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Thread: Meaning of Christianity as understood by a universalist

  1. #41

    Re: The True Meaning of Christianity

    Hi NayaSurya ^_^

    I mostly look at the text in a spiritual fictional way. like the matrix and star wars, behind the storys they have great wisdom and teachings. The Gnostics don't take the bible serously and they take what is good and adapt from there.

    "take what is useful and develop from there"  - Bruce lee

    It's all part of spiritual development. Don't have to take a hole book to understand self relization or good morals. The Gnostics can adapt so many text such as the quran,Gita. Tao te ching,bible etc and develop themselves in better understanding.
    If people take the bible seriously then we got a huge issue with that cause like you said it's contradictory.

    In the bible all we pretty much need is matt chapt 6 and the story of the fruit of good and evil. The fruit of good and evil to me shows how humans were once one with the supreme till they started forgetting and fell into ignorance. 

    There was a really good quote by gandi but I can't remmber where I found it on this forum so I can't finish this post x_x

       
    Religion = self idenity = entrapment,
    Only in silence will you find God.

  2. #42
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    Re: The True Meaning of Christianity

    Vannakkam: I'm just so glad that a few others have tread the path of Christian study, and understand it well enough to explain it so well. Because I trust you, it means I don't have to tread that path and discover it for myself.

    So thank you, Naya, Sanjaya, and others. It strongly reconfirms my decision so many years ago of not to delve into Christianity from the former agnostic/atheist stance. I'm glad I never read any of it.

    Aum Namasivaya

  3. #43

    Re: The True Meaning of Christianity

    Thanks for the posts.
    Yes, I'm sorry if I confused anyone. I asked satay to change my name to UniversalLove.

    I wholeheartedly respect everyone's opinions.
    I just wanted to share my own feelings and perspectives. If I created any hostility, I apologize. I didn't create this thread unaware of the general relationship between Christianity and Hinduism. It was an attempt to show Christianity in a new light.

    I also have considered if I am projecting anything on Jesus.
    But what I said on the OP didn't just come from me; those things are found in the New Testament.

    Also, it truly doesn't matter to me whether or not the person of Jesus was "stolen" from several other traditions. In my opinion, it is the example and teachings of love that count.

    And I have to ask again: If there are Christians who focus on the teachings of salvation, why can't there be Christians who focus on the teachings of love?

    So, these are examples why I think love is the heart of Christianity. But it is my own interpretation. Others see it differently, and that is fine.
    Last edited by satay; 24 December 2011 at 11:07 AM.

  4. #44
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    Re: The True Meaning of Christianity

    I am deeply humbled by your kindness.

    E.M. I feel you just didn't require the information...so you were free from the go. You have been blessed with a wondrous shelter of community with like minded individuals. Though I know you have often shared your memories of times when even that was not enough.

    For this incarnation it has been crucial, pivotal to my ability to withstand the constant pressure of my location.

    Just yesterday, my son's girlfriend and her entire family came to my home for a surprise visit to give me xmas presents.

    Her son asked me if that was from the movie "avatar" and pointed to Shiva.

    I looked him straight in the face and said...it's God...and so are You.

    and then I bowed.

    I could not look these xtians in the eye so strongly without being concrete solid in my reasons for this deviation.


    and I would not lead my children to eternal death...so I had to be 100% sure myself before taking the leap out of my own childhood mishmash of misinformation...to the Truth.

    I wanted to give my children every understanding to know why we are this way while everyone.... every single Being which surrounds us... is yet sleeping.

    They see others, and can whole heartedly observe this sleeping state...the oblivious money making drive every householder here is consumed with.

    Without this, I feel they had no chance to withstand this constant pressure to conform.

    Instead of one needing more spiritual awareness to understand the bible I would say...the more spiritual awareness you have...the more and more questions will arise until you can not deny the shift in your own heart.

    So we are hardened by the Truth...as Beloved Yajvan say....

    "Neti Neti"

    And we know it well...

    (oh an Moonlight<3 my oldest son would agree with you. He calls the bible, "Harry Potter" as he considers it very good spiritual fiction.:P)

  5. #45
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    Re: The True Meaning of Christianity

    Quote Originally Posted by NayaSurya View Post
    Just yesterday, my son's girlfriend and her entire family came to my home for a surprise visit to give me xmas presents.
    Vannakkam: That was a kind gesture. I'm actually a bit more into Pancha Ganapati this year than before. It was even mentioned by Oprah and on some other TV show the other day. Today is Day 3 and we'll sing a few bhajans maybe. The whole living room is turned into a Pancha Ganapati shrine. (Ganga does all the work.) We have a nice wooden Ganesha as the centerpiece. Yesterday the grandchildren were over and they 'helped' a bit. The little one 'helped' her Grandmother in the shrine room with her simple puja. She seemed to be able to bring out the shakti.

    As it is always within the 31 day Vinayaka Vitrayam Tamil festival, I think He comes across pretty loud and clear this time of year.

    On Day 5, most likely we'll be off to temple. All the family still around these parts are coming over on the 26th for gift opening.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancha_Ganapati

    Aum Namasivaya

  6. Re: The True Meaning of Christianity

    There is nothing that we need to learn from Jesus, we have all the knowledge and Jesus did not become our Guru, he is only in the way of self praising, all non Christian will go to hell no matter how good they are. I met a Christian who was arguing me to accept Jesus or else I will go to entire hell, and he rejected when I told him doing good and noble deeds, he even said everyone good or bad, social worker or terrorists all will get same hell, and only those will be allowed to enter heaven who accept Jesus.

    I refused his theory and said -Christian god treat both good and bad deeds equal and send all non Christian to hell, so Satan has all the strength.
    [CENTER][B][FONT=Arial Black][SIZE=7][COLOR=Yellow] ॐ[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/B]
    [/CENTER]

  7. #47

    Re: The True Meaning of Christianity

    "If they were inspired, then the four gospels mast be true. If they are true, they mast agree.

    The four gospels do not agree.

    Matthew, Mark and Luke knew nothing of the atonement, nothing of salvation by faith. They knew only the gospel of good deeds -- of charity. They teach that if we forgive others God will forgive us.

    With this the gospel of John does not agree.

    In that gospel we are taught that we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; that we must be born again; that we must drink the blood and eat the flesh of Christ. In this gospel we find the doctrine of the atonement and that Christ died for us and suffered in our place.

    This gospel is utterly at variance with the other three. If the other three are true, the gospel of John is false. If the gospel of John was written by an inspired man, the writers of the other three were uninspired. From this there is no possible escape. The four cannot be true." - Robert G. Ingersoll
    Religion = self idenity = entrapment,
    Only in silence will you find God.

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    Re: The True Meaning of Christianity

    Quote Originally Posted by Moonlight View Post
    "If they were inspired, then the four gospels mast be true. If they are true, they mast agree.

    The four gospels do not agree.
    Don't forget that the four gospels in the bible are the ones hand picked as "on message". The Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Thomas, etc. differ even more than these.

    They were rejected as unsuitable for the aim of promoting the Holy Roman Empire. I have never read them but I have heard that the rejected books were more suitable for an aim of spiritual growth.

  9. #49
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    Re: The True Meaning of Christianity

    namaste,
    Yes, that other show was 'the office'.
    Quote Originally Posted by Eastern Mind View Post
    I'm actually a bit more into Pancha Ganapati this year than before. It was even mentioned by Oprah and on some other TV show the other day.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancha_Ganapati

    Aum Namasivaya
    satay

  10. #50
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    Re: The True Meaning of Christianity

    Quote Originally Posted by NayaSurya View Post
    Jesus didn't really exist.
    NayaSuraya - you seem both angry and confused. I can understand both as I too have had such experiences. However, there are some points which I urge you to reconsider.

    There is ample body of evidence, independent of the biblical texts, that confirm that Jesus existed. Respected historians accept as much.

    Jesus existed as did the Buddha.

    He was a composite several men, all jumbled together in the jewish myth we now call jesus.
    Perhaps, but the essential elements of his life do follow a singular pattern which most scholars accept. Certainly there is debate over any number of incidents and sayings but none of this alters the fact that Jesus existed.

    There is more evidence, at this moment...that Big Foot exists than there is that jesus did.
    Perhaps you need to read a little further.

    If we took this to a court of law, they would throw the case out claiming there was not enough evidence. Almost everything they say jesus said is heresay...words repeated many years later.
    A court of law would accept the evidence. Hearsay evidence is legitimate evidence except in particular cases - mainly sexual cases.

    The bible is a jumble of stories
    No one has pretended any different.

    It was never meant to be merged together nor is most of it ancient, as the men who came along and chose the specific books colored everything with their own personalities...and motives.
    The biblical literature was never constructed as a seamless text. I don't know where you got such an idea.

    Any one who writes anything constructs his/her texts from within his own experience and such experience will 'colour' what is written. To expect that texts, any text, are wholly objective is unsustainable.

    If you believe jesus, how can you possibly accept your Divine Birthright?
    You misread Jesus, as do many.

    The pithy confrontational statements by Jesus demonstrate the change of thinking one needs to undertake. If one is forever constrained by social norms and customs then the dharma will be of little use. But such does not then mean we have to literally 'hate' those whom we love. What it means we have to be awakened to the inherent constraints placed on us by society and culture.

    The guilt, shame, hate, and fear are so tremendous as a xtian...you would live in fear your entire life of eternal damnation.
    Unfortunately, many Christians do so live. But there are many others who sees the words of Jesus as freedom.

    I agree, getting to the substance of what Jesus said and did is difficult.

    The essence of Jesus teachings is that we are 'made in the image' of God if we only realized as much. He taught that by adopting moral behaviour and establishing a just social system then one may well 'see the Kingdom of God'.

    I also suggest that what the church teaches is very different to what Jesus taught. What the church teaches is Churchianity - conformity to doctrine and dogma. Jesus was not a conformist and was executed because of that non-conformity.

    In addressing these issues I hope I don't sound as if I'm attacking your beliefs. That is not my object.
    http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=2603&dateline=1299563544

    Not all those who wander are lost

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