What are the three aspects of God and Man?

  • Thread starter Royce
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In summary, the conversation discusses the belief that man, like God, has three aspects: the physical body, the mind, and the soul. These aspects are believed to be created by God and are considered unique to each individual. The purpose of life is seen as experiencing and growing into balanced individuals and seeking to know oneself and God. There is also a discussion about the concept of a Trinity and how it relates to the body and soul. The conversation ends with a suggestion to consider a mental model to explain paradoxes in beliefs and nature.
  • #1
Royce
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It is my belief that Man like God has three aspects. God's, of course, are Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Man's three aspects are, IMO, The physical body, the mind and the soul.
The body, the beast, is evolved and of the Earth and is driven to survive and reproduce. The mind of Man is uniquely human and is a product of genes, culture, experience and our unique selves. Our soul is created by God and bestowed to us. The soul is of God and will return to God, Heaven, once our lives here on Earth are finished.
Our purpose here is to experience life and to grow and develope into unique balanced individuals and seek to know ourselves and our God.
These are some of my fundamental beliefs. I, of course, cannot prove any of this nor do I have to. I am posting them simply to open a line of comments and discussion. Please feel free to join in and give us the benifit of your views, beliefs and thoughts.
 
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  • #2
Originally posted by Royce
It is my belief that Man like God has three aspects. God's, of course, are Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Man's three aspects are, IMO, The physical body, the mind and the soul.
The body, the beast, is evolved and of the Earth and is driven to survive and reproduce. The mind of Man is uniquely human and is a product of genes, culture, experience and our unique selves. Our soul is created by God and bestowed to us. The soul is of God and will return to God, Heaven, once our lives here on Earth are finished.
Our purpose here is to experience life and to grow and develope into unique balanced individuals and seek to know ourselves and our God.
These are some of my fundamental beliefs. I, of course, cannot prove any of this nor do I have to. I am posting them simply to open a line of comments and discussion. Please feel free to join in and give us the benifit of your views, beliefs and thoughts.
A cat has three names ... the name his master calls him ... his scientific name ... and the name that nobody knows but the cat himself. Are we not speaking of the same three degrees of reality here!
 
  • #3
Royce, I disagree with almost every word you say. I can't see the soul and don't look for God. But we can still break bread at the table.
 
  • #4
Indeed, Royce, you error is ignoring facts (which strongly stand for no souls - doctors can tell you that better than I). Soul was invented by ancients to explain difference between dead and alive body. We all know that it is just chemistry (those who don't can take biology class and learn).
 
  • #5
These are some of my fundamental beliefs.
Can I ask how did you prove the truth of these beliefs to yourself?
 
  • #6
Originally posted by Royce
It is my belief that Man like God has three aspects. God's, of course, are Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Man's three aspects are, IMO, The physical body, the mind and the soul.
The body, the beast, is evolved and of the Earth and is driven to survive and reproduce. The mind of Man is uniquely human and is a product of genes, culture, experience and our unique selves. Our soul is created by God and bestowed to us. The soul is of God and will return to God, Heaven, once our lives here on Earth are finished.
Our purpose here is to experience life and to grow and develope into unique balanced individuals and seek to know ourselves and our God.
These are some of my fundamental beliefs. I, of course, cannot prove any of this nor do I have to. I am posting them simply to open a line of comments and discussion. Please feel free to join in and give us the benifit of your views, beliefs and thoughts.
Royce ... if you want to see this Trinity Paradox work ... you can find a 'possible' way on my website. It might help you to visualize and strengthen your belief. You can even find an answer on the saying that we are created in His image.
Check: http://hollywood.org/cosmology/paradox_religions.html [Broken]
 
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  • #7
Is it possible that your trinity is not represented in reality, but rather as a mental model of how the body works. Ie. if the soul is part of the body, you can consider it as different entities because they carry out different functions. Kinda like the hindu belief system of aspects of god...
 
  • #8
Originally posted by FZ+
Is it possible that your trinity is not represented in reality, but rather as a mental model of how the body works. Ie. if the soul is part of the body, you can consider it as different entities because they carry out different functions. Kinda like the hindu belief system of aspects of god...
Einstein explained the shift between energy and matter. It's only the question where you draw the line. Your focus or overview.

When we are sticked in discussions on the level where one group says that there are only RED apples and the other group says that there are only GREEN apples then we better state: there are apples,... there is indication that some are red and some are green. .
But the essence will be: how do they 'grow' and are there different trees? Where is that Garden of Eden with all those trees?
So what interests me in the first is to find a 'mental' engineering picture that 'might' explains a number of paradoxes in believes and in nature.

You are right about those different entities (to the observer they are separate islands = another mini-universe with different functions, different rules, different colors, different habitants, different fruits, different language, different apples, ...). When we have the overview we will see that islands are just the local tops of the Earth surface which are surrounded by water. For the island-bound observer (the monkey) only his island and all it's products and events are important.
The satellite view (the Eye of Ra) will show us however that everything that grows on all these separate islands (with all these differences) comes from earth.

Hinduism: :-), yes nice approach. That picture will make you "see" these Gita texts, instead of being over-powered by words of various manifestations. I like the saying: one picture says more than thousand words.

btw: how's your tv-set? ;-)
 
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  • #9
Originally posted by FZ+
Is it possible that your trinity is not represented in reality, but rather as a mental model of how the body works. Ie. if the soul is part of the body, you can consider it as different entities because they carry out different functions. Kinda like the hindu belief system of aspects of god...
The soul is the essence man! ... and essence returns to essence.
 
  • #10
Because soul does not exist, then what returns and where to?
 
  • #11
I did not mean in any way that there are three and only three aspects of God. It, at least to me, is a mental image which helps us comprehend and relate to God.
As for the soul, close your eyes and calm your mind. Now watch you unbidden thoughts come and go. If your mind is doing the thinking of those thought who is watching your mind think those thoughts? If you wish to call it super ego as Freud did that's okay with me as I'm sure it's okay with God, he has many name too.
 
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  • #12
My father has a similar theology to you Royce. His ideas are very advanced and he is looking for a place to publish his studies on the internet.

He would say that the body is self evident(solids, liquids and gasses). It is conscious of the world.

The Soul is known by science as psychology (mind, will, emotions).It is conscious of self.

The 'Spirit' is what he calls our supernatural element making his religion possible (after-life etc.) and is not scientifically known or knowable. He believes it is responsible for human conscience, intuition and communion as taught by the Chinese christian 'Watchman Nee' (a key player in the Chinese christian revival, my wife is also Chinese). The spirit is supposed to be conscious of God.

If you are interested in a copy of his studies I can E-mail them to you.

If anyone can support his dream of publishing them on the net, he would be very flattered

Regards
 
  • #13
By other words, it is all just chemistry of brain. And that is exactly what biology textbooks say - life is just chemistry.
 
  • #14
The trinity if God and Man

Okay here we go. If I leave anyone out I applogize in advance. Let me know or write another response and I'll try to responde as soon as I can.

N_Quire;
Of course you do and you should disagree with just about every word I wrote. This is part of MY belief system, not yours. To me it is more than faith. I would be honored and delighted to break bread at any table with any and all of you so long as we check our knives, clubs and guns at the door, figuratively and literally.

Alexander;
I once felt and believed much as you do when I was yond but I grew older and wiser and after much hard work came to grips with my beliefs and thoughts. It is a work in progress as is life. Do not believe everything you read in books or read different books. Science and textbooks never look for the soul or God so naturally they never find them.

Laser Eyes;
I didn't and can't prove them. I didn't have to prove them to myself.
They came to me after years of contemplation and meditation trying to find a belief system that works for me and includes both science and religion. I found that there is no conflict. They are simply different aspects of the same one thing that is all. Scientific and Physical Laws are the laws that God made when he created the universe. As I've said before in other threads; science is just one way that we may know the mind of God and the Big Bang is the same as God Saying "Let there be light."

Fz+;
I agree that it is not represented in what call physical reality. Our bodies are physical. our minds are mental and our souls are spiritual. There are some, and I am one, who belief that what we call physical reality is the illusion and that the spiritual world is the ultimate reality. The physical word was creatrd for us to have a place to stand while we grew up spiritually.

Palastration;
Thankyou for you thoughts, comments and support. I will visit your site as soon as I get a chance.


Iacchus;
For once we agree on something. We have found a common ground on which we meet. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Jackie;
If we disagree at all it is only in terms. To me the mind is not the soul but a different aspects of what we are. What your father calls the spirit is what I call the soul. To me the spirit within us is the living spirit of God and of Jesus, I am a christian, present in all of us to lead, guide, love and nurture us. I would very much like you to email me a copy of yopur fathers studies.

Alexander again; Please go to your lab and mix me up a living breathing thinking human being capable of independant thought and Love. Can't do it. Okay how bout something easier, that self replication molecule that everyone is talking about. Please make time to read something besides textbooks written by selfserving acemedicians under the gun to publish or perish. If you do not believe in God or our soul why are you here reading this thread and responding to it.
I once read a book entitled "If You Meet the Buddha on the street, kill him." It meant of course that we cannot find Buddha or God in the external world, on the street, but only within ourselves. Any Buddha or God that we meet on the street is a fake, not real, an imposter or demon if you will. Look within yourself, Alexander, that is where you will find your God. Beleive me he ain't in any textbook I've ever had to read.

God, I hate sounding like a preacher. I guess I asked for it by staring this post.
 
  • #15
Originally posted by Alexander
Because soul does not exist, then what returns and where to?

If souls don't exist, how do you explain consciousness? Currently, it can't be observed by science, yet it exists or seems to, unless it too is just 'chemisty of the brain'.
 
  • #16
Originally posted by Psyber freek
If souls don't exist, how do you explain consciousness? Currently, it can't be observed by science, yet it exists or seems to, unless it too is just 'chemisty of the brain'.
Which it just might be.

Now, if I had ever been consciously aware prior to the birth of my physical body then obviously I'd have good reason to think there is something else going on around here. I do not have such recollections, however. All I see are people who have had to wait for the birth of their physical bodies to take place so they could start talking about all this stuff which takes place without one.
 
  • #17


Originally posted by Royce


Alexander;
I once felt and believed much as you do when I was yond but I grew older and wiser and after much hard work came to grips with my beliefs and thoughts. It is a work in progress as is life. Do not believe everything you read in books or read different books. Science and textbooks never look for the soul or God so naturally they never find them.


So, you believe in astrology books, Bible, Harry Porter and Santa, huh?

Sorry, that is NOT what we were taught. We were taught to believe in FACTS and test any hypothesis by compliance with facts. Biology textbooks (as well as other textbooks/encyclopedias) are full of facts. But not astrology/religion/santaclausology books.

Sorry, I can't trust just ANY book as you seem to. Only FACTUAL (or complyibg with FACTS) ones.
 
  • #18
Boulderhead,
One of the ways that Zen monks measure their progress is by knowing themselves and seeing what their face looked like before they were born. It isn't all metaphorical as I understand it. I'm not there yet and I'm no Zen monk but in my meditations I have "seen" that there was/is a me before I was born. Take it for what you will. It satisfies me and that's all that counts to me. We all have to find our own way and no one way works for everybody. There are as many paths to God as there are people. We each have our own path to find and travel.
 
  • #19
Originally posted by Psyber freek
If souls don't exist, how do you explain consciousness? Currently, it can't be observed by science, yet it exists or seems to, unless it too is just 'chemisty of the brain'.

Soul? What is it? Define your subject, concretize what you mean by it to make sure you know WHAT you are talking about.

If even you can't do it, then obviousely there is nothing to discuss yet (=no object to talk about).
 
  • #20


Originally posted by Alexander
So, you believe in astrology books, Bible, Harry Porter and Santa, huh?
All right, Santa's in the house

Royce,
But notice that everyone has to wait until after they were born to do any of this, as well as how difficult the task seems to be...
It could be argued that you are just continually trying to force yourself to see something, until at last your brain says 'screw it' and whips up an image so you'll go away...happy.
We all have to find our own way and no one way works for everybody. There are as many paths to God as there are people. We each have our own path to find and travel.
I agree.


If I am fool, it is, at least, a doubting one; and I envy no one the certainty of his self-approved wisdom.
~ Lord Byron
 
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  • #21
Boulderhead,
Yes, I agree completely and often have doubts of self dillusion. I am in no way sure or convinced of the reality or validity of my experiences whether physical or spiritual. There ar time when the rational part of my brain denies everything I believe in including the existence of God and thinks that the rest of my brain is a fool. There time when my soul, heart and/or super ego tells the rational reasoning part of my brain to shut up and listen for a change and you will know. I am a blind traveler gropping my way down an unknow path just like the rest of us. I do not try to convince anyone of anything except possibly myself.
I have found a place, this forum, to express my thoughts and experiences and read those of others. It beats the hell out of talking to myself all the time. I always know what I'm going to say or have already heard it a hundred times.

Alexander;
Soul - noun - that which gives meaning, purpose and direction, whether spiritual or mental, the the collection of chemicals called Man.
That's my deffinition of soul. Make up your own or look it up yourself.
 
  • #22
Boulderhead,
I should add or point out that we can,t make meditation especially Zen meditation happen. Trying to do so or trying for a result makes it impossible to accomplish anything. We must sit quietly and wait and allow it to happen. Whatever comes will come when we are ready for it not before or after. We know at the time that it is true and valid. It is only later thinking about it that we may begin to doubt what we were shown.
 
  • #23
Originally posted by Royce
Boulderhead,
…It is only later thinking about it that we may begin to doubt what we were shown.
This doubting thing lead Madeline Murray O’Hare to proclaim to an audience of Christians; “Oh, you’re all atheists. At one time or another you have all said to yourselves ‘this is bull$h!t’”
I’d like you to tell me if you can, in a way that hopefully I can understand, what you hope to achieve through your meditations.
 
  • #24
Originally posted by Alexander
Soul? What is it? Define your subject, concretize what you mean by it to make sure you know WHAT you are talking about.

If even you can't do it, then obviousely there is nothing to discuss yet (=no object to talk about).

This is part of what www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary says.

Main Entry: 1soul
Pronunciation: 'sOl
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English soule, from Old English sAwol; akin to Old High German sEula soul
Date: before 12th century
1 : the immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life
2 a : the spiritual principle embodied in human beings, all rational and spiritual beings, or the universe b capitalized, Christian Science : GOD 1b
3 : a person's total self
4 a : an active or essential part b : a moving spirit : LEADER
5 a : the moral and emotional nature of human beings b : the quality that arouses emotion and sentiment c : spiritual or moral force : FERVOR

Definition #1 and 2 are what I'm talking about. It immaterial, so we can't odserve it, unlike most things. This doesn't mean that it can't exist.
 
  • #25
That's a hard one, Alexander. Even in terms that I can understand it is hard to explain without oversimplfying or overstating especially in "western" terms. Initially I was hoping to achieve peace and harmoney within myself as well as self-knowlege and acceptance. I was searching for myself and my God though I may not have know it or admitted it even to myself when I first began so many years ago. As I said before it is a continuing work in progress and while I have a long way to go, I have come a long way.
I am a firm believer and practioner of Santaology, Harry Potter, The Force and the Lord of the Rings. As far a astrology I firmly believe that our sun signs give a strong indication of our personalities and behavior. I don't believe that astrology controls or predicts anything. I'm not a completely rational and logical being nor do I want to be. I'm not even what most people would call religious but I am spiritual.
In my late teens and early twenties I rejected vehemently the Christian God of the Old Testament and many of the common beliefs of the New Testament. I referred to myself as being agnostic as I couldn't reject the possibility of a Creator but not the one in Genisis. I placed the Christian God right along side of the Fire God and Ra and such others.
It is axiomatic in eastern thought that when we are ready the teacher will come. Many teachers have come to me over the years in the form of books I found at yard sales, used bookstores even libraries, TV lecturers I happened across while channel surfing, Radio programs etc. Had I not been ready for them at the time I came across them I would not have paused or picked up the book or whatever so it is a bit self fulfilling. That does not make it any less true.
I am not in any way criticizing you or you thougts or philosopy, I think that I just regognized a fellow searcher and traveler who happens to be about somewhere I was many years ago.
 
  • #26
That's a hard one, Alexander.
You mean ‘BoulderHead’?
It is axiomatic in eastern thought that when we are ready the teacher will come.
Yes, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
I am not in any way criticizing you or you thougts or philosopy,
Nor am I attempting to put you down. I appreciate the candidness with which you share your inner thoughts, and I always enjoy reading about how people think on these ‘life-matters’.
I think that I just recognized a fellow searcher and traveler,,,
You are a traveler then, good.
 
  • #27
Sorry BH. Yes I meant Boulderhead; but, obviously I had Alexander in mind also.
Yes I'm a traveler and I appreciate your appreciation; but, did I help you understand a little bit of where I'm coming from or answer your questions to me? I would like that kind of feedback because I have no idea if I'm being clear or not or if I'm effectively getting my ideas across.
 
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  • #28


Originally posted by Royce
Laser Eyes;
I didn't and can't prove them. I didn't have to prove them to myself.
They came to me after years of contemplation and meditation trying to find a belief system that works for me and includes both science and religion.
Would it be fair to say then that you have developed these beliefs out of a desire to function in the world as it is rather than a desire to learn the truth whatever that may be?
 
  • #29
Laser Eyes,
I think that they go hand in hand. I developed these ideas, beliefs while trying to learn the truth of the way the world really is rather than the way I want it to be or think that it should be. I don't think that they are separate or conflicting, the world and truth that is. Nor do I think that we can successfully separate the material from the spiritual. It's like seperating and egg. Sure it can be done but you lose the egg, the wholeness and oneness of reality when you do. That is why I am not an Aristolian (sp?).
 

1. What are the three aspects of God and Man?

The three aspects of God and Man are known as the Trinity, which includes God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This concept is central to the Christian faith and is believed to represent the three forms of God's existence and presence.

2. How do these three aspects differ from one another?

Each aspect of God has a distinct role and function. God the Father is seen as the creator and sustainer of the universe, while God the Son is believed to have taken human form in the person of Jesus Christ to save humanity from sin. The Holy Spirit is seen as the guide and comforter for believers.

3. Is it possible to fully understand or explain the Trinity?

The concept of the Trinity is considered a mystery and is not fully comprehensible to the human mind. It is a divine mystery that is accepted through faith rather than complete understanding.

4. How is the Trinity represented in religious art and symbolism?

The Trinity is often depicted in Christian art as three figures, usually in the form of a triangle or three interlocking circles. It is also represented through symbols such as the triquetra or the trefoil, which show the three aspects of God as distinct but united.

5. Why is the Trinity important in Christianity?

The Trinity is a fundamental belief in Christianity as it represents the nature of God and the relationship between God and humanity. It also reinforces the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one united divine entity, highlighting the importance of unity and love in the Christian faith.

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