The problem with inadvertently associating yourself with the past

[TForce]

Why do people even try to associate God with images? I know, the answer is obvious, but I would have to say that we have to draw the line somewhere. Since we cannot do quite everything that God can do, than it does not make sense to even compare. I personally like to associate God with something I can see every day. Associating Him with celestial bodies is labelled as paganism. Some forms of Gnosticism are labelled as gay rights movements. Paganism is labelled as gnosticism. Intelligent design is labelled as paganistic gnosticism! I personally don't believe in magic. Some do, but I give them enough respect to let them believe in their own particular way of praying. Labelling Him as Her starts wars. The traditional invisible unknown is all fine and good, though it's really all been done before - fire and water can be the sun and the earth, good and evil can be yin and yang, the possibilites are endless. Ra left so much to be desired.

I like to think of our solar system as one little cell, with all of this programming already built in. Evil is just a disease, that you have the choice of having. I could go on and on with a big long philosophical essay, but I just wanted to throw this topic out and see what others' opinions are.

[kokokolo]

[ QUOTE ]
I like to think of our solar system as one little cell

[/ QUOTE ]

I actually like that analogy !!!! From what ive seen, im pretty sure the universe and a cell are about equally complex

[Adam Knowlden]

[ QUOTE ]
Why do people even try to associate God with images? I know, the answer is obvious, but I would have to say that we have to draw the line somewhere. Since we cannot do quite everything that God can do, than it does not make sense to even compare.

[/ QUOTE ]

Biblically the reason is that people would rather serve "the creature" than "The Creator", because this allows them to stay reprobate and not be convicted of their sin.

<font color="red"> 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.


</font>

<font color="brown">6We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

7Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt;

19They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

20Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.

21They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

22Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea
</font>

<font color="blue"> 25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." 26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs [a] of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood."

34 "Do it again," he said, and they did it again.
"Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."

38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
</font>

<font color="green"> 10And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

15For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
</font>

[TForce]

Here is my simple solution. With 5 billion people in this world today, sooner or later, our population will max out and Thomas Maltheus will have his way with Maslowe's hierarchy of needs. However, if couples only have 1 child, we can all live happily ever after. We can still enjoy the happiness of creating life and 10 billion people will become 5 billion people which will become 2.5 billion and so on and so on. It's so simple that it's like clockwork. We don't need to become a planet full of gay and lesbians as some would like to rationalize. Only thing is, who is going to make everybody stop having so many babies? Hopefully, people will eventually see the light as the time bomb gets closer and closer to arriving. Today, the Pope reiterated the church's stance on the rights of embryos, which is all fine and good. However, that is what is expected of him, as he is statutorily bound by his own laws. Why does the church ignore the ramifications of the future?

This gauntlet has been set up which defines who succeeds and who doesn't. Sooner or later, the law wins, whether or not it is the law of the land, or the law of politically correct behavior. This is what even Jesus learned. If the cops don't get you, the cancer will. That is a constant. The programming is already built in. Styles and fads may change, but the basic overall positive message stays the same. The basic overall goodwill of the people remains the same. Circumventing this is basically like trying to change the very meaning of existence. There is simply nothing more to say.

[kokokolo]

[ QUOTE ]
With 5 billion people in this world today, sooner or later, our population will max out

[/ QUOTE ]

I honestly doubt it. I cant imagine the world lasting much longer until war's and disasters and such come about, and the world ends... im thinking the worlds got maybe 30 years left, 100 years tops ( opinion of course ) I mean considering

1. national debt
2. rising medical costs
3. baby boomers retiring
4. social security ...
5. that whole fuel thing
the US could get pretty messed up
5. the war in iraq, which I just read in the paper, could go into a civil war
6. iran, and korea, and everywhere else getting wmd's
7. Osama bin laden and terrorists still running around

maybe Im just speculating /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif
but I think people have been taking everything for granted and any time now it could all be coming down.

[TForce]

I disagree with this. When the red alert, 3-alarm bells start ringing, people will wake up and start adapting. Not everyone in this world lives in a third-world country where they are simply not educated enough to know what is going on around them, nor how to deal with it. Most everyone is centered in their self at this point, but sooner or later, people will start changing. I don't believe that the sky will actually fall, like many would.

[kokokolo]

[ QUOTE ]
Most everyone is centered in their self at this point,

[/ QUOTE ]

true

[ QUOTE ]
but sooner or later, people will start changing.

[/ QUOTE ]
some will. Though I doubt most will.
I think this self centeredness is one of the main problems with the world today. All of the people that have more than they need and use the extra money for a better house/car luxary items, exotic vacations, things of this world that are of no consequence.
yah so I think people will stay self centered in general.