[bit.listserv.christia] To Peter: saved,but humble--is it possible? ing

D2MG@SDSUMUS (Kurt Evans) (02/06/90)

John Cromartie wrote:
>Jesus preached tolerance.
>. . . we have to be open to "the Christ" in all people . . .

     Repent, or your sweet words will perfume your tomb.

                                       Kurt

pc1y+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU (Peter Capell) (02/06/90)

John (and other kind people),

I thank you for your openmindedness.  It doesn't necessarily mean that
we agree, it only means that we are joined in disagreement -- quite an
act of love.  (Incidentally, relative to the "marriage" posts it is this
very force that has bound me and my wife together for 10 years
irrespective of the very worst kinds of fighting and trouble.  My
parents taught the great discipline of "tolerant love," because although
we have disagreed on most points all our lives, I was always confident
of the haven of their love in the storm of life.)

It really was an accident that I posted the message to Keith on the
bboard.  Since I see the furor it raised, both positive and negative, I
apologize for "disrupting the peace."  I have had no real intention of
doing so.

My key argument is not at all with Christ (what a foolish thing that
would be).  Rather it is with many of those professing to be Christians.
 I would simply point out that I am responding generally with the
sentiment that it is not very nice to conclude that the rest of the
"unsaved" world will be screaming in agony in the fires of hell because
they made the conceptual error of worshipping by way of the Tao, for
example.

Michael may respond "tough noogies that's the way it pal, see right here
in my book..." but let me assure you, my friends (and I mean that), that
Moslems* have their book too, and their book states quite clearly how
wrong *you* are in just as unequivocal terms as does the Bible.  Of
course since you dismiss them as "lost" (as they do you), then the
problem is solved, right?

Additionally, the reason why I cannot call myself a Christian, is
because Christianity provides no means to tap what God gave all of us to
tune in *directly* to His word -- our own brains and bodies.  Despite
your insistence that meditation is on one's own self, the opposite is
true.  The central idea, behind the meditation that I practice is to
eliminate one's own tiny, problematic, intellect, ego, psyche,
whatever... and open the brain and body for their real purpose in the
world -- to become attuned to the ``God Station,'' the radio station
that plays 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, and throughout all time.
Without this practice, you haven't a snowball's chance in, ahem, Hades,
to understand a single word of the scriptures you so deftly sling into
my face.  To read scripture without this direct connection to God's
Being, which is all around all of us at this very moment, is to be blind
and unknowing.  It is the worst of sins.

But I'm not worried about you, or about me.  It will all come out in the
wash.  It would probably be good for a number of you to remember that
"sin" is an archery term given us by the Greeks, meaning,
"to miss the mark."  A sin is nothing irrevocable.

Of course I guess there will be a veritable flood of messages about
irrevocable sins, but I say leave your self-righteousness at home.  My
God is the God of Love, beyond your comprehension, and certainly beyond
mine.  If your god is one who consigns the ignorant to Hell for all
eternity because of "errors" then I do not worship him.  Indeed, he may
throw me in Hell, I do not wish to serve a dictator, or anyone who could
punish souls for all eternity for their simply behaving unwittingly, or
even intentionally, in the wrong way.  However, the God that I know, the
God that Loves you and me, my lovely Moslem wife, and all of my good
brothers and sisters of this world, the saints and sages of all
religions -- is the God that I will praise and worship for all my life,
irrespective of ignorant rantings and the passionate scripture citings
of the blind.  I need no book to know my God.  He is with me in my heart
at this moment.

But thanks for your concern for my soul.  I'll remember you as your god
tries to fling me into the fire, and my God scoops me into the vastness
of His Heart in the vastness of our universe.

    IN HIS LOVE,

        Peter Capell

*It is incorrect to call them "Mohamedan" by the way, they do not
worship Mohamed -- they worship  Allah -- the single God of the old
testiment.  They see you as idolaters for worshipping 3 gods.

COLELA@SNYPLAVA (l. anne cole) (02/07/90)

>John Cromartie wrote:
>>Jesus preached tolerance.
>>. . . we have to be open to "the Christ" in all people . . .
>
>     Repent, or your sweet words will perfume your tomb.
>
>                                       Kurt

Come on Kurt, this is openly abusive!  Why on earth (or elsewhere)
are you so angry!  I think we all ought to pray for you, that you
experience some peace.  In JESUS' name.  Amen.  Anne