What is the Meaning of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh?

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Lee — 27 Comments

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came . . . and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1, 9–11)

What is the meaning of the three gifts that the wise men gave to the baby Jesus?

Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were valuable items monetarily, and were thus fine and expensive gifts.

But more than that, they had a ritual significance in the ancient world. Gold has always been an enduring symbol of incorruptible love, while frankincense and myrrh were ingredients in sacred incenses and anointing oils.

The wise men themselves undoubtedly considered gold, frankincense, and myrrh to be spiritually significant gifts for “the child who has been born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:1-2).

Here is the spiritual symbolism of these three gifts based on their roles in the Bible and on Emanuel Swedenborg’s explanation of them as found in the Bible.

For more on the meaning of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, please click here to read on.

Tagged with: baby Jesus, Christianity, Christmas, frankincense, gold, Jesus Christ, magi, myrrh, spiritual meaning, the Bible, the nativity, wise men
Posted in All About God, The Bible Re-Viewed

Traffic Laws: Humans vs. Robots

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Lee — 8 Comments

Google self-driving car

Google is having some technical difficulties with its driverless cars.

Or perhaps they’re having human difficulties?

Okay, here’s the story: according to a University of Michigan study, self-driving cars are getting into twice as many accidents as human drivers. None of the accidents so far have been serious ones. What’s happening is that human drivers are crashing into self-driving cars, mostly in low-speed rear-end collisions.

It seems that the driverless cars are too scrupulous in obeying traffic laws, and too quick to slow down or stop when there might be a problem, such as a pedestrian who might step into the street. Human drivers, on the other hand, are less finicky about the rules of the road. Humans expect other drivers to be more aggressive. They crash into the driverless cars precisely because self-driving cars don’t act like the average human driver.

You can read all about it in this article from msn.com: “Humans are slamming into driverless cars, exposing key flaw.”

So it’s all the fault of the human drivers, right?

Well, Google and other self-driving car makers can rightfully claim that their cars are not legally at fault when they get into accidents. After all, they are programmed to scrupulously obey the law. It’s the human drivers crunching into them who aren’t obeying the law—or are just not driving as attentively as they should be.

But there’s more to it than that.

For more on human drivers vs. robotic cars, please click here to read on.

Tagged with: business, cars, cars and driving, driverless cars, driving, google cars, human law, science, self-driving cars, technology, traffic laws, traffic safety
Posted in Current Events, Science Philosophy and History

Ruler of All Nations

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Lee — 7 Comments

(This article is a lightly edited version of a talk originally delivered on June 8, 2003.)

Throughout recorded human history runs the thread of human beings trying to rule and control as much of this earth as we are able. Nation rises against nation, there are wars and rumors of wars, empires rise to control vast territories, enduring for perhaps a hundred, perhaps a thousand years, and then they are gone, surviving only in the history books and in the collective consciousness of the human race.

Right now the United States is the dominant power on this earth. Some people think this is wonderful. Others think it is terrible. Still others are of two minds about it. But my purpose is not to say whether this is good or bad, but to remind you that it is temporary.

Every human work is temporary. We may build great buildings that last centuries, and great empires that last centuries, but in the end, everything we humans do here on earth will crumble into dust and be gone. We may gain control over a large part of the world’s territory and wealth, but that too is only temporary. It may last for our lifetime, or over many lifetimes, but sooner or later the wealth and lands will pass out of our hands, or out of the hands of our descendants.

We humans here on earth are mortal—creatures of time. Everything about us that dwells in and relates to this material world will live out its life, and then die. We can have no permanent memorial here on earth. Even if we manage to build physical or cultural monuments that last thousands and thousands of years, we know that in the end, the earth itself will be swallowed up by our dying and expanding sun, and even the entire universe will eventually either collapse back on itself, or dissolve into a thin film of inert matter, dead stars, and random energy, incapable of supporting any further life. All things of this material existence live out their lives, and then die.

It is only in a temporary sense that any one of us, any group of us, any human government can be said to rule any part of this earth. We may have the reins of power in our hands for a time, but then our power is gone.

For more on who rules the nations, please click here to read on.

Tagged with: Creation, divine law, divine power, God, government, human law, human power, military power, nations, power, war
Posted in All About God, Science Philosophy and History

Can You Masturbate Without Lusting? What about Matthew 5:27-30?

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Lee — 111 Comments

A reader named David left this comment on my previous article, “What does the Bible Say about Masturbation? Is Masturbation a Sin?”:

Hi Lee,

Thanks for the article. I tend to agree with you. Masturbation seems to be practical outlet for one’s sex drive. Since I come from a more conservative background, the typically verse used to make a case against masturbation is the one in Matthew where Jesus is warns that lusting after a woman is the same as adultery. So the argument is made: “Can you masturbate without lusting?” I would be curious if you have any thoughts on that particular verse since I have heard it used more often than the passage with Onan.

David

Hi David,

Thanks for stopping by, and for your good comment and question.

Now that you mention it, that is a common verse and argument used against masturbation in conservative Christian circles.

It looks like I’ve got some more writing to do . . .

First the short answer:

It’s a weak and superficial argument.

Does masturbation cause lust? Isn’t it actually a way of decreasing our lust so that it doesn’t flow out into evil and sinful actions?

Lust comes from the heart, not from some physical action such as masturbation. And lust has to be dealt with at its source. Blaming masturbation for lust in the heart is a bit like blaming the hammer for hitting your thumb. (“@#%& stupid hammer!!!”)

Now for the long answer.

For more on masturbation and Matthew 5:27–30, please click here to read on.

Tagged with: adultery, fornication, lust, marriage, masturbation, promiscuity, sex, sex drive, sexuality
Posted in Sex Marriage Relationships

What does the Bible Say about Masturbation? Is Masturbation a Sin?

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Lee — 24 Comments

This month three Spiritual Conundrums have been submitted to Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life on the subject of masturbation. First, from “Hmmm”:

A question has been bugging me a lot lately, what is your opinion on masturbation and pornography, if that’s not too much to ask of course.

I’ve been wondering because there’s many people that says it’s bad, and others who say it’s fine, if this isn’t too much to ask i would like to know your opinion on it.

Thanks in advance

We’ll deal with pornography in a future article (see: What does the Bible Say about Pornography? Is Pornography Sinful?). Yes, it is true that many people masturbate while viewing pornography. But let’s deal with one issue at a time.

Here is the second conundrum, submitted by a reader named Daniel:

Hi

What is Swedenborgianism view on masterbations and other related activities?

Thank you

And finally, a conundrum submitted by a reader named John:

I’m a gay male 18 years of age and things aren’t so easy for me. I really want to go to heaven and finally have peace and I pray to God every night before I go to sleep to forgive me for what I am, and the sins I do (Usually masturbation). I’ve talked to many priests and confessed but I can’t tell them about my sexuality, It’s just that they keep telling me that I will have to wait till I get married to get involved in sexual activities and I can’t see that happening in my situation. I really want to go to heaven but I find it near impossible to resist to all of my temptations and urges, and I’m still very young I have a long way ahead of me. I try so hard not to masturbate but sometimes it just gets me, not saying that that’s my only sin, but it’s the one that most bothers me. I’d appreciate it if you’d respond to me, thank you!

About homosexuality, please see my article, “Homosexuality, the Bible, and Christianity.” I realize it is a highly charged issue in the Catholic Church, and in many other churches as well. But what the Bible says about homosexuality is nowhere near as clear cut as many conservative Christians think it is.

Masturbation is not quite as charged an issue as homosexuality in religious circles. But it is still a matter of much needless consternation. So let’s get one thing out of the way immediately:

Q: What does the Bible say about masturbation?

A: Nothing.

For more on masturbation and the Bible, please click here to read on.

Tagged with: adultery, coitus interruptus, fornication, health, masturbation, Onan, onanism, relationships, sex, sexuality, Tamar, the Bible, the sin of Onan
Posted in Sex Marriage Relationships

What if the Quran were the Bible?

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Lee — 14 Comments

The Holy Quran Experiment – Dit Is Normaal

Islam is in the news these days—and mostly not in a good way.

Unfortunately, the version of Islam that is grabbing the headlines is its violent, fundamentalist wing. The recent attacks by Muslim extremists in Paris and San Bernardino are only the latest in a long series of violent incidents driven by this fundamentalist version of Islam.

As a result, many Christians and other non-Muslims have gotten the idea that Islam is a violent, extremist religion that is by its very nature in conflict with Christianity and with Western values.

It doesn’t matter how often moderate Muslims say that violence is not what Islam is about, and that Islam is a religion of peace. For many Westerners, one look at the news is enough to convince them that Islam = violence, not to mention oppression of women and many other highly objectionable practices and beliefs.

But what if Islam’s holy book were not the Quran, but the Bible? Wouldn’t that make Islam a truly peaceful religion?

A Dutch YouTube duo called Dit Is Normaal decided to find out with a public experiment.

For more on violence, the Quran, and the Bible, please click here to read on.

Tagged with: Christianity, Dit Is Normaal, fundamentalism, Islam, Quran, religion, the Bible, The Holy Quran Experiment, The Middle East, violence, war
Posted in Current Events, The Bible Re-Viewed

Facebook vs. Reality

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Lee — 8 Comments

For a video reading of this article on YouTube, click here.

The Facebook Experiment - The Happiness Research Institute

The Facebook Experiment – Happiness Research Institute

The Happiness Research Institute recently published a study called “The Facebook Experiment.”

Its question?

“Does social media affect the quality of our lives?”

For the study, they signed up 1095 residents of Denmark who are regular Facebook users, and divided them into two groups. One group continued to use Facebook as usual. The other did not use Facebook at all for a period of one week.

At the end of that time period, they asked all the participants a series of questions. Here’s what they found:

The people who did not use Facebook for a week reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction, real-life social activity, satisfaction with their social life, and several other measures of happiness.
The people who did not use Facebook for a week also reported significantly lower levels of worry, sadness, anger, depression, loneliness, and several other indicators of unhappiness.

You can download the simplified, graphically presented results of the study in PDF format here.

For more on Facebook vs. reality, please click here to read on.

Tagged with: facebook, online personas, relationships, social media, spirituality, The Facebook Experiment, The Happiness Research Institute
Posted in Current Events, Popular Culture

If Jesus Christ is the One God, Why Did He Talk and Pray to the Father?

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Lee — 38 Comments

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) rejected the traditional Christian doctrine of a Trinity of Persons in God (see: “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”).

But, traditional Christians commonly ask, if Jesus and the Father are not different persons of God, then why do the Gospels say that Jesus talked and prayed to the Father?

The Agony in the Garden, by William Blake (1757–1827)

Also, why does Jesus sometimes say that the Father knows things that he doesn’t? Why, in the Gospel story, does Jesus sometimes seem to have his own personality, knowledge, and desires, distinct and even different from those of God the Father?

There is a simple answer and a complex answer to these questions.

The simple answer is: When Jesus prayed to the Father, he was talking to himself.
The complex answer requires a new understanding of exactly who Jesus was at birth, and of the process he went through during his lifetime on earth.

Let’s look at both of these answers in more detail, and get Swedenborg’s unique take on them.

Why?

Because learning Swedenborg’s powerful answer to these excellent questions clears up a whole raft of perplexity and confusion about the Gospel story—a perplexity that has bedeviled Christians for nearly two thousand years now, and introduced fallacy and chaos into traditional Christian doctrine.

Once we understand the true, infinitely loving, infinitely wise, and infinitely powerful nature of the One God, who is the Lord God Jesus Christ, everything else starts falling into place.

Knowing who God truly is brings clarity to our minds and peace to our hearts. As the perplexity falls away, this often dark and confusing universe finally starts to make sense. We gain a whole new understanding of why we are here, and what our purpose in life is.

For more on Jesus Christ and God the Father, please click here to read on.

Tagged with: Christianity, Emanuel Swedenborg, glorification, God, Immaculate Conception, Jesus Christ, Mary, Swedenborg, the Bible, the Trinity, Virgin Birth
Posted in All About God, The Bible Re-Viewed

Is the Bible a Book about Men? What about Women?

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Lee — 3 Comments

Hagar and Ishmael, by Frederick Goodall (1822-1904)

So . . . apparently some women these days have just a few problems with the Bible:

“It’s all about men!”

“The Bible represents an archaic, male-dominated society.”

“In the Bible, women are basically men’s property.”

“Men do all the important things in the Bible. Women are just their servants and beasts of burden.”

“Most of the women in the Bible don’t even have names!”

Is it any wonder that many women today have serious problems with the Bible and with Christianity?

It doesn’t help that many large, traditional Christian denominations continue to shut women out of the highest positions in their organizations. But if the Bible itself supports gender inequality, how can we in the twenty-first century have any respect for it at all?

Does the Bible really represent how the Christian God views women? How can a modern, self-respecting, capable woman really look to the Bible for spiritual inspiration?

These are huge questions. We can’t deal with all of them in this article. However, we can set the record straight on at least a few points.

In particular, we can highlight some of the strong female characters in the Bible who wielded a decisive influence on Judaeo-Christian history and faith.

For more on women (and men) in the Bible, please click here to read on.

Tagged with: Abraham, Adam, Barak, Deborah, Eve, Isaac, Jacob, Mary, Rebekah, Sarah, the Bible, women, women in the Bible
Posted in The Bible Re-Viewed

Was Jesus Christ Human from Mary, or Human from God?

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Lee — 18 Comments

(Note: This is an edited version of a response I recently wrote to some questions on an LDS (Mormon) discussion site here.)

God is human. In fact, God is the only truly and fully human being. Genesis 1:26-27 says:

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created humankind in his image; in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.

In other words, we physically mortal human beings are only a reflection of humanity. The true reality and source of humanity is God.

(In the future I plan to write a full article about the humanity of God. Meanwhile, please see this answer that I wrote on Christianity StackExchange: “Was Adam anatomically God’s image?”)

The humanity of God is mainly a matter of the divine characteristics of infinite love, infinite wisdom, and infinite power. These are what we humans on earth would call the mental characteristics of a human being. And these are the characteristics that make a being human rather than something else—such as an animal, plant, or rock. The physical characteristics of a human being are human only as a reflection of these mental (or really, spiritual) characteristics.

For more on the divine humanity of Jesus Christ, please click here to read on.

Tagged with: Christianity, Emanuel Swedenborg, God, Jesus Christ, Mary, redemption, Swedenborg, the Divine Humanity, the Father, the Incarnation
Posted in All About God

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