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NC School Allows Christian Preachers to Target Kids During Lunch Hour

Kenny

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
Thirza Fallen said:
He bumped heads with the conservative religious leaders of his time. He put people before dogma and the leaders hated that. They didn't want to put the last first and first last.
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Yes... he was very fundamental in his approach and the leaders hated that.
 
Subduction Zone

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
KenS said:
1) Wikipedia is not an acceptable source as anybody can add whatever they want and add whatever their bias is.

2) Even dictionaries change definitions as time goes by reflecting current "thought" which may not reflect correctly the history thereof

3) noun - an adherent of fundamentalism, a religious movement characterized by a strict belief in the literal interpretation of religious texts - dictionary.com (notice it has nothing to do with century)

4) If you want to use "fundamentalism" correctly, it could be referred to the whole of the Protestant movement. It could be referred to the creation of the Catholic Church in their literal interpretation of Communion.

So, as I said, fundamentalism is not "Schofield" although he may be a fundamentalist in his personal beliefs.

To quote Britanica.com: A third objection is that the significant negative connotations of the term fundamentalism—usually including bigotry, zealotry, militancy, extremism, and fanaticism—make it unsuitable as a category of scholarly analysis. BUT, you can be a fundamentalism and not be bigoted, militant etc.

There may have been a fundamentalist approach during the Dust Bowl... but it is hardly the creator of fundamentalism.

One could even argue that Jesus was a fundamentalist and it doesn't mean that he was wrong.
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The common claim of a person that does not know how reliable Wikipedia is and that it becomes more reliable the more edits that an article has. And of course I see that the post that you responded to was immediately followed by another sources that said essentially the same thing.

Are the historians out to get your cult? Sounds like a conspiracy:rolleyes:
 
sooda

sooda

Veteran Member
KenS said:
Yes... he was very fundamental in his approach and the leaders hated that.
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Actually Jesus was teaching something rather revolutionary.. In Sermon on the Mount he's teaching non violent liberation theology... as in shame your persecutors.
 
Kenny

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
sooda said:
Actually Jesus was teaching something rather revolutionary.. In Sermon on the Mount he's teaching non violent liberation theology... as in shame your persecutors.
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Yes... He did preach about "Love God and love your neighbor" and "No greater love hath a man than this, that he lay down his life for another" and "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life" and "love ye one another as I have loved you".

He goes on and explains why evil continues:

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." and "Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets." and "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

He was very fundamental about His position.
 
sooda

sooda

Veteran Member
KenS said:
Yes... He did preach about "Love God and love your neighbor" and "No greater love hath a man than this, that he lay down his life for another" and "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life" and "love ye one another as I have loved you".

He goes on and explains why evil continues:

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." and "Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets." and "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

He was very fundamental about His position.
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Jesus is subtle, but he's talking about the Roman occupation. Didn't you know that?
 
sooda

sooda

Veteran Member
QuestioningMind said:
Except as minors it's up to their parents to decide such things. It's not up to the school district to let the kids decide for themselves.
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My grandmother, who was a dear, beautiful and pious lady, had a fit when I joined the Episcopal church.. She came from 500 years of hating the English. LOLOL so you see...
 
Salvador

Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
Thirza Fallen said:
They are both pretty absurd.
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The Bible is sometimes absurd when literally interpreted, but the Bible makes sense to me spiritually when reinterpreted in a Cabalistic-like or Swedenborgian manner.

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 Heaven

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 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.
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

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.

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

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

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.

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

Swedenborg and Life Recap: What the Bible Is 2/1/16 – Swedenborg Foundation

 
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Sand Dancer

Sand Dancer

Crazy Cat Lady
Salvador said:
The Bible is sometimes absurd when literally interpreted, but the Bible makes sense to me spiritually when reinterpreted in a Cabalistic-like or Swedenborgian manner.
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How do you do that? What led you to that? I am trying to understand how to Bible makes sense to me since leaving Christianity.

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.

Any book recommendations for me on Swedenborgian views?


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.[\quote]

Sounds good. How many followers did he have?
Thank you for this well composed response.
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