Who's believing who?

[Big Boy Johnson]

Have you people had enough of believing? How do you think you're going to get out of this global mess? Believe something fresh? I wouldn't advise that, but what do I know.

This is simple. Destroy your personal beliefs, or your beliefs will destroy you.

We should go by what the Lord says.... then we'll be right because HE is right.

Hebrews 1:3
upholding all things by the word of His Power

 

[I.O.U]

The New Testament speaks about four types of love (i.e. agape, phileo, storge and eros). I believe in love and exercise it as appropriate in any given circumstance.

Causing or encouraging hopelessness isn’t loving.

Who here is doing that?

 

[Matthias]

Who here is doing that?

You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.

 

[Big Boy Johnson]

Who here is doing that?

The veiled reply seems to be saying YOU are the guilty one.

In many cases they'll claim you are not walking in love because you failed to agree with them
So one may need to bring a grain of salt with them to the conversation

 

[GTW27]

I discovered that believing was the cause of schizophrenia. I no longer suffer schizophrenic delusions. Four year's and counting since I have needed anti-psychotic medication, and not one case for re-admittance due to psychosis.

Blessings I.O.U.. And what if you truly could believe and not suffer the penalty for believing. Have you considered that possibility?

 

[I.O.U]

But....your dodging.

Truth is not relative...nor is good.

There must be a solid, hard line of "good" as well as "bad" or else societies crumble...we simply can't get along. No one can live in a vacuum. Even animals can get along well enough to live.

Even if you have a small group of "like minded" individuals that does not mean that their ideologies are good. History is absolutely full of ideological failures. Societies and empires have evaporated because their ideologies were massively flawed with "bad" ideas that completely destroyed them.

However,
There are ideologies that have withstood the test of time. The ONLY logical conclusion is that these ideologies are "good". Societies that adhere to them are the successful ones that are flourishing despite what anyone else thinks or says.

That is some impressive thinking. I agree, ideologies that don't prove themselves being beneficial overall for society are canned. Or you'd hope so. Because what happens when people form an ideology that citizens must accept on belief.

 

[I.O.U]

Blessings I.O.U.. And what if you truly could believe and not suffer the penalty for believing. Have you considered that possibility?

I've considered that if I couldn't bare the thought of my child being trapped in a burning building, then God wouldn't either.

 

[I.O.U]

I've considered that if I couldn't bare the thought of my child being trapped in a burning building, then God wouldn't either.

Even if she was caught in a fire she started.









(Because she grew up to be a pyromaniac)

 

[I.O.U]

The veiled reply seems to be saying YOU are the guilty one. View attachment 40582

In many cases they'll claim you are not walking in love because you failed to agree with them View attachment 40583
So one may need to bring a grain of salt with them to the conversation

Will vegemite do? That's really salty.

 

[I.O.U]

You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.

I know how a belief can give people a sense of certainty and meaning for what they don't know. But underneath their belief is that they still don't know. They come at you from a superior place, because you don't believe the thing's they believe you must know. Then how simple minded are you when you can't understand how important their beliefs are, and how miserable you are.

 

[Matthias]

I know how a belief can give people a sense of certainty and meaning for what they don't know. But underneath their belief is that they still don't know. They come at you from a superior place, because you don't believe the thing's they believe you must know. Then how simple minded are you when you can't understand how important their beliefs are, and how miserable you are.

Every living person believes something.

 

[JohnDB]

That is some impressive thinking. I agree, ideologies that don't prove themselves being beneficial overall for society are canned. Or you'd hope so. Because what happens when people form an ideology that citizens must accept on belief.

Good question!
We can see the result from history. The Roman Empire was notorious for conquering other societies and including them into their Empire. They knew that as the conquering nation that people would not accept them just because of their military power. So they began a process known as "Hellenization". Where basically it was worship of their gods through viewing and participating in sex and violence. (Always popular)
This worked well until they came to the Ancient Near East where the Jews largely refused to do so. Because in the Ancient Near East patriarchy and conservative morality had been the ONLY way cultures survived. Yes, there had been wars and battles...but most of the various cultures there had evaporated and disappeared because of the very things the Romans were enticing the Jews with.

And so the struggles really began when Caesar declared himself to be a living god among men and demanded worship. (It didn't work out for Caesar in the long run)
Essentially the Roman Hellenization process made people's cultures and identities not valuable, a commodity, and disposable. The Romans knew without a doubt that these things destroyed a society but didn't care...they just wanted the people subservient and paying taxes. (So they could afford more soldiers and keep conquering more people)

Today, the Roman Empire is gone. Their gods are not worshipped and are the stuff of fantasy literature. The Jews? Still around with the same religion and culture. They even have their own original nation land back. (International politics notwithstanding)

So....
Basically the Jews were right. Their religion (based on the same books for almost 6,000 years now) obviously is good.

 

[GTW27]

Bless

Even if she was caught in a fire she started.









(Because she grew up to be a pyromaniac)

Blessings I.O.U.. I remember when I was a boy I was walking across a field with an arsonist. Suddenly he just lit a match and we kept walking. He had not a care in the world about the consequences. Later in life it was revealed to him that it was not him that was the arsonist but was a visitor that would come in and out of him.

 

[BlessedPeace]

I know how a belief can give people a sense of certainty and meaning for what they don't know. But underneath their belief is that they still don't know. They come at you from a superior place, because you don't believe the thing's they believe you must know. Then how simple minded are you when you can't understand how important their beliefs are, and how miserable you are.

You identify here as an Agnostic.

 

[Big Boy Johnson]

Will vegemite do? That's really salty.

You know....if vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?

 

[I.O.U]

You know....if vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat? View attachment 40627

I think we all know what they would be eating.

 

[I.O.U]

You identify here as an Agnostic.

Yeah?

 

[I.O.U]

Bless

Blessings I.O.U.. I remember when I was a boy I was walking across a field with an arsonist. Suddenly he just lit a match and we kept walking. He had not a care in the world about the consequences. Later in life it was revealed to him that it was not him that was the arsonist but was a visitor that would come in and out of him.

Was the visitor Bing Crosby?

 

[BlessedPeace]

Yeah?

Thanks.

 

[Jericho]

Destroy your personal beliefs, or your beliefs will destroy you.

Does that include your beliefs?