Do Local Missionary Work

[Warhawk17]

Julie,

With that site, I am having a hard time figuring out what your church is all about. I'm not going to judge something I know nothing about, but I have a few questions. Does your church acknowledge God as the authority of all things and His son Jesus Christ as the only means to salvation? To me this sort of sounds similar to those churches that embrace all faiths and that all paths lead to the final destination which is simply untrue. Please don't get the wrong idea from my post, but I am genuinely curious.  :Chinscratch:

[JulieTang84]

Julie, I don't have much time now, but I'll try to get time later today or tomorrow to look more into the website.

Where are you located approximately? There's a Unity church in Indy that I'm planning to attend soon. Do Unity members try to encourage Christians to unify? I believe that's an important work for Christians to do too.

I am all over the place but call Texas home. As far as encouraging members to unify, it makes a point of including every person, including enemies as all being one. It is so refreshing not being in a church with an us and then attitude.

Live Julie. :HeartThrob:

[JulieTang84]

Fair question deserving of an honest answer. Unity believes that Father alone can see inside ones heart and to judge any one without that knowledge is fool hardy. Loving in the same spirit that Father loves is is the ONLY OPTION.

I do not believe for a moment that: "Jesus Christ is the only means to salvation" which will likely shock you.

Jesus taught truth in Spirit. I believe people all over the world recognize a form of divinity in themselves that is greater than the whole. Jesus has told us that those that have been given little, little will be expected and the punishment light. He also stressed that the last will indeed come first.

Also, if Father has created a person to be Hindu or whatever, who am I to tell Father that he messed up. I do believe all paths lead home, some just take a lot longer than others. Perhaps the religion of eternal damnation being the longest.

I believe the majority of Jesus lovers are more heinous than most other religions barring those worshipping Alah. By their fruits we shall no then.

All we know is what Father told us, not what he told/instructed anyone else'
destination is in front of the judgement seat.

I hope that helps

Love Julie  :HeartThrob

[jabcat]

I do not believe for a moment that: "Jesus Christ is the only means to salvation" which will likely shock you.

I'd suspected as much, when I first asked you about Jesus and you wouldn't/didn't answer me.  Julie, He's the SAVIOR, who shed His blood for all, and I believe we should ALL be very careful so as to not wander into error and fall into the category of many who call themselves spiritual or believers, yet are "denying the Lord that bought them".  2 Peter 2:1.     "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test?".  2 Cor. 13:5

Regarding the quote and some other references Julie, I personally strongly disagree with what you've stated, as I believe it clearly goes against the scriptures. 

"No one comes to the Father but through Me" - Jesus    John 14:6

[JulieTang84]

I do not believe for a moment that: "Jesus Christ is the only means to salvation" which will likely shock you.

I'd suspected as much, when I first asked you about Jesus and you wouldn't/didn't answer me.  He's not just a buddy, big brother, or great guy. 

I couldn't disagree more with what you've stated, and I believe it clearly goes against the scriptures.  Caveat emptor.

Ok that is a fair statement and I guess I walked right into it. Please let me clarfy.

I believe that Jesus the man was a perfect example on which to base ones life. I believe also, that Jesus died to prove that death is only an illusion. That his and our Father who is PERFECT Love would/could never see part of Him (Father) (LOVE) die.

Yet there is more, much more. I believe that the Christ, the WORD is the Spirit of Love, of Truth and the perfect example of Father. I believe that Jesus the Man had, prior to his becomming a man was one and the same with this Spirit. He was essentiall the WORD, He was the first born of creation. Yet as a man, he emptied himself of all of this and by Faith and Love he healed the sick and performed various other amazing miracles.

Jhn 17: 24
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

So what am I saying? I am saying that Jesus said himself that he taught in Spirit and in Truth. I believe that when he said:

Jhn 3:18
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

He was referring much more than just his name. 

Jhn 17:11
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

Which name is that? What name does the Father share with Jesus?

I honestly don't know of a name.

I believe that one is not saved by saying "Jesus Save Me" rather I believe that by Calling on the name "Jesus" is to call on ALL that HE Represented, his and Our FATHER. He gave all Honor and all Glory to Father in everything, he NEVER sought any for himself. It has been given to me to Honor and Love the Father just how Jesus taught us to.

So now Jesus has returned to the Father. He is now once again fully Spirit, All LOVE and the WORD. Being perfect LOVE could he not SPEAK to all His Children through out the world and teach them of LOVE, so what if they have different names? Can we be sure that they are not being instructed by the WORD? Jesus told us that we will "see" a person by their fruits. I do not believe he met what came out of their mouths.

So we have Jesus the man. Who taught us of Fathers Kingdom in each of us. He promised to send the Spirit to remind us all of what he taught. He died and came back through His Faith and Love for Father as an example to prove that there is nothing to fear in death.

Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of Father. What was his name before he became a man called Jesus (not even pronounced correctly) I do not know this name, so how can I call on a name that I do not know? It being the same name as Father Jhn 17:11

Perhaps it is one of these:

Isa 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

I believe we must recognize the Holy divinity within each of us, our Higher-selves: understand that through this small light we can and will one day have full access to Father.

Eph 2:17, 18
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

I believe that "THROUGH" Christ Jesus, being perfect Love, Truth, Compassion, etc we all can find the peace that he taught, by looking within and not without. When someone can lose the ego and become as a child one will certainly see that there is boundless LOVE beyond compare with us always.

This is what Jesus taught and this is what I believe.

James, I truly hope I have not offended you by this. Clearly my original statement was based on the understanding of using nothing more that the "name." Of course my words "Jesus Christ" and my explanation seem to be at odds; my bad

Love Julie :HeartThrob:

[Tom]

It's important to base one's belief on the word of God not human philosophy even if that philosophy is based on "love" because only the word of God is the truth about love. Without the accurate reference to the truth of the word of God, one is susceptible to deception, and that's the Adversary's special method of operation. God is love, and everything including God's love comes to us through Christ who is the word of God. That also includes all creation, the reconciliation of all on earth and in the heavens, and the salvation of all mankind.

"5 For even if so be that there are those being termed gods, whether in heaven or on earth, even as there are many gods and many lords,
6 nevertheless for us there is one God, the Father, out of Whom all is, and we for Him, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom all is, and we through Him." (1 Corinthians 8:5,6)

"For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5)

The word of God is empowered by the spirit of God.

"For the word of God is living and operative, and keen above any two-edged sword, and penetrating up to the parting of soul and spirit, both of the articulations and marrow, and is a judge of the sentiments and thoughts of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

"Now, whenever the consoler which I shall be sending you from the Father may be coming, the spirit of truth which is going out from the Father, that will be testifying concerning Me." (John 15:26)

"We are of God. He who knows God is hearing us. He who is not of God is not hearing us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deception." (1 John 4:6)

"1 Now the spirit is saying explicitly, that in subsequent eras some will be withdrawing from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and the teachings of demons,
2 in the hypocrisy of false expressions, their own conscience having been cauterized" (1 Timothy 4:1,2)

"3 For the era will be when they will not tolerate sound teaching, but, their hearing being tickled, they will heap up for themselves teachers in accord with their own desires,
4 and, indeed, they will be turning their hearing away from the truth, yet will be turned aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3,4)

"9 Therefore we also, from the day on which we hear, do not cease praying for you and requesting that you may be filled full with the realization of His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
10 you to walk worthily of the Lord for all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the realization of God;
11 being endued with all power, in accord with the might of His glory, for all endurance and patience with joy;
12 at the same time giving thanks to the Father, Who makes you competent for a part of the allotment of the saints, in light,
13 Who rescues us out of the jurisdiction of Darkness, and transports us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 in Whom we are having the deliverance, the pardon of sins,
15 Who is the Image of the invisible God, Firstborn of every creature,
16 for in Him is all created, that in the heavens and that on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or sovereignties, or authorities, all is created through Him and for Him,
17 and He is before all, and all has its cohesion in Him.
18 And He is the Head of the body, the ecclesia, Who is Sovereign, Firstborn from among the dead, that in all He may be becoming first,
19 for in Him the entire complement delights to dwell,
20 and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens." (Colossians 1:9-20)

"And He is the propitiatory shelter concerned with our sins, yet not concerned with ours only, but concerned with the whole world also." (1 John 2:2)

"And we have gazed upon Him, and are testifying that the Father has dispatched the Son, the Saviour of the world." (1 John 4:14)

"And there is no salvation in any other one, for neither is there any other name, given under heaven among men, in which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

[JulieTang84]

Dear Tom,  :HeartThrob:

Thank you for these words of Paul

(Colossians 1:13-20)
13 Who rescues us out of the jurisdiction of Darkness, and transports us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 in Whom we are having the deliverance, the pardon of sins,

You know, I have no idea why I wrote this: I do not believe for a moment that: "Jesus Christ is the only means to salvation" which will likely shock you. Because I believe without question all of this. I think I was voicing frustration with someone I love dearly who still thinks most of Fathers children will burn forever. Myself included. Christ has rescued all already.

15 Who is the Image of the invisible God, Firstborn of every creature,
16 for in Him is all created, that in the heavens and that on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or sovereignties, or authorities, all is created through Him and for Him,

The small amount of divinity that each of us have rejoices for our spirit knows we are nothing without Christ

17 and He is before all, and all has its cohesion in Him.

Exactly, there is not a single person that is outside of Christ. No one "isn't" saved.

18 And He is the Head of the body, the ecclesia, Who is Sovereign, Firstborn from among the dead, that in all He may be becoming first,
19 for in Him the entire complement delights to dwell,

Not just a portion, but all. All being all except Father.

20 and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens."

And EVERYONE is cleared, made clean through him, whether on Earth or in the heavens.

:dontknow: There is nothing more I can say. I wrote something I should not have for my words did not match my intent.

:HeartThrob: :HeartThrob:
Love Julie

[Jock]

[b]"Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest[/b]

I call out to God for this courage that the Lord speaks of here. All I find at the moment, is fear but and weakness which illustrates my dire need for Him. I know that the Lord speaks in power and that even one word transforms me, not just because it's in the Bible, although He can do it that way too, and many others.

Julie, I went to a Quaker church once and I enjoyed the quietness there but they were speaking things about other faiths that were foreign to me. I told them that if they ignored Christ, they were missing the greatest Love and wisdom in the Universe. They told me that they include Christ too, kinda lumping them all in together, a mixed cocktail or what is known as a "Mickey Finn"! I didn't go back, instead the Lord led me here, thankfully. May He give you wisdom and guide you on the way.


Jock   :Peace2:

[JulieTang84]

Julie, I went to a Quaker church once and I enjoyed the quietness there but they were speaking things about other faiths that were foreign to me. I told them that if they ignored Christ, they were missing the greatest Love and wisdom in the Universe. They told me that they include Christ too, kinda lumping them all in together, a mixed cocktail or what is known as a "Mickey Finn"! I didn't go back, instead the Lord led me here, thankfully. May He give you wisdom and guide you on the way.


Jock   :Peace2:

Thanks Jock, your counsel is taken in the spirit it was given. :HeartThrob: 


Perhaps this is where I made my mistake. So many confuse Jesus Christ with just the man who walked this earth. An amazing man for sure, but albeit just a tiny, tiny facet of his being. There is NOTHING that exists that exists outside of Christ. He is the Word that created the heavens and the Earth. He is the one from whom all LOVE, PEACE and WISDOM is received.


He is beyond time as we know time. Everything and I mean everything that we Live, Love and Experience is utterly complete. Father planned all of this long (relative) before our world was created. Father has no beginning and no end; therefore, Father has no past, present or future. A very difficult concept for sure, yet if this was not true: Father would be older now than before, but we know that Father is ageless and does not / cannot change.


I guess what I am trying to say, is that the redemption of all was not just promised, it was completed before Adam came into existence.


So what does this mean for the person who has never heard the name: Jesus Christ? Very little as Jesus Christ has redeemed this person already. What then of those that are sure Jesus and Father are heinous, brutal evil even god's that will take glory in the torture of millions if not billions. Well, they are in for one heck of a shock. Their shame will be great I am sure when they learn that LOVE, loves and fear destroys.


So one could easily take all of this and reason that anyone could do what they like; kill, rape and plunder and nothing will happen. Logical but not entirely practical. For what this knowledge really does is to remove the blinders of limitations and constraints. It opens the door to all Peace and Love. You see that is why we are here. To Love as Father has Loved us, to have Faith as Jesus the man had faith. To create miracles through Love, to lift each other up, encouraging one another. Jesus the man showed us how to do this. He showed us that our opinions and wisdom is nothing without love.


So getting back on point. Why are there so many different flavors of religions. For that matter, why so many different flavors of Christianity? Each would be teacher is leading their flock somewhere. Will each flock find Love, Peace and Truth? Doubtful, but who knows what Father has planned? There are gods of all types, mystics and shaman's world wide. To lump Jesus Christ in with such is mistake, though many lump Jesus the man. Still a mistake, as Jesus the man was The Christ incarnate. No other god, shaman or mystic can claim this.


Unity Church does not exclude any race, color or sexual orientation. It welcomes all with open arms and seeks to tear down walls of division, realizing that only Love for one another through the Spirit of Love and Truth is the only way. It teaches that we are all one in spirit, regardless of how dim the little spirit light is flickering.


There is so much more to Christ Jesus than just professing the words: "I give my life to Jesus"


He is the source of all Peace, Love and Spirit, for no one can come to Father but through his Glorious Son.   :HeartThrob:

We just need to just be still and know that He is Lord of all and let the Love flow through.


Love Julie

[Jock]

 I drove down, with my wife yesterday to Edinburgh airport to pick up our son and his fiancé who are visiting from Canada.  While we were waiting in the terminal for their plane to arrive, I noticed an "Interfaith Prayer Room) It had all the symbols, Crescent moon, Candelabra and others and then of course, the Cross.

They were all just the symbols of man's religions and I don't belong to any of them. I didn't go in but I am thinking just how much I hate political correctness and this room was telling people that "here at Edinburgh airport", we are politically correct and multicultural!

It left a stench in my nostrils. My spirit said "STOP"! I follow Yeshua, not the Christian faith. God is not a Christian.

Jock.   :doh:

[Tom]

I know what you mean, bro, but I think it's sad that we think "the Christian faith" is church doctrine because the true Christian faith is not the distorted religion of the Roman Empire which calls itself Christianity. I believe we are sharing the true "Christian faith" here on this forum. I think we should take back "the Christian faith" from the church because it dishonors it with lies. I think we need to speak the truth that the church is not "the Christian faith." Christ put down the Pharisees because of their hypocrisy. The church is the modern day Pharisees. Truth is not any more popular today than it was when Christ spoke it, but it needs to be told. We may miss the socializing of the church, but that's better than being hypocrites ourselves. Now that we know the truth, we can't go along with church doctrine. The Roman Empire established church doctrine to be politically correct with the pagan religions. That was what ruined the reputation of Christianity. We need to stop believing the creeds established by Rome, and just believe the word of God. It is better to get our virtual fellowship here in truth rather than just going through the motions in church for the sake of socializing because we know the church doesn't preach the truth.

"God is spirit, and those who are worshiping Him must be worshiping in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)

[Jock]

Tom, Amen brother!

Amen and Amen   :iagree:

Jock

[Lloyd]

Could we stick to the topic of this thread, please? It's easy to start another thread to discuss other topics. Julie, do you read PMs? Can I send you one to read?

[Jock]

Sorry Lloyd, my fault, meant to write in on a different thread.   :dontknow:

[JulieTang84]

Could we stick to the topic of this thread, please? It's easy to start another thread to discuss other topics. Julie, do you read PMs? Can I send you one to read?

Sure  :HeartThrob:

[Lloyd]

Thanks, Julie. If it's true that Unity gets members of all denominations etc together, then I think that would be a good effort to join in, since unity is one of Jesus' major advisory statements. So, if they teach both unity and universalism, and study spiritual/physical healing to boot, that seems very encouraging. But, if they're very progressive or liberal, I'm afraid they may not be seeking unity with conservative Christians, whereas I think conservatives would be among the most worth befriending early.

[JulieTang84]

Thanks, Julie. If it's true that Unity gets members of all denominations etc together, then I think that would be a good effort to join in, since unity is one of Jesus' major advisory statements. So, if they teach both unity and universalism, and study spiritual/physical healing to boot, that seems very encouraging. But, if they're very progressive or liberal, I'm afraid they may not be seeking unity with conservative Christians, whereas I think conservatives would be among the most worth befriending early.

Thank you Lloyd for your thoughtful response. I certainly do not consider Unity to be Liberal or Progressive, in fact far from it. But then it is not tied into old school ideas and beliefs. The Church is very opened minded and measures everything against Love. Love for Father, Love for Son and Love for each other. This is not to say that there is not Liberal or Progressive members, for there are; however, no toes are being stepped on when the principle teaching is that we are all One with Christ and Christ being the Shepherd of the entire world. Unity teaches that Love and Spiritual growth for all is what Jesus and Paul taught. There is no dogmatic doctrine and just about anything can be discussed after the service, providing it is presented in Love. There have been a few who simply could not handle this constraint. Unity believes there is no love in a lot of church doctrine; rather that the divinity of  spirit is Love. Well this is my understanding and is given as such.


Love Julie  :HeartThrob:

[Lloyd]

I do still plan to check out Unity Church this Sunday here in Indy, but now I'm getting two worries. One, as I stated in another thread here, is that they may feel like they're too pure to need to get their hands dirty to help others physically. And the second now is that they may consider what I say to be not in the spirit of love. After all I think the Pharisees didn't feel like many of Jesus' words to or about them were "loving", since he didn't shower them with many compliments or praises.

[JulieTang84]

I do still plan to check out Unity Church this Sunday here in Indy, but now I'm getting two worries. One, as I stated in another thread here, is that they may feel like they're too pure to need to get their hands dirty to help others physically. And the second now is that they may consider what I say to be not in the spirit of love. After all I think the Pharisees didn't feel like many of Jesus' words to or about them were "loving", since he didn't shower them with many compliments or praises.

Lloyd if I gave you any reason to think that "my" Unity church would treat you like an outsider than please accept my deepest of apologies.


Too pure, that is almost to funny. I promise you, no one is to pure. In fact no one is considered higher than anyone else because Father does not Love some of his children more than others, even though from our puny view point it might seem so.


As for considering what you say not being in the spirit of love, only you can be the judge of that. In my experience in life in general, it matter most of how something is said than what. Please understand fully, that there are people from all walks of life, from all religious backgrounds; everyone has a truckload of dogma, ideas and insights. What sets Unity apart from any other church I have ever attended, is that they do not judge but rather Love.


I was shocked most about the Love filled Sanctuary, it was warm, positive and inviting. In every other church until then, I felt like I was an unwanted outsider and everyone I knew felt the same way but went out of duty.


Lloyd, the church may not be for you. Go in with an open mind and an open heart an experience it with no preconceptions. I will be honest though. I was dreading attending yet another church and begrudgingly walked through the front door. I was blown away, I was not expecting to feel like I had come home, but I did. My higher self knew it too.


Just relax and know that Father is with you always.


Love Julie  :HeartThrob: [size=78%] [/size]

[Warhawk17]

I do still plan to check out Unity Church this Sunday here in Indy, but now I'm getting two worries. One, as I stated in another thread here, is that they may feel like they're too pure to need to get their hands dirty to help others physically. And the second now is that they may consider what I say to be not in the spirit of love. After all I think the Pharisees didn't feel like many of Jesus' words to or about them were "loving", since he didn't shower them with many compliments or praises.

That's very true. I recommend that everyone reads this. http://bible-truths.com/fools.htm L Ray Smith was a great teacher, and he put it all together pretty well here. Jesus wasn't some nicey nice dude who went around praising everyone all the time. He flipped over tables, cussed out the Pharisees many times, and told people what they needed to hear. Yes he is love, but what kind of love would it be if he didn't point out the error of people's ways? Paul also told us to expose those who contradict.

My parents have given me so much love and care all my life. However, like any good parent, they also pointed out my faults and punished me when I rebelled against them. Sometimes they would yell and say things I didn't find particularly pleasant, and they would take away certain privileges I had. Most people agree that good parents should do these things.

And for some reason these same people will get offended when they realize Jesus was the same way. He wasn't always a warm and fuzzy guy. Like a good parent, he told everyone what they needed to hear and pointed out their faults and sins. Parents who unconditionally support their kids, even if they are rebellious, are typically chastised by other parents for letting their kids get out of control. Yet when people are told Jesus was like this they get offended? I am confused, but Churchianity is a very confusing place.

[JulieTang84]

I do still plan to check out Unity Church this Sunday here in Indy, but now I'm getting two worries. One, as I stated in another thread here, is that they may feel like they're too pure to need to get their hands dirty to help others physically. And the second now is that they may consider what I say to be not in the spirit of love. After all I think the Pharisees didn't feel like many of Jesus' words to or about them were "loving", since he didn't shower them with many compliments or praises.

That's very true. I recommend that everyone reads this. http://bible-truths.com/fools.htm L Ray Smith was a great teacher, and he put it all together pretty well here. Jesus wasn't some nicey nice dude who went around praising everyone all the time. He flipped over tables, cussed out the Pharisees many times, and told people what they needed to hear. Yes he is love, but what kind of love would it be if he didn't point out the error of people's ways? Paul also told us to expose those who contradict.

My parents have given me so much love and care all my life. However, like any good parent, they also pointed out my faults and punished me when I rebelled against them. Sometimes they would yell and say things I didn't find particularly pleasant, and they would take away certain privileges I had. Most people agree that good parents should do these things.

And for some reason these same people will get offended when they realize Jesus was the same way. He wasn't always a warm and fuzzy guy. Like a good parent, he told everyone what they needed to hear and pointed out their faults and sins. Parents who unconditionally support their kids, even if they are rebellious, are typically chastised by other parents for letting their kids get out of control. Yet when people are told Jesus was like this they get offended? I am confused, but Churchianity is a very confusing place.

This is so well presented on so many levels,it is difficult to find where to begin. Thanks Warhawk.


Yes, LOVE is all what you state. It can be just as tough as it is gentle; however, in it's toughness it is seeking to build up the good, not tear it down. Sometimes going through this process feels nothing like Love and it is because our egos get in the way. As you say, some are offended when they learn of what Jesus said or did; however, it seems there are so many more who spew out the words of Jesus, not understanding that the words are empty without the Spirit of Love.


When we learn that Love covers a multitude of sins, it is not a blanket in as much as it "hides" the sin beneath it. Rather, Love can tackle any number of sins, for no sin is to great to be handled with anything but Love of Father. This love may be firm and even appear harsh, but the Spirit in which it is given can never be mistaken.


Love Julie  :HeartThrob:

[Lloyd]

Off-Topic?
I don't know if this subject is really on-topic, so, if anyone wants to discuss this more, I suppose we ought to start a different thread for it. If we do, I can move this post to the new thread.

Family Health Notes - Don't Scream at Your Teens
I post health news from Dr. Mercola at http://forum.freestateproject.org/index.php?topic=17549.0. A recent article there, Screaming at Your Misbehaving Teen May Backfire, came from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/newsletter-archive/2013/09/19.aspx. I've studied several parenting methods since 1975 and have found that, although most parents do fairly good at parenting, most can also use quite a bit of improvement. That's another place where I see too much complacency. It seems to me that there's a lot less love in most families than what there could be. And family members don't really know how to improve their moods and their relationships with others.

I learned quite a bit from Thomas Gordon's book, Parent Effectiveness Training. He pointed out that both authoritarian and permissive parenting lead to emotional and relationship problems and to kids who become less effective adults. People tend to be insensitive to each other's emotions, but as long as negative emotions are experienced it's hard to move forward. So there are a lot of people who have trouble moving forward because their emotions aren't resolved, because they don't know how to resolve them. They become insensitive to their own emotions and to those of others.

Emotions Resolved
Yet, it's so simple to resolve emotions most of the time. Usually, when someone feels a negative emotion all they need is to be understood by someone nearby. And the way they know they're understood is if someone comments non-judgmentally on the emotion while naming it. On Christmas maybe ten years ago my niece had given her brother a sweater as a present, but when he commented that he was disappointed with it, she started crying silently and went up to her room to cry on her bed. No one else noticed her. I did and I went up by her door and asked if she was sad that her brother didn't like her present much. She said yes, then I added that I didn't think he was that upset by it. That's all it took. She seemed to feel much better right away and she went right back downstairs to rejoin the party. I had quite a number of experiences like that. It often seems almost miraculous, because people's emotions can change quite suddenly by such methods. Their feeling of aloneness or stress goes away, simply from being heard by someone.

Unresolved
Sometimes it's harder to resolve an emotion. I visited a spiritual humanitarian group recently and just before I left I got into a conflict that isn't resolved yet. There was a dead mouse by the frij which had died from mouse poison probably. I mentioned it to the lady of the house. She said she noticed it. I may have mentioned then that it might be better to catch them with traps than with poison. She said she didn't like hurting animals and thought they suffered less from poison than from traps. I commented that I didn't think most animals are nearly as sensitive to pain as humans are. She was getting upset at that point, I think, but I didn't notice it until she said shortly after that that she wanted to drop the subject. I was okay with that, but I then sensed that she was upset, so I wanted to let her know I understood her emotion by asking her if she felt I'd been judgmental of her. She said yes and she repeated that she didn't want to talk about it any more, but I felt that we weren't talking about the mouse any more, but about feelings. So I asked if she didn't want to try to resolve the conflict instead of letting it fester. She then left the kitchen and went to her room. I realized later that she probably thought I was insensitive to animals' feelings and I probably was more concerned about humans' feelings. But, being an amateur, I didn't choose the best words to use. She even thought I was psychoanalyzing her and said she didn't need that.

Clearness Committees
I still think it's best to try to resolve such conflicts as soon as possible, because I don't think there can be world peace if people don't learn to resolve conflicts respectfully. So I emailed the group's contact person and I asked to have a clearness committee on the matter. The woman is a Quaker and Quakers sometimes have clearness committees to help someone get clarity on a personal issue etc. I've asked for two clearness committees for myself years ago, so I have experience with them. There's a good explanation of them at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearness_committee. I hope they will agree to that, so we can be at peace on the matter. I said I'd prefer doing it by email, because I don't have a car and it would be more expensive and time consuming in person.

Supernanny
I think the Supernanny tv show is also very good at showing how to improve relationships in families. Of the many shows I've watched, I think in every case the families felt much more harmonious and loving after learning to practice her methods. She starts with family ground rules, like no hitting, name-calling, mocking, cussing etc, what chores to do, what time each day the parents play with the kids, when to have meals, when to do homework with help from parents, when is bedtime etc. When kids misbehave, parents are taught to put younger kids in time-out for one minute for each year of age of the child. For older kids they're taught to take away or reduce a privilege for a week or so. She teaches parents not to yell in anger and to calm down to defuse anger before giving discipline.

[Lloyd]

By the way, Warhawk, I find the section called THIS IS THE ONLY DAY OF SALVATION at the webpage you referenced (http://bible-truths.com/fools.htm) very helpful for universalist teaching. I'm glad you posted it and I read it. I also see now that he has a good discussion of "aionios" at http://bible-truths.com/email2.htm#aion.

[Lloyd]

I went to Unity Church in Indy on Sunday. It's universalist and seeks Christian unity as well and also helps member learn spiritual healing etc. I met a young homeless guy there and had the privilege of helping him out some. And I hope to help out some more. But there's a lot more that could be done politically to help the homeless and other needy. So I'm discussing with others how to bring caring back into politics. Our govt was founded on Christian principles and needs to get those principles back, but better this time.

[jabcat]

I went to Unity Church in Indy on Sunday. It's universalist and seeks Christian unity

I didn't plan on saying anything else, no point in fruitless struggling.  However, it's been brought back up, so gently but honestly, I see it also encourages open rebellious sin, and even welcomes it into the pulpit teaching others.

For any guests passing through the Tentmaker discussion forum, I visited the Unity "church" site, and I believe it's filled with much unscriptural deceit.  They may mean well, but I personally would discourage being drawn into their (what I believe is) apostacy.