Premises of Religion
I will be most gratified to correspond
about these ideas
with anyone who is interested in doing so.
If you would like to correspond with me you may
do so at:
DawSayer@webpal.org
For anyone who would like to discuss religion with me -
there are some points that I would like to first list -
to determine if we agree.
If you do NOT agree about one of the following points -
PLEASE let me know,
and also WHAT your position is.
Otherwise, anything that I might say
would be wrongfully based upon the assumption
that it would be understood in a particular way -
and likewise I would be misunderstanding statements
made by yourself.
I first list the points
and then give examples
so that you can hopefully
clearly understand what I mean.
I call these first points "premises".
Premise One.
There is but One God (Creator) -
(in the Universe, anywhere, anytime -
in any manner of true concept.
Beyond what we call space or time -
or any other qualification that one might make
to say that there is or could be any but
the One True God.)
Premise Two.
God is separate from His Creation.
(meaning that God the Creator is
something different than the Creation
and apart from it. The opposite belief,
called "pantheism" being that He is in
His Creation and that creation itself
is god).
Premise Three.
Both God and His Creation are Infinite (and Eternal) -
(meaning without end - beyond
definitions of size, or limitations imposed
by concepts of space and time).
Premise Four.
God is Infinite Spiritual REALITY and Truth
(but mortal man is subject to illusions,
and delusions, about the appearances of reality
and truth.)
Premise Five.
God being Infinite and men being finite -
men cannot comprehend God on their own.
(This means that God has to make
Himself known to man).
Premise Six.
God makes Himself known
through His Prophets and Revealed Word.
Premise Seven.
God, and His Creation, being Infinite -
means that there always has been -
and always will be MORE for man
to learn about God and His Creation.
As examples of the above (by the same number as the premises) -
1. Many people in the past have been polytheists,
and many in the world are still so today -
but few avowed Christians, aside from Mormons,
proclaim themselves to believe in more than one god.
A great many people, indeed most people,
actually have difficulty accepting that there is REALLY
only one God and they make in their minds idols
of other powers separate from God.
2. The concept of God and His Creation being one,
which is defined as pantheism,
is more usually found among what we call
New Age Religion.
3. Most people do not really wrestle with
or try to grasp the meaning of the concepts
Infinite and Eternal.
4. Again, the Mormons see God as a physical being,
and that all is matter. Monality versus duality,
like Infinite and Eternal, is another one of those concepts
that many people have not really wrestled with.
5. Man's relationship to God in that man
is completely subservient to God
offends a great number of people today -
who feel that they can figure out anything
through what they call "science"
and that in reality God is unnecessary to them.
6. Recognition of the Prophets
and the Revealed Word -
is almost anathama to many people today.
Their view is, if Jesus existed,
He was "just" a man -
and that Scriptures are simply
a collection of myths, ancient stories,
and outdated beliefs from early times.
7. On the other hand -
many people hold an opposite view
regarding Scriptures.
They feel that they have in THEIR scriptures
ALL knowledge and that there is none other.
Thus the Jews hold onto only the Old Testament -
saying to Jesus -
"What need have we of You. -
We have Abraham and our Fathers (the Prophets).
And the Christians are not about to accept
Mohammad and the Koran,
because they feel the Bible is the FINAL Word of God,
although Jesus said -
that He could not reveal unto them many things
that they were incapable of understanding at that time.
And the Moslems feel that the Koran is the Final Book -
and that Muhammad was the "Seal of the Prophets" -
so that they persecute Those Who follow Him.
In discussion with Christians,
a beginning point often is that I say that
Christians hold too small an idea of Jesus.
In response to their question of how that can be -
I respond:
1. Many Christians hold Jesus to be God.
"The Father and I are One".
If this is true,
then with God being Infinite
any comprehension about the nature of Jesus
would then need to be Infinite also -
and equally impossible to encompass
as would it be impossible to encompass
the understanding of God.
2. While many Christians will repeat phrases
such as -
"Under no other Name under heaven,
shall man be saved,
except through the Name of
the Lord Jesus Christ" -
they do not really look at the immensity
that we see today of the Galaxies -
and comprehend what that means.
3. Many Christians in talking about Jesus
place Him at one point in time and space -
2,000 years ago on this single planet.
THAT is a very limited idea.
The most difficult concept for most person's to comprehend about Baha'i-
is what is meant by the term "Manifestation of God".
This is most often where we need to begin -
but I am willing to discuss instead any other issue
that correspondents wish to discuss.
I welcome your emails.
Peace and love,
Bruce
bruce@webpal.org