Comprende? Catholic means universal, not just Roman Catholic. What makes religious adherents to various denominations feel that Jesus came to start a denomination (theirs of course), let alone ANY religion of any sort? Could it be, can your mind fathom such a thought, that Jesus came to reveal to us what true spiritual beings we really are? What a concept!
For Jesus the “ticket to heaven” was not membership in an outer religious form, but an inner state of unconditional love.
What the world needs now is LOVE, sweet love……..and a truly universal spiritual movement wherein one group is not better than another group, just different. Is different okay? For some, “different” is scary and to be avoided if not obliterated such that they don’t influence others. The sectarian and highly divisive “only Christians are going to heaven“, meaning if you’re not with us, you’re going to hell, has seen enough violence and horrible results.
We’ve killed far too many in the name of God!
Instead of trying to “convert” people to your denomination, or even your own local assembly, why not just love people- with no strings attached? Of course to do that takes the competitive fun out of it all. We need to go beyond the surface meanings of Jesus, which were hidden in parables to begin with, and into the deeper spiritual truths. The Bible that the Roman emperors and early church fathers decided would be our canon, wasn’t a license to kill everyone who would not take a vow to uphold such man-proclaimed creeds and confessions.
But of course the Crusades, Inquisitions, and other such atrocities prove otherwise.
I don’t know how long it will take, but I feel that ultimately the Christ consciousness, without the religious exclusiveness, is the message of the Father wants us to embrace. And, it’s not limited to Christianity- just most plainly seen, as I see it. One more time, God didn’t just give salvistic patents to Christians only. 
God is most DEFINED in Jesus, but not CONFINED to Jesus!
Jesus was NOT a Christian! Jesus did not come to start a new religion!
“Organized Christianity has probably done more to retard the ideals that were its founder’s than any other agency in the world.” – Richard Le Gallienne
The sooner I understand that my purpose here on earth is not to convince everyone else that my way is the only way, the sooner LOVE will reign in my life.
The sooner Christians understand that they were not put here to correct everyone else’s thinking (read:theology), the sooner God can speak love to them for the world.
“God is most DEFINED in Jesus, but not CONFINED to Jesus!” This is one of my favorite quotes! Loved your post today, Ernie! Here’s another fav….”Be the change you want to see in the world.” Ghandi
Challenging the exclusive truth of Christianity (i.e. my brand of Christianity”) also challenges the perception of reality bonded to that truth. If the Bible=Truth then the Bhagavad Gita can not also equal truth.
Attempting to say that the Bible=Truth and Bhagavad Gita=truth to those that hold this perception of the sacred being bonded to reality is a form of doublethink. But it is only doublethink if you believe that at the core of these two sacred texts the spiritual truths they contain contradict each other. It would be nearly impossible to reconcile both if they’re considered as contradictory.
Luckily, some understand that universal truth is universal no matter how it is packaged.
Peace and Blessings…
Ellen- Ghandi was one of my favorite people and I too love that quote, to which I’d add, “Be the LOVE that you want to see in the world”.
Eruesso- Well said my friend….and “The Truth” because therein enters the dualistic paradigm that constantly needs to fight to prove “they are right” and all others therefore, wrong!
I agree that we should love everyone, no matter what they believe. Christians are, however, supposed to be light and salt, which makes us stand out from people in other religions. We, unlike other religions’ disciples, serve a resurrected Savior. Only Jesus can reconcile people to God (Romans 5:11). John 3:36 declares, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Christians don’t have the responsibility of deciding whether or not a person is going to heaven, as only God judges the hearts. We can rest assured that God gives every opportunity and mercy to all people of each nation and religion. God’s truth got through to Rahab and Ruth, neither of whom are likely candidates to know the one true God.
We understand the OT saints didn’t know the literal “name” Jesus, but they’re with the Lord. I know God has shown me people I thought didn’t know Him had received Jesus even though they didn’t publicly acknowledge Him like many Christians think is necessary. “The Lord knows those who are His.” 2 Tim. 2:19.
Perhaps every time that we Imagine lovingly on behalf of another, we are reconciling God to man.
Jesus did not come to create an elitist society but to level the playing field all the while elevating the bar. This is the hardest thing for our ego to recieve. Equality. We may be on different paths but all will get there. The premise that any will be left behind would imply that we are seperate. All or nothing will force us to look at one another differently.
There are about 25 other books which were left out of the Bible containing truths that strangly coincide with many eastern religious beliefs. Not having these have caused us to be behind instead of ahead of others as we have so arrogantly thought.
Love is uniting us and change is here.
Paulette Cola-Williams: More like 150 books!
I just reacquainted myself with the book of Enoch which is the OT equivalent of the NT Gospel of Phillip. To miss the spiritual depth of those and all the Gnostic books that the emperors didn’t like (The early church had no power to do otherwise) and had excluded from ‘canonization’ is to miss a LOT!
God gives man an incredible amount of power when He allows us to accept or reject Him. It’s incredible to realize the God of all creation wants us to desire Him, as He said in Isaiah 44:22, “Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” There is definitely a choice required by the individual.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave an invitation to everyone to enter by the narrow gate which leads to life rather than the broad way that leads to destruction. (Matthew 7:13,14). The opportunity is there for all people, but Jesus calls each person to decide whether they choose to believe in Him or remain in darkness (John 12:46).
“We, unlike other religions’ disciples, serve a resurrected Savior. Only Jesus can reconcile people to God”
Exclusivity to the power of 10. This is why Christianity must change and live the love OR die. We must get away from the US vs THEM paradigm.
Don, what you see as exclusivity I know to be the word of God. If you’ll read what I wrote earlier, you’ll see that I said God gives everyone an opportunity to know Him. Believing in Jesus is not about being exclusive, simply acknowledging your need for a Savior. God has put enough understanding into every person in the world so they are without excuse to make that decision (Romans 1:19,20). Receiving Jesus is not us v. them, nor is it presented that way anywhere in the Bible. It’s an opportunity to speak about the One we know to hearts that are open.
Could it be that to receive Jesus is to receive one’s Self? If when we refer to Jesus, we think of someone or something outside of ourselves, we have failed to see the true Jesus–the true Lord and Creative Power that is our own Imaginitive Essence. It is only when we detach from that limited human self that we are born into the new Life of that which Scripture calls The Christ.
You got it my friend.
God through Jesus has/had already showed us what our social organisms would/will do with ‘love and truth.’ He sowed us what we had done with God before Jesus as well what we would do after Jesus death and ressurection. The government (Rome) allowed Jesus to be placed on the cross even despite finding no flaw in Him and seemingly wished to free Him. The King (Herod) allowed Jesus to be placed on the cross even despite not feeling threatened by Him. That was the same king that feared/respected John the Baptists words and was greived to have to put him to death. The Religious leaders (Saducees and Pharasees) not only allowed Jesus to be put on the cross, they were they very instagators of its happening. They that had the scripture and should have above any other ‘known’ God. But in effect Jesus died because the Religious leaders thought they knew God. They in effect thought the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament were two different God’s. They wanted their understanding to be their God, but God could not allow that. He can’t denie Himself. I’m on my way to church pray for me. In all things be blessed. I love you.
Linda- You said,” I said God gives everyone an opportunity to know Him…” What if you miss the opportunity? What if I was never exposed to Christianity or civilization?
You said, God has put enough understanding into every person in the world so they are without excuse to make that decision”.
Our schools and mental institutions are full of people who don’t have YOUR understanding and cannot make that fateful “right”decision.
You said, “what you see as exclusivity I know to be the word of God”
What does that mean? And how can you be so sure it is the “word of God”? That is one person’s opinion. Your action and attitude are the reason that many see Christianity as an exclusivist religion. The God I know is not exclusivist, but INCLUSIVE. I am truly sorry that you cannot see that. Why does it always have to be us vs them for you?
Don, God gives everyone every possible opportunity. That’s mercy. I’m not talking about people in mental institutions, I’m talking about an all-knowing loving God who absolutely understands what every person can comprehend. God’s told me the Bible is His word. Every person has to make that decision for themselves. The issue is not us v. them, it’s those who know Jesus having opportunity to share the life that’s only in Him.
Until the spirit opens the eyes of the understanding and ears to hear wisdom, you are casting your pearls… We are all one and nothing can seperate us from each other even as we cannot be seperated from God. The only one I can change is me. Beyond that prayer is a powerful tool. Let us pray for peace and enlightenment to all. There is no need to fight. Until God touches the place in the heart and draws a person our words are falling on deaf ears. It is like the Indian standing on the shore unable to see the ships out at sea because they had never seen that before and did not recognize it. Guard your heart with diligence. The pharisees did not die with the NT. They are still amongst us and are blind to the truth. It does cause one to ponder when you see people trying to break free of their chains and the pharasitical spirit continues to carefully use the law to imprison. The innocent should not have to suffer. I want to protect them like a Hen protects her chicks. When a person says God said it causes them to fear. But it is Love that will draw repentance. Repentance is just awakening to who you are. Fear forces people to remain in the false self.
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