Still with me? How about one more...?

Question

Can we all just be glad that we are all seeking, trust that we are all reasonable intelligent people doing the best we can and just live and let live?

(Part 3 of a series. Here's part 1: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ak_rLjQNy_Xx.Eg_vTw40GXzy6IX?qid=20061014212810AAfiTch Here's part 2: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aqo9UQEBK2LIjsMbe2hEH9fsy6IX?qid=20061014214024AAdFg6i )

Answer 1

Hello again, Carole. :)

Looks like you lost some people here. It's hard to imagine that others are following the same path when we see what seems like so much evidence to the contrary. Take heart, because while it may be hard to imagine, mankind is evolving right now whether we realize it or not.

For one thing, our media is totally out of control in the accountability department. We just can't trust anything we hear as truth anymore. From the last presidential election results to the box office numbers for the latest Jackass film, I just can't believe that Americans are really as ovine as the media likes to portray us. They are selectively promoting the worst qualities of men without taking any time to show the good. It's an old and vital tool used by all who would take over the world, to spread disinformation and give the overall impression that any kind of change would be impossible. Look around at the smartest cynics you know, they've bought it.

Tension is high. Between fear of terrorists, rising health care costs and no relief for the working class, it's hard for most of us to maintain a positive attitude! This is just another tactic that's been used by those in power to keep the majority of men down for thousands of years.

But look around. Even amid such dark times, more and more people are realizing some very important truths. For one thing, we have more Americans involved in grass roots politcal activism than ever before. They're paying attention and taking a stand by donating thier time and money to make the world a better place. Best selling books are being written about Universal laws that don't contradict the greatest men the world has ever know. More people than ever before are giving, sharing, and learning that thoughts are indeed things.

The Light is finally gaining substantial momentum in the battle against the Dark. Once we have a significant majority who realizes this, things will change dramatically, almost overnight, with seemingly litte effort. It's already started!

Namaste,
Gwen

Answer 2

Yes, I wish that was true. I am an atheist, and I am here to fight back against what I see is a trend of Christians in the U.S. trying to break down the separation of church and state, and thereby turn the U.S. into a Christian Theocracy. Please note that I KNOW that not ALL Christians are this way. One of my best friends is a Christian that I respect and admire, and I think is a great role model.

But it seems to me that fundamentalist Christians are trying to stop and reverse the advance of scientific knowledge. You say that we are all "seeking". I find it very ironic that one scripture that Christians are fond of quoting is this one:

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Note that this scripture says nothing about seeking. It claims that Christians will KNOW the truth. How do they know the truth if they don't seek it? It seems to me that far too many Christians believe that merely reading the Bible (or listening to preachers in Sunday School preach from the Bible) is enough for them to know the truth. I feel this is totally wrong, because it isn't seeking. I think the scripture should read something like this:

"And ye shall seek the truth, and seeking shall make you free."

I think in this day, we MUST recognize that the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) is a document that is at least 2500 years old. Even if it was someone "divinely inspired", the people who wrote it were men, and they could only write using the language and concepts available to them. As such, even at best the writings could not possibly be the pure word of God. At worst, they are just the words of men who believed in a God much like the Greeks believed in Zeus. Either way, it is folly to limit your seeking of truth to the Bible alone. Mankind should be seeking truth from anywhere we can get it, and today Science is the best source of truth. Religion should not be resisting Science, but embracing it.

Answer 3

The Ruah appears in the Old Testament twice it is another word for energy. In the New Testament it is Ruach Hakodesh, it is the dynamite power feeling of the Holy Spirit.