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Friday, December 18, 2015

One God

In the news - The Professor Suspended for Saying Muslims and Christians Worship One God. I thought what the teacher said about God was fine, but I wish she hadn't picked the hijab as her symbol of solidarity - to me the covering up of women's hair/bodies is a sign of sexism.

But anyway, I thought it might be interesting to watch a 2007 lecture by Keith Ward, former Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford, that touches on the 'one God' thing. It's titled Islam and Christianity: Is a clash of civilisations inevitable?.


4 Comments:

Blogger Steve Hampton said...

Dearest Crystal
"Blessed are those who believe but have not seen."
I rejoice for you (Sometimes it is impossible to feel it for yourself') and your Spirit development. I has been my experience, several times in my life, that God and me are pals for long stretches. Then things start to feel odd. They seem to not fit. I have to face it. I hate it. But I have to tell Him, "You're fired!". Or even pulling a 'Nietzsche', I have to kill Him. ('If you find the Buddha on the path...') Then at some point out of the pain and carnage I start to sense a sort of New-Big-Mysterious. It's never comfortable, but I have a lot of growing-up to do.

A lofty palace with seven golden pillars has my Queen -
A crown of seven faces, with countless jewels has my Queen.

A garden filled with roses and with lilies has my Queen -
The ripples of the silver stream reflect the tresses of my Queen.

But my Queen hears not the plashing waters,
She gazes not upon the smiling roses;
The light within her eye is veiled in sadness.
Her dream is heavy now with mourning.

Far away, in a clouded midnight land,
Amid cold mists and winter storms,
In lonely struggle with dark evil powers,
She sees her friend - alone - forsaken.

Casting aside her diamond crown,
Leaving behind her golden palace,
To her friend, all unexpected,
She beckons with her blessed hand.

As tender spring o'ershadows winter's gloom,
Radiant with joy, o'er him she bends,
Enwrapping him in silent tenderness
Within her shinning mantle's folds.

Powers of darkness collapse in dust,
The lonely one now flames with pure fire;
Eternal love is shining in her azure eyes,
As thus she softly whispers to her friend:

"Like ocean waves, unstable is your will, I know.
To me not long ago you pledged your faith;
Though your word you've broken,
Think you
That by this
You could change
My mind?"

- Vladimir Soloviev

8:43 AM  
Blogger crystal said...

Hi Steve :) Thanks for the encouragement and the poem (and the Christmas card ... mine is on the way). It's good to know that it's not just me who feels that the relationship with God deteriorates sometimes. I feel like a fair weather friend because when things are bad, I get so angry with him and decide he's not really a 'person' or that he just doesn't exist at all. But if things get better, I get hopeful again and change my mind, at least tentatively. I don't know what it all means, but I've pretty much given up trying to get it right - now I'm just trying to make it to the end ;) Merry Christmas to you and Lynne.

9:45 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Crystal, I found your blog after watching Augustine and finding your review. After reading your posts you are a very confusing person, and you seem somewhat selfish. I learn a lot from selfish people. Im curious, what do you mean by "now im just trying to make it to the end?"

10:44 AM  
Blogger crystal said...

I'm confusing and selfish? ;) I meant I was just trying to survive until I die of natural causes - dark humor.

9:29 PM  

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