The Lord’s Prayer, or Pater Noster, Matthew 6. 9-13, has possibly been the most influential words upon the western peoples. Since when Christ said, “Pray like this”, as recorded in the first gospel instructions, repeated in the didache catechism and through Christian liturgical and daily practice across the lands and through the centuries to recent times, along with, of course, the influence of the general teachings on love and forgiveness as taught throughout gospels. Before the printing press, before the biblical translations from Latin into the European languages, when the congregations knew little of the gospel scriptures but learnt from the symbolism of artefacts, and symbols on walls, in stained glass, in the building’s structure, and in ritual and ceremony, but they learnt, recited, and each in their own way understood the Lord’s Prayer. For between 1000 and 2000 years nearly every western soul learnt the Lord’s Prayer off by heart and recited it throughout his or her life, passing it on from generation to generation. Today, none are not influenced by its concepts. Even those western souls who despise Christianity cannot rid their hearts of its influence. The Prayer’s words are potent, and when understood, contain the fullest scope of spiritual guidance. There is nothing outside of those words to be known, for everything lies between them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Lord%27s_Prayer_in_English

http://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/42686/when-did-the-early-church-...

I say that Prayer regularly. I was taught it as a little boy by my mother. Naturally I say it with more understanding nowadays.

Two evenings ago while reciting the Prayer, intently but gently, slowly and meditatively, in mind and heart, in all its meaning as I understand it, the aperture before me within the dark screen of mind opened wide, and I looked out past the boundary of my mind into the planes beyond. I was surprised to see many individuals clustered around me, gazing longingly with eyes that were joyous, wondrous, yearning yet being satisfied. They were breathing/drinking in the energy of my prayer. One elderly man right before me especially caught my attention. Buoyed by the uptake of energy from the Prayer they were able to ascend from where they were to where they would rather be.

Assisting the dead is not something I am particularly interested in doing. I think there is usually enough assistance for them. Any assistance I might give to the dead has usually been either incidental (like the one mentioned above) or when a job or opportunity has occurred right before me or in connection with me. Generally, I prefer to let the dead look after the dead and put my attention on the living. 

The Lord’s Prayer is probably my favourite verse. If to meet some unpleasant fate I had to forget everything I know, except be allowed to remember and understand just one thing, I would want that one thing to be the Lord’s Prayer. But then I would have everything anyway, because it is all in there.   

Alan-  I'll just add an amen to what you and 1796 said.

R

rondele wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2016 at 8:48am:


Thank you Rondele, at least you are reading my message instead of making personal hurtful remarks!

recoverer wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2016 at 1:00pm:


That we have one life, one incarnation, one chance to avoid hell and reach heaven, is true. And that we have multiple lives, with reincarnation of our individual consciousness, is also true. It seems a contradiction, but they are both as true as each other. Just as a wheel is both round and flat. The difference is really only perspective and attitude. 

It is easy to see why people find the two concepts mutually exclusive, because according to 3D thinking they seem to be mutually exclusive. But a contradiction does not necessarily prove a falsity. Further facts may exist that may reconcile a seeming contradiction. Further relevant facts may exist between, adjacent to, or surrounding the seeming contradictory items. So the existence of further facts must be allowed for, intelligently investigated, then accepted or ruled out.

There are more dimensions, more angles, and more structure, than meets the eye. Or more than meets most people's eyes. Our 3D world seems quite real, and it is, but its not the full picture. And the full picture can make a lot of difference to a partial picture. Context matters.

***

Every step on the ladder of progress has been and is an essential one. Each step comes from the prior and enables the next. 

The idea of God being wrathful or punitive has not held mankind's progress back at all, not spiritually nor in any other sense. If we look at those races of the Earth that have held firmly to the idea of a One God of law of right and wrong, and of punishment, for a substantial period of their histories, such as the earlier Jews and the Europeans through the medieval centuries, and compare those races to the other races of the world, then we can plainly see that their progress in every field of human endeavour, be it science, literature, the arts, technology, general living standards, charitable work, helpfulness and beneficial influence to others,... has been quite reasonable progress. Particularly when we consider the comparison of the races 2000 years ago to the comparison of them now. The Europeans outside of the Roman Empire were quite primitive then, living in stick and mud houses, tribal and with poor living standards, while the Indians and Chinese were more advanced. Then in Europe a change of belief occurred, and with it, a change of attitude and thinking, and since then European progress accelerated at a phenomenal rate. Beliefs are the drivers of individuals and nations.

The Lord promised Abram, "And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."   

***

As for Alan being "self righteous"....well, perhaps, a little. So what. He is only one person, not millions.

There are no people on Earth more self righteous than American Liberals. Travel the world, go to any country, observe any race, and nowhere else on Earth can we find a group of people more convinced of their own righteousness and more convinced that they know best how others should be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLgYAHHkPFs

Quote:


so specifically then, what does one do to avoid hell and reach heaven?

recoverer wrote on Feb 4^th, 2016 at 12:46pm:


I am a prodigal son!
I was lost but
Now I am found
I was dead
And now I live