What is spiritual brotherhood?

[Mara]

Mara wrote: (118:10:14 )   […] Semicivilized man is beginning to unlock the storehouse of the secrets of the natural realms, and his science is slowly but effectively destroying his superstitions while at the same time providing a new and enlarged factual basis for the comprehension of the meanings of philosophy and the values of true spiritual experience. Man, the civilized, will someday achieve relative mastery of the physical forces of his planet; the love of God in his heart will be effectively outpoured as love for his fellow men, while the values of human existence will be nearing the limits of mortal capacity.

.

What do you think?  Are we civilized or semicivilized?

[Sabinatu]

@Vern – and thanks for a kind and careful assessment of who God would be if he were a human – Jesus.  So refreshing when someone who actually likes Jesus takes a second look at the perfect human life he led as an example for ALL of Nebadon….always inspiring….

@Mara – don’t poppycock me, Missy – LOL.  Take your argument here:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/nih-initiatives/index.shtml

[Vern]

Sabinatu wrote:  …God would be if he were a human – Jesus.

Yes Sabinatu, that fact profoundly registered in my mind when I first discovered his true identity and purpose in coming here.

My faith informs me, our Father delights in our progress.

Progress is assured when we “cease to resist” his leading.

The success of your Adjuster in the enterprise of piloting you through the mortal life and bringing about your survival depends not so much on the theories of your beliefs as upon your decisions, determinations, and steadfast faith. All these movements of personality growth become powerful influences aiding in your advancement because they help you to co-operate with the Adjuster; they assist you in ceasing to resist.  ^{[Paper 110:3.2, page 1205:6]}

What’s really important—decisions, determinations, and steadfast faith—rather than theories, even the highest theories of the paragraph itself. Decisions, determinations and steadfast faith are only real if they are lived—actively manifest.

As unity between believers substantiates, spiritual brotherhood manifests as a powerful force for good, to bring relief, clarity and purpose, to the confusion of these troubling times of transition.

[Mara]

Vern wrote:  What’s really important—decisions, determinations, and steadfast faith—rather than theories. . . .

Yet, I would add, inquiring minds want to know.  That’s why I ask questions.  I want to know more and I want to know what you think. For example, I’ve been mulling over these two paragraphs.

( 159:2:1 )  Jesus went over to Gamala to visit John and those who worked with him at that place. That evening, after the session of questions and answers, John said to Jesus: “Master, yesterday I went over to Ashtaroth to see a man who was teaching in your name and even claiming to be able to cast out devils. Now this fellow had never been with us, neither does he follow after us; therefore I forbade him to do such things.” Then said Jesus: “Forbid him not. Do you not perceive that this gospel of the kingdom shall presently be proclaimed in all the world? How can you expect that all who will believe the gospel shall be subject to your direction? Rejoice that already our teaching has begun to manifest itself beyond the bounds of our personal influence. Do you not see, John, that those who profess to do great works in my name must eventually support our cause? They certainly will not be quick to speak evil of me. My son, in matters of this sort it would be better for you to reckon that he who is not against us is for us. In the generations to come many who are not wholly worthy will do many strange things in my name, but I will not forbid them. I tell you that, even when a cup of cold water is given to a thirsty soul, the Father’s messengers shall ever make record of such a service of love.”

.
This instruction greatly perplexed John. Had he not heard the Master say, “He who is not with me is against me“? And he did not perceive that in this case Jesus was referring to man’s personal relation to the spiritual teachings of the kingdom, while in the other case reference was made to the outward and far-flung social relations of believers regarding the questions of administrative control and the jurisdiction of one group of believers over the work of other groups which would eventually compose the forthcoming world-wide brotherhood.

One is about personal relations with Jesus’ spiritual teachings, and the other pertains to the outward and far-flung social relations of believers who have developed groups of like-minded people, which groups  are eventually to compose the world-wide brotherhood.  It seems to me the spiritual brotherhood is composed of believers in Jesus’ spiritual teachings.  Doesn’t this indicate the specificity of what is the invisible spiritual brotherhood?

[Sabinatu]

Let’s put this search back in the context of “origin, purpose, destiny” – PERFECT Beings – the Descenders, already are, well, perfect, but here is what perfection needs to be MORE than perfect:

“^{3:5.17 (52.3)} The creatures of Havona are naturally brave, but they are not courageous in the human sense. They are innately kind and considerate, but hardly altruistic in the human way. They are expectant of a pleasant future, but not hopeful in the exquisite manner of the trusting mortal of the uncertain evolutionary spheres. They have faith in the stability of the universe, but they are utter strangers to that saving faith whereby mortal man climbs from the status of an animal up to the portals of Paradise. They love the truth, but they know nothing of its soul-saving qualities. They are idealists, but they were born that way; they are wholly ignorant of the ecstasy of becoming such by exhilarating choice. They are loyal, but they have never experienced the thrill of wholehearted and intelligent devotion to duty in the face of temptation to default. They are unselfish, but they never gained such levels of experience by the magnificent conquest of a belligerent self. They enjoy pleasure, but they do not comprehend the sweetness of the pleasure escape from the pain potential.”

Finite creatures that we are, we live and progress and ACT in the eternal NOW, as I call it….lots of suggestions in TUB for Ascenders acquiring the complementary

courage, altruism, saving faith, soul-saving truth, idealists by free-will choice, intelligent devotion to duty, conquest of a belligerent self, and the sweetness of the pleasure escape from the pain potential

to the Descenders “perfection”

on HOW to live in the NOW

^{71:4.17 (804.17)} Idealism can never survive on an evolving planet if the idealists in each generation permit themselves to be exterminated by the baser orders of humanity.

So what did Jesus REVEAL as the Fourth Epochal Revelation?

I speculate that the “spiritual brotherhood” can handle the FER safely since a “brotherhood” is something more as a combo of 4 epochal revelations – ie. courage, altruism, saving faith, etc. have already been acquired…

[Vern]

Mara wrote:Then said Jesus: “Forbid him not. Do you not perceive that this gospel of the kingdom shall presently be proclaimed in all the world? How can you expect that all who will believe the gospel shall be subject to your direction? Rejoice that already our teaching has begun to manifest itself beyond the bounds of our personal influence.

Identical spirit influence, differential Truth registry according to capacity. A seed of truth once germinated will continue to grow in a sincere seeker. It’s a good thing too. Worth rejoicing about, that such a powerful transformative motivator is quickening hearts and minds throughout the world. Knowledge is possessed by sharing—safeguarded by wisdom, socialized by love.

Knowledge is possessed only by sharing; it is safeguarded by wisdom and socialized by love.^{[Paper48:7.28, page 557:12]}

Sharing is Godlike.

The doing of the will of God is nothing more or less than an exhibition of creature willingness to share the inner life with God — with the very God who has made such a creature life of inner meaning-value possible. Sharing is Godlike — divine. God shares all with the Eternal Son and the Infinite Spirit, while they, in turn, share all things with the divine Sons and spirit Daughters of the universes. ^{[Paper 111:5.1, page 1221:2]}

Those who dare to be Godlike with childlike openness and courageous steadfastness are of the spiritual brotherhood.

The imitation of God is the key to perfection; the doing of his will is the secret of survival and of perfection in survival. ^{[Paper111:5.2, page 1221:3]}

The first quote allows for variation of interpretation of truth by individuals in a social context based on the understanding that we don’t need to think alike to be alike. The second quote (below), as I understand it, sees the world comprised of two kinds of people—those who desire to do God’s will and those who do not.

Mara wrote:  He who is not with me is against me“? …………………………. Jesus was referring to man’s personal relation to the spiritual teachings of the kingdom.

…Said Jesus: “Though human beings differ in many ways, the one from another, before God and in the spiritual world all mortals stand on an equal footing. There are only two groups of mortals in the eyes of God: those who desire to do his will and those who do not. As the universe looks upon an inhabited world, it likewise discerns two great classes: those who know God and those who do not. Those who cannot know God are reckoned among the animals of any given realm. Mankind can appropriately be divided into many classes in accordance with differing qualifications, as they may be viewed physically, mentally, socially, vocationally, or morally, but as these different classes of mortals appear before the judgment bar of God, they stand on an equal footing; God is truly no respecter of persons. Although you cannot escape the recognition of differential human abilities and endowments in matters intellectual, social, and moral, you should make no such distinctions in the spiritual brotherhood of men when assembled for worship in the presence of God.” ^{[Paper 133:0.3, page 1468:3]}

Those who desire to do his will may appear to their fellows expressing their own religious experiences in terminology inspired by their own creativity, this does not invalidate the genuine expression of spirit which motivated it.

[Sabinatu]

Recently, a FaceBook friend posted something they deemed as “wise and realistic” – a Pope Francis quote:

“It is not necessary to believe in God to be a good person. In a way, the traditional notion of God is outdated. One can be spiritual but not religious. It is not necessary to go to church and give money – for many, nature can be a church. Some of the best people in history did not believe in God, while some of the worst deed were done in His name.”

So the “Vicar of Christ” is promoting the psychological pablum of propaganda instead of following Jesus who never deviated from REVEALING GOD to humanity?

I will admit to it being a pet peeve of mine – when people do NOT do the job they were “hired” to do.  If the Pope can’t find the time, space and resources to stay focused on REVEALING GOD to humanity, then who else has the “authority” to “share” the religion OF Jesus  with the billion+ “believers” under his “spiritual” stewardship?

 

[Anonymous]

Sabinatu wrote:

So the “Vicar of Christ” is promoting the psychological pablum of propaganda instead of following Jesus who never deviated from REVEALING GOD to humanity?

I will admit to it being a pet peeve of mine – when people do NOT do the job they were “hired” to do. If the Pope can’t find the time, space and resources to stay focused on REVEALING GOD to humanity, then who else has the “authority” to “share” the religion OF Jesus with the billion+ “believers” under his “spiritual” stewardship?

I’m somewhat puzzled with your post, where your statement above seems fragmented, and does not indicate as to how would you define, “following Jesus” as He did not deviate “from REVEALING GOD to humanity?”

Then, how should, in your opinion and definition, “the Pope” “stay focused on REVEALING GOD to humanity”; are you proposing that “the Pope” should be teaching from the Urantia Book?

[Sabinatu]

@midi – here, knock yourself out with just how “fragmented” my CONTINUING CONVERSATION of posts are:

https://watson-pi-demo.mybluemix.net/

 

[Vern]

Sabinatu wrote: One can be spiritual but not religious.

Hello Sabinatu I’m of he view our current Pope is a sincere and humble man who appreciates Jesus’ great liberating pronouncement “the kingdom is within you,” confirming that between God and the individual, there are no intermediaries. I think he knows full-well, this does free believers from the control of the church of which he is leader. Yet there he is, head of the largest branch of Christianity. The only safe approach is the appeal to spirit, which in his own way, I think the Pope is making.

I recently watched an Australian bishop who had read the Pope’s most recent paper on the need to become more ethically aware stewards of the world we inhabit. I have not read the Pope’s “Environmental” report myself, but what this bishop was clearly saying, was that the Pope was staying true to his spiritual purpose in drawing attention to our spiritual interconnectedness. The doings of mankind when viewed as an interconnected group of God’s children, the fact of what family members do in specific regions, affects the wellbeing of all, socially, and environmaentally. The responsibility of stewardship means taking care of the place, that it is in good working order, for ever-and-ever, amen. Man the destroyer must through co-operation—teamwork—become man the conservator. Nurture that which has value, pursuit of agriculture and land-care is the great civilizer after all. The world is an organism and the spiritual brotherhood is organic group of greenskeepers.

…The cultivation of the soil is inherent in the establishment of an advancing civilization on the evolutionary worlds, and this injunction was the center of all teaching of the Planetary Prince and his staff throughout the three hundred thousand years which intervened between their arrival on Urantia and those tragic days when Caligastia threw in his lot with the rebel Lucifer. Work with the soil is not a curse; rather is it the highest blessing to all who are thus permitted to enjoy the most human of all human activities. ^{[Paper 66:7.19, page 751:14]}

In this respect I can appreciate what the Pope is doing to move towards spiritual brotherhood.

After all, Pope Francis is a man like all others, with his own personal limitations, I’ve found a wise approach in assessing what people do, is expect little, and then be pleasantly surprised when performance exceeds expectations. The Father is always testing us to find out what we are capable of. He wants to make us, not break us. Our Father delights in our progress, I’m sure of it.

[Vern]

OK, moving right along methodically through the sequential instances of the term “spiritual brotherhood” we take a look at something already mentioned, the evil of the Christian church in almost completely supplanting the Jesus concept of the kingdom. In considering this topic thread “the kingdom” is synonymous with “spiritual brotherhood.”

 The ideas and ideals of Jesus, embodied in the teaching of the gospel of the kingdom, nearly failed of realization as his followers progressively distorted his pronouncements. The Master’s concept of the kingdom was notably modified by two great tendencies: ^{[Paper170:5.4, page 1864:4]}

1. The Jewish believers persisted in regarding him as the Messiah. They believed that Jesus would very soon return actually to establish the world-wide and more or less material kingdom. ^{[Paper170:5.5, page 1864:5]}

2. The gentile Christians began very early to accept the doctrines of Paul, which led increasingly to the general belief that Jesus was the Redeemer of the children of the church, the new and institutional successor of the earlier concept of the purely spiritual brotherhood of the kingdom. ^{[Paper170:5.6, page 1864:6]}

The church, as a social outgrowth of the kingdom, would have been wholly natural and even desirable. The evil of the church was not its existence, but rather that it almost completely supplanted the Jesus concept of the kingdom. Paul’s institutionalized church became a virtual substitute for the kingdom of heaven which Jesus had proclaimed. ^{[Paper170:5.7, page 1864:7]}

But doubt not, this same kingdom of heaven which the Master taught exists within the heart of the believer, will yet be proclaimed to this Christian church, even as to all other religions, races, and nations on earth — even to every individual. ^{[Paper170:5.8, page 1864:8]}

Even in its almost comatose condition Christianity has capacity for renewal when spiritual brotherhood is rekindled in the hearts of believers.

The essence of Jesus’ teaching is twofold:

1. spiritual ideal of individual righteousness.
2. man’s divine fellowship with God.

The kingdom of Jesus’ teaching, the spiritual ideal of individual righteousness and the concept of man’s divine fellowship with God, became gradually submerged into the mystic conception of the person of Jesus as the Redeemer-Creator and spiritual head of a socialized religious community. In this way a formal and institutional church became the substitute for the individually spirit-led brotherhood of the kingdom. ^{[Paper170:5.9, page 1864:9]}

The church was an invitable social consequence of believer kinship, the mistake of the church was to make a naked power grab in a futile attempt to equate the spiritual brotherhood with the congregation.

The church was an inevitable and useful social result of Jesus’ life and teachings; the tragedy consisted in the fact that this social reaction to the teachings of the kingdom so fully displaced the spiritual concept of the real kingdom as Jesus taught and lived it. ^{[Paper170:5.10, page 1864:10]}

As answers have been forthcoming to the question What is spiritual brotherhood?………. the following paragraph has one which most closely matches what Mara wrote earlier on the 22 July that to be in spiritual brotherhood a person must have already declared their  faith in the fatherhood of God. I stand corrected.

The kingdom, to the Jews, was the Israelite community; to the gentiles it became the Christian church. To Jesus the kingdom was the sum of those individuals who had confessed their faith in the fatherhood of God, thereby declaring their wholehearted dedication to the doing of the will of God, thus becoming members of the spiritual brotherhood of man.^{[Paper170:5.11, page 1865:1]}

Mara wrote: To a person who does not want to know God – who says quite frankly God does not exist – his or her experience is devoid of survival values.  Such people are not in the spiritual brotherhood.

However, I still maintain that The Thought Adjuster is working constantly to make spiritual counterparts of moral decisions that such an individual makes. Knowing the spiritual realities concerned, the brother or sister in darkness is a lost soul crying to be found.

As Christians sit in prayer saying “thy will be done, thy kingdom come” I wonder if the true meaning is understood? Over time this coming kingdom which Urantia Book readers may consider as the era of Light and Life or the sometime return of Michael (second coming of Christ) is the arrival of peace on earth and goodwill among mean and angels.

When Jesus’ immediate followers recognized their partial failure to realize his ideal of the establishment of the kingdom in the hearts of men by the spirit’s domination and guidance of the individual believer, they set about to save his teaching from being wholly lost by substituting for the Master’s ideal of the kingdom the gradual creation of a visible social organization, the Christian church. And when they had accomplished this program of substitution, in order to maintain consistency and to provide for the recognition of the Master’s teaching regarding the fact of the kingdom, they proceeded to set the kingdom off into the future. The church, just as soon as it was well established, began to teach that the kingdom was in reality to appear at the culmination of the Christian age, at the second coming of Christ. ^{[Paper170:5.14, page 1865:4]}

In this way the spiritual brotherhood was projected forward as the concept of an age to come while the immediately tangible Father-and-son idea of the individual’s personal spiritual relationship as an integral family member of the spiritual brotherhood was lost.

In this manner the kingdom became the concept of an age, the idea of a future visitation, and the ideal of the final redemption of the saints of the Most High. The early Christians (and all too many of the later ones) generally lost sight of the Father-and-son idea embodied in Jesus’ teaching of the kingdom, while they substituted therefor the well-organized social fellowship of the church. The church thus became in the main a social brotherhood which effectively displaced Jesus’ concept and ideal of a spiritual brotherhood. ^{[Paper170:5.15, page 1865:5]}

Paul and his contemporaries struck a deathblow to Jesus’ concept of the divine kingdom in the heart of the individual believer. It dared to lay claim to those mysterious powers and privileges that can only be experienced between Jesus and his spiritual believer brothers and sisters.

The concept of Jesus is still alive in the advanced religions of the world. Paul’s Christian church is the socialized and humanized shadow of what Jesus intended the kingdom of heaven to be — and what it most certainly will yet become. Paul and his successors partly transferred the issues of eternal life from the individual to the church. Christ thus became the head of the church rather than the elder brother of each individual believer in the Father’s family of the kingdom. Paul and his contemporaries applied all of Jesus’ spiritual implications regarding himself and the individual believer to the church as a group of believers; and in doing this, they struck a deathblow to Jesus’ concept of the divine kingdom in the heart of the individual believer. ^{[Paper170:5.17, page 1865:7]}

And so, for centuries, the Christian church has labored under great embarrassment because it dared to lay claim to those mysterious powers and privileges of the kingdom, powers and privileges which can be exercised and experienced only between Jesus and his spiritual believer brothers. And thus it becomes apparent that membership in the church does not necessarily mean fellowship in the kingdom; one is spiritual, the other mainly social. ^{[Paper170:5.18, page 1866:1]}

Membership of a group of believers does not necessarily mean membership of the spiritual brotherhood, there is every possibility however, that by evidence of—spiritual unity—fruits of the spirit, it can be both spiritual and social. Believers to qualify as the spiritual brotherhood must evidence fellow feeling—love—one for the other. Not to, would be inexcusable.

It is just because the gospel of Jesus was so many-sided that within a few centuries students of the records of his teachings became divided up into so many cults and sects. This pitiful subdivision of Christian believers results from failure to discern in the Master’s manifold teachings the divine oneness of his matchless life. But someday the true believers in Jesus will not be thus spiritually divided in their attitude before unbelievers. Always we may have diversity of intellectual comprehension and interpretation, even varying degrees of socialization, but lack of spiritual brotherhood is both inexcusable and reprehensible. ^{[Paper170:5.20, page 1866:3]}

Just as T. S. Eliot wrote “We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” We have returned once more to that quote which was referenced at the start of this topic………..”lack of spiritual brotherhood is both inexcusable and reprehensible.”

 

Squabbles and suspicion on display by professed believers are repugnant to any observer let alone, any genuine truth seeker who is repelled by displays of divisiveness and acrimony where there aught be harmony. A house divided is destined to fall—only love can hold the house together—unite one and all.

 

 

 

 

[Mara]

MidiChlorian wrote: .. .are you proposing that “the Pope” should be teaching from the Urantia Book?

I heard from a credible reader who lives in Argentina that the Pope does have a copy of the book.  Jesus never stopped revealing God to humanity, back then, right now, and forever.  He IS the revelation of God to humanity.  As you say, he never deviated from revealing God to humanity.  It’s up to us to discover, recognize, interpret and choose which way to go.  You choose your interpretation.  I choose mine.  And the Pope has equal opportunity to choose his interpretations.  Humans are designed that way.  Midi, I know you already know this. 

[Sabinatu]

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/have-no-fear-the-life-of-pope-john-paul-ii/ – “The eventful life of a humble Polish priest who once decried the pomp of the Catholic Church “a circus” and labeled the Pope a “prisoner of the Vatican” before ascending to the papal throne is explored as actor Thomas Kretschmann takes on the role of Pope John Paul II in director Jeff Bleckner’s cinematic tribute to the man who would usher Catholicism into the 21st century. ”

EXPERIENCE matters. JPII had direct and personal contact with the “fruits” of atheism and he managed to stay focused on the revelation that Jesus brought about a God who is Love.  Because JPII was fiery in his condemnation of USA’s pre-emptive strike in Iraq and other “greed is good” global political machinations, this recent POSITIVE epoch of the Catholic Church is being IGNORED.  If the current Pope continues to ALSO harken back centuries to the Dark Ages in Europe and blame God for the acts of free will men in that era, then he is assisting those who wish to turn JPII’s efforts into “never happened”.  The Pope’s job – and his MASSIVE bully pulpit – secular and powerful – is to continue to reveal “God is Love”!  Who wants a personal relationship with a God that is unloving, cruel and autocratic?!  What kind of “spiritual brotherhood” would THAT be?!  That is MY bottom line – the POPE’s job is not to let SPIRITUAL TRUTH – God is Love – be jerked on a chain back from the bully pulpit and the advertisement of evil take its place – sex and financial scandals and compromise with atheism, of all things….only God is 100% good, even Jesus said that when he was called “good. So where is your baseline for “good” if you do not even know where it comes from….?  Rhetorical question….

The problems on our plate – TODAY, in our short and intense life of experience in the ETERNAL NOW – have never been experienced before – so, yes, indeedy, let’s hope enough human animal brains still have the biology in place for connection with 6th and 7th Adjutant Mind Spirits without which Thought Adjusters have no way to connect with Personality (UB definition of personality).

We are going to have to marshall a trinity of “social” approaches to the agriculture issues because the issue of overpopulation is due to the fact that billions of people do not BELIEVE that “immortality” is a personal achievement. They believe that without progeny it will be as if they never existed. So the thirst for immortality is universal…and in constant need of origin, purpose, destiny revelations from our Father.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joel-k-bourne-jr/farming-ourselves-out-of-food_b_7738744.html?utm_hp_ref=world

 

TUB makes note of the fact that overpopulation dose not bring out the best in humanity – not a time of “grace and charm” – and we can already see how compromises are being made by the “greed is good” globalists:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/malaysia-human-trafficking-tpp_55b66521e4b0224d8832fe28?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=World&section=world

 

It is FAIR to remind the Pope what his bully pulpit is about and have him stick to the God is Love message.  OBVIOUSLY, no one else is going to do it.  And without that orientation to the material problems of life (the “spiritual brotherhood”) plus erroneous beliefs about personal immortality, there is no hope for proper genetic maintenance of the HEALTH of the human species and all of life forms on Nebadon – the Shrine, imho

 

 

[Mara]

Sabinatu wrote:  OBVIOUSLY, no one else is going to do it.

I disagree.  The conclusion you have reached is neither obvious, nor is your belief correct that no one else is going to do it.  Let the Pope do his thing.  Let science do its thing.  I don’t understand why you are all wigged out about the Pope and our “biology” and the 6th and 7th adjutant mind-spirits.  We are in a era of religion becoming a private matter.  It is my opinion that private individuals like you and me who are motivated by the will to loving service are the ones who are going to do it and be it – the tide that lifts all boats.

( 99:4:7)   There is no danger in religion’s becoming more and more of a private matter–a personal experience–provided it does not lose its motivation for unselfish and loving social service. Religion has suffered from many secondary influences: sudden mixing of cultures, intermingling of creeds, diminution of ecclesiastical authority, changing of family life, together with urbanization and mechanization.

 .

( 99:2:1 ) Only the real religion of personal spiritual experience can function helpfully and creatively in the present crisis of civilization.

.

( 155:6:12 ) Those who are born of the spirit of God shall henceforth discern the word of God regardless of whence it appears to take origin.

[Sabinatu]

“^{196:2.2 (2091.11)} Jesus’ life in the flesh portrays a transcendent religious growth from the early ideas of primitive awe and human reverence up through years of personal spiritual communion until he finally arrived at that advanced and exalted status of the consciousness of his oneness with the Father. And thus, in one short life, did Jesus traverse that experience of religious spiritual progression which man begins on earth and ordinarily achieves only at the conclusion of his long sojourn in the spirit training schools of the successive levels of the pre-Paradise career. Jesus progressed from a purely human consciousness of the faith certainties of personal religious experience to the sublime spiritual heights of the positive realization of his divine nature and to the consciousness of his close association with the Universal Father in the management of a universe. He progressed from the humble status of mortal dependence which prompted him spontaneously to say to the one who called him Good Teacher, “Why do you call me good? None is good but God,” to that sublime consciousness of achieved divinity which led him to exclaim, “Which one of you convicts me of sin?” And this progressing ascent from the human to the divine was an exclusively mortal achievement. And when he had thus attained divinity, he was still the same human Jesus, the Son of Man as well as the Son of God.”

@ Vern – If Jesus said, “Why do you call me good? None is good but God”, then it is FAIR to ask the question of the Pope as to what makes an atheist a good person if the source of absolute goodness, if you will, is God and the atheist holds a Nihilistic stance in regards to God. I’m not even sure that the translation to English of what he said is 100% correct because the English sentences are pure USA media PC talking points.  Atheism has FAILED, spectacularly, any place it took the reigns of secular power, by brute revolutionary force, away from experientially earned cultures, norms and laws in the 20th century.  The remnants of the failed ideas and ideals of the 20th century that everyone keeps entertaining as being “good” are actually Nihilism, Hedonism and Anarchy and the only personal spiritual revelation from that kind of thinking ended up in the epiphany that “Greed is good”. So what, we can’t even ask, “Is it?!”

Besides, I am talking about the JOB – “the work is important, the ego is not”. As long as the JOB of “Pope” exists, the Pope should do the job that Jesus started.  Look at the damage Paul did by replacing the religion OF Jesus with his own opinions about his own personal religious experience.

@Mara – you seem to be following some new TUB inspired “Paul”, or maybe it is all your own belief, when you opine that “We are in a era of religion becoming a private matter.”

I respectfully disagree. The baton was handed to us after Paper 196 which has opinions like this one, “One of the most important things in human living is to find out what Jesus believed, to discover his ideals, and to strive for the achievement of his exalted life purpose. Of all human knowledge, that which is of greatest value is to know the religious life of Jesus and how he lived it.”

Please consider that the respectful continuation of this topic in conversation among us that YOU started about a “spiritual brotherhood” would benefit by refreshing your memory with a re-read of Paper 196.

[Author]

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