If God spoke again...

[Trailblazer]

How do you explain the fact that such a scenario is not self-evident?

I guess that is because most people do not think like I do.

 

[wizanda]

If God spoke again through a new Messenger who had a message for all of humanity, would it “matter” if the adherents to the older religions recognized that Messenger and followed His religion, or would it be acceptable for religious people to continue following the older religions they adhere to?

It depends on what is being put forward by the Messenger; as a true Messenger of God will say there is only One Religion; the idea people said there are religions, already means to me they're an unbeliever in all the previous revelation, and therefore do not accept the one they prophesied of either - If we do not accept the parts, we can not comprehend the whole.

We've expressed this in different parables of how Oneness of religion works:

In the Knights of the Round Table, everyone looks to the middle of the table, thus it is the centre point that explains the whole.

There is a mountain of consciousness with many sides to climb; many of the religions are like ski holiday resorts, as it is easier going down the hill.

All the world's religions create a Jigsaw puzzle, if we don't fit the pieces in properly into One religion it makes no sense, and if we take one piece out we miss the bigger picture, which means we don't get any real value from it.

Each Avatar teaches a subject:

Buddha taught Discernment when examining Hindu texts.

Muhammad taught to be a Humble Servant when examining all texts.

Yehoshua son of Yoseph taught to look for Salvation to understand the Tanakh.

Lao Tzu taught as an Ancient Master not to get caught up on religiousness, and instead simply recognize "The Way".

Baha'u'llah taught to recognize the Glory of the Source is above the Divine Council; so we shouldn't get caught up on individual religions, as it misses the point of "The Way" in the middle.

Zanda teaches that unless we Exegetically use the religions as a guide-map to Oneness, we often get lost pretending we no "The Way"; whilst arguing with others, they do not know "the Way".

In my opinion.

 

[LuisDantas]

I guess that is because most people do not think like I do.

I have to agree.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

God does not want servants to serve Him; God wants us to be servants because it is beneficial for us to serve.

Sorry, but that's plain weird. I suppose grovelling is good for us, too.

Not the sort of life I'd like to live, thank you.

 

[Vinayaka]

I think it matters to those who think it matters.

But those who think it matters also think it should matter to all those who don't think it matters. But it doesn't matter.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Okay, I'll bite.
If God sent a new Messenger I think it would matter if people recognized and followed that Messenger and if that Messenger founded a new religion I think everyone should join that religion. But that is just my personal opinion and it is based upon my logic.

That's a lot to claim, if you consider that anybody who felt so motivated could come along and say, "Hi, I'm the new Messenger. God sent me. So join my religion please."

How do you vet that? I mean, David Copperfield could do a few miracles that you'd never understand, so you'd believe him?

 

[SalixIncendium]

No, I said IF God spoke again through a new Messenger who had a message for all of humanity, so it was hypothetical…

No, you said "again," which suggests He spoke before. This is what I was asking for evidence of. Please stop trying to backpedal by setting up straw men.

I will provide what I consider evidence, as long as I won’t get dinged by staff for proselytizing, because that would be unjust.

I think you might be confused as to what evidence really is. If it's words spoken by an unverified messenger, that's not evidence.

Not only my religion, but also the other Abrahamic religions.

You said "Religion." So you can see why I took what you said as religion in general. You had nothing in your post to indicate you were speaking exclusively of Abrahamic religion.

But how does having your own personal message only you recognize help all of humanity?

I cannot and will not speak for everyone. I see anyone who does so as arrogant. For me, it's part of my dharma.

 

[SalixIncendium]

How would you know they were resurrected?

Regards Tony

I would think at least someone would recognize a resurrected Jesus, Mohammed, Baha'u'llah, etc. walking the earth speaking the word of God.

Bear in mind, I said resurrected, not reincarnated.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Can you look directly at the sun without harming your vision?

Likewise, a filter is needed to see What is from God.

RegardsTony

Oh, so like the Greybeards on Skyrim, then.

So how do you know that there is a filter needed for "What is from God?" Personal experience?

 

[SalixIncendium]

Why do we have tests in school, are we not educated into this way of progression?

I'm sorry, but either this is a poor analogy or it went over my head. Does the teacher select one or two students to give the lesson and then test the entire class?

 

[EtuMalku]

If God spoke again through a new Messenger who had a message for all of humanity, would it “matter” if the adherents to the older religions recognized that Messenger and followed His religion, or would it be acceptable for religious people to continue following the older religions they adhere to?

If you think it matters why do you think so?

If you think it does not matter why don’t you think so?

AGAIN? When did His Almighty speak the first time?

 

[SalixIncendium]

AGAIN? When did His Almighty speak the first time?

1:58

 

[Conceivia]

I believe God has sent a new messenger, and I believe that is me. Although, I don't really think of myself as a "messenger". Rather, I have a plan to save mankind, and I believe that plan will work, and is inspired by God, which means I believe I am the Savior. Here's how I see it:

If the message is something God needs us to hear and follow, and we do not follow it, the result will be extremely bad, such as the extinction of the human race.

If the message is something God wants us to hear and disobey, do the opposite of it, and we hear it and follow it, the result will be extremely bad, such as the extinction of the human race.

Obviously, God plans his messages to be heard and acted on according to what is required, in order to fulfill his plans. God might say go left, when he wants you to go right, if he believes you will go right. It is not about truth, it is about getting the desired result. If you have a friend, who always does the opposite of what you say, and you have a situation where your friend will die unless he goes left, do you tell your friend to go left or right?

I believe God's plan is World Peace. Whether or not God exists, if we do not achieve World Peace, mankind will go extinct. I understand many of you disagree, we've made it it a few years without killing each other, and even though the weapons and methods of killing each other keeps increasing year by year, and the hate keeps increasing year by year, since we made it a few years, it will never happen, right? Well, I disagree. Our military leaders have always been itching for an excuse to push the button, and released documents show that nuclear weapons are always considered an option in wars.

Speaking of a new message, I recently made a new video, which made me change my thinking about homosexuality. Understand, that God is love. So extreme hatred, is not really compatible with that way of thinking. Hatred is also not compatible with World Peace or with the survival of mankind. Mankind is at risk of extinction because of hatred. It is not the weapons that put us in danger, it is our hatred that is the real enemy. The weapons are only tools that enable us to act on our hatred. If the hatred was not there, the danger would not be there.

So you might like to check out my new video and see what you think.

 

[Conceivia]

Because God is not trying to ensure that everyone gets the message.
God wants us to make a sincere effort and use our innate intelligence.
Some people will get the message and some won't.

I believe it is only one person that God wants to get the real message to. That is, the person who will save mankind (which I believe is me). That person is a sort of engineer, who will design a new system of society that will solve all the problems of mankind and save mankind. It may have other flaws, but it will be paradise in comparison to what we have now.

At some point, it will be necessary for some people to listen and help that person. Obviously, he can not save mankind entirely on his own. If you know about inventing and visionaries, you would know that no one understands the vision. Everyone thinks it won't work. This is true of every new idea and new vision. Almost 100% of the people believe it won't work. Yet, in the case of saving mankind, if no one helps, it really won't work. So, for this reason, God and Jesus told us to expect a "Savior" to come and save us. That is the person who has the "vision" or plan to save mankind.

It is not necessary that 100% of the people help him. It will be slow rise, initially no one listens, than one, than two, then 20, then 100, and so on. And by slow rise, I mean... about 5 years or so, until pretty much everyone on Earth is with him. But at first it will seem very creepy slow.

 

[Conceivia]

I suppose God could make sure we knew it was really HIM speaking if He wanted to.
But obviously God does not want to do that and God only does what He wants to do.

Why do you

I find that response bewildering.

You are saying that if the whole population had a revelation, you would doubt its validity, but you are prepared to believe ancient scribblings ?

And that if God spoke to you, it would be indistinguishable from random voices in your head ?

You don’t give God much credit as a communicator.

You believe God is omnipotent, but incapable of making himself heard ?

Why do you believe God would sound different than you? You are assuming God is some external entity. God is not external. God is in all of us. We are all part of God's body. So if God speaks to you, it is in reality you, speaking to yourself. Like it or not, that is how it works. Likewise, if the Devil speaks to you, it is also in reality you, speaking to yourself.

If God could use a different voice, the Devil could also use a different voice, and use the exact same voice as God. So you'd still not know who is who, unless you learn to filter.

 

[Howard Is]

if God speaks to you, it is in reality you, speaking to yourself

Yes.
Like artists talking to themselves by making art.
There is banal internal dialog, and there are various forms of higher order internal dialog.
Some forms are spoken of in religious terms, some regarded as poetic or philosophical.
But they are all aspects of our nature.

 

[wandering peacefully]

Native Americans and Tibetans are the best people the planet has produced.
In fact, they are the same race.
Dalai Lama and Sun Bear (Hopi chief) met, and acknowledged that they are tribal brothers.
The Hopi call Tibetans ‘elder brothers from the mountains’.

The Native Americans and other indigenous tribes kept this entire planet and ecosystems intact for 50,000 years or more. 11,000 in North America because of their "religious" beliefs. More as a way of life. Look how long it took for people of other faiths to destroy the entire planet. 250 years for this country. The way they worshipped nature and wild life is the only valid belief system imo. And they had many gods. Seems only when this One God idea took over everything went to ****.

 

[Samantha Rinne]

If God spoke again through a new Messenger who had a message for all of humanity, would it “matter” if the adherents to the older religions recognized that Messenger and followed His religion, or would it be acceptable for religious people to continue following the older religions they adhere to?

If you think it matters why do you think so?

If you think it does not matter why don’t you think so?

It's not about what club you join.

Let me repeat this.

It's not about what club you join.

The point of religion is not about right beliefs or right association but about understanding the universe and our purpose in it. We are here because we are loved by God, and because we are to give back that love to as much as we can.

Galatians 1:8 says "But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to hell!"

Even if a person claiming to be a Christian comes to you with a message that is not love your neighbor as yourself, that we are part of the body of Christ, accept that you are forgiven because grace is given to you, and to forgive others but instead tells you "anyone who is not of our religion is an infidel and must be punished", they are not preaching the gospel. And yet a Buddhist or Shinto or Taoist or whatever can say exactly this in their own words (something about the Buddha requesting peace and brotherhood among all people, the negation of the teachings of karma, the Atman, and the importance of mercy) and be following the Way.

An angel can appear to a man as a charming being of light in the name of Gabriel himself, and proceed to tell a man that God has no son, and people who don't follow a cult-like movement are unbelievers and people who question or dispute your holy book are evil and should die, and that angel is bringing fake news. On the other hand, a being of darkness that literally appears with black scaly skin, horns, cloven hooves, and a tail (oh yeah and glowing red eyes) can preach the good news as well as an human.

So no, it does not matter to older followers. On the other hand, the more concerning thing is new false prophets getting followers to have "itching ears" and follow one of the many gurus or elders who tell them what they want to hear.

Before you decide you need to strictly commit to the Christian or Buddhist or any other faith, let me add a warning:

- One of these false teachings is the idea of a rulebook, of a system of laws like the Jews gave or the Muslims also follow.
- Another is an anything goes philosophy.

There are Scriptures against either.

"For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.' And it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, 'The righteous will live by faith.' "

"Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose." (We are not to live without any law, and we are not to deceive ourselves about our righteousness)

These are two extremes, the second is being self-righteous and thinking that God loves gays, rapists, pedos, murderers, and drunks and that anyone who says otherwise is hateful and bigoted.
The first is decided that the aforementioned groups have to seriously change their ways or they are bound on a trip to Hell. Let's read a passage here:

9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.

As you can see by the flip-flop nature of this set of verses, it is attempting to explain a reality that is neither a system of rules nor blatant disregard for them, but a sense of common sense. If you take money for sex and take drugs, you can expect to become messed up by drugs and get an STD (anyone who disputes me on this is in denial), but this is not the same as God being unwilling to forgive you.

Suppose our messenger was a space alien. This messenger claims to be from the distant star YHWH-613 and gives us a list of teachings. It honestly wouldn't matter, because either they are saying something helpful to human development, or they aren't.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Yes, my OP is based upon an Abrahamic type of Messenger. I know others have different beliefs.

And herein lies the problem. You're so biased that EVEN IF a TRUE MESSENGER from a god you didn't believe in appeared and did his "messenger thing", and EVEN IF HE WAS RIGHT and held all the keys to the truth about the true "spiritual realm"... you wouldn't believe or follow. Do you realize this? You wouldn't - because it wouldn't conform to your preconceived notions about what such a leader/messenger should represent.

But hey - I wouldn't follow him either. I have my own biases, to be sure. And they include telling anyone who claims to have answers about an "unknowable realm" to go screw themselves.

 

[shmogie]

If God spoke again through a new Messenger who had a message for all of humanity, would it “matter” if the adherents to the older religions recognized that Messenger and followed His religion, or would it be acceptable for religious people to continue following the older religions they adhere to?

If you think it matters why do you think so?

If you think it does not matter why don’t you think so?

It is't possible. All so called messengers after the first century AD are false, counterfeits, they do not function by the will or Spirit of God.