All religions are false (One Truth)

Now Gatekeeper, that is really wonderful. I need to learn that lesson, too, only about individuals and ideologies. Like you, I believe (in my word) the truth or the light or the spirt or the G!d within is not the property of any one human being or collection thereof.

Pax et amore omnia vincunt, friend!
 
Ben Masada said:
Now, if you think, as I am sure you do, that Judaism is just another religion, how do you explain that the Truth was assigned to Israel only and to no other people on earth?
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Interesting! No I don't think its just another religion. I cannot explain why Israel got it instead of the Cherokee, but I have an idea why it would go to a small group. Jesus told his disciples that they were like salt to keep the world tasty, and I think that he was speaking to them as Jews. Salt is not tasty without other ingredients and is one of the smallest by weight, by which Jesus suggested that Jews would always be a minority. I would not take the allegory of salt further than that, though. I don't think he thought the only nice people in the world were Jews, which is what you get if you take it too far.

Ben Masada said:
Although I do not consider Judaism a religion but a way of life, I would like to reply to your thread with the following question: What is the Truth? Once Jesus declared that the Truth is the Word of God, according to john 17:17. When he said that, he referred to the Tanach, the Jewish Scriptures, because the NT did not exist yet, as it was written 50+ years after Jesus had been gone. Then, according to Psalm 147:19,20, the Word of God was given to Israel only and to no other people on earth. Now, if you think, as I am sure you do, that Judaism is just another religion, how do you explain that the Truth was assigned to Israel only and to no other people on earth? If you are not too proud to admit, here is a religion with the Truth.
Ben
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Fair response considering the opening post. I acknowledge what you are saying about Judaism being a way of life, one which can take a lot of time to understand. Jesus disciples more or less already had that or access to it. I think he would say The Torah is Torah. Late in his ministry he tells his disciples he'll be sending the 'Holy spirit' to guide them into all truth, and his concept of All Truth for them probably includes The Torah plus his teachings starting at the beginning of his ministry until his death, perhaps more.
 
wil said:
Ya think? Or do you think the Vedas were given to another people and the dharma to another, and the I ching to another and the Quran to another

If you were to write a book about the origen of the earth, don't you think you'd make yourself chosen too?

Somehow reminds me of Manifest Destiny....where those darn natives or medianites or whoever is just in the dang way of my empire building...after all G!d said we were chosen....

Seems Roman Emporers at the time thought the same thing didn't they?

Someone just told me the other day that the Jews were the first Monotheists, they were the first to recognize G!d as one and that is why they were the chosen. I asked what about Zoroastrians...they were monotheistic....to which she replied, then why weren't they chosen....to which I said, I don't know...maybe they are in their book.

Funny what authorship does....you know like, All men are created equal....except for those black ones, they are 2/3 of equal.
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Well, Isaiah presents a test to prove the holders of the Truth. And that's a test which can be applied almost in every culture, since morality is universal. "To the Law and the Testimony; if they do not speak according to this method, it's because there is no truth in them." (Isa. 8:20) I compare this concept with another universal concept which is the Golden Rule of not doing unto others what we would not like they did unto us. These concepts are found nowhere but in the Jewish Scriptures.
Ben
 
Dream said:
Interesting!
No I don't think its just another religion. I cannot explain why Israel got it instead of the Cherokee, but I have an idea why it would go to a small group. Jesus told his disciples that they were like salt to keep the world tasty, and I think that he was speaking to them as Jews. Salt is not tasty without other ingredients and is one of the smallest by weight, by which Jesus suggested that Jews would always be a minority. I would not take the allegory of salt further than that, though. I don't think he thought the only nice people in the world were Jews, which is what you get if you take it too far.
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Allow me to disagree with you when you say that Jesus told his disciples that they were like salt to keep the world tasty. He didn't. You must be paraphrasing what he said in his Sermon of the Mount to a crowd of Jews, according to Mat. 5:1,28. He told them (the Jews in general and not only to his disciples) "You are the salt of the earth." (Mat. 5:13) "You are the light of the world." (Mat. 5:14)

Fair response considering the opening post. I acknowledge what you are saying about Judaism being a way of life, one which can take a lot of time to understand. Jesus disciples more or less already had that or access to it. I think he would say The Torah is Torah. Late in his ministry he tells his disciples he'll be sending the 'Holy spirit' to guide them into all truth, and his concept of All Truth for them probably includes The Torah plus his teachings starting at the beginning of his ministry until his death, perhaps more.
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There was no difference between the Torah and Jesus' teachings. All the difference was between Torah and what Paul used to teach. What Jesus taught was a kind of spiritual revival of Judaism. What Paul taught gave origin to Christianity. (Acts 11:26) Then, how could Jesus send the Holy Spirit after he died? The living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing. Neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that's done under the sun. Even because the memory of them is forgotten. (Eccl. 9:5,6)
Ben
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Gatekeeper said:
Wow! Old thread ...

Looking back I can see how contentious I was towards religion in general. I still think there can be only one truth and that no religion has a monopoly on that truth, but I also think that truth is present in most religions. It's funny how much a person's views can change in only a years time. Truth be told, I still have a bitter taste in my mouth from my former religious views. Today, I try to honor reality. Even so, religion is a very real part of mankind's reality, so I think instead of being so contentious towards religion, I'll submit to the idea that religion is an important aspect of mankind's journey and leave it at that. I think religion can take us to very dark places, just as it can lead us to light. Perhaps the determining factor is our personal attitude. :eek:
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I hope for my sake, I haven't been feeling the 'elephant's' ass. that would be so embarrassing, even for a blind man.:eek::D
 
Gatekeeper said:
Love cannot be a religion, it must become a way of life. Likewise, Christianity was never meant to be a religion, but rather a way of life as demonstrated by Jesus. I do believe that most religions can lead us to the same end, but only through a common thread present in each of them (Love).

GK
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Jesus never had anything to do with Christianity, which was founded by Paul in the city of Antioch, about 30 years after Jesus had been gone. (Acts 11:26) And to compare Christianity to love as a way of life is simply lack of knowledge about love. How could such a kind of love be explained if we consider the shedding of blood caused to Jesus' fellow Jews throughout Christian history by way of pogroms, blood libels, Crusades, Inquisition and, last but not least, the Holocaust of only 70 years ago? So much for love as a way of life.
Ben
 
Ben Masada said:
Jesus never had anything to do with Christianity, which was founded by Paul in the city of Antioch, about 30 years after Jesus had been gone. (Acts 11:26) And to compare Christianity to love as a way of life is simply lack of knowledge about love. How could such a kind of love be explained if we consider the shedding of blood caused to Jesus' fellow Jews throughout Christian history by way of pogroms, blood libels, Crusades, Inquisition and, last but not least, the Holocaust of only 70 years ago? So much for love as a way of life.
Ben
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The Christian religion is far from being perfect (obviously), but is Judaism any better? You talk about misguided Christians, the shedding of blood, the crusades, inquisition, and even the Holocaust (genocide), but you forget about the atrocities committed by the Jews, who like those misguided Christians, thought they were doing God's will. What all this comes down to is that those who followed these religions were misguided. Love, however, is a way of life. Jesus taught love, but humanity is not quite ready to let it guide them, which is why we still have war, violence, etc. in today's world.
 
The mistake is taking the Christian Religion for the religion of Jesus. If one drills down into the texts, one can find ghosts of the original religion. Yes, the Jerusalem group collapsed in 62 with the Death of James. Yes, the original Q was changed in Matthew and Luke. The earliest layers of Mark were overwhelmed. The Johannine mystery got lost. Thomas was excluded.

The re-creation of Church and Canon under Constantine in the IVth Century should not be mistaken for the treachings of the Living Christ.
 
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