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Emily Genuine Christians acknowledge and follow Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan. That should be a litmus test for so-called ‘evangelical Christians.’

Incidentally, I just read an article in which three evangelical Christian pastors justified having their flock buy them $54 million Gulf Steam jets so that they could be ‘nearer to God.’

Jesus rode a donkey and was as close to God as one can get.

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Technically, Jesus IS God.

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Carmen Now you are out of my league. I was brought up with Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (slipped in at the Council of Nicaea in 325). How can Jesus be the son of God and also God?

P. S. Now the Holy Ghost is called the Holy Spirit, which I find a bit spooky.

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Trinitarian theology. Lots of dispute and debate but eventually it was decided that God is three co-equal and eternal persons. God humbled himself to assume human flesh in the person of the son. The easiest explanation is that it is a mystery and an article of faith. There's no good logical HUMAN explanation.

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Constantine summoned the Council of Nicaea to deal with some alternative interpretations. The Creed was the result. I am never sure of Constantine's intent except he wanted to eliminate all who stood in his way and have the final word.

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Michele Constantine apparently had a vision about 311 before a battle that turned him towards Jesus Christ. [Reminiscent of Paul’s vision that turned him from anti-Jesus to Jesus’s devoted disciple?]

Eventually he called the Council of Nicaea in 325 to work out some theological issues. The Holy Ghost was one such negotiated addition. This was a major step in Christianity moving from a persecuted religion to being the religion of the Roman Empire.

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Yes, but I have questions about his Christianity. I read all about this in the bio I read about his mother which had a lot more about him actually. I see his conversion as a part of the road to Christian authoritarianism. (I did enjoy his mother's story from a concubine of his father to mother of an emperor and finder of the True Cross.) A constant theme was that he let no one or anything stand in his way to complete control.

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Keith, I recently read a book about Constantine's mother and the Council of Nicaea was during his watch. I am not sure Constantine was much of a Christian, but he found it useful. Of course, that didn't stop him from doing in his son among others. I think in many ways very early ordinary Christians were not as intolerant until Church fathers, emperors, and assorted "saints" took over. Love your postscript.

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Et cum spiritu tuo. Boo. Just dragging main street Keith and thought I would drop you a Dominus Vobiscum.

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Mar 16, 2023
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Liz Including the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit?

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Mar 16, 2023
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Correct Liz. The "Godhead" has three aspects: Creator, Redeemer, and Guiding Presence. The Triune God is one way of grasping what is basically ungraspable for humans.

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I have heard God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost as One. And I have heard that each is separate. My grandfather was a Catholic, however; I only know this by going to his funeral when I was six years old. His wife, my grandmother, was a Protestant that I hardly remember going to church but she was a good hard working woman that I loved dearly. She was not educated beyond grammer school. My other grandmother was a Jehovah's Witness. I don't remember her husband and by wonderful kind well thought of grandfather ever stepping foot in a church. I went to church with our neighbors around the age of 10. I remember being in Sunday School class and the teacher ask if we were sinners and to hold up our hands if we were. I didn't think I had sinned so I didn't hold up my hand. I was so embarrassed when she said we were born sinners! Who would have thought! I know attend church on the internet on Sunday after I watch Sunday Morning on CBS.

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Carmen ! JESUS ! IS ,..... The SON ! of GOD ! HE came to US to Do the WILL, of HIS FATHER ! and to Please HIS FATHER ! LUKE 23 /35 thru 46 PSALM 31/ 4 & 5 ACTS 7/ 58 thru 60 ACTS 2/37 thru 39 ! Blessings !.......

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Ask your pastor about this.

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SORRY ! Carmen ! I was *Reposting*

and it dropped out of My Position.

"Nutshelling". My thoughts, in the HOLY SPIRIT, put Me into what Paul Wrote,. in Colossians :

2 , Verses 9 and 10....Him!, is JESUS!

He, (the SON,) The Only BEGOTTEN,

of the Father,! was Manifested,. in the FLESH, to Come Down, (from Heavenly State) and DO, the WILL,

of the FATHER, Always ASKING, the FATHER, to GLORIFY HIS FATHER , through Himself (showing SERVITUDE!) unto the FATHER.

On the Cross,, ...He said "FATHER!

FORGIVE THEM! For They NO NOT !

What They DO! on the End, ...He said,

IT IS FINISHED! ( His SINLESS FLESH, DIED!! *the Perfect LAMB of GOD!*). to Fulfill GODS LAW!

there is NO Remission, of SINS,. except, Through, the Shedding of

BLOOD ! NOW! ...JESUS! is With the FATHER, as OUR PROPITIATION

for the FORGIVENESS, of SINS!

IF!, ...We *Walk, in His COMMANDMENTS. ALLOW HIS

HOLY SPIRIT, to Continually RESIDE

in YOU! ALL BLESSINGS!

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INTERESTING,. ..HOW the LAST LINE! of the Post, Doesn't SHOW UP!, ......it SAYS:

UNLESS!, there is the SHEDDING

of BLOOD! (JESUS! ...the PERFECT LAMB! ,. of GOD!

NOW! ...OUR High PRIEST! , for ETERNITY ! HALLELUJAH !!

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He also gave his talks under trees, by rivers…..

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Such a hippie!

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Keith, I saw two of the three pastors interviewed. They weren't all Gulfstreams, but you got the gist absolutely right.

One of the pastors told his congregation that Jesus told him he needed a new jet. The other one justified it by telling his church that he couldn't pray or read the Bible while he was locked up in a commercial jet with sinners. I was so disgusted at these grifters that I turned the TV off and never went back to that channel. I can't cite the show, but I am so thankful that those "pastors" do not represent the clergy any more than trump represents the presidency....

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TELL IT ! like it IS !! K eith !

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