Not a stone left unturned..

Let’s uncover the nature of Jesus.  Jesus was a man plain and simple. Yet in the viewpoint of most Christian’s, they see Jesus as part of the three-fold God essence making up the trinity.  Was Jesus sent by God in order to relay messages to the people? Was Jesus sent to teach the people or was Jesus actually God’s only begotten son and if he was why was he sent to the Israelites?  More on this in a bit…

God is eternal and everlasting but can this be proven?  Jesus was human therefore he presented in human form, which is not eternal and everlasting.  Was Jesus a figment of the imaginations of the early Israelites? It would seem I have more questions than I have answers and perhaps that’s when one knows they are submerged in theology. We are called upon to create our own interpretation of history; which we have discovered in our first year seminary classes is many times contradictory.

According to biblical scholars throughout history, they are able to prove that a man named Jesus lived however they are unable to prove much more than that.  It is believed that stories were created by the Israelites to explain the marvels and the events that happened around the time of Jesus. It is my belief that Jesus existed as a person based on all historical accounts.  I would say Jesus was humanly divine. In the many parables it would seem Jesus was to be a teacher to the Israelites and it was their responsibility to ensure that the stories of Jesus would be told as to not be forgotten.  If Jesus was God’s only begotten son it is believed that he was sent as a sacrificial offering so that the Israelites would know that God too has made sacrifices for his people, the Israelites.  

YOU ARE THE FACE OF GOD

YOU ARE THE FACE OF GOD

This is the posed question of the week:

“Shall we pray to God’s Presence and Power in the Cosmos, opening ourselves to the infilling of Sprit?  Or shall we center on the Spirit within, allowing it to emerge?”

Does it really matter if we recognize and pray to a God whose presence in the “Cosmos” fills one with Spirit, or if we center on Spirit and allow it to emerge?  The important thing is recognizing that there is a connection with God in whatever way it works for you. I have been to churches where someone is overcome and open to Spirit and it’s obvious to others around that they feel a mighty presence.

It is also possible to center oneself, go into the quiet and come out with a renewed sense of joy, happiness, clarity and purpose.  As the Revealing word says, “When one concentrates all the faculties on Truth ideas the conscious mind and super conscious mind blend, and there is a descent of spiritual energies into soul and body. Then the faculties receive new power to express Truth and the body is renewed”.[1]

It is possible to pray to God and find God within you as well. God works in and through us all in many ways.  We individually interpret and access God’s presence and we are inspired in whatever way that shows up for us.

As long as we are active and demonstrating God’s virtues, we are sharing what is revealed to us when we are filled with Spirit.   

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[1] The Revealing Word: a Dictionary of Metaphysical Terms (charles Fillmore Reference Library), 2 ed. (Unity Village, MO: Unity, 1959), p. 183

Times are a changing...

What have I learned in Metaphysical Theology this week?

I found this weeks discussion on Cultural Relativism interesting and I started to really think about what we were discussing and I recognized a correlation.  With each new generation the cultures and beliefs change.   Each generation seems to become more tolerable than the one that came before them.  Take in point the evolving cultural beliefs and bias that have been diminished in our life time alone. In the 1950's and 1960's it was considered taboo to be in a mixed relationship of any kind.  Yet, people that were true to themselves defied what the cultural beliefs at the time were.  Let's take a look at Lenny Kravitz, his mother is a black woman and his dad is a white Jewish man.  His parents relationship was not found to be acceptable at the time.  Lenny Kravitz is an amazing musician and if you listen to the words in his songs he is speaking to the next generation about peace, love, learning to get along and about forgetting differences.  I believe that the experiences Lenny Kravitz had growing up shaped his view of the world and he is an obvious advocate for acceptance.
In class I mentioned my 16 yoa Godson and his view on tolerance and acceptance. I can see the tides are changing and Cultural Relativism in relation to religion are also changing. What used to be the accepted norm in churches is now being challenged.  The times are a changing, and more people are looking for a religion that fits their culture which is also changing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=7wsqtg-Rs7Y

** EPISTEMOLOGY** Define Pragmatic Idealism

What is Pragmatic Idealism?  Is Metaphysical Christianity Scientific?  In what way is Metaphysical Christianity Scientific?

Pragmatism is a thought provoking belief in which it is assumed that things that work are true. Charles Fillmore was able to adapt this model of thinking to his take on Practical Christianity because it worked for him.  Pragmatic Idealism satisfied Charles Fillmore’s need to understand. It was a scientific approach to integrate, authenticate, validate and prove that things that work are true.

It is my belief that Metaphysical Christianity is Scientific because it does make a strong argument that affirms truth based on the scientific approach discussed above.  The Fillmore’s applied principles of health, healing and wholeness to their lives. 

Metaphysical Christianity proves to be scientific because others began to see how the principles were working in the Fillmore’s lives; and they too wanted to learn how to apply those principles to their lives.  When others began applying the principles taught to them by the Fillmore’s they found that the principles also worked for them, this would indicate that pragmatic idealism works based on a scientific approach.   

Soap Box

So, here we are. Studying theology with like-minded truth students. We are asked to think from many perspectives.  We are asked to organize rational reflections based on our ideas while knocking out all bias. We are asked to challenge that which we already believe recognizing some of it may be true and some may not be true. We attempt to translate our understanding of Christian Faith into language that makes sense today.  We attempt to integrate our understanding of our Christian Faith into our everyday life.  How is our understanding of Christian Faith working for us today?  This seems to be an evolution of constant unfoldment and an awareness that we need to recognize.

One thing that came to mind this week was my understanding that all of the human species has an urge to pray and that all of the urges to pray are the same however our definition of prayer is the changing variable.  

Brought up in class was that the Native Americans have no word for religion yet as far back as I can remember I knew there was a spiritual component/religious understanding amongst the Native American people so I found this interesting.

Another topic I found interesting this week was that when the topic of theology and metaphysics is brought up the physicists are not interested in breaking it down as there is too much to break down... I'm sorry but I can't help but think that we as budding theologists are willing to break it down in an attempt to understand it but physicists are not? Really!!! Does this mean we are wiser and smarter that the average physicist?  Physicist's have the same tools of understanding that we as students do. Aren't they able to form a hypothesis and back it up with research?  I should probably jump off this soap box.  Did anyone else have the same thought?