JosephM

Mertonoia, It seems to me, asking for advice is fine but needs no distance requirement. How will you know they are further along in their journey? Perhaps you could dive in and feel free to ask all and compare notes. Joseph

Welcome from another Joseph, There are no shortages of perspectives on this site. Hoping you will find it comfortable and refreshing and of some benefit in meeting your needs. Joseph

Weekly Recap January 31st 2017

When I am asked the question on whether I believe Jesus actually historically existed or not my answer is , i do not know. While i have no reason to disbelieve he did, it seems to me one can spend a lifetime buried in such research and still come short of anything other than ones opinion unless one was living at the time or the contemporary evidence was overwhelming which it seems to me not to be. However, i am convinced that teachings exist that are attributed to Jesus whether accurately or not I do not know. But this I know, some of them ( the teachings ), after being applied to my mental life seem to bring forth a perceived deeper level of peace, joy and the absence of guilt in a reality that i find favorable to abide in. Joseph

Actually Jen,This is not the area to challenge views. Read the guidelines for this Progressive Christianity sub forum. I'm not looking nor was looking for agreement or disagreement , just expressing how " it seems to me ". If you have a different view, you are free to express it without challenging or making a claim that you are correct and another is wrong. The debate forum is and has been the appropriate place for such language or challenges. Respectfully, Joseph

IF you are inferring that I am actually making some claim?? .... You might re-read my post and see I make no CLAIM. I made it clear that I am expressing my personal view and the way it seems to me. Perhaps i err in my view ? Others are free to express the way they see it. Yet a claim on what is true or not you will be hard pressed to find in my words.Joseph

This weeks Progressive Christianity.org WEEKLY RECAP

My view is different Burl, i personally find the teachings most important (not secondary) since what he did or didn't do is beyond my scope of direct knowledge and experience. Yet i can test the teachings and find they either bring forth fruit or not.in my life. They are not just intellectual artifacts to me. Joseph

Hmmm. I would have to disagree. I know quite a few churches that believe God works through his agents, his people. They also believe God owns all assets and there is nothing he can't accomplish through his people which in a sense are acting on God's behalf. Since they believe God is in and through all things I would say they recognize God as the real fiduciary agent in control of all assets. ?

This weeks Recap at ProressiveChristianity.com -----> weekly recap

John and Amy, Thanks for the introduction and all that you are doing to bring about change. Welcome to the forum, Joseph

No booty allowed? Deuteronomy 20:14 Verse Concepts "Only the women and the children and the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty for yourself; and you shall use the spoil of your enemies which the LORD your God has given you.

Oh... I read your quote as "Philosophically, the argument from beauty is a logical proof of the existence of beauty, a non-material reality." my emphasis on the word "is". I assume now you didn't mean to imply the argument was proof. If so we are on same page.

Burl, It seems to me you would have a most difficult time proving that beauty is not unique to the individual. Sure you can find agreement between some individuals on what is beautiful but you can also find much disagreement especially when considering different times and customs and societal and other conditioning. All Philosophers are not in current agreement looking at beauty as proof as a reality. The theory that beauty is in the eye of the beholder holds more weight in my experience in spite of any agreement we might both have on a particular sensory perception.

This weeks Recap at ProressiveChristianity.com ----->http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=60c09a6440&e=4818d6a086

I seem to have no such need or interest for either. Perhaps one might say that itself is delusional. Perhaps, and perhaps not.

Tariki, It seems to me also that true existence is without locality. There is nothing to judge, believe, defend or need for axioms for opinions that need deflecting. Not that we don't from time to time forget such and fall back into the mire that swirls around us and seems to tell us that we need such. Until we once again taste of the subtle yet ever present energy that sustains us in this dream and we come to the repeated realization that we have no such needs . Just musing after reading your quotes and remarks.

This Weeks ProgressiveChristianity.org Weekly Recap

As we measure, we are measured, as we forgive, we are forgiven, as you do other others you have done unto God. So are the teachings of Jesus in Christianity. Why? Because we are not separate sentient beings as we suppose and as it may seem.

On the contrary Burl, to me, birth and death are evidence of the illusion of separateness. How could anything exist without being interdependent and part of the summation of 'all that is' regardless of its material form?

Thormas, Perhaps you are thinking too deeply and drawing mental conclusions that we are saying people have no point, no truth and that we have no existence or nothing is real from what was said? The word illusion as i defined earlier just means "a thing that is or is likely to be wrongly perceived or interpreted by the senses" I indeed see you in truth as whole with everything else but my senses say you are separate. The separation to me is conditioned in mind and is an illusion. Ignorance is merely being unaware of truth. When conditioning is set aside there remains only the unconditioned from which all impermanence gets its temporal being. It seems to me it would not be inaccurate to say that the conditioned and unconditioned, or changeless and changing are one even while the conditioned and changing falls in our word category of the word illusion. Even Fiction is real although it is fabricated and may be wrongly perceived. These things in my view can't be reasoned or figured out. But good luck trying. Experience seems, to me, to be where the answer is but with it the question simply disappears as a non-question. What i see is in the end there is nothing to figure out. Perhaps we are to live our life according to the Grace present in you (me) and have a Merry Christmas and Wonderful New Year Joseph

Steve, Yes, i agree with that. I think Christianity was also meant to be simple so that as Isaiah said even a fool on the way would not err.. Jesus did not even give Christianity a name and i think the early followers of Jesus who just called it 'the way' were more simplistic in their approach. One commandment could take one the entire journey without a theological degree which can add on lifetimes and dictionaries.

That which creates this impermanence which is the multifaceted illusion or fiction appearing as the many is the One, the unconditioned. It alone exists as reality and all else is fiction. Welcome to the drama of life and death which is to perish. Who is 'illusionating' you ask. It seems to me the answer is 'no one' or 'no thing' for a lack of better words. Joseph

Click on the words and it takes you to this Page I just quoted a couple sentences and said it was interesting.