freelight
Eclectic Theosophist
Jesus on 'Religion'
Jesus on 'Religion'
Wonderful. We must take the initiate to ask, seek and knock.
How can we know that Jesus ever said those things? Consider the spirit of the words and their intentful meaning, then go on to discover their 'value', and then you might accept that such would be appropriate for Jesus to have shared. By what authority? Isn't 'truth' itself, its own authority? Let truth and wisdom speak for itself.
UB quotes in blue below and your questions on the concerned passage following -
155:6.5 While the religion of authority may impart a present feeling of settled security, you pay for such a transient satisfaction the price of the loss of your spiritual freedom and religious liberty. My Father does not require of you as the price of entering the kingdom of heaven that you should force yourself to subscribe to a belief in things which are spiritually repugnant, unholy, and untruthful. It is not required of you that your own sense of mercy, justice, and truth should be outraged by submission to an outworn system of religious forms and ceremonies. The religion of the spirit leaves you forever free to follow the truth wherever the leadings of the spirit may take you. And who can judge—perhaps this spirit may have something to impart to this generation which other generations have refused to hear?
Any religious teaching or practice that violate's one's own conscience and is further contrary to the Spirit of God, would be those things that outrage one's sense of mercy, justice and truth. Consider the constrasts being shared and context. The sermon is comparing the religion of the mind (intellectual, dogmatic, frozen) with the religion of the spirit (dynamic, living, progressive).
155:6.7 I admonish you to give up the practice of always quoting the prophets of old and praising the heroes of Israel, and instead aspire to become living prophets of the Most High and spiritual heroes of the coming kingdom. To honor the God-knowing leaders of the past may indeed be worth while, but why, in so doing, should you sacrifice the supreme experience of human existence: finding God for yourselves and knowing him in your own souls?
He is referring to it as such because it thru the 'supreme experience' of 'human existence' that one has the opportunity of discovering 'God' for himself within one's own soul.
155:6.11 Never forget there is only one adventure which is more satisfying and thrilling than the attempt to discover the will of the living God, and that is the supreme experience of honestly trying to do that divine will. And fail not to remember that the will of God can be done in any earthly occupation. Some callings are not holy and others secular. All things are sacred in the lives of those who are spirit led; that is, subordinated to truth, ennobled by love, dominated by mercy, and restrained by fairness— justice. The spirit which my Father and I shall send into the world is not only the Spirit of Truth but also the spirit of idealistic beauty.
Does not your own soul have an intrinsic sense and ability to recognize truth, love, mercy and justice? Furthermore these are enhanced and vivified in our souls by Gods Presence within. - where else is their source? the 'standard' is inherent in their actual realities, attributes and qualities.
155:6.12 You must cease to seek for the word of God only on the pages of the olden records of theologic authority. Those who are born of the spirit of God shall henceforth discern the word of God regardless of whence it appears to take origin. Divine truth must not be discounted because the channel of its bestowal is apparently human. Many of your brethren have minds which accept the theory of God while they spiritually fail to realize the presence of God. And that is just the reason why I have so often taught you that the kingdom of heaven can best be realized by acquiring the spiritual attitude of a sincere child. It is not the mental immaturity of the child that I commend to you but rather the spiritual simplicity of such an easy-believing and fully-trusting little one. It is not so important that you should know about the fact of God as that you should increasingly grow in the ability to feel the presence of God.
'Knowing' God includes a 'feeling'(sense) of His Presence does it not? Is knowing 'God' just a stale lifeless intellectual idea or concept?, just a theory? As we become like little children in trust and faith in God's Presence,...we will have all our faculties and perception engaged in communion with His Presence, and how could it be otherwise? 'Knowing' God includes the entire feeling-nature and cognitive abilities of Man, for God's Allness of Being pervades all.
Jesus Second discourse on Religion
pj
Jesus on 'Religion'
Hi,
I did read it, and concerning"ringing true", I have some assumptions and/or notions which cause me to question.
Firstly, how do I know Jesus ever said those things; and by what authority?
Wonderful. We must take the initiate to ask, seek and knock.
How can we know that Jesus ever said those things? Consider the spirit of the words and their intentful meaning, then go on to discover their 'value', and then you might accept that such would be appropriate for Jesus to have shared. By what authority? Isn't 'truth' itself, its own authority? Let truth and wisdom speak for itself.
UB quotes in blue below and your questions on the concerned passage following -
155:6.5 While the religion of authority may impart a present feeling of settled security, you pay for such a transient satisfaction the price of the loss of your spiritual freedom and religious liberty. My Father does not require of you as the price of entering the kingdom of heaven that you should force yourself to subscribe to a belief in things which are spiritually repugnant, unholy, and untruthful. It is not required of you that your own sense of mercy, justice, and truth should be outraged by submission to an outworn system of religious forms and ceremonies. The religion of the spirit leaves you forever free to follow the truth wherever the leadings of the spirit may take you. And who can judge—perhaps this spirit may have something to impart to this generation which other generations have refused to hear?
155:6.5 What's his measurement to determine truth vs untruth? Is there an absolute definition of one's own sense of mercy, justice, and truth? And of what outrages it?
Any religious teaching or practice that violate's one's own conscience and is further contrary to the Spirit of God, would be those things that outrage one's sense of mercy, justice and truth. Consider the constrasts being shared and context. The sermon is comparing the religion of the mind (intellectual, dogmatic, frozen) with the religion of the spirit (dynamic, living, progressive).
155:6.7 I admonish you to give up the practice of always quoting the prophets of old and praising the heroes of Israel, and instead aspire to become living prophets of the Most High and spiritual heroes of the coming kingdom. To honor the God-knowing leaders of the past may indeed be worth while, but why, in so doing, should you sacrifice the supreme experience of human existence: finding God for yourselves and knowing him in your own souls?
155:6.7 How can he call human existence the supreme experience?
He is referring to it as such because it thru the 'supreme experience' of 'human existence' that one has the opportunity of discovering 'God' for himself within one's own soul.
155:6.11 Never forget there is only one adventure which is more satisfying and thrilling than the attempt to discover the will of the living God, and that is the supreme experience of honestly trying to do that divine will. And fail not to remember that the will of God can be done in any earthly occupation. Some callings are not holy and others secular. All things are sacred in the lives of those who are spirit led; that is, subordinated to truth, ennobled by love, dominated by mercy, and restrained by fairness— justice. The spirit which my Father and I shall send into the world is not only the Spirit of Truth but also the spirit of idealistic beauty.
155:6.11 What is subordinated to truth, ennobled by love, dominated by mercy, and restrained by fairness? Is there a norm; what sets the standard for these abstracts?
Does not your own soul have an intrinsic sense and ability to recognize truth, love, mercy and justice? Furthermore these are enhanced and vivified in our souls by Gods Presence within. - where else is their source? the 'standard' is inherent in their actual realities, attributes and qualities.
155:6.12 You must cease to seek for the word of God only on the pages of the olden records of theologic authority. Those who are born of the spirit of God shall henceforth discern the word of God regardless of whence it appears to take origin. Divine truth must not be discounted because the channel of its bestowal is apparently human. Many of your brethren have minds which accept the theory of God while they spiritually fail to realize the presence of God. And that is just the reason why I have so often taught you that the kingdom of heaven can best be realized by acquiring the spiritual attitude of a sincere child. It is not the mental immaturity of the child that I commend to you but rather the spiritual simplicity of such an easy-believing and fully-trusting little one. It is not so important that you should know about the fact of God as that you should increasingly grow in the ability to feel the presence of God.
155:6.12 Is it really more important to feel than to know?
I guess I said enough to let you in on my thoughts.
'Knowing' God includes a 'feeling'(sense) of His Presence does it not? Is knowing 'God' just a stale lifeless intellectual idea or concept?, just a theory? As we become like little children in trust and faith in God's Presence,...we will have all our faculties and perception engaged in communion with His Presence, and how could it be otherwise? 'Knowing' God includes the entire feeling-nature and cognitive abilities of Man, for God's Allness of Being pervades all.
Jesus Second discourse on Religion
pj