Lord Christ entered in the fullness of time to show The Way through an active love, instead of a vacuous emptiness of the Tao which hints at the meaning through void. While we can achieve temporary peace with the empty room of the East, the highest level is in the active as well the contemplative. Myth is true and sometimes, like with our Lord Jesus, it really happened. The magi showed this Way was available to all.
That’s exactly right. Christ doesn’t fade into some vague or sentimental idea of compassion. He descends and gives love a real shape through obedience, suffering, and being fully present.
Real self-emptying isn’t emptiness at all. It’s a fullness that overflows. It’s what connects the invisible intention of love (heaven) with its visible form (earth).
In that overflowing, the world is mysteriously created. That’s what the image of blood and water flowing from the crucified Christ means.
In short, sacrifice creates the world, and all ancient people knew this. But self-sacrifice is that truth raised to another power.
Interesting you would say that. I’m just about to finish a Bible Reader Manuel with 25 rules for reading the Bible on its own terms. I’m planning on making it free to all new subscribers.
Measuring it by so-called historical truth is the first mistake to be avoided. But I agree. The Bible is full of lies, half-truths, and delusion. It’s part of the map.
It’s interesting to see Genesis 1 as a map of reality and compare it to physics. For example, from the hypothetical perspective of light, there is no space and time. All things at all distances are inseparable and all time is instantaneous. One way of understanding space-time from Special Relativity is to say that nothing could exist without light. So, God saying, “let there be light” sets into motion all of creation. Genesis doesn’t contradict science.
Exactly. I’m actually exploring Genesis as a map in my Genesis series. And not long ago, I wrote an article about how light in Genesis is more fundamental than light understood as particles or waves.
You say, “Light is not one created thing among others. It’s the condition that makes other things come into being and become visible.” That statement is absolutely correct. I would go so far as to say that light is the fundamental basis for the existence of everything. Without light, there is no space, there is no time. Scientifically, this is synonymous with the idea of a Big Bang. Light comes first.
The question is whether we notice that light isn’t just the first thing God creates but the condition that makes everything that follows possible.
And this pattern isn’t unique.
The separation of heaven and earth becomes the condition for light and darkness. The separation of the waters becomes the condition for the land and the sea. One act opens the space for the next.
Like many you mistake the map for the territory, the map is only two dimensional, the territory is three dimensional. You've created rules and guidelines instead of wisdom and insight.
The first five Books - The Torah - are the Israelites' creation myth, plus their Law - Leviticus. All written centuries, if not millennia after the events are supposed to have happened, from remembered oral tradition. It is a rallying cry for the Israelites.
The Qur'an is a specifically Arabic plagiarism of the Torah, plus The Old Testament Prophets, created to serve a similar rallying point for Arab tribes.
The New Testament is the telling of the story of a man and his notable actions from four perspectives, Followed by the stories of some of his followers who collectively created his myth and how they did it, broadening his message beyond the bounds of the Israelites.
As someone raised within a Christian environment. A critical thinker who later came into contact with East and South Asian philosophies. The most interesting part of the whole story for me is Christ's childhood. Only one Apostle mentions it and suggests that his parents took him to Egypt.
Given that it was the 3 Maji from the East who warned them of Herod's intent, it would seem far more likely that the trio travelled East with them. Where the child would have come into contact with pre-existing philosophies - Buddhism and Zoroastrianism - far more in tune with his adult philosophies than those of Judaism.
The point, my friend, is that in 1967 at the age of seven, I had my very own epiphany... That god - any god - is to adults what Father Christmas is to children. A means of social control and manipulation (It was during a Scripture class, where we had been studying The Parable of the Good Samaritan). Don't get me wrong! I couldn't articulate it as such at that point but, I understood it.
I had already read "A Child's Bible" in full and had and still have an enquiring mind. My parents lived, worked met and married in the Gulf States. The Six Day War had just happened. The Atlas was one of my favourite books. The N.A.S.A. Apollo missions were building towards the moon landing climax. I knew I was not an Israelite. So this "God" was not my god. The Parable we had just studied I must have realised subconsciously, was another example of what I would later understand to be "Racism".
Over the next decade or so, I made it my goal to read all the Big Books - Bible/Torah, Qur'an, Badigavad Gita, Analects of Confucius, Tao Te Ching, Mein Kampf, Communist Manifesto, Das Capital and a myriad other times.
The conclusions that I described in my earlier post come from a non-believer's critical analysis of what is written in The Bible AND, how it relates to its historical context. As opposed to what it may mean to a believer. To me, they are not about Man and God. They are about the human ruler and the human ruled. Nothing more.
Great points harry. I became an atheist at the age of 6 when I found out the was no Santa. To persuade me to “be good”, whatever that was, I was told that if I was bad Santa would bring me nothing. Or, I would go to hell. When my older brother explained that no one could know when I was sleeping, know when I was awake, or know when I was bad or good, so “ be good for goodness sake” was just about control. No one could make, much less deliver, millions of gifts in one night, ie no one was all- present, all-powerful, or all-knowing. Later, in college, I learned that everything the mythical Jesus allegedly said or did was simply lifted from other, older faiths. Everything. And not a molecule of evidence exists that this guy existed at all.
Lord Christ entered in the fullness of time to show The Way through an active love, instead of a vacuous emptiness of the Tao which hints at the meaning through void. While we can achieve temporary peace with the empty room of the East, the highest level is in the active as well the contemplative. Myth is true and sometimes, like with our Lord Jesus, it really happened. The magi showed this Way was available to all.
Great article, thank you for sharing.
That’s exactly right. Christ doesn’t fade into some vague or sentimental idea of compassion. He descends and gives love a real shape through obedience, suffering, and being fully present.
Real self-emptying isn’t emptiness at all. It’s a fullness that overflows. It’s what connects the invisible intention of love (heaven) with its visible form (earth).
In that overflowing, the world is mysteriously created. That’s what the image of blood and water flowing from the crucified Christ means.
In short, sacrifice creates the world, and all ancient people knew this. But self-sacrifice is that truth raised to another power.
Is also the best owner manual for humanity
Interesting you would say that. I’m just about to finish a Bible Reader Manuel with 25 rules for reading the Bible on its own terms. I’m planning on making it free to all new subscribers.
It’s a genetic lineage like Ancestry. It’s the creator’s fight to keep his creation alive.
Well said
Love its underground corridors connecting pavilions!
The Bible, a book of lies, half-truths, myths, and delusions with a minimum of historical truth.
Measuring it by so-called historical truth is the first mistake to be avoided. But I agree. The Bible is full of lies, half-truths, and delusion. It’s part of the map.
Wow, that is interesting.
It’s interesting to see Genesis 1 as a map of reality and compare it to physics. For example, from the hypothetical perspective of light, there is no space and time. All things at all distances are inseparable and all time is instantaneous. One way of understanding space-time from Special Relativity is to say that nothing could exist without light. So, God saying, “let there be light” sets into motion all of creation. Genesis doesn’t contradict science.
Exactly. I’m actually exploring Genesis as a map in my Genesis series. And not long ago, I wrote an article about how light in Genesis is more fundamental than light understood as particles or waves.
https://open.substack.com/pub/justiandreasen/p/before-the-sun-what-let-there-be?r=5ykafa&utm_medium=ios
You say, “Light is not one created thing among others. It’s the condition that makes other things come into being and become visible.” That statement is absolutely correct. I would go so far as to say that light is the fundamental basis for the existence of everything. Without light, there is no space, there is no time. Scientifically, this is synonymous with the idea of a Big Bang. Light comes first.
Creation was formed when God said, "LIGHT."
The question is whether we notice that light isn’t just the first thing God creates but the condition that makes everything that follows possible.
And this pattern isn’t unique.
The separation of heaven and earth becomes the condition for light and darkness. The separation of the waters becomes the condition for the land and the sea. One act opens the space for the next.
Like many you mistake the map for the territory, the map is only two dimensional, the territory is three dimensional. You've created rules and guidelines instead of wisdom and insight.
Was
I disagree. I have read it twice. The Qur'an too.
The first five Books - The Torah - are the Israelites' creation myth, plus their Law - Leviticus. All written centuries, if not millennia after the events are supposed to have happened, from remembered oral tradition. It is a rallying cry for the Israelites.
The Qur'an is a specifically Arabic plagiarism of the Torah, plus The Old Testament Prophets, created to serve a similar rallying point for Arab tribes.
The New Testament is the telling of the story of a man and his notable actions from four perspectives, Followed by the stories of some of his followers who collectively created his myth and how they did it, broadening his message beyond the bounds of the Israelites.
As someone raised within a Christian environment. A critical thinker who later came into contact with East and South Asian philosophies. The most interesting part of the whole story for me is Christ's childhood. Only one Apostle mentions it and suggests that his parents took him to Egypt.
Given that it was the 3 Maji from the East who warned them of Herod's intent, it would seem far more likely that the trio travelled East with them. Where the child would have come into contact with pre-existing philosophies - Buddhism and Zoroastrianism - far more in tune with his adult philosophies than those of Judaism.
Thanks for sharing, Harry. I’m not quite sure how your points relate to your disagreement with the article.
The point, my friend, is that in 1967 at the age of seven, I had my very own epiphany... That god - any god - is to adults what Father Christmas is to children. A means of social control and manipulation (It was during a Scripture class, where we had been studying The Parable of the Good Samaritan). Don't get me wrong! I couldn't articulate it as such at that point but, I understood it.
I had already read "A Child's Bible" in full and had and still have an enquiring mind. My parents lived, worked met and married in the Gulf States. The Six Day War had just happened. The Atlas was one of my favourite books. The N.A.S.A. Apollo missions were building towards the moon landing climax. I knew I was not an Israelite. So this "God" was not my god. The Parable we had just studied I must have realised subconsciously, was another example of what I would later understand to be "Racism".
Over the next decade or so, I made it my goal to read all the Big Books - Bible/Torah, Qur'an, Badigavad Gita, Analects of Confucius, Tao Te Ching, Mein Kampf, Communist Manifesto, Das Capital and a myriad other times.
The conclusions that I described in my earlier post come from a non-believer's critical analysis of what is written in The Bible AND, how it relates to its historical context. As opposed to what it may mean to a believer. To me, they are not about Man and God. They are about the human ruler and the human ruled. Nothing more.
Great points harry. I became an atheist at the age of 6 when I found out the was no Santa. To persuade me to “be good”, whatever that was, I was told that if I was bad Santa would bring me nothing. Or, I would go to hell. When my older brother explained that no one could know when I was sleeping, know when I was awake, or know when I was bad or good, so “ be good for goodness sake” was just about control. No one could make, much less deliver, millions of gifts in one night, ie no one was all- present, all-powerful, or all-knowing. Later, in college, I learned that everything the mythical Jesus allegedly said or did was simply lifted from other, older faiths. Everything. And not a molecule of evidence exists that this guy existed at all.