Sannhetseeker

Is there a literal Hell? Is there a place where one will go when one dies if one "sins"? According to my Lutheran pastor this place exists and that I will end up there if I do sin. But while there are many verses in the Bible that refer to Hell or something similar (Hades, the grave, fires below, etc.), I just can't believe that a God of Love (God/Love) would banish someone to Hell. It’s just not something that a loving "being" would do. How would God/Love be capable of creating something like... Sign in to see full entry.

As I have been posting on this blog the last few weeks and reading all of the wonderful posts by others, I find that I am solidifying my views with regard to religion - sometimes in surprising ways. A while back I would have been surprised to hear myself state that I thought Jesus sinned. Another aspect of this solidification is my feeling that "God" is not involved in our daily lives and that "God" is not a person so much as a divine intelligence. While I am comfortable with this view, it plays... Sign in to see full entry.

Religous tolerance. What exactly does that mean? If we look up tolerance in Webster's, we find that tolerance means, "sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own." If we then take sympathy and look up its meaning, we find that one meaning is "unity or harmony in action or effect." So in essence, religious tolerance means we are united in beliefs or practices that differ from one's own. For me, this then means that if I am a Christian, then I am... Sign in to see full entry.

I've always been fairly comfortable with the idea that Jesus was a real man walking the earth 2000 years ago. And I still am. But I was reading today about Mithra, a fictional character worshipped as a kind of Messiah during the time of Christ. According to the article I was reading, Mithra was the chief rival of Christianity at that time - very popular in Rome - and that Mithra was very much similar to Jesus. Both born of a virgin, both birtdays (and one still is) were celebrated on the 25th of... Sign in to see full entry.

As I sat watching a tremendous monsoon thunderstorm tear through my part of the Valley of the Sun last night(dumping 1 1/2 inches of badly need rain as it ran its path) I began to think about my belief that God is Love. And I started thinking about if God is Love, then why is there so much hate and evil in the world? In my readings I have come across the word "theodicy", the term to describe the paradox of a Good and powerful God allowing hate and pain and evil to occur. So I began to ask that... Sign in to see full entry.

Here is the question of the day: Was Jesus without sin? For some, in order for Christ's death and resurrection to have meant something, he had to walk this earth as a sinless being. Those who believe he was without sin state that since he was God incarnate, he could not have sinned. God is perfect and without sin, so Jesus too was without sin. His crucifixion, the spilling of his blood to cleanse ours, would not have worked had he not been pure - had he not been without sin. I look at it a... Sign in to see full entry.

Did Christ truly die for our sins? That is a question I came across today while conducting my daily ritual of religious/spiritual reading, and the question intrigued me. I, like many others, was taught that Christ died for my sins. He gave the ultimate sacrifice by being crucified. But I am not sure I believe that he died for my sins. I base my doubts on the premise that I don't believe man was ever condemned to Sin's lair because of a partially eaten apple. As I mentioned before, in my view God... Sign in to see full entry.

I was reading somewhere this morning (it may have been a post here) about religion and the author made a statement something to the effect that ritual is not necessary. For me, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Ritual for me is another form of meditation and prayer. When I am performing a ritual, whether it is a religious ritual at church, or washing the dishes at home, I am quieting my mind. I don’t have to think. The ritual allows me to be totally in the moment. When I am in the moment,... Sign in to see full entry.

I came across this new take on the 10 Commandments at a great website - religioustolerance.org. It was written by someone who prefers to remain anonymous, and I liked them, so I thought I would post them - especially given my recent posts on the Commandments. Respect and worship any deity within your faith tradition, if you follow one. Value and support the right of others to do the same. Enjoy and support legal guarantees of freedom of religious belief, religious practice, assembly and speech... Sign in to see full entry.

While on vacation the last two weeks, I was able to catch up with my wife’s nephew and his partner. They are both from Boston and informed our family gathering that they planned on marrying the following week. They showed us their rings and were very excited about their upcoming nuptials. As I drove home from this vacation, my thoughts kept wandering back to how the news of this wedding was received. Nearly every family member there was uncomfortable upon hearing the news, and a few, while quiet... Sign in to see full entry.