THE ESSENCE OF JESUS MESSAGE

[Questioning]

If any of you understand how the mind can be "conditioned" to believe certain things, then perhaps you will open your mind to explore what I am about to suggest.  But the fear of everlasting Hell in an afterlife is one of the strongest conditionings that can take place, and can even cause you to "discount" any information outside your present knowledge base. I am challenging you to think about the conditioning that has taken place in your life.  I was one of you until it dawned on me that I had been "conditioned" by church dogma.

After growing up in Christianity and years of prayerful study of the Bible, and then studying the evolution of life on earth, and how the mind can be conditioned to think, and believe certain things, and now about the evolution of God/gods, and of religions, I have come to some conclusions.  One is that authoritarian fear conditioned into a young mind is a VERY powerful motivator.

Also, along with the evolution of humans came the evolution of gods, religions and morality.  Reading the Bible and believing you understand all of this evolution is like studying the tail of an elephant, and thinking you understand the whole animal.  I just finished reading the book, A LITTLE HISTORY OF RELIGION, by Richard Holloway.  It is a fairly short, easy to read summary of the evolution of gods and religions, and pretty well sums up the following books.  More detailed books are;  A HISTORY OF GOD, by Karen Armstrong.  EVOLUTION OF GOD, by Robert Wright.  HOW JESUS BECAME GOD, by Bart Ehrman.  And RELIGION EXPLAINED, by Pascal Boyer. 

I invite you to pray to discern truth, and look at the ideas presented in these books.  I also invite you to study about human mental development and how the mind is shaped and "conditioned".  And study about delusions and hallucinations.  There is valid information outside the Bible.  

I have decide I am a "Jesus-ite".  I believe in his philosophy of life, but not his divinity.  And I apologize for some occasional sarcasm or "snarkyness".  I need to work on that.  I realize this post may be deleted, and I may even be banned from the site.  If so, I wish all of you well.

[Michael37]

38 minutes ago, Questioning said:

If any of you understand how the mind can be "conditioned" to believe certain things, then perhaps you will open your mind to explore what I am about to suggest.  But the fear of everlasting Hell in an afterlife is one of the strongest conditionings that can take place, and can even cause you to "discount" any information outside your present knowledge base. I am challenging you to think about the conditioning that has taken place in your life.  I was one of you until it dawned on me that I had been "conditioned" by church dogma.

After growing up in Christianity and years of prayerful study of the Bible, and then studying the evolution of life on earth, and how the mind can be conditioned to think, and believe certain things, and now about the evolution of God/gods, and of religions, I have come to some conclusions.  One is that authoritarian fear conditioned into a young mind is a VERY powerful motivator.

Also, along with the evolution of humans came the evolution of gods, religions and morality.  Reading the Bible and believing you understand all of this evolution is like studying the tail of an elephant, and thinking you understand the whole animal.  I just finished reading the book, A LITTLE HISTORY OF RELIGION, by Richard Holloway.  It is a fairly short, easy to read summary of the evolution of gods and religions, and pretty well sums up the following books.  More detailed books are;  A HISTORY OF GOD, by Karen Armstrong.  EVOLUTION OF GOD, by Robert Wright.  HOW JESUS BECAME GOD, by Bart Ehrman.  And RELIGION EXPLAINED, by Pascal Boyer. 

I invite you to pray to discern truth, and look at the ideas presented in these books.  I also invite you to study about human mental development and how the mind is shaped and "conditioned".  And study about delusions and hallucinations.  There is valid information outside the Bible.  

I have decide I am a "Jesus-ite".  I believe in his philosophy of life, but not his divinity.  And I apologize for some occasional sarcasm or "snarkyness".  I need to work on that.  I realize this post may be deleted, and I may even be banned from the site.  If so, I wish all of you well.

What about the resurrection of Christ?

About The Resurrection Of Christ - General Discussion - Worthy Christian Forums

When it becomes obvious to a person that the Divinity of Christ is the remedy to the Fall of Humanity there is no need to consider other options. None whatsoever, which is why Paul wrote these words in Romans 8.

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:

“For Your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”g

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Berean Study Bible] 

[Waggles]

34 minutes ago, Questioning said:

I invite you to pray to discern truth, and look at the ideas presented in these books.  I also invite you to study about human mental development and how the mind is shaped and "conditioned".  And study about delusions and hallucinations.  There is valid information outside the Bible.

2Timothy 4:3  For a season will be when they will not endure the sound teaching; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; 4  and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto the fables. 

Isaiah 57:15  For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

None of what you write is valid. For to find the truth of the God of salvation is of the heart - our inner selves. It is with the heart that one believes and of the heart that one repents, and humbles themselves. It is with the heart that one forsakes selfwill.

Books by unbelievers are just that products of worldly wisdom - the blind leading the blind. There is no truth in them because the truth does not dwell in them.

And you have no answers to the posts that I have written about the Spirit of truth; experiencing God; interacting with God; knowledge of God; miracles; healings; signs and wonders; blessings; answered prayer. 

I do not know which denomination or sect of Christianity you grew up in but it obviously was unsatisfactory. But that is no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I invite you to pray to discern truth from Jesus Christ himself (as I did). If you sincerely desire salvation in the truth then Jesus will lead you to a church of believers who do it the right way. Experience God for yourself through the indwelling Holy Spirit. You in God and God in you. How much more truth do you need?

But if you weary of God and righteousness then you may foolishly seek your salvation through Darwin and Dawkins.

 

[Questioning]

You were conditioned to believe the Bible is THE word of God.   If you had been born in India to a Hindu family you would likely believe their holy books were the word of God.  Their religion is older than Christianity.   I am inviting you to study the history of all religions to see which is the "valid" one.  

[Guest clancy]

2 minutes ago, Questioning said:

You were conditioned to believe the Bible is THE word of God.   If you had been born in India to a Hindu family you would likely believe their holy books were the word of God.  Their religion is older than Christianity.   I am inviting you to study the history of all religions to see which is the "valid" one.  

It’s times like this, when I read your reply....which makes perfect sense..

To be conditioned and brainwashed into believing something that isn’t true, must be horrendous, but you wouldn’t know that, because you were brought up in it.

I thank God I had no such upbringing.....I received the Holy Spirit many years ago, I am born again, the Bible is the word of God and he opens it up to me daily ....He leads me through his word, which fills me with, “ Awe”.....that is my belief,which isn’t up for discussion.?

[Questioning]

4 minutes ago, clancy said:

.....that is my belief,which isn’t up for discussion.?

Then I guess this is the end of the discussion between you and I.

[Guest clancy]

Once you believe God is who he says he is...you know it in your Spirit, who ever the Father gives to Jesus....He won’t lose one.....never ever!!....in Jesus Name, Amen!

 

There is no arguing.....Just Praise and Worship for our wonderful Father In Heaven!......

[Questioning]

Unless someone is willing to look at evidence regarding religion outside of what you already know, we have nothing more to discuss.  

[Guest clancy]

31 minutes ago, Questioning said:

Unless someone is willing to look at evidence regarding religion outside of what you already know, we have nothing more to discuss.  

You will have an impossible job, discussing that God doesn’t exist ,with a “ believer “ in Christ.....waste of time, we hold the truth.

[Waggles]

2 hours ago, Questioning said:

You were conditioned to believe the Bible is THE word of God.   If you had been born in India to a Hindu family you would likely believe their holy books were the word of God.  Their religion is older than Christianity.   I am inviting you to study the history of all religions to see which is the "valid" one.  

You always avoid what others post in response to your blogs. You skip over the truth presented to you, and keep on professing where your heart is at here in this thread. 

I was not conditioned to believe the Bible is the word of God. Far from it. I enjoyed my sinful lifestyle and the pleasures I indulged in. It was only when I received the Holy Spirit of God that my heart and my eyes were enlightened and only then did I come to know the truth of the word of God. 

As for Hinduism and their religion being older that Christianity that is no evidence of truth. That just confirms Deuteronomy 32: 8-10. I am sure that I posted about these verses and what they mean for the world's other religions. But it all goes in one ear and straight out the other because in the end you are not really interested in truth.

Which is the valid one is the religion that saves people and their souls - where the lame do walk, and the blind do see, and the deaf do hear, and the dead are raised up, and miracles are supplied bountifully. Theses signs shall follow them that believe. By this we know which God is true. 

John 8:44  You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 
8:45  But because I [Jesus] tell the truth, you do not believe me. 

Job 1:7  The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”

Edited March 5, 2021 by Waggles