Parables: The Way to Heaven

Author: Discipulus_Didicit

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#241
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@Discipulus_Didicit
If it isn't already apparent to you, as I have said this in so many ways, I believe because I understand it. As we are talking about apodictic truth, that is all that is necessary.

#242
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@keithprosser
If you really worshipped the truth, you would recognize what I am saying as being truth worship.

I don't believe you can accept what I am saying because you don't want Christianity to be what I am telling you it is. If you were to, that would necessitate a serious paradigm shift and the discarding of a great deal of baggage that you perhaps feel very invested in.





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#243
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I have said this in so many ways, I believe because I understand it. As we are talking about apodictic truth, that is all that is necessary.

This is in reference your general belief that God, under your previously described definition, exists?
#244
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@Discipulus_Didicit
Not simlly that, but Orthodox Christianity.

Accepting it as true comes from understanding it.

It is not a dead faith though, it is something to be lived.

#245
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@Mopac
I can post what you did without any modification.

If you really worshipped the truth, you would recognize what I am saying as being truth worship.

I don't believe you can accept what I am saying because you don't want Christianity to be what I am telling you it is. If you were to, that would necessitate a serious paradigm shift and the discarding of a great deal of baggage that you perhaps feel very invested in.

As I said, one of us must be wrong.



#246
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@keithprosser
You say that you worship the truth, but I have certainly given more details about this than you. I have pointed out how there is a deeper spiritual meaning to Christianity, a deeper spiritual meaning that you are wilfully ignorant of.

And that is why Jesus says

"To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables."



And in a great way, it is like a vetting process. For God gives grace to the humble, and resists the proud.

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#247
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@Mopac
Believing it comes from understanding it

I asked you before why you believed and you said it was due to personal experience. Are you changing that now to say that you believe it because you understand it?
#248
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@Mopac
Describe the most perfect image of the truth.
You know! the one you see.


#249
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@Discipulus_Didicit
I have been very consistent. Connect the dots.

The word I used was epignosis.

That is true and experiential knowledge. 


Isn't personal experience what tends to lead one to conclusions?
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#250
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@Mopac
And do you maintain that this is sometimes a reliable method of reaching conclusions that match with reality and sometimes not reliable, or has this changed?
#251
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@Discipulus_Didicit
I am not aware of outlining any method to reach conclusions.


There is no conclusion to the Christian life here on Earth until one(with God's grace) joins the church triumphant.

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#252
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@Mopac
Right, so when your experiences lead to the conclusion that Orthodox Christian theology is accurate then this is a correct conclusion?
#253
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@Discipulus_Didicit
Mopac is a great one for theological jargon!

'gnosis' and 'epignosos' are different forms of knowlege.

I think 'epignosis' is close to 'knowing in one bones'.   That is to say that it's not 'intellectual knowlege' but unshakable certainty.  For example I know 'citizen kane' is a great movie but I don't feel it in my bones.  I'm not going to die for the cause of that films greatness. 

But I do know freedom is good - I feel its truth and cannot imagine it to be false.  'freedom is good' is not a neutral fact but part of my being.  Knowing Citizen Kane is good' is gnosis, knowing 'freedom is good' is epignosis.

Mopac is saying that an objective of orthodoxy is to turn mere 'gnosis' of god into 'epignosis' of god.

#254
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@Discipulus_Didicit
I certainly believe that Orthodox Christianity is the form that True Religion has taken on this planet, and that the Orthodox Catholic Church is the authoritative Christian Church. 

And this way of life is not a conclusion, it is a walk.



#255
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@keithprosser
What most people consider to be freedom is in fact slavery to sin.

The Christian discipline has much to do with freeing oneself from this slavery.




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#256
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Speaking of slavery... I wonder where the word apostate comes from.


Greek... Runaway slave... interesting... Keith, you said you are an advocate of apostasy. You would advocate slaves escaping from their masters? Shame on you, you wicked person.
#257
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@Discipulus_Didicit
keith like most atheists endorses the death of all theists. 
#258
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@Discipulus_Didicit
The word does not imply slavery.
Though sure, you could be an apostate slave.

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#259
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I certainly believe that Orthodox Christianity is the form that True Religion has taken on this planet, and that the Orthodox Catholic Church is the authoritative Christian Church.

And this way of life is not a conclusion, it is a walk.

And you are correct to say this?
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#260
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@Polytheist-Witch
keith like most atheists endorses the death of all theists. 

That seems unlikely, though if you have evidence to back up this accusation I am willing to believe it. What makes you say this is the case?
#261
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@Mopac
'Slavery to sin' uses slavery in a figurative sense.

A miscommunication exists between you and DD over 'conclusion'.   DD means 'inference', you mean 'ending'.

#262
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@Discipulus_Didicit
Of course, though I doubt I could convince an epistemological nihilist that anything is correct or true.


#263
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@keithprosser
No, it is pretty obvious to this one here that sin is very influntial in the motivations of the ungodly, even to the point of being the primary motivation.
#264
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@Discipulus_Didicit

No it isn't. Given the chance to have all theists removed from society atheists would say yes. Even their own spouses. But most of their spouses are half hearted theists so they would probably be atheists to stay alive. 
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#265
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@Mopac

I certainly believe that Orthodox Christianity is the form that True Religion has taken on this planet, and that the Orthodox Catholic Church is the authoritative Christian Church.

And this way of life is not a conclusion, it is a walk.

And you are correct to say this?

Of course

And if someone else said the same thing about some other theology then they would be incorrect?

though I doubt I could convince an epistemological nihilist that anything is correct or true.

I doubt I could either but I would very much like to meet a nihilist so that I could try. It is written that Socrates convinced Gorgias to abandon nihilism so it is not impossible!
#266
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@Polytheist-Witch
The examples of Stalin and Pol Pot etc show you are not necessarily wrong!


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#267
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@Polytheist-Witch
Given the chance to have all theists removed from society atheists would say yes. 

I think you misunderstand. When I say "What makes you say that, and why do you say it?" I do not mean "Please say that again in different words."

I am asking why you think Keith is a genocidal lunatic. It seems quite unlikely that he is, but I am sure you have solid evidence to say that it is. Please present this evidence to me.
#268
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@Discipulus_Didicit
I read his posts. He pretty much says what all atheists say. Remove theists from society and society will be better for it. He pretty much agreed above. His wussy butt wouldn't do anything. He would let others do it for him. 
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#269
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@Polytheist-Witch
Which posts from Keith indicate that Keith wishes to genocide all theists? I have never seen such a post by him, do you have a link?
#270
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@Discipulus_Didicit
They do exist. They do change their minds! I might have been there once.


If someone claimed the same thing, well, that wouldn't be strange. However consider this..

The God of my religion is The Ultimate Reality. Is there any God greater? Nothing else is even worthy of being called God.

Loving this God over all things necessitates the abandoning of idols. The cleaning of the Nous.

Loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The first commandment and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Where does that come from? Recognizing that we were created in the image of God. To love others is to love God. 

If you love God, you love yourself, an image of God. You show this love for God and God's image by cleaning the image of what defiles it. You love others because they are also images of God. They might be distorted or tarnished by sin, but they are still images of God. Make sense?

And so it isn't simply a self absorbed "love of the truth". Quite the contrary, loving others comes from loving the truth.

Because the Christian should strive to be a living Icon of Christ, who told us to love others as he loved us. And Christ loved us so much as to show us how to partake in the divine nature throuhh our union with him.

Live The Truth, that is The Way, that is The Life.

And what purer religion is this? For we take care of orphans, widows, the poor, and love those around us without being pietists. The works themselves are not the faith, and indeed such a faith is empty. We do these things because we love God, who is sure and eternal.

Who could have a problem with this religion? Who could say it was a bad thing? To those who work to move people away from this good faith, it would be better if they were dead. And we don't pray for their death, we pray that they repent from their wickedness and come to The Truth.