In your understanding what is the light of life?

[Prince]

Jesus said that His followers posses the light of life.

Do Christians posses the light of life?

If they do not know what the light of life is, how can they have it?

Reference; "I am the light of the world. No one who follows me shall ever walk in darkness because they will posses the light of life." (Son of man)

[Divine Insight]

For me personally, I see Jesus' teachings to be the same as Buddha's. So the light of life is the same as the Buddhist enlightenment.

But perhaps I should also point out that I do not see Jesus as being the virgin born Son of Yahweh. So I'm not viewing this as a Christian would.

[Prince]

For me personally, I see Jesus' teachings to be the same as Buddha's. So the light of life is the same as the Buddhist enlightenment.

But perhaps I should also point out that I do not see Jesus as being the virgin born Son of Yahweh. So I'm not viewing this as a Christian would.

Did Buddha say that man lives by every word from the mouth of God?

Jesus taught that by saying; " Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. "

[Divine Insight]

For me personally, I see Jesus' teachings to be the same as Buddha's. So the light of life is the same as the Buddhist enlightenment.

But perhaps I should also point out that I do not see Jesus as being the virgin born Son of Yahweh. So I'm not viewing this as a Christian would.

Did Buddha say that man lives by every word from the mouth of God?

Jesus taught that by saying; " Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. "

In essence, yet Buddha did teach this. However, you need to understand that Buddha did not view God in the same way modern day Christians, Muslims, and Jews do.

I seriously doubt that Jesus view God in that way either.

Did not Jesus say, "I and the Father are one"?

And when questioned on this did he not reply:

Is it not written in your law, "I have said ye are gods"?

So as far as I can see Jesus viewed God in the same way Buddha did. And not in the way that modern day Christians, Muslims, or Jews tend to think of God.

Although perhaps it's not fair to lump the Jews in with the Christians and Muslims.

Don't the Jews refute the idea that their Holy Texts are the "Word of God"? Don't they instead claim that their Holy Books simply reflect their culture's history?

Back in the days when Jesus lived many Jews (if not most Jews) viewed their "God" as being a far more abstract entity. They didn't typically think of YHVH in anthropomorphic terms similar to Thor, Oden, Zeus, or any of the other anthropomorphic Gods.

So when Jesus said that man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God he was actually talking about the words that men themselves speak. Our mouths are the mouth of God. Remember? I and the Father are one, and ye are also gods.

Jesus wasn't claiming to be uniquely God. He was a pantheist like Buddha.

Modern day Christians and Muslims are the ones who have created a graven image of God as an anthropomorphic "man in the sky". I doubt very much that Jesus thought of God in that way.

[Prince]

For me personally, I see Jesus' teachings to be the same as Buddha's. So the light of life is the same as the Buddhist enlightenment.

But perhaps I should also point out that I do not see Jesus as being the virgin born Son of Yahweh. So I'm not viewing this as a Christian would.

Did Buddha say that man lives by every word from the mouth of God?

Jesus taught that by saying; " Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. "

In essence, yet Buddha did teach this. However, you need to understand that Buddha did not view God in the same way modern day Christians, Muslims, and Jews do.

I seriously doubt that Jesus view God in that way either.

Did not Jesus say, "I and the Father are one"?

And when questioned on this did he not reply:

Is it not written in your law, "I have said ye are gods"?

So as far as I can see Jesus viewed God in the same way Buddha did. And not in the way that modern day Christians, Muslims, or Jews tend to think of God.

Although perhaps it's not fair to lump the Jews in with the Christians and Muslims.

Don't the Jews refute the idea that their Holy Texts are the "Word of God"? Don't they instead claim that their Holy Books simply reflect their culture's history?

Back in the days when Jesus lived many Jews (if not most Jews) viewed their "God" as being a far more abstract entity. They didn't typically think of YHVH in anthropomorphic terms similar to Thor, Oden, Zeus, or any of the other anthropomorphic Gods.

So when Jesus said that man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God he was actually talking about the words that men themselves speak. Our mouths are the mouth of God. Remember? I and the Father are one, and ye are also gods.

Jesus wasn't claiming to be uniquely God. He was a pantheist like Buddha.

Modern day Christians and Muslims are the ones who have created a graven image of God as an anthropomorphic "man in the sky". I doubt very much that Jesus thought of God in that way.

Wow. When Jesus spoke of those that were gods He was speaking of those that serve God and judge the earth.

When He spoke of being one with God He was not speaking of all but He did say His followers would be one as He was one. The key is to find out how.

Reference;

Psalm 82

1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: 2 "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? (Selah) 3 Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. 4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." 5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk around in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 I say, "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; 7 nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince." 8 Rise up, O god, judge the earth; for all the nations belong to you!


John 17:6

I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have accepted them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth. 20 "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

[Divine Insight]

[Replying to post 5 by Prince]

Don't you think an anthropomorphic God would know what needs to be done for people to believe in him?

The idea that Jesus needed to explain to God, or plea to God that anyone should be included in their union is,... well quite frankly absurd.

Keep in mind that what you have posted are words written by John, not by Jesus.

How would John know what Jesus had prayed to God verbatim?

Just look at the prayer. It's clearly designed for the reader, not for any God. So it couldn't have been a verbatim prayer that Jesus was making to God. It would make no sense for Jesus to plead with God to do anything. That would imply that God originally wanted to do something different but Jesus was trying to change God's mind.

I think you need to look beyond the rumors that were written about Jesus and try to figure out what Jesus himself might have been trying to teach that was clearly misunderstood by the later authors who wrote about him.

Jesus would have no need to plead with God about anything, or give God instructions on how God should act. Nor would it even make sense for him to do so in any case.

So anytime you see passages where Jesus is praying to God asking God to do something, or trying to educate God on what needs to be done, you know that has to be a false report.

[Prince]

[Replying to post 6 by Divine Insight]

Jesus was sending a message to the world. The message is for those who follow Him to understand.

Of course He was not trying to tell God what was to be done!

Remember what He said about following Him.

"If you continue in my word you are truly my disciple then you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."

God's word is the truth as Jesus stated.

Those who do not continue in the word of God cannot understand God's word.

[Divine Insight]

Those who do not continue in the word of God cannot understand God's word.

If that's true in Christianity, then only one denomination of Chrsitianity can be correct. Because the disagreeing denominations cannot be said to have a correct understanding of God's word.

So either Catholicism has it right, or no Catholics can understand God's word.

And if any of the protesting Protestants have it right, it can only be one faction of all the disagreeing demoninations of the many Protestantisms.

Moreover, if you stop and think about it, Catholicism would necessarily need to be the only Christian faction that has it right. Why? Well because Catholicism came before Protestantism and everyone couldn't have been wrong prior to Protestantism.

Therefore Catholicism has to have it right. Necessarily so.

And since in Catholicism the Pope is the anointed one to commune with God, anyone disagreeing with the Pope necessarily has it wrong.

I agree, this can be a somewhat compelling argument for Catholicism, but it couldn't work for any non-Catholic faction of Christianity.

So all you need to do is ask your question of the Pope and whatever his answer is must be the truth.

[Prince]

[Replying to post 8 by Divine Insight]

They all are wrong.

Christianity is wrong.

Notice how no Christian has said if they possess the light of life.

[Divine Insight]

[Replying to post 8 by Divine Insight]

They all are wrong.

Christianity is wrong.

Notice how no Christian has said if they possess the light of life.

Most Christians I know would say that Jesus himself is the light of life.

John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

Anyone who believeth on Jesus possesses the light of life.

If you disagree with this, they would simply say that you are the one who is wrong.

Period.

That's how religions work.

And if you disagree then you just get into a religious cat fight.

It's a never-ending argument that even professional theologians and apologists continue to have without ever reaching a consensus.

Even the scriptures can't be used to resolve these cat fights. After all, look, I just posted John 12:46 where Jesus makes it pretty clear that he is the light of life and to possess his light all we need to do is believe on him.

If you say otherwise, you would need to produce contradictory verses, (which you could probably do). But then we either have to confess that the scriptures themselves are self-contradictory, or we need to resolve the conflict. And that just takes us back full-circle to the cat fight over who is interpreting these self-contradictory scriptures correctly.

This is the essence of Christianity and the reason there are so many Christian apologists. They wouldn't need such a huge institution of apologists if they could agree on anything. They would just have one simple answer for everything. But clearly they don't.

So if you think the light of life is something other than believing on Jesus then shame on John for having written 12:46.

That's all I know to tell you.