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Pastimes : Ask God -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jamey who wrote (34879)	4/1/2003 2:26:51 PM
From: 2MAR$	Respond to of 39621

Ok James , I can appreciate that statement of your sensibility and belief towards Paul, of what seems a sincere and honorable commitment to the teachings of Jesus . Do you think for instance though , that a Buddhist Monk , who in almost everyway follows almost to the letter every important salient teaching of the Christ , vows of poverty, chastity and compassion and meditating on the "way"....is not also a Christian too? And I might add that these Buddhist monks were sent out into the world to spread the teachings of the Middle Way or Righteous Path , centuries before Paul was born , I might add...one of India's greatest Kings Asoka ceased all hostilities and wars in his empire converting to Buddhism. It was the world's largest empire at that time from Tibet to Sri Lanka. You have your way , and other's have there's . Jefferson was hinting at a Diety that was all-inclusive , and struck at this notion of some being predestined . But interestingly enough , you do find alot of a similar idea of predestination in Buddhism and Hinduism too . That we all are locked into certain states of consciousness from out of actions of our past , but not to say that through the exercise of charity and compassion , meditation , reflection we cannot rise above ourselves' preoccupations and destructive tendencies, from out of our distant animal past . This great journey of human kind doesn't begin or end anywhere but within our own discovery and investigation and through living life itself , each on our own journey . And only partially read in books . Did you look at those evangelical links I just posted ? And how would you feel if Buddhist's were assaulting you with that gilted nonsense with promises of eternal life and the like through such bombardment of crass media hype and Biblical manipulation and promises of riches and heavenly rewards ? Pretty babrbaric stuff , just like Paul's preaching ...let's put on a real show! God is in our pockets , etc, let us show you the way. This is why Paul found the gentiles so easy to convert , not because he was all that gifted , there were 1000's of preachers and interpretors of the way in those days . Paul seemed rather devoid of any very accurate close knowledge of any of Jesus the Rabbai's deeds or acts here on earth , and seemed to use his "icon" as a basis of support for his own "raptures" and intuitions . The many populaces of those regions of the empire were overflowing with the poor disposed plagued and enslaved people's , who by their very needs & wretched condition , were extremely suseptable to any who came along with such promise of hope and deliverance . If it wasn't Christianity , it would have been something else . Nature abhors a vaccum. Granted it is a lofty enterprise , and that there were those to come along to fill these voids where the Law just wasn't finding God coming to anyone's aid and quite the contrary finding God taking a vacation . Paul's missionary work is not remarkable , there were Buddhist Monks who had already traversed greater distances than that centuries before , taking the teachings far and wide thru Asia's farthest corners . Jefferson and Abe Lincoln were aware of something quite remarkable , that investigations into science , the universe and human nature also reveals thru time , that there is a thread weaving thru all teachings of grace . And they remained loyal to "Freethought" , which many religions try to extinguish to their downfall. That is why I choose to confront people like this Elect and his narrow views of predestination, chosen ones , and will confront any Evangelists I find proslytizing in foreign countries and expose their doctrines for being false . I especially want them out of India with their materialism dressed up as religion.

To: Jamey who wrote (34879)	4/1/2003 2:58:01 PM
From: 2MAR$	Respond to of 39621

One of the problems were having in communicating , is you and the Jew and those who follow Islam , are all teachings born of the "Book", and are taught that there is only one tribe of chosen one's that are descendants from Abraham whom God chose only to reveal his prophecy . That these scriptures are the only true scriptures , but just look for a moment where they all originated from. Look where many problems of the world still remain. Islam has as many "Pauls" today as there were in Pauls own day. So does Christianity , and they all know the "truth". ahem. This is it in a nutshell , and how preposterously human is this ? You would critisize the Buddhist for not knowing the saving grace of Jesus , and reach out to save his soul . But they have the grace of Buddha , which is exactly the same as your own mystique . Perhaps the Buddhists are not as noisey and nosey as you ? hehe Only just recently the world's most vocal and imposing dominant religions Islam and Cristianity have been exposed to the eastern ways of thought . And much good has come of it , as it did many centuries ago , for Buddhism is far older than Christianity. You will not convert India or Thailand or Japan in the end , for they have "God's" truth in their own ways . And that is as it should be as each people discover God in their own ways. If Hinduism is so wretched and spiritually deficient as Pat Robertson would have us believe , than why would it survive centuries of Islamic dominance and the Christian Evangelist who followed after ? All that enslaving and colonialism and still remain vibrant and thriving today for 1 1/2 billion people? Religion is always a personal thing between one man and his God , not an impossed hierarchy by some "Chosen". Religious leaders are know by their deeds , and not their creeds .Though Ghandi had great respect for the teachings of Jesus , it was Christians that baffled him. Religion was never meant to be the cause for wars and domination , as it was the sad sorry result we have seen . So no-one walks away without the huge stains of real sins of mass exploitation , and slavery . I think Lincoln and Jefferson were right, and Paul may have meant well. But you do find slavery condoned in the "scripture" so not all that perfect . Perhaps there is room for open exchange of ideas and experience .