"107689, What do you believe? I'll listen."
I didn't see your question because it wasn't under my post. I believe the teachings of Jesus. Take for example, Matthew chapter 24 where Jesus predicts his return and all sorts of dire earthly ills including the tribulation. This is a chapter that those who believe in "inerrancy" quote often and use it as a basis for their prediction of "the second coming" - yet they never read or quote verse 34. You can read all of that chapter including his words on "the great tribulation" (which most "born agains" believe to be in future time) and I'll quote the portion they don't believe including prior verses, so I will not be accused of "quoting out of context."
Matthew 24:30-34 "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Plainly in this passage Jesus says that he returned during his own generation - a space of about 40 years. I believe that Jesus is on the planet right now and has been for 1,900+ years. That's what he taught. That's what I believe. If you wish an intellectual answer, you can review the Jewish Revolt of 66 AD. Nero was emperor of Rome at this time and his Hebrew equivalent number is 666. (All Hebrew words have numerical equivalents.) That is neither the core nor by far the only belief I have in Jesus teachings, it is simply one of them.
One other significant matter where I disagree is the concept of "inerrancy." At the time of Jesus the language of Judea/Palestine was Aramaic, not Greek. Jesus taught the masses in Aramaic. He probably knew Hebrew quite well (he amazed the doctors at age 12) and he may have known some Greek too but that was learned primarily by the upper classes and certainly not the likes of fishermen - who were undoubtedly illiterate. In those days only about 10% of Palestine was literate and many of those who were, could barely read and write. So how did Jesus' Aramaic teachings become Greek? Inerrant Greek at that? We know that there are many, many translation errors in the New Testament and downright conflicts, such as who carried Jesus' cross? Matthew, Mark, and Luke (all say Simon) disagree with John (who says Jesus) on that issue. My point is that the NT is not inerrant and there are many conflicts, additions, and misinterpretations in all translations. So once more - how do poorly and often improperly translated Greek manuscripts from the 3rd and 4th centuries (even though they were written earlier, we don't have any copies earlier than that) evolve from Aramaic to "inerrant" Greek?
That's a starting point. If we can agree on these two areas then I might add some more.
Faith and the intellect are fine, yet I find Christianity to be experiential, not intellectual. It does not require study, only experience. Jesus never left the planet and is with us now - just as he said in Matthew 24:34 and as he says again below. All one has to do is to chat with him - you need no special gift or "salvation" or anything else, just sit down and have a two way chat.
Matthew 18:20: "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
You are an eternal spirit. If you look inward you can learn and experience yourself as spirit - separate from your body. The intellect is not involved. God is spirit and we are all created in the image of god.
John 4:21-24: "Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Nowhere did I say that I'm working toward a future event. Living is now. Eternity is now.
The Christ Force/Christ Consciousness not the least bit symbolic - it is experiential and assists you as spirit to heal yourself and walk the path that you chose for this reality before taking a body.
This is schoolhouse Earth. Yes, we each have infinite potential yet we have finite capabilities due to the limits of this finite planet. It is impossible to accomplish everything that is available. In it's stead all one has to do is to look around you and see what we have accomplished together (including "good" and "bad") and recognize that each one within themselves could do any of it - but we don't have to. This reality is finite and so is the body. We are here to clean up our act so that we can return to the god who sent us here.
"Yes,
we each have infinite potential yet we have finite capabilities due to the
limits of this finite planet. "
Only because of a collective belief in such a reality circuit.
Within THIS reality we have a limited capacity for what we can accomplish for any given lifetime. It has nothing to do with a collective belief. In fact, everyone believes differently - even within a very narrow "belief system." It is called individuality.
In some of your earlier posts I gather that you believe that we are somehow imprinted with programming from external forces which we cannot control - yet that imprint is only to the extent that we each allow it. By turning within and discovering ourselves as spirit we can and do rid ourselves of all energies/beliefs that are not ours, including programming, and learn why we are here and what it is we came here to accomplish.
"I
gather that you believe that we are somehow imprinted with programming from
external forces which we cannot control - "
"Most people don't choose to transcend these externally handed scripts.
They allow themselves to be influenced. One has to want to go beyond the
collective scripts."
There are no universal scripts. None. Zero. Zilch. When you as spirit take a body you bring your own scriipt as well as the beliefs of others. That's why you're here, to rid yourself of beliefs/energies that are not yours.
"Do you believe that "god" is a separate aspect or a
connected aspect of consciousness?
To suggest learning implies that there is a teacher and a curriculum. Within the
paradigm of infinte potential it is just a flow of connected and evolving
information (experience) with no predetermined agenda."
Each person has their own personal concept of god - some deny any concept
too. I like the one that is The All That Is. God is
everything. We can also carry on a two-way conversation with that entity -
and as I quoted on another thread - Jesus said: "God is spirit, and the
true worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth." That is but
one of my multitude of Christian beliefs.
Again, every spirit which takes a body creates their own scriipt and brings it into their body to live their life. Each of us is a unique entity, with a unique script, but with the same objective. Each of us often gets rather off-track, but we each have our own unique script. Everyone you meet is your teacher. You chose your parents, siblings, and everyone else to learn from.
By the way - if we each have infinite potential, when will a human run at the speed of light? If we're not doing it now, could it be because of one of the so called external scripts? I don't believe so. Now, the human spirit can and does travel faster than the speed of light and it doesn't need "astral projection" to do it.
Beliefs are what lock us into paradigms of what is possible and what is
not.
Even when we still use training wheels such as airplanes to fly, most thought it
was impossible over a hundred years ago. Only the mystics knew it was possible.
The hived minds thought it wasn't. See the difference. This is an example but is
relative.
Do you know the 4 minute mile barrier story?
These are small snigglets of potential but demonstrate my point.
We block our own magic through the codes we allow to run the ship.
When you speak of potential, all the items you point to are body concepts. "Belief" is a body concept. The intellect is a body activity. I'm not worried about the 4 minute mile barrier or the sound barrier or the speed of light barrier or any other barriers - all of those are body concepts. Energies are spiritual. As spirit there are no barriers or limits. I'm spirit (and so is everyone else) and I'm here to work as spirit - in my own unique spiritual direction - just as Jesus taught. Anyone can do it as many are. It's not unique to me.
Luke 17:20-21: And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."
Simply untrue. More body concepts. Body struggles to try and convince itself it is immortal, but it isn't going to make it. That's exactly why people invented the fly off into the sky scenario that is prevalent today (which Jesus never taught) - because they think just like you do. If you look within using spiritual techniques, you will experience/learn the difference. The only way you learn is through experience.