Metaphysical Christianity???

[nightowl]

What do you think? Ever heard of it? Know anyone who is a Metaphysical Christian?

All comments welcome...:smile:

nightowl

[theophilus]

Here is Wikipedia's definition of metaphysics:

Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Fredir.php%3Flink%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww .spiritualforums.com%252Fvb%252Fredir.php%253Flink %253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fen.wikipedia.org%252 52Fwiki%25252FPhilosophy) concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Fredir.php%3Flink%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww .spiritualforums.com%252Fvb%252Fredir.php%253Flink %253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fen.wikipedia.org%252 52Fwiki%25252FBeing) and the world (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Fredir.php%3Flink%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww .spiritualforums.com%252Fvb%252Fredir.php%253Flink %253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fen.wikipedia.org%252 52Fwiki%25252FWorld), although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:

"What is there?"
"What is it ... like?By this definition all of Christianity is metaphysical. It is a revelation from God of what exists beyond the part of creation that we can observe with our senses.

[nightowl]

theophilus,

Yes with this definition I would agree,almost any religion would say they seek to answer those two questions.

But what of the techniques and practices of Christianity, would they be considered metaphysical in nature?

I believe the metaphysical Christians I have come across do not limit their belief to just Christian theology and denominational techniques in worship and prayer. So what would be acceptable if one believes in Jesus and the Christian Bible and teachings but also embraces other practices and rituals to seek the metaphysical of God? Couldn't they be called metaphysical Christians?

nightowl

[sprinter]

Depends entirely upon what you mean by embrace.

If one were to truly believe in Jesus and the Bible (positioned as the truth) why would there be a need to embrace (by this I assume practice) other practices and rituals ?
I'd be more inclined to refer to that particular group not as metaphysical Christians but as confused/undecided metaphysical researchers/seekers.

[Miss Hepburn]

Respectfully, you'd have to define your terms for me.

I consider myself Christian, but other Christians wouldn't.
Is it if you believe only in the Nicene or Apostle's Creed?
See what I mean?

Then what exactly is metaphysical - I'm not entirely sure.
I'm probably that, too.

:smile: Miss Hepburn

[nightowl]

Miss Hepburn,

YOU, are (I believe) :wink: :smile: an example of one that fits into the same category of those Christians I have come across...:hug3:

sprinter,

Of course those traditional Christians who embrace the Bible as the literal word of God, and the one truth, would have a hard time believing that any Christian would embrace methods, practices and rituals not sanctioned by the church or scripture. So it would seem by what you are saying that one cannot believe and accept the teaching of Jesus, thus making them a Christian, and then say go to a psychic, or use crystals and so on...?

nightowl

[sprinter]

I haven't said that one cannot,,

I'm asking, why would they need to? The behaviour would embarasingly contradict the stated belief.

[nightowl]

I haven't said that one cannot,,

I'm asking, why would they need to? The behaviour would embarasingly contradict the stated belief.

I see what you are saying :smile: Maybe the God of the belief as explained in their teachings have expanded their understanding, God is much bigger then can be contained with 66 books??? I do think that whether they do or do not would probably have much to do with their view of the scriptures in question.

nightowl

[mattie]

Metaphysics is ‘the branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space.’ (computer dictionary)

There are likely many of all faiths that are curious about these issues.

[sprinter]

I do think that whether they do or do not would probably have much to do with their view of the scriptures in question.

nightowl


Agree Nightowl, but I suspect within the whole (their view) concept there is a natural tendency toward open ended confusion.

All the emphasis of the modern reader/researcher is focused on 'what this means to me',, hence the continual subjectivity.
Long gone are the days when the focuss of understanding a work was placed upon 'what is the author actually saying' .

:smile:

[Miss Hepburn]

I believe I could be called a metaphysical Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh,
Hare Krishna, vegetarian, menapausal Mystic without any hesitation!

:tongue:
:D

[nightowl]

I believe I could be called a metaphysical Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh,
Hare Krishna, vegetarian, menapausal Mystic without any hesitation!

:tongue:
:D

LOL :hippy2: :icon_lol: :laughing4:

nightowl

[nightowl]

Agree Nightowl, but I suspect within the whole (their view) concept there is a natural tendency toward open ended confusion.

All the emphasis of the modern reader/researcher is focused on 'what this means to me',, hence the continual subjectivity.
Long gone are the days when the focuss of understanding a work was placed upon 'what is the author actually saying' .

:smile:

Good point, but for me it should be a combination of both, what the author was saying, and what it means to me seems to be what philosophy and theological thought brings a person to. It is when we take these thought provoking writings as gospel, as the truth, that brings confusion, don't you think?

nightowl

[Shabda]

I believe I could be called a metaphysical Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh,
Hare Krishna, vegetarian, menapausal Mystic without any hesitation!

:tongue:
:D
im not sure ive ever heard of that group before lol... :D

[Miss Hepburn]

Do you adore the experience of Grace?
The Creator -all around you?
Then bless you my brother or sister.


Do you think of Him as a Goddess - bless you, dear....
Oh you think of It as a Spirit - bless You...
Oh, He has a beard - ---cool....

Oh, It is a blue man with a flute - Ok....
Does He have feathers and a headress, major cool...

Does "He" look like Gene Roddenberry imagined on Star Trek, like a jellyfish ?
Yeah, got it.


Whatever...

Just love...."It" ... and want more of "It".

[sprinter]

Good point, but for me it should be a combination of both, what the author was saying, and what it means to me seems to be what philosophy and theological thought brings a person to. It is when we take these thought provoking writings as gospel, as the truth, that brings confusion, don't you think?

nightowl



Yes it certainly has that confusion potential nightowl. As to the validity of the various writings I guess we just have to test them for truth as honestly as we can, some ideas correlate to what we find in our universe and what we find in ourselves and others fail that test. Of course, this is not the only way to determine truths but it's a good start. :smile:

[nightowl]

Yes it certainly has that confusion potential nightowl. As to the validity of the various writings I guess we just have to test them for truth as honestly as we can, some ideas correlate to what we find in our universe and what we find in ourselves and others fail that test. Of course, this is not the only way to determine truths but it's a good start. :smile:

Yes, these writings are often times the starting point for many on their journeys. Understanding these writings can be as simple as taking what one receives on the surface as truth, or digging deeper for more truth. This says to me there are many levels of truth, in many things in writings and in experiences.

nightowl

[avenger]

http://www.sacred-texts.com/nth/unity/index.htm

http://www.compassionatespirit.com/unity-and-early-christians.htm

http://websyte.com/unity/books.htm


Here you go. Metaphysical Christianity. The general thinkers behind this movement were: Mary Baker Eddy, Emma Curtis Hopkins, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, Emmet Fox and H. Emilie Cady.

[Miss Hepburn]

http://www.sacred-texts.com/nth/unity/index.htm (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Fredir.php%3Flink%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww .sacred-texts.com%252Fnth%252Funity%252Findex.htm)

http://www.compassionatespirit.com/unity-and-early-christians.htm (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Fredir.php%3Flink%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww .compassionatespirit.com%252Funity-and-early-christians.htm)

http://websyte.com/unity/books.htm (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Fredir.php%3Flink%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fweb syte.com%252Funity%252Fbooks.htm)


Here you go. Metaphysical Christianity. The general thinkers behind this movement were: Mary Baker Eddy, Emma Curtis Hopkins, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, Emmet Fox and H. Emilie Cady.

Oh my God - that someone else knows about these articulate teachers with profound wisdom! :angel8:
Also, John Randolph Price, Catherin Ponder, Josephine?Shinn, Joel S. Goldsmith, Ernest Holmes, Eric Butterworth....all from the New Thought Movement!!!

One random chapter from just one of these authors and
anyone would see what a gift they were to mankind on this planet!

:hug2: :hug2:

[nightowl]

http://www.sacred-texts.com/nth/unity/index.htm

http://www.compassionatespirit.com/unity-and-early-christians.htm

http://websyte.com/unity/books.htm


Here you go. Metaphysical Christianity. The general thinkers behind this movement were: Mary Baker Eddy, Emma Curtis Hopkins, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, Emmet Fox and H. Emilie Cady.


Hey avenger,

Thanks for sharing these, they so resonate with me. I am a big advocate of experiencing God in accordance with sacred writings and how it all fits to the individual. :hug2:

M.H.

:hug3: nice to feel a connection...

nightowl

[norseman]

I am a big advocate of experiencing God in accordance with sacred writings and how it all fits to the individual. :hug2:
nightowl
Or, you could simply read the works of Kahlil Gibran instead. :smile:

"And an old priest said, "Speak to us of Religion."
And he said:
Have I spoken this day of aught else?
Is not religion all deeds and all reflection,
And that which is neither deed nor reflection, but a wonder and a surprise ever springing in the soul, even while the hands hew the stone or tend the loom?
Who can separate his faith from his actions, or his belief from his occupations?
Who can spread his hours before him, saying, "This for God and this for myself; This for my soul, and this other for my body?"
All your hours are wings that beat through space from self to self.
He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked.
The wind and the sun will tear no holes in his skin.
And he who defines his conduct by ethics imprisons his song-bird in a cage.
The freest song comes not through bars and wires.
And he to whom worshipping is a window, to open but also to shut, has not yet visited the house of his soul whose windows are from dawn to dawn.
Your daily life is your temple and your religion.
Whenever you enter into it take with you your all.
Take the plough and the forge and the mallet and the lute,
The things you have fashioned in necessity or for delight.
For in revery you cannot rise above your achievements nor fall lower than your failures.
And take with you all men:
For in adoration you cannot fly higher than their hopes nor humble yourself lower than their despair.
And if you would know God be not therefore a solver of riddles.
Rather look about you and you shall see Him playing with your children.
And look into space; you shall see Him walking in the cloud, outstretching His arms in the lightning and descending in rain.
You shall see Him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving His hands in trees."

See what I mean ?

[LightFilledHeart]

And if you would know God be not therefore a solver of riddles.
Rather look about you and you shall see Him playing with your children.
And look into space; you shall see Him walking in the cloud, outstretching His arms in the lightning and descending in rain.
You shall see Him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving His hands in trees."

See what I mean ?

Yep!

Coincidently I just posted part I of a story I wrote years ago called The Trees on the Blog :wink: It takes liberties, but it's a premise that appeals to me :D

[nightowl]

Thanks norseman and Lightfilledheart,

I like learning and experiencing nature and writings, I believe I can learn and experience both.

nightowl

[norseman]

Gibran's Collected Works

http://leb.net/~mira/ (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fleb.net%2F%7Emira%2F)

I read from The Prophet every day, and every day I find new meanings in it. :smile:

[Miss Hepburn]

Gibran's Collected Works

http://leb.net/~mira/ (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Fredir.php%3Flink%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fleb .net%252F%257Emira%252F)

Speaking of his collected works I found a thick Volume at Goodwill for $2 ---
BIG big smile came on my face!
:smile:

Avenger, thank you again for your links the first one lead me to Charles Fillmore!!!
Bec of some copyright thing - they can be online now!!! Wow!
The happiness!
:hug2:

[nightowl]

Gibran's Collected Works

http://leb.net/~mira/ (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fleb.net%2F%7Emira%2F)

I read from The Prophet every day, and every day I find new meanings in it. :smile:

Thanks norseman for more good reading...thanks everyone for all your input on this thread! :hug3:

nightowl

[nightowl]

I came across this on the net, have you all heard of this group or these people? Just a blurb I thought I would share...



The Church of Metaphysical Christianity is a small Florida-based Spiritualist church founded in 1958 by Rev. Dorothy Graff Flexer and Russell J. Flexer, who were earlier associated with the Spiritualist Episcopal Church. In 1958, amid charges of fake mediumship at Camp Chesterfield, Indiana, the Flexers were among those who led the Spiritualist Episcopal Church to break with the camp. However, in that same year the Flexers also left the Spiritualist Episcopal Church to establish their independent work in Florida.

The Flexers teach what is termed Metaphysical Christianity. Metaphysical Christianity attempts to combine religion, science, and philosophy, and members live out of the spiritual truths revealed in the life and teachings of Jesus. It studies to discern the laws of nature and tries to conform to them. Obedience to natural laws constitutes the highest form of worship. Among the laws that have been discovered are the laws of life, love (the creative force of life), truth (right thinking), compensation, freedom, abundance, and perfection.

As with other Spiritualist churches, the Church of Metaphysical Christianity attempts to demonstrate the continuity of life through mediumship and encourages members to develop their own gifts of the spirit so that such communication becomes a natural part of human life. The church affirms that after death, the human spirit continues and remains conscious and can thus communicate with the visible earth plane. Also from spirit comes the power to heal. The church publishes a monthly magazine, The Metaphysical Messenger, and is headquartered at 2717 Browning St., Sarasota, FL 33577. Issues of Metaphysical Messenger are available from the church's website at http://home1.gte.net/cmcpress/.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/church-of-metaphysical-christianity#ixzz1TjZYO6Mn

[sbjazzman]

What do you think? Ever heard of it? Know anyone who is a Metaphysical Christian?

All comments welcome...:smile:

nightowl

Yes http://www.oracleofthephoenix.com/forum/8-religion/35-the-aquarian-gospel.html