Religion II

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by boxcar

I also comprehend things with my God-given brain. It's a horrible analogy.

Funny...how we'll never find Jesus making such mental blunders!

That's why I directed my post to Hcap. I knew better than to point it toward you.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Funny...how we'll never find Jesus making such mental blunders!

No...Jesus made no mental blunders. When he asked that guy..."Why do you callmbe good?"...the implication was that Jesus was "no good".

It's amazing how "smart" you become when Jesus is the speaker...and how simple-minded you appear when you process the sayings of someone else.

[hcap]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

The teacher uses parables in his teaching because he knows that his students learn at their own pace, when it comes to spiritual matters. Spiritual development can't be rushed, so the teacher puts out the parable...and the students get out of it whatever their particular spiritual level allows them to understand. Some students need a rigid, inflexible teaching...while other students can tolerate the fluid, dynamic teaching. And other, more advanced students, need no teaching at all...and get all that they require from the teacher's silence.

Yes...most of us are confused as we travel our spiritual paths, but it can't be otherwise...because we must all learn at our own pace. And...since we have all eternity to figure things out...our "confusion" only ends up hurting ourselves. But then again...pain too must be considered a necessary component of the "enlightenment" process. As Gurdjieff said..."the person must first realize that he is asleep...before he seeks to awake".

I believe you have much to contribute. I recently vigorously jumped back into this thread after reading among other things your disappointment about the incredible lack of progress "we" have made on these religious threads.

Hate to be overly "cliched", but the journey starts with the first step.

Anything we can do to advance whoever is interested is proper. I do not expect just opposing boxcar will alter him, however there are some on the cusp. And some rightfully getting weary.

Our own burdens are enormous. But sometimes lending a hand adjusting others' struggles, helps us grasp just how enormous, and helps us clarify the problem to ourselves. Yes many lifetimes, but although Gurdjieff said..."the person must first realize that he is asleep...before he seeks to awake"

He also pointed out."One of the best means for arousing the wish to work on yourself is to realize that you may die at any moment."

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by hcap

I believe you have much to contribute. I recently vigorously jumped back into this thread after reading among other things your disappointment about the incredible lack of progress "we" have made on these religious threads.

Hate to be overly "cliched", but the journey starts with the first step.

Anything we can do to advance whoever is interested is proper. I do not expect just opposing boxcar will alter him, however there are some on the cusp. And some rightfully getting weary.

Our own burdens are enormous. But sometimes lending a hand adjusting others' struggles, helps us grasp just how enormous, and helps us clarify the problem to ourselves. Yes many lifetimes, but although Gurdjieff said..."the person must first realize that he is asleep...before he seeks to awake"

He also pointed out."One of the best means for arousing the wish to work on yourself is to realize that you may die at any moment."

I don't think that I have much to contribute...and what little I know I have tried to share at one point or another in this thread, by making a passing comment...or suggesting a book that I myself have found helpful on my path. IMO...the interested seeker needs only a hint from time to time in order to have his interest rekindled...he shouldn't be beaten over the head with scripture ala Boxcar. And...it would be terribly pretentious of me to imply that I have traveled far enough on the spiritual path to now presume to "teach" certain things to another. As you said...my burdens are enormous...and I have a hard enough time trying to understand and direct Thaskalos.

Here's another book that has made an impression on me...which I'd like to share with interested readers here:

https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Ma...ible+evolution

If people have a genuine interest in things...then they bother to look into things for themselves. And, if they don't...then they ask insincere questions about these topics, so they could ridicule the subsequent replies that they get. I don't much like to get into that.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Several.

And what do these "several" say mankind needs salvation from?

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Where am I supposed get my data from -- the ungodly, worldly, blind scientists who bring their uniformitarian biases to the "science"?

Yes. Because it works.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

And what do these "several" say mankind needs salvation from?

Read the contents of the link I sent. But the bible says from the Penalty of sin, from the Power of sin and from the Presence of sin.

[hcap]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

I don't think that I have much to contribute...and what little I know I have tried to share at one point or another in this thread, by making a passing comment...or suggesting a book that I myself have found helpful on my path. IMO...the interested seeker needs only a hint from time to time in order to have his interest rekindled...he shouldn't be beaten over the head with scripture ala Boxcar. And...it would be terribly pretentious of me to imply that I have traveled far enough on the spiritual path to now presume to "teach" certain things to another. As you said...my burdens are enormous...and I have a hard enough time trying to understand and direct Thaskalos.

Here's another book that has made an impression on me...which I'd like to share with interested readers here:

https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Ma...ible+evolution

If people have a genuine interest in things...then they bother to look into things for themselves. And, if they don't...then they ask insincere questions about these topics, so they could ridicule the subsequent replies that they get. I don't much like to get into that.

An off topic racing board is a very strange place to discuss these things. But it continues to draw view after view. Like an auto crash, you can't look away

Except for one "shit kicker" most here are civil and I detect in the midst of pretty rough disputes, still an honest desire to "figure it out"

I have had private discussions with some and hopefully they do further investigation. But you are correct, it ultimately comes down to one's own motivation and one's level of "magnetic center"

I can't just say let the dice fall where they may anymore, karma appears to change the outcome as well as randomness.

Make me wonder if boxcar and discussed Noah before.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by hcap

An off topic racing board is a very strange place to discuss these things. But it continues to draw view after view. Like an auto crash, you can't look away

Except for one "shit kicker" most here are civil and I detect in the midst of pretty rough disputes, still an honest desire to "figure it out"

I have had private discussions with some and hopefully they do further investigation. But you are correct, it ultimately comes down to one's own motivation and one's level of "magnetic center"

I can't just say let the dice fall where they may anymore, karma appears to change the outcome as well as randomness.

Make me wonder if boxcar and discussed Noah before.

Boxcar and who?

[hcap]

Make me wonder if boxcar and I discussed Noah before.


Who else?:

[Actor]

Originally Posted by hcap

Make me wonder if boxcar and I discussed Noah before.


Who else?:

YouTube

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Read the contents of the link I sent.

How are doing on your read of The Origin of Species?

Originally Posted by boxcar

But the bible says ...

Prove it.

[hcap]

Originally Posted by Actor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4OhXQTMOEc

In the original religious thread we all destroyed boxcar's Ark . So whatever "past lives" I went thru, the old thread proves he and I discussed the same old, same old, many times, this time around .

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by hcap

Make me wonder if boxcar and I discussed Noah before.


Who else?:

Actor? Or with any other skeptic for that matter.

But yes...you and I have often "debated" The Flood. Don't you recall one of your prime defenses against it was the beetle problem? Yeah...BUGS. How could Noah have taken all the gazillion species of little creepy crawlies on board, remember? But as usual, I came to your rescue to help you with your perennial reading comp problem by pointing out to you that Noah was commanded to take on aboard only nostril-breathin' critters, which bugs ain't (forgive my vernac).

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by hcap

In the original religious thread we all destroyed boxcar's Ark . So whatever "past lives" I went thru, the old thread proves he and I discussed the same old, same old, many times, this time around .

The only thing you managed to do "in the original religious thread" was destroy whatever modicum of credibility you had.

And, no...don't even think about regurgitating the Flood discussion.