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Showing posts from August, 2008

Reign of God vs. Kingdom

In God Is Not Three Guys in the Sky , I interpret Christian doctrine inclusively. Because distinctions are a good way of helping us to “get” new concepts, I’ve fashioned this table to contrast the inclusive idea of the Reign of God from the exclusive Kingdom idea. Exclusive Kingdom of God --- Inclusive Reign of God “Sudden eruption of God’s rule” (end of the world)--- Eternal Field of consciousness (Ground of being) Literal interpretation --- Symbolic interpretation Coming in linear time --- Eternal, timeless Jesus judge and savior --- Universal ideal in each person Access limited --- Accessible to all Inconsistent with science; end of world, of physical law --- Consistent with science, with findings about space/time & consc iousness Territory of a male monarch with power over subjects --- Inner dimension with equal dignity of all Christian frame of ideas --- Universal frame of ideas August 4, 2012 The range of responses to the prior post delight me. A person wh

Divinity in all

My purpose being to bridge Christianity with other spiritual traditions, I’m always happy to see common themes. One such is the idea that individual consciousness is part of the One consciousness. First a word about “consciousness.” For me “Consciousness” can be a synonym for God, similar to Mind or Thought, and I believe Consciousness/Mind/Thought is prior to the material universe. I’ve read and listened to more than one kind of atheist. Some only disbelieve in the god I don’t believe in either—the humanlike individual. But some atheists apparently don’t believe in immaterial reality, and that makes no sense at all. We think, and our thoughts cannot be tracked by the brain or attributed to brain processes. They are more than movements of molecules. Furthermore, our scattered and contradictory thoughts are unified by our minds into a unified sense of self. I know that I am I, no matter how the various feelings and ideas in me conflict. Where does this self in me come from? Ken Wilber e