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"Many Paths To God"?

ppp

Well-Known Member
The word "God" is a bit of shorthand, a stand-in which functions in Christian theology almost as "X" functions in algebra. When working an algebraic problem, one's concern is "X." But "X" is the stand-in for the thing one doesn't know
And yet Christians, of all sects, are eager and willing to tell you what X is. And they mostly disagree.
 

Sirona

Hindu Wannabe
Yes I see many paths and each of those paths lead to the Gate and we have a lot to consider if we are to pass through that Gate.

I see the Bible says it best in Mathew 7:14 "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Regards Tony

And conveniently that "gate" is the man who referred to himself as the "gate", or Bab, Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází? o_O
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
And conveniently that "gate" is the man who referred to himself as the "gate", or Bab, Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází? o_O

When you wear it on your sleeve, it comes out in every sentence, often in a capitalised word.

In Sanatana Dharma, there are two gates I know of, and they may be the same thing. One is the One-Tusker, and the other is the muladhara.

Welcome home, as they say.
 

pearl

Well-Known Member
And yet Christians, of all sects, are eager and willing to tell you what X is. And they mostly disagree.

The 'what' is the incomprehensible Mystery. Religion is concerned with the 'why' and the how. And yes, too many claim to hold the only 'absolute' truth. A religion is a particular expression of faith.
 

PearlSeeker

Well-Known Member
No sir, God has always had one group of people. We became a nation when we accepted the law covenant shortly after God delivered us from Egypt. It was at that point we became His nation. He still has one group of people today, under a new covenant that was enacted shortly after Jesus returned to heaven. Eph 4:5 says there is one faith, and John 4:24 states that those who worship God must do so with spirit and truth. There are not multiple sets of truth. The Bible identifies the true faith beyond any doubt.
You forgot something:

Noahic Covenant - Wikipedia
 

capumetu

Active Member
That's if one doesn't realize that scriptures are really not objective-- they're subjective. If you doubt this, try and provide objective evidence that the Upanishads are wrong and the Bible is right?

What I am not saying is that your believe in the Bible is wrong, only that it is not the only source of morals and inspiration that I believe have a Divine source. I could be wrong on this, but it is the only position that makes sense to me.

Without a base Metis, there is only opinion. We believe the Bible is God's word. It sets the standard, and all beliefs must harmonize with it. If they do not, then they are obviously simply beliefs.

To illustrate, all countries have laws, written. If a judge does not accept those written laws, then any ruling he gave would simply be his own opinion, not based on the written law given by the lawmakers. I hope this helps you to understand.
 

ppp

Well-Known Member
The 'what' is the incomprehensible Mystery. Religion is concerned with the 'why' and the how. And yes, too many claim to hold the only 'absolute' truth. A religion is a particular expression of faith.
I have never known religion to be concerned with the "how" of things. Usually things happen simply because some supernatural being wills it to happen. That isn't a "how".

As for the 'what' being incomprehensible mystery. If the 'what' is God, then believers are eager to tell you all sorts of whats about their god. Right? Omnipotent, omniscient, all loving, eternal, jealous, timeless, prurient, gracious, singular, etc. Its hard to take "incomprehensible mystery" too seriously with all the descriptive adjectives flying about.
 

TransmutingSoul

Veteran Member
Premium Member
And conveniently that "gate" is the man who referred to himself as the "gate", or Bab, Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází? o_O

Well. Done, It is amazing the Bible, is it not? Good on you for looking.

One can shoose to see it was convenient to be a chosen Gate, but I wonder if you have read what it is to be a Gate of God?

Would you deliver a Message that you know will end your life as soon as you proclaim it? Jesus and the Bab both knew that their Life was very limited once the Message was proclaimed. But some Gates endure many years of persecution to help mankind, and look how thankful we become. Nations are built upon what they offered, yet we still mock each other, those that choose to enter those gates.

I see all the Messengers are those Gates.

So Krishna, Abraham, Moses, Muhammad and Zoroaster, to name a few, were that Narrow Gate, to which all paths lead us to.

That the Bab was the Gate to the Glory of God, well that just was and is and we are what we are.

Regards Tony
 

capumetu

Active Member
Why did you assume I don't have a base?

I do not believe God is that parochial.

When anyone speaks of God they think of Religion Metis. There is generally three categories virtually anything will fit into. Governmental, commercial, or religion. All thinking people would place most everything about God in the category of Religion. He has a congregation of worshipers.
 

capumetu

Active Member
That's if one doesn't realize that scriptures are really not objective-- they're subjective. If you doubt this, try and provide objective evidence that the Upanishads are wrong and the Bible is right?

What I am not saying is that your believe in the Bible is wrong, only that it is not the only source of morals and inspiration that I believe have a Divine source. I could be wrong on this, but it is the only position that makes sense to me.

Millenniums ago Joshua said:
(Joshua 23:14) . . .look! I am about to die, and you well know with all your heart and with all your soul that not one word out of all the good promises that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed. They have all come true for you. Not one word of them has failed.
These pre-Christian people of God had seen unbelievable things therefore able to put faith in promises from Him that had yet to come. We have the privilege of seeing so much more of His promises fulfilled. The Bible book of Matthew 24 should be convincing to most skeptics as so much of it is being fulfilled right at this time, on time I might add.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
When anyone speaks of God they think of Religion Metis.
Of course. :shrug:

However, you said "base", thus assuming that if one doesn't have "Religion" they supposedly have no "base". I think a great many atheists and agnostics will tell you otherwise.

But let me also add that there are other "Religions" besides Christianity, so are you assuming they don't have a "base" either? Did you ask their opinions on this?

All thinking people would place most everything about God in the category of Religion.
So?

He has a congregation of worshipers.
And I belong to the original one that created what now is called "Christianity".

OTOH, the JW's are just an upstart branch that continually misrepresents Christian history, including ignoring Jesus' promise that he would guide his Church through to the end of time. Instead, the JW's cater to the Governing Body's teachings, which also includes numerous falsehoods. Fortunately, many former JW's, such as two sets of neighbors of mine, have seen how they were being "played" and lied to, and they left.

Thus, your "base" is not from the Bible-- it's from your own Governing Body that tells you what you must believe and parrot. And you can only get out of that "cave" if you actually do some studying on your own instead of being a "blind believer" of the GB. After all, my neighbors did.
 
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metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
The Bible book of Matthew 24 should be convincing to most skeptics as so much of it is being fulfilled right at this time, on time I might add.
And how many times did the JW leadership predict the end was coming in the past, and yet we're still here. Jesus said he knew not the time and hour of the end of times, and yet you think you do.

I worry not.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Well? :shrug:

Please explain your logic besides what you may believe.
It is logical to me that if God wants people to find Him, there have to be many paths, because not everyone is going to take the same path, at least not the way humanity has been and still is now, although I believe that in the distant future all will walk the same path.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
I see all the Messengers are those Gates.

So Krishna, Abraham, Moses, Muhammad and Zoroaster, to name a few, were that Narrow Gate, to which all paths lead us to.
I agree that all the Messengers were those Gates, but they were only the Narrow Gate in the beginning, when their religions were first established, when only a few people had walked through the Gate.

Matthew 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

It says that few find the small gate and the narrow road that leads to life.
But 2.4 billion people are Christians, 1.9 billion people are Muslims, and 1.2 billion people are Hindus, and that is a lot more than a few people, so we know those are not the people who have entered through the narrow gate.

I believe that those verses applied to Christians of 2,000 years ago when few had found Jesus but those verses are do not apply to Christians of today. Given 29% of people in the world are Christians many have entered through that gate so it must be a wide gate and a broad road, not the narrow gate that few find.

Jesus told us to enter through the narrow gate, the gate that leads to eternal life, and He said few people would find that gate... It is narrow, so it is difficult to get through... It is difficult to get through because one has to be willing to give up all their preconceived ideas, have an open mind, and think for themselves. Most people do not normally embark upon such a journey. They go through the wide gate, the easy one to get through – their own religious tradition or their own preconceived ideas about God or no god. They follow that broad road that is easiest for them to travel.
 
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