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Re: The idea of Providence in a performance


I will admit straight up that I know little about it from the perspective of those who believe in it, like a traditional Buddhist, or Hindu (and I used to have an Indian friend who claimed herself to be a Jain, who also believed in it). I've never heard it mentioned in, or associated with, the holy Scriptures of Christianity. I am a babe in my faith: although I was born into a Christian family, I'm only now returning to Jesus Christ; so I may have bitten off more than I can chew here. Whatever my sources, I've always known karma as a religious belief, and a burden of guilt on the believer, who sees his actions as having effect on his subsequent lives in his next reincarnation (and so following from that, one's condition that he is born into is based upon, presumably, the actions of his past life). Well, the Bible teaches, that yes, one's actions does have effect in worldly matters while here on earth ("you reap what you sow"), but salvation is based on your faith in Christ alone, and it is his helping hand, his lovingkindness, which will, if you choose to walk with him, lead you to do good works in his name (though, not as might a robot, who has lost his ability to stray from his Maker. A Christian can still sin; nay, he is guaranteed to still sin.) A Christian does not believe in past lives (though he ought to acknowledge the matter of fact reality of ancestry and heritage, which began with the fall of Adam), and his next life is an eternal one, said in the Scriptures to be of a very different order than one's life here: he can go where the devil and his unholy angels were made to live, that is a world of eternal punishment and suffering, or he can live with his true Father, and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Reincarnation and its mechanism, karma, are mystical, superstitious ideas that have no place in a Christian man's life.

Let's sum it up this way: A man who believes in such things has no need of a Lord and Savior to wash away his sins, which will always be many, and is therefore claiming that he is able to pull himself up by his bootstraps (which is to say by his own will and wit and resourcefulness) even if it takes him many subsequent lives to reach a post-human level, to be a god, a "Superman." What was Satan's first words, his false promise that he gave to man, in the Garden? He said, eat of this apple of knowledge and "and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil"; indeed, he offered a similar temptation to Jesus, while he meditated and prayed in the desert, for at this time he had become Prince of this world, that is of the earth (and still will be until the last days arrive.) Well, such striving will always end in vain, for it is vain striving, and rebellion from the LORD. It won't happen through those seeing knowledge (whether humanistic, scientific, Gnostic and occultic, or whatever), nor by the obtainment of power here on earth, which is always transitory and unsatistifactory, nor by good works alone, nor by technological advance, such as in the area of medicine which promises longer and even ever-lasting life, etc. It's always the same old search: the search for the holy grail, the Fountain of Youth, the Golden Bough, the hidden names of God, the physical origins of man, and so forth: that is, it's a futile search that says you believe man can bring about his own salvation, his own utopia or heaven here on earth. Solomon, through the influence of the Holy Spirit, said it much better than I ever will, in his book Ecclesiastes. Quite seriously, man's only hope is through faith in Jesus, who was the one and only Christ, and who was God in the flesh, and said that no one comes to the Father except through Him!

Matthew



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Re: The idea of Providence in a performance


(I wish to add that I am unsure of what the Bible says about the possibility of a Christian "walking away from God." Most will tell you that once you are saved you are secure in your path to eternal life in heaven; others will say that a man can indeed turn away from God on his own sinful accord and then find himself in Hell after death and his judgment. Whichever it is, it is clear in my mind that a man who trusts Christ and spends his life seeking and believing in him, will not desire to turn his back. As you probably know, Matthew J, I am a lowly opinionator, and not an expert, if there is such a thing that can be rightly called as such!)

Matthew
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Re: The idea of Providence in a performance


There is a very informative chapter from Stephen Lamp's book "The Christian and Reincarnation" on the site for those still capable of objective thinking, not tainted by dogma. http://www.cinemaseekers.com/Christ/reincarnation.html
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Re: The idea of Providence in a performance


Oh, come off it. I have read this essay already. Why are you trying to shoehorn such an alien belief into the Word of God where there is obviously no room available? What use could a doctrine of reincarnation possibly add? Use your own words, would you, and not the words of another man, because you are putting me, or anyone else here who wishes to disagree, in a situation where I have to argue with various third party's words, that is, Stephen Lampe's, who quotes from a version far different from the King James, which, you see, reads quite differently and I am already suspicious of, and who also, by turn as you claim at the top of the article, has drawn his inspiration from yet another man, this mysterious Abd-ru-shin fellow, who also, indeed, seems to have drawn his influence (not, as I know it, "inspiration") from God only knows where, but not entirely, you see, from God's Word; do I make myself clear? My point is: say it yourself, so I contest, at least, with your own words. Do not hide behind a chain of writings that links back too far to for an ignorant man like myself to discern, for I see the Bible as the Word of God and not the collected workds of a variety of inspired people who have, as you might see it, obtained some higher spiritual ranking by their own efforts, and weren't, much more obviously, moved by the Holy Ghost during a special time in history when God's Word was not yet fully made known on Earth, that is, they were put under God's Grace, and did not follow a hierchal "state of spiritual maturity," a phrase which reeks, in my mind, of those sort who would rather keep a understanding of Christ a secret unto themselves and not known to the world, to whom God wishes to have it known. (I wonder then, come to think of it, if you believe that this Abd-ru-shin man was also under God's holy grace?)

Matthew

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Re: The idea of Providence in a performance


Anyone, who wishes to know who Abd-ru-shin is, needs to examine his own writings personally and not rely on the opinions or beliefs of other people. That is why throughout our site we always point to his main work "IN THE LIGHT OF TRUTH: THE GRAIL MESSAGE" and try to abstain from too much regurgitation of it. This way everyone can draw their own conclusion about the identity of Abd-ru-shin based on the examination of the original material - and having drawn that conclusion, can leave others in peace.

Since we have put together a rather voluminous site, 99% of which is comprised of "our own words", we do not feel the need to engage in elaborate discussions on topics that we have already covered on our site. Reincarnation (and the karma associated with it) is a simple fact of life. Without it, God's Justice is but an empty phrase, for then there is no way in heaven or on earth to account for the inequality in people's conditions at birth. Some are born with birth defects, others are perfectly healthy; some are rich, others are poor; some are geniuses, others are imbeciles and so on. EITHER God's Justice through the Law of Reciprocal Action (also known as the Law of Karma) perfectly regulates these differences, returning to each one of us exactly what we have sown in our previous earth-lives, OR the Creator is a capricious and malicious god, making these decisions arbitrarily. There is no other alternative for a person, who believes in God. Denying reincarnation and its lawful karmic effects is the same as denying God's Perfect Justice. That many Christians inadvertently find themselves precisely in this situation is their personal tragedy. And many of them feel it keenly, though silently, struggling desperately to come to terms with all the apparent injustice in the world and still hold on to their faith. It is for them that the Grail Message of Abd-ru-shin offers the greatest hope, because it clearly and logically separates the Laws of God from the man-made dogma of Christianity and restores the original Message of Christ, undistorted by the Church.
(Cont'd)
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(Cont'd)
It would have been wonderful, if the Bible preserved the Word of God in Its Purity. Unfortunately, this is NOT the case. Again, many Christians feel this inwardly, when they come upon certain contradictions or experience these contradictions in their own lives, but they suffer silently, afraid to offend their Creator by too much close scrutiny of the Bible. It is these, who will find the resolutions to all those contradictions in the simple and logical explanations of the Grail Message and who will then rejoice at finally being able to worship their Creator in all of His Perfection, without having to make excuses for Him.

Naturally, those Christians who sense no inner conflict between their souls and certain passages of the Bible (not to mention the distorted interpretations of the Church) are welcome to continue on their way. They should, however, leave others in peace to pursue questions, which the official dogma cannot answer. Reincarnation is one such question, since on it hinges the entire concept of Justice. And it is actually the Church's denial of reincarnation that is responsible for driving so many people into atheism, because without the knowledge of reincarnation these people are simply abandoned to their all-too-easy assumption that there cannot be a God, if He allows so much injustice in the world.

Stephen Lampe's book "The Christian and Reincarnation" can be found in its entirety here http://www.library.com.br/english/stephen/christian.HTM It is so valuable because it shows "how the right understanding of reincarnation leads to an absolute conviction, not mere belief, in the perfect Justice and Love of God, the Almighty Father." Through a close and thoughtful examination of many Bible passages it shows how reincarnation is in full accord with Christ's teaching, and the book also goes into the history of what took place during the Second Council of Constantinople (AD 553), which pronounced anathema on the reincarnation. Before that Council, reincarnation was accepted as part of the Church's doctrine. Here we see once again how a man-made institution "swings with the breeze". It has already become very clear to many people that no institution is in the position to decide what is or isn't part of the reality of this Universe. We have only to recall the story of Copernicus and Galileo, when the Church denounced the Copernican theory. As Mr. Lampe puts it: "Christians at that time probably imagined that the idea which contradicts the Scriptures must have been put in the mind of Copernicus by Satan! Today, some Christians, unfortunately, have a similar view of reincarnation."


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First of all I want to say that I respect what you people believe in as long as it brings you peace. I find the “Bible” and “In the Light of Truth” – books inspiring, For me these books are guidelines, there’s much truth in it and I try to adjust this in my life. But I will not put my complete faith into it. It are exactually those things like karma or reincarnation that for me go too far. I just don’t believe in it. I don’t pray, I don’t go to church. Instead I take my bike and take a ride in the countryside, I meet the animals, I meet the farmers on their fields. Or I go to the forest to just sit there and listen to the silence or see a whole bunch of frogs reproducing theirselves emoticon and talking about it with a passer-by. For me inner peace doesn’t lie in ideologies or dogma's. It’s about getting in contact with life again. So I don’t believe in Jesus Christ as the ONLY way towards salvation. I hope you can respect my viewpoint although you don’t agree with it.

Chris.
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You simply haven't delved deeply enough into some things (like the reincarnation and Jesus Christ) to see that in their undistorted state they are all part of this same Life that you love so much. They are just as natural and unassuming and ever-present as the trees and the frogs that you greet with such joy. The time will come when you will see and experience this for yourself. In the meantime, say "hello" from us to those marvelous frogs! (By the way, "In the Light of Truth..." is NOT a religion or an ideology, much less dogma. The author states this on the very first page.)

Since you are so close to nature, have you never seen or sensed the presence of those little elemental beings that work everywhere in nature? Many people, who feel a specially close connection with the animals and with the trees, have actually seen them. Here, once again, this is not a question of ideology, but of personal experiencing (even though the fact of the existence of these little elementals and their constant and varied activities is disclosed in "In the Light Of Truth..."].
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There was an American man, an artist, on a forum I go to who had a serious accident about 15 years ago. After this he noticed his intuition improve remarkably. I remember he gave a bizarre account of his out of body experience during a life saving operation where he saw earthbound human spirits present in the hospital.

He discovered he had Aids some 10 years ago and has been able to see the elementals for some time now, made easier as he lives in a rural environment. These are fairies, although he called them "spirits" until I explained what they were and their position in Creation to him.

I have not seen this individual post for some time now. In all probability he has passed away.

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Re: The idea of Providence in a performance


I will say a few things more, though I realize I have little audience here, and that what I say may fall on deaf ears (as is the accusation being made towards myself).

It is utterly strange in my mind that some people wish to shoehorn a doctrine like reincarnation into the Holy Bible. It's true that until I recently began returning to the Christian faith I did not put much stock in much of the ideas on this site (which I have read most of, over the months), but I saw something valuble in your study of films that is lacking in the understanding of most film critics. Yet now with the duties which my faith bring me, I no longer feel at ease in setting these ideas, some of which are clearly false (at least to the best of my present understanding), aside, knowing that you may very well be spreading corruption of God's Word, which is, sure, a Satanic matter. Perhaps it is not "Satanic" in the cartoonish and fanciful way that is popularized today, but what else am I to think when a man is adament about changing God's word on his own accord (or to his allegience to this mysterious Abd-ru-shin)? This is a serious and grave matter. I wish I knew the Bible better than I do so that I was better equipped now to defend it. That may be my chief sin in coming here, and even talking now, in that I have bitten off more than I can chew.

I'm gonna say simply, though, once more, why it is obvious in my mind reincarnation is not a matter of life, is not found in the Bible, and, though there are some like yourself who seem to wish to put such ideas into Christendom, is also of little use to our faith.

1) The varieties of mens' birth (which could be broken down into both his ancestry and the matter of his cultural heritage), whether it be high, low or medium, is not at variance with God's lovingkindness, nor with his Will, and with his Almighty Being. While it is true that we reap what we sow, which is to say that we bring about our own unfortunate circumstances by own will, and typically our personal disobedience from the LORD, it does not follow that those who are born into poor circumstances are innocent. Call this cruel if you prefer, but I see no reason why reincarnation would be any less cruel: we all pay for the sins of our ancestors, and whether or not one's father was a mighty sinner who never believed in Christ, yet seemingly got away scot free in his endeavors while on earth, endeavors which, say, brought him fame and riches; this does not matter. Nor does it matter that such a man may beget many sons and daughters who are then born into pleasant circumstances, which may apparently be because of the evil-doing of their father. No, one never knows what these advantageous sons will do in their lifetime: they may choose to use their "fortunate" circumstances for great good, or great evil. Nonetheless, one must make do with what they have. A poor person, and of an unlikely ancestry, has still (and history shows this, nonetheless) brought much good to the world through God's blessing. Ask yourself this, when you accept the idea of reincarnation: what of those who are born of wretched, unrepetant parents, yet rise above their sorry circumstances to do the best they can in their world? Or more subtlely, what of, say, a slave in the Americas, born on the land of a so-called Christian and white slave-cropper, who, due to his situation, finds a life of misery and little freedom, unable to bring much goodness into the world? I tell you now the Gospel is as valuable to that poor fellow than it is to those who, as you might think of it, have done good in "past lives," which is why they are born into a wonderful family, that is financially secure, or into a country that allows much freedom.

2) It is not the riches of the earth that matter, anyway. The Bible teaches time and again that the riches the earth brings, its pleasures, its material possessions (sometimes thought of now as only Money), it's "happiness" with others, and so forth: these are all transitory and ultimately unfilling. Ask a hundred (I would say thousand, but the number seems to be fewer than that!) Hollywood celebrities who have found Jesus Christ late in their life, and have forsaken their love of the riches of the earth. Such men are typically more at ease in their life due to what the faith of the hereafter brings than any of their circumstances and own strivings have brought them on earth. That is a message of the Bible that can never be undermined.

3) The faith in the hereafter: a heaven, a Godly Kingdom, where wonderful joys are experienced: do you not see how reincarnation conflicts with this idea, which is at the very core of God's teachings? If one is to believe in reincarnation, then it becomes ones duty to do only good in life so that he can selfishly bring about better good for himself in the next life. No, I assure you there is great folly in this. Even for those who do not believe in such an idea, and who still believe in trying to better their own selves or even be selfless and charitable to the world are misunderstanding their duty here on Earth. The fallacy is summed up in our nature, which is an ungodly, wretched one. The first man and his wife sinned, and we are clearly still paying for their sins. It is not our situation, that is to say God does not expect us, to save either ourselves, nor the world. Jesus Christ was sent to earth not as a mere wisdom-teacher (I sometimes wonder if you reduce him to such), but as a beacon of Light, and the passage, the way (yes, Chris, the ONLY way) to heaven, to His holy Father. To believe in reincarnation is to assert that man is duty-bound by God to either better his own situation (miserable or not, depending on the choices of his past lives) or to better the lives of others in the world. He is not duty-bound to do either, because for God to ask of a man to do this would depend on the man's poor or great birth, and he does not ask of that. That is why he sent us his son as Savior,
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