Is Christ speaking to any of us today?
As many of you are no doubt aware, some modern-day prophets tell us that Christ speaks to them. According to these prophets, they actually listen to Christ having the truth revealed to them from him while many other people don't bother to listen to Christ wallowing in error.
I think much can be said about these prophets' relation to Christ, but let me start out discussing the issue of anybody today having Christ speak to them. If we can believe what we read in the Bible, God spoke regularly to Moses and the prophets. And when Jesus came to the earth as a man, he preached directly to his followers and anybody else who would listen. His message was delivered with great urgency foretelling "the end of the age." I think that this story posits a Jesus who was sent to the earth to personally deliver such an important message. No other mode of communication would do.
We haven't heard much from God or Jesus since. For some mysterious reason, he chose to do most of his talking long ago when there was no modern communication technology like television, smart phones and the internet. In almost two thousand years, we have few holy books being written, and only some people accept them as authentic.
So apparently Christ doesn't speak much today. If I'm wrong, and he does speak to people like those modern prophets, then I'd think he would speak to anybody. If Christ is speaking to any of you, then I'm curious about his message. One important thing to consider here is knowing what message may come from Christ versus that which is the person's own thoughts or even that person's lies.
If people hear Jesus speaking to them they probably need some professional help.
It is funny how the creator of the universe prefers to communicate through a method that is indiscernible from one's own inner voice. It's almost like the god these people worship only exists in their heads...
Jesus has perfected his magnificence in the occasional imagery in a piece of toast.
The brilliance here is sublime.....almost as much as JC can be...or was.....or....never was.
Quote from: Unbeliever on June 15, 2019, 05:12:21 PM
If people hear Jesus speaking to them they probably need some professional help.
It sure looks that way, doesn't it? I find it odd that Christ would reveal himself to people in ways that resemble delusion or hallucination or fraud on the part of his listener. He should be able to figure out that he needs a less ambiguous mode of revelation. Photos might be helpful.
It's funny that God/Jesus usually tells people to do stuff they already wanted to do in the first place. Like when he told Joseph Smith to marry more than one woman. Very convenient...
Quote from: Blackleaf on June 15, 2019, 06:07:25 PM
It is funny how the creator of the universe prefers to communicate through a method that is indiscernible from one's own inner voice. It's almost like the god these people worship only exists in their heads...
Sure. God gets people to act like they're mentally ill. Why does he not know that doing so is not good PR?
Yeah, especially since he's supposed to know absolutely everything.
Quote from: Unbeliever on June 15, 2019, 05:12:21 PM
If people hear Jesus speaking to them they probably need some professional help.
I have met Jesus in a vivid dream. I told him I wasn't interested in saving him ;-) Being idolized is a kind of Hell.
I like the Buddhist saying .. "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him".
Quote from: Jagella on June 15, 2019, 06:13:39 PM
It sure looks that way, doesn't it? I find it odd that Christ would reveal himself to people in ways that resemble delusion or hallucination or fraud on the part of his listener. He should be able to figure out that he needs a less ambiguous mode of revelation. Photos might be helpful.
All human experience is a fraud. This is a broken holodeck experiment. Happened all the time on Star Trek.
Traditionally, a direct revelation of G-d (and not G-d's backside that Moses saw) basically vaporizes you, G-d being white-hot like the Sun. Your existence is incompatible with direct experience of G-d, even your atoms would be gone. So it is G-d's mercy that direct experience doesn't happen often. However, indirect experience happens everywhere, all the time. But scoffers and mockers will miss this every time.
And I am not speaking of paranormal experience, I have had those too. But ordinary experience, like ordinary buttered toast ;-) is a revelation for those whose eyes are open and whose ears can hear.
"Split a piece of wood and I am there, Lift a stone and you will find me" - Gospel of Thomas
"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" - Gospel of Matthew
Those two verses, particularly the second one, are literally true in my experience.
The second one, since I am a tantrist ... means that G-d is always there when you have mutual sex, and G-d is not against a 3-way. My G-d is pro-sex. In Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, the ideal time to have mutual sex is on the Sabbath ... sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, for you ignorant Gentiles.
Quote from: Unbeliever on June 15, 2019, 06:38:47 PM
Yeah, especially since he's supposed to know absolutely everything.
Greek theologians are so .. Gentile. A rabbi's turd has more insight.
I wonder if Jesus speaks to people and tells them not to vaccinate their kids? Otherwise, I don't understand what anti-vaxers have to do with religious freedom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndAeB9A5dgQ
Quote from: Unbeliever on June 15, 2019, 06:17:35 PM
It's funny that God/Jesus usually tells people to do stuff they already wanted to do in the first place. Like when he told Joseph Smith to marry more than one woman. Very convenient...
There is more than one Mormon Church. Have you checked their magic underwear for burn marks?
Quote from: Unbeliever on June 15, 2019, 08:00:36 PM
I wonder if Jesus speaks to people and tells them not to vaccinate their kids? Otherwise, I don't understand what anti-vaxers have to do with religious freedom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndAeB9A5dgQ
Right now, it is mostly Ultra-Orthodox Jews who are objecting on religious grounds. You have the usual solution ... gas them.
I'll let God sort out their laundry problems - if they don't use Tide, it's not my fault! :-P
Quote from: Unbeliever on June 15, 2019, 08:02:49 PM
I'll let God sort out their laundry problems - if they don't use Tide, it's not my fault! :-P
Heresy burns. What does atheism get you? Tide will be useless in eternity.
Tide goes in, Tide goes out - you can't explain that! :-P
Quote from: Unbeliever on June 15, 2019, 08:08:20 PM
Tide goes in, Tide goes out - you can't explain that! :-P
Choose a different detergent then ;-)
Quote from: aitm on June 15, 2019, 06:08:35 PM
Jesus has perfected his magnificence in the occasional imagery in a piece of toast.
Here it is:
(https://i0.wp.com/thelapine.ca/wp-content/uploads/JesusOnToast2.jpg)
Why doesn't Jesus cut out all this nonsense, and let us all see him on the Tonight Show?
This is what I liked about the greek gods, they were powerful and governed peoples lives, but they were completely flawed and as petty as any mortal, so they are more grounded concepts then any all powerful entity like the christian or islamic god. You can't claim to be all knowing and yet know little, all powerful but limited in what you do.
Quote from: Jagella on June 15, 2019, 09:24:30 PM
Here it is:
(https://i0.wp.com/thelapine.ca/wp-content/uploads/JesusOnToast2.jpg)
Why doesn't Jesus cut out all this nonsense, and let us all see him on the Tonight Show?
My regular toast isn't as interesting, but it has more revelation in it than most of the Bible.
Quote from: Munch on June 15, 2019, 09:31:45 PM
This is what I liked about the greek gods, they were powerful and governed peoples lives, but they were completely flawed and as petty as any mortal, so they are more grounded concepts then any all powerful entity like the christian or islamic god. You can't claim to be all knowing and yet know little, all powerful but limited in what you do.
The first monotheist was Pharaoh Akhenaton .. and he was mad as a hatter.
Quote from: Baruch on June 15, 2019, 08:01:40 PM
Right now, it is mostly Ultra-Orthodox Jews who are objecting on religious grounds. You have the usual solution ... gas them.
Dude, WTF?
I'd rather meet Napoleon..... he's a lot more interesting.
Interesting, yeah, but he had a Napoleonic complex...
Quote from: Blackleaf on June 16, 2019, 02:10:42 PM
Dude, WTF?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/nyregion/measles-vaccine-orthodox-jews.html
Cough, cough ... I don't agree with the Ultra-Orthodox Jews in this case.
Quote from: Minimalist on June 16, 2019, 05:02:56 PM
I'd rather meet Napoleon..... he's a lot more interesting.
Funny you should say so. Met him too. Different dream, a decade or more ago. More eidetic. More reincarnational.
There I was in Paris, circa 1800 (I don't usually have time travel dreams). Chasing the mademoiselles. Next thing I know, I am at a wine & cheese party. The wine is in a back pantry room, serve yourself. So I go back there, and while I am pouring myself a unremarkable sauterne, I am followed up by Napoleon himself. No mistaking him for someone else. He asked me how the wine was in French. I responded in French, that it wasn't much to write home about. End of dream. What was interesting was, I didn't know any French at the time, and I knew what both of us were saying.
Since then, I have studied French. If I meet him again, I hope we can have a longer chat.
Vivid dreams are my primary paranormal experiences. Not the only ones, but the most interesting ones.
Quote from: Baruch on June 16, 2019, 10:22:39 PM
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/nyregion/measles-vaccine-orthodox-jews.html
Cough, cough ... I don't agree with the Ultra-Orthodox Jews in this case.
I was referring to the Holocaust joke.
Quote from: Blackleaf on June 17, 2019, 01:38:22 AM
I was referring to the Holocaust joke.
I fart in your general direction ... that kind of gas?