TaoismTaoism
Response to comment [from a Muslim]: "What are the criteria by which we know the false or the true messenger?"
Satan is an enemy who can deceive us. We know we are being deceived if one claims that Jesus did not come in the flesh [1 Jn 4:3]. The members posting in this thread have the spirit of anti-Christ as they reject and undermine Jesus' deity, his resurrection, and the holy scriptures.
Jesus is the eternal "Word of God" and "the Spirit of God". Jesus was born of a virgin, he performed miracles and raised people from the dead. We can come to God, the Father ("Abba") as a humble child [Mark 14:36; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6].
The pagans in this thread (some claiming to be Christian) make God out to be rocks, water, light, etc ("god in all" or "All is god"). God is the creator. Is light higher than God? God created light. He can be higher than light but he cannot be lower. "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts (Is 55:8-9)."
Response to comment [from a Hindu]: "Truth is its own witness. The Light within recognizes light wherever it is, so the content and context of any teaching is to be considered, if it has the ring or flavor of truth..."
We know that we exist. The creator of our existence can be more than us, but he cannot be less. We have personality. The creator can have our personality or more but he cannot have less. Lights, rocks, water--these things can be used figuratively to teach us, but we were never meant to worship them. They are not personal beings. They do not hold people accountable for their actions. The creator of the heavens and the earth does hold us responsible toward him.
People have many ideas about God and worship. There are certain truths that all people agree on--it's is wrong to murder, rape or steal, for example. God has written his law on our hearts (Ro 2:15).
The apostle Paul was a blasphemer; he was insolent, ignorant and in unbelief (1 Ti 1:13). But when he became a Christian, everything changed. When Paul speaks of his salvation he says he was saved by the grace of God. It was the mercy of God that put him into the ministry (J. Vernon McGee).
True worship comes from knowing the true God. The more we know God by his word, the more we are capable of worshipping him. We cannot worship more than we know God about God. This is why we should study his word (Col 3:6).
Men have many wicked ideas but but that does not make their ideas true (Mt 15:19). God is spirit; He must be worshipped in spirit and in truth (Jn 4:24). Truth is not a "flavor" of the month. Men have always had odd ideas to replace God (Ac 17:21) but Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14:6).
"The Tao pervades all of Nature, subsisting within and maintaining all."
Nature is not a god (Gal. 4:8). The Bible teaches that children of wrath entertain ideas of the flesh and mind (Eph. 2:3).
In this thread, the "way" of the early Christian church is mentioned. "The way" was merely a way of describing the new path that the believer took. A mere profession of faith was not enough. Christians repented of their sins and lived in a whole new way. Christians do the same today.
Response to comment [from a Hindu]: "Whoa. Who here has claimed Jesus did not come in the flesh? This thread is not even on that topic. So, this is presumptuous."
My response was to the question posed by egyptianmuslim who asked: "What are the criteria by which we know the false or the true messenger?" [August 12th, 2009, 01:11 AM].
We know we are speaking with a false teacher according to the Bible if one gets the deity of Jesus wrong. This is the spirit of anti-Christ (1 Jn 4:3).
[God rocks, water, light, etc.] "More presumptions based on lack of understanding and imposed interpretation. Who here has claimed God is material objects? or denied the Creative Intelligence of the Universal Spirit?"
Forgive me, freelight but didn't you claim that God is light? I do not believe that I am being presumptuous, but I believe that I am accurately stating your revealed belief. If I am mistaken please tell me.
I have to reiterate. God cannot be light. Light is created from energy. Energy has a source. Light must have had a beginning source. God is the uncreated, first creator of everything we know-- including light. Remember, we spoke about light a lot in the previous threaded discussion and you and I went back and forth on that? I do not wish to bring that debate back in this thread, but I would only add--you failed to prove that we should pin our hopes on light. Light is not a god or anything to be trusted for our eternal hope. If you do not concede that point now, please present a better argument for consideration?
I am glad that you do not deny a "creative intelligence of the universal sprit" but we still do not agree on who that spirit is. I submit that it is God and I am putting a name to the source of all creativity and that is good spiritually (1 Cor. 6:11; Phil. 2:9; Col. 3:17; Rev. 19:16).
"If you'd like to learn more and intuit the 'Tao',...you may embark on such a journey, as pointers here are being provided. The 'Tao' is the heart-rhythm of Nature, the currency of Spirit, universal wisdom."
I am learning about this Tao. It is another manipulation and perversion of God's revealed truth. We were given minds to use. We cannot pin our hopes on immeasurable rhythms and the like. God is real and His Word can be trusted, verse by verse, cover to cover.
"To know/intuit Truth (Reality) you must come with no-thing, no concept, no belief, no preconceived anything. Then what Truth IS, will stand naked before you."
The Bible teaches otherwise. We are to hold on to that which is true (2 Thes 2:15).
Response to comment [from a pagan]: "I also hope other's contribute but do not detract, but this is TOL...I might add I don't have a link to this, I typed this from my own script."
Are you going with polytheism (There are many gods),
pantheism (God is all) or pan-en-theism (God is in all)? Adherents of
Taoism believe different things.
Response to comment [from an atheist]: "[T]he Tao has many things that are entirely in line with a Christian worldview."
When the most trusted source of creation, genealogy, history, etc. is the Bible, why would you trust the Taoist canon instead? What do you think of Jn 14:6, 2 Cor 5:21 and Eph 2: 8-9?
See:
Jesus Among Other gods by Ravi Zacharias
Response to comment [from a Mormon]: "[T]his may depend on how Christianity is defined or interpreted. I was baptized Mormon, for example. I personally don't see a conflict, but some Christians do."
Mormons are not Christians they are cultists. A cult gets the deity of Jesus. Mormons claim that Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer. Mormons teach sort of like an escalator--you can get on at a point in time and eventually be a god. You will never be a god (Isa 46:9).
"What existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what
we have seen with our eyes, what we observed and touched with our own hands-this
is the Word of life! (1 Jn 1:1, ISV)."
"In the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God
(Jn 1:1, ISV)."
See:
.