Fire!!!

The Bible refers to God as a consuming fire.

What are we to make of this? What spiritual context does fire have?

Originally posted by whodey
The Bible refers to God as a consuming fire.

What are we to make of this? What spiritual context does fire have?

http://bible.cc/hebrews/12-29.htm

...has an explanation based on how God will treat the abominable, and its citation in both OT and NT means this isn't changed under the new dispensation.

There is ambiguity perhaps, in whether the fire will destroy abominable sinners or will endlessly pain them, or will cleanse and purify them (perhaps painfully too.)

Originally posted by JS357
http://bible.cc/hebrews/12-29.htm

...has an explanation based on how God will treat the abominable, and its citation in both OT and NT means this isn't changed under the new dispensation.

There is ambiguity perhaps, in whether the fire will destroy abominable sinners or will endlessly pain them, or will cleanse and purify them (perhaps painfully too.)

Fire does consume, but it also has the ability to purify. Both can be painful.

I would also say, God is seen as pure energy. In fact, the source of all energy. You can't contain it, you can't quench it, it is in a constant state of flux.

Originally posted by whodey
I would also say, God is seen as pure energy. In fact, the source of all energy. You can't contain it, you can't quench it, it is in a constant state of flux.

What do you mean by "pure energy"? (Perhaps by comparison with "impure energy"😉

And how do you reconcile this purity with "a constant stae of flux"?

Originally posted by wolfgang59
What do you mean by "pure energy"? (Perhaps by comparison with "impure energy"😉

And how do you reconcile this purity with "a constant stae of flux"?

God is the source of all energy. We are byproducts of such energy. If he enters your life, then to stay stagnant spiritually is an impossibility.

It is no accident that we are all byproducts of star dust.

Originally posted by whodey
Fire does consume, but it also has the ability to purify. Both can be painful.

I would also say, God is seen as pure energy. In fact, the source of all energy. You can't contain it, you can't quench it, it is in a constant state of flux.

Hence purgatory: "Of the early Church Fathers, Origen says that “He who comes to be saved, comes to be saved through [a] fire” that burns away sins and worldliness like lead, leaving behind only pure gold.[18] St. Ambrose of Milan speaks of a kind of "baptism of fire" which is located at the entrance to Heaven, and through which all must pass, at the end of the world.[19] Pope St. Gregory the Great says that the belief in Purgatory is “established” (constat), and “to be believed” (credendum), insisting however, that the Purgatorial fire can only purify away minor transgressions, not “iron, bronze, or lead,” or other “hardened” (duriora) sins.[20] By this he meant that attachments to sin, habits of sin, and even venial sins could be removed in Purgatory, but not mortal sin, which, according to Catholic doctrine, causes eternal damnation. "

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

Originally posted by whodey
God is the source of all energy. We are byproducts of such energy. If he enters your life, then to stay stagnant spiritually is an impossibility.

It is no accident that we are all byproducts of star dust.

So why do christians reckon it's a male person?

Originally posted by wolfgang59
What do you mean by "pure energy"? (Perhaps by comparison with "impure energy"😉

And how do you reconcile this purity with "a constant stae of flux"?

Scientists have a general understanding of how matter can produce energy, but do not understand how energy can produce matter.

Originally posted by RJHinds
Scientists have a general understanding of how matter can produce energy, but do not understand how energy can produce matter.

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/970724a.html

Originally posted by karoly aczel
So why do christians reckon it's a male person?

Well, there's this book called the Bible, you've heard of it, yes?

Genesis 1:5

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Answer: Because we are told he is male.

Originally posted by whodey
The Bible refers to God as a consuming fire.

What are we to make of this? What spiritual context does fire have?

The best way to answer this is to investigate for yourself, it's in his book!

Originally posted by Suzianne
Well, there's this book called the Bible, you've heard of it, yes?

Genesis 1:5

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Answer: Because we are told he is male.

Whodey is a Christian,right? He is presenting evidence that says that "God" is "fire", (of some sort). Why?

No need to be a smart arse about it, missie.



ps. note the difference between Buddhism and Christianity, where in the former we are requested not to take Hir word and implored to find out for ourselves, whereas in Christianity we are "told" - black and white- what "It" is.

Originally posted by karoly aczel
Whodey is a Christian,right? He is presenting evidence that says that "God" is "fire", (of some sort). Why?

No need to be a smart arse about it, missie.



ps. note the difference between Buddhism and Christianity, where in the former we are requested not to take Hir word and implored to find out for ourselves, whereas in Christianity we are "told" - black and white- what "It" is.

Evidence? What evidence? I'm asking why God is presented as a consuming fire. What is being communicated here and do you agree with any of the possible reasons?

Originally posted by whodey
Evidence? What evidence? I'm asking why God is presented as a consuming fire. What is being communicated here and do you agree with any of the possible reasons?

I see.

Well to me describing "God" as a 'consuming fire' is a BIT MORE accurate than describing "Him/It" as a person.

For a second I thought you had jumped off the 'anthropomorphizing god' bandwagon, and exploring the other theories of "God". Silly me - I should've known better 🙂

Ok...just to be clear - there is no God. I am certain there are entities ,(like JC), who can appear god-like to the ignorant masses. And I reckon God was described as a person so that people could get their heads around the basic concept. But there is no one ruler/creator of all.

I see Christianity as starting of a journey of understanding for some - but it is not the end. (There is no end either). Time and space have been formed so that "Spirit/Light" could spread through the universe, making suns and planets and subsequently intelligent life forms (after many million years), that may realize their true natures.

You see the short of it is "we are the answer", the final step in a multi-million year old formation/creation.
If that doesn't make sense to you then I'm sorry.
I don't claim to know our true natures DIRECTLY, but I know what we are not.
Thing about the bible is that much of it rings true because it is, but that's the trick these bozos have been playing on us -disinformation.
It is only through the opening of our own chakras that we may know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what this life is.

(I know you prolly don't agree in the slightest with my view, but I can only attempt to convey my truth as accurately as possible - to swallow something that is counterintuitive to my whole life , (to 95% of my true identity), is not something that I can do. I don't reject Christianity out of hand, but to oversimplify my concept of "God" , would be commiting the same mistake as the writers of the bible.)