Posted on 02/14/2009 9:43:20 AM PST by restornu
"God Became Man So That Man Might Become A God." St. Athanasius
... when the intellect has been perfected, it unites wholly with God and is illumined by divine light, and the most hidden mysteries are revealed to it. Then it truly learns where wisdom and power lie... While it is still fighting against the passions it cannot as yet enjoy these things... But once the battle is over and it is found worthy of spiritual gifts, then it becomes wholly luminous, powerfully energized by grace and rooted in the contemplation of spiritual realities. A person in whom this happens is not attached to the things of this world but has passed from death to life." St. Thalassios, "On Love, Self-control and Life in accordance with the Intellect" Philokalia (Vol. 2)", p. 355)
'Can a man take fire into his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?' (Prov. 6:27) says the wise Solomon. And I say: can he, who has in his heart the Divine fire of the Holy Spirit burning naked, not be set on fire, not shine and glitter and not take on the radiance of the Deity in the degree of his purification and penetration by fire? For penetration by fire follows upon purification of the heart, and again purification of the heart follows upon penetration by fire, that is, inasmuch as the heart is purified, so it receives Divine grace, and again inasmuch as it receives grace, so it is purified. When this is completed (that is, purification of heart and acquisition of grace have attained their fullness and perfection), through grace a man becomes wholly a god." St. Simeon the New Theologian (Practical and Theological Precepts no. 94, Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart; Faber and Faber pgs. 118-199)
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Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment
Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”
He didn’t even make it to pot!
will be leaving soon..
Because God is indeed literally “Our Father in Heaven”, and not just a different kind of personality from us, He wants us, His children, to grow and become like Him.
I recognize that the language of "theosis" is unclear, almost necessarily so (those who have undergone it have not written lengthy systematic theological works explaining it). But I am under the impression that theologians like Athanasius are viewed with suspicion by the LDS folks.
I don't think the differences between the LDS and "orthodox" Trinitarians, especially as touching soteriology and eschatology, are as simple as some make out, I think there are probably some differences, and, if there are, it won't help to blur Athanasius with Smith.
That is not the point of this thread.
folks really need to get out of their comfort zone and complacency.
Look what our complacency has brought upon us or we would not have a street activist for president
yes
You mean that Restornu, an EX-Presbyterian who is now a MORMON, has managed to post incorrect information?
It could be a mistake, ignorance or an opportunity to deceive.
History will prove the answer.
Just what IS your point?
Just what IS your point?
To push your buttons!
The Lord our God is One.
Is that an official LDS mission?
Even so, the pot can never become the potter.
The Potter is not an essence, He is a person. The question is whether the Potter became clay, and whether the clay was transfigured.
.......
Yes, and...?
Clay remains clay. It does not create itself. Transfiguration is not into Creator. It is change in substance, perhaps in character, as from earthen clay to spiritual clay.
That which is created cannot become that which creates.
The person creates, the nature does not. The person can share His nature. We never become a Divine person, but the Divine person chose to share His nature. That is Christianity.
Wealthy people have been known to leave their fortunes or part of their inheritance to their pets. (That doesn't mean their pets are transformed into human beings upon reception of the inheritance, does it?)
Lets see, ....there was a council of the gods in heaven. They all got together to decide about the forming of the earth. One of the gods had a plan to send spirits to earth to take upon themselves body form.
That's a great idea, said the gods, what shall these spirit children DO while they are on earth?
One of the spirit children who was also a god, his name was Lucifer, thought that it would be a great idea if all the spirit children were forced to love the God and worship him without any choice.
But another of the spirit children who was a god, his name was Jesus thought a better option would be to send the children to earth to be tempted so that they would have a CHOICE about whether or not to worship the God.
This caused a war in heaven where some of the spirit children sided with the angels and Jesus - while some of the spirit children sided with the demons and Lucifer. The council of the gods chose Jesus’ plan - and for their rebellion Lucifer, and the demons were cast out.
Those of us who were born mormon were especially valiant in the spirit world. We were rewarded by being born into noble Mormon families.
The spirit children who refused to take sides in the war in Heaven were cursed by having to be born with black skin on earth. But never fear....the book of Mormon promises that if they are obedient, they will become white and delightsome like the rest of us.
THAT, my friends is what I was taught in Mormon Sunday School. If you don't believe my wild tale, I have excerpts from my Patriarchal blessing to prove it.
If you truly wish to understand theosis, start with +Maximos the Confessor. You can find his works collected in the Philokalia which is available in English. Here's a small part from "Various Texts on Theology, the Divine Economy, and Virtue and Vice:
"A sure warrant for looking forward with hope to the deification of human nature is provided by the Incarnation of God which makes man god to the same degree as God Himself became man. For it is clear that He Who became man without sin will divinize human nature without changing it into the divine nature and will raise it up for his own sake to the same degree he lowered Himself for man's sake."
Once you've digested the several hundred pages of +Maximos on the subject, take a look at +Gregory Palamas. Then if you still want to, we can have some fun the your "theology". :)
no
I dig the Barsoomian reference. May your thoat never stumble in battle!!
Freegards
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