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To: Forest Keeper; MarkBsnr; Kolokotronis; HarleyD; Dr. Eckleburg; blue-duncan; wmfights
No, we are not anthropomorphizing. We are recognizing that God is a personal being and He created us also as personal beings. If that is not true then you cannot relate to God on any meaningful level. He would be irrational and subject to random chance choices. It would indeed be irrational for us to follow such a being. Do you say, as a Catholic, that your own faith is wholly irrational?

The Greek word hypostasis does not mean a "person." That is a western corruption. Perhaps "persona" is the closest but not identical and a literal translation substantia (substance) is completely missing the mark.

Calling God (Father, Holy Spirit) a "Person" is anthropomorphism, and in the west it is taken to the extreme, almost pagan level. In fact, among the Mormons it is it taken to mean three separate "Gods" united "in purpose."

We cannot relate to God on any meaningful level, except through Christ's humanity. That is the difference between Judaism Mohammedanism, Buddhism, Hinduism and any other pagan religion and Christianity. We relate to God through Man Jesus.

We don't have a choice vis a vis God's rationality, FK. The Creation is the way it is whether you like it or not. You learn to live with it. It's not a matter of reason. If an asteroid is bound to hit the earth, there is nothing whatsoever we can do about it to stop it. Reason does not rule the Creation. And if it is reason, it's not our reason.

For all this exists for a reason, which may or may not make sense to us. That doesn't make it invalid or valid. The only thing irrational is for the Reformed to try to stuff God into our limited rational box and make him fit our finite minds.

There is nothing rational about God as far as humans are concerned. Even the concept of God itself is irrational. Our minds do not comprehend eternal and limitless. We have to accept it on faith, not reason. We don't know why the Creation exists. WE cannot fathom the reason for galaxies and black holes, the necessity for the world to be the way it is.

4,034 posted on 03/15/2008 6:08:23 AM PDT by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
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To: kosta50; Forest Keeper; wmfights; HarleyD; blue-duncan; P-Marlowe; xzins; Lord_Calvinus; ...
We cannot relate to God on any meaningful level, except through Christ's humanity.

Does the EO teach this or is this just your personal opinion? Because it sure isn't basic Christianity.

Our fallen natures have been quickened by the Holy Spirit to understand spiritual things, the things of God...

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." -- 1 Corinthians 2:9-16

"...the things of God knoweth...the Spirit of God..."

It seems you're missing something.

Maybe this explains the EO's fixation on the material world, and things like tactile icons and priests in long robes and jeweled hats. Too bad they're missing the fact that salvation is not material, but spiritual, which is the same error the Jews made.

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." -- John 4:24

4,048 posted on 03/15/2008 9:46:16 AM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: kosta50; MarkBsnr; Kolokotronis; HarleyD; Dr. Eckleburg; blue-duncan; wmfights; Alamo-Girl; ...
We cannot relate to God on any meaningful level, except through Christ's humanity.

I very much regret if you have decided that is true for yourself.

We don't have a choice vis a vis God's rationality, FK. The Creation is the way it is whether you like it or not. You learn to live with it. It's not a matter of reason. If an asteroid is bound to hit the earth, there is nothing whatsoever we can do about it to stop it. Reason does not rule the Creation. And if it is reason, it's not our reason.

It is God's reason and you just don't want to participate. That is your choice.

The only thing irrational is for the Reformed to try to stuff God into our limited rational box and make him fit our finite minds.

The Reformed don't need to do that, nor do we try to do so. I think that some Apostolics have a seemingly innate need to define God out of existence in order to then redefine Him back into what they want. NONE of us are falling for that. :)

There is nothing rational about God as far as humans are concerned.

NO, the best you can say is that there is nothing rational about God that YOU understand.

Even the concept of God itself is irrational.

Only if one is predisposed against the concept of God. This is the place in which most humans live.

Our minds do not comprehend eternal and limitless. We have to accept it on faith, not reason.

You destroy reason since you cannot have ALL OF IT. By your own standards, there is no reason in the universe I should even consider the truth of your faith. And my understanding is that you shouldn't care less, as an Orthodox layman.

4,411 posted on 03/21/2008 8:26:01 PM PDT by Forest Keeper (It is a joy to me to know that God had my number, before He created numbers.)
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