Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rteacher]

I personally think that Jesus is a pure representative (and Son) of God. Of course, others consider Jesus to be a political symbol (replacing the elephant?)

[Grotto]

[desultude]

[fiveeagles]

[seoulkitchen]

I've read some of the other gospels, one that stands out is the one by Nicodemus, wow, it reads like an acid trip or something. I wonder why that kinda stuff isn't in the bible. I think it's much more compelling and believable (not being sarcastic) with all that amazing stuff going on. It reads like someone who is truly stunned and amazed by a person they are witnessing.

I don't believe in much, but I do believe that Jesus is the only guy cooler than Santa Claus. (yes, I still believe in him too, no kidding, hey! he believes in you!) I think what Jesus had to say way back then in that culture is still relevant today, and that in itself is incredably amazingly awesome. You don't have to believe in anything else, but his words are really.....wow.



BTW, RTeacher, is that Sigmund the Seamonster in your avatar???
(a Thai version perhaps?)

[joe_doufu]

[desultude]

[EFLtrainer]

[Rteacher]

Intelligent people at some point inquire as to why we're forced to be born, grow old, get diseased and die. We naturally desire to live and enjoy forever because that's our real nature - and we are all always individuals. (There is a spiritual process to merge into the brahman effulgence of the infinite Supreme Person and temperarily lose individuality, but because that is not ultimately satisfying we again fall to material existence...) In the spiritual sky (Vaikuntha) there are innumerable self-effulgent spiritual planets and innumerable liberated souls in perfect spiritual bodies which are forever free of any old age, disease or death. All relationships we have in the material world exist there in their pure form and last forever. And unlike in the material world - where every relationship ends in disappointment or frustration - loving relationships just keep getting better and more beautiful.

So, how the hell did we end up here? That's a very good question (and there are various philosophical speculations on that point) but - once we realize that we're caught in a vicious cycle of suffering - it isn't the most pressing question: The really urgent question to ask is "How can I get out of here?" If somehow you find yourself struggling to stay afloat in a shark-infested ocean it's no time to ask "How did I get here?" It'd be smarter to want to know "How can I be saved?... Who can save me?"

Besides (repeated) birth and death, old age and disease there are "threefold" sufferings caused by our own minds and bodies (adiatmic) sufferings caused by other living entities (adibodic) and sufferings like earthquakes and hurricanes, etc., caused by supernatural forces (adidaivic). Materialists hope against hope that there are material solutions to these basic miseries of life, but in spite of great scientific advancement of knowledge there has been no cessation of any of the basic miseries of life. The mortality rate is still 100%, and there are more diseases and "natural" disturbances than ever.

Because of human imperfections we can never attain perfect knowledge by material experimentation and speculation. Our only hope to be restored to our eternal spiritual bodies full of bliss and knowledge (sat-cit-ananda vigraha) is by the mercy of the Supreme Person and His confidential pure representatives (like Jesus - who is also a universal spiritual master - jagad guru) Jesus' spiritual message was simplified in order to be understood by the relatively simple-minded, often barbaric people he was preaching to. The basic message was to try to be good, follow his teachings faithfully, and in the next life they would ascend to the heavenly planet where Jesus was residing - and he would impart further transcendental instructions on how to reach the ultimate destination beyond this material world: the Kingdom of God (Krishna or Christa)

[VC]

I certainly think it is possible that Jesus was married. Why not?

According to early Mormon doctrine, Jesus was a polygamist.
I think the concept of orginal sin is false. Why would you be punished for what someone else did who lived a long time ago? You aren't. Isn't this something that St. Augustine dreamed up?

Why does God allow evil to exist in the world? God allows people to choose to do good or evil. He's not going to force people to do good against their will.

[fiveeagles]

[Rteacher]

I would charactarize what got us to our present fallen condition in this material world as our own individual "original mistake" rather than anyone else's "original sin". Everything is based on desire. Everyone in the spiritual world exists harmoniously in association with God. As soon as we made the colossal mistake of desiring to enjoy independently from God we fell under the control of the material energy and were forced to take birth in the material world to experience mostly a lot of suffering - which we try to smooth over with various types of intoxication and escapist activities. The material world is based on the interaction of three modes of nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. People who choose to act more in the mode of goodness by not associating with things in the lower modes of nature (meat-eating, drinking, unrestricted sex, drugs, devil-worship, etc.) experience relatively less karmic reactions, but they still cannot escape the basic miseries of life which are found everywhere . In earlier ages there was relatively much less sin, and people of the "Age of Goodness" (Satya Yuga) used to live durations of life extending up to 100,000 years. In the next age, the mode of passion became more prominant,and the lifespan was reduced to 10,000 years. By the Biblical period of Abraham it was not uncommon for people to live for a thousand years, And, in this very ignorant age of quarrel, confusion and widespread animal slaughter, people rarely live to be a mere 100 years old...

[Grotto]

[hojucandy]

[hojucandy]