tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828101829504518203.post1187777934190603712..comments2024-03-22T06:31:42.929-05:00Comments on Wry Thoughts About Religion: Are there Gods among us?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828101829504518203.post-71738206096589796432017-02-27T00:16:38.678-06:002017-02-27T00:16:38.678-06:00Notably absent are any responses. I know what you...Notably absent are any responses. I know what you mean, Charlie, when you muse, "widely unread"! <br /><br />I'm not a dream-wreaker. I used to BE a Christian myself. I only want to help others see the reality available, not the imitation. The NT is not what Christians think! It was designed to mislead, not to inform. I can show so many proofs I needed to write the books I wrote to cover it all.Robert Wahlerhttp://www.rssb.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828101829504518203.post-37213877448329208902017-02-11T23:17:41.916-06:002017-02-11T23:17:41.916-06:00Yes. Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon, Radha Soami Sats...Yes. Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Beas, India, is a God-man. God in the flesh. Only living Masters can save. That is what THEY all say (John 6:40 RSV and 9:4-5 C. Sinaiticus) www.rssb.org The reason there is only one Christian God on earth is because it paid the clergy well.Robert Wahlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263735736178779472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828101829504518203.post-22736236227704027642017-02-08T12:56:52.265-06:002017-02-08T12:56:52.265-06:00Good afternoon Gene,
You suggest that we can view...Good afternoon Gene, <br />You suggest that we can view God from the perspective of his behaviors--one God who acts in three ways: Creator (i.e. God in his role as the creator of the Hebrew Bible), redeemer (God the Son who redeems), sanctifier (God the Spirit who sanctifies). It is of course modeled on the 4th century political solution of the Trinity. And it is the Trinity by another name, but it does fit well into Christian Theology, because of its Trinitarian feature. But if you are really going to evaluate behaviors shouldn't you consider all the behavioral traits of the ancient Hebrew God? He doesn't have only three and some of the ways he was portrayed to behave are less than kind, even bordering on the cruel.<br />Cordially,<br />CharlieCharles Hedrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11285420936166236724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828101829504518203.post-20194845957862940882017-02-07T14:33:35.927-06:002017-02-07T14:33:35.927-06:00Hi Charlie,
Back in the early 70's I delivere...Hi Charlie,<br /><br />Back in the early 70's I delivered a sermon on the Trinity to a United Methodist congregation. I made a psychological interpretation, namely that God behaves, influences time and space, in three ways: creator, redeemer, and sanctifier, to use traditional language. I made a strong point that the trinity is about three behaviors, not about three objective beings somehow glued together in the 4th century. With the rise of the science of psychology my behavioral approach was distinctively 20th century<br /><br />After the sermon a middle age woman came up to me claiming that I had saved her life with the best sermon she ever heard. For years she couldn't figure out how to divide up God into three parts and make any sense of it. <br /><br />Why are gods still among us? Perhaps because we cannot create, redeem, and sanctify ourselves.<br /><br />Gene Stecher<br />Chambersburg, Pa.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828101829504518203.post-40537687302067554292017-02-06T09:15:02.725-06:002017-02-06T09:15:02.725-06:00Good Morning Elizabeth,
Fourth Century Christianit...Good Morning Elizabeth,<br />Fourth Century Christianity protected itself from a charge of polytheism by inventing the Trinity (three distinct figures in one, or one figure in his three manifestations). Whoever buys into that will not think of themselves as a polytheist. I personally think of the doctrine of the Trinity as a political solution to accommodate the three divine figures in the earlier texts. They only became a problem later.<br />Second paragraph: The many deities and divine figures in the Greek and Roman religious traditions were not under Zeus. The situation was much more diversified than is suggested by a traditional Twelve (or 13 counting Dionysus) Gods of the Greek Pantheon. See Robert Graves, The Greek Myths (in two volumes 1955).<br />With regard to your third paragraph see my article "Is Belief in the Divinity of Jesus Essential to Being Christian" the Fourth R 24.5 (September/October), 15-20. 26. My answer was no, it is not.<br />Cordially,<br />Charlie Charles Hedrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11285420936166236724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828101829504518203.post-69312034246753567042017-02-04T17:41:29.655-06:002017-02-04T17:41:29.655-06:00Charlie, I have questions about Christianity's...Charlie, I have questions about Christianity's claim to be monotheist. In your opinion, how did they succeed at ensuring this label- that they were not really polytheists? I marvel at how they pulled that off so well. What about you- did the Nicene council convince you that they are monotheists?<br /><br />The ancient Greek gods you mentioned earlier had a similar set up as God the Father and Jesus the Son. Zeus was an all powerful mega-god, too busy running the universe to listen or become involved with mortals... The lowly human was too intimidated to approach him. So mere mortals had to approach a lesser god such as Apollo or Aphrodite, etc, to obtain help or make an appeal... It's a similar situation with Jesus... God the Father was, I suppose, too big and important to become involved with human activities... Therefore, he sent his son to interact with and become involved in earthly matters of sin and atonement, etc. But we are supposed to call that arrangement a "monotheistic" Godhead... Really??<br /><br />One final question- can one be a Christian and yet not believe that Jesus was divine? Or that his crucifixion atonement for human sin (vicarious atonement)? What's your view?<br /><br />Thank you for this thought provoking article! Elizabeth Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07407263133805266418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828101829504518203.post-39509772786725507492017-02-04T14:15:49.101-06:002017-02-04T14:15:49.101-06:00Good afternoon Charles,
It is likely a survival of...Good afternoon Charles,<br />It is likely a survival of polytheism. The Ancient Hebrews were henotheists--that is to say, they recognized that other Gods existed, although they only worshipped one.<br />Charlie/DadCharles Hedrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11285420936166236724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828101829504518203.post-72501737796652743772017-02-04T11:58:03.529-06:002017-02-04T11:58:03.529-06:00Well, your blog always surprises me! I had no ide...Well, your blog always surprises me! I had no idea that there were such references to divine beings in the bible. Do you think this is a relic of polytheism? The influence of other cultures? Hedrick jrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13184866783553665982noreply@blogger.com