Jump to content

ShinyPebble

Members
  • Posts

    10
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

ShinyPebble last won the day on February 1 2012

ShinyPebble had the most liked content!

ShinyPebble's Achievements

New Member

New Member (3/9)

1

Reputation

  1. Hello. I haven't been around in a while, let alone answered a post. Yours intrigues me, so I thought I would help you get the ball rolling. Since progressive Christianity is all about getting out of the box, I submit to you this: The Distance to Here by the group Live (Rhymes with dive). It's not exactly for the formal service, more of a personal devotional selection, but it works well for me. If you don't want to shell out for the whole album, let me suggest a selection or two that you may be able to find on the net. Try "Run to the water" and "Dance with you". This music is filled with passionate, life-affirming energy and every time I listen to it my heart just breaks open wide with a torrent of joy and love. I hope it does for you too.]
  2. I do that quite a bit myself. We have a local call-in show here in Asheville and the host does actually strive for some measure of objectivity. My main beef with most conservative talk radio is the lack of moral consistency. There are always two standards of proper conduct, one for America and one for the rest of the world. As for christianity, it seems to me the Rush Limbaughs and Michael Savages' Idea of Christianity is so far divorced from the teachings of Jesus as to be unrecognizable as such. To their credit I will say that their verbal bullying skills are second to none .
  3. Jeep, I agree that Jesus was" grown to perfection" I feel this was by divine intention for the purpose stated below: I think humanity was the mission of Jesus. The more Human and the less "Godlike" he was, the more successful he would be in his mission to understand the limits of an imperfect creation, as well as to exemplify the possibilities within us all. I think he tried to show it to Peter when he called to him to walk out to him across the water. He said it plainly to the woman with the issue of blood who touched the hem of his garment: "Your faith has made you whole". I guess maybe what Jesus is trying to get us all to see is it's not what's in him, it's what's in us already. Each of us are individuals, sketched within the divine template. The potential for each of us to grow spiritually knows no limit or bound, but somewhere along the way that little drop of poison was slipped into our cereal and we all got the idea that if we looked at the face of GOD we would die or we were unworthy because we were full of sin and worthless. I hear it said all the time that sin is what separates us from God but I think it is our shame that keeps us away. But I digress, maybe that would be a good subject for a thread all its own. Thanks for starting this thread, PG13, I'm enjoying the discussion. SP
  4. I believe in God. I believe God created the Earth and the Human race. I also believe, based on certain acts of divine behavior in the old testament that he didn't understand us very well. I'm sure I've said somewhere else in this forum that I believe God is smarter than we are and he knew he was going to have to come here and inhabit our flesh if he was ever going to understand what we were really all about. This wouldn't mean necessarily trhat he would have to have the experiences of all men, some things, like greed for example, are easy to figure out but to have the experience of being a man and knowing all that basic human stuff that drives us without our even thinking about it no doubt was something of a spiritual awakening even to the almighty. So yes I believe Jesus is God. I don't think everyone who doesn't follow him is going to fry in a lake of fire, that's not why he was here. I think God was smart enough to know rule one of being smart: know that you don't know it all. Thank you God for caring enough about all of us to want to find out. SP
  5. I was listening to a good song today that made me think of this thread. Some of the lyrics are: Truth is after all a moving target hairs to split and pieces that don't fit how can anybody be enlightened truth is after all so poorly lit Is Jesus God? Did he rise from the dead on the third day? Did Eve actually eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? The answers to these questions, be they yes or no, are not going to change the way I live my life one bit, as I would hope none of your lives would change. I am a man, created in the spiritual image of God and, like God, I seek the satisfaction of my spirit. Through years of hard experience I have learned that excesses of the flesh and overweening pride of the intellect do not bring that satisfaction, only hunger and loneliness. I believe God knows the ones who earnestly seek him, I tell my fundamentalist friends that I'm betting the farm on it, but for now, I just want to go out there and I want to love and be loved. I'm not always good at it, I'll admit ; still I do want to keep trying. Wish me luck.
  6. Hey Rog, Read my post again, that's all I'm going to say. SP
  7. If you want rules, they're in there. In fact, you can put together just about any kind of rules you like and find something to back them up, but why would anyone want to be that religious? I believe that God is smarter than we are and that step one of being smart is knowing when you don't know something. That's why there was Jesus. I don't believe everytrhing in the Bible, but I do believe that the word was made flesh and walked among us, for the reason I just stated. I also believe that Jesus actually said "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." I believe this because this is a daily spiritual practice that cuts across all lines of religious tradition and geographical boundaries. It requires no special equipment or training, just an open heart; and an open heart is the only way to know God, IMHO. As far as rules go, I kind of like the lord's prayer, but that's just me, your results may vary Take it easy SP:D
  8. I believe that evil is ultimately a subjective thing. Every inhuman thing one person has done to another has been for their perceived benefit, gain or pleasure and we're usually the good guys. No nation ever went to war telling its people their cause was unjust; any thief will rationalize their need is greater than their victim's right, even if it's just their need for a thrill. Sometimes it seems the only thing there is to gain is the chance to leave a mark. So where does God come into all of this? I submit to you all that he doesn't. There is no Evil with a capital "E", there is petty conceit expanded beyond reason; overweening pride bearing the fruit of insufferable arrogance and the desperate acts of violence from those who feel they have nothing left to lose. So anyway that's my humble view of evil, when I want to view the evil in the world, I look inside myself. I think we all should. Take it easy SP
  9. Hi all. Here are my answers: 1.) Yes. I believe that I don't know and you don't either. 2.) I live in Weaverville North Carolina 3.) I am an aerospace machinist and I also teach Tae Kwon Do 4.) I was just out surfing one day 5.) new and interesting perspectives 6.) Stealth emoticon (what's he thinking?) 7.) I am a work in progress This should be interesting. Kenny
  10. It's really difficult for a lot of people to live in the world without some kind of a solid foundation of belief. I often make the point to my fundamentalist friends that any other document compiled in the same manner as the Bible would be looked upon with the deepest skepticism, yet this document is accepted without question. I try not to look down my nose at these people, or anyone else who truly seeks God. I think it's unfortunate that more of these truly kind-hearted people can't be more open-minded but facts are facts: Most people are unwilling to walk the moral/spiritual tightrope without a net.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

terms of service