Only One Truth

Off Topic Politics & World Issues
22

This thread took the awful turn that I thought it would (the original “tone” could have predicted it…)

Someone would end up “revealing” what others believe seen through the Prism if their own belief…and if experience has taught me anything, those “revelations” of what another believes will often be scattered with half-truths, distortions…and in some cases, outright lies…(Hey…maybe I’m wrong, and this thread is one of greater enlightenment…but I doubt it…)

I would imagine that many of the “truths” brought forth on this thread would fall under this category…mainly because that tends to be the nature of “religous” (and political) debate…make one side “right” and the other “wrong”…and in many cases, make those who don’t believe what you do “Evil Incarnate…”

Stellar…I would LOVE to see you go 1-on-1 with an Evangelical Southern Baptist…it would be worth the cost of admission…and while I would not profess to know their beliefs (I would leave it up to them to do that)…I am sure that they would “Bible Thump” your beliefs just as thoroughly as you’ve done others…and would end the fight being just as “right”…

Mufasa

23

One other thing…

Truth…real truth…will stand on it’s own…with little or any need to concern itself with others…

Mufasa

24

[quote]Mufasa wrote:
This thread took the awful turn that I thought it would (the original “tone” could have predicted it…)

Someone would end up “revealing” what others believe seen through the Prism if their own belief…and if experience has taught me anything, those “revelations” of what another believes will often be scattered with half-truths, distortions…and in some cases, outright lies…(Hey…maybe I’m wrong, and this thread is one of greater enlightenment…but I doubt it…)

I would imagine that many of the “truths” brought forth on this thread would fall under this category…mainly because that tends to be the nature of “religous” (and political) debate…make one side “right” and the other “wrong”…and in many cases, make those who don’t believe what you do “Evil Incarnate…”

Stellar…I would LOVE to see you go 1-on-1 with an Evangelical Southern Baptist…it would be worth the cost of admission…and while I would not profess to know their beliefs (I would leave it up to them to do that)…I am sure that they would “Bible Thump” your beliefs just as thoroughly as you’ve done others…and would end the fight being just as “right”…

Mufasa [/quote]

In other words, the Only One Truth maybe then that: All is One.

Ecclesiastes 8:9

25

[quote]Mufasa wrote:
One other thing…

Truth…real truth…will stand on it’s own…with little or any need to concern itself with others…

Mufasa[/quote]

John 8:32

26

[quote]Mufasa wrote:
Stellar…I would LOVE to see you go 1-on-1 with an Evangelical Southern Baptist…it would be worth the cost of admission…and while I would not profess to know their beliefs (I would leave it up to them to do that)…I am sure that they would “Bible Thump” your beliefs just as thoroughly as you’ve done others…and would end the fight being just as “right”…[/quote]
He was talking about Mormons, not Baptists.

JMB

27

???

Mufasa

28

That point is that Evangelicals and/or Southern Baptist are the experts at Religious debate…

Mufasa

29

[quote]Mufasa wrote:
Stellar…I would LOVE to see you go 1-on-1 with an Evangelical Southern Baptist…it would be worth the cost of admission…and while I would not profess to know their beliefs (I would leave it up to them to do that)…I am sure that they would “Bible Thump” your beliefs just as thoroughly as you’ve done others…and would end the fight being just as “right”…[/quote]
Mufasa, you missed something VERY critical. Relating to the LDS/Mormons, Joseph Smith (their original “prophet”) began with the intrinsic assumption that the Bible was God’s revelation, true and holy. Somehow or other, this truth CHANGED and the Bible took a back seat to his personal revelations and those of “prophets” to follow him. Smith incorporated new doctrines/practices which are clearly contradicted by the Bible (polygamy, polytheism, racism, Christ losing his role as the Savior, etc). This is a completely DIFFERENT theology than what any logical-minded Christian, like say, an Evangelical Southern Baptist would preach. And before Mormons presume that the Church fell away, they need to realize this contradicts exactly what the Bible teaches - that the authentic Church would NEVER fall away.

Ponder this
If the Church indeed fell away (as the Mormons falsely teach) shortly after the last Apostle died ~97 AD, then it is a fallacy to believe the Bible holds ANY value whatsoever since it was compiled HUNDREDS of years later in the middle of the 4th century. The Bible didn’t fall outta the sky; it was compiled by bishops of the Orthodox Christian Church. [Roman Catholics may disagree here, but not to divert the focus of my attention]

The point is that Joseph Smith, in proclaiming the Bible as being a revelation of God ignorantly verifies the authority of the Church (which he claims CEASED to exist). Smith initially uses a tool of the Church (the Bible) as his guide but later develops a sensational hoax about the Church falling away to form his own organization when he’s gained enough uneducated followers, and then later discredits the tool he once so preciously relied on. What’s worse, “prophets” after Smith are allowed to pull the same wool over everyone of their follower’s eyes, even if it contradicts their founder Smith’s doctrines.

Where’s the cohesiveness in the Mormon faith? They play ping-pong with religious doctrines. First, prophet A announces that God will never change - Mormon followers must agree. Then, the next one, prophet B announces that God has changed - Mormon followers must agree. Then, the last one, prophet C announces that God has not changed and that prophet B was wrong. Gimme a break! And the absolute manner in which “prophets” herald their authority is equally disgusting.

Who’s to say that old Tom wearing that flannel shirt sitting in the corner with the cowboy hat and stick o’ straw in his mouth isn’t receiving his own revelation from God telling him “Mormonism is a load of crock!” It’s plausible to imagine some poor, uneducated soul proclaiming this publicly only to be shunned away by the currently enthroned “prophet”. What a funny yet sadly pitiful cult/religion. To each their own though…

30

When Joseph Smith referred to the Book of Mormon, I bet he never anticipated that science would EVER exhume his fabled accounts of history and uncover the true genealogy of native Americans. Thanks to DNA evidence, Joseph Smith and Mormonism are exposed for the frauds they truly are. Apologies for any redundancy.

Check this out:
http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/mormon_e.htm
Reading very much in the style of the King James Version of the Bible (indeed, there are whole passages lifted from the KJV), the Book of Mormon is purported to have been written c. 600 B.C. to 421 A.D. by various “prophet-historians.” It tells the rather fantastic story of a Jewish prophet Lehi, living in the reign of King Zedekiah (2 Chron. 36:10), who was instructed by the Lord to take his people and leave Jerusalem. They sailed to the shores of Central or South America where they established a great civilization.

Lehi’s eldest son Laman was rebellious, and he and a group of followers broke away from the youngest son Nephi, who had earlier been chosen by God to rule over his brothers. Nephi exhorted his people to respect the law of Moses and also prophesied the coming of Christ. Other prophets followed Nephi, and their teachings and prophecies were added to the collection of engraved metal plates - containing the law of Moses and writings of earlier prophets - which had been brought from Jerusalem. After Christ’s Ascension, according to this Mormon history, He appeared also to these people of the New World. “Here, too, he ordained disciples and gave them authority to carry on his work.” His appearance ushered in two centuries of harmony between the Nephites and Lamanites, but then they began again to fight. The last Nephite prophet, Mormon, seeing that his people were being destroyed, took all the engraved plates and abridged them into the plates of Mormon. After his death in battle, his son Moroni, the sole survivor of the Nephites, added some of his own writings and then buried the plates in a hill, “so that they would be preserved until the Lord was ready to bring them forth in the latter days.”

Historically, The Book of Mormon is not supported by any archaeological evidence and has no correspondence to what is known of pre-Columbian civilizations. Mormon adherents seem untroubled by this fact, believing that it’s “just a matter of time” before such evidence is uncovered. Their claim that the American Indians are descendants of the Lamanites is likewise unfounded; they are of Mongolian stock, NOT Semitic.

Not only does modern science rip to shreds the LDS/Mormon deception, neither Jews nor native Americans provide a single ounce of evidence to support what Mormons preach on a historical basis. Surely, if there was a mass exodus from the Middle East to the Americas, the Jews would recall this significant feat in history by their ancestors, as would the native Americans. But NEITHER culture does. That’s one of the problems with telling lies - you sometimes get caught.

31

This thread perfectly illustrates why I am anti-religious.

This is what has happened throughout the history of christianity - dating back to Pual and Peter’s spats.

There is only one truth - but it doesn’t require belivers to be branded with a denominational cross to be true.

32

It seems religions are like sausage. If you like the flavor you don’t really want to know how they are created.

33

rj:

I agree…

This thread (and others involving religion) are often not very spiritual or uplifting…

I think that those who expend so much time and effort condemning OTHERS beliefs should spend a fraction of that time spreading the “Good News” of their belief to the World…

Mufasa

34

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
It seems religions are like sausage. If you like the flavor you don’t really want to know how they are created.[/quote]

Whether you like the flavor or not, it’s essential to understand where a religion comes from. The author’s credentials must be challenged. If an author preaches what he claims are absolute truths, only to be proven a liar, then his entire theological system will crumble. Such is the case with Mormonism. My aim was to definitively put an end to any wild claims that Mormonism is even remotely linked with the true Church of Christ.

Zap, I wasn’t Orthodox Christian my entire life. A vigorous study of history and early church doctrines led me to the unshakeable conviction that Orthodox Christianity is the New Testament Church. Now unless someone can prove that Jesus Christ is a liar, OR if anyone can prove the Apostles preached a different faith than that which Christ taught, OR if anyone can prove that Orthodox Christianity preaches a different faith than that which the Apostles taught, I remain justified in my convictions.

NO other Christian faith can stand up to this challenge. If I didn’t have a conscience, I’d EASILY select a religion that “tasted” better and suited my individual preference. But Jesus Christ affords no opportunity for us to do so and we must adapt to His teachings and NOT those of anyone else’s (if we truly believe He’s the One and Only God).

Sift through this site and pm me sometime:
http://www.fatheralexander.org/page6.htm

Peace be with you.

35

[quote]Mufasa wrote:
This thread (and others involving religion) are often not very spiritual or uplifting.[/quote]

You want something spiritual and uplifting? Gimme your zip code and I’ll refer you to the nearest Orthodox Christian Church where you can observe a liturgical service.

36

Matthew, kaz, pkradgreek,

I’m tired of you guys trying to convince everyone of the primacy of your Christian deity.

I worship the one true God, MUMMU!!!

I’m tired of all you worn out pretenders.

Look on jameswbell.com for a decent description of MY SAVIOR!!!

Mummu

“Mummu was a god who served as Abzu?s sukkal (vizier) in Heaven before the Earth was formed.”

Did you catch that? He was OLD SCHOOL IN A BIG WAY!!! PRE-EARTH!!!

“When the younger gods made a commotion and annoyed Abzu, Mummu advised him to kill them all.”

Now that gets results!!!

“Enki, one of the younger gods, foiled the plot by putting Abzu to sleep and bringing him down from Heaven to create the Earth.”

Fucking Enki!!! What a two-faced bitch!!!

“When he did, he also brought Mummu along.”

We all try to bring MUMMU along in every way, every day.

“For safekeeping, Enki imprisoned both Mummu and Abzu beneath his temple in Eridu, called the E.abzu.”

That miserable asshole!!!

For the original Babylonian check out ancientexts.org.

Let me quote:

“Then Apsu, the begetter of the great gods,
Cried out, addressing Mummu, his vizier:
“O Mummu. my vizier, who rejoicest my spirit,
Come hither and let us go to Tiamat!”
They went and sat down before Tiamat,
Exchanging counsel about the gods, their first born.
Apsu, opening his mouth,
Said unto resplendent Tiamat:
“Their ways are verily loathsome unto me.
By day I find no relief, nor repose by night.
I will destroy, I will wreck their ways,
That quiet may be restored. Let us have rest!”
As soon as Tiamat heard this,
She was wroth and called out to her husband.
She cried out aggrieved, as she raged all alone,
Injecting woe into her mood:
“What? Should we destroy what we have built?
Their ways are indeed troublesome, but let us attend kindly!”
Ill wishing and ungracious was Mummu’s advice:
“Do destroy, my father, the mutinous ways.
Then shalt thou have relief by day and rest by night!”
When Apsu heard this, his face grew radiant
Because of the evil he planned against the gods, his sons.
As for Mummu, by the neck he embraced him
As (that one) sat down on his knees to kiss him.
(Now) whatever they plotted between them
Was repeated unto the gods, their first born.
When the gods heard (this), they were astir,”

I don’t know if you are aware of this fact, but, MUMMU is also the God of the Mists!!!

He was PRE-EARTH and then was assigned to take over the MISTS!!! Obviously, he was an IMPORTANT VIZIER!!!

ALL HAIL MUMMU!!!

JeffR

37

I can wait until we (human race) evolve and stop needing to believe on deities.

We already know that the sun, moon, thunder, fire, cows, water, etc. are not gods.

I guess we keep clinging to the need of a god to understand and come to terms that death is the end of your journey. I guess this will happen once our scientific knowledge expands to the point that we are able to delay death and extend our lives for long periods of time if we choose to. Either way, I would be long gone by then. So why waste time worrying about it?

I for once refuse to believe in an all powerful Puppeteer that manipulates my life, chooses my destiny and then threatens to punish me with sending me to hell if I don?t bow to him/her.

JA

38

JeffR made me pee myself.

39

I am Eastern Orthodox but that does not mean my Church only encompasses people of eastern Europe. My nationality is Greek but i am not part of the official church of greece. My Church is truly Orthodox in that it has never broken any of the previous “commands” or “laws” of the previous Ecumenical Councils. These councils were put together by the Church inorder to discuss issues facing the Church. My Church is not in union with any other church that has broken any of the laws from the Ecumenical Councils. This includes any other so called “Orthodox” churches. I consider my Church to be the One Holy Apostolic and Catholic Church of Christ because of this. laters pk

40

the reason i put “pope” is because people forget that there are also other “popes” in the other parts of Christianity. Some of us use the words Patriarch. These is one in Jerusalem, one in Constantinople, and so forth. The Church had these positions from the beginning. laters pk

41

The Crusades and the Inquisition are not true Christian rights of passage. they demonized the True message from Christ. laters pk