He said He would return - Jesus Christ - Today?

[Jeroen Wenting]

Originally posted by Helen Thomas:


You mean in all probability you could be The Messiah returned !!!
:roll:

More likely in all improbability
According to 2 churches I'm more like the antichrist after all, the spawn of heretics and excommunicated churchmembers

[Ellen Zhao]

Are you asking for more Russel, Helen?

Why am I not a Christian?

Here are more.

[Mark Fletcher]

Originally posted by Joel McNary:


Then you perhaps missed the two-part episode entitled "The Return of Optimus Prime," where Optimus was rescued from being thrown into the sun? And I'm not talking about the new series either -- this was in the classic line.

Woohoo! Im going to google it... you dont know if it came out on DVD?

[Mapraputa Is]

The Bible speaks of two places that we will spend eternity, either Heaven or Hell (a place of eternal torment).

Here I sthe quote I like more:

"Of course it helps to believe that after all we�ve been through here on earth, there can�t possibly such places as Heaven and Hell. It just seems so awfully redundant. If there is a God, one would hope that s/he is above tautology."
http://openbrackets.com/article/633/leter-reap

[peter wooster]

Originally posted by Warren Dew:
peter wooster:

I find the first of the Mahayana Buddist Bodhisatva vows to be much more in keeping.

All beings, without number, I vow to liberate

But then Buddists are only a small step away from humanists, agnostics, and atheists. Instead of putting most of humanity down, they vow to raise them up.

Uh ... it seems to this atheist that "raising up" others is the same kind of do-goodism that Map and others are objecting to. Especially since I kind of enjoy the wheel of life that the Buddhists want to liberate me from.

I haven't actually had any problems with Buddhists, though ... they seem to want to liberate themelves before they liberate others, and none has yet contacted me from beyond the wheel of life.

[ January 02, 2005: Message edited by: Warren Dew ]

I didn't say it was perfect, just that it is closer to what the evangelists should be attempting to achieve. The difference between the Mahayana and the Hinayana Buddhists addresses your question. The Hinayana (lesser vehicle) believes that achieving your own liberation is all that matters, such belief is common in Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. The Mahayana (greater vehicle) believes that helping others attain liberation is more important, this belief is common in Nepal, Tibet, China, and Japan.

One of the best things about Buddhism in general is that extreme positions are against their religion. The "middle way" was taught by the historical buddha and moderation in everything, including moderation is encouraged.

The fact that the most significant saint in Mahayana Buddhism is Kannon (the "Bodhisatva of Compassion") is a stark contrast to Saint Michael, who represents the Wrath of God (Michael is ancient Hebrew for the Power of God, or did they mean the God of Power?). Michael is often seen in medieval paintings holding a sword and separating the saved from the damned.

The closest Buddhism gets to damnation is the idea of being constantly reborn into this world, like "Groundhog day" until you get it right. But then Kannon has chosen that path to assist others on their journey, sort of like those people who continue to post on the Certification forums long after they haved passed.
[ January 03, 2005: Message edited by: peter wooster ]

[Warren Dew]

peter wooster:

I didn't say it was perfect, just that it is closer to what the evangelists should be attempting to achieve.

I wasn't really disagreeing with you. I just have a different perspective on Buddhism.

I don't really see a fundamental difference between the Mahayana Buddhists and the Christian evangelists. They're both motivated by good intentions - they have something they think is good, and they want me to have it, too. If there's a problem, it's just that what they think is good is not what I think is good. And the truth is, there usually isn't a problem, because most Christians and most Buddhists are willing to leave me alone.

The Mahayana (greater vehicle) believes that helping others attain liberation is more important, this belief is common in Nepal, Tibet, China, and Japan.

That's probably why I'm more familiar with the Mahayana form, as I'm half Chinese.

The fact that the most significant saint in Mahayana Buddhism is Kannon (the "Bodhisatva of Compassion") is a stark contrast to Saint Michael, who represents the Wrath of God ... The closest Buddhism gets to damnation is the idea of being constantly reborn into this world

I guess I prefer the Judeo-Christian approach. At least I can agree that Hell isn't a place I'd like to be in. In contrast, being constantly reincarnated as a variety of creatures - what the Mahayana Buddhists are trying to save me from - sounds like a lot of fun to me, as it would let me experience the world from a very wide variety of viewpoints; "escaping" that wheel of life into the void sounds to me just about as bad as eternal torment.

And as for Kuanyin versus Michael, I've always objected more to folks who try to push me into things I don't like "for my own good" than to folks who push me around for their own purposes. I guess I'd rather face Michael, though I recognize not everyone feels that way.

[Mike Gershman]

Deuteronomy 34:10
And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face;

And Christian fundamentalists think that Moses is burning in Hell.

[Michael Ernest]

Originally posted by Mark Fletcher:

Woohoo! I'm going to google it... you dont know if it came out on DVD?

Silly consumer. Use Amazon for that kind of query.

[Carol Murphy]

Originally posted by Mike Gershman:


And Christian fundamentalists think that Moses is burning in Hell.

Gee, I didn't know that there are some who think Moses is burning in Hell....
I was raised Lutheran, which is a protestant stone's throw away from Catholic, and the moral of the Moses story as far as I could tell was not to deviate from what God tells you to do, or he'll get mad and won't let you
finish the trip to the promised land. Kind of like your NFL coach who pulls the first string QB for not running the play he wanted, and putting in the second string guy with the team on the 1 yard line. The number 2 guy gets the touchdown after the starter did all the hard work.
But burn in Hell? Where the heck did they get that idea?

[Michael Ernest]

Originally posted by Carol Murphy:

Kind of like your NFL coach who pulls the first string QB for not running the play he wanted, and putting in the second string guy with the team on the 1 yard line. The number 2 guy gets the touchdown after the starter did all the hard work.

Yeah! Or like one who calls a QB sneak with a minute left when your RB is one yard shy of the NFL rushing title. Sure the team wins the game! Sure, that's the whole point, but your RB been given you the performance of his career and wants a little glory.

What's up with that? I hope Mike Homgren goes to Heck and gets a really mildly irritating sunburn.

[Mike Gershman]

I was raised Lutheran, which is a protestant stone's throw away from Catholic

Which Lutheran? I understand that LCMS and LCWS Lutherans believe that you only avoid Hell by personally believing that Jesus is God, full stop.

Did your church teach this?

BTW, if you were taught that you must obey God without question, what did your teachers make of Abraham's arguing with God about Sodom (Genesis 18)?

It has never made sense to me that God gave us minds and senses and then made belief in the unseen the supreme virtue.