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I dont think Mark sees any validity from books that arent in the original canon. *shrugs*Bishadi said:Mark.... I see the people of Islam are working on you and your doing a fine job.
I have a simple thought that immediately came to mind; what is more important the message, "follow the rules" or "go ahead, I'm dying for your sins, anyway"....?
My point is as a "prophet" would it not be possible that he was issuing a message versus suggesting he was "dying for our sins?"
The reason I suggest this is because in other works he clearly eludes accepting the claim of being "a" or 'the' messiah. Try the gospel according to thomas ... http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/gthlamb.html
I point this direction because you clearly enjoy Jesus and these are supposed to be quotes from a 400AD papyrus eliminating the 1600 years of biblical, let's say, "adjustments"
Nothing is negative, you are holding your own and although a little overboard, on a very similar path as I was 20+ years back, and the more you read the better you will fare.
Just keep in mind as they added to the Bible to account for new understanding, be prepared for additional reading as required.
Its frightening to examine ones own beliefs from an outside perspective... you begin to question and examine yourself, and finding any truth about yourself is frightening. Why do we believe what we believe? Its all so personal. Most of us seek the same goal. Some of us don't realize that we want the same thing... but only time will tell.
I dont think Mark will find truth in Toma's gospel. When one reads gnostic texts... they cant think of it literaly, its the feeling behind the words, its the power and force that they are trying to get you to see. Not just parables. Yehsua was trying to wake them from the dead, bring them to the One. When we are out of touch with our inner, we are truly dead, only a shell.
...sorry, i'm sleepy, i'll edit this and make it more on topic when i sleep some