True Human Being

Discussion in 'Faith, Devotion & Formation' started by neminem, Jan 13, 2020.

  1. neminem

    neminem Active Member

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    What is a true human being?
    What is it like to be a true human being?
     
  2. Rexlion

    Rexlion Well-Known Member

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    What? You mean you don't know? Are you an AI?? :laugh:

    But seriously, I wonder where you're going with this. Maybe you should offer your own definitions first! :) Then we can pick them apart... :p it's what we do best around here, LOL.
     
  3. neminem

    neminem Active Member

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    If Adam and Eve were true human beings, before their sin, what were they like, and what would it be like to be that way.
     
  4. PDL

    PDL Well-Known Member Anglican

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    They were perfect and free from sin.
     
  5. neminem

    neminem Active Member

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    So, what is it like to be perfect and free from sin?
     
  6. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

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    It would be like Jesus of Nazareth was.
    .
     
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  7. neminem

    neminem Active Member

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    Yes it would be, but do you know what that is like - in terms of thoughts and feelings?
     
  8. PDL

    PDL Well-Known Member Anglican

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    How can I? Surely, you can engage your imagination as much as I could to wonder what this would be like.
     
  9. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

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    Sometimes: "My God My God, why have you forsaken me"?
    Sometimes, "I and the Father are one".
    Sometimes "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I have to put up with you? How long shall I have to suffer you"?

    Particularly when irritated by the obduracy and ignorance of others in the church. No doubt they sometimes feel that way about me too. :rofl:
    .
     
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  10. neminem

    neminem Active Member

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    This is true as long as you engage your imagination.
    Would not, being in unconditional faith, allow Truth to engage your thoughts and feelings?
     
  11. Botolph

    Botolph Well-Known Member

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    I can only answer this as an Anglican Christian, and I am sure that there are other answers. The notion of a 'true human being' would seem to capture the idea of being human in an authentic way. We read in Genesis in the account of our creation, So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). I would take it that part of being truly human is to reflect something of that image and likeness with authenticity.

    In the Anglican Church of Australia we use the Creed as translated by ICEL where the incranatus is rendered For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. This was received initially with a great deal of concern, yet after having used it for some time I am quite comfortable with the rendition as it speaks of the authenticity of human nature of Jesus Christ. When I am at my best I am most like Jesus, and I am becoming more truly human.



    ICEL Text: https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/a42fbdb2/files/uploaded/praying.pdf
     
  12. neminem

    neminem Active Member

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    Thank you Botolph for your response.
    What is it like to become more truly human?
     
  13. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

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    It's more like being like Jesus was, and doing like Jesus taught, and thinking like Jesus thought.

    Being moved by the same experiences, angered by the same issues, attacked and vilified by the same godlessness and prejudice in others and motivated by the same desire to discover God's will and do it, in spite of them, no matter what.
    .
     
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  14. neminem

    neminem Active Member

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    Thank you for sharing your personal experience in becoming truly human.
     
  15. Botolph

    Botolph Well-Known Member

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    In part in begins when we recognise more fully the image of God in others, even people with whom we disagree.
     
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  16. Rexlion

    Rexlion Well-Known Member

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    They knew no fear, no condemnation, no knowledge of death. To them, the Presence of Almighty God was normal, natural, and an 'everyday' sort of thing. They were innocent and naive (dare I say gullible?), yet blissfully unaware and un-self-conscious. They had freedom to do anything at all without consideration of rightness or wrongness (except for one thing, eat fruit of that certain tree). They were indeed without sin, but (obviously) not immune to temptation. I'm confident that they felt happy, fulfilled, fully satisfied, and complete... until they believed the serpent's lie.
     
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  17. neminem

    neminem Active Member

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    Thanks.
    So, they were not conscious of self other than a Being of Truth from God? They had no wants or needs until the serpent told them otherwise.

    To be restored to a true human being, one is to unconditionally surrender self for the Truth.
     
  18. AnglicanAgnostic

    AnglicanAgnostic Well-Known Member

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    "

    Tiffy's reply to neminem's question post #6

    I agree you could argue Jesus was without sin, but I don't think he was perfect. He apparently mentioned the wrong high priest in Mark 2:26. He mentions Abiathar being the priest whereas 1 Sam 21:1 says it was Ahimelek. I am indebted to Alcibiades informing me of this fact on this forum on 30/12/2013 . Incidentally I wrote this in the days of President Clinton and King William V of Great Britain. :)
     
  19. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

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    Eph.4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

    Perhaps perfection is not about getting every jot, tittle and fact exactly right. It may be more about doing the right thing, not just knowing all the facts. And anyhow who is to say that Jesus may have actually been the one who was right about Abiather and the author of 1 Sam. 21:1, or a copyist, got it wrong. Would it matter?
    .
     
  20. mediaque

    mediaque Active Member

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    I was thinking more on this line of thought. A copyist could have easily made the boo boo.