Hi,

Forgive me if this sound paradoxical, or boring. This stuff was just hovering around my mind right now. Sometimes in our quest for Truth and Faith we can outdo ourselves to the degree that, in reality … that which is so simple, becomes incredibly complex. Faith which really seems to me an almost intangible concept, becomes a quest to understand the complexities of the Universe, for within that lies the understanding of our spirituality.

Then, the more we search for clarity and confirmation on the issue, a million additional questions rear their heads. And is this not an indication of the cyclical and uncertain nature of life. I myself still question everything about my God, the differences in His nature from the Old Testament to His nature in the New Testament. From an angry, jealous God to a God in the flesh who espouses love and forgiveness. Is this the same Guy? How much of human nature have we injected into Him? Did He create man in His likeness or did man create Him in our likeness.

Then think about all the bad and sad events of our lives, and the world around us, and in this some of the mystery becomes clearer. One thinks of little events that happen in one`s day that are really quite remarkable, but often overlooked in the fast, scary world we live in, kind gestures from strangers, words of inspiration from artists, smiles from those who love you, wisdom from your preferred teachers ( this is starting to sound utopian) … and you can maybe just start to feel a spiritual inclination to explore your feelings on these events. That it`s all really a great balancing act between the Light and the Dark. Which leads you to appreciate the fingerprints of your God that permeates your existence, and your very nature. And that gives you Faith that surely finding a little bit of God within you, can lead to a knowing that there has to be more … the magnificent mystery of life. The eye opens to the overwhelming evidence for a grand intelligent design. Does any of this make sense?

Maybe I should just have said: Have you ever looked up at the stars on a clear dark evening and seen the brilliance and felt an awesome knowing?

Has anybody been here?

If you have form`d a Circle to go into, Go into it yourself & see how you would do.
(To God, William Blake)

Hi Stretch, Tony H2o here. I don't think we have had the pleasure of crossing paths before.

Thankyou for sharing your thoughts, I'd almost swear that if wasn't your name on the page that I would have said almost the same.

I hope you don't mind me saying but you appear to be having trouble seeing God in the Old Testament as the God in the New Testament. Perhaps you could expand on this and if I can I will share similar thoughts and possible solutions or answers. You know kind of talk it through.

I'm only here ocassionaly of late so if you respond it may take a few days to get back to you.

Again thanks for joining in and sharing your thoughts.

Take care - Tony H2o :D

Hi Tony H2o,

Thanks for responding. I think you do understand where I am coming from. Even though I have accepted the fundamental Christian belief of Redemption and that Christ was the Divine Son of God in the flesh, (based on faith and the awareness of the Spirit), I still need to reconcile certain issues. If I was made in the image of God, then my curiosity is totally in line.

If I may … In the Old Testament God is portrayed as a jealous and angry God. Example: Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden for the transgression of eating from the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil.(which was temptation, placed there by God) From here onward, woman is to bear children in great pain, and Man is forever removed from the close proximity of his God. This is a pretty harsh punishment for a God of love. Analogy: You have a son about 6 years old. You tell him that he can help himself to all the nice food in the fridge, but he must not under any circumstance eat the Ice-cream on the bottom shelf. Now firstly, in saying that, you have awakened in him a seed of temptation. You could have kept the Ice-cream locked in the freezer. If he does eat the Ice-cream, surely you, being a logical and understanding adult, along with your indescribable love for your son, could say … I asked you not to eat the Ice-cream, please do not do that again as we were keeping it for after dinner. That would be a loving adult response. God responded by banishing Adam and Eve from the Garden before they could eat from the Tree of Life! No second chance! No forgiveness and no explanation.

Now equate that to the teaching of Jesus: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. And …” This is my command: Love each other.” And …” Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.” Now this is a God of love! If Jesus is the Son of God and by that implication God in the flesh, what happened to His personality? Did He do a course on Unconditional Love before He enters the Arena in the New Testament?
That`s the question, and there are plenty more examples. Having said that, My Faith is still steadfast, but I pray for understanding.

Have you ever come across Christian Gnosticm? I must say I have found a couple of answers there. Gnosticism was one of the early Christian sects which arose after the Resurrection.
Here are some cornerstones of the Gnostic Faith.

The Hail Sophia
Hail Sophia, filled with light, the Christ is with Thee, blessed art Thou among the Aeons, and blessed is the Liberator of Thy light, Jesus. Holy Sophia, Mother of all gods, pray to the light for us Thy children, now and in the hour of our death. Amen.

LESSON I
OF GOD AND THE UNIVERSE
1. What is God?
The infinite and eternal Reality behind all phenomena, known to the Gnostic under several names, such as the True God, the Unknown Father, the King of Light and many more.
2. What are some further characteristics of God?
Although being infinite, God is in a sense beyond all qualities; one may nevertheless affirm that God is the highest, perfect transcendental Existence in Whom everything originated and by Whom everything is sustained.
3. What is God essentially?
Essentially, God is potential Being, for in Him all potentialities are present.
4. What is God secondarily?
In a secondary sense God is Being in activity; He is Being in actuality.
5. How does the potentiality of God make its to actuality?
The word whereby we express the passage from potential Being to actualized Being is the term "to emanate". It is by such emanation (pouring forth) that the multitude of spiritual and material worlds and their fashioners emerge from the original potentiality of God.
6. Can there be more than one God?
If under "God" we understand the ultimate and true Reality then the answer is no.
If the lesser emanated deities should be called "Gods" then the answer would be yes. It is also possible to envision the ultimate God as the first God, and the Demiurge, the lesser god of this world, as the second god.
7. Is God a Holy Trinity?
Yes. The Gnostic tradition has always affirmed the existence of God as the Holy Trinity consisting of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
That is part of the Gnostic catechism. What do you think? As I said, I will always question my God in search of the ultimate Truth. And I believe I will be shown the way.
Cheers.

If you have form`d a Circle to go into, Go into it yourself & see how you would do.
(To God, William Blake)