The Wages Of Sin Is Death

In every religion there is an exoteric model and an esoteric model. For example the exoteric model in the catholic church is represented by the cardinals bishops and priests, and the congregation and you must pay to play this ritual game. They are gawkers, on lookers, and pretenders to the throne. The priests and cardinals and bishops can take off their vestments and the congregation can go home and all sorts of hypocrisy emerges.


The esoteric model is represented by the monastic seeker from which comes the genuine mysticism and the investment here is nothing less than total and the stakes are absolute for one so engaged.

The exoteric is a literal teaching and the esoteric an inner teaching.

 

Everywhere I've been it's always been that way, yeah, and I've been all over. I'm in New Mexico now, just moved, and so far, actually, things do seem kind of different here. But don't get me started on Iowa and Kansas.

I'm not really all about devoting my life to Jesus, who I perceive as "some guy" no more or less important than anybody else. He, if anybody, should be able to take care of himself. I suppose it would be more Christian of me to help out some regular guy whose name has been drug through the dirt.

Why isn't anybody saying the Bible was written by men and men are fallible and then just taking Jesus' words literally?

 

You must be hardly spanked then...

 

I'm not sure what you think devoting your life to Jesus/God entails? Especially when you seem to imply it involves taking care of Jesus Anyway, I heard religious people say many times things that boil down to something like that when you're helping out the man in the dirt you are devoting your life to God.

 

I just want to be dominated by the Messiah. I want him to enter me, to own me, to show me.

 

I don't find that to be the case. I certainly think the bible is written by men because mostly donkeys can't write.

 

I don't think it entails much except perhaps a misplaced sense of security and maybe some pretty jewelry and bumper stickers. By this I mean it doesn't entail anything an "ordinary" life could not. I guess there is strength in numbers that some people need, but I think people would be better off if they were encouraged to be good because inwardly they are good people. Not to be good because inwardly they are bad people and owe it to Christ to do good. You said that if I didn't like the way an "inspirational" figure was portrayed, I should work to restore the image. I guess I am sort of spreading the news that Jesus was just some guy (if he existed.) But I'm not going to actively dedicate a lot of effort to spreading this truth.

Are you two Christians? (dope and Asmo) You two certainly live in a very different world the rest of us who aren't satisfied with Christianity do. Are you telling me you've never heard anyone say that the Bible is the word of God? Are you trying to pretend you didn't understand what I said?

 

I was baptized methodist. I consider myself to be studious or a disciple of christ. Christ means anointed authority. What is it to be anointed authority, in the know. I understand what you mean and what you say I consider to be biblio idolatry. God's word is a living word, ever hear that saying? Again I go back to the fact that every religion has it's exoteric and esoteric understandings. When you consider the sayings attributed to jesus as opposed to dogma delineated by the church it can be found that they are axiomatic, not dogmatic sayings. Axiomatic meaning serving as a starting point or basis for further reasoning.

 

Oh I thought everyone was posting in Christianity now...I remember something some time ago about this place being a sanctuary. So my mistake I didn't mean to invade your territory.

 

I didn't realize you were invading my territory. I am a member of the human race. Are you something less than that? This is not the sanctuary forum anyway.

 

Couldn't I be something MORE?!? j/k Maybe I'm accidentally being read wrong...I'm not trying to be offensive. So is there a different forum that is the sanctuary? I must be confused because once upon a time I thought the Christianity board got put off-limits to non-Christians. Then I saw you guys posting in here and I thought you were arguing with justbreath so I thought perhaps something had changed.

 

mmm I'm cumming...fuck me Jesus. Fill me with the cup of your blood

 

I'm not entirely satisfied with every aspect of christianity neither (as are a lot of christians) but I see people often turn the religion or its followers into a distorted stereotype because they overly focus on the aspects they're not satisfied with. Sure, a lot of christians say the Bible is the word of God, but around here at least that doesn't automatically mean they feel they have to interprete everything in it literally because of it. They also acknowledge it is written by different humans (would be kind of silly to go against that with chapters like 'letters from paul to..' or the gospel of Luke etc.), they would then say they're divinely guided or something. I do not really see the problem with that by default.
There seem to be less of an issue or clash between theists and atheists here about matters like evolution vs. creation or abortion. It seems in the US it is sometimes used to pointlessly polarize the people with their stances about this. Sure it can be a sensitive issue when people make a problem of schools that teach evolution, but it is only a problem in those cases. The abortion issue is horribly abused in politics as well it seems. Like if a political party is for or against it people make their entire political decision about it. I am aware I'm generalizing here of course, but this seems all less of an issue here. Which I guess makes it easier to see things more nuanced.
I was born and raised in the Netherlands by the way, as a protestant christian. Then I became antichristian in puberty and then I mellowed out I can't really call myself a christian. I have nothing against religion anymore, just against certain aspects, or certain actions or convictions by certain people. Those people seem as often to be agitating atheists as annoying religious fundamentalists. I think there doesn't even have to be a problem with fundamentalism either, but that depends on the person.

 

I don't find you at all offensive there is just no rule about non-christians posting in the christian section. As to an argument with justbreathless101, I will challenge anyone who claims guilt as our inheritance. Who says that anyone is guilty and on what authority? Well people who make that claim say that is what the bible says and as I have pointed out the bible is a book, a repository of symbols that must be interpreted by the very fact that it consists of symbols. The bible cannot speak, cannot survive being burned, cannot fly around the room and carry everyone to heaven. The words can be useful to the extent they are put to use and they have no meaning absent experiential conjugation. It is the absence of experiential conjugation that shows justbreatless101's dogmatic beliefs to be imaginary in practice.

 

I also am not reacting to you because you might be offensive, toast (you don't seem offensive to me so far at least ). I just have a thought on the stuff you wrote so why not share it?

 

Oh there is a sanctuary section and it is rarely used. If your religion requires special protections then I would say it is not very sound.

 

I am very forgetful. Halfway through this discussion I forgot that we were even posting in the Christian section. I found myself surprised that I posted in here because I thought it was off-limits. :clown:

What do you make of passages that talk about eternal punishment then?

Sounds like Mrs. Writer is having a good time.

 

I often find and enter threads via 'new content' and sometimes happen to miss the subforum it's in too. To me it doesn't really matter if a thread happens to be in the philosophy or christianity (or even the sanctuary) subforum. But if I am supposed to stay out the sanctuary that's ok too

 

Yeah I'm not concerned with what thread a thing is in but I am more interested in information and you are delightful to speak to.

I make of the passages that suffering is a choice and the time we have to choose even as a practical matter is not unlimited. It is possible that the light in you remain darkness forever in shadow from an unwillingness to cultivate it or breathe a spark into a flame. The purpose of metabolism is the transcendence of inert matter or any manner of habit or bondage.

Sounds like mrs writer is an orgasmically inclined vampire. Is it true blondes have more fun?