What is life?

[linz]

What is life, and for the Christian's who are devoted to every word uttered by Him. Why did Christ say to a particular group of people who didn't listen to him, or perhaps were being simply argumentative, "Then you have no life in you.".

The division between Sheep and Goats? What is it like feeling things without a conscience, or better said levels of individual conscience classified by a persons individual reasoning from birth to death and innocence to guilt? Individual wounds that we bare and mask from childhood on while excepting the savageries of the world, yet not giving up on goodness; But do some after having learned of oppression and quickly excepting it, though they themselves are not oppressed; To next except themselves in full self, lacking the filling of any guilt except unless beneficial to self. Will God remember them from their better days of innocence?

[motherhubbard]

Ecclesiastes 12:13 and 14

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil."

Rev 2:10 "...be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life"

There are many many more verses, but I chose these because it think it is the ultimate simplification of the answer to your question.

The life that Christ referred to is the life that He offers, eternal life. He was saying they lack love for God.

The second part of the question is beautifully asked. Everyone suffers something, without exception. Some people react in a way that brings them closer to God others get angry with God. The thing is that one must not become too concerned with what is temporal. The main focus is eternal. Our purpose is to serve God faithfully unto death. God doesn’t remember the sins we are forgiven of, but if we are faithful unto death we receive a crown of life. We must not forsake our first love.

[JGL57]

What is life, and for the Christian's who are devoted to every word uttered by Him. Why did Christ say to a particular group of people who didn't listen to him, or perhaps were being simply argumentative, "Then you have no life in you.".

The division between Sheep and Goats? What is it like feeling things without a conscience, or better said levels of individual conscience classified by a persons individual reasoning from birth to death and innocence to guilt? Individual wounds that we bare and mask from childhood on while excepting the savageries of the world, yet not giving up on goodness; But do some after having learned of oppression and quickly excepting it, though they themselves are not oppressed; To next except themselves in full self, lacking the filling of any guilt except unless beneficial to self. Will God remember them from their better days of innocence?

Perhaps life is a spontaneously existing phenomenon in a spontaneously existing universe.

Wouldn't that be weird (perhaps not as weird as "the man behind the curtain flipping switches" weird, but still weird.). :D

[Redzeppelin]

Perhaps life is a spontaneously existing phenomenon in a spontaneously existing universe.

"Spontaneously" is the key word here - life and universes do not "spontaneously" happen. Here "spontaneously" appears to function like the highly maligned "goddidit" answer.

[linz]

Everyone suffers something, without exception. Some people react in a way that brings them closer to God others get angry with God. The thing is that one must not become too concerned with what is temporal. The main focus is eternal. Our purpose is to serve God faithfully unto death. God doesn’t remember the sins we are forgiven of, but if we are faithful unto death we receive a crown of life. We must not forsake our first love.

Well said!

[Turk]

112. He will say: "What number of years did ye stay on earth?"
113. They will say: "We stayed a day or part of a day: but ask those who keep account."
114. He will say: "Ye stayed not but a little,- if ye had only known!

Kur'an 23-115


55. On the Day that the Hour (of Reckoning) will be established, the transgressors will swear that they tarried not but an hour: thus were they used to being deluded!

Kur'an 30-55

[linz]

Kur'an 23-115

Kur'an 30-55

Please explain?

[Turk]

It's about things that people discussing here, do you really need an explanaition?

[linz]

It's about things that people discussing here, do you really need an explanaition?

Unfortunately . . . Yes.




Ecclesiastes 12:13 and 14

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil."



I was raised an atheist by my father, and in my younger naive days, (maybe less naive now), I was a stern socialist. Now I don't now what to believe in, and it is difficult for me to see God in the same way as those, since youth, that have been taught differently. One thing I do hold dear, in the old socialist remnant, is hope for everyone and salvation to all. i. e. (I wouldn't wish hell on anyone, not even Hitler!)

[Lote-Tree]

I wouldn't wish hell on anyone, not even Hitler!

Why not? People who cause suffering should they not be punished at all?

[linz]

Why not? People who cause suffering should they not be punished at all?

Yes! Justice is Justice. But eternal and infinite hell is beyond comprehension except to Him which could conceive all, Maybe?

[Niamh]

Why not? People who cause suffering should they not be punished at all?
agreed! but Life is an important thing. Even those who have done terrible thing still deserve to breathe.
(hop i havent opened a can of worms!)

[Turk]

Unfortunately . . . Yes.

It's basically telling how people doesn't realizes that our days are so short until death/apocalypse comes, it's warning people who lives like their days won't end. Also it's showing time is relative.

[linz]

It's basically telling how people doesn't realizes that our days are so short until death/apocalypse comes, it's warning people who lives like their days won't end. Also it's showing time is relative.


Thank You. Very similar indeed!

[JGL57]

Does "holy" scripture explain life, or does life explain "holy" scripture?

It seems to me the latter. Where is the evidence for the former?

[linz]

Does "holy" scripture explain life, or does life explain "holy" scripture?

It seems to me the latter. Where is the evidence for the former?

Scripture tries to make life 'Holy'. I do not see contradictions but prophecy alone from all wise men an moral men from the beginning to the end. Satan while tempting Christ in the wilderness for forty days, tried to get Christ to twist scripture for selfish purposes, but Christ refused. Hence he himself knew of the duality of scripture, and believe me so did Satan!

[Turk]

"Only those eyes which wants to see are able to see".

[linz]

In the Gnostic Gospel of Philip, which to some is controversial, If you avoid the man and woman sensuality, it still sounds like something Christ might have indeed said. Truth be told, He might have cared for Mary M. differently then his disciples, no one knows. Though she might have been his wife at least spiritually speaking and though Christ had the will to not sin, didn't mean he didn't know its temptations personally. The disciples asked why he loved Mary M. differently then them? He answered, "Why do I not love you like her? When a blind man and one who sees are both together in darkness, they are no different from one another. When the light comes, then he who sees will see the light, and he who is blind will remain in darkness."

[nomoredrama28]

i. e. (I wouldn't wish hell on anyone, not even Hitler!) [/QUOTE]

Hitler wasn't that bad.

[nomoredrama28]

****, why didnt that work?

[nomoredrama28]

Why not? People who cause suffering should they not be punished at all?

no, why would you do the same thing that person did to them(the person that caused suffering to)? that's "hypocritical". :alien:

[nomoredrama28]

Does "holy" scripture explain life, or does life explain "holy" scripture?

It seems to me the latter. Where is the evidence for the former?

hey you know, that's a very very good point. just thought i'd let you know.

[quasimodo1]

A few notes about Hitler: he was an abused child, he tested cyanide on his dog before his girlfriend, the old silent films of him have been changed and through the use of cg his voice can now be heard(have a listen), he cruelly tortured those who conspired to assasinate him, he used hard drugs, he let the panzers use hard drugs, because of him...ten million Russians are dead. Anybody still think he wasn't so bad? quasimodo1

[linz]

I am not in anyway saying he wasn't bad, but asking; Could a truly omnipotent God correct him?

[JGL57]

I am not in anyway saying he wasn't bad, but asking; Could a truly omnipotent God correct him?

Putting aside the question of how non-omnipotent gods act - would a truly omnipotent god punish Hitler - or, for that matter, any human who has ever lived - for an eternity of time?

Maybe. But such a god would not be worthy of "worship" - an activity apparently high on the list of the orthodox supernaturalist. Such a god would be WORSE THAN HITLER.

{edit}

[weepingforloman]

Hell is not active punishment on the part of God-- it is separation from Him. And condemnation is not worse than Hitler-- people tend to underestimate the seriousness of their own actions.

[linz]

Putting aside the question of how non-omnipotent gods act - would a truly omnipotent god punish Hitler - or, for that matter, any human who has ever lived - for an eternity of time?

Maybe. But such a god would not be worthy of "worship" - an activity apparently high on the list of the orthodox supernaturalist. Such a god would be WORSE THAN HITLER.

{edit}

Actually . . . That is exactly why I asked that question; Think about it.


. . . people tend to underestimate the seriousness of their own actions.

Good Point!

[JGL57]

Hell is not active punishment on the part of God-- it is separation from Him. And condemnation is not worse than Hitler-- people tend to underestimate the seriousness of their own actions.

Separation from god - for all eternity? Why is that, necessarily, a bad thing?

It seems to me that if heaven consists of just praising god for all eternity, then it would be like living in North Korea - the difference being you couldn't escape by dieing.

[weepingforloman]

Only God, not Kim Jong Il, is the ultimate good.

Separation from God is painful. Don't worry about that. The presence of God is joy. Don't worry about that.

[nomoredrama28]

A few notes about Hitler: he was an abused child, he tested cyanide on his dog before his girlfriend, the old silent films of him have been changed and through the use of cg his voice can now be heard(have a listen), he cruelly tortured those who conspired to assasinate him, he used hard drugs, he let the panzers use hard drugs, because of him...ten million Russians are dead. Anybody still think he wasn't so bad? quasimodo1

still don't think he deserves to burn in hell. it wasn't just him that killed all those people, it takes way more than 1 person. plus, he just had everyone brainwashed.

[nomoredrama28]

Separation from god - for all eternity? Why is that, necessarily, a bad thing?

It seems to me that if heaven consists of just praising god for all eternity, then it would be like living in North Korea - the difference being you couldn't escape by dieing.


hahaha. thats a very very good point. kudos. :D

[linz]

still don't think he deserves to burn in hell. it wasn't just him that killed all those people, it takes way more than 1 person. plus, he just had everyone brainwashed.

Including himself. Richard Wagner also helped popularize anti-semitism, and Hitler loved Wagner. No one is ever fully aware of what they are doing, atleast lets hope not.

[nomoredrama28]

lets get biblical. didn't jesus say "whoever is without sin cast the first stone" when they were about to stone the woman? well, lets replace the woman who committed adultery with hitler. not much difference. nobody knows where hitler went. we all sin, and he didn't kill all those people by himself, because it's humanly impossible. he did however brainwashed many people to help him out. whatever. still like the guy, thats my buddy.

[nomoredrama28]

Including himself. Richard Wagner also helped popularize anti-semitism, and Hitler loved Wagner. No one is ever fully aware of what they are doing, atleast lets hope not.

including himself? fully aware of what who is doing? hitlers dead?

[Tuesday]

lets get biblical. didn't jesus say "whoever is without sin cast the first stone" when they were about to stone the woman? well, lets replace the woman who committed adultery with hitler. not much difference. nobody knows where hitler went. we all sin, and he didn't kill all those people by himself, because it's humanly impossible. he did however brainwashed many people to help him out. whatever. still like the guy, thats my buddy.

I think you have serious problems.

[linz]

The initial post I gave inquired of the mystery of Good and Evil sought after by spiritual and Religious people and nonreligious through the sciences of human behavior. The Sheep and Goats reference I made is of Christ's symbolism. But perhaps we are simply what we are. And both obviously can have sentiment, love, and passion. So therefore we might become continually flux between Sheep to Goat in times of Unself and Self.

[nomoredrama28]

I think you have serious problems.


dont we all

[Logos]

Time to read the updated (as of today at 10:15AM) Religious Texts Forum rules folks :)

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15410