Paradise Cafe Discussions - A Place For Bible Research And Christian Encouragement

Yes, I can see very clearly how easy it is to understand the Bible Rez, that's why Christianity is so united. We can't even get two people on this board to agree on much. :thinking:

What are you gonna do when this knowledge is as common as the laws of magnetism or the process of photosynthesis?

Peace,
Jimmy C.

Don't get sarco with me, sonny. :D

Let's see: How many branches of Hindu philosophy are there anyway?:thinking:

Like I said...do it on your own time and in your own place. This is a Christian board.

Rez

I don't think what I believe about the Exodus being literal or not is relevant to the discussion.

Mad: That is quite surprising; fact and fiction MUST be determined to have real discernment.

Thus your opinion is just...an opinion.

PS- there is no such thing as PERFECT unity, without being a robot.
Until the end of demonic influence and endless causes of sin- there will always bedifferences.

HOWEVER, TRUTH is ALWAYS provable- wether accepted or not!

No Panic here! As with many things, misunderstanding is the cause of fear. Part of the problem is language. every religion or philosophy has their own esoteric terms that they love. We know that coming from the WTS! We don't want to get caught up in a comparison or contrast between Eastern religions and Western religions because they are all false religions.
But it is worthwhile to compare Eastern spiritual thoughts in general with what we here call true Christianity with out the religious dogma.

From what little I know, True Christianity is very Eastern, but we use different terms for the same things.
A few I can think of:
You reap what you sow = Karma
Spirit = Chi, life force
born again = enlightenment, awakening
The Father, Son, and his "body" are one = oneness, nirvana
paradise = pure land, nirvana
faith in God = faith in Gods nature
good and evil = yin yang
being taught by Holy spirit = being taught by Zen, (receiving wisdom not founded on words)

The old Hebrew mind set was much closer to Eastern thought then is Western religion today. Isn't this true of early Christians as well?

Bro, I was into Eastern philosophy before becoming a committed Christian. I know the difference. Where you see 'this' = 'that', I see 'this' = 'that' plus that little bit extra that can float into your consciousness without you being aware. That little bit extra is what can lead a person away from Christ.

Maybe you didn't read the link that Jimmy put up in his post...I did. It is full of clap-trap speculation. Here is an snippet:

That flies in the face of this statement from Psalm 100:3:

"Know that Jehovah is God. It is he that has made us, and not we ourselves. [We are] his people and the sheep of his pasturage."

So here is the danger as I see it from scripture:

"For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob,
Because they are filled with influences from the east,
And they are soothsayers like the Philistines,
And they strike bargains with the children of foreigners."
--Isaiah 2:6 NASB

Those who wish to investigate Eastern religion are free to do so, but not on this board. That is our policy.

love,:grouphug:
Rez

Hi Res, No argument on that from me, and I am not promoting Eastern religion, or Western religion either! My only point is that Eastern thought is closer to what Christ taught, then what is promoted in Western "Christian" religions.
What was regurgitated in that above link was just as much BS as what you'd expect from any exegesis based religion.

I am happy that this DB promotes true Christianity with out the dogma.

What was the "world view" of Jesus and his first followers, before the apostasy set set in? Greek (Western thought) permeated the Jews of his time, and he bucked the trend.
So I for one want to know, what did he feel, what did he think, what did he teach. Was he more Eastern (early Hebrew) or Western (early Greek)?...That's all I'm saying. :whistle:

I would tentitively disagree. I know a bit about eastern philosophy, and I know there is very little similarity with Judaism. There are similarities with Kaballah, but Kaballah is a warped version of Judaism.

Jewish and Hebrew thought is different to western thought, that's true enough, but it's just as different to eastern religious thought too. In my opinion (and its just my opinion) Eastern philosophy would have been just as alien a school of thought to 1st century Jews as western ideas.

The Jews knew it was all about a relationship with someone that could, at least in part, be known. Who could be spoken to, heard from, had likes and dislikes, could be grieved and hurt and pleased. And. crucialy, whose opinion could be sought.

Eastern thought is all about improving and enlightening a person. But in Christianity, that's actually secondary. Its actually all about knowing and serving God. The more we stop focusing on ourselves and focus on Him, the more we are changed into his likeness. We cannot be changed any other way.

The spiritual aspects of Christianity are solid things upon which a life can be built. The biggest problem with eastern philosophy is that it does not

a) admit our sin
or
b) admit our need to be redeemed from sin.
and therefore it cannot
c) bring us to the one who has redeemed us.

Without that simple truth, it doesn't matter how enlightened we become, we're dead. Lost.

Although some terms in eastern philosophy sound, on the surface, like they might be a bit like Christian concepts, scratch the surface and they're anything but. Its counterfiet. Pretending to be the same but ultimately worthless when you take it to the bank.

Hi Malkah, Thanks for responding. I'm afraid I'm not expressing myself clearly. When I said "old Hebrew", I was thinking more of the time before Moses, before the "sons of Abraham, Issac and Jacob" were corrupted. I was not thinking of modern Eastern religions.

You said, "Jewish and Hebrew thought is different to western thought, that's true enough, but it's just as different to eastern religious thought too. In my opinion (and its just my opinion) Eastern philosophy would have been just as alien a school of thought to 1st century Jews than western ideas.
"
I agree that Eastern philosophy was foreign to 1st Cent Jews.
Isn't it true, that first century Jews did not have Old Eastern views either.
But they were influenced by Western Greek thought?
It just seems logical to me that the world view Jesus espoused would be close to the world view shared by Abraham Issac jacob, Noah, Job?