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VociMike
Guest
What would such an answer look like to you? What would convince you?
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Neil_LA
Guest
. said:
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oneGODoneCHURCH
Guest
You first have to except that before Christ what we know of God come form the Hebrews and Old Testament of the Bible. one you except that then anything that does not Aline with Christian teaching is incorrect.
For me I first believe that God is the same today as he has always been and always will be. from there I go that what we receive in the old Testament is God true relation of himself to his people ( those he chose) from there it builds upon it self.
As for other religious teachings i will allow myself to read with my intellect, not allow them to enter into my beliefs for to do so can lead away from truth.
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Neil_LA
Guest
It seems that your faith isn’t very firm.
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MH84
Guest
You are opening up another can of worms here.
According to Christianity, Jesus was ONE Person, but He consisted of TWO natures i.e. He was from eternity divine (God the Son), but in time (2000 yrs ago) took on the human nature, which became forever united to his divine nature.
Regarding Jesus not having omnipresence: Refer to Phillippians 2:
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
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Neil_LA
Guest
That seems to be taking things with blind faith…just because someone told you so. Who is your authority? Why do you place them in that position?
Why would God appear only to one nation on Earth - only at one time?
That seems to limit that which is unlimited…
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living_water
Guest
Neil LA:
So, even those who deny the existence of God are not separated from God. That’s a pretty awesome thought, because once our ability to pretend we are hiding from Him is gone, (which we have in the flesh) then we will either enter into full communion with Him and his holiness or our lack of holiness will cause God’s presence to feel like heaven or hell.
So, are you holy enough to enter into His presence? That is a question every one of us must ask ourselves. I can’t answer that for you, only you can answer that. Can we trust ourselves to be as holy as God, or should we accept His gift of atonement?
Absolutely. That is why when we leave our bodies and become fully spirit, we are aware of being completely within the presence of God at all times. The gospel of John begins by saying, “the men loved the darkness because their deeds were evil”. When our flesh is gone, and we perceive not through the physical senses but perceive fully in spirit, there is no place to hide from God. This is hell for those who have rejected spiritual communion with God, because He is like an all-consuming fire.
So, even those who deny the existence of God are not separated from God. That’s a pretty awesome thought, because once our ability to pretend we are hiding from Him is gone, (which we have in the flesh) then we will either enter into full communion with Him and his holiness or our lack of holiness will cause God’s presence to feel like heaven or hell.
So, are you holy enough to enter into His presence? That is a question every one of us must ask ourselves. I can’t answer that for you, only you can answer that. Can we trust ourselves to be as holy as God, or should we accept His gift of atonement?
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mercygate
Guest
We trust the source of our faith, beginning with raw reason, which shows us the fundamental truth that the Universe is created and ordered according to a rational plan that speaks of a rational creator.
Following upon that, the story of our faith as expressed in the Holy Writings of our tradition matches with much archaeological witness.
Manuscript copies of the Scriptures of the New Testament are closer in date to the events they report, more plentiful, in more languages, and more consistent over time and geography than any other manuscript survivals of the ancient world.
The New Testament witnesses to the Resurrection, for which truth the early Christians of the Apostolic Age – the eyewitnesses and their immediate successors – gave up their lives horribly rather than deny what they knew to be true.
Not only is the scriptural witness reliable but the out-of-house witness to the Church is consistent in reporting the faith of early Christians and bolstering our case.
One of the promises Jesus makes in the New Testament is to build His Church. Since the witness of Scripture and Early Church history points towards confirming the idea that Jesus is God, we believe it is reasonable to believe that Jesus, as God, would do what he said He would do: build His Church.
Written records document the Christian Church from as early as the first decade of the second Century (within living memory of the Apostles), and since this documentation is in an unbroken line with the Church we know today as the Catholic Church, we are confident not only that Chrisitanity is “true” but that the Catholic Church is the Church founded by Christ Himself that He promised to guide “into all the truth.”
And THAT is why Catholic Christians are so intent about the privileged place of the Church in the promulgation of truth.
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FaithofAbraham
Guest
“Hindu” is a broad term for many Dharmic beliefs, maybe you can name some specific ideas you find convincing.
As for me, prophecies in the Bible describe what is going on today, which also seem to touch on some aspects of Hinduism where humanity is gathered into one mind and purpose through demons, a new Babel.
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Neil_LA
Guest
Yes, but you are still accepting the Bible as the SOLE authority.
What about the Vedas?
They are much more vast and ancient than the Hebrew scrptures.
They seem, to me, to posses more authority than the Hebrew or Christian scriptures.
Can you support the authority of the Bible without reference to the Bible itself?
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bilop
Guest
Because he said so.
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.”
If you believe Christ is God, his teachings in the Gospels clearly state he is the only source of salvation.
God Bless
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Margarite
Guest
I was wrong earlier, and I agree with MH84 that you must first believe in the Bible.
You asked why God could not have been reincarnated as many other people, well, because God would not start conflicting religions.
I don’t know which religions you think God also started, but if you take Islam vs. Christianity, God(Christ) certainly would not have started a religion that says that Christ was not God. Or if you take the Mormons, they say that Christ and the devil were brothers, well, why would Christ/God say that if he told the Christians that he was the only son of God?
The reason that God could have only started one religion is that He could not have started conflicting religions, because that would mean that he told lies to one group and truth to others. And God is Truth, so he cannot tell lies.
I sure hope I made sense, and helped.
Have a wonderful day,
You asked why God could not have been reincarnated as many other people, well, because God would not start conflicting religions.
I don’t know which religions you think God also started, but if you take Islam vs. Christianity, God(Christ) certainly would not have started a religion that says that Christ was not God. Or if you take the Mormons, they say that Christ and the devil were brothers, well, why would Christ/God say that if he told the Christians that he was the only son of God?
The reason that God could have only started one religion is that He could not have started conflicting religions, because that would mean that he told lies to one group and truth to others. And God is Truth, so he cannot tell lies.
I sure hope I made sense, and helped.
Have a wonderful day,
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Neil_LA
Guest
Why can’t God appear to different people in different ways at different times?
There is a diversity among humans in terms of race, culture, language, etc.
God created the diversity of the world, so He can appear in diverse ways.
God can do whatever he wants…
The Vedas are timeless…the Hebrew and Christian scriptures have a specific starting point. That’s not eternal in my estimation.
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tomarin
Guest
catholics don’t believe the bible is the sole rule of faith; that is a protestant belief.
frankly, i find it more tenable to argue that christianity is false and “religion X” is true than what you seem to be saying, which is that christianity AND religion X are true. aren’t you aware that even among the monotheistic faiths there are huge differences in what each religion’s followers believe?
following up on the book i quoted in an earlier post, go ask a devout muslim if all religions are the same and see what answer you get.
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MH84
Guest
Say you are right. What do you do now, Neil? What should one do in your situation? (This is not as sarcastic as it sounds
)
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Neil_LA
Guest
I’m not saying that all religions are the same.
I am just saying that TRUTH might be bigger than we think it is.
If you really believe that GOD is ONE - how can any faith that professes GOD be not OF God?
Saying that there is ONE GOD (Christian God) and ANOTHER GOD (Hindu or Muslim God) implies that there is MORE than ONE GOD…
How can that be true?
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living_water
Guest
This has been addressed by me and others at the very beginning of the thread. Catholicism does not say that all other religions are false, Catholicism says that there is only one way to be in full communion and peace with God, and that is through God Himself in the PERSON of God, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the Person of God because He rose from the dead. That is how we know He is God.
Man’s way- meditation to nirvana, or works righteousness. God’s way- through God the Person.
Jesus Christ is the Person of God because He rose from the dead. That is how we know He is God.
Man’s way- meditation to nirvana, or works righteousness. God’s way- through God the Person.
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Neil_LA
Guest
Well…I’m trying to inquire into the truth and ask God to reveal Himself (or Herself) to me.Say you are right. What do you do now, Neil? What should one do in your situation? (This is not as sarcastic as it sounds
I think that one should accept the truth where one finds it, but also acknowledge that God is greater than human perception, so I wan’t to acknowledge that God can be in other people’s hearts in another form than He might appear to me.
That’s all I’m trying to say.
Why LIMIT God by saying that He can ONLY appear in this form or that form?
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Neil_LA
Guest
Yes, but Vaishnavas believe that God is the PERSON of Krishna…can’t God be 2 and yet still be 1?
Isn’t that what the Trinity teaches?
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NDfan
Guest
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