Members phkrause Posted August 1, 2014 Members Share Posted August 1, 2014 Sectarian violence in Iraq and other regional countries in the Middle East could be represented as an example of the failure of religion to inspire peace. How can the idea of a God caring for humanity be reconciled with the diversity, militancy and intolerance of so many groups professing to know the will of God? Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Articles...2BqMcPbURvOj.99 Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeMo Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I didn't "study" the article; but I think the author has confused religion with spirituality. I think disputes between religions have been behind much of the chaos the world has seen throughout history. The OT is rife with wars fought over "My god is greater than your god". The Crusades were fought over the god of Christianity being greater than the God of Islam; and taking back religious shrines that had been originally taken by Islam. The United States was formed largely over freedom of religion. The disputes in Northen Ireland was a fight between Catholics and Protestants. The Inquisition was as war against protestants by Catholics. The great schism between East and West was partly a war between Eastern Orthdox vs. Roman Catholic leadership of the church. Christians in Africa and the Middle East are being imprisoned, tortured and killed by Islamic jihadists. Many Adventists thnk the Catholic Church is the AntiChrist. ISIS is trying to set up an Islamic State so they can run a country according to their version of Islamic Law. Our own end-time doctrines point to an alliance between organized religion and government that brings about the end times. Organized religion is not that much different than geo-politics. In theory religion is good. In reality it's about power, money, and control. Spirituality, on the other hand, is simply a recognition of a supernatural realm, and a desire to conform the the laws of that realm; and have a relationship with the beings who dwell there. It's not necessarily all "good"; there are both good and evil beings in that realm; and spiritually open people need to discern between the two. After all, there are "politics" in the spiritual realm as well; or we would not be in the middle of a cosmic contraversy. In a sense, the chaos we see in the physical realm is a shadow of what is currently occuring in the spiritual realm - the culmination of a conflict that has been going on for thousands of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. T. Cross Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 In line with what you are saying Joe, outside of the where the JCI religions were involved, very few wars have ever been documented as being fought over religion or Gods. Mostly they were over lands and power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeMo Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Quote: Mostly they were over lands and power. That may be the reality of things. Nonetheless, I submit that many of the power-hungry tyrants who have performed atrocities throughout history (especially in the last 2,000 years) have used religion as an excuse or justification. I grant you that many of the great conquests in world history were straightforward power plays with no religious excuses - like Genghis Kahn and Alexander the Great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aliensanctuary Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Religions were all created by fallible, erring humans. Of course no two religions are alike, so instead of uniting mankind, they created walls and barriers to keep people out and to keep people in. The Kingdom of YHVH is not a religion, even though many attempt to portray it as such. The Kingdom of YHVH is like a business, and we, as employees must sign a contract in which we agree to follow the Code of Ethics if we wish to work in the business. The Kingdom of YHVH is based on science and technology, not magic, miracles, and sermons. Humans have created so many religions and so many rules, regulations, customs, and beliefs, but in the end, all will be discarded on the rubbish pile of human history. During the Last Days, the Kingdom of YHVH will be explained clearly to everyone so that they can make an informed choice on whether they wish to join, or not. Quote The Parable of the Lamb and the Pigpen https://www.createspace.com/3401451 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hch Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Sectarian violence in Iraq and other regional countries in the Middle East could be represented as an example of the failure of religion to inspire peace. How can the idea of a God caring for humanity be reconciled with the diversity, militancy and intolerance of so many groups professing to know the will of God? How much time should we spend talking about it? How much time should we spend praying about it? "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." Jesus Quote His child Henry Bible student/Author https://www.loudcry101.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Gerr Posted August 2, 2014 Moderators Share Posted August 2, 2014 ESV | ‎Mt 10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ‎35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stinsonmarri Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Religions were all created by fallible, erring humans. Of course no two religions are alike, so instead of uniting mankind, they created walls and barriers to keep people out and to keep people in. The Kingdom of YHVH is not a religion, even though many attempt to portray it as such. The Kingdom of YHVH is like a business, and we, as employees must sign a contract in which we agree to follow the Code of Ethics if we wish to work in the business. The Kingdom of YHVH is based on science and technology, not magic, miracles, and sermons. Humans have created so many religions and so many rules, regulations, customs, and beliefs, but in the end, all will be discarded on the rubbish pile of human history. During the Last Days, the Kingdom of YHVH will be explained clearly to everyone so that they can make an informed choice on whether they wish to join, or not. Unfortunately you belief is an organize religion as well. YAHWEH is a part of man affairs and HIS SON is about to return. What is happening today is in the Bible. Rev 16:12 talks about the drying of the East using the past tense. This simple means that it would happen earlier and this that time. Chaos is every where past the Euphrates or the Middle East and Russia also Ukraine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. T. Cross Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Quote: Mostly they were over lands and power. That may be the reality of things. Nonetheless, I submit that many of the power-hungry tyrants who have performed atrocities throughout history (especially in the last 2,000 years) have used religion as an excuse or justification. I grant you that many of the great conquests in world history were straightforward power plays with no religious excuses - like Genghis Kahn and Alexander the Great. I submit that I agree with you. Look at that timeline - the last 2000 years. The Romans conquered most of the known world and either left people to their religions or made those religions a part of their culture. Alexander and Kahn I don't really think cared, they just wanted to rule. In the northern parts of Europe there is absolutely no known war over religion prior to the Christian invasions. We only have conversion by sword/spear/gun/tank/bomb from the three big Abrahamic religions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 we will always have wars or rumors of wars "the devil is like a roaring lion seeking who he can devour "(pharaphrased) regrettably as joe said, very few wars are actually about relegion - quite often someone (or a group of people) twist the religion to suit their purposes and incite people to join their cause. (and it's very effective) the koran is used to justify horrific things, yet if you actually read the koran objectively you get a different view...... the Bible has been used the same way throughout history (remember the crusades). for anybody who experiences this all i am saying (as a believer in Jesus - because these people can be convincing) when that little voice raises it's head, think and pray about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsm Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Consider this: “The government under which Jesus lived was corrupt and oppressive; on every hand were crying abuses,--extortion, intolerance, and grinding cruelty. Yet the Savior attempted no civil reforms. He attacked no national abuses, nor condemned the national enemies. He did not interfere with the authority or administration of those in power. He who was our example kept aloof from earthly governments. Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, but because the remedy did not lie in merely human and external measures. To be efficient, the cure must reach men individually, and must regenerate the heart.” Ellen White in Desire of Ages, p 509. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted August 17, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 17, 2014 Consider this: “The government under which Jesus lived was corrupt and oppressive; on every hand were crying abuses,--extortion, intolerance, and grinding cruelty. Yet the Savior attempted no civil reforms. He attacked no national abuses, nor condemned the national enemies. He did not interfere with the authority or administration of those in power. He who was our example kept aloof from earthly governments. Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, but because the remedy did not lie in merely human and external measures. To be efficient, the cure must reach men individually, and must regenerate the heart.” Ellen White in Desire of Ages, p 509. Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aliensanctuary Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 No matter what country or type of government we live under, we can still practice the teachings of Christ. Even if we are killed for refusing to worship the false gods of false religions, we will still be safe. Quote The Parable of the Lamb and the Pigpen https://www.createspace.com/3401451 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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