xjwsforChrist

May you all have peace!


I came across some interesting tidbits the last few days and perhaps some of you might find them interesting as well.


I've had a few conversations and "arguments" with someone who claims to be a skeptic and a non-believer, over my faith (in Christ and God). Only to discover recently that said person is into Taoism. Which gave me an 'are you kidding me?' moment, lol. So I looked it up and found that Taoism is defined as living in harmony with the Way.

In fact, the definition of Tao = Way.

So that was interesting to me... someone who fights so hard against the Way (Christ), being someone who practices a religion/philosophy defined as living in harmony with what that religion has called the Way.



Not saying that Taoism is a true religion (there is no true religion; there is only Truth: Christ)... or that the practitioners of Taoism are following Christ without realizing it (as Taoism does not personify the way, and Christ is not nameless, as Taoism describes Tao, or any other practices that are from the religion but not from Christ).


Its just that Christ IS the Way.

How can one live in harmony with the Way if one does not know what - or rather WHO - the Way is?



I probably have to share that with the person I have been discussing faith WITH. But what I thought some of you might find interesting (as I did also), are the depictions of dragons on Taoist temples, doorways, etc.


I know that Shelby (peace to you!) has shared as to dragons guarding the temples in eastern civilizations (ancient and modern); and about dragons being seraphs; and we know that Abraham was called out of the East. But here are some pictures of the dragons on the rooftops of Taoist temples.







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Two dragons each facing toward a flaming pearl.

Consider the pics brought back from Egypt and all we learned about Egypt, and the design of the ark given to Israel (with the arkangels at top, wings spread out and facing toward Christ, the cover, the One who sits there in the mercy seat).

This design on the rooftop is not an ark, per se, oh... except the temple could be representative of the ark... then with the dragons on top of the temple, facing toward the flaming pearl at the center.




I thought that was interesting and so I am sharing.



Peace to you all,
your servant and sister, and fellow slave of Christ,
tammy

Interesting Tammy. Dragons and fire seem to be popular with religions. I guess they take a bit of this and that from different religions and make up their own religion or following. It is strange that the Taoist's God has no name but The Way. Like some people who are spiritual but just refer to a Higher Power (no name) when doing their thing.

Have you seen that TV series called The Way?? It is pretty interesting, kind of combines a bunch of cult like religions but basically it is following a Man who died recently and now some members are questioning the truth about The Way. They have shunning in it, they also do that stuff the Scientologist do with the meter and they have a compound where people are sheltered from the world.

Boo-yow, dear Tams, and THANK you for sharing that (peace to you, luv!) The temple would represent the "holy place"... or ark. The "pearl" would represent the "Way"... or "gate." That it is flaming/afire corresponds with (1) Christ being "fiery", as well as (2) the "flaming" swords that "guard" the way into "paradise" (the garden).

These things are older than Abraham and those in the East knew them from the start (Genesis 2:8 ). By the time of Terah's day, though, things had become SO bad and JAH "divided" with a myriad of "gods" and deities emerging, that Terah was called out of the East with his son, Abraham.

ALL of these... Taoism, Hindism, Egyptian religion, Judaism, "christianity, " Islam... have common threads. They just don't know/understand the threads because (1) they misunderstand the similarities because (2) they misunderstand the Way... Truth... and Life: the Son.

Thanks, again, and peace to you!

YSSFS of Christ,

Shel