Bark I only know of this faith from the web site and what my friend tells me. I am not educated in religion as you. I do believe however that God could have more than one messenger and that reality is god is the connectedness of humans. This is just an inate belief and not something I have read or been taught.

The Bible holds that God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. The Qur'an holds that God is in every plant, animal, and mineral. The Qur'an says that he is a being who is all knowing. The Bible gives him the same credit. Sorry for the redundancy. Buddhism holds that the 'God Idea' is attainable by man in a state of enlightenment. It says that once that state is achieved the search is over. All is knowable and known. It is done personally. If God as well is in everything he is in you. Ditto for Allah. The message I get from all religions I have studied is that God, or the 'God Idea' is in everything, if He is the unmoved mover, the devine creator, than he created alot of diversity. He made people in different cultures and some have never heard the word Jesus. But why would he show a preference for the Middle East and ignore; say Australia of 3000 years ago? Why would he not speak to the Inuit of the Far North Americas? Why would he choose to pretend the Incas never were? Why would God create people simply to damn them? I cannot believe that they are to be held up as some heathenistic example. I see divinity as the greatness of man. Of course women too. Man as in mankind. I think the image of God that the bible says we are made in is the strength of one's character. I believe that love is an image of God. As is compassion and charity. Devotion looks like God to me. I think these are the roots of God in this world. And I also think that you can find these character traits in the old world New Guinea cannibals. I don't believe that God gets angry if you call him by other names. I don't believe he has a form and therefore any arbitrary symbols that relgions come up with to display their devotion to him are fine. I don't believe in a punishment or reward in the afterlife. But I do believe in an afterlife. I don't believe Jesus was God, but I do think he was one of the greatest philophers ever. God would have to have many messenger who speak many languages. If there is only one God and the bible verse that say's, "Jesus will reveal himself to all mankind so that they may come to know God," is true than god would have to speak more than a few languages. The Sapir Whorf hypothesis holds that the language one speaks determines what one is able to learn in their life. Example the old Hopi have no concept of weeks because they have no language for time. A thing is done when it is done. When the essence of the creation is complete; when the art has finished then it is done. But they can not say, "In a month I will have your rug done." God would have to appear as many things in order to reveal himself to the whole world. Where some people suffer persecution they cannot understand they want a God of compassion and justice. Where some rely on the season for the ripening of their crop they need a god of a harvest. Where some people rely on the ocean, they need a god of the Sea. We all need God. There are things that we can not, and will never be able to explain. God gives us that explination. God makes things make sense. If there is a God, He knows this is His job. And if He is perfect he has done His work to everyone properly. Everyone interprets Him differently and I think this is good. Jesus, Moses, and Abraham worked for the middle east. Ra worked for Egypt. Zeus worked for the Greeks. Prince Shakyamuni worked for Tibet. Abdul Baha'u'llah worked for the Bahais. Marduk worked for the Babylonians. God has to be many messengers. He is trying to reach many diverse people. One mask won't work all over the world.

Good Lord Bark,

I have jumped around reading your posts..I am almost sorry to post. I will sound like an idiot now.You have it going on and have it together. Are you majoring in religious studies? It seems knowledge of religious texts are in your memory. I am learning from you.

Hey. All this shit is coming to the front now and what we feel is irrelevant. We all know that evryone around the world is dying to test out their new toys. The fact is that all the nations are lined up and chompin at the bit. Look right or wrong it does not matter now. There is no way anyone can want this to happen. This is not a joke. There has to be something someone can do.

Screw all this non sense yall. They are at it agian. This time it can get big. America is already over there and there are quite a few of our people over there. The marines that are to be reinforcments in Iraq maybe sent into Lebanon. And screw what anyone thinks! The fact is that Syria will follow their closest friend. Right or wrong don't matter now! The whole region will fall into it. If America goes in! Shit the dominoes are lined up. I'm young and I wanna do something. If anyone has any ideas help.

I feel we are heading into something huge right now. I think the Arab world is humiliated and Israel is taking us down a reckless path. I hope this situation calms down but unfortunately even when the two sides talk peace they have no control over those fighting. Bark keep writing because you are providing understanding of a side that most americans have never even heard. That is how you are helping.

I feel terrible for the ordinary citizens in this region who just want to live and have peace and freedom. This is a tragic situation.

BA HAA =SECULAR HUMANISM



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