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I just realized Artyop's post demonstrated that if Jesus returned today and posted on this site He would probably be banned very quickly.

The Gospels are all "according to" and not "authored by". Someone wrote down Mark's verbal history. It's very possible that there was more than one secretary recording Mark's story.

No original or even close to original Gospels exist. Usually they were on book (codex) form and eventually became unbound. Pure speculation, but Mark does come to an unexpectedly abrupt ending if one ignores the Markan addition (16:9 onward). My guess is someone found part of another book and put the two together in error.

Welcome, Artyop. I didn't think you were calling anyone names. I thought you were alluding to Matthew 23.

Welcome Lizzy! Here in the States we have gay Episcopal bishops and female Archbishops. I didn't realize CoE/Anglican was that different.

There is at least one active female member. This board is pretty slow. I'll send her a PM and wake her up

That part of Mark does seem to be different. I don't think anyone has a satisfactory explanation of how it got there.

Romans 5:12-21The Message (MSG) The Death-Dealing Sin, the Life-Giving Gift 12-14 You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma were infirst sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death. That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from Adam to Moses. Even those who didnt sin precisely as Adam did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. But Adam, who got us into this, also points ahead to the One who will get us out of it. 15-17 Yet the rescuing gift is not exactly parallel to the death-dealing sin. If one mans sin put crowds of people at the dead-end abyss of separation from God, just think what Gods gift poured through one man, Jesus Christ, will do! Theres no comparison between that death-dealing sin and this generous, life-giving gift. The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; the verdict on the many sins that followed was this wonderful life sentence. If death got the upper hand through one mans wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides? 18-19 Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right. 20-21 All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didnt, and doesnt, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When its sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and thats the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into lifea life that goes on and on and on, world without end.

If you can tell them in English just speak slowly. "I....am.....a.....theist...."

I agree in a general way but I don't think you can get all of that out of Romans 1. You are also missing a good bit. Paul's point is that 1) God makes his presence obvious by natural observation and 2) that denying God in the presence of such overwhelming evidence results in God gradually letting such humans slide back to their animal natures. Homosexuality is only used as an example of Paul's greater point, and we really do not know specifically what type of homosexuality Paul was talking about. The homosexuality of Rome was not what we see today. For example, pederast/catamite relationships were normal. Watch Ben-Hur again. Some of those Romans were gay, yet not a single chariot had a rainbow bumper sticker! ;-) It really is irrelevant. Romans is not a sermon on sex. Taking a self-selected verse or phrase and using it out of context is a terrible way to read the bible, but people do it all the time. That is called proof-texting and it is intellectually dishonest. The overarching point of Romans was encouraging the Jewish Christians to accept the Gentile Christians as equal and complimentary. I think today accepting Christians of differing sexual orientations is a fair parallel to Paul's insistence on accepting familial/cultural differences.

I like your thinking. The right time will come along, and even if there is a bit of a fuss for a while familes usually come back together.

This is a dead thread. Inactive for years and I don't think any of the posters are still around. Have you have read Romans? Chapter one is often used to preach against homosexuality, so that might be a good place to start.

By all means post something. We have at least three or four M.Div's on this board who are sympathetic. Thank you for inviting us into your chariot. From Acts 8: 26-28 Later God’s angel spoke to Philip: “At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. 29-30 The Spirit told Philip, “Climb into the chariot.” Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” 31-33 He answered, “How can I without some help?” and invited Philip into the chariot with him.

Welcome! You can certainly be a gay, bible believing Christian. A good thread to start at some point.

I was reading a TNH essay the other day talking about "pure land" a lot. One point was that suffering was a natural part of life, and that enlightenment involved using it for the development of compassion. A Christian attitude to be sure. Perhaps I misunderstood but I am trying. https://www.lionsroar.com/in-the-pure-land-of-the-present-moment/

Perceptual psychology has been an active academic field for decades. Sensation and perception are both well understood, but I am not an expert in either. I lectured on it at Tulane at the introductory level in the seventies, but my field was child development.

We can distinguish between visual sensations and perceptions. Kinda simple, really.

God is Truth means that God is the definition of Truth. It is an axiom, not a deduction. To the extent that something is true, God is demonstrated to be present. Joseph's statement that Truth is "I am" is found as far back as Moses and the burning bush.

I was responding to Tariki's post, so my remarks were centered in my perception of his context. Pick a point and I'll see if I can outline a more general approach.

My own experience with fundamentalist Christians is that they do not understand the fundamentals ;-) Not because of a lack of grace, but because of an inability or unwillingness to accept grace. I read your question as juxtaposing theory with praxis. Traditional Christian theology is apophatic. We posit dogmatically that God is Truth and that humanity is not. Then our theology then works backward to remove falsity and move closer to truth. Theology is not a definition of truth so much as it is a systematic removal of logical barriers between the individual and Truth.

No need to hazard a guess. In Christianity God is Truth. And Goodness. To humanity, truth is that which is the least false. Capital 'T' Truth is an asymptote which can be approached but never truly reached. Sometimes it is so close truth and Truth are practically identical. If you face a wall and repeatedly walk halfway towards it you can approach the wall forever and theoretically never reach it. When truth becomes reliable enough to be of practical value it is accepted until a better truth is achieved.

The Sacred Harp. A continental era American hymnal. "A life contains a hundred strings, and dies if one be gone. Strange that a harp of a thousand strings should stay in tune so long."

First week of Lent Matthew 4:1-11 The Message (MSG) The Test 4 1-3 Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: Since you are Gods Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread. 4 Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from Gods mouth. 5-6 For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, Since you are Gods Son, jump. The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you wont so much as stub your toe on a stone. 7 Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: Dont you dare test the Lord your God. 8-9 For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earths kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, Theyre yourslock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and theyre yours. 10 Jesus refusal was curt: Beat it, Satan! He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness. 11 The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus needs.

Welcome!

Matthew 17:1-9 The Message (MSG) Sunlight Poured from His Face 17 1-3 Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him. 4 Peter broke in, Master, this is a great moment! What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountainone for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah? 5 While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him. 6-8 When the disciples heard it, they fell flat on their faces, scared to death. But Jesus came over and touched them. Dont be afraid. When they opened their eyes and looked around all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus. 9 Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. Dont breathe a word of what youve seen. After the Son of Man is raised from the dead, you are free to talk.