Jael,

To wit:  “1) I did not say the Holy Spirit BECAME anything. I said that it is what religious cults like Pentecostal portray it as.” But you did say trins think the Holy Spirit became a fleshly bird,you didn’t single out certain pentecostals in your opening post. -“A fantastical trinitarian fallacy“-

“Incredible as it seems, they also seem…[Read more]

Jael,

“Creating your own doctrine and trying to defend it against the truth of scriptures is a hopeless cause.” So why do you do this?  Christians throughout Christian history,or at least since the Christian scriptures were collected have been debating this very issue. Do you know nothing of what the Council of Nicea was about? Arians and…[Read more]

“What DOES ‘In the Form Of’ mean? Apply your reply to appropriate scriptures, please.”

So at Jesus baptism the Holy Ghost appears “in the form” of a dove. I venture to say that means appearance or shape and even nature in the sense of “gentle as doves”

In Philippians 2  Paul writes 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regar…[Read more]

“What DOES ‘In the Form Of’ mean? Apply your reply to appropriate scriptures, please.”

So at Jesus baptism the Holy Ghost appears “in the form” of a dove. I venture to say that means appearance or shape and even nature in the sense of “gentle as doves”

In Philippians 2  Paul writes 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regar…[Read more]

Jael,

“Yes, Andrew, the gospel of John is highly suspicious as you point out.” But my point is that the gospel of John was around before the trinity doctrine and without it the trinity doctrine may not have come to be,so it can’t be said John is trinitarian addition,if that was what you were saying.

Jael, your points tell me you’re not worthy and certainly not credible by accusing trinitarians of things they don’t believe,such as believing the Holy ghost became a fleshly bird. And also that Jesus grasped to be God, in Philippians 2 and the stupid question of why would God grasp to be what he is? The whole point of Phil. 2:6-8 is Jesus…[Read more]

Sure I’ve seen artwork depicting such,but that’s not to say the artist,or any believers I’ve ever heard of believe the Spirit became a literal dove.

And even if I had never seen this artwork,what would that have to do with our bible discussions?

And btw just who saw the Spirit descend on Jesus in the form of a dove?

I’ve never heard of anyone who thought the Holy Ghost was just a common dove,but if God can appear as a dove,then surely he can also appear as a man as it’s taught in St John-even God clothed in human flesh.

I never said the OT scholars,I think you meant authors,didn’t say,and,or write God’s name.Of course they did,and as you say the term LORD is used in our English bibles in place of Yahweh. But as you and I both pointed out that’s not always what they said. And nowhere in the NT is it used unless one wants to assert it whenever the term Lord is said…[Read more]

Jael,

“(Not what it says in John !!! alone – this is trinitarian addition” Surely you’re not saying St.John is trinitarian addition are you? If not for the gospel of John the trinity doctrine may not have come about for it more than any other testifies to Jesus divine status as God.Paul and the other gospels show Jesus as a divine son but don’t i…[Read more]

Jael,

You know full well the NT was written in Greek and Jesus and the Jews of his day supposedly spoke Aramaic so how are we to know if Jesus ever said God’s name? We know it wasn’t the practice of the Jews to do so as you’ve pointed out and we don’t know if Jesus even spoke Hebrew or Greek for that matter.

“Challengimg ME to know the EXACT…[Read more]

Jesus is called the “only begotten son” in St John while we are also told in John of his preexistence and that he made the world.So if he preexisted and made the world then isn’t it safe to say he’s the only born son from eternity? Was he just God the Word that later became a son by being born? The gospel of John doesn’t tell of his natural birth…[Read more]

Wow it’s great to know there’s someone in the secular world/media that understands Islam and is willing to tell the truth about it. I’ve never listened to Bill Maher and halfway expected to see on the video that he was becoming a Muslim. There’s stuff on the net about Lindsey Lohan becoming one though I haven’t read it.

I really liked what Maher…[Read more]

And dear Terra,

I am sorry to hear of your condition,but glad to hear you’re staying strong and handling it well. My prayers are also with you. May the Lord’s face shine upon you and grant you his peace.

Psalms 33:20-22 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.…[Read more]

I think what Terra was getting at is Jesus saying,

Mark 4:10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

Mark 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

Mark 4:12 That seeing they…[Read more]

“It seems like we are almost saying god is a victim or a bystander to this practice of slavery.  Yet all he had to do was say: “you shall have no slaves.”  And: “you shall not beat slaves.”  Had the nations around been having slaves and the Hebrews stood out as different, thousands of years ahead of the rest of the world, it would have been mirac…[Read more]

“It seems like we are almost saying god is a victim or a bystander to this practice of slavery.  Yet all he had to do was say: “you shall have no slaves.”  And: “you shall not beat slaves.”  Had the nations around been having slaves and the Hebrews stood out as different, thousands of years ahead of the rest of the world, it would have been mirac…[Read more]

Slavery isn’t a sin in the bible but to most people nowadays religious or not it is wrong.

I’ve had people try to tell me that the Israelites were actually trying to convert/save their neighbors.Maybe if the fiery pillar appeared and said to the heathen,hey chase away your pigs,circumcise yourselves and we’ll be a happy family,I might believe…[Read more]

It is telling that no one in the bible ever condemns slavery outright but the principle of do unto others, and love,if taken literally should condemn such practice.

During the American civil war and the time leading up to the conflict,those who were pro confederacy believed God was on their side because they had the bible on their side and there…[Read more]

Our morality comes from our society,culture,upbringing and personally our own experiences and decisions of course. Of course slavery was always wrong but it has always been a dog eat dog world and thankfully some of us dogs have become better humans. And as we as a race change so our understanding of the universe,religion or vision of God changes.