---Wrong Robert...there is a contradiction in terms of what's
considered the foremost goal of life; of course not with your New Age
Christianity which is your own private invention; but the
Christianity adhered to by 1/3-rd of the earth's population; i.e. the
orthodox version.
Again, there's no contradiction in terms of a New Age Gnostic
version of Christianity, and why should there be on an "inner" level;
since Gnosticism is concerned with Gnosis, Wisdom, rather than faith
and belief.
The expressed goal of Paul's Christianity (apart from loving "God" -
the Personality which later evolved into the Trinity; and following
the Commandments; is to get Resurrected (or what the modern Fundies
would call Raptured - see 2nd Thess).
Paul's Christianity (not Robert's Christianity); has nothing
whatsoever with non-dualist Reality, pure Consciousness. It's all
about faith and belief.
Over the centuries, Catholocism by the time of Luther deviated from
Paul's teachings; but Luther set the record straight in terms of
faith and belief. From a fundie point of view, works are seen as the
outcome of one's faith; not a participating contributing factor to
one's Salvation.
In short, the differences between orthodox Christianity and non-
dualism are not so much contradictory as simply, different versions
of what people should value in their lives. In a nutshell, pure
Consciousness is simply not part of the orthodox Christian agenda.
Pure Consciousness "in Itself" would not contradict Christian dogma;
since St. Augustine made the first attempt to integrate "The
Absolute" into his theolological understanding; and this was refined
to a high degree by St. Thomas Aquinas.
However, since the European middle ages, Christianity has actually
reverted or devolved into a more fundie orientation; with the
Catholics not far behind the Evangelicals in (basically) an outer,
active type of Christian expression, completely devoid of any inner
Truth derived from one's own experience.
In a nutshell, orthodox Christians believe "The Truth" is to be
found in the Person, Jesus, not "inside" as an inner Kingdom.
Robert, this is what 1/3-rd of the earth's population believes is
the basis for spiritual truth. I'm not saying it's "right"; but
rather that's the way things are! (what they believe).
If you want to make up your own private New Age Christianity filled
with nonsensical notions for which there's no evidence: (e.g. Jesus
traveling to India, marrying Mary Magdelene...), OK.
In [email protected], "Robert Gimbel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>
> --- In [email protected], "hyperbolicgeometry"
> <hyperbolicgeometry@> wrote:
> >
> > --The bottom like is what is the "meaning" of redemption, of the
> > purported substitionary death? I haven't seen any difference in
> the
> > karma of fundie Christians and others. They seem to pay
karmically
> > just as others; if so, then the payoff could be after death?
> > This is speculative. Personally, any allusion to redemption
> > independent of Enlightenment is off the mark. Since E. is not
> > incorporated into orthodox Monotheistic religions, these
religions
> > are a partial mismatch between claims (salvation,etc...) and the
> > nondualist goal. But OTOH, the concept of Resurrection differs
from
> E
> > anyway.
> > Resurrection refers to physically dead people, who will
> (supposedly,
> > through Divine intervention) have their physical molecules
> > reassembled into a "perfect" incorruptible body. (Cf. the words
of
> > St. Paul).
> > In the Rapture theory, physically alive people are translated
into
> a
> > Heavenly state, vanishing from the earth. In the Jehovah's
Witness
> > concept of the future, physically alive people are awarded
perfect
> > physical bodies and remain on an earthly Paradise, (if they are
not
> > among the 144,000).
> > There's no evidence of Jesus going to India.
> > The monotheistic concepts of Resurrection and Rapture are
markedly
> > different from what's involved in non-dualist
> Hindu/Buddhist/Gnostic
> > Sadhanas.
>
>
> This confusion is caused by materistic people attempting to make
> sense of spirit, in terms of matter.
> They don't realize that everything is energy, and that matter of
all
> kinds, is temporary, and eventually turns to dust.
> Jesus asked: 'What if you conquered the whole world, and lose your
> soul'.
> There is no contradiction in the teachings of the Ancients of
India,
> and the teachings of Jesus.
> You need to become awake(born again)in your soul;
> You need to become a realized soul.
> Then when you die, you don't die.
> You know you are a soul, and not the body.
> So, when one dies, and is awakened in Spirit, one does not fear
> death, because one realizes there is no death...which is the
essence
> of Jesus' teaching- no fear, no death...
> r.g.
>
