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Tophat665 · 10-16-2007, 07:12 PM

I had a minor religious experience, which may or may not amount to anything. I surely can't get across the whole of it, the raised hackles, the sense of connection, or anything, and as I write, it fades, but here's the line of thought which spawned it.

I conceived this as a dialog.

A: So what's the most important thing about Christianity?
B: Jesus Christ
A: What's so important about Jesus, beyond being a name to hang a religion on? What can Jesus do for me.
B: Jesus is the way, the truth, the light. Only through him can we reach salvation.
A: Assuming, for now, that salvation is something one would want, what's so special about Jesus that I can find salvation through him?
B: He is the Son of God.
A: So am I.
B: Don't be silly. The Bible says that God gave his "Only Begotten Son to die for your sins."
A: You think you have me there. However, there is one way to look at it that reconciles Jesus as "Only Begotten" with me as the Son of God: There's only one human soul. Just one. Jesus had this figured out. Love thy Neighbor as thyself? Of course. On some basic level he is your self.

Think about it.

(And here's where I run out of steam and disconnect and start anticipating the arguments.)

I'm sure someone can name that heresy in 3 notes, and will by naming it dismiss it.

So far, this is one of the two ways that I have been able to make sense of it, and so far as the other goes (Christianity = devotional cult), I know how it would work, I understand how it can lead to, for lack of a better term, salvation, but I haven't yet been able to put into any kind of convincing language...

10-16-2007, 07:12 PM	#1 (permalink)
Tophat665 Minion of the scaléd ones Location: Northeast Jesusland	Another way of looking at Christianity I had a minor religious experience, which may or may not amount to anything. I surely can't get across the whole of it, the raised hackles, the sense of connection, or anything, and as I write, it fades, but here's the line of thought which spawned it. I conceived this as a dialog. A: So what's the most important thing about Christianity? B: Jesus Christ A: What's so important about Jesus, beyond being a name to hang a religion on? What can Jesus do for me. B: Jesus is the way, the truth, the light. Only through him can we reach salvation. A: Assuming, for now, that salvation is something one would want, what's so special about Jesus that I can find salvation through him? B: He is the Son of God. A: So am I. B: Don't be silly. The Bible says that God gave his "Only Begotten Son to die for your sins." A: You think you have me there. However, there is one way to look at it that reconciles Jesus as "Only Begotten" with me as the Son of God: There's only one human soul. Just one. Jesus had this figured out. Love thy Neighbor as thyself? Of course. On some basic level he is your self. Think about it. (And here's where I run out of steam and disconnect and start anticipating the arguments.) I'm sure someone can name that heresy in 3 notes, and will by naming it dismiss it. So far, this is one of the two ways that I have been able to make sense of it, and so far as the other goes (Christianity = devotional cult), I know how it would work, I understand how it can lead to, for lack of a better term, salvation, but I haven't yet been able to put into any kind of convincing language... __________________ Light a man a fire, and he will be warm while it burns. Set a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life.