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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Dec 16, 2009 - 07:26pm PT
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"God" is an English word, Jesus is a Greek work. The Apostles and their Master didn't use either word.
"Allah" means "God" in Arabic. I'd be surprised if Arabic speaking Christians didn't use that word for God when they pray.
In India, the Christians call Jesus "Isa" (means Lord)
There is no doubt the Christian God and Jewish God are one because, after all, Jesus was a Jew.
Jesus is also the #2 prophet in Islam so Islam firmly believes they are praying to the same God as Christians are.
You can say any religion that believes there is only one ultimate God (and much of even Hinduism would accept this) then we're all praying to the same God, the only question is who is most and least misguided about it. Folks can argue about how far off the mark you can be without being ignored by God.
Personally, I think even unbelievers are partaking in God and their own Spirit every day all the time without being intellectually aware of it. The Spirit lights up our awareness.
Folks who fight saying only their sect of their religion is recognized by God, are saying more about themselves than about God. If such were true, one sect of one religion would be obviously and manifestly more blessed than the others and their followers would be obviously much more full of Love and Charity than others.
Obviously, that ain't happening
Peace
karl
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Gobee
Trad climber
Los Angeles
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Dec 16, 2009 - 08:26pm PT
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First everything that is was made by God! Man used those things to make man made things.
However the crux is how to approach God? Well for me the Bible answers that completely, through Jesus!
If I were God I would do it differently, but good thing I'm not!
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jstan
climber
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Dec 16, 2009 - 08:52pm PT
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The really amazing thing is that an argument between two groups, each claiming to be the only true shamans in a situation where no data is ever brought into play
can go on for thousands of years.
Just the fact there has been no improvement in 2000 years tells a discerning person nothing of substance is at issue.
Literally incredible.
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Dec 16, 2009 - 09:04pm PT
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Haven't looked at the thread in a day or so, and I have to admit when I read the Religions of the World sign posted by Norton, it completely caught me off guard and I laughed hysterically. Too funny.
Anyway, I'm glad we can all talk about really deep issues and ideas. It is a real learning experience. I enjoy it. I've learned some important things, and reading all the scripture posted is like a thunder shower in a thirsty desert.
In the end I believe in Jesus, and I am greatful for his grace. I have real hope for the future.
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Norton
Social climber
the Middle Class
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2009 - 09:10pm PT
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Back by popular demand!!!
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jstan
climber
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Dec 16, 2009 - 09:32pm PT
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The only question I have for Bierstadt is
Where the heck is the green flash?
And, as usual,
Norton has nailed it.
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cintune
climber
the Moon and Antarctica
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Dec 16, 2009 - 09:55pm PT
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"Slowly inching his segmented exoskeleton across the sea floor, a local marine arthropod, class Trilobita, reported that Earth's natural evolution was 'progressing quite nicely.'"
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/evolution_going_great_reports
"It's a wonderful time to be alive," said the tri-lobed creature, its protruding feelers and antennules twitching spasmodically with anticipation. "To be born during this, the Cambrian Explosion—why, I couldn't imagine a better period, really. It's all happening right now!"
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WBraun
climber
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Dec 16, 2009 - 09:58pm PT
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Karl -- "Personally, I think even unbelievers are partaking in God and their own Spirit every day all the time without being intellectually aware of it."
This is actually a bonafide fact that's completely true ......
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Dec 16, 2009 - 10:11pm PT
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God makes it rain on the just and the unjust. He gives us all what we need whether we acknowledge him or not. He loves us and wishes to have a relationship with us. GOD's love is perfect. If we could all just be like GOD.
BASE104,
I'm happy your mother is feeling better and on the recovery. Prayer always helps. He wants to hear from us. We'll keep praying for a full recovery.
God works in mysterious ways. Sometimes he comes into our lives when we don't expect it and we call out to him in all honesty when we need him the most and we have no where else to turn. It is like a hand from heaven that catches us just the moment we are gonna fall to our spirtual death. GOD is there. We just have to reach out and grab ahold of his hand.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Dec 16, 2009 - 10:41pm PT
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Questioning authority is essential in minimizing the corruption in our thinking.
Scientists are good at, aiming at identifying weak points and pitfalls in their conclusions and data.
It's needed in Religion too because most of them originated so long ago that their expression is tied with culture and language expressions rooted in ancient times, far from the culture and understandings we live in today. Shakespeare is hard enough for us to understand without a guide and he wrote much, much more recently and in English
Then the problem of using mundane analogies for cosmic principles is prone to misinterpretation. It's even seen in the Bible when Jesus and his crew are entering some village and he tells them not to eat the local bread. The guys freak out because of fear of hunger but Jesus says, Chill, I'm speaking about their "spiritual bread."
If Jesus came back today and preached as reformist an agenda as he did 2000 years ago, there's no way the mainstream would accept him. How many tolerate a liberal interpretation of scripture now? (of course, the rules for everything have become slack like the sabbath)
It's easy to fall in line with the common assumptions other people hold in your religion. If you want truth, better go beyond assumptions
peace
Karl
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WBraun
climber
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Dec 17, 2009 - 02:02am PT
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BASE104 -- "There is no authority"
You just made an authority statement .....
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Dec 17, 2009 - 02:16am PT
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Well, I'm sure glad that BASE104's mother seems to be better. Good news! It was worth trawling through everything else.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Dec 17, 2009 - 02:17am PT
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Glad to hear about Mom Base and good to explore dimensions of this life journey with you here on the taco
Peace
Karl
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Gobee
Trad climber
Los Angeles
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Dec 17, 2009 - 08:50am PT
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I went to a Christmas party last night, and no wanted to talk of God, Jesus, or anything religious, or any religion.
And we are in the Pope room at Buca Di Beppo where a Pope bust was on the table, and photo's all around the room!
One girl said the Pope didn't believe in the Holocaust? And another said a Pope joke.
And that was it! It makes me sad to see that they can live with no thought of God what so ever!
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Bronwyn
Trad climber
Not of This World
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Dec 17, 2009 - 11:18am PT
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Base, this news about your Mom just ROCKS!!! So happy to read this. I actually was fighting tears reading it.
A "miracle"? I prefer to think so. And God does work miracles through people and medicine.
Please keep us posted as to her progress. :)
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WBraun
climber
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Dec 17, 2009 - 12:52pm PT
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In the material world the Absolute Authority is one must give up the body at the end of the allotment of breaths, prana.
This is called death.
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monolith
climber
Berkeley, CA
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Dec 17, 2009 - 01:31pm PT
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Gobee, did you try quoting a John MacArthur sermon to them?
That always gets a party kickin!
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Dec 17, 2009 - 02:18pm PT
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This is called death.
Agreed. Though I'm always curious why that's not ok. It's already all gravy at this point for me. I have no need of, or interest in, either continuing beyond death or in another go around. What's wrong with simply laying it all down?
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MH2
climber
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Dec 17, 2009 - 04:41pm PT
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I can't believe that I found so much support just talking about religion.
Good choice of words BASE! Especially meaningful given what you've told us about your Mom and your own state of mind. There are shared feelings that people have, and making an effort to share them can be wonderfully helpful.
On religion. There has been pessimism expressed about lack of progress in this arena through written history. And there has been a suggestion that to some Science may become a religion. But surely there has been progress in science?
Someone once tried to make the point that there must be something special and universal about religion because some form of it was found in all societies. My own mother responded to that by saying that in order to make that statement you had to be willing to include patently ridiculous beliefs and practices under the umbrella of religion. The Tooth Fairy will leave money under your pillow for your tooth, for example. In broader terms, what most would call superstition had to be dressed up as religion in order to claim that all peoples in all the jungles and mountains of the world practice something closely related to what Christians do in church on Sundays.
But there is definitely a willingness most people seem to have to believe in something like religion.
One of my own sacred texts contains the following statement. It is italicized in the book, so it's significance cannot be missed:
In this sense there is only one ordered domain whose positive elements are well-ordered, and it is Zed.
"This sense" is; Roughly speaking, isomorphic Rings are the same Ring, but the elements are named differently.
Now, that might be viewed as quasi-religious, and sounds like "there is only one God etc.", but it would be hard to claim that there has been no progress in the past 2000 years.
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Gobee
Trad climber
Los Angeles
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Dec 17, 2009 - 04:52pm PT
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On the radio today a divorced guy said that he never felt so bad as the day when he saw his son and went to hug him and he pushed him away! I wonder That's how God must feel when we do that?
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