Acts 9:36 in Historical-Metaphorical Perspective

[John Tracey]

p.s. Pigmalia,

What does the divinity of Jesus mean to you? Is it just words on paper or rhetoric? If not, what does it mean?

[edamos]

Should the main concern with faith be the factuality of the bible?

[John Tracey]

No.

But if we are going to look at the bible for any reason we need to understand what is in it.

Most Christians believe that what is in the Roman Creeds is what is in the bible - but they are wrong.

e.g. The Apostles' creed says...
"who was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
and on the third day He rose again from the dead."

Where is this in the bible? It is based on Hellenic notions of Hades and the mythical heroes travel to the underworld and has nothing to do with the story of Jesus, just like the pagan virgin birth myth


But we do not need the bible to know God.
Romans 1:18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse..

[Porter Doran]

Originally Posted by edamos

Should the main concern with faith be the factuality of the bible?

Lying one's ass off about the Gospels may or may not be a matter of "faith", but it's certainly worth pointing out and derogating (and, no, doing so is not "vilification").

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by John Tracey

I am reluctant to go into this here since I have been ridiculed and called a liar for simply looking at what is and is not written in the text of the bible. How much more will I be vilified if I explain my relationship with the divine?

Damn shame you have been made to feel like this.

Originally Posted by John Tracey

God is the "all" or the oneness or the existential "I AM". The point at which the illusions of the ego are extinguished is the point of realisation of union with the all. Once the illusion is not present then god and only god, nothing else, is present.

This notion of transcending ego to achieve god-consciousness (logos) is much more like the eastern spiritualities than with greek pagan religions. The bible seems to embrace the Magi of the East into the Jesus story but consistantly condemns and criticises the greek pagansim.

Is Jesus the only one who is divine?

As there is only "one" and any notion of separation from existential oneness (or god) is just an illusion of the ego, then we are all part of this oneness. (as is everththing in the cosmos) The problem is we haven't realised it as we live in the ego. Jesus is the "way" back to god and oneness, not by agreeing with (believing) religious statements about Jesus but by communion with him. Communion with him is engagement with the victims of imperialism and oppression, this is where we find the man Jesus today. Communion with him is engagement with the people of the ancient covenants with god, that is the indigenous peoples of the planet, this is where we find the man Jesus today.

Spot on. I agree whole-heartedly my friend.

[John Tracey]

Patrick, thank you.

Porter,

I suggest that accusing someone of "Lying one's ass off" without identifying what the lie is or why it is a lie is indeed villification.

I don't know what your problem is but unless you are capable of explaining yourself I suggest you keep your derogating to yourself.

[Paladin]

Originally Posted by Porter Doran

Postmodernisms have no unifying characteristic, really, beyond each rather showily failing to outwit Modernism.

And what is a "modernist?"