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How Should a Christian Act?

Forums: Spirituality And Religion, Religion, Christianity
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echi
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 06:22 pm
Momma Angel wrote:
echi,

To you Holy Spirit may be just a name. To me, it is God.


Still, it is only a name. You don't mean that the name itself is God, do you? That is what your statement implies.
0 Replies
 
Arella Mae
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 06:23 pm
echi,

No, I don't mean the Holy Spirit's name is God. But, I think you and I hae a different concept of what the Holy Spirit is. I was just trying to clarify my position.
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echi
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 06:31 pm
Momma--

Good. That is what I want, too. But in order to clarify, it would help me if you could point more to details. I don't know what you mean when you say things like
Quote:
To you Holy Spirit may be just a name. To me, it is God. God the Father, the God son, God the Holy Spirit.
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echi
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 06:33 pm
Do you believe that your conscience is informed by God? After all, you were created in God's image.
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Arella Mae
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 06:38 pm
Okay, the Bible speaks of God the Father (God, who created everything), God the Son (Jesus Christ sent to us to redeem us of our sins), God the Holy Spirit (the comforter He sends).

No, not three Gods. One God with three facets. Three co-existing in one. This is probably the hardest thing to explain in Christianity in my opinion.

Maybe this can explain it better than me. If not, ask questions and perhaps we can get it out there.

http://www.gotquestions.org/Trinity-Bible.html
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echi
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 06:40 pm
Momma--

I don't have any trouble with the Trinity.
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Arella Mae
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 06:42 pm
echi wrote:
Momma--

I don't have any trouble with the Trinity.

Good. Laughing Because it's hard to explain!
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echi
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 06:44 pm
Why is it hard to accept that the Holy Spirit is basically the same as conscience? Can you at least accept that the Holy Spirit (God) informs our conscience?
0 Replies
 
Doktor S
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 06:46 pm
echi wrote:
Why is it hard to accept that the Holy Spirit is basically the same as conscience? Can you at least accept that the Holy Spirit (God) informs our conscience?

Why add any supernatural elements to 'conscience' at all when the natural world can explain it perfectly well?
Lord Okham would not approve.
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echi
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 06:49 pm
Doktor S wrote:
Why add any supernatural elements to 'conscience' at all when the natural world can explain it perfectly well?
Lord Okham would not approve.


Diplomacy. "We don't need no nuclear war."
0 Replies
 
echi
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 06:51 pm
Actually, I am very comfortable using terms like "Holy Spirit" and "God" and "Christ". However, I don't attribute anything supernatural to any of it.
0 Replies
 
Arella Mae
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 06:58 pm
echi Wrote:

Quote:
Why is it hard to accept that the Holy Spirit is basically the same as conscience? Can you at least accept that the Holy Spirit (God) informs our conscience?


Yes, I can accept that the Holy Spirit informs our conscience. But, it is up to us to accept what it says.

echi Wrote:

Quote:
Actually, I am very comfortable using terms like "Holy Spirit" and "God" and "Christ". However, I don't attribute anything supernatural to any of it.


Why?
0 Replies
 
Doktor S
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 07:03 pm
echi wrote:
Actually, I am very comfortable using terms like "Holy Spirit" and "God" and "Christ". However, I don't attribute anything supernatural to any of it.

Very interesting!
A few questions then:
How would you define 'god' without invoking anything supernatural?
Why use the term 'holy spirit' when 'conscience' will do?
What distinguishes 'conscience' from 'holy spirit'?

Interestingly enough, I have also come to define 'god' without requiring the supernatural, but I am always eager to hear other perspectives.
0 Replies
 
highlyoriginal
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 07:05 pm
Momma Angel,

Verse 6 clearly says, "...when you pray, go into a room by yourself, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is there in the secret place..."

Equally clearly, self-professed Christians have great difficulty with this teaching, as indeed they do with many others. It may well be that public worship is a fine thing, for both individuals and societies. It just happens not to be what Jesus recommended.
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echi
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 07:09 pm
Momma Angel wrote:
echi Wrote:

Quote:
Why is it hard to accept that the Holy Spirit is basically the same as conscience? Can you at least accept that the Holy Spirit (God) informs our conscience?


Yes, I can accept that the Holy Spirit informs our conscience. But, it is up to us to accept what it says.


It is also up to us to accept what our conscience says. What's the difference?

Quote:
echi Wrote:

Quote:
Actually, I am very comfortable using terms like "Holy Spirit" and "God" and "Christ". However, I don't attribute anything supernatural to any of it.


Why?


Because there is no reason to believe in anything supernatural. The law of nature is the Law of God.
0 Replies
 
Arella Mae
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 07:16 pm
highlyoriginal wrote:
Momma Angel,

Verse 6 clearly says, "...when you pray, go into a room by yourself, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is there in the secret place..."

Equally clearly, self-professed Christians have great difficulty with this teaching, as indeed they do with many others. It may well be that public worship is a fine thing, for both individuals and societies. It just happens not to be what Jesus recommended.

highlyoriginal,

You might want to go back to the very first verse in Chapter 6 and read the whole thing. Christ often talks of the hypocrites. And when He does, He always talks of hypocrites and those that are complete opposite.

And, if we were to stick only to our closets to pray or worship or speak of Christ, how would the Gospel be spread? I think the important thing is that we do it for God and not to be showy in our faith.
0 Replies
 
echi
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 07:22 pm
Doktor S wrote:
echi wrote:
Actually, I am very comfortable using terms like "Holy Spirit" and "God" and "Christ". However, I don't attribute anything supernatural to any of it.

Very interesting!
A few questions then:
How would you define 'god' without invoking anything supernatural?
Why use the term 'holy spirit' when 'conscience' will do?

Interestingly enough, I have also come to define 'god' without requiring the supernatural, but I am always eager to hear other perspectives.


Let's see...
I don't have a standard definition that I use (maybe I ought to work on that). "God", to me, is first of all beyond my ability to accurately and completely describe. God is something like the Source. God is eternal (as apposed to temporal). God is the reason behind all natural law...all natural occurrences.
I use the term "Holy Spirit" because I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church, so I am comfortable with it, but also because I feel that I understand the true meaning. And, like I said, I am a big fan of diplomacy, building bridges is better than tearing each other down.

As for your question, "What distinguishes 'conscience' from 'holy spirit'?, I am still waiting to find out. IMO, not much.
0 Replies
 
Arella Mae
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 07:24 pm
Quote:
Momma Angel wrote:
echi Wrote:

Quote:
Why is it hard to accept that the Holy Spirit is basically the same as conscience? Can you at least accept that the Holy Spirit (God) informs our conscience?


Yes, I can accept that the Holy Spirit informs our conscience. But, it is up to us to accept what it says.


It is also up to us to accept what our conscience says. What's the difference?

The difference is God is always going to tell you what is right. Your conscience is of man. You probably think some things are okay and I might not necessarily think they are okay. I don't think they are okay because the Word of God says they are not okay. I am relying on a superior (supernatural, if you will) power and you are relying on human things.

Quote:
echi Wrote:

Quote:
Actually, I am very comfortable using terms like "Holy Spirit" and "God" and "Christ". However, I don't attribute anything supernatural to any of it.


Why?


Because there is no reason to believe in anything supernatural. The law of nature is the Law of God.

Okay, you lost me here. Maybe if you could explain to me exactly how you would define God, then I could understand better.
0 Replies
 
Doktor S
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 07:28 pm
Quote:

God is something like the Source. God is eternal (as apposed to temporal). God is the reason behind all natural law...all natural occurrences.

'the source'?
'eternal'?
'creator of everything'?
Certainly sounds supernatural to me!
Or are there examples of those kinds of things in nature I have overlooked?
0 Replies
 
Arella Mae
 
  1  
Reply Sat 17 Dec, 2005 07:30 pm
Doktor S wrote:
Quote:

God is something like the Source. God is eternal (as apposed to temporal). God is the reason behind all natural law...all natural occurrences.

'the source'?
'eternal'?
'creator of everything'?
Certainly sounds supernatural to me!
Or are there examples of those kinds of things in nature I have overlooked?

Gotta agree with you there, Doktor S. I was thinking the same thing.
0 Replies
 
 

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