Showing posts with label soul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soul. Show all posts

Sunday 3 June 2018

Non-practicing Christians widely believing in a god or higher power


Non-practicing Christians widely believe in God or another higher power

Of those who call themselves Christian the majority believe in the Trinity and not as such  as Pew count them as believers in God as described in the Bible. In the 27% who believe in God, the majority believe in a concept they were brought up with, some Catholics even not knowing that their church worships a Trinity, or do not know what it entails. Non-trinitarian Christians though still may be counted as the minority



Most non-practicing Christians in Europe believe in God. But their concept of God differs considerably from the way that churchgoing Christians tend to conceive of God. While most church-attending Christians say they believe in God “as described in the Bible,” non-practicing Christians are more apt to say that they do not believe in the biblical depiction of God, but that they believe in some other higher power or spiritual force in the universe.
For instance, in Catholic-majority Spain, only about one-in-five non-practicing Christians (21%) believe in God “as described in the Bible,” while six-in-ten say they believe in some other higher power or spiritual force.
Non-practicing Christians and “nones” also diverge sharply on this question; most unaffiliated people in Western Europe do not believe in God or a higher power or spiritual force of any kind. (See below for more details on belief in God among religiously unaffiliated adults.)
Similar patterns – in which Christians tend to hold spiritual beliefs while “nones” do not – prevail on a variety of other beliefs, such as the possibility of life after death and the notion that humans have souls apart from their physical bodies. Majorities of non-practicing Christians and church-attending Christians believe in these ideas. Most religiously unaffiliated adults, on the other hand, reject belief in an afterlife, and many do not believe they have a soul.
Indeed, many religiously unaffiliated adults eschew spirituality and religion entirely. Majorities agree with the statements, “There are no spiritual forces in the universe, only the laws of nature” and “Science makes religion unnecessary in my life.” These positions are held by smaller shares of church-attending Christians and non-practicing Christians, though in most countries roughly a quarter or more of non-practicing Christians say science makes religion unnecessary to them. (For a detailed statistical analysis combining multiple questions into scales of religious commitment and spirituality, see Chapters 3 and 5.)

Thursday 27 October 2016

According the vatican ashes and bone fragments cannot be kept at home

emblem of the Papacy: Triple tiara and keys Fr...
emblem of the Papacy: Triple tiara and keys Français : emblème pontifical Italiano: emblema del Papato Português: Emblema papal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Roman Catholics with their idea that a person has something extra in his body that can leave him when he dies, do want to avoid that that spiritual being would be shattered and as such be destroyed, not able to find its pieces together.

For the Vatican their members should know that the church maintains the deceased should be buried. For the Roman Catholic Church cremation is a "brutal destruction" of the body. Though many countries in the West, like Belgium seem to ignore that saying of their pope and allow cremations by their members, though they do not encourage it. And the Catholics got to hear church-approved ways to conserve ashes for the increasing numbers of Catholics who choose cremation "for economic, ecological or other reasons".

The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reports ashes and bone fragments cannot be kept at home because it would deprive the Christian community of remembering the dead. Rather, church authorities should designate a sacred place, such as a cemetery or church area, to hold them. Only in extraordinary cases can a bishop allow ashes to be kept at home, it said.
"The dead body isn't the private property of relatives, but rather a son of God who is part of the people of God," author of the text, Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, said. "We have to get over this individualistic thinking."

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Sunday 5 July 2015

Who Through Jesus Sleep

Who Through Jesus Sleep

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Who Through Jesus Sleep is a compendium of essays about the mortality of the soul (254 pages, ISBN 978-0-9574460-9-0, June 2015).
 
The book analyses what the biblical writers believed about the nature of the soul and the opportunity for life after death. It explores both the beliefs of the ancient Israelites, as presented in the Old Testament, and those of the early Christians, as presented in the New Testament. It traces the development of these biblical ideas to the emergence of the notion of the immortality of the soul in both Judaism and Christianity through the influence of Greek philosophy. It describes thinkers throughout history, as well as modern scholars, who have affirmed the biblical idea of the mortality of the soul. Common “proof” texts for the immortality of the soul are also examined.

Friday 29 August 2014

Are you religious, spiritual, or do you belong to a religion, having a faith or interfaith

Many people today feel they have stepped away from religion, and found a way to feed their spirituality without a religion or faith practice.


Religion and its contribution to culture of peace
Religion and its contribution to culture of peace (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Many practice 'out of religion' activities and are convinced they have nothing to do with 'a religion'. But....If they have certain things they believe in, If they use these concepts to better themselves and others, and If their concepts lead them closer to "the source"... is it not a religion or faith practice for them?  You can also ask if spirituality is connected with only religious exercise.

All created in the image of God do have received intelligence and some instinct also knowing good and bad.  Throughout history people looked for ways to form their minds. They created different systems to form the soul (spirit/pneuma/psyche/mind). In this way they also created rites or returning actions which were recognised by others and as such got them labelled under religious and spiritual groups. In their truest deepest form religion and spirituality may belong together.

Faith - is the demonstration of our spiritual beliefs even if it is a combination of various spiritualities
interfaith is the sharing of one's faith with others to gain an understanding of one's beliefs.  When we look at "Interfaith" we may find a situation were the people present a willingness to overlook the borders of the different faithgroups. Those who consider themselves belonging to an interfaith are persons of goodwill who want to reconcile the various opinions, beliefs, faiths and sometimes invention of the wide variety of religions which have developed as a result of the lack of understanding of the true facts of our spirituality.


His Religion and Hers
His Religion and Hers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
We do not need a religion to question ourselves , the reason why we are here or what we do have to do. When we do use our brains we shall come to an understanding that have in our soul (nephesh) the flesh and the inner soul (pneuma/psyche) our way of thinking which is the one which give more importance to the soul (ruach/breath/wind), the life-breath which keeps us alive. This knowledge having to give importance to psychological and spiritual development gives way to the liberty to look across the many borders set up by religious, non-religous and atheist people.

As explained in the several articles on Spirituality and Religosity on Stepping Toes, "Spirituality" requires no belief or faith, because it has the knowledge of its abilities and experience. Our mind can think and guide our body. Without a healthy mind we shall not be able to get a healthy body.

Today we see that some sort of cross-fertilisation is occurring within and between religions at this juncture of history.
As we are caught up with it and feel the energies of the process positively so we find ourselves sustained by what we are calling "spirituality", and exhilarating tone of life that is a vibrant reality for many - whether our lives are full of suffering and tragedy or just plain humdrum, or remarkably privileged amonst the gross inequalities of our lives. So our old religious homes are actually benefitting from this renewal rather than fading away and dying. There remains however the problems of fanaticism and desperation and exclusivism in religions. Can our spiritualities overcome our new fanaticisms and the continuing oppressive inequalities of our ancient political economies which seem to revive old types of wars of religion?
writes George Armstrong.
according to Rev. Stephen Albert:

WP Religion
WP Religion (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
"Interfaith" is not a religion. It does not have a set of rules that require an adherent to act or perform one way or another. Those who call or involve themselves with Interfaith, may celebrate one or more religious traditions and they honor the many people who believe differently than they. The beauty of interfaith is that once you take the time to investigate the deeper beliefs of a religious group of people, the more they begin sounding just like you. Abigail and I just returned from the NAIN (North American Interfaith Network) conference in Detroit Michigan where 150 or so people from a variety of faiths celebrated the similarities and the differences of the many religions. They were not afraid to ask the "hard questions" and to more deeply interact with new friends and colleagues. For the last two years I have mentioned this yearly conference to this group and, besides us, only Laura Zinn has attended. By the way, her workshops were great and she is a great organizer and presenter. Mark your calendars now to attend the NAIN Connect from July 19-22, 2015 in Regina Saskatchewan Canada. Bring your interfaith friends or even those who believe their way is the only way (They won't come anyway). The events are fun, they feed us great and you will come away with a great respect for whatever you believe. Blessings.


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Additional literature:

  1. Religions and Mainliners
  2. What is faith and is it the only thing required
  3. Faith
  4. Soul
  5. Do not forget the important sign of belief
  6. Living in faith
  7. Science, belief, denial and visibility 1
  8. Science, belief, denial and visibility 2
  9. Ian Barbour connecting science and religion
  10. Religion and spirituality
  11. Looking for True Spirituality 1 Intro
  12. Looking for True Spirituality 2 Not restricted to an elite
  13. Looking for True Spirituality 3 Mind of Christ
  14. Looking for True Spirituality 4 Getting to Know the Mind of Christ
  15. Looking for True Spirituality 5 Fruitage of the Spirit
  16. Looking for True Spirituality 6 Spirituality and Prayer
  17. Looking for True Spirituality 7 Preaching of the Good News
  18. Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up
  19. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
  20. Experiencing God
  21. The Supreme Being God of gods
  22. Cosmos creator and human destiny
  23. Only One God
  24. God is One
  25. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
  26. Patriarch Abraham, Muslims, Christians and the son of God
  27. Preparedness to change
  28. Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience
  29. Being Religious and Spiritual 2 Religiosity and spiritual life
  30. Being Religious and Spiritual 3 Philosophers, Avicennism and the spiritual
  31. Being Religious and Spiritual 5 Gnostic influences
  32. Being Religious and Spiritual 4 Philosophical, religious and spiritual people
  33. Fruits of the spirit will prevent you from being either inactive or unfruit
  34. American atheists most religiously literate Americans
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Wednesday 12 February 2014

19° Century London Christadelphians

 From

the
RELIGIOUS LIFE OF LONDON.

by
J. EWING RITCHIE,
author ofbritish senators,” “the night side of london,” etc.
LONDON:
TINSLEY BROTHERS, 18, CATHERINE STREET, STRAND.
1870.

What good men have been persecuted and suffered wrong because they bore the name of a sect distasteful to an imperious majority!  How the mob have thirsted for their blood!
  “These are Christians—away with them to the lions,” said they of old Rome.  “Down with the Roundheads!”
 was the cry of country squire and rural parson when a few devout men such as Richard Baxter and others more or less known to fame met in a small room to keep alive the spirit of piety and prayer amongst themselves.  It was the same when Wesley and Whitefield, often at the peril of life, proclaimed in parishes of England sunk in ignorance Gospel truths.  There are thousands who, like the late Isaac Taylor, of Ongar, could tell how a “Church and King mob” kept them in perpetual fear, because they were “Meetingers.”  There are yet parishes in Suffolk and Norfolk where to go to chapel is to insure your being despised as a “Pogram,” and cut by all the dignities of the village, even if you have the learning of a German professor and the piety of a saint.

  In the Babel of London, however, it is different; here, there is a rage for new names, and there are preachers and people ever ready to resort to a new name, as if novelty were a possibility in our day, after eighteen hundred years of theological hair-splitting and threshing of straw.  The Christadelphians are the latest production in this way.  They meet in Crowndale Hall, Crowndale Road, St. Pancras Road, every Sunday; in the morning, at eleven, for the breaking of bread, and worship; in the afternoon at three, when there is a Bible-class especially for inquirers, when opportunity to ask questions respecting the one faith is afforded; and at seven in the evening, when we are told the Word of God is expounded in harmony with the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus anointed.

  One of the most active teachers is Mr. Watts, late of Vernon Chapel, King’s Cross Road.  The Athenæum Hall, Temple Road, Birmingham, seems to be the headquarters of Christadelphian publications.  There are published there the Christadelphian Shield, the Biblical Newspaper, and the Ambassador, monthly periodicals, and other publications more expensive, and aiming to be standard works.


This, I take it, is the epitome of their faith:—
One God, the Eternal Father, dwelling in heaven in light of glory inconceivable; one universal irradiant Spirit, by which the Father fills all and knows all, and when He wills, performs all; one Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, begotten by the Spirit of the Virgin Mary, put to death for sin, raised from the dead for righteousness, and exalted to the heavens as a Mediator between God and man; man a creature of the ground, under sentence of death because of sin, which is his great enemy — the devil; deliverance from death by resurrection, and bodily glorification at the coming of Christ and inheritance of the kingdom of God, offered to all men on condition—1, of believing the glad tidings of Christ’s accomplishment at His first appearing, and of His coming manifestations in the earth as King of Israel and Ruler of the whole earth at the setting up of the kingdom of God; 2, of being immersed in water for His name; and 3, of continuing in well-doing to the end of this probationary career.”
This is the teaching of the new sect.  They rejoice in their emancipation from the bondage of orthodoxy.

  Mr. Watts says:
“My past nineteen years of religious life I regard as so much lost time taken up with the fables and follies of man’s fleshly mind, systematized upon a pagan theology; and although I honestly thought myself right, and strove hard to lead others, yet I am now fully persuaded it was all done in ignorance of the true knowledge of God.”
  He tells us the Evangelical party in the Church or Dissent do not know the Gospel.
  “Nothing can be more clear,”
 he says,
 “than that this (their doctrine of the resurrection) first item of the Gospel as preached by Jesus and the Apostles does not form any part of the teaching either of those who pretend to be the successors of the Apostles, or the sects and parties of Dissenters who have imbibed their system of theology from the same polluted stream.”
  The doctrine of the soul’s essential and inherent immortality is a pagan myth.  For the heathen there is no future life; for them what Macbeth wished has come to pass, and life is indeed
“The be all and the end all here.”
The mere belief of this doctrine relieves orthodoxy of the perplexing problem, What becomes of the heathen? and of course strikes at the foundation of the doctrine of purgatory.  Yet we are not to suppose there will be no punishment for the wicked and the disobedient; they shall beaten with stripes, and then, according to the righteous Judge, enter upon that second death state, from which there shall be no resurrection—an opinion the direct opposite of that of Origen and Archbishop Tillotson, first promulgated in modern times by Dr. Rust, Bishop of Dromore.  The Calvinistic formula is also, in the opinion of the Christadelphians, a mere travesty of the subject of the atonement.  As to man in general, he is born to die.  God treated the first man federally.  He put him on probation, and in him all his successors stood or fell.  We never read of immortal, never-dying souls in Scripture, and to foist such a meaning on 2 Cor. v. 8, as that it proves the existence of a separate state of disembodied spirits, is to handle the Word of God deceitfully.

  Once Mr. Watts believed in a kingdom in the sky, a throne in the heart, a seed of Israel, a New Jerusalem and promised land, all mystically referring to something at present existing in the so-called Christian Church.  He does so no longer.  His eyes are opened, the light is come, and he and his friends, chiefly juveniles, rejoice; and if they have the true light, who shall say they have no reason to rejoice?  Farewell, writes Mr. Watts, in a poem considered poetically of doubtful merit—
“Farewell to the false, I welcome the true,
And begin the year with Christ anew.”
This reference to poetry reminds me that the Christadelphians have a hymn-book of their own, to frame which appears to have been a matter of no little trouble.  With the hymns used by Christian churches in general they find much fault.  They require something manly and robust, whereas the churches of all denominations rejoice in what is sentimental, and their songs of praise and devotion are described as “oceans of slops.”  Whether the Christadelphians have much improved theirs, I leave the reader to judge.  As a specimen I quote one verse from Montgomery’s well-known poem, “The Grave.”  In their hymn-book I find it printed thus.  I quote from memory:—
“There is a calm for saints who weep,
   A rest for weary Weyyah found;
In Christ secure they sweetly sleep,
   Hid in the ground.”
At present the Christadelphians do not seem very flourishing.  In their little room—which is miscalled a hall—there are about forty of them of an evening, quibbling earnestly, and to the best of their ability.

In taking leave of the Christadelphians, let me refer to a passage in our Church history.  It is notorious that the celebrated Henry Dodwell, Camden Professor of History in the University of Oxford, in order to exalt the power and dignity of the priesthood, endeavoured to prove that the doctrine of the soul’s natural mortality was the true and original doctrine, and that immortality was only at baptism conferred upon the soul by the gift of God through the hands of one set of regularly ordained clergy.
p. 300-  p305
File:Women in Industry during the First World War, London, c 1918 Q28553.jpg
Women in Industry during the First World War, London, c 1918
A general view of the central hall of Crowndale Works, an anti-gas mask factory, in Camden Town, London. A mass of women sit shoulder to shoulder on long tables to prepare the glass for the mask eyepieces.
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Friday 17 January 2014

What is life?

What is life?

 Our answer to this question will, to some extent, depend on what is on our mind when we are asked.
 Life has physical, emotional, relational and spiritual aspects and each of these will have an influence on our answer. Think about it for a moment. What does it mean to you, right now, to be alive?

 Is it enough to know that you are breathing, or must there be more, and if so, what more?

 What do people mean when they say,
 ‘I’m not living, I’m just existing’.

Still-Life with a Skull, vanitas painting.
Still-Life with a Skull, vanitas painting. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As human beings, made in the image of God, our life is uniquely different from that of plants and other animals. How does this difference show in our daily lives? Surely the essence of our life is in the fact that we are made for eternity. Though eternity does not come straight unto us. When we die our life shall come to an end and everything of us shall decay or come to ashes in the incinerator.

At the moment of our death it will be to late to change anything. Than we will be to late to change direction or to take an other path. We shall be able to face death in peace when we do know we have lived according to the wishes of the Most High. Those who did not want to accept there is a God Creator of heaven and earth should in a way not be afraid either, but with many of them we notice they fear death. Why?


Those who believe in other things than described in the Bible may be taken by fear, because when they believe in false gods and in false beings like certain demons and devils and places of torture, the could have reason to be afraid.

Those who know the Bible do know that when we live it is important to treat all living organisms with respect, because they all are a creation of the Most High Elohim. And all creation of God, be it humans or animals shall come to the same end — humans die, animals die. also plants shall have there time of growing and flowering, but afterwards they will die and decay.
 We all breathe the same air. So there’s really no advantage in being human. None. Everything’s smoke. We all end up in the same place — we all came from dust, we all end up as dust. We as the living should at least know something, even if it’s only that we’re going to die. But the dead know nothing and get nothing. They’re a minus that no one remembers.
“19 after all, the same things that happen to people happen to animals, the very same thing—just as the one dies, so does the other. yes, their breath is the same; so that humans are no better than animals; since nothing matters, anyway. 20 they all go to the same place; they all come from dust, and they all return to dust.” (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 CJB)
 “for the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; there is no longer any reward for them, because all memory of them is lost.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5 CJB)
When we live it is the time to make the right choices. In life it is the time given us by the Creator to make something if our 'being' 'our soul'. The 'soul' is not something extra special in our material form, it is our total being that can breath and as soon as we stop breathing we shall be considered to be part of the dead.
Therefore we better take life as it comes our way and whatever turns up, we better grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed. When more people would read the Bible they would know that we are just mere humans who don’t have what it takes when they die, their projects die with them.
 “whatever task comes your way to do, do it with all your strength; because in sh’ol, where you will go, there is neither working nor planning, neither knowledge nor wisdom.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 CJB)
 “when they breathe their last, they return to dust; on that very day all their plans are gone.” (Psalms 146:4 CJB)
So, why are atheists afraid when they die or why should believers be afraid when they die? the non-believer knows when he dies it shall be finished 'and that is it'. why should he worry when he knows the outcome of death?

And why should a believer worry. When he dies and becomes dust like everybody, why should he worry? By death we have paid the penalty for our sins. 

But those who believe in Christ Jesus, the son of God, who died (whilst God can not die) and was resurrected from death and taken out of the dead, they know they can find an example in what God did with Christ Jesus and can do with us. Believers in Christ also do know he was lower than angels, but was made higher by his Father, Who is, was, and shall always be the Most High. Believers trust that God took Jesus, the son of man, with Him in heaven, to sit at His right hand to become a mediator between man and God.
“he gave him no inheritance in it, not even space for one foot; yet he promised to give it to him as a possession and to his descendants after him, even though at the time he was childless.” (Acts 7:5 CJB)

 “for god is one; and there is but one mediator between god and humanity, Yeshua the Messiah, himself human,” (1 Timothy 2:5 CJB)
Yes, today we have a human preceding by God. He can talk for us and be our advocate, so that when Jesus shall return to the earth to judge the living and the dead, we would have a chance to become rightly judged and either to be placed by the living or by the dead, either to be allowed to enter the gate of the KiIngdom of God or to fall into the category for the Second death.
Than there shall come an end to death.
“he will swallow up death forever. ADONAI ELOHIM will wipe away the tears from every face, and he will remove from all the earth the disgrace his people suffer. for ADONAI has spoken.” (Isaiah 25:8 CJB)
“for what one earns from sin is death; but eternal life is what one receives as a free gift from god, in union with the Messiah Yeshua, our lord.” (Romans 6:23 CJB)
 “21 for since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. 22 for just as in connection with adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. 23 but each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming; 24 then the culmination, when he hands over the kingdom to god the father, after having put an end to every rulership, yes, to every authority and power. 25 for he has to rule until he puts all his enemies under his feet. 26 the last enemy to be done away with will be death,” (1 Corinthians 15:21-26 CJB)
“he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. there will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4 CJB)
So those who have faith in Christ do not have to worry when they die, as long as they made their best of their life.

What we become is the reality of what it means to us to be alive today. So, after all this, the question remains, what is life?

 I like the answer I read recently which twists a well known saying.
 ‘Life is doing what comes supernaturally.’ Let’s live!

Yes
Cover of Yes

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Please do read also:

  1. Cosmos creator and human destiny
  2. Choices
  3. Always a choice 
  4. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace 
  5. A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses
  6. Science, belief, denial and visibility 1
  7. Science, belief, denial and visibility 2
  8. Choose you this day whom ye will serve 
  9. It is a free will choice 
  10. For those who make other choices
  11. Dying or not
  12. What happens when we die?
  13. The Soul confronted with Death
  14. Dead and after
  15. Destination of righteous
  16. Destination of the earth
  17. Sheol or the grave
  18. Soul
  19. The Soul not a ghost
  20. Is there an Immortal soul
  21. Human Nature: What does the Bible teach?
  22. Immortality, eternality – onsterfelijkheid, eeuwigheid
  23. How are the dead?
  24. The soul has no rainbow if the eyes have no tears
  25. Let not sin reign in your mortal body
  26. We will all be changed
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Find also of interest:

Never Take Resources For Granted!
The Vital Social Status versus The Vital Social Necessities
Choose A Positive Influence In Life
Beautiful Life…


 


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