03 Nov 11
There is so much about the supposed existence/non existence of God, as described and duly interpretted from the bible. The christian one.
The core of all major religions refer to one god, so if there is one god, then it could only be the same one.
Ok, so far? (if not I can back up, but I thought this was a given so far)
My inquiry is this: Why cant christians understand that the god they worship is the same one that the hindus (for example) worship?
After all, both of those major religons have an enourmous following, both of which more or less say there is one god. And both are imperfect. (If christianity were perfect(ed) we'd only have one denomination right?)
So, as has been asked by many different posters in many different ways, why is your god the real one and not the other one?
Where is the independent proof,(proof not form the bible or biblical inspired sources)? Because surely if that is the real god then it can be verified through other sources.
(Remember the example of Guatama Buddha becoming a hindu avatar. This speaks volumes to me as a huge , well-established religion (hinduism) has accepted an outsider as one of their own. There is no way Buddha would've been declared a saint if he were born and lived in a christian society back in those days. Most likely he would've been burnt and tortured for being possessed by the devil.)
Thoughts/Comments/answers?
03 Nov 11
Originally posted by karoly aczelYes, their is only One True God, but many false man-made gods.
There is so much about the supposed existence/non existence of God, as described and duly interpretted from the bible. The christian one.
The core of all major religions refer to one god, so if there is one god, then it could only be the same one.
Ok, so far? (if not I can back up, but I thought this was a given so far)
My inquiry is this: Why cant ...[text shortened]... d've been burnt and tortured for being possessed by the devil.)
Thoughts/Comments/answers?
It is the definition that makes the difference. The Christian God
is defined in a particular way and the muslim god is described in
another way. They claim to be worshipping the God of the Holy
Bible, but the way they define their God proves they are not
worshpping the same God. So too it is with Hinduism.
03 Nov 11
2 edits
Originally posted by RJHindsGolly gosh!!!
Yes, their is only One True God, but many false man-made gods.
It is the definition that makes the difference. The Christian God
is defined in a particular way and the muslim god is described in
another way. They claim to be worshipping the God of the Holy
Bible, but the way they define their God proves they are not
worshpping the same God. So too it is with Hinduism.
You seem to be making my point, one of them anyway.
Firstly they dont claim to be worshipping the God of the Holy bible (hindus and muslims, that is)
Secondly, without using an independent source to prove your god, you cannot claim to have the correct definition.
Religion is much like politics over here,(and over there if I'm not mistaken, after all, we are like the 52nd state politically😛 ).
75% of people vote the same as their parents, (that statistic is old -25 or so years), however the trend remains similar. It is easier to be the same religion as your parents than to go against the grain, and since most mainstream christians dont really seem to be practicing any of the tenets laid down by Jesus, it is a 'laydown mazzare' that most people will become christians (and follow the path of least resistance).
(At the end of the day religion is way down on their list of priorities. It is just something to fill in on "office forms". They just call themselves "christian" for the sake of not offending their parents, not for any real spiritual reasons.)
Why would me (or anyone else here) believe you when you say ,"So too it is with Hinduism."?
After all you have admitted that you are a cherry picker when it comes to christianity. Also you have admitted that you wont study evolution or other religions because they are "devil-made" belief systems that you wont waste your time on.
So why give an opinion,(and even claim it to be the truth), when you readily admit that you haven't even studied the subjects that you claim to know about?
Really man, you are starting to sound more and more like one of those nutters that think the more they post/ the more often they repeat something, the more true it will become.
note: there are 2 questions for you on this post. It should only take a few words to answer, should be no problems for an erudite poster such as yourself.
03 Nov 11
Originally posted by karoly aczelThe existance of a god is pretty far-fetched.
Golly gosh!!!
You seem to be making my point, one of them anyway.
Firstly they dont claim to be worshipping the God of the Holy bible (hindus and muslims, that is)
Secondly, without using an independent source to prove your god, you cannot claim to have the correct definition.
Religion is much like politics over here,(and over there if I'm no ...[text shortened]... a few words to answer, should be no problems for an erudite poster such as yourself.
If a god did exist it is totally ridiculous to believe he would care about the flavour of ones worship - those divisions surely are not from up above but totally man-made for earthly purposes.
03 Nov 11
Originally posted by wolfgang59God is everything, the All.
The existance of a god is pretty far-fetched.
If a god did exist it is totally ridiculous to believe he would care about the flavour of ones worship - those divisions surely are not from up above but totally man-made for earthly purposes.
Any separate entity, separate from the rest of manifestation is not "God". The god of the bible is just a childrens story, a simplified, anthropomorphized version of a being in mans likeness to introduce people into spirituality.
Some actually need it to start their understanding.
To stay with this water-down version of "god" as a paradigm to understand more fully the actual God is NEVER going to lead you into the right ball park, the Ground of all Being.
Why is this so hard for so many christians to understand?
There are gods out there doing good, but they are not God. There is no God.
03 Nov 11
1 edit
Originally posted by karoly aczelThe Christian God is the God of Israel.
God is everything, the All.
Any separate entity, separate from the rest of manifestation is not "God". The god of the bible is just a childrens story, a simplified, anthropomorphized version of a being in mans likeness to introduce people into spirituality.
Some actually need it to start their understanding.
To stay with this water-down version of nderstand?
There are gods out there doing good, but they are not God. There is no God.
What makes Christians separate themselves from the other god-believing people is that Christ said that it is only through him we can be saved.
What makes a Christian believe that is partly due to the many predictions made in the Bible which have been fulfilled, and partly on their own experience with being a Christian. One of the most glaring is that the Jews who were scattered for 1800 years, is now a nation and back in their original homeland. All this was predicted by the prophet Ezekiel.
You wont find many Christians wanting to believe in other gods or to think that the Hindu gods are the same as the God of Israel.
There is however, a part of the Bible which speaks of what will happen to people who do not know of any law ; law of Moses or law of Christ, and it suggests that these people are not necessarily damned as many Christians believe. I have raised this point here on this forum more than once and it was not accepted by Christians generally.
03 Nov 11
1 edit
Originally posted by Rajk999All the good religous books have some cool stuff in them and all are different. But all have endured. Why? Because there was a need for them. People needed to hear what they heard at the right times for this plan to get off the ground.
The Christian God is the God of Israel.
What makes Christians separate themselves from the other god-believing people is that Christ said that it is only through him we can be saved.
What makes a Christian believe that is partly due to the many predictions made in the Bible which have been fulfilled, and partly on their own experience with being a Chr ...[text shortened]... ed this point here on this forum more than once and it was not accepted by Christians generally.
"The Christian God is the God of Israel". Great! How does that help me? I dont even know where Israel is ...
Thanks for the input, though. I have learned something.
when Paul was addressing the Athenians in Acts 17, he didn't tell them that "I just know that EVERYTHING you believe in is false". And he makes NO references to his own Bible (what we call the Old Testament) or to Israel.
1. He noted that they had a shrine to an Unknown God - and then Paul spoke about "the God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth...who gives to everyone life.
2. He went on to say that "people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us...for in him we move and have our being.
3. Then he refers to a couple things written by Athenian poets - "In him we live and move and have our being" - and "For we too are his offspring"
4. only then does Paul refer to Jesus -- "he [God] has established a day on which he will 'judge the world with justice' through a man he has appointed, and provided confirmation for all by raising him from the dead"
so - this seems to be the type of approach that Christians should be doing when sharing their faith with those from a non-Biblical background.
03 Nov 11
Originally posted by MelanerpesAye...Thank you.
when Paul was addressing the Athenians in Acts 17, he didn't tell them that "I just know that EVERYTHING you believe in is false". And he makes NO references to his own Bible (what we call the Old Testament) or to Israel.
1. He noted that they had a shrine to an Unknown God - and then Paul spoke about "the God who made the world and all that is in it, ...[text shortened]... should be doing when sharing their faith with those from a non-Biblical background.
04 Nov 11
Originally posted by karoly aczelIt is not where, it is who. Israel is the the name God gave to Jacob, who
All the good religous books have some cool stuff in them and all are different. But all have endured. Why? Because there was a need for them. People needed to hear what they heard at the right times for this plan to get off the ground.
"The Christian God is the God of Israel". Great! How does that help me? I dont even know where Israel is ...
Thanks for the input, though. I have learned something.
was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham.
05 Nov 11
Originally posted by karoly aczelThere is NO proof of God, independent or otherwise.
So, as has been asked by many different posters in many different ways, why is your god the real one and not the other one?
Where is the independent proof,(proof not form the bible or biblical inspired sources)? Because surely if that is the real god then it can be verified through other sources.
Proof negates Faith.
God does not need proof. He's doing just fine without proving Himself to you. The onus is on you to believe or not. Plenty of people on this earth have all they need to believe, without proof.
Belief after proof means nothing. Belief before proof means everything. That's what Faith is.
05 Nov 11
Originally posted by RJHindsactually, the god the muslims worship more closely represents the god of the bible as found in the original (old) testament. it's the christian god that doesn't jive with the original god of the bible. the jesus character completely turned it around and went off on a tangent.
Yes, their is only One True God, but many false man-made gods.
It is the definition that makes the difference. The Christian God
is defined in a particular way and the muslim god is described in
another way. They claim to be worshipping the God of the Holy
Bible, but the way they define their God proves they are not
worshpping the same God. So too it is with Hinduism.
05 Nov 11
Originally posted by SuzianneThen it would be epistemically arbitrary which God you believe in. There is no evidence for this God, that God, your God, their God... If there is no evidence either way, then there is nothing that weighs in favor of belief in any God over any other God. And yet we are judged, in the Christian tradition, on having faith in the right God... Sounds like a crapshoot with eternal consequences, and certainly not something any God that is minimally just would have a part in.
There is NO proof of God, independent or otherwise.
Proof negates Faith.
God does not need proof. He's doing just fine without proving Himself to you. The onus is on you to believe or not. Plenty of people on this earth have all they need to believe, without proof.
Belief after proof means nothing. Belief before proof means everything. That's what Faith is.