Kingdom Perspective: Odds and Ends. Kenneth B. Alexander Alexander
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Название: Kingdom Perspective: Odds and Ends
Автор: Kenneth B. Alexander Alexander
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Религия: прочее
isbn: 9781456612160
isbn:
Verdicts against some large religions are valid. Verdicts against non-mainline religions such as Scientology, polygamy, Mormonism and counseling by ministers without even basic training in how to direct people seems justified. The ministers, who admit the truth that they are unqualified to be a marriage counselor, and refer their congregants to professionals, are to be commended. They know that subject is minimally covered in seminary school and they are willing to stick with what they know which is (purportedly) religion and spiritually. Those who bull ahead, and act out of their field, deserve to be regulated by the rest of society. It is age old law that one be responsible for his/her actions that do harm to others. Those who come to the church for suicide counseling and are told just to believe God are being done a dangerous disservice.
Not that psychiatry has all the answers. But there are myriad support groups where the individual takes charge of his/her own destiny with the support of others similarly situated. Would the church, or would Alcoholics Anonymous, be better able and qualified to treat alcoholism?
What about drug dependence, molestation, mental disorders, violent temper, personality disorders or depression. Who would be more qualified: A group of peers who had been there or a trained mental health professional; or a minister who likely has no education, training or experience (personal or otherwise) in treating these illnesses? Would you want your preacher proscribing a cure for cancer? Yet some have done this, shunning medical care for a spiritual prescription, and have (or should have) had their hands slapped hard by our legal tort system i.e. a reasonable person would find this an abhorrent practice. Religion regulated by a government system is unwise and illegal in our society. There, however, can and should be legal regulation by a group of 12 ordinary persons in a jury box who don't decide policy per se but decide what is preventable negligence in each separate case that comes before them.
When a standard of reasonable conduct is used to measure religion, the result is good if the religion is sometimes brought up short. Do we not sue the Doctor who cut off the wrong arm, or left a sponge in a patient's stomach? Should we not likewise sue the church or religious practitioner for doing psychological damage by applying religion as a cure-all? The constitution gives us a right to practice religion but not apply it in an extreme that goes beyond religion and into conduct that any reasonable man can see as harmful. As an example we have the right of free speech but that right does not extend into areas like yelling fire in a theater.
Our function of a separated government including courts, as set forth in our constitution, seems to do quite well in most cases. We may not find, in all cases, the one right answer, but together we find a reasonable answer. I can think of no standard that could work as well. Since we have the institution of religion we as a society should have the right to reasonably regulate it through the courts without violating the first amendment freedom it enjoys.
The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
"The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament [expanse of heaven] literally shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line [sound] has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world" (King David Psalm 19:1-4).
Today's astrology is a perverted interpretation of the true astrology. It is in line with the type of astrology, witchcraft, soothsaying, fortune telling etc. that God condemned. As God said to the Israelites as they were to enter the promised land: “When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations [the nations the Israelites disposed]. “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. “For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you…“For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do so. “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him” (Dt 18:9-15). Prohibitions against such practices are noted on at least 50 occasions in the Bible.
Also: “Let now the astrologers, Those who prophesy by the stars, Those who predict by the new moons, Stand up and save you from what will come upon you. “Behold, they have become like stubble, Fire burns them;” (Isaiah 47:13-14). The Chaldeans and many of the Canaanite nations were astrologers. “The king called aloud to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans [master astrologers] and the diviners” (Daniel 5:7). The reason God prohibited the use of divination and astrology was that Israel was to rely on the prophets He raised up to speak the true Word of God, not those who used other means to predict the future.
True astrology does not predict anything but paints a picture of the revelation of Christ in the sky, using the stars. It is not known how or how often this method was used but there was a time when there was no writing, and stories were passed down word of mouth possibly using the astrology explained here. The stars and constellations are mentioned many times in the Bible especially, in the Book of Job. For instance: [Job speaking of God] “Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars; Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea; Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, [constellations] And the chambers of the south;” (Job 9:7-9).
Christian astrology, and for that matter astrology before Christ, is ancient. Reading the stars and their interpretation was common to ancient civilizations before there was any writing. Before the Bible, man read the stars and constellations as revealing God's plan or as duplicating in their own religion. The astrology presented here portrays details of the revealing of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Pagan and present astrology only interprets or predicts events that take place on earth and in men's lives, many of the events unrelated to God at all. We will proceed to explain briefly this ancient method of the revelation of the will of God, which can rightly be called Christian Astrology.
The Zodiac is a 360 degree circle, divided into 12 sections. Each section denotes the passing of the earth through one or more constellations as it completes its orbit around the Sun. The denotation of the earth passing through a constellations is called a sign. Each constellation is a grouping of stars that seem to form a shape such as an animal or thing. Also each 30 degree "piece of the pie" is divided into three 10 degree sections called decants. The decants are also constellations, further descriptive of the main sign. Both signs and decants are indicative of an aspect of Christ. When taken all together, they form a complete revelation of our Savior.
The constellations are given names reflecting what they purportedly depict such as Virgo the virgin, Libra the scales of justice, Scorpio the serpent and so on. The revelation we present here begins in the sign of Virgo and ends with Leo. The 12 signs, each with three decants, are: Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aires, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Leo. The entire Zodiac, its signs, are briefly described below.
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