Why is Born Again Christianity so Condemning ?

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Molearner

... It is recorded that they left their nets and followed him. ... It is helpful to understand the symbolism of ‘nets’.
Nets which we have are the things that entrap us from following the truth.

Yes.
Another take could be ---the nets brought them money and fed their families, symbolizing toil, work, hard labor.
It could be taken as- follow me and have no more concerns.
For the son of man has no place to lay his head ---yet his heavenly Father provided.
Another take on it.

[Molearner]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Yes.
Another take could be ---the nets brought them money and fed their families, symbolizing toil, work, hard labor.
It could be taken as- follow me and have no more concerns.
For the son of man has no place to lay his head ---yet his heavenly Father provided.
Another take on it.

Good…..I like it when others actually consider the symbolism…..going beyond the literal.

[Native spirit]

I know born again Christians and I find them to Aggressive in their drive to get people to join their church,
I tell them I am a spiritualist they look at me as though I am the devil incarnate


Namaste

[Gem]

Originally Posted by Molearner

implying physical death they could miss the greater meaning. put aside your ‘nets’.

It looks like it literally means physically death in context with 'no greater'. This is thematic with 'Jesus gave his life'. I'm also thinking the nets were literal nets, but in context it means giving up the livelihood (of fishing) for a greater or higher purpose.

[FallingLeaves]

the whole walking away from nets thing could just be a reference, to stop trying to catch my own food and let God do what he seems to have been asking of me all along. Which to me seems to be, simply to be given the chance to provide me with what I actually need instead of me trying to provide myself with whatever it is I think I might want.

uggggghhhh.... why is that so very hard for me to do?

[Molearner]

Originally Posted by Native spirit

I know born again Christians and I find them to Aggressive in their drive to get people to join their church,
I tell them I am a spiritualist they look at me as though I am the devil incarnate

I feel sorry for them…..they might be well intentioned but most are born again in name only.

[Molearner]

Originally Posted by sky

But you would need 'Ego' to do the above

Yes, a big ego is so beneficial……..

[Joe Mc]

I'm sure I've told this little tale here before but here goes again. I had just visited the world famous Watkin's Bookshop on Charring Cross Road London.
I had gazed intently upon the gentle and mysterious face of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi inside a book about the famous sage. As I walked through
the door of Watkin's Bookshop the sun had begun to peek out in a beautiful dappled sky. White fluffy clouds were leisurely passing overhead, late spring
was breaking gently into early Summer.

I walked the short distance to Trafalgar Square which for a change seemed unhurried and unfussed with the just the right amount of people made up mostly
of young couples holding hands. I held the scene for a moment till I became even more mesmerised by the sunlight dancing on every water droplet in the fountains.
I thought there is something innocent here something loving, something holy. Then it started, the whining voice of a preacher with a megaphone, " Yous are all going to hell !!!!! " he said
or words to that effect. I saw the young man in front of me with Al Pacino Ray bands in a gloriously white t-shirt, his young woman wore a beautiful foral green dress and was nestling into his shoulder. The preacher let out another Roar about the mercy of Jesus and the reality of Hell !!!!!

And it was then I felt my legs grow weak and laughter started to rumble through my body. I wasn't at that time in the habit of laughing out loud in public although there were times
I felt like it. This time I just about collapsed onto the paving stones. I bent over on the bench where I sat as best I could and tried hard to hold it together but the laughter kept coming and so did the preacher's message, to the young lovers before me holding hands in the early Summer light their faces somewhat impressionistic as if the painter Seurat had been along and caught them nestling in each others arms behind the cascading waters of the fountains ! :)

(This incident for me highlighted for me two things. That I was having a very mild spiritual realisation, albeit a spiritual realisation before the preacher started
his rant and I was witnessing some kind of love before me in the shape of the romantic couples. There was something fragile beautiful and vulnerable about it all
till the preacher started to dive bomb it with his crackling megaphone and trusty old bible. And it was bloody hilarious !!!! lol )

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[sky]

Originally Posted by Molearner

Yes, a big ego is so beneficial……..

Why Mo, Is it ' The bigger the better ' ?