When will conflicting ever end?

[Postmaster]

Since I've been using this forum I've said negative things about my own faith which is Christianity............... and just about every single belief system on the planet, even science. I'm sure many people can do the same... However if you were to stick to one of these belief systems and agree with them 100% i.e. Christianity or science you find that yet again conflict with everything else.







Which has led me to believe that conflict is never ending and part of life and what keeps us going? However it's how far you take it what matters?







Can you believe that originally it was the yin and yang eastern thinking that made me realise that there is only one true God. Although I’ am Christian it's only really been the start of this year I started to take it seriously, before I was very liberal with my thinking. After doing a short biological psychology course, I realised that everything in the human body is in harmony when it is balanced, when it is too warm it can cause problems, too cold and yet again it can cause problems. I was also a true believer in Isaac Newton's saying "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" However if as they say there are 2 opposing forces and a balance, then one force would be a dominant and the other would be a non dominant, therefore the non dominant no longer exists because it was been over powered ideally by the positive force and everything that happens is process of good after good after good and really it's the slowing down of this process (not progress) which is considered "evil".? And the only reason it can be slowed down is because we have been blessed with a soul, a sovereign identity, which we define by our free will on earth. And this might be why there is confusion of the yin and yang and one God. All depends how much you want to give and Christ gave the ultimate price to show us the way..

 

[goliah]

Is it possible that we have mislead or deceived ourselves on the subject and nature of human free will? Amongst all the 'apparent' choices that present themselves in the material world, the one 'choice' that's self evidently missing is a path or teaching that would provide us individually with both an ethical integrity and certain accountability, that would consign war and conflict to history. I suspect that the 'righteousness' referred to within scriptural materials is of a highter order than what natural reason has as yet understood. That existing traditions, whether mono-theistic or otherwise, cannot offer such a teaching is why I myself question the theological [human] conceptions of faith offered by any tradition which claims to speak in the name of God.

If such a teaching is even revealed, a choice that offers the soul the freedom and opportunity to end conflict, one that speaks directly to the deepest and darkest core of ones conscience, that will indeed be from God.That for me is the nature of true religion. One the world has yet to confront?

 

[Conscience]

I've been a Christian for 2 years, and have come to see how both Science and the Bible's rendition of Christanity not only allude to one another, but supports each other. That said, I agree with you - the Bible does conflict with all other religions. The reason being that it teaches that Heaven is not earned. There is no amount of good deeds that you can do to earn heaven. In fact, the Bible says, WE ALL (including myself) deserve Hell. The only way to Heaven is to accept God's free love gift to us. This love gift is that Jesus, the Son of God, gave his own life to pay the price for the sins we've comitted. For a second, lets forget that Jesus was beaten to the point were he didnt even look human anymore. Lets forget that he was ridiculed, and spat upon. Lets forget that they ripped out his beard, and tourchered him. Lets instead realize that besides all the physical beating, on the Cross, the punishment of all our sins was placed on Jesus. He felt HELL!!!

He did that so that you wont have to. Now all God ask is that you seek to see if this is true. Try God on his word. With just a little bit of faith, beleive God on his word. Do that, and he says' he will PROVE to you the truth. The key to finding God, is to have faith. And I know, we tent to think "well, if choose to believe, its not God, but my mind that is making this truth real." But, I assure you, God is NOT a liar - he will do the proving. And whats more, you'll KNOW its God, and not your mind playing elobrate tricks on you. Again, faith is the key. Why? Beceause God doesnt force us to believe. It takes faith to please him, and allow him to reveal himself to us.

 

[Postmaster]

You know what I love most about the teachings of Christianity is the way it brings GOD so close to us and it explains it in a way that no other religion does, he is there and real, knowable, unlike religions like Baha'i and Islam where he is not so.

The fact that Christ sacrificed himself for us, this is unique compare to other religions in that Christ knew before hand it was going to happen, which is made clear by the bible.

The prophesies were fulfilled.
http://www.contenderministries.org/prophecy/jesusmessiah.php

The conversion of Constantine and then the whole Roman empire because he witnessed a Christian miracle. Even though it was the Romans that crossed Christ, even at a time when Jews were considered low by the Romans, this event changed the history of the world.

Heaven and Hell a hard idea for you to grasp? Where would you like to see hittler be?

Liberal faith compared to many, works nicely with democracy, powerful faith in terms of miracles, unlike many if not all.

Largest religion in the world, doesn't mean anything, but shows popularity, fastest growing religion in the world too?
http://www.newdaynews.com/openhouse/index.cgi/noframes/read/4282

 

[janitor]

I am not sure that the conflicting will ever end. Basically as humans we want the end all be all answer....Which actually we have. But we tend to lose sight of the fact that there is satan, evil, bad karma, call it what you will, trying to divert us at every turn. Just to clairfy, I am a Christian with a degree in religious studies, which is why I try to be a bit inclusive of other faiths. One thing that I think that we get confused on, is our own wants as well as our own conscious. Alot of times folks confuse conscious with the voice of God, when in reality conscious is only concerned with the preservation of ones self. This is where we have a conflict, becasue our conscious concerned with us and we think that it is from God, when if fact we are all trying to reunite with God(and this is actually the goal of most religions when you boil it down to the bare essientials), which is why we confuse it with the vioce of God.

One book that I have found helpful in these matters is "ethics", by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It is a hard book to find, but it is a great read.

the janitor

 

[Postmaster]

I am a Christian with a degree in religious studies, which is why I try to be a bit inclusive of other faiths. One thing that I think that we get confused on, is our own wants as well as our own conscious. Alot of times folks confuse conscious with the voice of God, when in reality conscious is only concerned with the preservation of ones self. This is where we have a conflict, becasue our conscious concerned with us and we think that it is from God, when if fact we are all trying to reunite with God(and this is actually the goal of most religions when you boil it down to the bare essientials), which is why we confuse it with the vioce of God.

wise words, I like your point of view and agree.

 

[Friend]

Hi to all here
_____________

Can you believe that originally it was the yin and yang eastern thinking that made me realise that there is only one true God

nice point ,I'm agree with you

If such a teaching is even revealed, a choice that offers the soul the freedom and opportunity to end conflict, one that speaks directly to the deepest and darkest core of ones conscience, that will indeed be from God.That for me is the nature of true religion. One the world has yet to confront?

I think at individual level we can end this conflict .... we can take the common points between the parts of conflict and the differences points and search about the reasons behind each point to clarify the issue without any bias .

The fact that Christ sacrificed himself for us, this is unique compare to other religions in that Christ knew before hand it was going to happen, which is made clear by the bible.

PM, You know that each time I see the film of mil Gepson about the pains of Christ (Jesus ,Peace upon him) I say thank to Allah (our God )that he never disheartened his great prophet when he ask him to help and rescue from his enemies .....Allah always listened to his prophets and saved them with his great power . you can search your bible about the pray of Jesus (puh) to his God to help him .
.

You know what I love most about the teachings of Christianity is the way it brings GOD so close to us and it explains it in a way that no other religion does, he is there and real, knowable, unlike religions like Baha'i and Islam where he is not so

Pm,Who told you that? , about Islam you should know that our Islamic teachings told us that Allah is near to the person from himself .....he have 99 holy names in which you can learn the Islamic perceptions about our kind and merciful God .if I have a time i will tell you what is the relation between the person and his God (Allah ) in Islam .

One thing that I think that we get confused on, is our own wants as well as our own conscious.

Thanks for you ,You are right ...it is a good point .

 

[Postmaster]

Originally Posted by postmaster
You know what I love most about the teachings of Christianity is the way it brings GOD so close to us and it explains it in a way that no other religion does, he is there and real, knowable, unlike religions like Baha'i and Islam where he is not so

Pm,Who told you that? , about Islam you should know that our Islamic teachings told us that Allah is near to the person from himself .....he have 99 holy names in which you can learn the Islamic perceptions about our kind and merciful God .if I have a time i will tell you what is the relation between the person and his God (Allah ) in Islam .

Isn't it in Islam the Almighty Allah is unknowable, he is simply too great and powerful to get to know, he is incomprehensible, the almighty and powerful force that loves us all, that we are trying to worship and understand.

However from a Christianity perspective, God is simply a man, I can talk to him, and he can talk back, he can hold us and we can see him, we can understand him and he is knowable, like a father child relationship.

 

[arthra]

Well Postmaster you are most certainly entitled to your views:

"However from a Christianity perspective, God is simply a man, I can talk to him, and he can talk back, he can hold us and we can see him, we can understand him and he is knowable, like a father child relationship."

To quote John 1:18

"No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father's heart who has made Him known."

Making God known is not the same as "seeing" God.

Also read Hebrews 1:1-3

"At various times in the past and in various different ways God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets. but in our time He has spoken to us through His Son... He is the radiant light of God's glory and the perfect copy of His nature..."

In the Baha'i Faith this is accepted that God has spoken through the Prophets of the past and we recognize that God is perfectly reflected and manifested in Jesus, this reference to "sonship" though is not to be taken literally as say in the case of Pagans who believed Zeus was a literal father. The relationship though between Jesus and God would be like between a father and his son... just as Abraham the Friend of God describes a relationship like a friend and so on.

Since you brought the Baha'i Faith up earlier:

"You know what I love most about the teachings of Christianity is the way it brings GOD so close to us and it explains it in a way that no other religion does, he is there and real, knowable, unlike religions like Baha'i and Islam where he is not so."

To be fair here I wanted to point out that there is a devotional and mystical aspect of the Baha'i Faith you may have not been aware of and i quote from the Baha'i Writings, the "Hidden Words":

O SON OF MAN! Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.

O SON OF MAN! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.

O SON OF BEING! Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.

______________________________________

The above is from the third, fourth and fifth verses of the Arabic "Hidden Words". So there is a very strong devotional and mystical aspect found in the Baha'i Faith that shouldn't be ignored.

To make claims that one religion is better than another is I think like children in a school yard arguing over which teacher is better when all the teachers are qualified to teach... THey may teach different grade levels and different subjects as the need arises but essentially all of them are qualified... Simply because one has taught the first grade doesn't mean they are not as learned as the sixth grade teacher and so on.

 

[path_of_one]

Isn't it in Islam the Almighty Allah is unknowable, he is simply too great and powerful to get to know, he is incomprehensible, the almighty and powerful force that loves us all, that we are trying to worship and understand.

However from a Christianity perspective, God is simply a man, I can talk to him, and he can talk back, he can hold us and we can see him, we can understand him and he is knowable, like a father child relationship.

This may be the case from some Christian perspectives, but it is not the case in all. I am very aware of the unknowable and incomprehensible Being that is God, and I am a Christ-follower. I am also aware of the manifestation of God's love and teachings that came in the form of Jesus Christ. I do not, however, assume that Jesus Christ is the sum total of all God is. Indeed, even scripture holds that he is not, and Jesus routinely gave glory back to the Father, saying that the Father was greater than he.

Just because one comes in contact with the incomprehensible God, does not mean that one cannot find joy, comfort, wisdom, and peace in that experience. Different people have different needs, and some people enjoy connecting with that Uknowable Being as well as the earthly manifestation of that Being's love. Christianity cannot be boiled down to Jesus. The trinity also includes the Father Creator, who is not (according to scripture) a very knowable and comprehensible Being, but who does love us and can be experienced or felt by us, as well as the Holy Spirit, who is God directly interacting with us. In my experience the Father is the transcendent aspect of God, the Holy Spirit is the immanent aspect, and Jesus Christ is the manifestation of the personal aspect. One can find joy, love, and peace in all three. . . and my own experience with the Father has produced, more than any other emotion, awe. Perhaps Islam and other religions to which you are referring just have more emphasis on the transcendent aspect of God, but if you talk with the followers of almost any religion they will tell you they have experienced all three aspects of God: a transcendent great Something, a personal loving Something, and an immanent Something.

 

[Postmaster]

Here is something interesting yet unrelated to the topic and regards Christianity.

The title "Son of God" is particularly of the Fourth Gospel, where it is also linked with the kingship of Israel and other messianic concepts (John 1.49, 11.27, 20.31). But evangelists also carries the idea much further. Jesus' divine sonship is wholly unique (John 1.18). He is a pre-existent entity who has always been with the father (John 13.3), unknown to the world until revealed in his incarnation (John6.42). This notion is comparable with some contemporary Jewish beliefs that the Messiah would remain hidden in heaven until he was revealed on Earth.

Only Jesus had the authority on earth to preach Gods teaching, the miracles were there as a sign of authority and that's all, God manifests in everyone because were all Gods creatures. But there is only one Jesus, and there is only one true path. So far there is not even any proof that he even had children (so pure was the man)..

 

[lunamoth]

God is omnipotent and omniscient and omnipresent: in short, God is More. He is not less. It is quite consistent that God is More than we can comprehend yet can also make Himself known to us through Manifestations we can relate to, human in form, personal in relationship.

Our reason for being? To know God and to worship Him.

peace,
lunamoth

 

[path_of_one]

Couldn't have said it better, lunamoth!

As for God manifesting... yes, God is in all Creation. That actually more accurately reflects the transcendent aspect of God.

I was saying that Jesus was a manifestation of a certain aspect of God- the personal deity aspect, the aspect to whom most humans have an easy time relating. I see Jesus as a gift of love from God.

As an aside, I'm not sure why Jesus having had or not had children makes him more or less pure. Sex was created by God, and is sacred and pure as long as it is between those who are committed to one another before God. There is no historically accurate evidence that Jesus had children, but if he had married and had kids, why would that make him impure? As long as he followed the Law in doing so, he would still have been without sin.

 

[Friend]

God is omnipotent and omniscient and omnipresent: in short, God is More. He is not less. It is quite consistent that God is More than we can comprehend yet can also make Himself known to us through Manifestations we can relate to, human in form, personal in relationship.

Our reason for being? To know God and to worship Him.

peace,
lunamoth

Hi there

very very very nice reply..especially (Our reason for being? To know God and to worship Him )

 

[Postmaster]

God is omnipotent and omniscient and omnipresent: in short, God is More. He is not less. It is quite consistent that God is More than we can comprehend yet can also make Himself known to us through Manifestations we can relate to, human in form, personal in relationship.

Our reason for being? To know God and to worship Him.

Ah but if God is so perfect why are people in Ethiopia dieing of hunger as we speak? It's imperfection on earth that makes it so perfect. There is a true path, because people are people, God gave us Christ as the ultimate authority and he proved it, yet I see anti-Christ all over the place.. We are people of free will, we are here to define our souls, follow the right path. Dangerous thinking, in the way some people view God, you don't get something for nothing. Build your house on strong foundation, you can always find stronger And that's what Christinaity is all about, a passive religion of sacrifice.

 

[Bandit]

i think it might all end if we all stopped talking about religion & politics .

I am sure it would all end if the power control freaks would leave the peaceful people alone, but we know that is not going to happen, not any time soon i dont think.

 

[arthra]

Collaboration important to Resolve Conflicts:

i think it might all end if we all stopped talking about religion & politics .

I am sure it would all end if the power control freaks would leave the peaceful people alone, but we know that is not going to happen, not any time soon i dont think.

I think people are trying to resolve conflicts in the world and are beginning to do this through discussions. But it must not stop there. We need to actively cooperate and collaborate with each other from the local level of community to the international level. So starting at the local community the various churches, temples, synagogues and mosques and other groups can form inter-faith groups representing the various religions where they live. These groups find that although they have unique diverse views and doctrinal positions, there are important causes that need attention, such as issues of poverty and homelessness or racial prejudice or other issues.

People who aggressively support their own church or particular religion as "superior" to others are less likely to grasp the significance of the need to work together and rather than unity are sometimes spreading tension and ill will, this is unfortunate and wastes valuable energies that need to be focused on the more important issues facing society as a whole. Instead of seeing "Satan" behind every bush, they need to work together with their brothers and sisters for the common good.

 

[path_of_one]

Re: Collaboration important to Resolve Conflicts:

Amen to that!

 

[Bandit]

Re: Collaboration important to Resolve Conflicts:

I think people are trying to resolve conflicts in the world and are beginning to do this through discussions. But it must not stop there. We need to actively cooperate and collaborate with each other from the local level of community to the international level. So starting at the local community the various churches, temples, synagogues and mosques and other groups can form inter-faith groups representing the various religions where they live. These groups find that although they have unique diverse views and doctrinal positions, there are important causes that need attention, such as issues of poverty and homelessness or racial prejudice or other issues.

People who aggressively support their own church or particular religion as "superior" to others are less likely to grasp the significance of the need to work together and rather than unity are sometimes spreading tension and ill will, this is unfortunate and wastes valuable energies that need to be focused on the more important issues facing society as a whole. Instead of seeing "Satan" behind every bush, they need to work together with their brothers and sisters for the common good.

yes. but i dont think all the pen & paper & talking in the world is going to change the many conflicts. it is the way it is & has always been this way, for a reason. People have been discussing since ..i dont know.
Looks good on paper, sounds good in speech..but there is a reality.

 

[Postmaster]

Re: Collaboration important to Resolve Conflicts:

but there is a reality.

Never is never has been, you have to be a victim to understand we actaully do live in a Cynical world, and it's no suprise that Jesus Chrsit shared some of the Ancient Greek philosophers views of the Cynics, so much so they believe he may have had influence, or maybe the Cynics made way for Christ, anyway, its no suprise why the Roman and Greek people Loved Jesus Chrsit.. Evil exists you may also be a victim of it one day, and you will be running to Christ, whose name is so powerful towards evil.