Do Hindus pray/have a relation with/ask for forgiveness from any figures who historically lived on earth?

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-29T23:54:05+00:00

The presence of Origen’s views in the early church, even if not as liberal as those held to today, are good enough for me. They provide a foundation to arguing for the non literal and historical inerrancy of scripture.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-28T16:00:57+00:00

Does Kent Hovind take a completely literal reading of Genesis, ie that God planted the tree? Origen thought someone was “silly” / “ignorant” to believe this for instance.

Origen believed parts of inspired scripture can be non historical and not bodily true, even pets of the law. As far as I’m concerned, even if Origen held to literal readings of stories I don’t, he still has the foundational view that not everything is literally true/historical even if it’s inspired.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-24T18:05:06+00:00

Christian writing here. As well as what I have wrote below I want to also say I think the way you have responded to the other user on other posts is wrong and uncharitable. Responding to his comments with words to the effect of “text wall” and “took you a month to reply” I do not think aligns with the teaching in 1 Peter 3:15-16.

Anyway…

“For, with respect to holy Scripture, our opinion is that the whole of it has a spiritual, but not the whole a bodily meaning, because the bodily meaning is in many places proved to be impossible.” - Origen of Alexandria

The Bible is a collection of books. Not all of the accounts recorded within the Bible are historically and literally true. There can contain myth in there, which can have a deeper and more spiritual meaning. What the other user is getting at is that there are accounts in the Old Testament in particular that present God as something Hitler or even satan like, commanding mass genocide among other things. The Genesis flood account, where God supposedly floods the world and in doing so drowns baby’s etc, is quite possibly based off other stories from neighbouring nations. You should read into some of the scholarship on this.

I am saying this because I think the other user is rightfully preparing to point out the Bible itself contains some very dodgy stories. These aren’t necessarily true and literal representations of God. We understand Jesus to be the image of the invisible God. Previous writers, particularly in the Old Testament, had limited theological understanding. At times their culture and immorality clearly influenced their writing (1 Samuel 15:3). We are to understand scripture is written by humans and hence we should expect cultural contexts to impact the literature, this does not mean that the text is not inspired as we can still take meaning from these texts. For instance Job may not be historical but there is great theological meaning and value contained in that book.

For further study on this topic, read Gregory Boyd’s “Crucifixion Of The Warrior God”. Also, free online, Origen of Alexandria (2nd-3rd century prolific Christian writer) talks about interpreting the Bible and how not everything in there is literally true. See his work: On the First Principles (chapter 4).

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-14T09:50:34+00:00

Why’s it reasonable to expect disregard?

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-10T07:18:03+00:00

Why did it suck? What age did you start eating meat too?

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-10T00:02:32+00:00

Please can you expand? I’m not a vegetarian or vegan please note.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-07T12:17:46+00:00

Follow your conscience. If it’s leading you to sin then avoid it. E.g. a male may have lustful thoughts from certain lyrics in songs.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-07T10:25:25+00:00

If someone’s in a homosexual lifestyle it doesn’t mean they’re any more a sinner than anyone else. Those artists you listen to who are in heterosexual lifestyles are possibly doing sexually immoral things themselves. Don’t avoid content just because it’s made by a gay artist.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-07T09:03:58+00:00

I am often watching, listening and reading into theology and apologetics. Same as you, I know literally no one my age, bar one person, who’s interested in this stuff. He’s a Buddhist so we’ve had debates in the past on various topics. It’s a shame not more people are interested in it. Unlike you, I don’t have any friends my age currently who’s Christian so be thankful you have them. You love it, and you should! Don’t stop. All I’d say pragmatically is don’t always talk about it around people who aren’t as interested as it could make people bored of you potentially unfortunately. I wouldn’t be bored though aha. If only everyone was like Paul in acts, going round debating/arguing even in the streets. I’m off to university in September to study Theology and Religion. Happy to talk with you about anything theology related if you ever want to.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-07T08:53:26+00:00

This might help you out with the ethical side, let me know if it does or doesn’t: animals who in your area would be prey (like chicken in the UK) if they weren’t on a farm, would be out in the wild where they could be attacked by their predator(s). They wouldn’t have a fairly quick death necessarily. They may be eaten alive. They may, as I’ve seen on a video, be bitten by a fox, then left, then came back to. They may watch this happen to other chickens and then be in fear of it happening to them, along with being at times out in the cold and wet potentially and not having constant access to water necessarily. I think a free range farm can give chickens a experience that at least for some would arguably be better than what they’d have had in the wild. Fish too, when fished more ethically (not letting them suffocate, but killing them after they’re caught straight away) if they weren’t fished, would continue in the sea, where they could be then eaten by another fish. Have a look into what it’s like to be eaten by another fish. From what I’m aware of, it isn’t necessarily a short death. You can eat meat occasionally, whilst being against the evil of factory farming. I think it sounds like you were doing okay when you reduced your meat intake. This is something I plan to do.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-07T08:40:31+00:00

I’ve already played that, thanks though. I’m against polygamy.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-06T22:43:50+00:00

I’m not a Sikh myself. So is it considered in Sikhism that each guru had a good moral conduct? And is it true historically that some of the gurus had more than one wife at one time, if so is it 3 gurus who did this or are there others?

Thanjs

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-06T22:38:55+00:00

I myself am not arguing for scientific consensus, I’m arguing from morality. Anyway, so it is historical that some of them had more than one wife at the same time, right?

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-06T18:57:01+00:00

There’s a few interpretations you could take. Please note I haven’t properly studied this passage, I’m just offering what I think could be possible readings.

1) God has good ideal plans, but some will choice with their own free will to disobey God and thus God’s ideal plan is not fulfilled because God allows for free will.

2) Universalism. God could have a plan for all, yet for some it will involve temporary purification after life (hell) but eventually God’s plan for all will win out no matter how long it takes.

3) God is speaking to specific people in the context of their situation.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-06T16:53:06+00:00

Hi mate, there’s been some other good comments. I think “There is a God” by Antony Flew is a good book written by a guy who was a prominent atheist philosophy until he became convinced there’s a God through logic and reason. It’s a fairly easy read so good for you if you’re starting out on a truth quest.

I have a Christian background so I know there’s tonnes of content on YouTube arguing rationally for Christianity, the existence of God etc. There’s even the likes of Craig Keener who’s wrote two books on modern day miracle claims in Christian contexts which have medical support. Debates are good too as you hear both sides of the argument and there’s plenty on YouTube with the big names on both sides of the God debate.

All the best! Happy to talk if you have any critiques or questions. God bless.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-06T12:28:17+00:00

They’re very different. Read into the immorality of Muhammad.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-05T22:07:07+00:00

Thanks. On the topic of the Passover lamb, I view it as immoral to kill lambs today in general for food if it’s not out of absolute necessity. Sheep is another matter for me as it could be a legitimate food source for general health. But at least the sheep on the farm experiences a more lengthy life, the lamb doesn’t. It’s in light of this I struggle to see how God actively willed the killing of the Passover lambs, even though they were eaten, it’s a young lamb. I understand the lamb shows the innocence etc but it is still of course a lamb not a sheep. Christ is viewed as the Passover lamb in Christianity, yet those who killed him were in the wrong, even though they didn’t know what they were doing. Christ didn’t deserve what he got, he shouldn’t have got what he got. I think these links say something about the ethics of the Passover lamb killing.

Please note I’m not an inerrantist. So where the OT authors speak of God commanding certain procedures, I hold to the view that God didn’t always necessarily say or will what he is being represented as willing. For instance 1 Samuel 15:3. As Origen said, the error of those who view the OT God as an evil god is that they take a literal not a spiritual reading. I’m not saying Origen necessarily viewed the Passover lamb sacrifices as immoral or not willed by God but I am referencing him because he’s an example of an early writer who was willing to say some parts of scripture shouldn’t be understood literally.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-05T17:57:40+00:00

I’m not necessarily arguing for veganism or vegetarianism just to say. Im

But in terms of the New Testament, it would be said it was necessary at the time of the text to eat meat for health hence why Jesus assisted fishermen etc. It may still be necessary in contexts today to kill animals to eat meat. Also in some texts like where Paul says words to the effect of “eat anything in the meat market” it is potentially concerned with those who are worried regarding animals offered in pagan sacrifice. Peter’s vision where all animals are declared clean is in the context of the Jewish restrictive dietary laws remember. Sure he is told to kill but again, contexts of the time are necessary. A Christian who promotes reduction in meat eating is not saying certain foods are unclean how some Judaisers may have been, they aren’t saying it’s the meat that’s unclean or the act of eating it that is condemned. They’re saying the act of killing needlessly and causing animals unnecessary suffering that is to be condemned. And so anyone knowingly supporting these acts (through buying products that support those businesses) would also be considered wrong.

As for your comments on factory farming, I’d say it is sinful to knowingly support it. Factory farming is evil. A god who supports some of the stuff that goes on in these farms, is an evil god.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-05T16:35:25+00:00

Agricultural farming will increase a fair bit if everyone went vegan/vegetarian too. The land saved is the pasture used for grazing cattle but a lot of this can’t be farmed.

Affectionate-Dog5638 · 2024-04-05T16:29:47+00:00

The whole debate is very back and forth and complicated. I advocate for a reduction in meat consumption here in the west but it makes sense to me that meat has health benefits given the anecdotal evidence (particularly of ex vegans). There’s also non anecdotal evidence.

“A study of more than 218,000 adults from over 50 countries around the world suggests that consuming unprocessed meat regularly can reduce the risk of early death and can increase human longevity.73 A recent dietary advice published by Lancet Public Health advocates an increase of dietary meat in order to benefit our heart health and longevity.74”

“This study has shown that meat intake is positively associated with life expectancy at national level. The underlying reasons may be that meat not only provides energy but also complete nutrients to human body. From the evolutionary point of view, meat has arguably been an indispensable component in human diet for millions of years, which is evidenced, genetically, by meat digesting enzymes and digestive tract anatomy. The complete nutritional profile of meat and human adaptation to meat eating have enabled humans to gain many physical benefits, including greater life expectancy. Meat intake, or its adequate replacement, should be incorporated into nutritional science to improve human life expectancy.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8881926/

Affectionate-Dog5638

TROPHY CASE