It's the whole point of the story, dude. Guy gets fucked over repeatedly despite praying to God, but his faith remains intact at the end. Bololol gee, could this be someone who was banned signing up with a new account? Nah, couldn't be.
Some of these you've listed as "works of the flesh", I'm not sure I can agree with as applying the idea of "works of the flesh" to ... like: Uncleanliness, Idolatry, Practice of spiritism, and Sects. To my perception the application of these words says "you have to love me or else...". Well perhaps not Uncleanliness ... where does that fit in as a "work of the flesh"? That is, "You can't worship anything, you have to worship me." (Idolatry). "You can't practice anything, you have to practice what I say." (Practice of spiritism). Or, "You cant worship or practice with other people, or groups of like thinkers, unless I tell you which ones to worship and practice with." (Sects) Sure the bible of the Christians states that the diety of their practice is a "Jealous God", but then we get into the contridictions thing where it also says hes "Love". Love is a positive connotation, Jealousy is a negative connotation. These kinds of contridictions indicates that their diety has a mental disorder and is flawed, or at least is subject to the same conditions of suffering as humans are. But here's where the contridictions begin ... the Bible is nothing more than a collaboration of a variety of writers. Writers are people. Words are a medium by which people, or any kind of living being able to vocally articulate, decribe their perception of their own reality. One person can look at something and say it is this, and another person can look at it from a different possition and say it is that. When A describes X as this to C and B describes X as that to C, C can either adopt the descriptions of A or B or merge the descriptions of A and B, or C can just look at X and describe it differently than A or B. C can then either agree with A or B, or from his own perceptions say that its both A and B's description, or neither A and B's description. In which case if C disagrees with both A and B, then now we have three entirely separate descriptions of the same thing. Who is right in their description? The ONLY one right is the one doing the perceiving, but they are right only to their own perceptions. No one is exclusively right, and no one is exclusively wrong. Every individual perception is relative to the perceiver, and as the perceiver perceiving their perception is the right one. Trouble is, we have a whole planet here with full of people, each one of them with a different perception, all vying over who has the right one. Because of this, and this is where I see all the friction of people who are Against the Christian philosophy, teachings or ideas, people don't like being told they have to perceive reality any different than they do. To do so will create a state of mental suffering, confusion, lack of direction in their own lives, in other words, unhappiness. The more one pushes, the more the other pushes back. This is where some of the practitioners of the Christian religion seem to cross the line. Perhaps with Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc., except Buddhism does not go out and "spread the word" so to say. Buddhism teaches in this aspect by example. So when a practitioner of Christianity (or any other religion for that matter) starts saying that you have to do this or you have to do that then people start throwing up flags and alarms blaring and the construction of the walls begin to separate themselves from the ones who want to change their perception of reality. Why do I have to love your God? I don't even believe in it. You say I'm going to hell because I don't agree with your perception of reality? Here's what I do believe in ... and not just believe because this is what I've been perceiving reality in this realm for the last 52 years ... I believe in giving, renunciation, wisdom, energetic effort, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving-kindness and wisdom (Theravada paramiis). In Tibetan (Mahayana) this would be called the six paramitas (giving, ethics, patience, effort, concentration and wisdom). I believe in them because I know that through continuous practice I will eventually achieve what I aim for because I have direct evidence that giving eliminates craving and greed, that renunciation elimiates craving and greed, that energetic effort eliminates craving and greed, that patience eliminates craving, greed and ill-will (anger, aversion, hatred), that truthfulness eliminates craving, greed and ill-will, that loving-kindness eliminates craving, greed and ill-will, and that wisdom brings about a release from the factors which motivate ones perceptions toward craving, lust, aversion, hatred, confusion, and ignorance. I agree with most all others ... most ... except I begin to wonder if anyone really understands what Faith is? I can quite possibly have faith that God really does exist, and live my entire life having faith and never really knowing and I'll die without ever having knowing the truth. Is this living? It's more like living having your spine fused where you can't move your head left or right, up or down, without having to rotate your entire body around just to look anywhere but straight ahead. I still remember the fruits of the spirit, OWB. When I was young I had to remember some of the bible by singing them every sunday ... for the fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, meekness, goodness, temperance, faith, against such there is no law. standfast therefore in the liberty wherewith christ has set you free and be not entangeled again in the yoke of bondage ... I didn't even google that or look it up in the bible ... it came from my memory, and I haven't been a practitioner of Christianity for over 25 years. I don't believe in God. But just because I don't doesn't mean you, or anyone else doesn't have to. You believe in whatever it is that makes you happy. After all, that's what all living beings want ... to be happy. Some at any cost, even the expense at others misery or suffering. HTML:
If there's one thing that comes across pretty clearly in the Bible, it's that God's kinda insecure. Really needy guy.
FedUpAmerican, please don't do this. I've asked the one who banned you to unban you. Please don't come back in doing this under a different pseudonym. Please! HTML:
Darrell, no offense, but you look like someone who was in a gay porn video. Did you use to work in the porn industry before? Would that be a sin or a virtue. Just asking.
Yeah, he did a poor a sloppy job too. Look at all the mentally handicapped people posting in this forum. He should be fired.
He pretty much has been. Now Man's in charge. Still waiting to see how that works out, kinda early days yet. EARTH: NOW UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT!
I'll answer your question, truthfully, if you can answer my question, truthfully. Have you ever used the follow pseudonyms on this forum: Stev90, mbld, budbufford, or vleaf? HTML:
You make it sound like I made up the lists but I was just quoting from the Bible at Galatians 5:19-23. You don't have to love "my God". God in fact does not want your love if you feel forced because that would in fact, not be love. Well, my "perception of reality" is that everyone who dies goes to "hell" because that is the common grave of mankind and people go there because they're dead not because they agree or disagree with "my perception of reality". God does! This is an unfortunate illustration. My mother had a bone fusion in her neck when she was about 40 and lived some 30 years that way. It did not prevent her from seeing what there was to be seen even if she did have to turn to see it!
Actually, no it doesn't. That's as, darrellkitchen, would say; your "perception of reality" and is not what the Bible says.
A careful reading of the Bible shows that since Eden, Satan and mankind has been in charge of the earth. My haven't they done a fine job! So your quote should read: EARTH: SOON TO BE UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT!
Hmmm ... seems most of what I wrote was taken personally. Let me see if I can rectify this ... 1) Some of these you've listed as "works of the flesh", I'm not sure I can agree with as applying the idea of "works of the flesh" to ... like: Uncleanliness, Idolatry, Practice of spiritism, and Sects. This was just me stating what you posted. I hope that what I had written did not indicate that you had made them up ... Some of these you've listed ... isn't the same as ... Some of these you've made up ... If I were to print something from memory that I read, then it would be something that I typed, or something that I listed. All I can do here is to say, please don't think that way. Please don't project onto me. If you feel this way then it's you feeling this way, not me thinking this way. <-- and that is not intended to be relayed/intrepreted as ill-will, anger, aversion or hatred. 2) Why do I have to love your God? I don't even believe in it. You say I'm going to hell because I don't agree with your perception of reality? This was a rhetorical response. Pure rhetoric. As if I were anyone, and no one in particular answering a question specifically suited to the answer(s). 3) I agree with most all others ... most ... except I begin to wonder if anyone really understands what Faith is? ... to which you answered: God does! Well, do you think it unfair that People should also? Do you think it unfair that people should KNOW the truth, and just not accept that what someone else is saying is TRUTH without actually haveing experienced something as being TRUE? If I remember correctly, Jesus said, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free..." How can you KNOW the truth without having experienced it. A term used in the bible is to KNOW someone is to in actuality have a sexual encounter with them. This same KNOWING can also apply to the truth. Jesus didn't say, "Have faith that what you hear is the truth and this will set you free." If he didn't mean what he said the first time, he wouldn't have said it the way he did ... he said (and I use all caps for emphasis) YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH. If someone tells me God exists and I dont have any direct experience to base my understanding on, then to me God doesn't exist. Whether he knows what Faith is or not everyone else should also if they're going to have it. Can one really have Faith that Faith exists? Or is it that we need to have Faith in having Faith that Faith exists ... and this can go on to infinity ... so here I am again in the same boat (again rhetoric) having faith in a God, dying without ever having known the truth. And since you've told me your perception of reality, Ill tell you mine. My perception is that people perform actions in response to whatever stimulus they happen to come into contact with. That action is motivated by greed, ill-will and delusion. And because they are forever coming into contact with things, either visually, audibly, through taste, smell, touch or thought, they are constantly performing actions, out of lust, greed, hatred, anger, ill-will, stupidity, delusion, ignorance. My perception is that every being in all of the universe, not just on planet Earth, dictates where and how they will appear in whatever realm their actions have given cause to appear. Whether that realm is beyond description in pleasure, or beyond description in suffering, form or formless realms, is a result of their of their own actions. Hell? It's just a word used to describe someones idea of complete and utter misery, pain and suffering. Heaven? Again, a word used to describe someones idea of complete and utter pleasure, joy beyond description, getting whatever one wants. Words articulate by conventional beings, describing conventional reality. Realms of existence are as vast and varied as the electromagnetic spectrum. This is my perception ... 4) It's more like living having your spine fused where you can't move your head left or right, up or down, without having to rotate your entire body around just to look anywhere but straight ahead. For me, this is a spot-on description. That or the one I was first thinking of wearing blinders like a horse with your head and body tethered in such a way so that you couldn't see anywhere but straight ahead. But I wasn't sure how people would take it being compare to "common" animals ... That was my first thought, but at least my second, which is the one I ended up using, allows for freedom of movement, albiet constrained. --------------------------------- Sorry if you took any of it personally. I suppose I should have realized you may have been expecting a personal attack on that one, or perhaps a flameing. Not so ... not my intention ... not even typed in as such. So apologies if you took it that way. HTML:
Please just Darrell (2 L's). Unlike practically everyone on this forum, I use my real name, not a pseudonym to hide behind. HTML:
Exodus 20:4-5. Yes, it's my perception, but the Bible certainly doesn't say anything to conflict with it. Well, I was referring more to Nietzsche and the whole "God is Dead" thing.
No, I didn't take it Personally. Although, you did quote me and then wrote what you wrote, so I did think that you might be talking to me. So I responded. As for the illustration, you had no why of knowing about my mother, thus I just was pointing out that your illustration didn't really illustrate what you wanted.
The Bible says much to contradict that perception but it seems you have a selective memory. A little more warning when you shift gears like that, please.