purpose of existence --- opinions vary greatly

[turzovka]

There are quite a few noteworthy well documented amazing happenings throughout history that have all the earmarks of a God (the Jesus one) --- and they are not explained away in the least by science or other means (in the opinions of many). Stuff like Fatima, the Shroud of Turin, Guadalupe image in Mexico City, highly observed bleeding statues, and thousands of lesser known ones. Tie all that in with the fantastic complexities of the evolution of life and some can still not sense the supernatural? What does one demand, how many “possible miracles” do you need before it makes far more sense there is a God --- as opposed this all being a ton of wild mindless coincidences?

It all just kind of happened from some ancient blob of carbon or something with no intelligence involved, that’s what some must be saying or betting on? All I am saying is some people who have been given so much to consider are taking a serious risk of possibly giving up on heaven based on their own hunches. I don’t quite get it? The difference between 70 years of earthly comfort vs. a quadrillion years of total joy and comfort and amazement --- why would one not give life after death the greater attention?

I know that may all sound pompous, but it’s no fun being too nice in these forums --- a waste of our limited time. I am just putting something out there as I see it. Big deal.

 

[shadow355]

Read the book of Genesis in the bible.

Other books for consideration is Revelation and Psalms. And my personal favorite.....Proverbs.

Shadow 355

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

We learn new stuff all the time. The fact that the existence of God cannot yet be proven by - let's be honest, highly confused talking monkeys - does not preclude his existence, nor his hand in the existence of all things.

What is the first event of all existence?

 

[MarathonMike]

The concept of infinite punishment for the finite "crime" of having a different belief is not logical or God like IMO.

 

[turzovka]

We learn new stuff all the time. The fact that the existence of God cannot yet be proven by - let's be honest, highly confused talking monkeys - does not preclude his existence, nor his hand in the existence of all things.

What is the first event of all existence?

God is the first event, and, no, we are not given to begin to understand that. But that does not preclude us from reasoning out all that has been revealed to man. You say God has not been proven. And I am saying I cannot understand how some can hold that opinion? Miracles are the evidence that demands a verdict as they book says. But our opinions differ and that is fine. I already gave mine.

 

[turzovka]

The concept of infinite punishment for the finite "crime" of having a different belief is not logical or God like IMO.

Agreed. And I believe that is by far the biggest stumbling block for many, if not most, who will not give in.

I just cannot ignore all the rest revealed because I cannot understand that troubling matter for man. We need to allow God some superior knowledge or ways here.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

The concept of infinite punishment for the finite "crime" of having a different belief is not logical or God like IMO.

I agree. Faith is the connection to God. Religion is largely man-made.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

We learn new stuff all the time. The fact that the existence of God cannot yet be proven by - let's be honest, highly confused talking monkeys - does not preclude his existence, nor his hand in the existence of all things.

What is the first event of all existence?

God is the first event

Yup. There is no other explanation.

 

[Dale Smith]

There is no doubt in my mind...not even in the slightest that I have a Heavenly Father that looks out for me.I have experienced too many miracle like events for me to believe that it was just all by happenstance. He has put people in my life to lift me up when I felt hopeless and He has put me in people's lives when they needed a helping hand. I believe that God speaks to us all but most of us are not listening or paying attention and sometimes He will give you an "atta boy" and validate your faith...case and point....last Christmas Eve I was at a restaurant getting a "to go" order and I asked God to bring someone into the place that I could buy dinner for. I waited for my sign and people came in and I wasn't feeling it...then an elderly black lady came in and ordered a bunch of chicken wings to go and she just had this aura around her and I could feel it. I knew that she was the one...unfortunately I was wearing an old jacket with holes in the pockets and my bank card was lost inside it somewhere but I came forward and told her "Merry Christmas...this is on me" and as I kept looking for my bank card saw that the register rang up 28 dollars and change and I remembered that I had some cash in my pocket...guess how much it was? That's right....28 dollars and change. It was a small gesture but it meant everything to this lady and she just hugged my neck with tears rolling down her face and told me "thank you for the blessing"...it was a small gesture in the great big scheme of things and I have given away more larger sums of this worthless fiat currency in order to help someone that needed a hand-up but it really meant something to this lady. People were watching this and acting almost in awe that I would buy a total stranger "dinner" due to a random act of kindness and that is when it hit me in the face....have we become so disconnected from each other that we don't do for others because of distractions? The blessing I got from doing something for someone that it meant so much for also made me sad...are small random acts of kindness so rare that it takes people by surprise when they witness it? Listen with your heart and you will never go wrong.

 

[turzovka]

There is no doubt in my mind...not even in the slightest that I have a Heavenly Father that looks out for me.I have experienced too many miracle like events for me to believe that it was just all by happenstance. He has put people in my life to lift me up when I felt hopeless and He has put me in people's lives when they needed a helping hand. I believe that God speaks to us all but most of us are not listening or paying attention and sometimes He will give you an "atta boy" and validate your faith...case and point....last Christmas Eve I was at a restaurant getting a "to go" order and I asked God to bring someone into the place that I could buy dinner for. I waited for my sign and people came in and I wasn't feeling it...then an elderly black lady came in and ordered a bunch of chicken wings to go and she just had this aura around her and I could feel it. I knew that she was the one...unfortunately I was wearing an old jacket with holes in the pockets and my bank card was lost inside it somewhere but I came forward and told her "Merry Christmas...this is on me" and as I kept looking for my bank card saw that the register rang up 28 dollars and change and I remembered that I had some cash in my pocket...guess how much it was? That's right....28 dollars and change. It was a small gesture but it meant everything to this lady and she just hugged my neck with tears rolling down her face and told me "thank you for the blessing"...it was a small gesture in the great big scheme of things and I have given away more larger sums of this worthless fiat currency in order to help someone that needed a hand-up but it really meant something to this lady. People were watching this and acting almost in awe that I would buy a total stranger "dinner" due to a random act of kindness and that is when it hit me in the face....have we become so disconnected from each other that we don't do for others because of distractions? The blessing I got from doing something for someone that it meant so much for also made me sad...are small random acts of kindness so rare that it takes people by surprise when they witness it? Listen with your heart and you will never go wrong.

Well that's saying it a lot nicer than I did. : )

 

[Granny]

I've had quite a journey through religion in my lifetime and I do not go to church. However, I do believe in God. I generally hold closer the Old Testament writings than those of the New Testament. I basically feel the Ten Commandments hold great weight on what we need to know as to how we live our lives. I sort of loosely try to follow Jewish dietary law, because it makes sense. The one and only thing I can agree with in Islamic law is that we shouldn't eat pigs.

I don't see how one person's faith in God can be so intimately and personally destructive to a non-believer's existence.

 

[HaShev]

The OP post did not match the title.
The post never discusses purpose at all. People should be offended by a claimed religion of truth that has no clue what our purpose is and even does everything in it's power in opposition to that purpose in life that has been sitting in the holy city's name all along.
The purpose in life is not to serve a corrupt authority masked behind an idol representing the great human ego.
It's not about forfeiting life for false promises in death in order for the corrupt system to manipulate, control, subvert, and profit from your submission.

 

[turzovka]

The OP post did not match the title.
The post never discusses purpose at all. People should be offended by a claimed religion of truth that has no clue what our purpose is and even does everything in it's power in opposition to that purpose in life that has been sitting in the holy city's name all along.
The purpose in life is not to serve a corrupt authority masked behind an idol representing the great human ego.
It's not about forfeiting life for false promises in death in order for the corrupt system to manipulate, control, subvert, and profit from your submission.

The purpose for man’s existence is to glorify God. That is to love and serve Him and to love and serve our fellow man.

That is a more formal Catholic definition. I think what I wrote in the OP strongly implies purpose of existence ideas without having to spell them out. I believe I made it clear to focus on the pleasures or pursuits of temporal earthly life and matters is totally misguided. We need to focus on the condition of our souls and those dear to us. Our quest is eternal salvation, not money or pleasure. How much more obvious must that point be made?

Now the fact you believe this “authority” (the Church I assume) is corrupt implies quite a bit itself. You are demanding the Church be run by saints who do not sin. Do you know of any, we would love to employ them? No, God is forced to use broken vessels to do His bidding. But for you to turn a blind eye to all the goodness and charity and love this Church has given to mankind, well, I doubt my mentioning it will make any difference.

And then you refer to God as some kind of “idol.” Care to explain that? Are you suggesting God cannot be known in any way? Or are you suggesting He may not even exist? Sounds all so egotistical or bizarre to me if that is where you stand.

 

[HaShev]

quote:The purpose for man’s existence is to glorify God.

No that falls into my comments of our purpose is not to lift the ego of a great egomaniac or image of one made by egomaniacs.
1)it's to reflect/ emulate and manifest that Essence we call God. And I gave you the greatest clue of all many times including my post, but you were to "unconcerned" or proud to ask what it meant =human ego and affiliation pride keeps you from comprehending and discovering that "purpose".
I repeat: the Essence we Jews call the God of Abraham is in the Name of the Holy city all along and it secrets the definition of life/creation as well as our purpose and drive.
Requires Hebrew or not being lazy and actually looking up the word in Hebrew.
Once again shows people are really
"unconcerned" and too proud to bother thus not sincere.
Do not start a thread that isn't on it's own subject matter then shut yourself off discussing the OP like you know the answer. Why start the topic then prove you are being insincere?
2)to reflect and manifest God you need to define what is God to it's most finite
sense.
3)malakhs (angels) simply means reflection/messenger of God (that Essence) as does the expression
"son of"=reflection of -God.
David was thus a begotten son of God in Psalms as was People of Israel, and Angels and Solomon called sons of God.
Rabbis & Prophets were called Malakhs
Just as the church calls it's Cardinals and Bishops angels. Pope being considered the Top reflection=arch angel of the imposter Temple who claim the forbidden first fallen messiah the morning star as their top reflection= archangel.

If the preachers preach and ypu even claim your purpose is to be in likeness to God and in reflection emulation of Jesus then you are validating what I'm saying, but for the wrong side, simply because you don't yet understand or listen to what we are saying is the definition of God not being a figure or anything anthropromorphic.
An Essence should never be deemed or made into a tangible image-remember the warning?
4) back to the cliff notes:
The holy city would carry the name and Essence describing God.
The holy name is shared by the arch malakh of God(top reflection of God)
Shalem is the Evening Star (archangel Michael) hence the temple in his name is called the MIKdash.

Sources:
Morning Star & Evening Star symbolism:
The planet venus represented both archangels (top prophet messengers) the fallen arc of venus called morning star symbolized lucifers fall while the rising arc of the planet Evening Star represented
Michael's rise-Dan 12:1-4.

Source:
YeruShalem holding the name and Essence:
YeruShalem would carry the name. (1 Kings 11:36 &
in dead sea scrolls: Words of the Archangel Michael scroll 4Q529, 6Q23)
The Gemarah (Baba Batra 75) Tells us Jerusalem is named after G0D and is the place commemorating his name and essence. In Sefer D’varim (12:5, 11, 14, 18, 21; 14:23,24, 25; 15:20; 16:2, 6, 7, 11, 15, 16; 17:8, 10; 18:6; 26:2; 31:11).the place that I will choose to place My Name. That is referring to YeruShalem because Sifri identifies the place which Hashem will choose (12:18) as “Yerushalayim”.

 

[shimon]

The problem is that in their reflection that all is claimed by christianity for example it as claimed Jesus was the Alpha and the Omega...... The Alpha was the first thing people saw in the morning before they went to work which was the planet Venus and when the people retired after working in the fields or whatever they did the last thing they saw in the sky was the Omega which was once again the planet Venus... But they claim both sides for their idol in their book just as the Egyptians did for the pharoah of Egypt thus showing their conceit and raising high of their man made icon over gd himself... It was pharoah that was the only one whose birthday was celebrated and interestingly they also set aside a date for their icon/ idol jesus showing they are slow learners and that they glorify him over the gd of Abraham Isaac and Jacob.....

 

[Granny]

This is for both HaShev and shimon - I just don't want to copy both your posts. HaShev seems almost angry in his post, you not so much. I'm a bit confused by what you're trying to say. Along the way in my religious journey, I had a very painful experience in a religious cult from which no Christian religion could (or would) give me answers. I finally decided that perhaps it might be best to seek help from a Rabbi ... and he gave me great a great deal of his time (never asking me to convert to Judiasm) but I found a good bit of inner peace by attending Synagogue for a good while. Are you under the impression that Christians have a God different from that of Jews? I do put more faith in the teachings of the Old Testament than I do in those of the New Testament. I guess one huge question (or confusion) in my mind comes from "Thou shall have no other gods before me," and the, shall we say, "incorporation" of Jesus and the Holy Ghost as being the same as God. It seems in the New Testament, the emphasis has been more on the worship of Jesus ... and by doing so - "in Jesus' name ..." has that set Jesus up as an entity to worship? In the Catholic Church there is also the Blessed Mother Mary. My recollection is that the explanation for praying to Mary is that she will petition her son Jesus to intercede with God over the prayed for matter ... and what son could refuse his mother? I'm not sure I'm making any sense here - suffice it to say I don't go to church and I go directly to God if I have a prayer. If I could go directly to my earthly Daddy for something, why should I not be able to go directly to my Heavenly Father without any intercession from anybody else?

 

[HaShev]

You answered your own question at the very end, which was probably your ah-ha moment where the light clicked on.
If they are trying to convince people of God to focus or come to their icon instead of God, then they are intercepting and replacing that concept of God. If they are spending millions converting YHWH worshipers over to Jesus instead of non YHWH worshipers then they are admitting it's a whole other God and devotion.

Rome created an Image of a man using many men called christs, myths, and biblical figures plagiarised. Hence needing a new name and birthdate and why the character has more then 2 eras of existance
spanning 100 bc-45ad, 2 professions, 2 punishments stoning-hanging on a tree and crucifixion, 2 blames the elect and Rome, characters change new names, 2 home towns Capernaum & Nazareth, 2 descriptions, Paul & James fighting that the other is worshiping another Christ, etc...

Rome did this to many cultures to be authority and tax collector (tithes) to their gods so there'd be less insurrection and they could get their foot in many kingdoms unsuspected that the political power (horn) was hiding behind the religious authority (horn) hence the symbolic
2 horn scarlet beast (devil symbol) using the color of Rome's 2 horn system authority.
They say Rome would lift a false prophet as a god and that's what they did, do you know which of the 3 (trinity) christs they placed ahead of the others they converged?
Rome favored Mary's son
Yeshu son of the harlot mary of 100bc
Because she had Yeshu through a fling with a Roman soldier Pantheras (Pandera) thus half Roman character and why it's called the Harlot church. Rome created the adversary, read
rev 22:16 they give up the punchline at the end of the joke calling him Baal's son
(because he is a mask for Baal mythology stories) the dying god mythology of the Canaanites where Baal's son is
the morning star=Lucifer.
[See Lucifer here etymology of "": "[ the morning star, a fallen rebel archangel, THE Devil, fr. OE. fr. Latin, the morning star, fr. Lucifer light-bearing, fr. luc light + -fer -ferous--more at LIGHT]" (Webster's, p.677)
“So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star (LUCIFER)rises in your hearts.” -- 2 Peter 1:19
“... from my Father. To the one who conquers(DESTROYS) I will also give the morning star(LUCIFER).” -- Revelation 2:28
· Revelation 22:16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things in the churches.
· I am the bright and Morning Star (lucifer)

 

[Granny]

I didn't think anybody could write longer posts than I sometimes do - but at least I try to be clear in what I'm saying. I'm not sure what country you're in (even if it's the US), but when you throw out a lot of Hebrew and/or Yiddish ... I speak American English. Beyond L'Chaim, mazel tov, oi vey, or schmuck I don't understand Hebrew or Yiddish.

 

[HaShev]

I had added an important addition but it disappeared.
Basically it stated of course Lucifer is the story of the first fallen imposter messiah who also claims or is claimed by Rome to be a god thus lifted higher the God.
Which is what you self realized wnd concluded was done with the image Jesus.

The Cliff notes in the Holy City name once again holds everything you need, this time secreting the same story of the Shiloh overturning the false prince.
The legend of YeruShalem becoming the city of peace is that Shalem becomes Shalom when Night (Evening Star)overturns and removes the Day(Morning Star). Muslims call this Al Isra when Night journeys to YeruShalem there will be peace.

 

[Granny]

Well, I never heard of YeruShalem or any of the other things you mentioned ... and as for me having an "ah ha moment" ... I don't think so. I'm merely operating on the idea that over the centuries there have been numerous people who have proclaimed themselves to be God's prophets. Was Jesus one of them? How about Mohammad? In more recent times there have been the likes of that Jones dude who persuaded 100s to join him in Guyana and killed damned near all of them, Herbert W. Armstrong and his son Garner Ted, David Koresh and the fiasco at Waco, Texas, Sun Yong Moon, ... even L. Ron Hubbard of Scientology - although Hubbard did not proclaim to be a prophet - he just rules his kingdom based on some science of no god with an iron fist. And then there's a very long line of Popes ... somehow the direct inheritors of all Christlike attributes ... all declared infallible.

I just tend to call them the Elmer Gantry's of the world.