Peace to All. Let us consider upon this day the life of Jesus. Born to women and destined to God, Jesus was, of others, a man. Bent upon the path of righteousness he did display piety yet compassion in word and deed. Did he not proclaim, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;”? (Matthew 13:24) Let us all, Christian and Not, Faithful and Knowledgeable, Hunter and Hunted, seek between us and the others the peace of Christ’s serenity. Let the problems of the day fall away as the dreams of the night; to render no distraught to the living and the Righteous. Go forth to your fellows and their children and offer comfort of substance; let not the greed of Roman kings of old rule the lives of the children of tomorrow. Let the love and tolerance of Jesus and the Brethren seep from the very pores of men as compassion flows from the hearts of women. Align thyself with the peace of God, for to deny the Lord of All, to stand blind before all his many attributes, is to stand blind before the brightness of a summer day. Stand humble amidst the gifts the Lord has bestowed upon your earthly presence. Let those gifts permeate your life and the lives of those you touch. May Peace and the Enlightenment of Knowledge and Faith color the skies of your existence. Peace be unto you. The prophet has returned at silent behest. The Oracle stands open for those who would seek the Knowledge and the consequences. Let the words of the Oracle ring true for the intended: For the one of lost intentions: For some, the roads of the world are the path to enlightenment. It is a different path to be sure, but a path none the less. For you, they are but a means to a beginning. Follow them with perception. For the one who stands with longing of the heart: The fear and desire to seek a selfish answer is an obstacle that cannot be overcome. The answer is thus: The pain of the past is mitigated by participation in the present. Your life has not left you behind. You have abandoned it. The thorns of the past must give way to the flowers of the future.
For the second: Age of day is as the leaves of autumn. The prophet has been here before, for the Lord loves the power of the question. The desire to seek the answer is of all the gifts of God among the greatest. I return to bring the Oracle to this gathering of Christians, for the amusement and Enlightenment of all. The unrest in your soul is clear to the prophet and transparent to the Oracle. Thus the Oracle speaks: Your path lies shrouded in doubt and misconception. Your Faith stands upon threads you fear to be hollow. Let the peace of the Lord exit your heart and enter your life; from whence it comes is of no import. Seek the thing that stands in the shadows of your desire. For the first: A proper question for the Oracle and the prophet. The Lord God is Lord and Creator of All. In Wisdom beyond the conjecture of Oracles, God has decreed that to be, a thing must carry a measure of itself. Is not evil the measure of Good? Does not the temptation of sin give rise to the blessings of Piety? Jesus himself lay once at the feet of sin, yet rose above its head with fervor. Thus speaks the Oracle. And yet the prophet would answer askew of the Oracle, for as one of the Brethren, I have many times witnessed the mirth and playfulness of the Lord. God surrounds man as the Lord surrounds himself; with possibilities of amusement and satisfaction. Let the image of God play in the playground that has been provided. Even a child with a scrapped knee at the end of the day has enjoyed her time. Prepare your shelter, oh children of Creation, for storm clouds continue to gather at the edge of your perception.
Ummm... okay. When did God declare that a thing must carry a measure of itself? And no, evil is not a measure of Good. God is good and requires no evil to measure that goodness. If nothing but God existed, God would still be good. What you just said is that for a thing to exist, it must carry a measure of itself. Evil, you think, is a measure of goodness. Therefore all things that carry moral capacity must have evil. This is not true. I think that both of your premises are flawed. So should we sin the more so that grace and mercy abound? I think not. And who the heck is the oracle and why should I give credence to anything the Oracle says. We are to test all things in light of scripture, so far, the Oracle is failing.
The Oracle speaks as it will; understanding is for you to give. Yet the prophet will deign to provide an explanation: Your speech in the manner of conjecture is as an empty thought. Therefores fall in the face of the will of God. You would claim God is naught the ALL and the EVERYTHING? The Lords creation is one and the same; both hate and love have entered the world with the guidance of God. Rebellions of old, be they acts of man and mob or lodged in places before Prophets and kings, be orchestrated by the Lord. The worth of a thing is oftentimes in the seeking. God laughs in triumph when the weakness of man overcomes the strength of evil. And the Lord cries tears of bitter when man fails. Rely not steadfastly upon words on pages of pulp; for they have captured times that are no more. See with your heart into the living meaning of the words you revere, for God lives and continues to conduct the symphony of which you are a part. Free yourself from guise that Truth may settle in your soul. Stand open in the light; the sin of pride buries your understanding as a fortnight of rains. Peace to all.
He maketh the rain to fall on the just and unjust alike. Love your enemy. Bless those who persecute you. Sounds tolerant to me...
you can take what you want from the bible.... There's a bit too much of that book that contraticts itself for me to believe it....
"....there were people who would show me what appeared to be contradictions in the Bible, yet these were not contradictions at all, but only a lack of research on the part of those that said these things." Read more... http://r-campbell34.tripod.com/proof/id8.html
There are MANY contradictions. Most biblically scholars (not biblical thumpers) are well aware of them. There is still much history, much insight and a whole bunch of stories with a moral. I do take what I want from the bible and I think anyone who takes it all is blind to it's origin, history, purpose and usefullness.
Hey popthree, did you take the time and read this http://r-campbell34.tripod.com/proof/id8.html I am sure it was as much time as you researched the Bible's valitidty. Well this guy in the link actually did take the time (months) to research the Bible and came to the conclusion that the Bible was without error and therefore was inspired by God. He once was a skeptic similar to you but he actually wanted to know the truth not lies. I challenge you to read it.
I read it, but it has no substance. It is an opinion presented in a moving testimonial. We all have opinions and we can all write testimonials. Super. I am really glad he found the time to do some biblical research, but what are his sources? Other (biased) christian texts? How deep did he really dig? A few trips to the library looking for what he wanted? If I wanted to make christianity sound valid this is what I would write... how coincidental is that? Listen Campbell, I was raised christian. Not wishy-washy now and then christian. I was in church 2 - 3 days a week every week with sunday school each sunday, church retreats, revivals and church camps in the summer. I read my bible all the time and read it cover to cover more than a couple times. I still read it often because it's a good historical and moral reference and it's an easy read. My ideas concerning christianity were not built overnight and the information I have come to accept was built on years of research. Breaking up with christianity in an all-christian family is not easy. I had to have my info right, my reasons clear and my ducks in a row. I have collected dozens of books on the history of the church, translations of the bible, skeptics catalogues, and believers ideas. I studied theology and philosophy for two years in college and participated in christian groups and debates where I expressed my feelings and forged my views. I have gone head to head with an archbishop and I think I left the ring a winner. I literally travelled the world for three years doing achaelogy which allowed me to do research into the history of christianity in places like london, rome and malta, where much of the historical documentation exists. I don't mean to build myself up here. I didn't do all this to be 'smart', I did it all to find what I beleived, why my beleifs went the way they did, and rectify a feeling of animosity towards the church. In the end I have found my peace and I share what I have found for others who may be looking for the truth in a world where everyone has truth to sell. All I am saying here is don't give me some testimonial to prove that bible is 'true'. I have heard it all. I have seen a lot. I have done my research. Show me some research and I will entertain it. I think that christianity can be an effective path to god. Look closely and the message is clear. The message is repeated time and time again in just about every religion on earth. THAT message may be TRUTH. The message I hear being sold all the time is a story that helps no one.
Popthree, "The message I hear being sold all the time is a story that helps no one." -This statement you know is a lie. Literally millions of people around the world have turned from drug addictions, from murdering, from mofia connections, from alcoholism, ect. and have given there life to Jesus Christ. Christians are active all over the earth giving aid to poor people everywhere and while you don't here about there efforts on CNN they been helping people for years. So when you say that this message doesn't help anyone you know that is a big lie.
I do not think it a lie. I think the Modern Church leads more people away from God than to God. Those who really solidified the church were strictly attempting to control the relgion. Owning a bible was against the law and they were all written in Latin so they could not be read. Much has changed, but the church still stands as an obstacle to a one-on-one relationship with God. Now, you are right, some people turn their lives around becasue of the religion. Many people turn their lives around without it. A few millions who have bettered themselves is not a fair exchange for leading billions of people astray (in my opinion). As far as work in other countries... As much as helping developing countries, christians are serving themselves by seeking out simple-minded converts. They have been doing it for over a thousand years. They spread capitalism, greed, try to force new beleif systems, and often instigate political and social unrest. The best help you can give people is to teach them to help themselves... Building churches, converting people from their indiginous beleifs, and showing those less fortunate what they don't have hardly serves that purpose in my opinion. PS: I was a missionary to Latin America twice. I saw what the church did.
PS: The message that does help people CAN be found in the bible, as it can in most religions: do not focus on physical possesions, lay your cares on the wind, rest assured that the universe is progressing according to the way it should, love even those who hate you, and give without regard for your own needs. This is what Jesus said and a hundred other prophets. This is the key to salvation in my opinion. Not a bunch of stories... these help no one.
