More of an ad troglodytes I would suggest.

Address please. I want to arrange a meeting with this guy.

Lindsay, I don't find the bible to be a compelling product of religious experience, no more so than I would consider Gilgamesh to be so.

I'm curious, does anyone here make a distinction between religiosity and spirtuality. I know I do.

To put it crudely, religion is just a bunch of made up stuff. Spirituality is about finding significance in one's existence.

I consider myself very spiritual and not at all religious.

I'm using religious experience as somewhat synonymous with spirituality and completely distinct from religion, religious institutions, and religious dogma

LD, I presume you realize that I was using a bit of mild sarcasm and doing a little leg-pulling. I hope JB2 understands and is gracious enough to see my point.

JB2, if you feel offended, I apologize for any offense, but not for the point I am trying make.

But seriously, it really does amaze me how very selectively many Christians do quote the Bible. For example, I have never heard any of the TV evangelists--or even clergy from the main-line churches--quote Deuteronomy 20:10--20 and end it with the usualy expression: God bless to us this reading from YOUR WORD!

BTW, keep in mind: Much of Deut. is supposed to be from the actual mouth of God.
Read literally, we are expected to believe that it is God who tells his chosen people: "But when you capture cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, kill everyone. Completely destroy all the people:...as the Lord your God ordered you to do...."

When I was an active minister, every now and then, from the pulpit, I used to read such passages, which I usually followed with the comment: This is not the word of any god than I accept as worthy of love and respect. I read it to illustrate how dangerous it is to take the Bible literally.

Can anyone imagine the impact the reading of such pasages have on modern Gentiles, especially the Muslims, living in and around the modern state of Israel? It confirms them in their anti-semiticism. It makes them feel justified for their fear and hatred of the Jews.

If I had the resources I would publish a version of the Bible with all such passages clearly marked and labeled as: OF HISTORIC VALUE ONLY. NOT TO BE TAKEN AS GOD'S LOVING WORD OF TRUTH FOR PEOPLE TODAY.

lol.. no i don't take offence.. and I appreciate what ya'll ask me to look at .. i will definatly study it out and come back to you on it. ...
i rarely get offended...but do stand for my beliefs
i enjoy the challenges and seeing everyones point of view here ( while majority agree with a non existent God).
and i am a girl.. not a young male christian

The above are signs that JB2 is a healthy pneuma (spirit), highly capable of real empathy. IMHO, a healthy pneuma is an excellent and necessary foundation for a healthy mind and body--psyche and soma. Three important steps to holistic health are : integration, integration, integration of soma, psyche and pneuma.

The human organism is very much able to facilitate the integration of the psyche with the spirit but not all do this and achieve enlightenment in a single lifetime. The psyche often stands in front of the spirit looking away from it with its own determination of what is behind it having not fully united with it.
Beliefs are always changing, and hanging on to ones beliefs is really a proposition that is an illusion.
As the psyche comes forward in the attempt to express itself in the relative to meet relative terms it will again retreat to reasses itself and attempt again and again really never succeeding in encapsulating the infinite.

Really it is impossible to say I believe in My God and My God is this, without trying to meet the changing relative values of the external realities and compromising ones need to define ones self and God.

There are inconsistencies in the Bible if you seek to define the meaning of God and religious spirit into one static form, theory or definition. There are inconsistencies in definitions of the Universe if you seek to define the universe while knowledge continues to evolve into greater knowledge

There is a historical story that tells of Jesus studying from the Teachings of Osirus, a descendant of Atlantian heritage who came to Egypt and was made King by the Egyptians because of his mastery of the Self.
Jesus went on to teach or expound the virtues of self mastery, as they were also taught by Osirus, of the reality that there is no external God that will give you anything.
He taught that which he experienced, and which he made manifest through his Union with God.
"I and my Father are One...."

If you compare the book of Genesis with some of the Eastern Teachings (which state "all that is" has always been and always will be) Genesis describes the movement of the absolute into form. First it has to be within the potential and then it was brought forth into action and perception.
The order in which it came is determined by the choices made, by the consciousness which is the active part of the absolute.
Since Time and Space are relative to experience the experience will outline the progression of action but since the absolute is not bound by Time, the eternal exists beyond space and time and what is NOW includes all at the same Time.
Another factor in the inconsistencies is that in the Multiverse realities there is no one single timeline and story.
In One reality of Eastern Teachings Siva, Vishnu and Brahma swap places and meanings. For example Siva is representative of Tamas Guna, Brahma Rajas Guna and Vishnu Sattva Guna. Then again in the description of the collapse of the universe where the Goddes Kali dances to destroy the universe and reduce it to ash, Sesha the cosmic serpent swallows the ash and under direction of the Gunas spits it out to begin another creation. Sort of like the big bang happening over and over again all at the same time with slight variations in them and reassignment of characters to facilitate the story.

Religion often tries to define God within terms that are relative to the personal experience and that is where most lose their union with God because they want to define God to the experience or to their current belief or definition of their Faith. It would be greater to the experience to allow Faith which is not static or bound by limitations and patterns of relative thought to lead the mind beyond the needs to say anything definitive about their God but to lead the awareness into the absolute and then allow the absolute to express the everpresent changing God.
The difference is that the surface of the mind cannot maintain a thought or idea for any length of time to simulate the absolute, but the mind can, through deeper levels of thought translate the ever changing absolute through its reflection without layering it with the personal expectations and limitations.
In the descriptions of the miracles Jesus and other Siddhas reportedly created these masters simply exemplified the removal of personal limitations that block the infinite from expressing itself more openly into the manifest.
God and any relative experience of God are reflections of the absolute which has no limits.
"Man is made in the image of God" Without limits or boundaries other than those that are self imposed.

It is much more simple to find the comparitive similarities in the Teachings of spiritulism than it is to understand the differences. It takes more of an open mind to understand it.

It is easy to reject something or anything, that doesn't really take any thought at all.

It would seem unfortuate at times that the Eastern and Western scripture are full of mistranslations but then the waking state mind wouldn't really grasp the depth of their meaning if they were specific.

thank you for that, Joesus

Now I heard it all - talking a load of bollocks* gives a deeper meaning! Says it all about religion, I suppose.

* coloured white - under 18s don't read this.

Nope, you haven't heard it all. That's pretty much where the waking state mind sits, is in its determination that it has heard and seen all that is possible.

.....what was this topic about?? OH yeah... hypocrites
so... hypocrites can be found not only in religious settings.. it is anyone who says they are one thing and act a different way

that's the usual definition of hypocrite. i.e.,

1. a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
2. a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, esp. one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

really? because I thought that it was an original thought?!
just kidding..
Hitler is a prime example of hypocrisy

Amen.

Evangelical preachers who get caught with prostitutes or hands in the till are better examples. I think Hitler said right up front in Mein Kampf that he was going to try to kill all Jews.

but he hated the jews... yet was part jew himself.. he killed off everyone not they typical "aryan" race...and yet was an Austrian... not of German blood... and DEFINATLY not aryan

Come on, Rick, don't take the bait. Now you're stuck arguing the obvious, which we all know anyway. Anyone who reads Hitler's works and about Hitler will know he wasn't a hypocrite. Pathological, yes; mass murderer, yes; but hypocrite, no. It's not even worth arguing the point.

do you always have to argue?

What do YOU mean by aryan?

And, note:

Germany itself, during the last centuries BC, was mostly occupied by Celtic and Nordwestblock tribes who were linguistically assimilated into the Germanic peoples expanding from the western Baltic littoral area, as well as speakers of Romance languages in the south and west of the country and in Austria and Switzerland.

Perhaps you are not aware that Austrians, and a proportion of Swiss, speak German. Have you ever met any Austrians, Germans or Swiss? They are just a bit similar. Maybe closer than Scottish and English (just my opinion).

I am keen to point out that German does not equal Nazi, like American does not equal Republican. European history (that is very complex and predates any relatively complex North American history) is usually poorly understood by most Americans.

oh I know that Germany borders Austria.. but Hitler wanted the Superior race.. "Blonde hair, blue eyed" perfect blood of the German race.
No, It is because of what he tried to do... and how he killed off the weak and the handicapped..and how he had "birthing houses" that bred the Master Race... to make everything that He was not...almost everything he tried to destroy he was...and what he tried to create he was not.

Some theorize that Hitler had dreams of the "White Brotherhood." A name given to beings that are active in the development of spiritual evolution, (Ascended beings, angels).

Adolf Hitler grew up in a dysfunctional environment. His Father was abusive and his mother didn't do anything to stop his Father from doing what he did to a young Adolf; she was co-dependant and 20 years younger than Adolf's Father.
Klara Pozl, Adolf's mother was born of Johann Pozl and Johanna Hut(t)ler.
Adolf's Father, Alois Schicklgruber was born of Johann Georg Hiedler and Maria Anna Schicklgruber.
Neither of these families can be positively determined to have come from any Jewish lineage.

Anyway Adolf Hitler after living in poverty and without any parental support and guidance trudged through life doing the best he could in a world full of struggle, and later came to find influence in the writings of Maurice Joly in an altered form, or secret cult writing, called "The wise men of Zion."
The original book was written as a satire against Napoleon III originally titled Dialogue aux enfers enter Machiavel et Montesque, ou la politique de Machiavel au XIX siecle, par un Contemporain. (Dialogue in hell between Machiavelli and Montesquieu, or the politics of Machiavelli in the 19th century, by a contemporary). The writings developed a cult following for the implementation of influencing the masses to achieve world domination.
Adolf believed in the occult and the paranormal influences that guide humanity and believed his suffering would eventually inspire a means for transforming his life, and possibly provide insight to raising the world from its suffering as well. The protocols of Zion were inspiring desparate men to take desparate action.

He believed in good and evil but not really knowing anything Good saw the oppression of people being the result of those who would have influence or the current political power and those that had wealth. Since the government was corrupt at all levels he also would assume that anyone with wealth would also be corrupt.
Any projection of Good came from his imagination and he saw a need for a new leadership.
What man has not entertained the idea that they could run the world better than it is being run? Such is the determination of the ego.

Tho he was twisting reality and his dreams of perfection in the human race, he had determination and those that saw in him the ability to become a great orator for their cause gave him more than his parents did when he was growing up. This fueled his need for self acceptance.
As he came closer to playing God his mind was definitely incapable of handling the responsibility.
There is also speculation around his inability to comprehend reality due to his having syphilis.

Hitler wasn't necessarily a hypocrite if he wasn't cognizant of the differences that create hypocrisy.

thank you.. point well taken

JB2, we are still waiting to hear your response to the posts regarding the contraditctions in the Bible....How did Eastre, a Norse Goddess, get a mention if the KJV?

The Koran mentions Christians, but the KJV does not mention Muslims. Does that mean that the Koran is superior?

Rick, I presume you are being your usual "humourous" self, right? Superior. Superior to what?

But seriously, Moslem, or Muslim simply means one who submits; one who is humble. Jews and Christians, historically speaking,long before Islam, were advocates of surrendering to the will of God.

trust me.. i am going to answer you.. ... no worries.. i have alot of scripture to look into that ya'll consider "contradictions"

I like it when people know I'm somewhat joking. "Superior" in being more nearly complete or correct.

This is somewhat like the Elizabethan English word 'perfect'. When the KJV asks us to "be ye perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect", it is asking us to "be complete".
IMHO, it is another way of speaking of the divine name. GOD is that which is complete.

Jejjybean, I look forward to hearing from you. Do you remember? I asked you some questions about takng the Bible literally.

Jellybean2, are you having a rest?

Is the word "Easter" an error in the King James Bible? <-- ( link )

Don't we love Drama...