I can understand your desire to share your emotions and experience with Jesus with others. It is admirable and a wonderful quality that you possess. You do it exquisitely.
Thank you.
But what about those who have the exact same feelings and desires to share their deity(ies) with you. Their purpose is the same as yours. They are just as caring and loving.
Nice sentiment. Data?
I have not met a Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist (yet) that has cared enough for me to share their experiences or their beliefs about God. I have received Muslim prayer beads from a Muslim friend because he said that I was the most spiritual person he has met (so far). I have a prayer rug from another Muslim, and a Jewish prayer shawl. My point is that my lack of experience in hearing about their beliefs is not because of a lack of exposure or dialog. When I have (lovingly) talked to them, they are some what taken back about the idea of loving God or God loving me. Their theology presents a different perspective.
I'm interested in your experiences that has lead to the conclusion that they have the same purpose.
I just saw a great t-shirt "God is too large for only one religion."
Agreed. But God superseding one religion does not automatically imply that all religions are subsumed by Him either.
Love God with all your heart (certainly leaves the door open for any view of God ...)
I love you. Am I then allowed to define you as I want to in order to love you? Is it not better to know you and then love you as you are? How does loving God with all your heart imply not all views of God are equal?
Do unto others as you would have them do to you. (this would imply that the opinions of others are indeed valuable. To be willing to listen, reflect on what you have heard, decide if your course is the right one or not, be willing to change if the information would warrant you to do so.) This definitely allows for one to be self reliant on their beliefs and to have an acceptance of other beliefs. If you did not want someone to change you or your belief, talk ill about it, or any number of items that we can put in here, then we should act as loving and caring for the other person, even to our own disagreement if that action does not bring harm to either one.
I have no problem with this. Agreed.
Jesus was trying to bring about a Kingdom of God on earth while he lived, or shortly thereafter. He did not base his teachings on the afterlife.
I disagree. Jesus said in John 14, "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there [Note "there" and not "here"] to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." In Matthew 24 Jesus said, "And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world - from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. ... That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. ... So, you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming." Jesus said in Matthew 25, "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life." In Luke 18 Jesus said, "... and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, AND will have eternal life in the WORLD TO COME."
I agree that Jesus was interested in and taught that we are to live in the Kingdom now, but it was not exclusively just for now. Jesus equally taught about the life to come and that we must prepare for it. So his teachings, based on these scriptures and many others, seem to also included the afterlife.
