I think God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Godhead, whatever you belief all look at the spirit of our faiths more than the specifics of how we practice.
I think God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Godhead, whatever you belief all look at the spirit of our faiths more than the specifics of how we practice.
By: u/Bignosedog
There are certain aspects of our faiths that differ, but I truly believe some divides need to be understood as what the spirit of the action or belief is with the desire to find similarities rather than differences.
We are all attempting to be part of Jesus's flock which is what he desires. Please keep that in mind when you think about our differences. Though Jesus's sheep dog (pig?) may need to work harder on some of us than others, we are still looking and wanting that guidance.
The animosity I see between Christians is heartbreaking. We disagree on many things even within denominations, but we are all trying to follow the same God. I have strong feelings towards some and believe their actions hurt the cause, but on some levels we are all still trying. Viewing it through that lens will soften the heart and allow for a discourse that might, probably not, but might actually lead to the change we wish to see.
We disagree on many things even within denominations, but we are all trying to follow the same God.
... might actually lead to the change we wish to see.
I think the problem is that the difference in interpretations of what it means to follow the same God leads to diametrically opposed concepts of what change you wish to see. Some Christians want to kill, imprison, or subjugate people who aren't white Christian men. How can you meet that with anything less than animosity?
Pity. Bless those who curse you, pray for those who persecute you. Forgive. Do what is necessary, if you try to live in peace. Stand up for the downtrodden. Not with hatred or even anger. With sorrow, as the Chinese philosophy says, as if attending a funeral of a friend.
Even atheists have an idea of the god they don’t believe in. We are belief-makers and meaning-builders, all of us.
A persons concept of god(s) can reveal quite a lot about a person. However it tells us very little about the actual nature of the external universe, it only reveals a glimpse of the universe inside that person.
My thoughts on this are addressed by something from the Narnia book "The Last Battle", where the Calormanian prince meets Aslan and becomes disillusioned with Tash (or whatever the deity was called). Aslan tells the prince that He recognizes him and knows him and that, basically, those who serve Him without knowing Him are welcome in the Kingdom.
This was the idea that eventually let me to Christian Universalism, the belief that all will be saved, all given the chance to receive salvation whether they received the Gospel in this life or not.
That's all nice to feel good about yourself, but fully and wholly self-defeating from the angle of dealing with actual bad things that exist in the real world.
Did you respond to the wrong comment? If not, can you explain what it is that I said that elicited such a strong reaction.