Dawn Xiana Moon: Melodic folk pop infused with passion and honesty. From Chicago.

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Tuesday, April 27, 2004

A stimulating debate is good for the soul: Part II

Read Part I. My reply to Steven's comments (read the comments section on this post) in reponse to the points that I brought up.

1. Although Jesus never specifically condemned another religion, he said that he was the only way to God, claimed to be God himself--and a good Jew would only worship (their) God. So put these things together and it's clear that he was saying that one could only worship him. As he said, the greatest commandment was to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Not any God, but the specific God of the Jewish people.

2. Jollyblogger, who also has some other interesting thoughts, has a better answer for Steven's statement, but I was talking about an entirely different passage. In context: John 8:48-59.

3. Jesus wanted people to truly feel their religion, not to be unchanged! I raised this point, and I feel the same way. Religion should not be allowed to stagnate, but should be constantly growing and developing, causing inward change and inspiration.
I concur. Though religion itself stagnates--it is a relationship with God that causes growth. Religion as a set of rules and regulations inevitably drains life.

4. More agreement. :-)

5. But I think that for any religion to claim to have THE Truth is a little arrogant. I'm trying to show how faith can exist without such exclusive claims.
Perhaps, but they all do. Faith can exist, but faith in what? What if there is just one Truth? An example from the real world: if the only way to turn on your computer was to hit the power button, a faith that by hugging the monitor the computer would turn on would be rather useless, however good it felt. Supposing that communicating with God is similar--that one can only communicate with him by agreeing to be covered with Jesus' sinlessness--trying to reach God through other methods simply wouldn't work.

But in the spiritual world where it is uncertain whether there is a bridge or not (and, in such a matter as God, who, I believe, is not governed by logic, there may both be a bridge and NOT be a bridge!), it would be detrimental to force your friend from making their own decision.
I believe God is logical--makes sense if he created logic--just not always according to our point of view. He is sometimes paradoxical, but not illogical. But I do think it's literally impossible to make someone else's decision for them. Impossible because we can only actually convince each other of so much--we believe what we do regardless of force, unless we start bringing in reeducation camps and the like into discussion--and detrimental because if God himself gives us choices and free will, who are we to take it away from others?

A little influence is fine and acceptable- attempts at force can be detrimental.
I completely agree.

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