bbyrd009
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Where does religion fit in?
- Thread starter Confused-by-Christianity
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Most people don't want to be at the "bottom" but consider what Jesus said:
"But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." Matt 23:11-12
It seems that the way "up" is "down" or...?
bbyrd009
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everybody has potential to do good. But everybody has potential to do bad too.
Our society is designed to make the bad path easy and the good path hard. Why? Because Satan rules the world. Thats why society will come to its end and as the bible foretells, a new earthy society will flourish under Gods hand. Ps 37:10-11 Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; You will look at where they were, And they will not be there. 11 But the meek will possess the earth, And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace
I don't recall reading this before. That last phrase really made me laugh. "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride". I wish when I was very young I could have understood that phrase and taken it to heart. But God had another way for me and He has another way for others as well... but for one who can... 'go for it!'
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In order to understand religion you must know what it is first. The apostle wrote that pure religion is to visit the widows and orphans in their afflictions and to keep yourself unspotted from the world. Most people believe the doctrine churches teach is religion but it’s not. In most cases it’s their interpretation of the scriptures. Words have changed their meaning through the years to mean different things. An example of the is the word faith. The word faith during the apostles day meant trust. Now a days it means acknowledgment only to some. Always let God be true and every man a liar.
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It is written what pure religion is. In James 1:27 it states: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Many confuse religion with doctrine. What is called religion today is nothing more then doctrine in many cases.
Hope this helps.
Many confuse religion with doctrine. What is called religion today is nothing more then doctrine in many cases.
Hope this helps.
Dear @Confused-by-Christianity
The real work being done is not seen on TV or in the media
* the Christian healing ministries that have saved lives and turned people from
criminal drug addicts and traffickers into productive citizens serving others
in their community through churches and charities
are even able to counteract the cartel and gang crimes over the border.
You are not going to see that in the media.
But the solution is there and people are using it!
* the Christian and religious leaders building peace and healing wounds
in the Middle East do not get the coverage given to terrorists and wars.
* the Christians in CHINA who far outnumber the Christian in the US
are never going to be seen as they are silenced by their own govt with no media. Both their prisons and our prisons have Christian ministries going on
that will never been shown in the media.
The Bible reminds us it only takes 2 or 3 agreeing in Christ and God's will is done,
whatever we agree in prayer in Christ that touches the earth
is done by our Father in Heaven. (Matthew 18: 15-20)
This is the same philosophy Jesus taught about mustard seeds blooming into greater blessings.
Think Global Act Local.
Or the Ripple Effect, that one act of Kindness can change one heart
or one relationship, and that can change whole communities and the world.
Rachel's Challenge has changed school communities with a single workshop
on the power of kindness. The Christian family that started this charity had lost
Rachel Scott to the Columbine shootings, but took her words and message
she left behind in her journal and started a school outreach program
that went nationwide and has saved lives of students contemplating suicides and shootings.
Whatever you feel is too much, there are solutions already out there
that Christians and organizations of faith have already established.
Just because you don't see it in the news doesn't mean it isn't working!
Christian fellowships have taken over entire prison units in Texas
and turned them into the equivalent of faith based schools.
David Berkowitz, former Son of Sam, was healed by the Lord
and started a prison ministry trying to reach people before they kill anyone as he did to go get help to be treated and cured to prevent crime and murder!
You can look up his ministry Arise and Shine
or the Christian Healing Ministries in Florida.
One day this will be commonplace practice in medicine and mental health treatment.
But you are right, if we fill our minds and media with "bad news" garbage,
we leave no room for the Good news and Gospel that God gave us with Jesus.
Don’t confuse religion with truth. If the Lord has given you understanding this is truth. Religion according to the apostle was defined as, pure religion is the visit the widows and orphan and to keep yourself unspotted from the world.
Dear @Confused-by-Christianity
What helps me make sense of the mess I see is to separate the religion from the actual spiritual laws and process. Then you can discern which parts are on target and which are distorted and corrupted.
When a bad musician mangles a song, you see the difference when a good musician performs it correctly.
Here there are 3 levels that rarely coincide perfectly
A. The universally true spiritual and natural laws that all humans are affected by
B. The religions or "languages" for the laws that different cultures, tribes or generations have used to ATTEMPT to explain and communicate these laws so groups can operate under common principles (whether church or state rules, nonprofit or community programs that try to define common standards all members agree to follow)
C. The actual exercise or practice in real life (which neither hits B or A perfectly)
Our whole struggle as humanity is trying to reconcile our daily lives and relations as in C with A the collective truth and laws for all society and humanity collectively.
We use B as tools to try to communicate and operate between groups and institutions.
But we fail.
So we make messes of B and C, while struggling to fulfill the universal ideals in A that would unite us on common goals of truth justice and peace for all, including ourselves and others equally.
We speak different religious languages and can barely reconcile with our fellow group members, while the bigger goal is to harmonize between these diverse groups and nations worldwide.
You ask how do we do this?
Each person has a unique path and process.
We help each other fulfill that path and process like a team helping fellow members.
Then each team works in partnership with other teams to help serve the greater public interest.
It takes teamwork and both helping individually and collectively for the whole to work.
If you ever watch an orchestra rehearse or a sports team practice, it takes individual work plus group effort.
The religious cohesion is for helping whole groups get their resources and act together.
These are tools to help us because people are socially and spiritually interdependent
We need to help each other to grow and learn.
We screw it up badly and that is part of the learning curve to reach full maturity.
Does this help?
What helps me make sense of the mess I see is to separate the religion from the actual spiritual laws and process. Then you can discern which parts are on target and which are distorted and corrupted.
When a bad musician mangles a song, you see the difference when a good musician performs it correctly.
Here there are 3 levels that rarely coincide perfectly
A. The universally true spiritual and natural laws that all humans are affected by
B. The religions or "languages" for the laws that different cultures, tribes or generations have used to ATTEMPT to explain and communicate these laws so groups can operate under common principles (whether church or state rules, nonprofit or community programs that try to define common standards all members agree to follow)
C. The actual exercise or practice in real life (which neither hits B or A perfectly)
Our whole struggle as humanity is trying to reconcile our daily lives and relations as in C with A the collective truth and laws for all society and humanity collectively.
We use B as tools to try to communicate and operate between groups and institutions.
But we fail.
So we make messes of B and C, while struggling to fulfill the universal ideals in A that would unite us on common goals of truth justice and peace for all, including ourselves and others equally.
We speak different religious languages and can barely reconcile with our fellow group members, while the bigger goal is to harmonize between these diverse groups and nations worldwide.
You ask how do we do this?
Each person has a unique path and process.
We help each other fulfill that path and process like a team helping fellow members.
Then each team works in partnership with other teams to help serve the greater public interest.
It takes teamwork and both helping individually and collectively for the whole to work.
If you ever watch an orchestra rehearse or a sports team practice, it takes individual work plus group effort.
The religious cohesion is for helping whole groups get their resources and act together.
These are tools to help us because people are socially and spiritually interdependent
We need to help each other to grow and learn.
We screw it up badly and that is part of the learning curve to reach full maturity.
Does this help?
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As for what role does Christ and Christianity play in this process.
Christ is the central authority that connects all human conscience with the common drive toward justice and peace, but by free will or freedom which is built into our human nature and governed by natural laws.
We all respond to democratic process where our free will and consent is part of that process of making decisions in life and relationships
Jesus represents Universal Justice or Equal Justice Under Law. We all want this but not everyone believes we can have justice.
Retributive Justice is the negative force of Antichrist or abuse of authority that tries to control other people out of greed for power or punishment and revenge. This is what corrupts laws and govt to make war and oppress people by injustice abusing the name of justice to do wrong. Two wrongs don't make things right, but man's ways are selfish and become politically self serving.
Christ Jesus is the authority of Restorative Justice which allows forgiveness and correction of past sins wrongs and injustice so wounds of war and injured relations can be healed and restored in peace
This spirit of Justice and Peace which the Bible represents as Jesus and the Holy Spirit governs over all humanity, all tribes and nations of all languages and religions, to fulfill all laws under one universal authority.
So the point of humanity's process of spiritual, social and political/economic development is to grow toward achieving lasting peace and justice for all, as the Kingdom of God on earth. Heaven represents this divine peace on a collective scale that surpasses our limited human experiences and understanding.
The Bible is both symbolic and captures a real message that is universal for all humanity. We all need to make peace and receive this commitment to live by Justice and Peace in our own hearts and minds, so we may bring peace to our local and persondl relations, before we transform our institutions and nations to live in peace worldwide.
We start locally with ourselves, then heal our relations with each other, and this multiples to bring peace globally around the world when every person, every community and nation realizes the same love of truth justice and peace that sets us free from past suffering and strife.
Faith in Christ Jesus or Restorative Justice breaks the cycle of war and suffering, destruction and death from human problems, and allows us to restore good faith, health and healing to people and the planet.
This applies to people of any tribe, faith or no faith. We all want truth justice and peace. The Holy Trinity of God Jesus and Holy Spirit represents all humanity receiving this to achieve the Kingdom of God, within us and among us. That is the meaning and message in the Bible and what it means for Christ Jesus to save all humanity from past sins.
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A Christian is somebody that has Christ “ IN” them.....How does one know if they have Christ ( The Holy Spirit) in them? The Bible says that No Man can say “Jesus is Lord” and mean it without having God's Spirit within them....
Perhaps the Bar is set too low to satisfy most people—- surely ya gotta do more than just “ that” to be a Christian.....that’s what I always thought and I was shocked when I read this verse for the first time in 1 Cor. 10:3...... too bad......it’s Biblical....
Jesus was God in the Flesh.....He died for our sins and rose from the grave—-That is the Gospel.....Believe that and you are a Christian....Believe that and you are Saved....( 1Cor15:1-4)....It’s a Promise Of God.....it is impossible for God to break a Promise....
All that would do is create a more “Moral” society , which certainly beats an immoral society , but to make it to Heaven it takes more than being a “Good NeighborSam” .....Hell will be chock-full Of “Moral” or “Good” people.....One must be Perfect to get to Heaven....The only way to get that “perfection” is to have it “Imputed” to you.....If you are interested in getting that , Believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the grave....Don't miss out on the best deal in the Universe— Jesus gets your sins and simply because of your Trust in Him, You get His Righteousness.....Amazing Grace.....from start to finish......God Bless...
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