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Politics : Should God be replaced? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: James Calladine who wrote (13791)	10/24/2002 6:51:20 AM
From: Frederick Smart	Respond to of 28931

Right vs. Wrong..... >>"I instinctively find myself in Solon's camp" Understandably. But Bill, allow for the possibility that you could be wrong <ggg> It's at least a theoretical possibility, is it not? Namaste! Jim>> ....is a function of truth or falsity. If we understand what's false as being true, then we have a conjunction where light is presented against a dark backdrop. Hence, light presented is conditional - ie. relative to the darkness or the intensity and color of other light - in nature. Obviously light corresponds to truth in this example. For this conjunction between understanding and falsity to continue we must will - ie. find delight - in this conditional presentation of light/truth. Perhaps this is expressed in how we go about relating with others in our world. Do we find fault or do we forgive? Do we see the connectedness of all things or do we see the disconnectedness of all things? Do we hate or love? A core belief in conditional/limited reality necessitates that we align ourselves as definers, judges and consumers that claim to own/control some or all of the free/universal energy, light and love that unconditionally flows from God and supports all life, truth and order in the universe. This belief in reality is based on natural-temporal-material aspects of the universe. A core belief in the unconditional/unlimited reality necessitates that we align ourselves as open conduits that simply receive and share the free/universal energy, light and love that unconditionally flows from God and supports all light, truth and order in the universe. This belief in reality is based on spiritual aspects of the universe. One is material-physical. The other is spiritual. One is death-darkness. The other is life-light. "What's right" becomes a function that unique for every individual. But the real test is when we apply how these two diametrically opposed perspectives manifest as what Emanuel Swedenborg describes as different forms of "use" - ie. actions, words, thoughts, energies that risk/help/serve - ie. love - others in our world. A good way of looking at it is if you apply First Corinthians Chapter 13 for the only reality is love.... 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a tinkling symbol. And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I dole out all my goods, and if I deliver my body that I may boast but have not love, nothing I am profited. Love is long suffering, love is kind, it is not jealous, love does not boast, it is not inflated. It is not discourteous, it is not selfish, it is not irritable, it does not enumerate the evil. It does not rejoice over the wrong, but rejoices in the truth It covers all things, it has faith for all things, it hopes in all things, it endures in all things. Love never falls in ruins; but whether prophecies, they will be abolished; or tongues, they will cease; or knowledge, it will be superseded. For we know in part and we prophecy in part. But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will be superseded. When I was an infant, I spoke as an infant, I reckoned as an infant; when I became [an adult], I abolished the things of the infant. For now we see through a mirror in an enigma, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know as also I was fully known. But now remains faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. =============== To the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ!! Peace and God Bless!! 119293!!

To: James Calladine who wrote (13791)	10/24/2002 11:16:41 PM
From: Bill Fischofer	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 28931

If the concept of God is to have any meaning at all, then surely God must be independent of location or time. A useful question to ask of any belief is thus how it would apply millions of years ago or on an alien world millions of light-years distant from earth. Any belief system which posits a unique revelation of the divine to a particular group at a particular place at a particular time would seem ipso facto to fail any meaningful test of universality. It may be comforting to imagine that God is an Englishman (for indeed He is) but to imagine that God is only an Englishman smacks of the sort of hubris that leads only to the sort of religious intolerance which has caused so much sorrow throughout human history.