Does revelation still exist? When we learn something new, is that not revelation

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   WaffleCheeseposted 15 years ago

   Does revelation still exist? When we learn something new, is that not revelation?

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   HowToHypnotiseposted 15 years ago

   I think it is the ultimate conceit of most religions to believe that revelation is a 'closed book'. That it has 'all been revealed'.
   
   The challenge is that religions organize themselves around a set of ideas ... around 'the truth' ... and then people define their identity by these 'truths' ... therefor anything 'new' threatens not just ideas but the very identity of the individuals who invested their emotional lives in a set of beliefs.
   
   I'm a therapist ... and let's say I work with a smoker to quit smoking. It is much easier to work with someone who sees themselves as having a bad habit than seeing themselves as 'a smoker'. The 'smoker' is an identity ... with emotional content.
   
   IMHO the arguments that crisscross our planet and our societies over religion are not about the ideas ... but about survival of identities that have been built around ideas ... an almost impossible battle.
   
   Cheers.

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3. 59

   Lee Booleanposted 15 years ago

   Cool question. Nowadays people who hear voices are institutionalized, so even if something new was to be revealed, it would be difficult to publish... besides that, try explaining your new "revelation" to the established religions and see where that gets you.

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   bdavisposted 15 years ago

   The long and short of it is Yes, and No.
   On the no side God has revealed to mankind all that is needed to bring man back into fellowship with Him, which according to Heaven's perspective is mans reason for being here. Man has the option of accepting God at His word as revealed in the Bible or reject it.
   On the yes side, God reveals Himself in His word to a person who seeks Him. Now without going into all the doctrines of predestination and the like, every time someone becomes a christian it is because God has revealed Himself to that person. There are other religions such as Mormons who do not believe that Revelation has been closed. Matter of factly their "prophets" add to it all the time.
   Now the same thing can be said of learning, because knowledge is out there, but because someone just learns something new did that mean there was new knowledge not before available? No.
   HowTo Hypnotise makes a point when he alleges that "religions organize themselves around a set of ideas" They do indeed, and the unfortunate part is that it's up to the individual to process the claim. Lee Boolean is also right in that "nowadays people who hear voices are institutionalized" (I would say that it depends on what that voice tells you) All my articles have been the result of my thinking having been provoked by some kind of process where I apply biblical teachings to what has challenged my thinking. Or the result of a new revelation to me personally.God is far bigger than we are and there is no way we can comprehend all the  knowledge in the universe. I have a hard enough time just remembering what I"m supposed to know.
   Hope this helps

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