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To: ArrogantBustard
Well, perhaps it is, if you go by Stanfords definition "Pantheism is a metaphysical and religious position. Broadly defined it is the view that (1) "God is everything and everything is God … the world is either identical with God or in some way a self-expression of his nature"

But I am unsure whether that description of God would be in contradiction to accepted gospels. In any event, the church interpreted it's meaning as saying that anywhere one sought Christ, one could find him. Doesn't the bible say something along the line of Christ being present anytime people gather in His name? I do not know of anything written which states one must have priests or the Mother Mary as our intercessor. According to Christ, you shall only come to the Father thru him, however, according to the Church, you can only come to the Father thru the Church.

24 posted on 04/06/2006 8:50:49 PM PDT by AnnoyedOne
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To: AnnoyedOne
But I am unsure whether that description of God would be in contradiction to accepted gospels.

Then you might want to make sure, rather than going off on weird tangents and conspiracy theories.

In any case, the true Gospels, not to mention the whole rest of the Bible, reveal a transcendent, personal God, who became incarnate in time.

That is, of course, a contradiction of any form of pantheism.

As for the rest, it has been the subject of numerous threads on this forum. Suffice it to say that Christ founded the Church as a visible institution. He didn't do so for no reason.

however, according to the Church, you can only come to the Father thru the Church.

I'm not sure which Church you think teaches that. It's certainly not the Catholic Church; nor any of the Orthodox Churches. The others, I'll let defend themselves.

And that's pretty much all I have to say about that.

25 posted on 04/06/2006 8:57:03 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: AnnoyedOne
"according to the Church, you can only come to the Father through the Church. "

I don't believe the " Church = Body of Christ " never made any claims of the such.
Yes, maybe some local, or cult churches, or unruly churches, but, as far as the church is concerned that is described in the bible never made any claims that you MUST come through the Church to come to the father.
Jesus said " I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man can come to the father , but by me " and I live by that and stick by that so NO ONE can deceive me.
28 posted on 04/06/2006 9:10:33 PM PDT by Prophet in the wilderness (PSALM 53 : 1 The FOOL hath said in his heart , There is no GOD .)
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To: AnnoyedOne
BTW : The church today can say what ever they want, I am only commenting on what it says in the Bible about the church.
You could be right, that some churches have that attitude in that " THEY HAVE THE TRUTH . and NO ONE CAN ABTAIN IT UNLESS YOU COME HERE " yes, there are churches, and pastors like that, but, I am making my comments from what I understand what the BIBLE says, not man.
If I go to a church that has that attitude, I leave, yes, I been in churches like that, and I left.
About coming to the father without the church, priest, intercessor, is true, Jesus told the woman at the well that the time is coming that neither on this mountain or nor in Jerusalem will you have to go and worship the father.

We can come to the father and Jesus on our own, in our car, home, at work, any place we are at, but, we still need to be connected to a church, and fellowship.
The church is the family of God.
John 4
Verses 21- 26

NKJV


21. Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
23. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25. The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” The Whitened Harvest

But, what Jesus was saying was in no way doing away with the church, but, he was talking about a ( new way to worship ) new way from what they ( Jews ) are accustomed to worship God at a " PLACE " in Jerusalem.
Jesus never made any mention that he was going to do away with the church, but on the contrary, he said to Peter " Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it "
Must people think of the church as a place to go worship, but, the Bible tells us that the " Church " is the body of Christ,. built up of many believers in Christ.
30 posted on 04/06/2006 9:32:46 PM PDT by Prophet in the wilderness (PSALM 53 : 1 The FOOL hath said in his heart , There is no GOD .)
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