Is the Bible True?

[treasurecoast]

blucher: Jesus words and parables, like "let those who have eyes see ,and who have ears hear"
and " The kingdom of God is within us" and others ( I am hoping I am quating Him right) are wonderful teachings. This, is the mystical Jesus.

Treasure Coast are the communities in Florida, on the shores of the Atlantic from N Palm Beach to Vero beach.
The name sprang from the time when ships carrying gold from he Americas crashed off shore during hurricanes.

[blucher]

Treasure Coast are the communities in Florida, on the shores of the Atlantic from N Palm Beach to Vero beach.
The name sprang from the time when ships carrying gold from he Americas crashed off shore during hurricanes.

That would have been my first guess but it sounds as much like a California name too. More than a few of the Spanish Gold Fleets met their end by hurricane but many fell prey to pirates and the English too.

Ever hang out in Boca? I have a friend there and you dress like sisters.

[Old Rugged Crosser]

Treasurecoast and Blucher:

I find your positions on spirituality to be unique to say the least. Would each of you mind sharing what your spiritual background is. Where you come to your spiritual positions from? It certainly would help me to understand your postings.

[blucher]

Originally Posted by Old-Goat

Treasurecoast and Blucher:

I find your positions on spirituality to be unique to say the least. Would each of you mind sharing what your spiritual background is. Where you come to your spiritual positions from? It certainly would help me to understand your postings.

I'm never at a loss for words but this is difficult to translate into just words to explain.

me; Catholic Schools all the way through a Jesuit University. Theology and Catholic Philosophy in college.

I was 8 when the church and I began parting ways. Picture a gushing nun overwhelmed with us all dressed up for a class picture and looking angelic.

Nun: "You are such lucky boys and girls. You look like and are so lucky to be Americans and Catholics and not going to hell like those Protestants down the street".



The Jesuits taught me to question everything. They should have warned me the average parish priest is not well versed in questioning most anything. They're well intended yes men at the bottom of the pecking order.

Dark and evil things were happening in the late sixties and the priests involved were transferred (after the term) when they should have been tried in court. All the way through college I looked for a way to be a Catholic but found none.

I'd already studied a bit of some religions but now (mid twenties) I looked deeper. Islam 30 years ago looked very pious. Who knew the pious fancied exploding so much?

I've also been a feminist for nearly 40 years and I examine organizations to see if they pay more than lip service to gender equality. The Catholic Church is an embarrassment in that regard.

All this time I was experimenting with cutting out the middle man and having a running conversation with God. It felt like spiritual growth always feels.I liked it.

I was also noticing that during sobriety I could grow faster. No chance of that because my master plan since 21 was to live fast and die well before anyone says "nursing home". Although I devoted 10 years of my life to the adrenaline rush of working in rough bars the ample opportunities should have killed me several times over. The Plan wasn't looking so masterful.

Plan B was to drink more scotch. This part seemed to be going well. One night I awoke to projectile vomit blood. (lots) It's called an esophageal varices and should kill you without fast care. I rolled over and went back to sleep. I needed two or three sick days to grow new blood.

It took 4 of these events and a failing liver to put me on my back for a year.I gave up on Plan B and got sober. (ever since)

I am extremely good at organization and planning in detail yet my 2 plans fell on their face. I was 50 and 20 years behind on my schedule.

I needed to blame somebody and one day I looked up and said; WTF are you up to? I meant it rhetorically but He took it literally and our dialog continues to this day.

Do the math

*For me*
Parents and DIS-Organized religion taught me good values but the mechanism of the Catholic belief system REQUIRES you to frequently suspend belief. I love reading the religious section of newspapers. It keeps me up to date on what the blighters are up to.

God is also my friend and I'm embarrassed for what we humans do in his name that He would never condone.

I think salvation for me was hearing George Carlin do his bit on God ("bad at handling money")

My God never asks for anything. He's loving, not vengeful (unless you count His weird sense of humor). Now I have more useful things to do although they seem so simple I can't guess why he needed me around to get them done. My best guess is ripples.
I don't want money or need thanks. I've only done what I was taught I should do. If that's contagious we need a plague.

I didn't get what I was after but I made a fine friend. When I think of it I ask if he has work for me. It always shows up so obviously meant for me I feel like He thinks I'm Special Ed.

Hope that helps.

P.S.:

I do have a "holy book". It keeps me focused. It's Richard Bach's "Illusions".

http://www.barefootsworld.net/illusions.html

You are never given a wish without being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.

Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours.

You're going to die a horrible death, remember. It's all good training, and you'll enjoy it more if you keep the facts in mind.
Take your dying with some seriousness, however. Laughing on the way to your execution it not generally understood by less advanced lifeforms, and they'll call you crazy.

Everything above may be wrong!

[Old Rugged Crosser]

Originally Posted by blucher

I've also been a feminist for nearly 40 years and I examine organizations to see if they pay more than lip service to gender equality. The Catholic Church is an embarrassment in that regard.

Blucher: Pardon me but I thought you were a male voice I was corresponding with. Or am I wrong altogether? Can a male be a feminist?

[treasurecoast]

Dear Old Goat:
I cant be as eloquent or humorous ;-) in my repliy as Blucher.I was born in Europe , my father was Catholic my mother From a Reformed church. Needless to say there was a huge dissent on both parts of the family, specially my mothers side. I was however brough up on her belief system. On my way home from school none the less I did go in to the little Catholic church, Liked the insence and flowers and the athmosphere.
( Always liked decorating:-) )
In my 20,s and early 30s had no thought about God, lived my life happy go lucky,studied , no tragedies no crisis,or bad habbits. No church , no religion.
Then all at once at 37 I was laying on the grass staring at the beautiful sky above and I had this huge longing for God and to connect to Him. I had no idea where it came from , but from that moment on that longing would not leave me alone. I would even dream about God. One day I saw an article in a community newspaper regarding services at a Lutheran Church and talked about the Holy spirit. I had not heard about that before. I am open minded, did go out of curiosity and sat way back. The service lasted a pretty long time , but as I was sitting there some thing funny was happening to me, it felt as if an electric current was flowing through my whole body and was so pleasant that I did not wanted to move. when I finally exited to the dark sky , everything looked different, the stars and my feeling for God was so overwhelming I could barely bear it. The next day I was driving to my art school and the way was by the ocean , I had never seen it so beautiful before. This lasted for 5 monts then those currents had become less and less. I now went searching, in all religious directions and philosophies , I wanted to know about God.
I discovered that God is not owned by any one religion, He/ She is for all of us. I learned about the Majesty of God through the Zohar, the Book of Splendor.
I read somewhere" that when the student is ready a Master will appear" I accepted that ,and reated my case. The Master came , for me in the form of books that came my way,and open to me and speak to me. I had a huge problem praying to God as my Father, I did not relate Him that way.
I also had an unspoken problem with believing Jesus as Gods son and felt that I was blespheming and was unsincere when praying to him. I had problem with religions as I read about the killings and persecutions that they committed in Gods name (even today)
I read the bible about God and the human characteristics they assigned to him, when HE/SHE is Majesty and Glory, and Splendor. the conflicting gospels ect. I now finally at rest within . God as the Great Spirit , He/She is within us and in all of the creation, I have respect for it all. The Universe is within us and we are in the Universe.We are in constant commune whether we are aware or not.( Thats what Jesus meant when He said " the Kingdom Of God is withtin us " ? I believe so.
I am quoting some one;
"THROUGH SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION ARE WE LED TO GOD"
So who is the One who gives the desire for Him in the first place? It is God.

So thats where I am coming from Old Goat, I do admit its not your usual belief, but it is what it is. Apologizing for bein long winded :-)

[treasurecoast]

Originally Posted by blucher

That would have been my first guess but it sounds as much like a California name too. More than a few of the Spanish Gold Fleets met their end by hurricane but many fell prey to pirates and the English too.

Ever hang out in Boca? I have a friend there and you dress like sisters.

No, I do not get down to Boca. The dress up was for an occassion, before retiring, I am pretty much an informal person, prefers sneakers and hiking, and nature, not the social sceene.
:-)
Bucher: I have to brush up on California history. I knew the Spanish were there ,but had no idea that they had ships there as well! I thought that their ships would be sailing out from the Gulf of Mexico. How did they get around the the continents? Its a long long way!

[RiponredTJ]

I believe once the Spaniards conquered Mexico and Peru, the started building their ships on the west coast of central and south america.

[KraZeDav]

Hi,
I'm new to this forum and have not read any other threads in this religon category

I find this thread to be very interesting.
I'm not a religious man although my wife and her family are Christian.
I'm not very knowledgeable as to whole content of the Bible.
I should read it, but My reading skills suck.

I was raised in a catholic home, and was actually an Altar Boy in my youth.
Presently I'd guess I would classify myself as an atheist.
But I'm not one to press my disbelief of a God onto others.
Free will to believe what you want. (as long as that belief is not a threat to harm me and my family)
My disbelief in God may be due to people quoting "God has a plan"
"The bible is the truth" Well there are to many things that I have been quoted to me from the bible that just don't make since."

I tried to open my heart to God and Jesus but it just didn't work for me.
I don't believe in heaven or hell so there is no reason for me to be concerned about my soul being saved.

I don't deny Jesus exited, but I don't believe there is some almighty up there that is listening to my prayers. If I had any.
This concept of angels. Wasn't Lucifer an Angel that was cast out of Heaven.
Doesn't that make angles to be some sort of semi-god with limited power to try and sway you to do things evil.
It's all confusing to me. So much stuff to sort through. Must be part of Gods plan. Not a very good one. Kind of a trial and error sort of thing.

Originally Posted by blucher

Is Treasure Island related to the Treasure Coast?

I used to live on Treasure Island. That picture is in reference Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island located in San Francisco Bay.

[JeeperDon]

Originally Posted by treasurecoast

In my 20,s and early 30s had no thought about God, lived my life happy go lucky,studied , no tragedies no crisis,or bad habbits. No church , no religion.

Thats the rub. You never had any rethinking of Religion/God, just thought of having fun, were just a dormant believer. Pretty much everyone is brought up religious of some sort (not Atheist/Agnostic). You have to think outside your parents box to escape the dogma. You had 20 yrs to do that, missed the opportunity.