Dawkins dissed again and again (Introduction)

by Balance_Maintained , U.S.A., Saturday, April 26, 2014, 07:10 (3864 days ago) @ David Turell

Romansh: just a quick comment on the word religion.
> > 
> > A literal translation (from the Latin) as re-connect is widely accepted.
> > 
> > So the question becomes re-connect to what?
> > 
> > A panentheistic god is subtly disconnected from the universe - it still remains separate from the universe in some way. Whereas a pantheistic interpretation is the universe is one with god. The universe and god are the same thing.
> > 
> > John 10:30
> > and the word atonement (at-one-ment), both give us a glimpse behind Christianity to a monistic world view.
> 
>David: The meaning of Panentheism depends on the definition one uses. From Wiki this one fits me: "While pantheism asserts that 'All is God', panentheism goes further to claim that God is greater than the universe."
> 
> Merriam/Webster says the same thing:
> 
> "Definition of PANENTHEISM
> 
> 
> : the doctrine that God includes the world as a part though not the whole of his being"-
Ironically, Christianity actually fits both of those definitions. In one sense, YHWH created created everything from his own energy, though most was done via an intermediary and thus, everything that exist is quite literally part of him. On the other thing, after his initial act of creating his Son, he is only rarely, acting either through his son or through holy spirit which is called as some kind of active force that is connected to, but separate from, him. Essentially, there is an intermediary that exists between God and all of creation. The interesting theory posited in the bible is that it is simply too dangerous for him to intervene directly, perhaps like trying to crack a pecan with an atom bomb.-I think the connection then, is something a little different than some form of physical re-connection. Instead, it is the re-connection with God's laws. In nearly all religious teachings, man rebelled against the gods, choosing to decide their own fate rather than follow the lead of their gods. This reconnection with the right path actually reconciles us with god's love. 1 John 5:3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.-Considering that original sin amounts to not keeping the commands, we can only auume that is part of what was meant here.

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.