Regards Sikhs

[Stan]

“The Holy Book of the Sikhs does not criticize any other religion. It is better to be a good person irrespective of religious affiliation. The major principle of the Sikh religion call for its members to be honest, to do charitable work, lead truthful lives, practice equality for everyone and above all, pray to one God.” Universality of The Sikh Religion, p.15

"It has been usual to regard the Sikhs as essentially Hindu... yet in religious faith and worldly aspiration, they are wholly different from other Indians, and they are bound together by an objective unknown elsewhere." Joseph D. Cunningham (1812-1851), the author of "A History of the Sikhs" (1848),

[Kevin H]

Remember that the Holy Spirit works with all. The first teaching in the Bible was Henotheism, that YHWH was the most high God that Israel was to worship directly, that the other gods were for the other nations and that the other nations were judged based on how they treated others.

The problem with the Canaanites was how corrupt they became. How at certain times during the year, the feast of unleavened bread, Yom Kippur etc. they believed that they needed to unite their life forces; i.e. they would mix different textiles, different grains and each other, where the worship service was orgies, and not even necessary for pleasure but your neighbor would sleep with you, your wife, your children, your pets, and you would sleep with your neighbor, his wife, his children, and his pets. They would inflect pain upon each other cutting shedding blood, human sacrifice etc. Because these were believed to be able to help out Baal in bringing the life giving rain so that their crops would grow and they not starve.

And even worst, when travelers would come through, they believed that if you rapped someone that you stole some of their life force, that children who would have been born to your victims wife will now be born to your wife, that come of the food that would have grown in his garden will now grow in your garden, and that some of the lambs that would have been born in their victim's flocks will now be born to your flocks.

Canaan was in the center of the ancient world with the major trade routes merging there, yet they were the most dangerous people with the merchants in grave danger while passing through. Just as today in some cities there are places where tourists can go safely but other parts of town where they may not come out alive. Canaan was like going through these dangerous neighborhoods for the ancient world and ancient merchants. God replacing them with the Hebrews was an act of mercy to the merchants and world economy.

However, even with looking at the history of Canaan, there were the walled cities which had the kings, priests and important people, then the common people who lived outside the city walls. It was the people inside the cities who were doing these things. The people outside tended to be victimized by those in the cities.

In the ancient world Abraham's family was the best (and we can even read things about them) and the Canaanites were the worst, everyone else was someplace in between.

The Henothistic belief grew to where YHWH was not only the most high God but the creator of the other gods. This grew by the time if Isaiah to realize that if the other gods were created, then they are not gods and thus only YHWH is God and we have Monotheism. But YHWH is personal and impersonal. Yes he is the God of Israel but he cares about others. Even back in Exodus 19:5-6, the reason why Israel was chosen and why God was about to give them the 10 commandments, was because they were to be a nation of priests because all the world is YHWH's. Their (and our) entire purpose of existence was to serve God's people of all groups.

[Gregory Matthews]

Henotheism:

Quote:

Henotheism is based on the belief that a god may take any form at any time and still have the same essential nature. The central idea is that one name for a god may be used in a circumstance where a particular aspect of this god is being represented or worshiped while a different name may be given to or used to describe or worship a different aspect of the god in a different circumstance. This example does not imply the superiority of one over another, but simply that a god can exist in many forms at once and offering worship or praise using different names does not have to imply polytheism. Henotheism is sometimes considered a sophisticated version of monotheism in that it allows the worshiper to believe in essentially one Supreme Being and still appreciate and not limit the names, expressions, or manifestations used to describe it.

kathenotheism:

Quote:

kathenotheism (n.) Look up kathenotheism at Dictionary.com"a form of polytheism characteristic of the Vedic religion, in which one god at a time is considered supreme," 1865, coined in German by Max Müller from Greek kath' hena "one by one" + theism. Müller also coined henotheism (1860), from Greek henos "one," for "faith in a single god" as distinguished from exclusive belief in only one god, in writings on early Hebrew religion.

I Believe that these terms area best understood in the context of the Hindu religion.

[Kevin H]

I had always been taught that Henotheism was that there was one God most high and that only that God was worshiped without specifically denying the existence of the other gods but the not worshiping of them... Is there another word that I'm thinking about?

[Gregory Matthews]

You sound to me like you are thinking about Kathenotheism.

In Henotheism, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit would all be the same one God who is simply showing himself in three different modes.

[LifeHiscost]

“The Holy Book of the Sikhs does not criticize any other religion. It is better to be a good person irrespective of religious affiliation. The major principle of the Sikh religion call for its members to be honest, to do charitable work, lead truthful lives, practice equality for everyone and above all, pray to one God.” Universality of The Sikh Religion, p.15

"It has been usual to regard the Sikhs as essentially Hindu... yet in religious faith and worldly aspiration, they are wholly different from other Indians, and they are bound together by an objective unknown elsewhere." Joseph D. Cunningham (1812-1851), the author of "A History of the Sikhs" (1848),

Because these specific words below are not found in the Word and I couldn't locate where the principle is found specifically in the Spirit of Prophecy, I suppose this would have to be considered as my opinion.

God is fair. Never any less. It is written God alone is good. Therefor should a person live their life unselfishly, putting the good of others before themselves, only God could have put that goodness in the heart and they will not lose their reward except they were to choose a different way.

God cares! Jesus saves!

[Planey]

I suppose this would have to be considered as my opinion.

LHC, I for one would far rather that you made this your regular custom.

I find that quite often you will have quoted some or other passage of Scripture and I am not really sure of what relevance it is to the topic to which you are responding.

On the other hand when you respond directly in your own words I much more readily understand your point.

Probably much of this could be due my Antipodean obtuseness of course...

[Gregory Matthews]

Quote:

I find that quite often you will have quoted some or other passage of Scripture and I am not really sure of what relevance it is to the topic to which you are responding.

Agree.

I rarely have any idea as to how your posts are related to any aspect of what is being discussed.

[LifeHiscost]

I appreciate your input, Planey. I'm of the opinion that sowing the seed makes a lot more sense than my opinion but I'm also of the opinion that if my opinion is all I can get across when sowing the seed, I probably need to find a different element in which to function.

I'm thinking of restricting my input to those threads that more clearly reflect actions based upon the Word, and if I still run into the same problem I'll see it as a reason to shift my time to something that can more clearly be seen by me to be within the purposes of the Master carpenter.

Thanks again for your input as well as Greg's.

God cares! Jesus saves!

[Planey]

LHC, not that I'm putting you on a par with EGW, but I note that she quotes Scripture quite freely in her writings, whether it be a book such as one of the Conflict of the Ages series, or such as Ministry of Healing, or even in personal letters.

I do note that she will almost invariably say something in her own words, then quote the text she feels is appropriate to illustrate or reinforce her ideas.

She rarely quotes lengthy passages, and never stand-alone passages (that I have come across).

Could this be a useful scaffold to work with?

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

not that I'm putting you on a par with EGW

I've always (well maybe only sometimes) heard we were all equal at the foot of the cross, not that it shows by some of the posts on this forum.

OTOH, your suggestion sounds like a plan. Even Jesus changed His plans to suit the ability of the individuals to receive.

"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?"1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NASB

That ought to raise a few hackles. You've got to admit, Jesus'

choices didn't receive rave revues by the majority. Even those who accepted what He had to say had to yield to momentary points of needed growth.

" And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”

Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”"Luke 22:31-35 NKJV

God/Jesus saves!

[Planey]

Another excellent post, LHC!

Keep 'em coming!

[LifeHiscost]

I'm of the opinion that since God is Love and also the Word, when ever the Word is presented, if it is not understood as revealing Love, much understanding is lost and it does not fulfill in the life of the reader what Jesus wishes them to gain from it.

"Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead?

Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God."Isaiah 8:19-21 NLT

God/Jesus cares!