New age is about acceptance of many as opposed to only one. It's more collective as opposed to discriminatory.

No, that's called "polytheism" as opposed to "monotheism."

There are many monotheistic religions besides Christianity.

Christianity is "following the teachings of Jesus" for if you do that then you are a "Christian" - so Christianity is merely an adjective to describe those who follow Jesus' teachings.

Christianity is a label. And one that has a history of killing others that don't agree with them. It's not very Christ like if you ask me. I find labels limiting so I try to avoid them when possible, especially one with such a sordid history.

The discrepancies are found b/w what the bible says and what other religions claim. And we wouldn't know of Christianity if not for the bible right? And that is God-made if you accept it by faith - then you believe that it is the inspired word of God - not simply something that is "man-made" ....so maybe that is where the discrepancy comes in....opening the mind enough to have the "faith" to believe that the bible is the inspired word of God.


The discrepancies are man mad, not of God. The Bible may have been inspired by God, but man has tampered with it for his own needs. There is plenty of historical documentation that proves this holy text was not preserved. I believe in God. I also believe in the fallibility of man. There are truths within the Bible, but it isn't Truth in totality. It couldn't be once man interfered.

As for faith and belief, faith is in the heart, belief is in the head. I would rather feel close to God than believe that I am. Feelings can't lie, your thoughts are entirely dependent upon the data in which you make your beliefs. Just like a computer, bad data in, bad output. Your heart is your moral compass and the only means to know God personally while in human form.

I say the sky is red and you say it is blue. We both can't be right. It is either red or blue.

It can be both depending on perspective. And we could both be wrong if we both have poor perspective. Imagine God as a mountain. And you are standing on one side and I am on the other. Your side is lush and green while my side is rocky and hard. I tell you I am standing at the feet of God and yet you keep telling me that it can not be God since it is not lush and green. And yet, if we both climb up the mountain, changing our perspective, we see more than if we stay at the bottom arguing. The further we climb up, the closer our realities match. At the top, we realize the mountain is indeed one God, only different sides seen from different perspective. How can you expect, as a human to be able to appreciate the vastness of God? Why would he be only one side of the mountain? God is the mountain and it is our job to rise above our perspective and see the vastness of His Grace.

I'm posting the same thing over because it reaches more people -- obviously there are too many posts to read them all and depending on the title - different people will view it. Call it "spamming" if you will - that is simply your interpretation...and if we learned anything from Tolle' it is that our interpretations are nothing more than our perspective - it's all relative right? So no statements really have any validity - for it's all based on interpretation. So, you interpret it as "telemarketing" - I interpret it as "reaching a diverse amount of people rather than those of a particular belief or value system"

I actually agree with your logic and appreciate your intention. However we are on the Oprah boards and reposting of the same content over and over is spamming and against the forum rules. Her house, her rules. You are abusing your guest privileges.

I think that the Book of Revelation is very important because it points out exactly WHERE Christians were perverting the teachings of Christ and getting it wrong. Out of compassion, the book tells us that if we continue to misinterpret, that there will be consequences for humanity (individually and as a group).

The vision answered the same exact kinds of questions that we see here on these boards i.e.:

Because Jesus said that we are supposed to turn our cheek seven times seventy (when someone offends us) does that mean that we are never to stand up when we see injustice or allow ourselves to be in abusive relationships?

Jesus did not judge a prostitute and said that we should not judge anything (he who is without sin cast the first stone)...does that mean that there is no right or wrong and we should not have good judgment and allow society to fall apart?

Should we just sit around and contemplate our own happiness? <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
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The book of Revelation described a vision and was written in "dream speak". Every word is meant to represent a concept in a way that will transcend time and speak to all people, regardless of the era they live in. (If they have eyes to see and ears to hear.)

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.

The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever."

I do not think that the Book of Revelation was ever meant to damn us to hell, but rather was always meant to reaffirm The Way to God.

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Hi Amris - the first Dalai Lama was Gendun Drup (1391 – 1474). I think it's also technically not correct to use the term resurrection here, as he is reborn into a new body.

This is not going against the rest of your brilliant points, but I think it's always good sticking to the facts if they are known.

There are resurrection stories in other cultures, but from a modern perspective I think they can be explained by those people simply have not been really dead. Of course, if we apply this to the Christian dogma, the whole foundation of their beliefs collapses. If the events around Jesus are historically correct, then the only explanation I have was that he didn't really die on the cross.

I know a woman who was declared dead when she was 21 years old (she is in her lates 80's now) and a nun was holding a deathwatch for her, when she suddenly woke up. The nun was running away, screaming "a miracle, a miracle". Nowadays we simply assume she was not really dead, right?

Lk,,, I have , like am_ris, researched it and I encourage you to do the same. I became agnositic for a time because I read Conversations with God by Neale Walsch in which he explains how mankind has turned the image of "God" into something that behaves worse than humans according to the stories in the old testement. I just couldnt understand who this "god" could be so jealouse and vengeful.

If your interested there is a video out you can search up at one of the major search engines which explains that there have been MANY religions, some of them older than Christianity by hundreds if not thousands of years that claimed the same sorts of things that christianity claims. One of them was in Sumeria which was for some time considered the cradle of civilization predating anything christian. Thats not important though,,, whats important is some of the symbology they explain in this video and I firmly believe now is part of what has brought Christianity to the forefront,, something in it , and in US (our dna) REMEBERS there is truth here... the major points they make are,,

Before christ during the time of Moses the 'age' was that of Tarus, the Bull. What was it that Moses became so disturbed about after coming down off the Mount with the 10 commandments? People had gone back to worshipping the GOLDEN CALF.... except that age had passed,, it was THEN the time of the age of the RAM the age of Aries which yes is the next sign in the zodiac and the rams horn is still used today to symbolize that time in history all over the world. In Christs time it was the age of Pices,, or the age of the FISH.. and when Christ was asked by his followers how they will know when the new age has begun what did he say? He said,,, Look for the man carrying the water jug into the temple,, this is the age of Aquarius!!

This information was not lost,,, its within us and awakening again because we are deeper into the milkyway, this is the time of enlightenment, of peace. Christ is the light of the world,, he came to wake us up from our slumber and remind us of WHO we all really are and left his message for the world so that none shall perish. The cross symbology is the great cross in the sky at the time of the enlightenment which will 'peak' in 2012. Do you feel time speeding up? Did you know that science KNOWS time is speeding up,, the MHz of the planets heartbeat, the power that runs your body and mine has sped up with it. Christ left this information and these teachings so that none would perish and know whats occuring.

Christ is the Avatar, you are knocking, and the door is being opened,YOU, each person must ask the hard questions like your doing here, to overcome fear,, only when we leave fear behind can we pass through the eye of the needle.


With Great Love to you and all who knock,,,

Jennifer

Btw,, this is not "New Age",, this is what the Esscence of which Christ was one,,, called GNOSIS. Knowing within.... and is some of the most ancient teachings of all..

*Bows with love*

Ah, I was not sure on the Dali Lama's entrance into history, thanks for that info.

However, I think that the finer points of "resurrection versus reincarnation" are really moot, so long as you presupposed that the Dali Lama, when reborn, is recognizable in some way as "himself," because that brings forth the idea of the continuation of that consciousness. The distinction of "a new body" only matters if you do not accept that it is "the same person." If you do not accept that it is the same person, then the distinction becomes very important. However, for the purpose of believing in a religion, which this particular thread is discussing, then the distinction regarding the body is a moot point. The people who believe in the Dali Lama believe just as much that he IS the same Dali Lama as he has been since 1391 in the same way that believers in Christian Dogma believe that the account of Jesus in the Bible as having resurrected is absolutely historical fact and cannot be denied (the same belief as the reincarnation of the exact same Dali Lama).

We are speaking to beliefs, not to scientific facts such as "was he really dead or wasn't he?" Scientifically, there is no proof whatsoever that Jesus resurrected.

For the points of the differences between religions, I have already pointed out that there are many actual resurrection stories of Gods resurrecting (even the one guy who was resurrected as twins, which was a strange story if I ever heard one).

I am trying hard to be polite and avoid the "dying for our sins" question.

"myth"ology.

Yeah, it's all mythology. The only reason they're now called mythology is because no one practices them anymore.

Look at what you are saying. "Nobody is saying Christianity is wrong. There is no other reason to think that other religions are either." Listen... Christians BELIEVE that Christ is the ONLY way to God. We are not trying to argue that your way is wrong. That is your choice. We also believe we are to share the Good News so that ALL may hear and make their choice. So, just as you have freedom to express your beliefs, we have freedom to express ours. Beautiful America. And, so when you hear someone claim to be a Christian, then you know their beliefs. Christians are not trying to change any of your beliefs. We are only trying to get our message of Jesus out there- make it available. What is the harm in that? If someone wants to believe in what we do, isn't that their choice, not yours? What do you think is stirring your anger and frustration? We believe it to be Satan. And, I am not trying to offend you. That is just my BELIEF.

ET followers continue to claim to want peace, but all I continue to see is them arguing with Christians. Why do Christian beliefs bother you so much? Let go of the EGO. Yes, men started Christianity, but they started it as Christ followers. We follow God's law. That's inspired by Him. If you acknowledge God, then you should acknowledge that He is ALL POWERFUL and that if He didn't want something in there, then it wouldn't be. Correct? What are you all really arguing with us for anyway? How can you find your peace thru getting bothered by what we say?

Yes, Jesus died for all, but when you claim that, you MUST confess that you are a sinner and repent of your sins. You MUST also follow His commands. That is what HE said. In order for you to believe that God saved us all the day He died, then you must believe part of the Bible. Why not the whole? Why do you not want to believe it all?

lkgmkg,

May God continue to Bless you. Hang in there.