If God Wished That Nobody Would Perish In Hell, Then Why Did He Create

[Ark]

Peace be with you Era Might,

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No, I consider them the same way I consider all mythologies, as important stories through which human beings create meaning. Though I'm sure Christ was a great spiritual figure in history, just as Buddha and others have been, men of deep spiritual insight. I personally worship Christ as God, just not in a literal sense, but as my mythology.

 

You don't see a qualitative difference between pagan myths and the Gospel? For me the message of Christ contained in the New Testament was recorded within living memory of Jesus' existence. The early Church is unanimous that four men composed the gospels we have today and those same names are attached to them up until our time. Jesus himself revealed the central mission of his life to be the atonement, and it's something that was prophesied as in Isaiah 53, which virtually all Jewish Targums identify as a Messianic prophecy. So in my humble opinion your characterization of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross as "myth" is not appropriate.

 

Pax et bonum

[Ark]

Peace be with you Swami Mommy,

 

I'm of the opinion that when we feel ourselves out of alignment with our highest capacity for Love then we're in a state of hell, which is the mistaken belief that we are separate from the Source within ourselves. I don't believe in a punitive God. We are the judges our own inner states, and at our deepest level we always know when we have chosen to believe in separation over union with God, at least in our heart and mind, though never at the soul level. At the soul level, we are forever an inseparable part of the Oneness that is God.

 

I would agree that the idea of separation from our Source is mistaken when understood to mean an absolute independence from God. We are contingent beings and wholly dependent on God, and without Him we are nothing. Yet wet we really exist in God and were created in His image, which means among other things that we possess a free will and intellect. Hell exists as a necessary corollary of free will: we can freely reject Him. God holds our freedom sacred and His omnipotence is Self-bound when it comes to our choice.

 

Your profile also lists you as Hindu, what do you make of Naraka?

 

 

Pax et bonum

[MarysLittleFlower]

No, I consider them the same way I consider all mythologies, as important stories through which human beings create meaning. Though I'm sure Christ was a great spiritual figure in history, just as Buddha and others have been, men of deep spiritual insight. I personally worship Christ as God, just not in a literal sense, but as my mythology.

Era Might I'm just wondering, how do you see Christ's words that very clearly point to His Divinity especially to the Jewish people who knew the Scriptures? Statements like "before Abraham was, I AM".

I could never reconcile the idea some people have of Jesus being just a human teacher after these statements. How do you see them? Christ was very direct in this way for example He said He can forgive sins and that was controversial for the Jews because they knew only God can do that. In many ways Jesus showed He is God and Man.

Anyways I got that question while reading your post... Thanks!