The God of the Bible is racist,homophobic and sexist

[etong]

Or... you want it that way and so your read into it that way.

That's what you told me lol!

 

[etong]

Gen 9 doesn't say that they are cursed unto slavery. Reread your Bible.

Yes it does,


Noah had 3 sons Shem, Japheth and Ham. Noah only cursed Ham and his children and Ham's children were destined to be slaves to Shem and Japheth and their descendants. (Genesis 9)
Genesis 10 gives us the start of Nations.
Only Ham's children were the first Africans.
1. 4. Four Sons of Ham
1. Mizraim (Egypt)
2. Cush (Sudan, Ethiopia)
3. Put (Lybia)
4. Canaan (Land of Canaanites)

God cursed Ham and his generations, now God likes to curse people on the fourth generation in Africa, they were all condemned to slavery, I have studied the Bible and blacks with Africa, it's my area of research

 

[Salvador]

So what your saying is that Paul and Jesus contradict, The Bible keeps getting worse by the day!

I think if one were to simply ignore what Paul wrote, and focus mainly on what Jesus Christ taught, then some books of the New Testament are useful.

Many of the world’s population believe that this book called the Bible is actually the Word of God. Whether you believe this or not, there's no denying the power of the Bible’s influence around the globe—in both good and bad ways. Emanuel Swedenborg’s spiritual experiences and resulting philosophies reveal deeper, spiritual messages contained within the Bible. Throughout his writings, Swedenborg takes what many consider to be a book of outdated moral lessons and turns them into modern, timeless messages of love and hope for people of all genders, races, and religions.

On our own we know nothing of heavenly and spiritual affairs, so we learn about them from divine revelation, which is the Word. —Secrets of Heaven3880

There's biblical revelation of every era of humanity that Swedenborg described in his writings. From the beginning of the human race, which was very close to heaven and had direct communication with God, all the way to the eighteenth century, when Swedenborg was writing.
By that point in human history, much evil had been done in the name of God and religion. Swedenborg said the revelation for our modern era is a new understanding of the true meaning of scripture. As portrayed in this animated excerpt from True Christianity, Swedenborg actually had a defining vision for a new spiritual mindset for humanity.
Immediately after experiencing this life-changing vision, Swedenborg then had an interaction with an angel who explained how he should explore the hidden meanings of the Bible to learn and share the truths about the Lord.

From that point on it became Swedenborg’s mission to study the literal words within the Bible to uncover the internal sense of the Word of God.

Swedenborg became so passionate about his new mission that his first and largest title, called Secrets of Heaven, was a verse-by-verse exposition on the books of Genesis and Exodus.

It is characteristic of the Word’s style that there is something holy in every statement, even in every word, even at times in the letters themselves; so the Word unites us to the Lord and opens heaven…The Word fills us with good desires that come from love and truths that lead to wisdom, provided we read it with the help of the Lord and not just on our own. It fills our will with good desires that come from love and fills our understanding with truths that lead to wisdom. As a result, we gain life by means of the Word. —Sacred Scripture 3

Swedenborg was so diligent in his explorations of the Bible that he discovered the many times things are paired together over and over again, and he even offered an explanation for the dualities of the Bible.

Swedenborg says these things are paired together purposefully to symbolize the union of the heart (love) and the mind (wisdom) as one. It’s a powerful revelation that serves as the basis for Swedenborg’s theory about the Bible’s main message.

There are three different types of narratives Swedenborg described within each book of the Bible from Genesis to Revelations:

Genesis 1-11: Fictional narratives that are full of symbolic lessons

Rest of Old Testament: Historical and prophetical content with meaning that’s both concealed and unconcealed

New Testament: Historical stories of Jesus’s life that have concealed internal meaning

Essentially, Swedenborg says that even through all the violent and vengeful words of the Bible, the hidden message is about love for the Lord and others. He says that even the Ten Commandments convey this internal meaning and significance

If God wanted to provide us with a printed form of communication to last for eternity, then why would he obscure its true meaning behind complex symbolism? Why wouldn’t the text just mean exactly what it says? Curtis explains Swedenborg’s philosophy about how divine concepts require earthly containers like the Bible and introduces an animated excerpt from Sacred Scripture to explain the concept further.

We can tell from this that in its literal meaning the Word is really the Word. There is spirit and life within; the spiritual meaning is its spirit and the heavenly meaning is its life. This is what the Lord said: “The words that I speak to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63). The Lord said his words to the world and said them in their earthly meaning. Apart from the earthly meaning, which is the literal meaning, the spiritual and heavenly meanings are not the Word; [without it] they are like a spirit and life without a body—and like a palace that has no foundation to rest on. —Sacred Scripture 39

We can see an example of Swedenborg’s philosophy about literal v. internal through his interpretation of the prophesy about Egypt, Israel, and Assyria becoming one. Swedenborg says that the prophesy represents scholarly study, rational thinking, and spirituality become one—and is the future of science and spirituality working together for the best of humanity.

The Word in Heaven
Indeed, without the Word no one would know anything about the Lord, about love and faith, redemption, or any of the other secrets of heavenly wisdom. In fact, without the Word there would not be a heaven, just as in the world there would not be a church without the Word —The Word of the Lord 14

Swedenborg says the Bible does exist in heaven, but the Word in the spiritual world or afterlife is not the same as the word in the physical world or earth. Spirits and angels have an almost immediate revelation or understanding of the deepest spiritual sense of the Word in heaven so there’s no need for historical narratives and metaphors. In fact, there are different levels of understanding the Word amongst angels depending on the level of heaven they occupy. Chara Daum, a translator for the New Century Edition, explains how angels understand the Bible on different levels.

There are five excerpts from Swedenborg’s writings shedding some more light on the differences between the literal and spiritual meanings of the Word. Throughout his writings, Swedenborg reveals how the Bible is more of a spiritual tour of heaven than a book of moral instructions.

The inner meaning gives the Lord’s Word life. That meaning is like a soul whose body is the superficial sense. The case resembles that with human beings; when our body dies—when we join the angels—our soul comes alive, and when our soul lives, we no longer know anything of bodily affairs. By the same token, we no longer know what the literal meaning of the Word is, only what its soul is. —Secrets of Heaven 1143

Enlightenment
If you believe there’s both a literal and internal sense of the Word, you can gain access to the deeper level of understanding. According to Swedenborg, it’s possible to connect with the Word even if you have never read the Bible, are not Christian, and have never followed his teachings on the internal sense.

Swedenborg says the way to connect with the Bible’s spiritual message is to live it—or practice what you preach.
You can be connected to the spiritual Word simply by living a life of love because love for the Lord and others is the core message of the Bible.

In his mercy the Lord accepts and saves anyone anywhere on the globe who has lived a good life, because goodness itself is what accepts truth. A good life is the actual soil in which seed, or truth, is planted. An evil life positively does not accept the seed.—Secrets of Heaven 2590

 

[Spirit of Light]

Yes it does,


Noah had 3 sons Shem, Japheth and Ham. Noah only cursed Ham and his children and Ham's children were destined to be slaves to Shem and Japheth and their descendants. (Genesis 9)
Genesis 10 gives us the start of Nations.
Only Ham's children were the first Africans.
1. 4. Four Sons of Ham
1. Mizraim (Egypt)
2. Cush (Sudan, Ethiopia)
3. Put (Lybia)
4. Canaan (Land of Canaanites)

God cursed Ham and his generations, now God likes to curse people on the fourth generation in Africa, they were all condemned to slavery, I have studied the Bible and blacks with Africa, it's my area of research

As a strong atheist, why do you study the bible? So you can trash people who follow it and have good quality in their life?

 

[etong]

As a strong atheist, why do you study the bible? So you can trash people who follow it and have good quality in their life?

So I can wake people up from their corrupt religion

 

[etong]

I think if one were to simply ignore what Paul wrote, and focus mainly on what Jesus Christ taught, then some books of the New Testament are useful.

Why?

Many of the world’s population believe that this book called the Bible is actually the Word of God. Whether you believe this or not, there's no denying the power of the Bible’s influence around the globe—in both good and bad ways. Emanuel Swedenborg’s spiritual experiences and resulting philosophies reveal deeper, spiritual messages contained within the Bible. Throughout his writings, Swedenborg takes what many consider to be a book of outdated moral lessons and turns them into modern, timeless messages of love and hope for people of all genders, races, and religions.

On our own we know nothing of heavenly and spiritual affairs, so we learn about them from divine revelation, which is the Word. —Secrets of Heaven3880

There's biblical revelation of every era of humanity that Swedenborg described in his writings. From the beginning of the human race, which was very close to heaven and had direct communication with God, all the way to the eighteenth century, when Swedenborg was writing.
By that point in human history, much evil had been done in the name of God and religion. Swedenborg said the revelation for our modern era is a new understanding of the true meaning of scripture. As portrayed in this animated excerpt from True Christianity, Swedenborg actually had a defining vision for a new spiritual mindset for humanity.
Immediately after experiencing this life-changing vision, Swedenborg then had an interaction with an angel who explained how he should explore the hidden meanings of the Bible to learn and share the truths about the Lord.

From that point on it became Swedenborg’s mission to study the literal words within the Bible to uncover the internal sense of the Word of God.

Swedenborg became so passionate about his new mission that his first and largest title, called Secrets of Heaven, was a verse-by-verse exposition on the books of Genesis and Exodus.

It is characteristic of the Word’s style that there is something holy in every statement, even in every word, even at times in the letters themselves; so the Word unites us to the Lord and opens heaven…The Word fills us with good desires that come from love and truths that lead to wisdom, provided we read it with the help of the Lord and not just on our own. It fills our will with good desires that come from love and fills our understanding with truths that lead to wisdom. As a result, we gain life by means of the Word. —Sacred Scripture 3

Swedenborg was so diligent in his explorations of the Bible that he discovered the many times things are paired together over and over again, and he even offered an explanation for the dualities of the Bible.

Swedenborg says these things are paired together purposefully to symbolize the union of the heart (love) and the mind (wisdom) as one. It’s a powerful revelation that serves as the basis for Swedenborg’s theory about the Bible’s main message.

There are three different types of narratives Swedenborg described within each book of the Bible from Genesis to Revelations:

Genesis 1-11: Fictional narratives that are full of symbolic lessons

Rest of Old Testament: Historical and prophetical content with meaning that’s both concealed and unconcealed

New Testament: Historical stories of Jesus’s life that have concealed internal meaning

Essentially, Swedenborg says that even through all the violent and vengeful words of the Bible, the hidden message is about love for the Lord and others. He says that even the Ten Commandments convey this internal meaning and significance

If God wanted to provide us with a printed form of communication to last for eternity, then why would he obscure its true meaning behind complex symbolism? Why wouldn’t the text just mean exactly what it says? Curtis explains Swedenborg’s philosophy about how divine concepts require earthly containers like the Bible and introduces an animated excerpt from Sacred Scripture to explain the concept further.

We can tell from this that in its literal meaning the Word is really the Word. There is spirit and life within; the spiritual meaning is its spirit and the heavenly meaning is its life. This is what the Lord said: “The words that I speak to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63). The Lord said his words to the world and said them in their earthly meaning. Apart from the earthly meaning, which is the literal meaning, the spiritual and heavenly meanings are not the Word; [without it] they are like a spirit and life without a body—and like a palace that has no foundation to rest on. —Sacred Scripture 39

We can see an example of Swedenborg’s philosophy about literal v. internal through his interpretation of the prophesy about Egypt, Israel, and Assyria becoming one. Swedenborg says that the prophesy represents scholarly study, rational thinking, and spirituality become one—and is the future of science and spirituality working together for the best of humanity.

The Word in Heaven
Indeed, without the Word no one would know anything about the Lord, about love and faith, redemption, or any of the other secrets of heavenly wisdom. In fact, without the Word there would not be a heaven, just as in the world there would not be a church without the Word —The Word of the Lord 14

Swedenborg says the Bible does exist in heaven, but the Word in the spiritual world or afterlife is not the same as the word in the physical world or earth. Spirits and angels have an almost immediate revelation or understanding of the deepest spiritual sense of the Word in heaven so there’s no need for historical narratives and metaphors. In fact, there are different levels of understanding the Word amongst angels depending on the level of heaven they occupy. Chara Daum, a translator for the New Century Edition, explains how angels understand the Bible on different levels.

There are five excerpts from Swedenborg’s writings shedding some more light on the differences between the literal and spiritual meanings of the Word. Throughout his writings, Swedenborg reveals how the Bible is more of a spiritual tour of heaven than a book of moral instructions.

The inner meaning gives the Lord’s Word life. That meaning is like a soul whose body is the superficial sense. The case resembles that with human beings; when our body dies—when we join the angels—our soul comes alive, and when our soul lives, we no longer know anything of bodily affairs. By the same token, we no longer know what the literal meaning of the Word is, only what its soul is. —Secrets of Heaven 1143

Enlightenment
If you believe there’s both a literal and internal sense of the Word, you can gain access to the deeper level of understanding. According to Swedenborg, it’s possible to connect with the Word even if you have never read the Bible, are not Christian, and have never followed his teachings on the internal sense.

Swedenborg says the way to connect with the Bible’s spiritual message is to live it—or practice what you preach.
You can be connected to the spiritual Word simply by living a life of love because love for the Lord and others is the core message of the Bible.

In his mercy the Lord accepts and saves anyone anywhere on the globe who has lived a good life, because goodness itself is what accepts truth. A good life is the actual soil in which seed, or truth, is planted. An evil life positively does not accept the seed.—Secrets of Heaven 2590

Glad you admit it's a fairytale

 

[Kenny]

Yes it does,


Noah had 3 sons Shem, Japheth and Ham. Noah only cursed Ham and his children and Ham's children were destined to be slaves to Shem and Japheth and their descendants. (Genesis 9)
Genesis 10 gives us the start of Nations.
Only Ham's children were the first Africans.
1. 4. Four Sons of Ham
1. Mizraim (Egypt)
2. Cush (Sudan, Ethiopia)
3. Put (Lybia)
4. Canaan (Land of Canaanites)

God cursed Ham and his generations, now God likes to curse people on the fourth generation in Africa, they were all condemned to slavery, I have studied the Bible and blacks with Africa, it's my area of research

"they were all condemned to slavery" isn't written there except by your fingers.

In Christ, there is neither male nor female, Jew or Greek, free or slave... they are all children of God with exactly the same capacity and rights. For God so loved the world... even you!

 

[Kenny]

That's what you told me lol!

With your empirical and verifiable evidence

 

[Neutral Name]

I can see Leviticus 20:13 saying that gays should be killed and 1 Corinthians 14 definitely discriminates against women but

Genesis 9 actually curses Canaan, modern day Lebanon,

and Genesis 18 doesn't specify gay people. It says wicked people unless it's in a version I am unaware of. I don't read the KJV Bible.

Trust me, I don't like many things in the Bible either but we have to be correct in what we state to others. I always get pummeled by the opposition anyway. So, I make every effort to be correct. I don't really mind. I'm up for good fight if it comes to God - Yes, I do believe in God and I believe in righteous indignation. Check this out - Psalm 58. There are so many wolves in sheep's clothing these days. They are coming out of the woodwork. Love and righteous indignation are possibly the two most important things to me.

"Name one reason why God would use text as a form of communication, Wouldn't a 1 trillion iq god understand that Text in the form of the Bible can be interpreted wrong and wrote down wrong?"

I've had that question myself or more appropriately, if it came from God, why didn't God dictate the correct things so that they couldn't be misinterpreted by people as they obviously have been. God knows that people are sinful, prideful, dishonest and many other bad things.

 

[Spirit of Light]

So I can wake people up from their corrupt religion

WEll then you first must understand that Christianity is not a false religion, as you claiming. What you have shown in the short time of one day in the forum, is that you do not understad the basics of religious practice and you do not understand the reason why God say something is a sin or a wrong doing. Religion is not about being able to do what every one like. it is about become a better person who enlighten to the truth of reality.
A lot of the things you are so negative about is not words of God it is words of the people at that time who wrote the bible down. and if you are aware of it, the bible was not written down before long after Jesus passing away. It means some of the cultural and race issues was written by someone who did not understand Jesus teaching fully. And the bible you read today contain a lot that was not in the orginal scriptures. and sine the 1960 or so, people started adding that diferent things that previous was sin, now is not sin anymore, that damaged the Christian cultivation.

 

[etong]

"they were all condemned to slavery" isn't written there except by your fingers.

In Christ, there is neither male nor female, Jew or Greek, free or slave... they are all children of God with exactly the same capacity and rights. For God so loved the world... even you!

Actually yes it is, read your Bible and Genesis 9, also black skin is withered in the Bible, read Lamentations 4:8

 

[etong]

WEll then you first must understand that Christianity is not a false religion, as you claiming. What you have shown in the short time of one day in the forum, is that you do not understad the basics of religious practice and you do not understand the reason why God say something is a sin or a wrong doing. Religion is not about being able to do what every one like. it is about become a better person who enlighten to the truth of reality.
A lot of the things you are so negative about is not words of God it is words of the people at that time who wrote the bible down. and if you are aware of it, the bible was not written down before long after Jesus passing away. It means some of the cultural and race issues was written by someone who did not understand Jesus teaching fully. And the bible you read today contain a lot that was not in the orginal scriptures. and sine the 1960 or so, people started adding that diferent things that previous was sin, now is not sin anymore, that damaged the Christian cultivation.

Having trouble proving your "god" i see, also learn to spell

 

[Spirit of Light]

Having trouble proving your "god" i see, also learn to spell

I have no need to prove a God, I am a Buddhist who have interest in all religions.
My native language is not English it is Norwegian.

It is impossible to "prove" a God to someone who do not belive there is Gods or Buddhas. No matter what i would tell you would not believe it because you do not want to believe.

 

[Darkforbid]

Having trouble proving your "god" i see, also learn to spell

He's not Christian

 

[etong]

He's not Christian

Still believes lol

 

[etong]

I have no need to prove a God, I am a Buddhist who have interest in all religions.
My native language is not English it is Norwegian.

It is impossible to "prove" a God to someone who do not belive there is Gods or Buddhas. No matter what i would tell you would not believe it because you do not want to believe.

so prove your elephant worship

 

[Kenny]

Actually yes it is, read your Bible and Genesis 9, also black skin is withered in the Bible, read Lamentations 4:8

Yes... please read your Bible. Doesn't say it in Gen 9 and Lamentations is talking about Jewish people and not African. Do you routinely misquote the Bible?

 

[etong]

Yes... please read your Bible. Doesn't say it in Gen 9 and Lamentations is talking about Jewish people and not African. Do you routinely misquote the Bible?

No, Read it, it states that Black skin is withered and that Africans are eternal slaves

 

[Spirit of Light]

so prove your elephant worship

If you keep your attitude like that i have no need to help you understand any religion. You been rude from the moment you come to the forum. Why?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

So you're judging the (bronze age) with modern ethics, well done

People want those bronze age ethics applied to today. That makes it fair game.