It is amazing how the translation of a single word can change something to where is can be totally misunderstood.

"Throughout all the Land" and "Throughout all the world" mean different things.

A camel and a thick rope... the thick rope makes much more sense. Why would anyone try to put a camel through the eye of a needle.

How many other words were totally misunderstood? How many changed the meaning or interpretation to something way off base?

JB

there's literally hundreds of them JB.

The scripture saying that

"it is harder for a rich man to enter

into the kingdom of heaven

than it is for a camel

to go through the eye of a needle"


describes the vernacular of the time...


"The eye of a needle",

was the entrance into a pen or corral

in which the camel was kept

after his long journey...

it is very symbolic...

The camel had to literally get on his knees,

be relieved of his burdens from the long journey

and then he was able to crawl

through the narrow passageway

and into the area of rest ...


the eye of the needle...


very difficult, but not impossible...



so it is with a rich man

seeking to enter the Kingdom of Heaven ...

difficult, but not impossible...

but first..

he must get on his knees & humble himself

and rid himself of all of his burdens

before he can finally be in the place of rest

tribo......you speak wisdom my friend that ones in FEAR of their salvation cannot......

what have the words "holy spirit" become.......A GOD......look into the simple words and see......

a spirit that make one see holy or not holy........

was it not said that they "ate" or believed of a tree/people of the "knowledge of GOOD AND EVIL.......

told others to not NOT HAVE ANY EVIL THOUGHTS, MAKING THEM BELEIVE THEIR THOUGHTS AND THEN ACTIONS WERE EVIL, THEREBY CREATING EVIL ALL THE MORE........

and if one judge what be holy or unholy, is this not to say what is to ascend or decend, or to say what go to heaven or what go to hell........and this was spoken even by their jesus NOT to do........

what did jesus see as holy.......not the ones that professed holiness for sure, but these he accursed to hell.......or seperation from GOD/LOVE/PEACE.......all the same meaning........not ONE supreme being just as you think.......

it was said to find any true god if there be one that exist, that it was only the TRUTH of what one is, without any buts, without any excuses, and admit to oneself.......and then all wisdom, love, understanding, or god, is released to flow thru a being........

you speak wisdom my friend, and ALL ANSWERS shall surely be soon to come........peace

People can try to rationalize the Holy Spirit of God

and dissect "The Comforter " as much as they choose...

until their faces literally turn blue

but until they have been touched & washed anew

by the Holy Spirit of the Living God...


They will not even slightly understand

where we who believe Stand in our Knowledge

& spiritual belief that passes all understanding

and defies all mortal minds & finite human logic

I believe you are mistaken.

I understand perfectly.

I understand JOY.

JOY JOY JOY JOY JOY!

Joy is always with me.

It is man made religious doctrine I have a problem with, not the holy spirit.

JB

rapunzel, i was taught that also- that is why i posted what i posted? did you not read it? the original aremaic says it was a thick rope.

That's judgmental bigotry in full blossom.

They will not even slightly understand where we who believe Stand in our Knowledge

Denounce all others as being separate and ignorant of God, whilst only the believers in your religion are in favor with God.

That's hogwash to the hightest form.

That's divisional bigotry and judgment. You're judging others to not know God, and to be on a lesser plane than yourself because of it.

You're judging them to not even slightly understand.

That's the same as saying that they are ignorant fools who have chosen to reject God.

It never ceases to amaze me how people can be so blind as to suggest that every non-Chrsitian is chosing to reject God.

That's utterly absurd if you stop and think about it even for a fleeting second.

To divide the world into believers (who are favored by God) and non-believers (who are clearly choosing to reject God), it a religion that divides people and judges their standing with God.

It's clearly not a healthy religion. It also flies in the face of Jesus' teachings to not Judge others.

To judge that they do not even slightly understand, is to judge that they are godless, people who have choosen to reject God.

It flies in the very face of being non-judgmental.

Christianity is the most hypocritical religion of all in this regard. It's the most judgmental and dividing religion on the face of the planet. This is why It's always the center of discussing, because it's constantly accusing everyone who doesn't blieve in it to be rejecting God.

It's a terribly bigoted religion.

judgmental bigotry, you accuse ?

who is judging here?

you don't know me well enough

to make any kind of judgement or accusation...

and nothing that i said

should even slightly give you that impression...

oh, James ,

your reply makes me sad & grieves me so

you are misinterpretting what I have said..

you missed the message entirely...


now that you confronted me...my opinion is

i feel that you just lash out & assume so much,

and constantly feel the need

to defend your position

and to lash out at anyone who differs with you...


it is not my intention to hurt you

or belittle you in any way ...

i did not accuse you of being Godless...

But i do see people trying to rationalize the

things of the Spirit with their mortal minds ...



The Spirit cannot be explained with our finiteness...

I stated my feelings clearly and in love...


I am entitled to speak my mind & heart

without an onslaught of verbal attack.



I don't know why you get so upset...

you totally misunderstand who i am

and what i have been saying all along...

Religion is a man made politics that tries to control people's mind , body ,finances ....etc .
To be really free from myth , say bye bye to religion and all other types of human controls .

i believe that i am not mistaken, and i am glad

you don't have a problem with the Holy Spirit ...



as far as Christianity being a {man- made religion }...


that is all up to each individual person's

interpretation ,

and their right to perceive it as they choose

rupunzel........indeed, indeed, indeed.......

does a rich man walk down the road and say "I AM RICH".......only if the riches he has do not include the wisdom to use, so they will soon be parted from him, as many see happening each day........

does a wise man walk into a room and say "I AM WISE".......any that hear know he is NOT, and righfully resist such words....

it is VERY TRUE that there can be happiness, and even euphoria that come from finding what one MOST sought, but was it not also spoken in text that as one comes into the world they go out......WITH NOTHING........what great truth did one hold when coming into the world as a baby......NOTHING.....just seeing all with HONESTY, seeing then all as learning.......then the same they go with if they see ALL truth by being BORN AGAIN.........

not even JESUS said HE knew the truth, and he NEVER spoke these words.........he had wisdom to know that as soon as self professing words are uttered, then ANY wisdom eludes until one changes their mind in the heart......or called repentence within text......

nothing wrong with wanting good for oneself, but how can there there be a self-porfessed christian that does not show the heart SEEK greatest peace for itself, as these words could NEVER be spoken if others needs were first, as their own "status" would always be as SECONDARY, and no need to ever spek would be needed.........why jesus never called himself a christian, and would HATE the word if he were alive today........

why was it said to seek to save oneself would cast oneself later into darkness.........how can one call themself a christian or believer, and NOT show they self seek greatest

is not all this MOST for YOU, and serve no puprose to help others who seek more LIFE, which is understanding, which turn into wisdom, to create peace for all, not just oneself......

seems then the entire globe be christians even when born, as who does not at first seek most for PEACE and goodness for themself........

ones as these make every decision based secretly on what another can give them in return, and temper every words spoken and every action committed by self-creating goodness thoughts.......

even donate to charity because of the feeling it give themself........

is it not appartent this promotes a "give to get" mentallity, the VERY THING JESUS STOOD AGAINST........

seems no peace is ever given unless it be sought from a sorrowful heart that SEE how their OWN life has mistreated others, and led many others astray with half-truths......this seeks to undo for the sake of the others, and not to spare itself as guiltly or punishment...........

so indeed bad actions one cannot live without, and do make for learning, and understanding, and then wisdom.........not each for their OWN SAKE, but for the sake of loved ones, and then all..........

seems as if there be any truth that see as god, than it has to be able, when fully grown, to see that it treated and thought of many as MUCH less than equal........

each that breath come from god, as only god create breath......so which one would YOU send to hell for their deeds be the question, as it was said GOD loved the WHOLE world....

Some people will always misunderstand other people. Opinions are just opinions.

this is your opinion, not engrained in stone


you are just randomly grabbing at straws


when you try to lump everyone who professes

Christianity

into the same old mold and stagnant mindset

rapunzel.....please.....if i slap someone and they say "that hurt", and i say......oh, i am sooooooooo sad for you, that you think as such, what a sad way to think, as i did meant you any harm...........

is not this one unaware of their own power, their own words, their own actions, their own effect on ALL others.........

this means not another soul is even truly SEEN, as none is SEEN until all words spoken are realized to be truth, and it is wisdoms job of finding out HOW........

what be christiananity other than wisdom, as solomon was given.......he did not ask for love, or humility, or courage, or even truth, but rather WISDOM.....as wisdom see how all these are attributes of wisdom, and NO WISDOM CAN BE HAD IF IT BE FOR YOURSELF........

this is the curse of religion, and each thing that believe damn itself because it make the words of others as non worthy, words that care and shout danger ahead, but they be ignored........

read your own words until you hear your own self professing goodness, and then your heart will open to loving and seeing and hearing others again........

deny the fact that many times in a day your mind says you do not love, and you are selfish, and that you mistreat others......admit these things be true then your mind will no longer have NEED to seek to save itself from itself......

do you not know the power of your words to give either life or death to each you speak to.........say another be in death, you create more death for yourself......say they be in life, you create more life for yourself...........peace

I'm not accusing you of anything.

As far as I'm concerned you're just an innocent victim of a religion that is designed to belittle anyone who doesn't buy into it.

I fully understand why you would like to believe in it. It makes grand promises for those who do believe in it, and makes terrible threats toward those who refuse to believe in it.

But that's precisely what's wrong with it.

What kind of a God would play hide & seek, and then make terrible threats toward those people who don't believe it's real?

Especially in light of the fact that the book that claims all of this has this same God asking people to judge their neighbors and stone them to death.

And yes, everyone keeps accusing me of pointing out the worst of the worst in the book. But that's what you have to consider!

If you're going to believe that a particular doctrine is the word of God then you must accept that it truly is the word of that God and not make excuses for what that God asked people to do.

There are horrific things in the Bible.

Yet people who believe in the Bible tend to belittle everyone who doesn't believe in it as "Having no understanding".

Those were your very words.

You say that you're not accusing anyone of anything. But you are!

You're accusing people who don't believe in the Bible of "Having no Understaning of things"

You're also accusing them of being "outside" of God's understanding when you say that (whether you intend to mean that or not)

You can hardly claim that they have no understanding of God, in one breath, and then claim that you aren't accusing them of that in the next breath.

This is the heart of the religion. Total contradiction. Speak with forked tongue.

The God of the Bible asked people to stone their sinning brothers and sisters and their unruly childern to death. He also asked them to murder anyone who preaches religions other than his and to destroy the very towns they came from and kill everyone in them.

That's what you must believe if you're going to believe in the Bible because that's what the book says.

So you're saying that people who don't accept that God is like that have no understanding of God?

That's very interesting Rapunzel,

Thanks!

I'm glad to know that it's just difficult but not impossible because I so would like to be rich and godly at the same time. LOL


Hey I'm already godly, now I need the rich part.

JB

hmmmm...

i do not know you , nor do you know me...

so how is it that you have this huge theory

and assumption of my life ,


we do not even slightly know one another

and have never even spoken one word

to one another


it is amazing how you and some others

come up with all this accusation and theory

and try to turn around a few innocent

and well meaning words i have written



you are doing exactly what i said...


trying to understand the things

of the Spirit with mortal minds


& then to top it off,

reading way more into it than was spoken

and then you are shooting the messenger


i have often looked to find ways

to bridge the gaps we have

and to find common denominators...



Rarely does a Non-Christian reply

when i speak of finding common denominators,



but you think it is okay to gang up

on someone if they say something

you do not understand and misinterpret ?


you only reply when you think

your feathers are being ruffled...




oh, but if i denounced my Lord,

you would love me

& have me part of your clique...

well, guess what ???



i refuse to play your game,

i won't obey your rules



and i don't want to be part of ANY clique



i feel that some people on these threads take all

the lovely , wise & beautiful things i say

and try to lessen their worth & importance


and to try to diminish my love & constant

attempts at finding ways to unite us

rather than divide us...



this is very ineffective

& extremely time consuming


you do not know me, or what i do with my time

or what noble acts of love i regularly

incorporate into my everyday life...



so your words mean absolutely nothing to me

or to my God and my relationship to Him

or to my good friends and family ...

who know me well,

and who mean the most to me




be careful though, for i feel that < oftentimes >

the non Christians are very guilty of the very

same false accusations, hypocrisy and slander

that they always accuse the Christians of doing

same here , Jeannie

thank you for the good vibes, Jeannie...


i appreciate your light hearted humor


i really have meant no one harm ,


and in my heart on these threads

and in my everyday life

I have truly tried to understand others

who are of different views

For i feel that no two people

will ever believe exactly the same way

and in light of the war

and this horrible state of affairs

this world is in , in so many ways

it is imperative

that we find peace & love

for without those things

we are absolutely nothing