Religion II

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

The sixth sense is hunger, which is triggered by chemical analysis of the blood.

Is there a scientific consensus on this, yet?

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by hcap

Btw, most of the bible is just nonsense. Neither metaphorical, lacking depth and meaning, or is a teaching stories.

For instance......


Numbers 22:21-30 King James Version (KJV)

21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

24 But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

25 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

26 And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

27 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.

30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay.
.................................................. .

Speaking of ass backwards

To those who are perishing, the bible is foolishness, as they merrily skip along on the broad path that leads to destruction.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Is there a scientific consensus on this, yet?

I suppose so. My source is the course I took in human physiology during my freshman year in college. Whatever. My point is that that so-called direct observation is actually the brain's analysis of externally collected data.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

I suppose so. My source is the course I took in human physiology during my freshman year in college. Whatever. My point is that that so-called direct observation is actually the brain's analysis of externally collected data.

When a detective investigates a murder that had no eyewitnesses and arrives at the crime scene so that his "senses" can collect and analyze external evidence (data), he can only make inferences from that evidence since there is no direct observation of the crime. There is a difference between direct and indirect observation.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

There is a difference between direct and indirect observation.

Glad to hear you accept that. Now can you give us an example of direct observation. Neither the big bang nor theistic creation qualify.

[hcap]

Originally Posted by boxcar

To those who are perishing, the bible is foolishness, as they merrily skip along on the broad path that leads to destruction.

Good thing they have their asses follow them.

Or is that part of your divine Teleology?
Obviously God must have designed your ass to always tag behind, unless you employ your ass to tell TIME.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

Glad to hear you accept that. Now can you give us an example of direct observation. Neither the big bang nor theistic creation qualify.

But the Resurrection qualifies.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by hcap

Good thing they have their asses follow them.

Or is that part of your divine Teleology?
Obviously God must have designed your ass to always tag behind, unless you employ your ass to tell TIME.

Our asses are designed to follow behind. But you? Not so much. Your tail has always been wagging you.

[hcap]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Nice confession. So you did say that life,rebirth and resurrection are all "within" which is nonsense. And especially so in the context of the John 11 passage to which you responded with your simple-minded drivel.

Hate to tell you, but John 11 is a dud compared to other more direct passages describing Jesus Christ as one way to to grow spiritually.

Although the story of Lazarus, may be a powerful message that Christ has power over death, (external), it is mixed with too many irrelevant sub themes. Not as significant and clear as the mustard seed parable. A problem that occurs often. 10% inner or esoteric value, mixed with 90% historically exoteric, handed down misunderstanding and distortion of what IMHO is important and relevant.

I will point out that there is a major way the NT points to the esoteric.
The entire story, from the birth of Jesus to his crucifixion and resurrection, is itself an analogy for one individuals POSSIBLE inner growth and spiritual enlightenment.

Most of the structure of biblical stories and parables although having some truth as an outer story, are really teaching stories about the esoteric goals of finding "god" within. All the outer servants and hierarchy of saints, bishops, lords are symbolic of the similar hierarchy within.

I've posted this before

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...postcount=8334

[hcap]

Robert S De Ropp The Master Game

The myths of all esoteric traditions have the same inner meaning related to the path of awakening of the Divine Presence of one`s Higher Self

The Seeker

The transformation of an ego-centered being to a free being does not take place either easily or quickly. One is converted into the other gradually, by a series of stages, and each stage carries with it its own dangers and difficulties. The transformation begins when one of the selves in a man's personality (the Seeker) develops an awareness of the state of sleep, or, alternatively, a hunger for the higher state of consciousness ("Taste of the Infinite"). The Seeker forms as a result of the working in man of the will to meaning and the will to self-transcendence.
The self or group of selves that comprise the Seeker form a definite force in the personality, creating a ferment, a restlessness, a dissatisfaction with all the games that have previously proved satisfying.
The effect of this force is often disruptive and may produce great misery. The old games no longer satisfy but a new game has not been found. Much of the material which William James incorporated in the chapter "The Sick Soul" described the grief experienced by one in whom the Seeker is beginning to develop. Leo Tolstoy, John Bunyan, William James himself and his father, Henry James, Sr., all suffered greatly during this phase of their inner development. William James wrote:
"In Tolstoy's case the sense that life had any meaning whatever was for a time wholly withdrawn. ...

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by hcap

Hate to tell you, but John 11 is a dud compared to other more direct passages describing Jesus Christ as one way to to grow spiritually.

Although the story of Lazarus, may be a powerful message that Christ has power over death, (external), it is mixed with too many irrelevant sub themes. Not as significant and clear as the mustard seed parable. A problem that occurs often. 10% inner or esoteric value, mixed with 90% historically exoteric, handed down misunderstanding and distortion of what IMHO is important and relevant.

I will point out that there is a major way the NT points to the esoteric.
The entire story, from the birth of Jesus to his crucifixion and resurrection, is itself an analogy for one individuals POSSIBLE inner growth and spiritual enlightenment.

Most of the structure of biblical stories and parables although having some truth as an outer story, are really teaching stories about the esoteric goals of finding "god" within. All the outer servants and hierarchy of saints, bishops, lords are symbolic of the similar hierarchy within.

I've posted this before

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...postcount=8334

Of course, John 11 would be a dud to you. You can't allegorize it! At least not without torturing to death the entire passage.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

But the Resurrection qualifies.

No. It most emphatically does not. We've been over that before.

[hcap]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Of course, John 11 would be a dud to you. You can't allegorize it! At least not without torturing to death the entire passage.

Box, neither you or I have proof of what religion is about..
I have studied comparative religion and have taken part in practical applications of many.

I do Hindu meditation and studied Hinduism from a disciple of the Shankaracharya of northern India, of the Advaita Vedanta tradition.

Learned from the Mevlevi Sufi who trace back to Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi (d. 1273) one of the greatest Sufi mystics. Have practiced Mevlevi whirling, as well as other forms of whirling.

Studied with a Zen Master. My son has been a Zen monk for many years

Die a few retreats at a Catholic monastery.

Learned Kabbalah, the ancient Jewish tradition of mystical interpretation of the Bible, after initially rejecting my own Jewish roots

I draw on all of these especially what is shared and universal in all

Compassion, love, honesty, and have learned to avoid overdoing only intellectual analysis. I reserve intellectual analysis for what I did professionally for over 30 years. Engineering and supervision of industrial fabrication.

I find your literal fundamentalist interpretation of religion very limiting. And your absurd attempts at "science" and natural law laughable. Your motor mouth of biblical passages in every post is very tiresome. And worst of all you find it necessary to insult and demean almost everyone else here.

But hey, you are entitled to disagree with my allegorical, metaphorical views. Remember neither you or I can prove any of it.

Every 6 months to a year I re-iterate my views.
So I did.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

No. It most emphatically does not. We've been over that before.

Sure it does.

Just because you don't have the SS numbers or DNA samples of the eyewitnesses doesn't count.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by hcap

Box, neither you or I have proof of what religion is about..
I have studied comparative religion and have taken part in practical applications of many.

But I know God, who he is and what he has done for me.

Good luck with your study of religions. Maybe one day you'll earn a Piled High 'n' Dry parchment in the world's religions.