Post: #136

IT WAS YOU...
YOU GET YOU BACK NOW...
YOU'VE BEEN GONE AWHILE...
WELCOME HOME...
TAKE A MOMENT...
I CAN SMELL IT TOO...
ITS WHAT INVIGORATES US ALL..
THE SMELL OF LIFE....
WELCOME HOME...
WELCOME TO LIFE...

Post: #137

LIFE SPEAKING  Wrote:

IT WAS YOU...
YOU GET YOU BACK NOW...
YOU'VE BEEN GONE AWHILE...
WELCOME HOME...
TAKE A MOMENT...
I CAN SMELL IT TOO...
ITS WHAT INVIGORATES US ALL..
THE SMELL OF LIFE....
WELCOME HOME...
WELCOME TO LIFE...

That was an interesting one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqY433PhDsc

Post: #138

Lord of all sights and sounds! You make the best of everything! Thank you for everything and all the senses you have bestowed upon me!

Post: #139

Would anyone like to write a prayer?

Post: #140

FreedomStands  Wrote:

Would anyone like to write a prayer?

Our Father who art THE CREATOR of All
Hallowed be Thy Name
Thy Will be done
on earth as it is in Your Heart

Thank you this day for our blessings of abundance from You, THE SOURCE.
Thank you for keeping the Evil One away from us
Thank you for keeping Your Promises and protecting us
Thank you for LIFE and your Unconditional Love.
Thank You, Almighty God Jeshurun, Thank You.

Post: #141

just ducky  Wrote:

FreedomStands  Wrote:

Would anyone like to write a prayer?

Our Father who art THE CREATOR of All
Hallowed be Thy Name
Thy Will be done
on earth as it is in Your Heart

Thank you this day for our blessings of abundance from You, THE SOURCE.
Thank you for keeping the Evil One away from us
Thank you for keeping Your Promises and protecting us
Thank you for LIFE and your Unconditional Love.
Thank You, Almighty God Jeshurun, Thank You.

I don't think I've ever heard the term Jeshurun before.

Cool prayer. I hesitate to call God, "Father", because of how human the term is.

In ancient times the term Father(English), Pater(Latin), Pitar(Sanskrit) was not only the term for a father, but generally the term for a master of a household, a lord and authority. The term is highly humanized, especially now, and fathers have intercourse with mothers and produce children, while God creates from nothing (ex nihilo) requiring nothing outside God alone to create. Fathers can't really create anything, not even children, and the point that they require a mother has led latter people to add the idea of a feminine counterpart in creation, much like how the Church of Latter Day Saints that God the humanoid Father has a wife, a holy mother, who they produce children with. It becomes utter blasphemy to the old monotheistic concept of God.

Post: #142

FreedomStands  Wrote:

just ducky  Wrote:

FreedomStands  Wrote:

Would anyone like to write a prayer?

Our Father who art THE CREATOR of All
Hallowed be Thy Name
Thy Will be done
on earth as it is in Your Heart

Thank you this day for our blessings of abundance from You, THE SOURCE.
Thank you for keeping the Evil One away from us
Thank you for keeping Your Promises and protecting us
Thank you for LIFE and your Unconditional Love.
Thank You, Almighty God Jeshurun, Thank You.

I don't think I've ever heard the term Jeshurun before.

Cool prayer. I hesitate to call God, "Father", because of how human the term is.

In ancient times the term Father(English), Pater(Latin), Pitar(Sanskrit) was not only the term for a father, but generally the term for a master of a household, a lord and authority. The term is highly humanized, especially now, and fathers have intercourse with mothers and produce children, while God creates from nothing (ex nihilo) requiring nothing outside God alone to create. Fathers can't really create anything, not even children, and the point that they require a mother has led latter people to add the idea of a feminine counterpart in creation, much like how the Church of Latter Day Saints that God the humanoid Father has a wife, a holy mother, who they produce children with. It becomes utter blasphemy to the old monotheistic concept of God.

"There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to your help,
And through the skies in His majesty.

The eternal God is a dwelling place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
And He drove out the enemy from before you,
And said, ‘Destroy!’

So Israel dwells in security,
The fountain of Jacob secluded,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His heavens also drop down dew.

Blessed are you, O Israel;
Who is like you, a people saved by Almighty God,
Who is the shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
So your enemies will cringe before you,
And you will tread upon their high places.”

Deuteronomy 33:26-29

Post: #143

just ducky  Wrote:

FreedomStands  Wrote:

just ducky  Wrote:

Our Father who art THE CREATOR of All
Hallowed be Thy Name
Thy Will be done
on earth as it is in Your Heart

Thank you this day for our blessings of abundance from You, THE SOURCE.
Thank you for keeping the Evil One away from us
Thank you for keeping Your Promises and protecting us
Thank you for LIFE and your Unconditional Love.
Thank You, Almighty God Jeshurun, Thank You.

I don't think I've ever heard the term Jeshurun before.

Cool prayer. I hesitate to call God, "Father", because of how human the term is.

In ancient times the term Father(English), Pater(Latin), Pitar(Sanskrit) was not only the term for a father, but generally the term for a master of a household, a lord and authority. The term is highly humanized, especially now, and fathers have intercourse with mothers and produce children, while God creates from nothing (ex nihilo) requiring nothing outside God alone to create. Fathers can't really create anything, not even children, and the point that they require a mother has led latter people to add the idea of a feminine counterpart in creation, much like how the Church of Latter Day Saints that God the humanoid Father has a wife, a holy mother, who they produce children with. It becomes utter blasphemy to the old monotheistic concept of God.

"There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to your help,
And through the skies in His majesty.

The eternal God is a dwelling place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
And He drove out the enemy from before you,
And said, ‘Destroy!’

So Israel dwells in security,
The fountain of Jacob secluded,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His heavens also drop down dew.

Blessed are you, O Israel;
Who is like you, a people saved by Almighty God,
Who is the shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
So your enemies will cringe before you,
And you will tread upon their high places.”

Deuteronomy 33:26-29

Thank you, I like that one better!

Jeshurun is the poetic name for Israel.

Post: #144

FreedomStands  Wrote:

Jeshurun is the poetic name for Israel.

It means RIGHTEOUSNESS

Post: #145

Yes! I think Jeshurun is a reference to Israel as the upright nation or righteous nation as you said. That is what they were intended to be anyway, and there is much in the Bible that also questions why they have turned away from that when they did.

My problem with these prayers is how humanistic they are. Saying that God "rides" the heavens, gives the idea of a limited form, but saying God is a dwelling place shows that God is all encompassing.

Still, I think speaking about God in ultimate and awesome terms rather than humanistic anthropomorphic terms is generally safer.

These were said in poetic language, possibly much like persian poetry and due to a similar influence possibly.

Can you write your own prayer?

These were very good, I don't mean to be rude or anything about them, and we both understand God isn't the literal father of anyone in a biological sense probably and doesn't have literal arms, and doesn't have a limited form that rides around in the sky, it is just the misleading language that I feel can confuse people about the traditional understanding of the ultimate God.

Then they mock and jeer at the idea that God is some bearded man in the sky riding on a chariot. These ideas were actually quite late compared to the more ancient ideas which were far more sophisticated and ultimate. As time progressed, descriptive and poetic language led to misidentification of God with the terminology used, and them misrepresentation of God as an actual humanoid being, which is not the older understanding. The primordial religion is only one, and it seems to have been an understanding of an ultimate power animating reality. This idea was present in the earliest forms of Zoroastrianism and was present in the Vedas, and one can even see the evolution of how things changed into accepting more polytheistic or henotheistic views.

Post: #146

just ducky  Wrote:

FreedomStands  Wrote:

Jeshurun is the poetic name for Israel.

It means RIGHTEOUSNESS

Thank you! Yes, I just wanted to clarify that in case anyone didn't know what Jeshurun was.

Israel means "wrestles with God".

Post: #147

FreedomStands  Wrote:

Can you write your own prayer?

These were very good, I don't mean to be rude or anything about them, and we both understand God isn't the literal father of anyone in a biological sense probably and doesn't have literal arms, and doesn't have a limited form that rides around in the sky, it is just the misleading language that I feel can confuse people about the traditional understanding of the ultimate God.

Then they mock and jeer at the idea that God is some bearded man in the sky riding on a chariot. These ideas were actually quite late compared to the more ancient ideas which were far more sophisticated and ultimate. As time progressed, descriptive and poetic language led to misidentification of God with the terminology used, and them misrepresentation of God as an actual humanoid being, which is not the older understanding. The primordial religion is only one, and it seems to have been an understanding of an ultimate power animating reality. This idea was present in the earliest forms of Zoroastrianism and was present in the Vedas, and one can even see the evolution of how things changed into accepting more polytheistic or henotheistic views.

I did write a prayer.

I don't know what Almighty God Jeshurun looks like, and for all I know HE does look like mankind.

Perhaps you'd be more comfortable if I use the ancient form of "God" in use way before it was thought that "God" would look like mankind....? That would be a snake.

Post: #148

just ducky  Wrote:

FreedomStands  Wrote:

Can you write your own prayer?

These were very good, I don't mean to be rude or anything about them, and we both understand God isn't the literal father of anyone in a biological sense probably and doesn't have literal arms, and doesn't have a limited form that rides around in the sky, it is just the misleading language that I feel can confuse people about the traditional understanding of the ultimate God.

Then they mock and jeer at the idea that God is some bearded man in the sky riding on a chariot. These ideas were actually quite late compared to the more ancient ideas which were far more sophisticated and ultimate. As time progressed, descriptive and poetic language led to misidentification of God with the terminology used, and them misrepresentation of God as an actual humanoid being, which is not the older understanding. The primordial religion is only one, and it seems to have been an understanding of an ultimate power animating reality. This idea was present in the earliest forms of Zoroastrianism and was present in the Vedas, and one can even see the evolution of how things changed into accepting more polytheistic or henotheistic views.

I did write a prayer.

I don't know what Almighty God Jeshurun looks like, and for all I know HE does look like mankind.

Perhaps you'd be more comfortable if I use the ancient form of "God" in use way before it was thought that "God" would look like mankind....? That would be a snake.

I've provided lots of information on the pages prior that show that it was pretty well understood that God wasn't a human with an image or a snake.

If you look up the ancient akkadian root Alla which is related to Allah (Arabic) and Ellah (Aramaic) and Eloah (Hebrew), you'll see that it wasn't related to snakes or celestial serpents, but actually meant "beyond", "powerful", and basically "ultimate" and "God". Shangdi (meaning "Above Sovereign" "Beyond Sovereign" "Ultimate Sovereign") from Han China was also imageless and not human in the earliest times, nor a dragon. Amun, who at a time was considered the primordial God to which all netjer were only attributes and functions, was also understood to be imageless and everywhere, though was depicted at times by a human figure wearing two high feathers, this image was understood not to represent Amun who was "hidden" but all pervasive and surrounding everything.

In the Vedas, it clearly states also that God has no image and that there is only one God who has no parents but is ever existing, pervading all reality and animating it.

If you look on the pages prior, I've provided a tremendous amount of information about this.

So, I'd be most comfortable if the understanding of God was the literally all pervading, all encompassing, all knowing, all powerful, ultimate God.

You can check out the prayers I wrote on earlier pages to get an idea of how I think God can be praised most respectfully.

The prayers you wrote are definitely nice ones, but the language can be misleading.

The Jewish understanding of God to this day is that God is not literally in the "image" of mankind as many have misinterpreted it, but has qualities that mankind reflects at times such as being generous and kind.

Here you can see a Jewish opinion on the matter:
http://www.jewfaq.org/human.htm

Post: #149

"In the Image of G-d
The Bible states that humanity was created in the image of G-d, but what does it mean to be created in the image of G-d?

Clearly, we are not created in the physical image of G-d, because Judaism steadfastly maintains that G-d is incorporeal and has no physical appearance. Rambam points out that the Hebrew words translated as "image" and "likeness" in Gen. 1:27 do not refer to the physical form of a thing. The word for "image" in Gen. 1:27 is "tzelem," which refers to the nature or essence of a thing, as in Psalm 73:20, "you will despise their image (tzel'mam)." You despise a person's nature and not a person's physical appearance. The word for physical form, Rambam explains, is "to'ar," as in Gen. 39:6, "and Joseph was beautiful of form (to'ar) and fair to look upon." Similarly, the word used for "likeness" is "damut," which is used to indicate a simile, not identity of form. For example, "He is like (damuno) a lion" in Ps. 17:12 refers not to similar appearance, but to similar nature.

What is it in our nature that is G-d-like? Rashi explains that we are like G-d in that we have the ability to understand and discern. Rambam elaborates that by using our intellect, we are able to perceive things without the use of our physical senses, an ability that makes us like G-d, who perceives without having physical senses.

The Dual Nature
In Genesis 2:7, the Bible states that G-d formed (vayyitzer) man. The spelling of this word is unusual: it uses two consecutive Yods instead of the one you would expect. The rabbis inferred that these Yods stand for the word "yetzer," which means impulse, and the existence of two Yods here indicates that humanity was formed with two impulses: a good impulse (the yetzer tov) and an evil impulse (the yetzer ra).

The yetzer tov is the moral conscience, the inner voice that reminds you of G-d's law when you consider doing something that is forbidden. According to some views, it does not enter a person until his 13th birthday, when he becomes responsible for following the commandments. See Bar Mitzvah.

The yetzer ra is more difficult to define, because there are many different ideas about it. It is not a desire to do evil in the way we normally think of it in Western society: a desire to cause senseless harm. Rather, it is usually conceived as the selfish nature, the desire to satisfy personal needs (food, shelter, sex, etc.) without regard for the moral consequences of fulfilling those desires.

The yetzer ra is not a bad thing. It was created by G-d, and all things created by G-d are good. The Talmud notes that without the yetzer ra (the desire to satisfy personal needs), man would not build a house, marry a wife, beget children or conduct business affairs. But the yetzer ra can lead to wrongdoing when it is not controlled by the yetzer tov. There is nothing inherently wrong with hunger, but it can lead you to steal food. There is nothing inherently wrong with sexual desire, but it can lead you to commit rape, adultery, incest or other sexual perversion.

The yetzer ra is generally seen as something internal to a person, not as an external force acting on a person. The idea that "the devil made me do it" is not in line with the majority of thought in Judaism. Although it has been said that Satan and the yetzer ra are one and the same, this is more often understood as meaning that Satan is merely a personification of our own selfish desires, rather than that our selfish desires are caused by some external force.

People have the ability to choose which impulse to follow: the yetzer tov or the yetzer ra. That is the heart of the Jewish understanding of free will. The Talmud notes that all people are descended from Adam, so no one can blame his own wickedness on his ancestry. On the contrary, we all have the ability to make our own choices, and we will all be held responsible for the choices we make."

Post: #150

So the idea that God has a form or image is offensive by the standards presented in the Vedas, Jewish theology, the Qur'an, and even early Zoroastrianism probably. This could extend also to others such as early Zoroastrianism, early Amunism, and other early religions that understood God in a sophisticated manner as compared to later descriptive and poetic literature which anthropomorphized God into descriptions that had more relatable forms which would be considered by some as idolatry in a way. The Vedas also do not support idol worship and speaks about associating God with forms. Surprisingly, the various religions often categorized under the term Hinduism are largely considered polytheistic and behave sometimes as idolaters even though te Vedas are clearly against it as I showed on an earlier page.