Bro. Hex

Wishing and praying for your rapid totally successful recovery... I do hope this will be in a different hospital !

Gospel of Thomas Gospel of Philip Thunder - Perfect Mind

Synchronicity is a phenomenon that Karl Jung wrote about extensively and which he often interpreted as having hidden meaning which was (perhaps) relvelatory of the inbreaking of the Divine into our mundane experiential lives.

ON SIN AND FORGIVENESS It was one of the "best" replies (imho) that I have made here in quite some time, and it "went poof", and disappeared from the database about 1 hour ago. So I am trying to reconstruct it from memory. Here goes: Such a formulaic system for the "expiation of guilt" (the forgiveness of sin) may work for others. It no longer works for me. So I suppose that you are "lucky", Ray, that your path offers you a "priest" and a "sacrament" that will "take away" your sins. But I cannot help but think that you are "unfortunate" if you NEED a priest or a sacrament to do this. Our sins can be forgiven, true. (they are never"taken away") and no priest, no sacrament, is required. EACH of us has the POWER and the OBLIGATION... to forgive the "sins" of others... and of ourselves. Our "sins" are the teachers in our lives that show us why forgiveness is so necessary. The pain, the guilt, of sinning is the common bond that prompts each of us to want alleviate the pain of others... because we know "how it feels" Our sins may be forgiven, but they should never be "forgotten". Our sins are just as much a part of us (forever) as the good things we have done, or will do. We cannot separate these two aspects of our nature, laying claim to the one, while wishing the other "away". We cannot "be " Dr. Jeckyll, while denying that we are also Mr. Hyde. We cannot HIDE from ourselves, by pretending that our sins no longer exist (i.e. are "taken away") simply because they are "forgiven".

ON SIN AND FORGIVENESS It was one of the "best" replies (imho) that I have made here in quite some time, and it "went poof", and disappeared from the database about 1 hour ago. So I am trying to reconstruct it from memory. Here goes: Such a formulaic system for the "expiation of guilt" (the forgiveness of sin) may work for others. It no longer works for me. So I suppose that you are "lucky", Ray, that your path offers you a "priest" and a "sacrament" that will "take away" your sins. But I cannot help but think that you are "unfortunate" if you NEED a priest or a sacrament to do this. Our sins can be forgiven, true. (they are never"taken away") and no priest, no sacrament, is required. EACH of us has the POWER and the OBLIGATION... to forgive the "sins" of others... and of ourselves. Our "sins" are the teachers in our lives that show us why forgiveness is so necessary. The pain, the guilt, of sinning is the common bond that prompts each of us to want alleviate the pain of others... because we know "how it feels" Our sins may be forgiven, but they should never be "forgotten". Our sins are just as much a part of us (forever) as the good things we have done, or will do. We cannot separate these two aspects of our nature, laying claim to the one, while wishing the other "away". We cannot "be " Dr. Jeckyll, while denying that we are also Mr. Hyde. We cannot HIDE from ourselves, by pretending that our sins no longer exist (i.e. are "taken away") simply because they are "forgiven".

This "formulaic" approach to expiation of "our sins" surely does "work for some". It no longer "works for me". And, I believe, it is unnecessary... and in fact "destructive"... in a sense. I will try to explain. It is unnecessary if we, and those around us, "do what we all should do"... WE should forgive each other for our "sins"... and ultimately, we should forgive ourselves. So, Ray, I would say that you are "lucky" to have a "priest" and a "sacrament" for the forgiveness of your sins, but "unfortunate" if you NEED a priest or a sacrament to be forgiven. Unfortunate if you are not, yourself, that priest, and that sacrament for everyone in your life... yourself included. You are "lucky" to believe that your sins can be "taken away"... but also deceived if you believe that they ever can (be taken away). They cannot. They are there "forever"... just like every "good" thing that you have ever done. They are "part of you", and they inform your every action. They are the "teachers" that show you how to, and why you must, forgive. They are no more a burden than a blessing... the recognition of the evil that you are capable of, the evil that you "have been", the evil that is always "just a single decision away", in your heart... in my heart... in the hearts of us all. Go in peace, Ray. .. your sins are forgiven... they are not gone, but they are FORGIVEN.

So glad you were with us, Phil... thanks for being a blessing to this broken world.

Like my good friend, Peter (RabbiO), I too welcome you to the forum, ChrisinAK. I find your willingness to adopt the holy pronouncement "as your own" ("Behold, I make all things new"), to be rather refreshing. Unlike Peter, I am not a Jew. Unlike many fellow Christians, I do not believe that " No one gets to the Father except through Jesus.". So we will likely have quite a lot to discuss in the future. Welcome aboard.

The Gospel of Thomas, The Hymn of the Pearl, The Shepherd of Hermas.... I have trouble with having "just ONE favorite"

AMEN, Brother K ! Who, pray tell, decided that "minister" is a "Christian" title ?? Ministering is much older than Christianity. While I am far from an historian, the earliest minister that I can recall as having "earned his stripes" was a Samaritan, and he was neither Christian nor Jew.

So happy 4 U Rev Rattler !!! 2013 has been a year of making do with less for many of us. Goodbye 2013... don't let the door hit you in the ass!!!

I agree, Brother K... We really DO need a "LIKE" button on this forum !!!

Ray, I don't know any "nice" way to say this, so I will just "spit it out"... If you are going to include all this repetitious "video crap" in your posts, I am going to block ALL of your posts (make them invisible) so that I don't have to keep looking at it OVER-AND-OVER., This is a forum "for adults", and your posts look like the work of an adolescent. You may have something to SAY that is worth READING... but I am not going to subject myself to all the SCREEN-HOGGING VISUALS that you keep regurgitating... in order to find out. Grow up.

I'm sorry, my friend. You all did well by her. I am glad that she was in your life. Sam

I love "dream stories"... even when they involve characters/personages that are unfamiliar to me... like this one. The "ending" is a blessing... in any context.

Thank you, Hermano Luis..... I really needed to hear this today.

I for one, do, Raincloud. And I took no offense (and take no offense) with anything you have said in this thread. I share your dismay as to what far-right politics seems to have done with (to ?) Christianity, "as it is understood" in 21st Century America, by a large portion of our people.

Lots of good stuff being said here, people. "To thine own self be true". Then, "follow your heart and let all else fall by the wayside". Peace, Hex

WOW ! Looks like many of us here are "singing from the same hymnal" !! "The original teachings of Jesus"... Even that is no easy thing to determine... You must decide for yourself, which words that have been attributed to him, do YOU believe that he actually spoke...?? and which words have falsely been attributed to him by ... others. It is ALWAYS your responsibility to determine what to believe,,, and what you put aside. How could it possibly be otherwise ??

Like Jonathan, I believe I first applied to the ULC "on a lark", thinking it would be "neat" to be able to "call myself a minister". But it wasn't long before a friend wound up in jail, and I, as his minister, was permitted visitation privileges, and was able to let him know that his family knew his whereabouts, and "we" would not forget him. And suddenly, being "a minister" felt ...real. And yes, it is something you "grow into" imho. Hex

BTW, Raincloud.... So far as what we are able to know about him..... which isn't really that much... Jesus wasn't "Strictly Christian, either..... Heck, Jesus wasn't STRICTLY ANYTHING !!