Salvation not restricted to Christains

[Prober]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

Thomas might be mixing fundamentalists with the likes of the "700 Club" (you know, Swaggart, Taggart, Baker, Schueler, Pasadena's Crystal Mega church).

v/r

Joshua

Perhaps so. And I agree generally with the rest of the sentiment.

At the least, it's a mirror to hold up to my face to make sure I'm not "leavened".

[pattimax]

A lot of people who hold fundamental beliefs only have your best interest at heart.

2 Timothy 4:3-5

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

[Dor]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

Thomas might be mixing fundamentalists with the likes of the "700 Club" (you know, Swaggart, Taggart, Baker, Schueler, Pasadena's Crystal Mega church).

If that is the case, then I agree with him on those types of people. If it's Billy Grahamn and his son, then I don't.

v/r

Joshua

Not a single person on this list should be called a fundamentalist or anything besides a "wolf".

[AndrewX]

Originally Posted by Thomas

Of course, that is just my subjective experience. If one is more comfortable in another faith, well, I pray that you get the same benefits (or better ) as I have in my own walk.

If you find something better, let me know.

Hi Dondi,

I think this says it all! Whatever one is most comfortable with ...

and -

We must walk the Path that WE THINK is the right one ...

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

I know that for me, this path is not contemporary Christianity (at least, not at the present moment). My beliefs will not change, in the sense of say - ever ceasing to believe in Reincarnation, or believing in Jesus of Nazareth in quite the way most Christians tend to.

But I cannot say, that my field of service won't include the Christian Church, in some form or fashion, ten or twenty, or maybe two or three, years from now. Since I believe in rebirth, I figure I might even be a Baptist Minister (if I manage to earn that honor) in my next go-round ... though I dunno how popular I'd be, as I fully expect to be a woman!

Anyway, as for one path being "better" than another, Dondi ..

... I can't say that what I've found is any better for a single other person besides myself. I can only attest to what I've experienced, and say that thus-and-such "works for me" - not just because it appeals, or even rings true, though these are both part of the bigger picture. There is yet more to it than that.

It just has to do with why we believe, what we believe, and for me, Sacred Scripture is something much, much greater than the Holy Book(s) of one tradition alone ... I think there are many, many dozens, even hundred, perhaps thousands of such Scriptures - many known, some as yet unknown, undiscovered, even lost forever (eclipsed with the ancient cultures that once maintained them).


From the Buddha's closing words to His disciples, we see this indication:

"We are to believe [a thing] when the writing, doctrine, or saying is corroborated by our own reason and consciousness."

And thus, while not a Gnostic in the formal sense (vide Wikipedia) ... I do feel myself a budding, aspiring gnostic, with a "small `g,'" and in a more generic sense (as in, a `theosophist,' again with a "small `t'").

It just comes down to "what works" ...

peace,

~andrew

[pattimax]

[quote=Thomas;99852


I know many Christians state otherwise; not all men are theologians, and too many are too fond of their own opinions.


Thomas[/quote]

Should this statement only apply to Christians and/or NDE? I think not.

[Dondi]

Originally Posted by AndrewX

It just has to do with why we believe, what we believe, and for me, Sacred Scripture is something much, much greater than the Holy Book(s) of one tradition alone ... I think there are many, many dozens, even hundred, perhaps thousands of such Scriptures - many known, some as yet unknown, undiscovered, even lost forever (eclipsed with the ancient cultures that once maintained them).

That may well be, and perhaps in the future I might inquire on the books of other faiths. But I'm too busy trying to master the richness of the one Book I have as it is, (which is a collection of many books from two traditions, btw). And I don't even think I've made a dent in it yet.

[cyberpi]

Originally Posted by AndrewX

It just has to do with why we believe, what we believe, and for me, Sacred Scripture is something much, much greater than the Holy Book(s) of one tradition alone ... I think there are many, many dozens, even hundred, perhaps thousands of such Scriptures - many known, some as yet unknown, undiscovered, even lost forever (eclipsed with the ancient cultures that once maintained them).

I noticed that God does not refer to any book, scripture, or commandment, etc... as Holy. I find that God is right; books and scriptures are not Holy.

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by cyberpi

I noticed that God does not refer to any book, scripture, or commandment, etc... as Holy. I find that God is right; books and scriptures are not Holy.

You forgot the 10 commandments, allegedly given by God Himself and specfically told of man to keep holy...and since God allegedly wrote those commandments Himself, by default they are in fact "holy".

v/r

Joshua

[cyberpi]

There is the Holy Ghost, a Holy day (Sabbath), Holy places, Holy garments, and Holy people... where did God call the commandments Holy? He did not.

A special person, time, place, or thing can not be duplicated or soiled from the outside. But anything written is based on language, and that language is easily soiled by the outside. The Bible is NOT Holy. It is printed on DEAD trees. That should be a clue. I submit that the Ten commandments in stone were NOT called Holy by God for a reason. The Qur'an refers to itself, the Taurat, the Gospel, and the 'Book', and it does NOT call any of them Holy either. Anyone who calls the Bible or Qur'an Holy does not understand the nature of 'TRUTH'. Whereas, of course, God does.

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by cyberpi

There is the Holy Ghost, a Holy day (Sabbath), Holy places, Holy garments, and Holy people... where did God call the commandments Holy? He did not.

A special person, time, place, or thing can not be duplicated or soiled from the outside. But anything written is based on language, and that language is easily soiled by the outside. The Bible is NOT Holy. It is printed on DEAD trees. That should be a clue. I submit that the Ten commandments in stone were NOT called Holy by God for a reason. The Qur'an refers to itself, the Taurat, the Gospel, and the 'Book', and it does NOT call any of them Holy either. Anyone who calls the Bible or Qur'an Holy does not understand the nature of 'TRUTH'. Whereas, of course, God does.

He said to keep them holy...that pretty much sums it up.

Let me rephrase (since you are looking for a specific passage, just one, that is God lead and infers holy scripture)

Commandmant number 4:

Remember the sabbath day,
to keep it holy.
Six days you shall labor,
and do all your work;
but the seventh day is a sabbath
to the Lord your God;
in it you shall not do any work,
you, or your son, or your daughter,
your manservant, or your maidservant,
or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates;
for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that is in them,
and rested the seventh day;
therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day


and hallowed it

Genesis 20:8-11 (RSV)

what does holy, and hallowed mean?

And anyone who deliberately denies others of what they consider truth in scripture ...is what? Enlightenened? Most would be hard pressed to accept that, particularly in an aggressive light...

Just a thought.

v/r

Joshua

[cyberpi]

One of the commandments is to remember and keep the Sabbath day Holy. How does that sum up the 10 commandments? I should think the stone tablets would have been called Holy if they were not dropped and lost, but the problem is the nature of language. There is no shortage of things touched in the world by God, but can they be kept clean? God clearly says that he is Holy and his name is Hallowed, but per the Bible he did not call the stone tablets Holy... nor even his words and commandments that were written on them.

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by cyberpi

One of the commandments is to remember and keep the Sabbath day Holy. How does that sum up the 10 commandments? I should think the stone tablets would have been called Holy if they were not dropped and lost, but the problem is language. There is no shortage of things touched in the world by God, but can they be kept clean? God clearly says that he is Holy and his name is Hallowed, but per the Bible he did NOT call the stone tablets Holy.

You said, "where did God call the commandments Holy? He did not".

I just proved you in doubt of your own statement.

Yep, I'm knit picking, just like you have been. There is one Commandment that God His self said to keep holy. That is one scripture you can't deny.

And it isn't the tablets nor the laws written on paper that are important, but rather what is written in the heart of man (that you curiously ignore). But I tell you, if all civil law disolved tomorrow, there would still be law (as written in a man's heart). The commandments are holy...argue all you want. Been there, done that, own the tee shirt.

[Dondi]

"Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." - Romans 7:12

[Faithfulservant]

Holy in that context means set apart.. if that was a legitimate question.

[Prober]

So, if they're holy, shouldn't we keep all of these commandments?