Religious

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by hcap

NO, mostly rational human beings do not take you seriously


So why couldn't you give us the super for the Belmont? God no longer divulges his secrets to you as you have claimed so often over and over again?

Doesn't strike you odd that at first you claimed cause and effect does not influence events and gambling, and now god pulls all the strings? Do you think any disease you caught God gave to you? Hang nails? Hemorrhoids?

Curious---do you thing selling insurance is a sin?

Why couldn't you give us the Super at the Big B since you have all this certainty of the Past and Present flowing in Future?

And when did I ever say God divulges "secrets" to me? All his "secrets" are in his divine revelation, a/k/a the bible.

Why would selling (or buying insurance for that matter) be sinful? Would love to hear your rationale behind that kind of question. It's has to be on the same order that our Yesterdays become out Todays.

[hcap]

You are getting worse. Try and keep up.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by hcap

You are getting worse. Try and keep up.

Why don't you give us your rationale for that insurance thingy?

[hcap]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Why don't you give us your rationale for that insurance thingy?

Do you know why an accident is called an accident?
Think about that in context of

Originally Posted by boxcar

"Nothing in this universe is random, chaotic, accidental or purposeless.

Duh!

[hcap]

I should have remembered, you are the only professional gambler with no understanding of probability, the odds or actuarial tables.

[Show Me the Wire]

An observation.

If everything is predetermined. How can one choose his fate? There cannot be any choice involved as everything has already been determined, even the choice. The idea of choice is an illusion.

[hcap]

Originally Posted by boxcar

"Nothing in this universe is random, chaotic, accidental or purposeless.

Certain laws of the universe when applicable even a god cannot change.

"A seminary student once pointed out to his teacher that even the Lord himself could not beat the ace of spades with a deuce." The law of accident is also part and parcel of "natural law" or if you prefer revelation. Randomness chaos is a built in fact of life

[hcap]

Originally Posted by Show Me the Wire

An observation.

If everything is predetermined. How can one choose his fate? There cannot be any choice involved as everything has already been determined, even the choice. The idea of choice is an illusion.

I guess you answered my question to box. What is the purpose of his sermons on a gambling web site? I guess he is on a mission from God. He is predetermined to preach

However it then raises questions about of boxcars' God. His god fails on competence and the three O's, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent. All seem to be lacking big time in his presentation.

[TJDave]

Originally Posted by Show Me the Wire

An observation.

If everything is predetermined. How can one choose his fate? There cannot be any choice involved as everything has already been determined, even the choice. The idea of choice is an illusion.

Simpletons find this reassuring.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by hcap

Certain laws of the universe when applicable even a god cannot change.

"A seminary student once pointed out to his teacher that even the Lord himself could not beat the ace of spades with a deuce." The law of accident is also part and parcel of "natural law" or if you prefer revelation. Randomness chaos is a built in fact of life

Only from your fallible, finite, horizontal perspective.

[Show Me the Wire]

Originally Posted by hcap

The broader theme is to incorporate the "wildness" we carry within. The larger unity to be achieved in practical ways needs the strength and energy of our "bulls and oxen" to move along the difficult inner path.
Originally an old Taoist story redone in Zen.
A series of 10 images

http://www.exeas.org/resources/oxherding.html

For instance.....
IV. Catching the Bull



I seize him with a terrific struggle.
His great will and power
are inexhaustible.
He charges to the high plateau
far above the cloud-mists,
Or in an impenetrable ravine he stands.

I have abandoned the whip and ropes.

The last line is important and is repeated in a a few of the short poems accompanying each stage.

The 10 stages.

I. The Search for the Bull
II. Discovering the Footprints
III. Perceiving the Bull
IV. Catching the Bull
V. Taming the Bull
VI. Riding the Bull Home
VII. The Bull Transcended
VIII. Both Bull and Self Transcended
IX. Reaching the Source
X. In the World
.

The spiritual principle of human beings, leads to the theme of unity. Traditional Christianity embraces the unity theme. The unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the "form" of the body: i.e., it is because of its spiritual soul that the body made of matter becomes a living, human body; spirit and matter, in man, are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature. (CCC 362-368)[emphasis added] Further, man's calling is to be united with the Divine nature.

Traditional Christianity recognizes, as Saint Augustine so eloquently stated that God is within. The tradition recognizes the need of a practical way to seek God within, when man cannot perceive the soul with his physical senses.

In contrast to understanding that we need the strength of our own "wildness" we carry within, symbolized by bulls and oxen, to move along the interior path, we rely on God to give us the enlightenment and strength to navigate the interior path. Christians believe we cannot ascend to unity with God on our own, but only through God's grace.

As Jesus taught we must deny (die to) ourselves. A basic teaching of the Christian mystics is detachment from wants, desires. love of created things and love of images of created things as the way to accomplish denial of self. There are many practical ways to obtain detachment. Mentally through meditation, contemplation, and physical asceticism, such as fasting or abstinence from a physical desire. This is such a rich subject in traditional Christianity, it would be impossible to cover everything in a posting.

I would like to conclude with the statement that traditional Christianity does not embrace dualism of body and soul, but unity and the reliance of God's grace and not on our own works (inner strength) to ascend to God and enlightenment.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Show Me the Wire

An observation.

If everything is predetermined. How can one choose his fate? There cannot be any choice involved as everything has already been determined, even the choice. The idea of choice is an illusion.

Did king Saul "choose his own fate"? Or did Jesus choose his own fate when he said "I lay down my life that I may take it up again"? Yet, the Jews were condemned by the apostles for murdering Jesus. Care to explain this?

[Show Me the Wire]

Originally Posted by hcap

I guess you answered my question to box. What is the purpose of his sermons on a gambling web site? I guess he is on a mission from God. He is predetermined to preach

However it then raises questions about of boxcars' God. His god fails on competence and the three O's, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent. All seem to be lacking big time in his presentation.

Well according to him his purpose, in life, was to tell you your hair was on fire. So he told you. I guess he fulfilled his purpose.

[Show Me the Wire]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Did king Saul "choose his own fate"? Or did Jesus choose his own fate when he said "I lay down my life that I may take it up again"? Yet, the Jews were condemned by the apostles for murdering Jesus. Care to explain this?

No, I don't care to explain anything to you. Why? See my signature quote of Thomas Aquinas.

I choose my own fate by electing not to have any discussions with you or do I?

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Show Me the Wire

The spiritual principle of human beings, leads to the theme of unity. Traditional Christianity embraces the unity theme. The unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the "form" of the body: i.e., it is because of its spiritual soul that the body made of matter becomes a living, human body; spirit and matter, in man, are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature. (CCC 362-368)[emphasis added] Further, man's calling is to be united with the Divine nature.

Traditional Christianity recognizes, as Saint Augustine so eloquently stated that God is within. The tradition recognizes the need of a practical way to seek God within, when man cannot perceive the soul with his physical senses.

In contrast to understanding that we need the strength of our own "wildness" we carry within, symbolized by bulls and oxen, to move along the interior path, we rely on God to give us the enlightenment and strength to navigate the interior path. Christians believe we cannot ascend to unity with God on our own, but only through God's grace.

As Jesus taught we must deny (die to) ourselves. A basic teaching of the Christian mystics is detachment from wants, desires. love of created things and love of images of created things as the way to accomplish denial of self. There are many practical ways to obtain detachment. Mentally through meditation, contemplation, and physical asceticism, such as fasting or abstinence from a physical desire. This is such a rich subject in traditional Christianity, it would be impossible to cover everything in a posting.

I would like to conclude with the statement that traditional Christianity does not embrace dualism of body and soul, but unity and the reliance of God's grace and not on our own works (inner strength) to ascend to God and enlightenment.

Err...ShowMe, "form" = nature. When Form unites with Matter we get Irreducible Composite, which is what Man is. Even the angels, since they are created beings, are irreducible composite (spirit + form). Only God isn't since God is Pure Being. His essence is existence. This is why God is simple. Conversely, Man is not simple.