Quote:
Originally Posted by Mercury
god is inside of me (not outside of me) and that is forever.
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Mercury, I find that facinating. That's not at all what I would have expected an atheist to say. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
So, if I may echo back what I think you're saying, you don't believe in "God" as he/she/it seems to be described by organized Christianity, that is, perhaps, an ancient wise old man figure sitting on a throne in a place called Heaven which is "out there" somewhere in or beyond the cosmos (or at least external from us). Is that correct?
If that's what you mean then I personally agree with you. IN the Old Testament God identified himself to Moses as "I AM THAT I AM", but that is an English translation of Hebrew
hayah 'asher hayah which could be translated "exist what exists" or
"I am what exists" which I understand to be the essense of one of my favorite expressions: Namaste! And according to Jesus:
"The kingdom of God cometh not with observation (paratērēsis: inspection, that is, ocular evidence): Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within (entos: inside) you." (Luke 17:20-21)
I know that organized Christianity teaches that Heaven is a place that we go when we die and that that's where God is, but Jesus taught that it is within/inside.
Your thoughts?