Supernatural: Catholic and Non-Catholic

[PRmerger]

Good Afternoon again PR Merger: The Trinity is a linguistic tile that has been placed on something much larger in its true nature, in an attempt to seal it with an epoxy of syntax. Therefore, when you say Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I have a mental image of a hoary headed old man with a white beard, and a handsome yet oddly European looking Palestinian gentleman with one hand over his chest displaying a heart that is on fire, accompanied by a dove with beams of light emanating downward from it.

I have not found these images useful in gaining any sort of connection with God, whose true image I have found to be countless in its permutations. In fact, I think it’s a very limiting idea that reduces something you can experience directly into a set of far-off mental images. Therefore, I have more success in seeing God in all things rather than try and compartmentalize it into three things that are one thing. Instead, I see it as one thing that can be seen in all things.

In short, I don’t think you have to know anything whatsoever, or to be able to name particular characters to have a direct relationship with God.

Thank you,
Gary

I can agree with all you say above.

But you would not have come to the idea the Godhead being a Trinity–a concept that can never be conceived of through reason–except that this was revealed to us.

And if one uses reason alone to evaluate the Trinity one ought to reject it.

IOW: you should reject the Trinity, Gary, given what you have told me you use to evaluate what you have been told my others.

 

[Gary_Sheldrake]

Curious. Is this a thread about the use of reason? Or is it a a thread on miracles and faith? That faith can be reasonable is true yet this thread is about miracles not about Adam and eve. Bring on the miracles or I suggest the thread should be closed as it has been thoroughly derailed.

Good Evening GMcBroom: Use of reason and miracles and faith compliment one another quite well. Did you have a miracle that you wanted to talk about?

All the best,
Gary

 

[Gary_Sheldrake]

I can agree with all you say above.

But you would not have come to the idea the Godhead being a Trinity–a concept that can never be conceived of through reason–except that this was revealed to us.

And if one uses reason alone to evaluate the Trinity one ought to reject it.

IOW: you should reject the Trinity, Gary, given what you have told me you use to evaluate what you have been told my others.

Good Evening PR Merger: I accept that others have told me that the Godhead is a Trinity. I do not dispute it, however, it is not part of my own experience with God, therefore the Trinity is not something that I think much about. I know God on my own terms and in my own experience, which is what I think we were born to do.

All the best,
Gary

 

[PRmerger]

Good Evening PR Merger: I accept that others have told me that the Godhead is a Trinity. I do not dispute it, however, it is not part of my own experience with God, therefore the Trinity is not something that I think much about. I know God on my own terms and in my own experience, which is what I think we were born to do.

All the best,
Gary

Excellent. You accept something based on what you have been told.

You accept a lot of things this way. Most especially, and importantly for discussions here and elsewhere regarding our Christian beliefs–you accept the Church’s profession of what Christ preached.

QED.

 

[Randy_Carson]

Good Evening PR Merger: I accept that others have told me that the Godhead is a Trinity. I do not dispute it, however, it is not part of my own experience with God, therefore the Trinity is not something that I think much about. I know God on my own terms and in my own experience, which is what I think we were born to do.

All the best,
Gary

Gary-

Can you love perfectly that which you know imperfectly? We think about theology in order to know God better and thus to love Him better.

I would put it to you this way: when you fell in love with your wife, didn’t you want to know every little detail about her? What she thought? Where she was from? What her favorite movies and books and music were? What her family is like?

What about falling in love with Jesus? Don’t you want to know everything about Him?

Trinitarian doctrine is part of what we know about the God that we love.

 

[Gary_Sheldrake]

Good Evening Randy: In my world, I know God better by living. Not all people are wired the same way. I have never been able to love anything that I knew in the abstract or second hand. I love God in the way that I know God, which is first hand. I wouldn’t know how to quantify it as better love or worse love or perfect love or imperfect love. I don’t know how to measure such a thing, much in the same way that I can’t say how much a thought weighs. But I’m not telling anyone how they should think. This is just how I live with God, and it’s not a recommendation or anything.

I would put it to you this way: when you fell in love with your wife, didn’t you want to know every little detail about her? What she thought? Where she was from? What her favorite movies and books and music were? What her family is like?

I have never felt such way about anyone that I wanted to know anything more than my own experience with them - the smell of their hair, the feel of their skin, the happiness of their smile and the stories we make together (good or bad).

What about falling in love with Jesus? Don’t you want to know everything about Him?

Jesus of Nazareth to me is just one aspect of what Jesus is. I believe he can be known in everything and seen in every place. There is one fabric, and we are threading stories into it.

Trinitarian doctrine is part of what we know about the God that we love.

What I know about the God I love is that God is nearer than the breath, but can’t be called this thing or that.

All the best,
Gary

 

[gmcbroom]

Certainly my godmother’s husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and asked my wife and to pray for him and alot of other people. For weeks they were at scAns of this and so they scheduled him for surgery. Then the day of the surgery they found the cancer was completely gone nothing zilch.a few days before there was something now there was nothing. It may not be walking on water but it is still a miracle.

 

[Gary_Sheldrake]

Certainly my godmother’s husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and asked my wife and to pray for him and alot of other people. For weeks they were at scAns of this and so they scheduled him for surgery. Then the day of the surgery they found the cancer was completely gone nothing zilch.a few days before there was something now there was nothing. It may not be walking on water but it is still a miracle.

Good Morning GMcBroom: That’s a great story and I’m very glad to hear it! I have heard of spontaneous healings happening and I can think of few things that make us happier to hear about.

All the best,
Gary