True or False

[sealchan]

That is one way of defining it, sure.

But not a particularly typical or encompassing one. If anything, for many people the concept is appealling because it promises to dissolve mystery.

True. Religion functions in many ways to protect the believer from an experience of the mystery of the Universe that they are not ready to have. But it also helps to facilitate that experience for the one who is ready to accept it. For me mystery and the awareness of and acceptance of it is the highest form of spiritual knowledge...but it is not for most believers it seems.

 

[Quintessence]

and if all gods are true.....
what is the truth that defines them?

Labeling gods as "true" or "false" is just nonsensical to me. It's like asking if the sky (which to me, is one of the gods) is "true" or "false." The sky simply is.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

as in ....possessing the power of creation

In that case, false.

 

[LuisDantas]

ok....so....I will just drag you people through this....

Thou shall not have false gods before thee
(I read that somewhere)

and how would you know if you did?

I would not. It is my call - anyone's call - whether a God exists and whether it is true or false.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

I drew the line - with an invisible ink solution that has no chemical activator and on a 1-dimensional surface. Oh... and I did so only in my mind. I assert that what I have done is as worthy as any idea that any theist has had about God themselves. Oh... here's the fun part, I leave it to you to prove me wrong.

 

[Thief]

it seems no one has a definitive line drawn

I believe in life after death
I believe God and heaven will be interested in what stands from the dust.....
after your last breath

but what if? the god you believe in proves to be..... false

and the true god has no interest in you because .....
you don't know how to draw the line

and you are willing to make denial and not follow anyway
or you drew the line in favor of something less than true

I suspect .....we need Someone who cares to be there when we die
we will need assistance immediately in that last hour of life here in this world

we need to learn the language, the territory and the scheme of things

so.....if you are not seeking the Almighty
if you don't know how to be sure ....

what then? after your last breath ....

What will it be standing over you?

 

[2ndpillar]

gods never die. also, they have got ichor. ichor to mortals is poisonous.

Caesar was declared a god by the Roman Senate, but not before he was slain by the Roman Senate.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

And WHAT if the line you draw, the thing you believe, is wrong, is false? That some other god than the one you draw your lines around is what's standing over you when you "stand from the dust"...?

 

[Thief]

And WHAT if the line you draw, the thing you believe, is wrong, is false? That some other god than the one you draw your lines around is what's standing over you when you "stand from the dust"...?

exactly the point.....

Thou shall not have false gods before you

sounds like a warning to me

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

exactly the point.....

Thou shall not have false gods before you

sounds like a warning to me

Doesn't answer my question. You are apparently confident that your line is the Truth. That's just fine...So how will you answer when you find that the God you believe in was not the Truth, that in Truth you had a false god before you?

Personally, a true god would understand why I believed (which I think is supremely unimportant) and acted (which I believe is the only important measure of our lives) as I did. I did as I did and thought as I thought. If it wants to have mercy on me, fine, and if it doesn't, well, I just have to take the consequences, won't I?

But I don't buy that cosmology or cosmogony; THAT is my line...I don't believe that there is a singular GOD deity that I am capable of perceiving or comprehending. But even if there is, I will not live this life in fear that something I cannot perceive or comprehend might reward or punish me for living the life and making the choices (beliefs and actions) I make while living this life.

 

[Thief]

Doesn't answer my question. You are apparently confident that your line is the Truth. That's just fine...So how will you answer when you find that the God you believe in was not the Truth, that in Truth you had a false god before you?

Personally, a true god would understand why I believed (which I think is supremely unimportant) and acted (which I believe is the only important measure of our lives) as I did. I did as I did and thought as I thought. If it wants to have mercy on me, fine, and if it doesn't, well, I just have to take the consequences, won't I?

But I don't buy that cosmology or cosmogony; THAT is my line...I don't believe that there is a singular GOD deity that I am capable of perceiving or comprehending. But even if there is, I will not live this life in fear that something I cannot perceive or comprehend might reward or punish me for living the life and making the choices (beliefs and actions) I make while living this life.

it's cause and reaction.

I suspect Man was formed to (in turn).....form spirit
I think God was tired of being alone

and with 7billion copies of a learning device wandering about.....
why? choose of mediocrity
when the best is at hand to choose from

it's not about your sinfulness and a punishment that follows

I believe we end up alongside others that did as we did.....and thought so

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

it's cause and reaction.

I suspect Man was formed to (in turn).....form spirit
I think God was tired of being alone

and with 7billion copies of a learning device wandering about.....
why? choose of mediocrity
when the best is at hand to choose from

it's not about your sinfulness and a punishment that follows

I believe we end up alongside others that did as we did.....and thought so

Here's what I expect from whoever/whatever it might be that stands there and greets me when I "pass over"....something to this effect...

"Hail and Well Met, Kinsman! Come, and join us at the table! We have good food and refreshing drink! We'll tell stories and sing songs! We'll dance and laugh and have a wondrous time! Welcome!"

And that's what I expect for everyone.

 

[Thief]

Here's what I expect from whoever/whatever it might be that stands there and greets me when I "pass over"....something to this effect...

"Hail and Well Met, Kinsman! Come, and join us at the table! We have good food and refreshing drink! We'll tell stories and sing songs! We'll dance and laugh and have a wondrous time! Welcome!"

And that's what I expect for everyone.

I like that notion....but...
the Carpenter's parable of a Wedding Feast jumps to mind....as reaction

do you think He told the truth?

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I like that notion....but...
the Carpenter's parable of a Wedding Feast jumps to mind....as reaction

do you think He told the truth?

You see, the thing is, I wide enough read that a variety of parables, stories, metaphors, song lyrics, chants, images of art, and so on, leap into my mind when I react to just about anything. I have no reason--except fear--to believe in any given "holy" text.

Do I think Jesus told the truth? If he existed, I think he did. But I strongly doubt that he said anything even remotely like the parable of the wedding feast, or the many other things people have put onto his lips. Those people who wrote the stories down--40 to 100 years after the end of his life--lied, making him say things he would never have agreed with.

My choice is not to live in fear of fables that have been handed down by humans for thousands of years. If The Carpenter damns me forever because of that, well, then I'll be disappointed by such a shallow deity. But I expect him, or whoever is there to greet me, to do so much as I described before.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

the NT God had a spokesman......who did preach....
Do not call Me good
no one is good but the Father

Is anyone good?

 

[Thief]

Is anyone good?

that question looks like op material to me

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

that question looks like op material to me

Did you check out the link?

Joseph of Arimatheaea was a good man.

And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just. Luke 23:50

God sends sunshine and rain on the good and the bad alike.

For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45

He invites the good and bad to a wedding feast.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. Matthew 13:47-48

Then, when people die, he sorts out the good and bad, putting the good in vessels and throwing the bad away.

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. Matthew 22:10

 

[Thief]

Did you check out the link?

yep.....looks like we will soon have another thread

 

[columbus]

exactly the point.....

Thou shall not have false gods before you

sounds like a warning to me

Doesn't the sudden appearance of The Carpenter and His deification give you pause?

Doesn't the fact that His face and symbols are now plastered all over the majority of churches dedicated to the God of Abraham and Moses seem like a major contradiction to the first two Commandments? Would either of them have had any truck with a trinity, given the constant hammering on The ONE and only True God?

Strikes me as profoundly irrational and exactly what the warning you mentioned was against.
Tom

 

[Thief]

back to topic.....

anyone got a means or method?......to be sure your God is good?

and is that your standard He must be?
or His standard over you?