₦airaland Forum

You know what. . . Scratch the not seeing eye to eye part, I think it more like he has already concluded on what I'm about and I'm kinda too lazy to care to change his mind.

KarmaMod:
I was hoping you'd reply naijacutee's post, Sisi

LMAO! I won't lie to you, I stopped reading after I saw "In addition to Davidylan's post". I figured okay, since it's clear David and I didn't see eye to eye on this issue. . . why bother? I'm not here to go 10 rounds in circles, trying to debunk or rubbish other people's belief, I post things I find interesting to see what others think about it and I'm not here to change people's minds on anything besides this is not the literature or romance section.

But if you want I can, you know. . .

[quote author=m_nwankwo link=topic=160234.msg2661075#msg2661075 date=1218812059]Yes. I do not belong to any religion.[/quote]Thanks for answering.

KunleOshob:
While i don't agree that religion is a hoax, as a christian i believe that the gospel of Jesus christ as been tampered with severely and what we practise today / emphasze in our churches is totally different from the gospel of our Lord jesus Christ. What i believe is that the true gospel as been corrupted and it is a pity many so called christians don't even realiase it. Ask the average christian how the bible that he or she believes in so passionately came about, and 50% off them would tell you they don't know the other 45% would tell you something fabricated to them by their pastors clouded in spirituality. Only 5% of Christians can tell you with any form of accuracy the true origins of the bible.

In summary were as the existence of God is true and he revealed himself to man in so many different ways which brought about religion, the truth is that religious leaders have always hijacked this knowledge of God and mannipulated it to suit their own selfish desires a such corrupting it via adding fiction and myths to it and subtracting what they don't find favourable.

I completely agree with you.

Pastor AIO:
I've been used in many worse ways before. In fact in some of those cases I actually enjoyed it at the time. So not to worry.

Tee hee hee!

However if you just mean how do I relate to him then for me he is the source of my being, he is also a source of much wonder and awe for me, and even terror sometimes. God makes me feel stupid, insignificant and also secure and loved. It's quite odd but by the same measure I feel insignificant I also feel very special. I encounter concepts of God everyday and to be honest I formulate various concepts of God myself because I can't help it, my brain tries to conceptualise everything that I experience. However time and time again my conceptions of God are always confounded. I could say more but that ought to suffice for now.

Thanks for putting to words what I feel but was unable to express it.

Interestingly I was reading about the Baptists this morning and one of the things that they emphasize (and I do too) is the priesthood of every christian. Too many christians make a mockery of Christ's redemption and the renting of the temple veil by refusing to carry out their priestly duties. They rely on external authorities to make that connection to God for them. What is a pastor? A shepherd protecting his sheep on the pasture. Catering to their needs. We have one Pastor, the High Priest and the rest of us from the highest to the freshly baptised are all lieutenant priests and officiate as intermediaries between God and Earth. If you need to talk to a man before you can talk to God then you're still lost. Trust me, you're still lost.

I know that leaders naturally arise out of any group situation but I see it more as a Chairman of a group of equals kind of leader than a pontifex maximus kind of leader.

LOL, I don't think I'm lost. . . yet, I'm actually trying not to be hence this whole drama. It because of what I feel, how I feel for God (as you have accurately described above) that I know something ain't right when people act like if I don't see a pastor, my problems will never go away. I was listening to (okay eavesdropping) on a conversation between two women, one of whom was having some issues and the other asked her what she's been doing about. She answered "Praye and fasting" and honestly the way this woman's response was dismissed. . . like "Ha, you are still sitting there, you haven't gone to see the pastor".

Gah! But for the lessons to respect adults drilled into us as kids (and the fact that I was eavesdropping), I promise you, I would have told the other woman to get lost. Where did this whole idea come from. . . that we an inadequate without Pastors & Imams, unworthy to have a direct relationship with God and that's why we need them, need the church/Mosque and that God only listens to you based on what religion are, what church/mosque you attend? Yeah, they are pastors and imams and Wolis and Prophets, yes they've probably read the Bible and the Koran more than we have but that doesn't mean we. . . the congregation can't have a one on one relationship with God. I wish more people would see that but what can you do? How do you explain to people that being questioning religion does not mean you are questioning GOD or His existence?

@ Topic
Jeebus, Marion and Justine

ROTFLMAO!!

YES


If you will pay me double what I paid.

From the few Ghana movies I've seen. . . YES!!!

Their storylines are crappy but production is very good.

The writer writes

The Director interprets what was written

The Actor performs what was interpreted.

Hmmm, yeah. . . I'm totally going with the Director.

Wow! This is really sad. I guess because it is Nigeria, they think they are above the law.

stillwater:
What and who's God to you?

LOL! I remember being asked this question in sunday school. Back then, all that registered was God is the only one who can make mommy do anthing. God is the ruler of mommy, that was my answer. . . and I was perfectly happy with it.

Let's just say that I know without God in my life, I will be like a paper in the wind. I hold strongly in the belief that without him, I am nothing. My thing is this. . . the path (any religion) which is supposed to bring me closer to him is sorta distancing me from HIM. Now I know some people will say, focus on God and not on man but how can I do that when the man is supposed to be the Shepard to my lost shepardiness. Do you see what I mean?

[quote author=m_nwankwo link=topic=160234.msg2660668#msg2660668 date=1218807056]Yes it is possible.[/quote]Thanks for answering. One more question - Have you tried it?

Pastor AIO:
Me, I'm reading the mumbo jumbo o. And enjoying it too! Although I can't say I have an opinion on any of it . . . , except maybe that some of the correlations are a bit forced. I would never have read any of it that Horus posted before so if Sisikill hadn't started this thread I'd probably never have read it. So thank you, Sisikill.

Well, Well, Well Daaaaaavid, looky whaty we havey here. . . someone IS reading. How do you like them apples? Told you we shouldn't give up. A'ight, I'll stop, Mama always said gloating is in bad form.


@Pastor AIO
Appologies for using you to. . . you know, up there and you are very welcome, it was my pleasure. I am very glad you didn't see this as an attack on anyone's belief, I didn't post it to change anyone's mind or get people on the defensive, I posted it so we could talk about it.

You know, I've always wondered why people get all riled up when they see things contrary to what they believe. If you are confident in your belief, the entire world could be standing on the other end of the rope, telling you how wrong you are and you should be able to shrug it off and whatever. It seems as though people are trying to convince themselves more than anything. . . but hey, that's just my opinion.

Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed it and if you are interested in the full length movie (it talks about other things) here's the link. I think for someone who does not feel threatened by other school of thoughts, you'll really enjoy it.

http://www.watch-movies.net/movies/american_zeitgeist/

superstan:
deadly lust?

women that are hungry are past caring.

a friend of mine who was a corp member had to sleep with one of his female bosses in P/H to be retained.

the female boss was a married woman of 3 kids.

deadly lust is deep. some do it for survival, others do it for pleasure.

Okay, this is not an either woman or man thing. This is an ALL INCLUSIVE, MAN, WOMAN, TRANSGENDER, CROSSDRESSER, GAY, STRAIGHT, EVERYONE UNDER THE SUN THING. So let's put the accusatory fingers back into the holster, okay? Thanks

I'm starting to be a big fan of your posts, oh. Please don't tell me you are morally. . . ethically or whateverly opposed to groupies?

Can we make T-Shirts with this?


[size=20pt]Love is not by force!!!!![/size]

Will never understand why some people twists themselves into a pretzel because of another human being! I mean honestly. . . it's another human being like YOU. Jeebus!!

karma:
Yester'night we are together

in the moon

listening to lullaby

young kids, full of life

and many dreams to achieve

but in our slumber
we could see them enter

cartted away

our own brothers
in the dream

we cry out louder

but grandfather insist we let them be

, in our presence

they milked them dry

, the land was raped

and their mouth tapped

our own brothers

will now become strangers

i pray it will only be a dream

but tell me, where is BAKASSI?

,

The issue of BAKASSI is not a joke, it is something that has kept me worried for some weeks now with lots of questions , WHO IS TO BE BLAME?, IS THERE ANY SHORT CUT?, CAN'T WE HOLD ON TO IT?, WHY?, AND MOST OF ALL, THE ULTIMATE QUESTION, IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE A RESIDENT OF BAKKASSI,NOW YOU ARE A NIGERIAN BUT WHAT IF YOU WAKE UP TOMORROW AND YOU DISCOVER YOU ARE NO LONGER A NIGERIAN BUT A CAMEROUNIAN!!! AND WILL HENCEFORTH NEED A VISA TO VISIT YOUR RELATIONS IN THE NEXT TOWN!!! AS WEIRD AS THIS MIGHT SOUND, BELIEVE ME THIS IS THE EXACT SITUATION MORE THAN A MILLION NIGERIANS WILL FIND THEMSELFS TOMORROW 14TH DAY OF AUGUST 2008,WHEN NIGERIAN WILL BE HANDING OVER BAKASSI TO CAMEROUN ON A PLATTER OF GOLD!!! YET OUR GRANDFATHERS KEEP MUTE AND SEE NO REASON WHY THEY NEED TO APOLOGISE FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND DECISIONS TO SELL A PART OF NIGERIA INCLUDING FELLOW NIGERIANS OFF TO THE FRANCOPHONE COUNTRY!!! NOW THE FRENCH WILL REJOICE AS THEY WILL DOMINATE CAMEROUN AND TAP UNLIMITED CRUDE OIL IN BAKASSI , ONLY GOD KNOW WHERE OUR GRANDFATHERS WILL SELL NEXT, MAYBE LAGOS BUT I AM SURE IS NOT ABUJA!!!!'

[/b]

Your fear is now reality. . . .

Nigeria hands over oil-rich Bakassi to Cameroon

CALABAR, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigeria handed control of the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to its neighbor Cameroon on Thursday despite fears the handover will provoke attacks by local armed groups opposed to the change

The Nigerian government agreed to transfer Bakassi two years ago in line with a 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) order but violence, political disputes and legal skirmishes delayed the handover. About 50 people have been killed in border fighting in the last year alone.

Analysts said Cameroon will have to tackle the deteriorating security situation before it can begin to exploit the region's offshore oil reserves.

"We are saddled with the painful but important task of completing the implementation of the International Court of Justice's judgment by handing the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon," said Nigerian Justice Minister Michael Aondoakaa at the formal signing ceremony.

Heightened security concerns in Bakassi forced organizers to cancel a flag-exchanging ceremony at the peninsula's main town Abana, and they moved it to a safer venue in Calabar city, some 190 km (120 miles) away.

Security sources say there are several unrelated armed groups in Bakassi, fighting for independence, money, housing and other causes.

SECURITY FIRST, OIL LATER

The two African countries have agreed to cooperate over oil exploration in the region, which could help boost Cameroon's declining production of around 90,000 barrels per day.

"I don't think Cameroon will be in a hurry to exploit Bakassi's oil reserves since the security situation remains a great concern," said Nnamdi Obasi, senior analyst for Crisis Group.

Around 90 percent of the population in the Bakassi peninsula, estimated at 200,000 to 300,000, are Nigerian fishermen and their families.

Bakassi leaders and Nigerian lawmakers say they do not want to become Cameroonians. Nigeria has offered to resettle them.

"We were all right where we were until this whole problem started and now we are suffering," said Emmanuel Michael, a fisherman who was resettled in Zion camp in Cross River state.

The Niger Delta Defence and Security Council, a little-known armed group responsible for two attacks on Cameroonian soldiers last month, threatened more violence.

"Our struggle will continue until our demands are met -- whether it be from the Nigerian government or Cameroon," said Commander Ebi Dari, the group's spokesman. He declined to say what the group's demands were.

Nigeria and Cameroon fought over Bakassi in 1994 when Cameroon first took its case to the World Court, and again in 1996. The ICJ gave Bakassi to Cameroon in a 2002 ruling, based largely on a 1913 treaty between former colonial powers Britain and Germany.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080814/wl_nm/nigeria_cameroon_bakassi_dc;_ylt=Al.FhrggHdT5TcNwFUeNpGK96Q8F

Okanran:
So. . . unless men begin full mental institution. We're to assume they don't love. Hmnnnnnnn. . . each to his/her own.

That's EXACTLY what I'm saying. What. . . I'm supposed to believe all that "I'm Crazy about you, You drive me nuts" stuff just like that? NO WAY!

You best ready to prove it. Show me evidence . . . .I need to see at least 2 of the following -

1) Admission slip to a top mental institution (Aro does not count, neither does Baba's under the tree treatment)

2) Prescription for antipsychotic med (The stronger the better)

3) Picture of you in a straitjacket (If you're being forcefully restrained in the picture, you get more more points)

4) Evidence of burns from shock treatment

5) And the daddy of all mack daddies for proof of love - LOBOTOMY!!! If you get this one for me, I'm yours for life.  

Oh I forgot to add, both sides of the family fervently pray for my soul.

There's nothing wrong with too much prayer. . . right? 

stillwater:
Another religion in the making, if you ask me.

God Bless you!! This ties into what I was getting ready to ask.

I'm not ATHEIST. . . nope far from it, I believe there is in GOD.

I grew up in a Christian/Muslim home.

I've seen the GOOD and the BAD sides of both. ^{Thanks nairaland}

I've seen the similarities and the differences.

It's easier to stand on one side and judge, believe the other side is nothing but EVIL.

But what about us stuck in the middle. . .  but that's not my question.

My question is. . . IS IT POSSIBLE BELIEVE IN GOD WITHOUT BEEN AFFILIATED TO ANY RELIGION?

Keep in mind that it seems anyone can start one these days, I ask you what is religion?

davidylan:
sisi, horus (a former noise making member of this land) once posted even more lengthy versions of your posts . . . we read them and frankly it bored us to tears.  He even gave us visual aids, videos, symbols . . . so what really is new here?

See here - https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-112284.32.html
Here is even better - https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-69604.0.html

Same old story, different posters.

Wait a sec, where did you pull that from coz I searched, I did.

Well I sorta did. . . I used Egyptian Religion as my search word.

Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk now. The deed is already done.

I see we haven't lost the the WEs and USs and OURs.

No matter. . . better you as the spokesperson of NL than someone else.

Thanks again for the heads up.

SCIENCE IS ENLIGHTENMENT? HMMMMMM 


Secret Wisdom Of World Spiritual Teachers Exposed

This article reveals the "SECRET WISDOM" in the teachings of all world SPIRITUAL teachers: Thoth, the ancient Egyptian God Of Wisdom, Socrates, Pythagoras, Paracelsus, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Nagarjuna, Bodhidarma, Jesus Christ , Mohammad, Osho Rajneesh (and others).
Only the TRUTH, and nothing but the TRUTH shall set you free


For thousands of years, all the world's greatest spiritual teachers: Thoth (Hermes Trismegistus), the ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, (an anunnaki), Buddha, Mahavira, Lao Tzu, Bodhidarma, Socrates, Pythagoras, Plato, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Osho Rajneesh (and others) have been preaching the same thing to humanity.

We can summarize all of their teachings in just 2 words "Know Yourself".

What do they mean by that?

Why is "Knowing Yourself" the Foundation of WISDOM?

How do you know yourself?

Who are You? And who is this "Yourself"?

You're are "God" or "Consciousness" or "Infinity".

But at the moment, you don't know it, because you're living in a body with unawareness and allowing your mind to run your life.

So for now, you've not realized you're god (that is become "Enlightened" because you’re controlled by your mind.

So "You" = Mind

"Yourself" means the unknown parts or dimensions of your being; that is both the inner and outer dimensions of your being.

There are two kinds of knowing.

The first is: knowing from the outside; objective studying from outside. This is science.

The second kind of knowing is from the inside.

This is "TMT Power Secrets"! (= Transcendental Mental Technology System)

TMT is the science which enables a person to master both the knowing from outside and the knowing from the inside to become aware of all the dimensions of his/her being, and so become 100% conscious, enlightened and an immortal.

The inside (psyche) is the foundation of outside (the physical body and the material world).

Compiling facts about things (research) and memorizing them is not "knowing from inside".

It is just accumulation of facts about things outside you (= knowing from outside = knowledge).

So "knowledge" is not the same as "knowing".

Knowledge (what you do at school) is just the accumulation of facts about things outside you.

"Knowing", means to have an experience of the facts subjectively too.

It is easy to know things from outside objectively.

That is why many people remain on the outside.

The world is filled with hundreds of millions of knowledgeable people, intellectuals, experts, scholars and scientists, but all of them are just knowledgeable. They are not "knowers", (= don’t have "wisdom", i.e. inner knowing)

To know things from inside, subjectively is not easy, and requires courage.

For example it is easy to study fire and write tomes of scholarly treatises about the philosophy of fire: how to create fire; different types and colors of fire; how to use fire; and how to put fire out and so on. (This is knowing fire from the outside)

But it is not easy for one to put his/her finger in a fire to be burned so as to have a direct experience of what is fire! (This is knowing fire from the inside, through a direct experience)

That is why there are very few "knowers" in the world, "men and women of wisdom"!

Many people are intelligent, scholarly and knowledgeable BUT very few are "knowers"!

You can't understand how the outside works and what makes it so, until you know it from the inside.

That is why if you keep studying things from the outside material world, you'll keep getting more and more puzzles.
Never a conclusive answer!

You'll never reach any answers. This is the problem which Science has today.

It is always seeking for answers but always ending up in riddles, enigmas and mysteries, with no answers.

Every answer it gets sooner or later becomes a question and a problem to solve. When it discovers one solution, it automatically gives birth to 10,000 more problems!

The solution is not on the outside. The solution is in the "inside".

Scientists must begin inner investigations of reality, so that they will begin to understand the outside reality.

They must first get to know "The Knower", (themselves) and then it will become possible for them to find answers through science.

If you don't know "yourself", how can you know others?

How can you know the outside world? "Who" will be doing the knowing?

You’ve to know "the knower" (= You ) first.

This is the beginning of "Wisdom", or what we’ve called "TMT Power Secrets".

After you've known yourself, ("who" you really are), then it becomes possible to know everything else!

That was what Jesus Christ in Christian Bible meant when he said "SEEK YOU THE 'KINGDOM OF GOD' FIRST (THE INNER WORLD, 'CONSCIOUSNESS', 'KNOW YOURSELF', 'INFINITY') AND EVERYTHING WILL BE ADDED TO YOU"

The "kingdom of God" is a symbol for INFINITY or CONSCIOUSNESS.

Symbolism is a common tool used to express "Wisdom", (meaning: using material objects to represent inner abstract personal subjective experiences)

But a calamity has happened for thousands of years because billions of human beings don’t know the meaning of these symbols and codes and have taken them literally.

For example, when they read in their scriptures about "going to heaven" (= "kingdom of God", they take it literally, by thinking that "heaven" is in the sky and that after they die, they will go there if they performed good deeds in their lives.

They don’t know that "heaven" is a symbol representing the human brain.

And "going to heaven" is a symbolic way of "opening the right hemisphere of the brain" so that your consciousness will expand! (alchemy, hermetic science and Gnosticism taught by Thoth, the ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom)

In the average human being, only a tiny percentage of the left hemisphere of the brain (rational mind) is functioning and conscious. The right hemisphere is unconscious and you’re unaware of it.

When you go to sleep, sometimes, you dive into this right hemisphere part of brain. Its where all the dreams occur.

[b]The secret science on how to awaken this right hemisphere of the brain and unite it with the left hemisphere of the brain, so that you’ll become 100% conscious, enlightened and beyond human (= an immortal) is the hidden teaching of all the world spiritual teachers and it is the TRUE spirituality and what "TMT Power Secrets" is all about.

Jesus Christ also made it clear in the Bible that he taught this SECRET teaching and WISDOM using symbols, and in parables to conceal this secret hidden teaching from the public, the profane; those who are not yet ready to go beyond their humanity.

So, why have all the priests and the churches and billions of human beings been interpreting the teachings of Jesus literally?

Why have the church, mosques, temples, priests, rabbis and Imams brainwashed the people to believe that the "Kingdom of God" or heaven is in the sky and that they will go there after they die as long as they keep going to the churches, temples and mosques and donating their hard earned money and assets?

Why have they been deceiving their congregations to give up their wealth, possession and happiness on Earth and let the priests and church possess them, so that after they die, they will go to heaven, and live in the Kingdom of God for eternity where they will be rewarded with drinking milk and honey and the men will have harems of beautiful 18 yr old virgin girls?

Is this not a scam? Is this not an outright deception? Is this not a damnable Fraud?

Even the false fundamentalist Islamic priests are now brainwashing their youths to commit suicidal bombing in the name of their God, Allah and become martyrs with the promise that after they die, they will go to heaven where Allah will reward them with 3 wives, milk and honey.

Even in the same Bible Jesus warned against these false priests (wolves in sheep’s clothing) and the church. He called them "brood of vipers" and "White sepulcher"!

He admonished people Not to listen to them and never to believe that the "Kingdom of God" is in the sky.

He said, "If the Kingdom is in the sky, then it is futile for man, because the birds of sky will reach there first!"

Why is this Not clear enough to a billion Christians?

One must wonder if the 1 billion humans or so who believe they are Christians ever read their Bible at all?

Why is it that people don’t listen to the true teachings of Enlightened beings, but prefer to wallow in ignorance and mumbo jumbo teachings and false interpretations of false priests which are designed to exploit, manipulate and enslave them?

Why do people chose to keep going to the churches every Sunday, and also the synagogues, temples and mosques where the priests and organized religions keep brainwashing and hypnotizing them by filling their skulls with sophism, mumbo jumbo garbage and irrationalities of different stripes which they call religion.
[/b]
And who is "the knower"?

The "knower" is you.

You’re made up of Consciousness, which is what we called "INFINITY".

You have a mind (and EGO is the center), and a body, which are your tools for accessing different forms of reality.

The mind and the body have many levels and many dimensions.

So, you the "CONSCIOUSNESS", "INFINITY", has a mind and a body which have many levels and dimensions.

The average human being is only aware of two dimensions.

The human dimension (physical world) and the dream dimension (spiritual world).

You’re not aware that the "Living Mankind", "Living Earth", "The Living Sun", "The Living Universe" and "The Living Cosmos" are also your bodies!!! (Your larger bodies)

And their minds are also your higher minds: The Super-conscious minds.

Why are you not aware of this? Because your Consciousness is limited by your human mind!

Your human thoughts, mind and body are blocking your awareness of these other higher parts and dimensions of you.

To become aware of the higher dimensions of your being, (your higher self, other parts, beyond your humanity) you must go beyond your human mind and body.

This is what all the greatest spiritual teachers of the world: Socrates, Pythagoras, Paracelsus, Buddha, Nagarjuna, Bodhidarma, Lao Tzu, Jesus, Muhammad, Osho Rajneesh symbolically referred to as "Kingdom of God", "Nirvana", "Paradise", "The Way", "The Lotus Paradise" and others.

The science and technology of going beyond your human body and mind is what is called "Enlightenment."

When you go beyond your human body and mind, you'll go beyond space and time, beyond past and future, and you'll become INFINITY, an IMMORTAL.

When you do that, you go beyond cause and effect, the cycle of birth and death, karma, yin and yang of nature.

You become "twice born again", and the "Son or daughter of God".

God is a symbol that represents Consciousness or INFINITY.

This word, "God" has become over used, polluted and corrupted, misused and misunderstood, so we'll must stop using it and begin to use a new and more scientific term, "INFINITY".

So when you're "twice born again", you become the son or daughter of God, INFINITY, an Immortal.

This is what "TMT: Transcendental Mental Technology" is about.

May these insights into God, world religions, true spirituality,occultism, hidden wisdom, the SECRET teachings of Thoth the ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, and Enlightened beings-Socrates, Pythagoras, Paracelsus, Buddha, Mahavira, Nagarjuna, Bodhidarma, Lao Tzu, Kabir, Jesus Christ, Mohammed and Osho Rajneesh inspire and awaken you to embark on the journey to "Enlightenment", your only true goal on earth.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/god-hinduism-buddhism-judaism-christianity-spiritual-teachers.html

davidylan:
i hope sisikill knows no one (not even her) is reading this mumbo jumbo. 

Now, Now David. . . you really should learn to speak only for yourself, okay?

But I won't be surprised if no one does. . . they say reading is now a lost art. 

A shame really but hey, we'll just keep trying. . . never give up is what I say.

Who knows, maybe. . . just maybe someone out there still appreciates LETTERS, WORDS and SENTENCES. 

Besides. . .  if I don't do this, I won't have an excuse not to start my research paper. Ughh!

By the way, thanks for helping me with this. . . you know, making it more fun. 

davidylan:
depends on which "God" you're talking about.

ROTFLMAO! Oh David, David, David! Honestly I like you, I do.

Your posts make me laugh and I like laughing.

Don't worry about the God I'm serving, okay?

Now dear, If you have anything to add to the TOPIC and I hope you do because like I said I love reading your posts.

Please feel free. . . not that I need to tell you that.

EGYPTIAN RELIGION AND ITS CORRELATION TO JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY

Introduction

Ancient Egypt had a formative influence on the ancient world through its stability and links with the remote past, and Egypt’s reputation for secret wisdom was due to the peculiar geographical and climate features of the country. The Nile River Valley and the Nile Delta comprised approximately 12,000 square miles of fertile land, the villages and towns of which were situated along its length. The Mediterranean Sea lay to the north, vast deserts to the east and west and dense jungle to the south, making unsuspected invasion near impossible, and its virtual isolation allowed Egyptian civilization to develop unthreatened by its neighbors. Because of this, the ancient Egyptian culture was very static, and it existed virtually unchanged for millennia, its origins going back beyond 3000 B.C.E.

Much of the knowledge concerning ancient Egypt is based on complex rituals related to death and the afterlife. Since Egyptian civilization was a product in many ways of the natural forces that surrounded it, the people looked to Nature to explain the unexplainable. The three main elements of the Egyptian religion were:

1. A solar monotheism--one god as the creator of the universe who manifested his power in the sun and its operations.

2. A belief in the regenerative power of nature which expressed itself in the adoration of ithyphallic gods, fertile goddesses and a series of animal and vegetation deities.

3. A perception of anthropomorphic divinity, the life of whom existed in this world and in the world beyond.

Perceptions of God

The Egyptian word for God is NTR or Neter which is illustrated by the hieroglyph of an axe-head supported by a wooden handle, a strong and formidable weapon in skilled hands. The use of this sign as an emblem of God is probably very ancient and based on prehistoric man’s belief that God was a mighty and formidable warrior, which conception they carried through even in their most sophisticated philosophies. While it is quite possible that the word means "strength" and "power, " other attributes are "renewal" or "renovation," as if the fundamental idea of God was one who had the power to perpetually renew itself and was self-creating. Above all else, the ancient Egyptians believed in one God, who was self-existent, immortal, eternal, and invisible--the Creator of heaven and earth. Their principal religious theology was based upon this belief and no matter how far back we trace its history, there is no time when this belief was not predominant. If examined closely, the gods are found to be nothing more than forms, manifestations, phases or attributes of the god Ra who was, in turn, the outward manifestation or symbol of the One God of whom it was not their custom to address.

The Gods of Egypt/Religious Concepts

The word Neturu means "gods" and refers to beings which in some way partake of the nature or character of God. They were referred to as intermediaries between God and man, and the word has also been translated as "Those who from Heaven to Earth came." They are spoken of in the Bible as the Anakim, and in Chapter 6 of Genesis they are also called Nephilim, which in Hebrew means the same thing, "Those who have come down from the Heavens to Earth." Close examination of the following gods will give the reader an adequate conception of the Egyptian attitude regarding the multifaceted aspects of God and the religious concepts at the heart of the Egyptian Religion:

Nu

Nu was the "father of the gods" and originator of the "great company of gods". He was the primeval watery mass out of which all things came. The creation myth of the ancient Egyptians began with a vast waste of water called Nu, similar to the creation story in Genesis where the Spirit of God "hovered over the waters." According to the writings of the Egyptians, there was a time when neither heaven nor earth existed, and there was only the boundless primordial water which was shrouded in thick darkness. The primeval water remained in this condition for a considerable length of time; however, within it was the origin of all things that later came into existence. At length, Spirit felt the desire for creative activity and uttering the Word of Creation, the world sprang forth in the form depicted in the Mind of Spirit before the Word was ever spoken. This was the primary act of Creation.

Ra

The next act of Creation was the formation of the egg from which Ra sprang, within whose shining form was the almighty power of Divine Spirit. Ra thus became the visible symbol of God, the Creator of the world. Time began when Ra appeared above the horizon in the form of the Sun, and the life of humanity was compared to his daily course at a very early date. As far back as the IVth dynasty, about 2700 BCE, he was regarded as the great god of heaven, King of all the gods, divine beings and resurrected dead. As Ra was "Father of the Gods," it was natural that every god should represent some phase of him and that he should represent every god. This is illustrated by the inscription on the tomb of Seti I, about 1370 BCE: Praise be unto thee, O Ra …behold thy body is Temu…Praise be unto thee, O Ra…thy body is Khephera…Praise be unto thee, O Ra…thy body is Shu…Praise be unto thee, O Ra…thy body is Tefnut…The attempt being made at the time this hymn was written was to emphasize that every god, whether foreign or native, was an aspect or form of Ra, the visible emblem of God.

Ra was probably the oldest god worshipped in Egypt, and his name belongs to such a remote period that its meaning is unknown. He is given credit for creating heaven and the earth and all its creatures. The station of the resurrected in heaven was decided by Ra and of all the other gods, only Osiris had the power to claim protection for his followers. At one time, the Egyptian’s greatest hope was not only to become "God, the son of God," by adoption, but that Ra would actually become his father. These ideas remained the same from the earliest of times, and Ra maintained his position as the great head of the companies of the gods.

Thoth

Thoth was the master of law, both in its physical and moral conceptions, and he had the knowledge of "divine speech." He was also seen as the inventor of the arts and sciences, and he was called "Lord of Books" or "Scribe of the Gods" or "mighty in speech" i.e., his words manifested. In the Book of the Dead, Thoth held both the tongue and heart of Ra or that is to say that he was the reason and mental powers of the god and was the means by which Ra’s will was translated into speech. In every legend where Thoth takes a prominent part, it is he who spoke the word that resulted in the wishes of Ra being carried into effect. He spoke the words which caused the creation of the heavens and the earth, and he taught Isis the words which enabled her to restore life to the body of Osiris in such a way that they could conceive a child. He also gave her the formula which brought her son, Horus, back to life after he had been stung to death by a scorpion.

The hymns to Ra, which are found in the Book of the Dead, state that the deities Thoth and Maat stand on each side of the great god in his boat. They were believed to take some important part in directing its course and as they were with Ra when he sprang from the abyss of Nu, their existence was coexistent with his own. His knowledge of the powers of calculation measured out the heavens and planned the earth, and his will kept the forces of heaven and earth in equilibrium. In the later dynastic period, he was called "Lord of Khemennu" who was self-created and to whom none had given birth, i.e., the heart of Ra came forth in the form of Thoth. He was therefore seen as self-begotten and self-produced.

The character of Thoth is a lofty and beautiful conception and is the highest idea of deity ever fashioned by the Egyptian mind. He was the personification of the mind of God as the all-pervading, governing and directing power of heaven and earth and formed the Egyptian belief in the resurrection of the dead in a spiritual body and the doctrine of everlasting life.

Maat

As the goddess of Judgment, Maat was closely associated with Thoth and Ptah in the work of creation. She was so closely connected with Thoth that she was often regarded as the feminine counterpart of the god. Maat stood with Thoth in the boat of Ra when the Sun god rose above the waters of the abyss of Nu for the first time. In connection with Ra, she indicated the regularity with which he rose and set in the sky and the course which he followed daily from east to west. In her capacity of regulator of the path of the Sun, Maat is said to be the "daughter of Ra and the "eye of Ra."

The word Maat means "straight rod" which was originally an instrument used to keep things straight, a guide used by masons, but the word evolved to mean a rule, law or canon by which the actions of humanity were kept straight and governed. The Egyptians used the word in a physical and moral sense and it came to mean "right, truth, genuine, upright, just, etc. The exact equivalent in English is "God will judge the right" making this goddess the embodiment of physical and moral law, order and truth. As a moral power, Maat was a great goddesses and in her dual form as goddess of the South (Thaum-Aesch-Niaeth) and the North (Auramoouth), she was the lady of the Judgment Hall and the personification of justice.

Kephera

Khephera was a primordial god and can best be described as the type of matter which contains within itself the germ of life which is about to spring into a new existence. He also represented the dead body from which the spiritual body was about to rise.

Ptah

Ptah was one of the most active of the three great gods who carried out the commands of Thoth and gave expression in words to the Will of the Creative Power. He was self created and was a form of the Sun god Ra as the "Opener of the Day."

Temu

Temu or Atmu, was the "Closer of the Day," just as Ptah was its Opener. In the story of Creation, he declares that he evolved himself under the form of Khephera. In hymns, he is said to be the "maker of the gods" or the "creator of men."

Shu

According to one legend, Shu sprang directly from Temu and according to another, the goddess Hathor was his mother. Shu made his way between the gods Seb and Nut and raised up the latter to form the sky. As a power of nature, he typified the "light" and standing on the top of a staircase at Hermopolis Magna, he raised up the sky and held it there during each day. To assist him in this work, he placed a pillar at each of the cardinal points making the "Pillars of Shu" the props of the sky.

Tefnut

As a power of nature, Tefnut typified moisture or some aspect of the sun’s heat. Her brother, Shu, was the right eye of Temu and she was the left, i.e. Shu represented an aspect of the Sun, and Tefnut the Moon. The gods Temu, Shu and Tefnut formed a trinity and in the story of the creation, after describing how Shu and Tefnut proceeded from himself, Temu says, "Thus from being one god I became three."

Seb

Seb was called Erpa, the "Hereditary chief" of the gods, and the "father of the gods." He was originally the god of the earth, but later he became a god of the dead as representing the earth wherein the deceased was laid. One legend attributes him with the forming of the primordial egg from which the world came into being.

Nut

Originally, Nut was the personification of the sky and represented the feminine principle which was active at the creation of the universe. Seb and Nut existed in the watery abyss side by side with Shu and Tefnut and later, Seb became the earth and Nut the sky. These deities were supposed to unite every evening and remain embraced until the morning light when the god Shu separated them and set the goddess of the sky upon his four pillars until the evening. Nut was regarded as the mother of the gods and of all living things.

Osiris

Thoth created the Epact (or the five superadded days) which he added to the 360 days of which the year formerly consisted, and these five days were observed by the ancient Egyptians as the birthdays of the gods Osiris, Aroueris, Isis, Typhon (Set) and Nephthys. Osiris was born on the first day and upon his entrance into the world a voice said, "The lord of all the earth is born."(i) Although Divine in origin, Osiris was held to be a man who lived and reigned as a king on earth and applied himself toward the civilization of Egypt. He created both a body of laws to regulate conduct and instructions in the reverence and worship of the gods. He traveled the land and inspired people to utilize this discipline, and this was accomplished not by force but through the strength of reason.

Originally, the Egyptians considered him a man who had lived, suffered cruel mutilation and death, and then triumphed over death to attain everlasting life. He was treacherously murdered by his brother Set and after his death, Isis, by the use of magical formula, succeeded in raising him to life again. Because of this, Osiris became a symbol of resurrection and immortality. The ancient Egyptians believed that what Osiris did, they could also do and what the gods did for Osiris, they could also do for them. As the gods brought about his resurrection, so they might also bring about theirs and because of this, they made him the intercessor, judge, and hope of both the living and the dead. By the XVIIIth dynasty, he was raised to such an exalted position in heaven that he became the equal and in certain cases, the superior of Ra and was ascribed the attributes which belonged only to God. In this manner, Osiris became the source and origin of the gods and humanity, and the manhood of the god was forgotten.

Even though Osiris was identified with the Nile, Ra and with several other gods, it was in his aspect as the god of resurrection and everlasting life that he appealed to the people of Egypt. No matter how far back we trace religious ideas in Egypt, we never find a time when the belief in the resurrection of Osiris did not exist. Osiris maintained the highest place in the minds of the Egyptians as the god/man who was both divine and human and neither foreign invasion nor religious disturbance succeeded in altering this conception. As early as the XIIth dynasty (2500 BCE) the worship of this god became almost universal and a thousand years later, Osiris had become a national god. The attributes of the great cosmic gods were ascribed to him and he appeared as not only the god and judge of the dead, but also as the creator of the world. He who was the son of Ra became the equal of his father and took his place beside him in heaven.

Isis

As a nature goddess, Isis had a place in the boat of the Sun at the creation where she typified the dawn. Her wanderings in search of her husband’s body, the sorrow which she endured in birthing and raising Horus in the papyrus swamps of the Delta, and the persecution she suffered at the hands of her husband’s enemies form the subject of many texts in all periods. She had various aspects, but the one which appealed most to the Egyptians was that of "Divine Mother." In most stories dealing with Isis, she is depicted as both woman and goddess, just as the story of Osiris makes that deity both god and man. By reason of her success in reanimating the body of Osiris by the articulation of magical formula, Isis was called "Lady of Enchantments" and from a number of passages in texts of various periods, we learn that she possessed great skill in magic.

Isis is one of the goddesses most mentioned in the hieroglyphic texts. She was regarded as the female counterpart of Osiris in the dynastic period, and she was also associated with him in this capacity in the pre-dynastic period. She always held a position which was entirely different from that of other goddesses and although it is certain that Egyptian views concerning her varied from time to time, Isis was the greatest goddess of Egypt. She became so universal that she even began to be worshipped in different aspects of herself: Isis of Nature, Isis of the Heavens, Isis the Mother, Isis the Virgin, Isis the Bride, etc. She was the Divine Mother whose influence and love pervaded all of heaven and earth. She was the personification of the great feminine, creative power which conceived and brought forth every living being, from the gods in heaven to man on earth, and what she brought forth, she protected and cared for. She used her power graciously and successfully, not only in creating new beings but in restoring those who were dead. She was the highest type of the faithful, loving wife and mother, and it was in this capacity that the Egyptian honored and worshipped her.

Set/Typhon

At a very early period, Set was regarded as the brother and friend of "Horus the Elder", the Aroueris of the Greeks. He represented the night while Horus represented the day, and each of these gods performed many offices of a friendly nature for the dead. However, at a later period, the views of the Egyptians concerning Set changed and soon after the reign of the kings called "Seti"( whose names were based upon that of the god), he became the personification of evil and of all that is terrible in nature.

Set, as a power of nature, was always waging war with Horus the Elder, i.e. the night did battle with the day for supremacy. Both gods, however sprang from the same source. When Horus (the son of Isis and Osiris) grew up, he did battle with Set for Set had murdered his father. In many texts these two originally distinct fights and two distinctly different Horus gods are confused with each other. The conquest of Set by Horus in the first conflict illustrated the defeat of the night by the day, and the defeat of Set in the second conflict seems to have meant the conquest of life over death, good over evil.

Nephthys

In the earliest times, Nephthys was regarded as the female counterpart of Set and was regularly associated with him. Nevertheless, she always appears as the faithful sister and friend of Isis who helped the widow goddess collect the scattered limbs of Osiris and also assisted them in defeating the wickedness of her own husband. In the Pyramid Texts, she is a patron to the deceased, and she maintains that character throughout the Book of the Dead. In the Theban recension of the Book of the Dead, Nephthys stands behind Osiris when the hearts of the dead are weighed on the Great Scales. In funeral papyri, she always accompanied Isis in her ministrations to the dead and helped the deceased overcome the powers of death and the grave. As a nature goddess, she performed for the deceased what she did for the gods in primeval times when she fashioned the "body" of the "Company of Gods." From this she obtained the name Nebkhat or "Lady of the Body of the Gods."

Like Isis, she had a place in the boat of the Sun at creation, where she typified the twilight or very early night. Nephthys was the personification of darkness and of all that belongs to it, and her attributes were of a passive rather than an active nature. She was the opposite of Isis for Isis symbolized birth, growth, development and vigor while Nephthys was the symbol of death, decay, diminution and immobility. Isis represented the part of the world which was visible and Nephthys the invisible, and they represented respectively the things which are and the things which are yet to be--the beginning and the end, birth and death. Although a goddess of death, she was associated with the life which springs from death.

Horus

Horus, son of Isis and Osiris, like many other forms of the Horus gods, represented the rising sun which was born daily. There were many aspects of this god, for in him were all the various Horus gods including Heru, the god of the heights of heaven, and Aroueris or Horus the Elder. He was the offspring of the dead man/god Osiris and his lawful successor. He was a god whose aspects appealed to the Egyptians because he represented renewal--life as opposed to death, movement as opposed to inactivity. A great number of the attributes which belonged to the old Horus gods were transferred to the son of Isis and Osiris, especially when the worship of Osiris was dominant. Horus the Child became the symbol of new birth and new life--the first hours of the day, the first days of the month, the first months of the year--everything that was young and vigorous.

In a way, Osiris and Horus were complements to each other. The chief difference between them was that Osiris represented the past and Horus represented the present. The form in which Horus appealed most strongly to the Egyptians was that of the god of light who fought against Set, the god of darkness--the god of good against the god of evil. When Osiris had attained the position of Ra in the minds of the Egyptians, Horus represented a divine power who was about to avenge the cruel murder of his father, and the moral conceptions of right and wrong, good and evil, truth and falsehood, were applied to the conceptions of light and darkness--Horus and Set.

In the judgment scene of the Book of the Dead, he leads the deceased into the presence of Osiris and makes an appeal to his father that the deceased may be allowed to enjoy the benefits allotted to those who are true and righteous in judgment. He was believed to assist the dead, even as he had assisted Osiris, and men and women hoped that he would come to their aid after death and act as a mediator between the them and the judge of the Underworld. He not only succeeded to the rank and high esteem of his father but in his aspect of avenger, he gradually acquired the position of intermediary and intercessor on behalf of humanity.

Anubis

Anubis was the guard and attendant of Isis and the watcher and guard of the gods. It was Anubis who presided over the abode of the dead. The jackal was the symbol of the god, and this fact seems to prove that in primitive times, Anubis was the god of the dead because jackals were generally seen prowling around tombs. In the text of Unas, he is associated with the Eye of Horus, and his duty was to guide the dead through the Underworld on their way to Osiris. In the Judgment scene, Anubis appeared to act for Osiris with whom he was intimately connected. It was his duty to examine the beam of the Great Balance and to take care that it was exactly horizontal. Anubis not only produced the heart of the deceased for judgment, but also took care that the body which had been committed to his charge would not be handed over to the "Eater of the Dead." His worship was very ancient and might be older than the worship of Osiris.

The Effect of Egyptian Thought and Theology on the Ancient Jews

The Jews, having come from Chaldea as a group of nomadic tribes under Abraham, moved down into Egypt during the time of the great famine, and the duration of their residence was a period of some 400 years. As a result of this residence, the religious and philosophical concepts which made up the heart of Egyptian culture were absorbed and woven into the framework of their belief system. It may be significant that this period coincides with the rule of a pharaoh named Akhnaton, who tried to introduce a religious revolution in Egyptian thought and practice. During his reign, he attempted to replace the traditional Egyptian gods by a form of monotheism based on the worship of the disc of the Sun. It is interesting to speculate what interaction may have occurred between the Hebrews and the court of the pharaoh. It can be questioned whether this Egyptian monotheistic experience was the result of Jewish influence, as the story of Joseph implies, or whether it was Akhnaton’s religion that played a positive role in bringing monotheism to the Jews.

The Laws of Moses were to a great extent derived from the laws of ancient Egypt. The early history of the Jews was influenced by an Egyptian religious background, not only by their residence within its borders but also under the guidance of Moses, who was well versed in Egyptian philosophy and theology. Upon close examination, the ancient doctrines of Egyptian religion can be easily discerned within the teachings of the Old and New Testaments.

The Act of Creation

The Egyptian story of Creation is nearly identical to the Act of Creation as told in the Bible. Remembering the descriptions of the gods at the beginning of this paper, consider the following from The First Book of Moses - Genesis:

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light and there was light…and God divided the light from the darkness…God called the light Day and the darkness He called Night…Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters…And God called the firmament Heaven…and God said…and let the dry land appear…And God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night…and it was so.

It can be said that Ra was God the Creator, and the gods which sprang from this single source were simply different aspects of this single God. Nu was the primal watery abyss, and Kepherah, Ptah, Temu, Shu, Tefnut, Seb and Nut can be seen as Ra in the Act of Creation. Isis and Nephthys typified the separation of the Night from the Day. Thoth was the utterance and projection of the Will and the Word while Maat was the creation of order out of chaos. In the myths of both the Egyptians and the Hebrews the Creation came about by the utterance of the Word. In a hymn to Hapi, god of the Nile, from the XVIIth and XIXth dynasties, it is said:

God hath made the universe, and He hath created all that therein is…He is the Creator of the world, and it was He who fashioned it with His hands before there was any beginning …What His heart conceived came to pass…and when He had spoken His word came to pass, and it shall endure forever.

The Many Faces of God

The names the Egyptians applied to their gods bear testimony to their conceptions of God, for these names represented some quality or attribute which they would have applied to Him. From the appellations by which the gods are known, in texts from all periods, it is seen that Egyptian concepts of God were almost identical with those of the Hebrews, Muhammadans and Christians of later periods. When classified, some of these names can be read as:

1.      "God is One and alone, and none other existeth with Him…the One Who hath made all things."

2.      "God is life, and through Him only man liveth…He breatheth the breath of life into his nostrils."

3.      "God is a spirit, a hidden spirit, the Divine Spirit."

4.      "God existed when nothing else existed, and what existeth He created after He had come into being."

5.      "God is the eternal One, infinite; and endureth for ever and ever, He shall endure to all eternity."

6.      "God is the hidden being and no man hath known his form, He is a mystery unto His creatures."

7.      "His name remaineth hidden, His names are innumerable, and none knoweth their number."

8.      "God is truth, and He liveth by Truth, He resteth upon truth…"

For consideration, the following is presented:

1.      Ra as Almighty God, the Creator, but also the Invisible God (the Sun was only his symbol).

2.      Thoth as the Mind of God, the Wisdom of God and the Word.

3.      Isis as Aima Elohim, the Great Mother; as Mary, the Mother of God; and also the Love of God.

4.      Maat as the Truth of God and the Justice of God.

5.      Horus as the God of Battles or the Vengeful God.

6.      Osiris as God Made Manifest in the Mind of Man, the Son of God.

7.      The "Company of Gods" as the God of Hosts.

The Gods Became Angels

The gods of Egypt, like the angels of biblical lore, can be broadly described as personified powers meditating between the Divine and the human. Even in its devotion to monotheism, ancient Israel was able to embrace the image of a council of gods by turning all of them into angels that serve the One God. This acceptance of a belief in angels was a development made relatively easy because lesser gods and angels could be referred to as "sons of God." This type of development naturally led to a kind of monotheism whereby all the many gods and goddesses would be seen, at least philosophically, as aspects of One God. Later development in both Judaism and Christianity shows a remarkable growth of angelic folklore as a result of continuing this ancient practice of absorbing the gods of polytheistic religions by turning them into angels.

Just as the gods of Egypt represented aspects of Ra, the angels of the Old and New Testaments likewise represent aspects of God.

Tzaphqiel - Righteousness of God


Khamael - Severity of God

Raphael - Healer of God


Haniel - Glory of God

Michael - Perfection of God


Gabriel - Strength of God

Osiris and Christ

As a god/man, Osiris walked the earth, lived the life of man, suffered, died and rose again to everlasting life. The evolution in the worship of Osiris went from the idea of the god as the example of a man who had risen from the dead and attained life everlasting to becoming the cause of the resurrection of the dead with the power to bestow eternal life upon mortals. He was considered a god made manifest, god as a man. As the Son of Ra, Osiris took his place next to his father in heaven. In relation to this, the following is offered:

I Timothy 3:16: God was manifested in the flesh, Received up in glory.

Colossians 1:15: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Acts 7:55: But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Mark 14:62: And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power,

Luke 22:69: Hereafter, the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.

Through his death and resurrection, Osiris became judge of the dead and the preparer of the way to heaven. By his intercession, the righteous were born anew in a spiritual body, thus entering the Kingdom of Osiris, there to reside for all eternity. However, if Osiris judged the soul to be unrighteous, it was cast to the "Eater of the Dead" or the Egyptian conception of hell. In relation to this, consider the following:

John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

John 14:4: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me though he may die, he shall live.

Romans 14:9: For to this end Christ died and rose again and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

2 Tim 4:4: I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead…

Romans 8:34: , It is Christ who died and furthermore is also risen who is even the right hand of God who also makes intercession for us.

I Corinthians 15:12 -16: Now if Christ preached that he had been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? , For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

Luke 12:5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, has power to cast into hell…

Isis and Mary

Isis, as "Divine Mother," has obvious connections to the Virgin Mary, the loving mother of Christ, and it is clear that the early Egyptian Christians bestowed some of the attributes of Isis upon her. There is little doubt that in her character of the loving and protecting mother, Isis appealed strongly to the imagination of all Eastern people and formed the foundation for the Christian Madonna and Child.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. -- The Hail Mary

Luke 11: 27: Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts which nursed You!

In the doctrine of the Assumption, it was believed that Mary was literally taken up into Heaven in a physical sense and was crowned Queen of Heaven. Feasts such as the February Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Festival of Lights) and the Physical Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in August go back to the mysteries of Isis and coincide with major pagan festivals. The Assumption in August coincides with the Isiac festivals celebrating the rise of Sirius predicting the inundation of the Nile in Ancient Egypt, and the February Purification coincides with Isis as the Queen of Lights.

The doctrine of partheno-genesis was well known in Egypt centuries before the birth of Christ, as illustrated by the belief in the conception of Horus through the power given to Isis by Thoth, the Intelligence or Mind of God. This belief was coexistent with the beginnings of the history of Egypt.

Luke 1:34-35: Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Several incidents of the wandering of the Virgin and the Child in Egypt are recorded in the Apocryphal Gospels, and the writers of the Apocryphal Gospels intended to pay additional honor to Mary by ascribing to her what they had previously attributed to Isis. If the parallels between the mythological history of Isis and Horus and the history of Mary and the Child are considered, it is difficult to avoid perceiving reflections of the most spiritual doctrines of the Egyptian religion within Christian teachings.

The knowledge of ancient Egyptian religion which we now possess explains that the rapid progress of Christianity in Egypt was mainly due to the fact that the new religion preached there by Saint Mark closely resembled the worship of Osiris, Isis and Horus. In Philae, in southern Egypt, the worship of Osiris and Isis maintained its own until the beginning of the fifth century; however, at this period in all other parts of Egypt, Mary and Christ had taken the place of Isis and Horus. Not to be forgotten, the "mother of god" was no longer called Isis but was now addressed as Mary.

Luke 1: 48, For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

The Soul

The ancient Egyptians saw man as consisting of nine parts which could be simplified into the threefold division of man along the lines of Spirit, Soul and Body, which accords with the New Testament views of St. Paul, and can be summarized as follows: The body (Khat) and its double (Ka) constitute the physical part of man; the soul (Ba) was comprised of the mind and feelings which had its seat in the heart (Ab) with a vehicle of its own called the shadow (Khabit); the spirit (Khu) was the divine/immortal part of man which had its seat in the name (Ren) and a conceptual body (Sahu) which derives its manifestation from the power (Sekhem) which provided vitality for the lower vehicles.

Therefore, later Egyptian belief was that man had three parts--a body, soul and spirit. The soul and spirit of the righteous passed from the body and then resided for eternity in heaven, but the physical body did not rise again and was believed never to leave the tomb. As stated in the Vth dynasty, about 2400 BCE: "The soul to heaven; the body to earth."

Genesis 3:19: , till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you shall return.

I Corinthians 15:40-53: There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies, but the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another, However, the spirit is not first, but the natural and afterward the spiritual

…Now I say brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God…for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality…then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

John 3:6-7 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit if spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again."

Judgment and the Afterlife

The gods that lived in the Hall of Judgment with Osiris were forty-two in number. As the deceased passed each, he addressed him by his name and declared that he had not committed a certain sin. After pronouncing the name of each god, the deceased always said, "I have not done…" and the whole group of addresses has been called the "Negative Confession." The fundamental ideas of religion and morality which underlie this confession are exceedingly old, and from it can be discerned the ancient Egyptians’ duty toward God and neighbor. The following is the soul in the Hall of Judgment:

Homage to Thee, O great God, Lord of Maati! I have come to unto thee, O my Lord, and I have brought myself hither that I may behold thy beauties. I know thee, I know thy name. I know the names of the forty-two Gods who live with thee in the Hall of Maati, I have not committed sins against men,

For consideration, the following are some of the negative confessions compared with the Ten Commandments from The Second Book of Moses --Exodus:

Negative Confession:

I have not uttered blasphemies against God.

Commandment #3:

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

Negative Confession:

I have not opposed my family and kinfolk.

Commandment #5:

Honor your father and mother.

Negative Confession:

I have slain neither man nor woman.

Commandment #6:

You shall not murder.

Negative Confession:

I have not committed fornication.

Commandment #7:

You shall not commit adultery.

Negative Confession:

I have not committed theft.

Commandment #8:

You shall not steal.

Negative Confession:

I have not uttered falsehood.

Commandment #9:

You shall not bear false witness.

Negative Confession:

I have invaded no man’s land.

Commandment #10:

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, nor anything that is your neighbor’s. (ii)

The belief that the deeds done while in the body would be subjected to analysis by the divine powers after death belongs to the earliest period of Egyptian civilization. All the evidence shows that each soul was judged individually and was either permitted to pass into the kingdom of Osiris or was destroyed. The Egyptian underworld, or Amentet, also contained a region where the souls of the wicked were punished for an indefinite period of time. It has been said that the judgment of the dead was determined, in the presence of Osiris, by weighing the deceased in the balance against his own heart. As Osiris weighed the heart of the dead, Maat, the goddess of Truth and Justice, balanced the scale. If the heart of the deceased weighed true, he went to his eternal reward in a blessed afterlife. If his heart weighed too heavy, he would be thrown to the animal gods who tore him to shreds. Consider the following:

Romans 14:10-12: , For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, so then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done whether good or bad.

I Peter 4:5 They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Matthew 12:36, 37: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9: , in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.

Matthew 26:46: And these [the unrighteous] will go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into eternal life.

Conclusion

[size=14pt]The harmony between the ancient Egyptian religion and that of Judaism and Christianity gave this student pause, and from this pause came the dawning of understanding as to the origin and evolution of all religions--the mind of man. Parallels can be traced between one nation’s god and another’s, and this is because perceptions of Divinity are projections of man’s own psychic needs. Humanity casts a reflection of itself onto the backdrop of the unknown and peoples it with the images of its own characteristics. What has been called religion, in the past and in the present, is simply the personifications of the mind’s own conceiving and answers only to the desires of the humanity who dreamt it into being. While all religions contain within themselves the seeds of Truth, they are, nonetheless, only man’s attempt to interpret the Mind of God.[/size]

http://www.perankhgroup.com/legacy_of_the_egyptian_religion.htm

davidylan:
people shld learn to search before posting. We've had a member called Horus here before telling us exactly the same thing so what's new? People without God seem to have an obsession with proving He doesnt exist . . . am i the only one who finds that strange.

Hmmm, tough question because I am clearly WITH God, so how do we reconcile that?

HORUS & JESUS, SIMILARITIES, WAS HORUS THE "PATTERN" FOR THE LATER "JESUS CHRIST" OF CHRISTIANITY?

The story of Horus, a major Egyptian God, is told in the Book of Vivifying the Soul Forever over 3,000 years before the birth of Christ. The Jesus story in the Bible is in many places a recycled version of the Horus story. The comparisons given below prove without a doubt that much in the New Testament is full of myths and stories recycled from earlier times and made to fit the various characters of the Bible.

    * Horus is the Father seen in the son,  Jesus said he was the way, the truth and the life.

    * Horus claims to be the light of the world represented by the symbolic eye, the sign of salvation. Jesus stated that he is the light of the world.

    * Horus said that he was the way, the truth, the life. Jesus said he was the way, the truth and the life.

    * Horus was the plant, the shoot. Jesus says "I am the true vine."

    * Horus says It is I who traverse the heavens, I go round the Elysian Fields. Eternity has been assigned to me without end, Lo! I am heir to endless time and my attribute is eternity. Jesus says I am come down from heaven, for this is the will of the Father, that everyone who beholdeth the Son and believeth in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

    * Horus, I open the Tuat that I may drive away the darkness. Jesus says I am come a light unto the world.

    * Horus says I am equipped with thy words O Ra [Father in Heaven] and repeat them to those who are deprived of breath. These were the words of the Father in heaven. Jesus says The Father which sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. Whatsoever I speak therefore even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. The word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me."

    * Horus baptized with water by Anup. Jesus baptized with water by John the Baptist.

    * Horus-Aan, the name of the divine scribe. Jesus-John the divine scribe.

    * Horus born in Annu, the place of bread. Jesus Born in Bethlehem, the house of bread.

    * Horus The good shepherd with the crook on his shoulders. Jesus The good shepherd with a lamb on his shoulders.

    * Horus Seven on board the boat with him. Jesus Seven fishermen on board the boat with Jesus.

    * Horus Depicted as the Lamb Jesus depicted as the lamb.

    * Horus as the Lion. Jesus as the Lion.

    * Horus identified with the Tat or cross. Jesus identified with the cross.

    * Horus of 12 years. Jesus of 12 years.

    * Horus A man of 30 years. Jesus a man of 30 years at his baptism.

    * Horus the KRST. Jesus the Christ.

    * Horus the manifesting son of God. Jesus the manifesting son of God.

    * Horus The trinity, Atum the Father, Horus the son, Ra the Holy Spirit. Jesus, God the Father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit.

    * Horus The first Horus as a child of the virgin, the second as son of Ra. Jesus as a child of the virgin, Christ as the son of the Father in heaven.

    * Horus, Horus the sender and Set the destroyer in the harvest field. Jesus, Jesus the sender or the good seed, Satan the sender of tares.

    * Horus carried off by Set to the summit of Mount Hetep. Jesus carried by Satan to an exceedingly high mountain.

    * Horus and Set contending on the Mount. Jesus and Satan contending on the Mount.

    * Horus, The star was the announcer of the child Horus. Jesus, The Star in the East indicated the birth-place of Jesus.

    * Horus, the avenger. Jesus who brings the sword.

    * Horus, as Iu-em-hetep comes with peace, Jesus, the bringer of peace.

    * Horus, the afflicted one. Jesus, the afflicted one.

    * Horus, as the type of life eternal.

    * Jesus, as the type of life eternal.

    * Horus as Iu-em-hetep the child teacher in the temple. Jesus as the child teacher in the temple.

    * Horus The mummy bandage was woven without seam. Jesus The vesture of the Christ was without seam.

    * Horus As Har-Khutti has twelve followers,  Jesus has twelve disciples.

    * Horus The revelation written down by divine scribe Aan (Tehuti). Jesus the Revelation written down by John the Divine.

    * Horus-Aani bears witness to the word of Ra. Jesus, John bears witness to the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ.

    * Horus The secret mysteries revealed by That-Aan. Jesus The secret mysteries made known by John.

    * Horus The morning star. Jesus The morning star.

    * Horus Who gives the morning star to his followers. Jesus who gives the morning star to his followers.

    * Horus The name of Ra on the head of the deceased. Jesus The name of the father written on the forehead.

    * Horus The paradise of the Pole star, Am-Khemen. Jesus The Holy City lighted by one luminary that is neither the sun nor the moon.

    * Horus Har-Seshu or servants of Horus. Jesus The servants of Jesus Christ.

The Greatest Story Ever Told

I gotta tell you the truth folks, I gotta tell you the truth.
When it comes to bullshit, big time major league bullshit,
You have to stand in awe of the all time champion of false promises and exaggerated claims. . . RELIGION!!!


Think about it, religion has actually convinced people, there’s an invisible man, living in the skies, who watches everything you do, every minute of everyday and this invisible man has a list of ten things he does not want you to do.

And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place full of fire and smoke and burning and Torture and anguish where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream & cry forever and ever till the end of time. . . . BUT HE LOVES YOU!!

He loves you
He loves you
He loves you

And he needs money. He always needs money. He is all powerful, all perfect, all knowing, all wise but somehow. . . HE JUST CAN’T HANDLE MONEY.

Religion takes in billions of dollars
They pay no taxes
And they always need a little more
Now talk about your good bullshit story

HOLY SHIT!!


Watch the "Truth" about The Greatest Story Ever Told

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=32415112

Thoughts?

PS
This Video is an portion from American Zeitgeist is a feature length documentary by filmmaker Rob McGann. He talks about war, terrorism and religion. . . I recommend it to anyone with questions. . . and answers are not forthcoming.

Rapists invade female hostel in Ibadan

Four female students of Saint Annes Secondary School, Molete, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were reported to have been raped in the early hours of Tuesday by yet-to-be-identified men that invaded their school.

The Oyo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Bashiru Azeez, has ordered the divisional police officer in charge of the area to beef up security around the school and find the rapists.

Our correspondent learnt that three of the affected students are in Senior Secondary School while the fourth one is in the Junior Secondary School class.

The rapists were said to have entered the female hostel around 2.45a.m while the students were still sleeping.

Our correspondent also learnt that the hoodlums gained access to the female hostel through the school‘s back fence armed with dangerous weapons.

Sources at the school said the rapists beat up the head teacher on duty to a state of coma after which they entered the rooms where the girls were said to be sleeping.

They were said to have seriously beaten up the girls before raping some of them one after the other.

Our correspondent also learnt that while the rapists were having a free day inside the hostel, the security men on guard at the main gate of the school were not aware of the development.

Sources at the school said the security guards in the school got wind of the incident when the head teacher on duty alerted them after the rapists had escaped from the school.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/aug/13/428.html

Yep, getting below average quality education in a mediocre school is not enough, let's add rape to it and call it plan B. It's perfect, start training them for what lies ahead when they get to university! Two Thumbs Waaaay up for Our Educational System.

I'd rather they said there were no security guards, I mean what's the point?

She's cool people, I like her.

I wanted to marry her to my brother but I couldn't find her

KarmaMod:
Um No. The ones that just rely on flaunting skin are always typecasted to the "nympho roles". You can hardly consider that "famous"

Like that small girl. . . Ini Edo. Can't stand her.