her behavior to her attention and she took me off of her newsfeed, etc. ;o)
I've had this type of experience with mormons and Christians many, many times. But bless their hearts - they seriously want to be 'righteous' and do the right thing. Reminds me of a Michael Moore show I saw recently where he confronted a preacher who a gay hater. He and his congregation picketed a young man's funeral who had been beaten to death for being gay. While his mother cried her eyes out, the preacher and his following yelled out things like "God hates fags!" and "This boy is in hell where he belongs!" Michael Moore showed some of the signs they carried around, including the "God hates Fags". I thought, "God 'hates'??" And I have never read anywhere in the Bible where God called a homosexual a 'fag'. I got tears in my eyes, because even though what these people are doing is very hateful and judgmental, they honestly feel they are doing the righteous thing and that they will be blessed by god for doing so. Kind of like suicide bombers believe they will be greatly rewarded in heaven for killing off people they deem to be the enemies of God.
Will this world ever be free from this type of dogma and judgmental hatred?
