If you are looking at people, you aren't really paying attention to what scripture says. There is nothing in scripture that says that people are good. In fact, scripture makes it pretty clear that people are not good. There is One that is good, and that is God.
The faith is not about being a "good" person. The faith is about recognizing your own faults, getting some humility from that realization, and showing others charity as you have been shown charity. The faith is about keeping it real, recognizing that God is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality, and loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
Is discernment a gift of the spirit? Certainly. Those who love the truth will be more in line with the truth when they make moral decisions. Those who bow down to idols will allow their idols to corrupt the truth that they do cling on to.
The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is God.
That is what "God" with a capital "G" means.
The ones who do know that this is what they are talking about tend to avoid it because even they know it looks stupid to argue, "It is the truth that there is no truth, and it is reality that there is no reality! Prove to me that there is such a thing as proof! Hah! You have shown me no proof, there is no evidence!"
If they don't believe in God, they don't believe in truth, so they aren't being honest when they ask for evidence.
No, good atheist arguments are always against little "g" gods, not The Big G.
It doesn't matter whether or not you believe in The Supreme and Ultimate Reality, it clearly exists, and no amount of cleverness or mental gymnastics is going to get around this.
The Supreme and Ultimate Reality by necessity must exist. It is intrinsic to what that means.
Why do people have a problem with God? Because they believe that the things people tell them about God are God. They are superstitious. They are the people who automatically assume that a UFO is a spaceship piloted by little grey man like creatures. It's called an unidentified flying object because it is in the air and we don't know what it is. So with that understanding, what does "The Supreme and Ultimate Reality" mean? What does God mean?
This is really something everyone should have common ground on. The existence of God should not even be up for debate. Atheism is not a defensible position. It's practically an academic joke to make know it students expose themselves as being fools. It works really well, because know it all students tend to be that way because they think so highly of themselves. It is easy to get them to think they "know better" than to fall for that God scam.
Seriously, take every atheist argument against God, and I don't mean scripture or any of that.. I mean arguments directed at God. Now replace the word "God" with "The Supreme and Ultimate Reality" and see how stupid the argument sounds.
Yes, atheism is stupid. It is stupid because God obviously exists, that is damn near the defining characteristic of God. EXISTENCE.
That doesn't make atheists stupid, that makes them ignorant. If they knew any better, they wouldn't be atheists.
Real deal atheists? The ones shouting from the rooftop "There is no truth! There is no reality! I'm a little tea pot short and stout!" will die in their sins, because to deny truth is an unforgivable blasphemy. Let them live out the rest of their lives in the hell they have created for themselves. They deserve it.
If you are feeling like you are being bullied over the internet, it means you need to get out more.
Fresh air is a lot more fun. Being on the internet all the time makes you dumb. The world is falling apart around you people, and all you can do is worry about what a bunch of loser malcontents say on some internet website? For a lot of these people, it is probably a way for them to let out aggression in a world that has hammered them into submission otherwise. They are weak, and their weakness is let out here. Let them take their drugs.
That is what this place is. That is what all this amusement is. Drugs.
One day, when it all shuts down, all you electronic crack junkies will be standing around with your hands on your genitals. You will get robbed. You will starve. You will deserve it. Maybe you should have been doing something more useful with your time instead of bowing down to worthless idols. You know, like developing life skills, meaningful relationships, discipline, or growing into a decent human being.
No, instead of working hard and practicing good stewardship, you'd rather do everything half ass, blow all your money on vanities, and argue with people over the internet.
Argue with someone who can't even look you in the eye. Argue with someone who you can't even tell is laughing at you will they intentionally lie to you. Argue with someone who probably isn't taking in a single word you say. For what?
It's all vanity. It's better to keep it real.
The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is God. Surrender to God, and forsake idolatry.
A fascist is a bundle of sticks.
A bundle of sticks is also called a faggot.
Therefore, fascists are faggots.
Fascism means "Reality is kindling for the fire"
A "fascist state" would therefore be a mode or condition of being set on autodestruct.
I don't know what fascism is, that is just what I think about it.
Can you answer these questions?
"Why is it objectively immoral for one evolved bag of pond scum to kill 17 lesser bags of evolved pond scum?"
(If you don't believe this, please explain how it is objectively immoral)
"How do you rationally knows truth from fiction?"
I think if you answered this questions, it might lead to more edifying discussion about these things.
The fact that you are even talking about "right wing trolls" is evidence that you are feeding them.
You don't defeat trolls, because for them to win is to get you to talk. That is the whole point of that type of trolling.
I mean really, are you much better? What are you doing right now? You are obviously trolling. You aren't doing any better than those you point the finger at.
I'm sure you are loving all this attention. How much of it is even real? You are likely building your own hype up, assuming there is even any hype at all.
I don't believe the hype. All I see is you calling yourself number one and bragging about how you spill the entrails of your enemies.
Good show. You make a good clown.
Maybe if you accepted that I am talking about The Supreme and Ultimate Reality and not what you or I think that is, you'd have less trouble.
You'd also realize that there is absolutely nothing delusional about saying that God exists, and to say that God doesn't exist is inherently self defeating. It is like saying, "It is the truth that there is no truth!"
See, if you knew what I was talking about, you'd realize that your posturing is little more than arrogance. You are clearly in the wrong, and it has nothing to do with me being right. You aren't arguing against me, you are arguing against The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
What does it matter if I'm stupid? Even someone who is stupid can understand that the truth isn't a lie and a lie isn't the truth.
Then you still believe in God, even if you don't believe in God the same way as other people do.
If you believe there is truth or reality at all, you believe in God.
The word "God" is English for "The Supreme and Ultimate Reality".
So you don't recognize the witness of various scriptures? That doesn't mean that you don't believe in God. Indeed, people believed in God even before these scriptures were written.
I recognize the witness, and I recognize the proof. That is why I can speak so boldly about Jesus Christ. It has been proven to me even if it hasn't been proven to you.
Of course God has thoughts though. The evidence of this is that you have thoughts. If God didn't have thoughts, how could you have thoughts? After all, if it is a reality that you have thoughts, it means that thoughts exist. If thoughts exist, it is by God that they exist.
Did God "create itself"? No, of course not. The reason why this is theologically unsound is because God is not a created thing. Created things come from God. In fact, this is practically the distinction between God and everything else. The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is The Uncreated.
Because in Jewish theology, a name is not an arbitrary pronouncement of syllables, it is a real matter of identity. Not identity like, "this is what I call you", but identity like "This is a defining quality".
There are many names of God in the bible, and they all have meanings. Contemplating these names aide in revealing the true identity of God.
Who is God?
The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
I AM THAT I AM is what God said.
The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
Or you know, the Word was God and the Word was with God, that sort of thing.
Talking about God here.... The Truth... The Way...
When people deny God, they are saying that there is no truth or reality. The existence of God should not even be up to debate. If there was ever any one thing that should be common ground, it should be God.
Not as long as there are a bunch of juvenile minded know it alls running around who think it is beneath them to give dignity to those who don't have the same garbage crammed in their heads as they do.
Yet that is kind of the nature of where it is we are. People who lean on their own understanding like to debate. They like to debate because they are insecure about their beliefs. Unfortunately, they are both insecure and prideful. As a result, they can't be seen changing their minds, and they can't help but make degrading comments towards those they see as being less than them.
Really, it amazes me that these people don't see how their mentality not only condemns just about everyone on the planet, but it also condemns them.
They don't know Jesus, but they think they do. If they knew Jesus, it would be better for them. If they could put aside their haughtiness for a moment and adopt an attitude of charity, the result would be more edification for everyone.
Of course, if you are here because you are full of pride and insecure, you aren't here for edification. Not for yourself or others.
I don't ruthlessly attack people. I hold back an awful lot. Why? Because I realize it isn't helpful to tell someone that I think they are really stupid. To me, that isn't a matter of their identity. Just because they believe a lot of stuff that I think is stupid doesn't mean that they are stupid. I want people to have a good time. I want to help, I really do. Do I sometimes slip up and call people names? Yeah, it happens. That doesn't mean that I think it is right. Besides that, I really do hold back an awful lot. It is a lot easier to be a raging arse head than it is to be genuinely polite. I try to take the more skillful route.
In my every day life, this is what I do. I help people. It is hard work, and a lot of times it is very thankless. It is a different environment. In the real world, my actions are my words. Here, my words are my actions. It is the opposite. You can't see what I'm doing here. I can't really be a friend here. This isn't my world. Besides that, I don't like spending a lot of time on the computer and I don't really have a lot of time to spend on the computer. In fact, I'm going to have a lot less time to spend on the computer after today. I am a very busy person. I work a lot. I have to work. I don't think people who are on this site all day know what it is like to have to work. When I am not working, I prefer to be outside.
So what? I just want everyone to know that my heart is heavy with compassion, and that is why I say and do the things I do here. I care about you, even if I think the opinions you express make you look like a monstrous and despicable person. The people I love in the real world are probably a lot worse than even the most wicked person on this site. I associate with killers, prostitutes, knee breakers, magicians, psychopaths, and those who are overcome by substance abuse on a daily basis. Why do I do that? Because I'm able to get along with these people without sacrificing my integrity. I preach the gospel everywhere I go, and most of that preaching comes from simply being a good friend. From showing CHARITY.
And that is what is really needed, not just here, but in the church, in politics, in the workplace, in the real world. More charity. Without charity, everyone will simply devour each other. Besides that, when we don't show charity, we condemn ourselves because we are guilty of the same things we accuse others of.
What am I? I'm just a man.. or a cartoon frog.. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that God is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality, and the good news is that The Truth sets you free. It's about keeping it real. Showing charity is part of keeping it real. We all have been shown a lot of charity. We all have been given a lot of grace. We are where we are because of so many factors outside of our own control. It isn't right to think so highly of the self. Keeping it real leads to humility. Honest humility leads to sincere charity.
Sincerity of faith and charity, that is the way. That is the right path. That is all I preach. What is the alternative? The worship of strife and chaos. A person who worships strife and chaos is not thinking about other people. They are thinking about themselves. They are working to satisfy their own lusts. They are doing it for the lulz.
Do you all want to get something meaningful accomplished through debate? Surrender to God, and show charity to one another. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be open.
All I hear is "I deny The Supreme and Ultimate Reality".
This instantly makes you wrong, so why should I care about the rest of the crap that is falling out of your head?
I don't believe in your knowledge falsely so called. You certainly aren't talking to me.
See, if you actually listened to me and understood what I was saying, you'd come to the realization that atheism is a self defeating position that is inherently foolish.
Yet here you are, expressing your own opinions very loudly while being resistant to conversation and even banning people. Narcissistic? So what if I am? It's very obvious to me that you are projecting. The measure you use to judge has been used to judge you.
Sorry, I don't see how your faith in God makes you any different than the pagan. You aren't fun. Get over yourself. You might as well be an atheist masquerading. You're worthless.
You might not care about my opinion, but I don't care that you don't care about my opinion. It would be better if you were thrown into the sea with an anchor tied around your leg.
Shitlord
I think it comes from having a superstitious idea of God. If your conception of God is anything other than THE SUPREME AND ULTIMATE REALITY, you aren't actually talking about the God that any real believer professes faith in. Besides that, you aren't talking about the God that is universally recognized from the scripture in all the major world religions.
Of course, atheists tend to debate people are superstitious ideas about God because it reinforces their own superstitious ideas of God.
They have no idea what they are doing.
There are also a lot of atheist who actually do believe in God, but because they are practitioners of magic(that is, the utilization of belief as a tool), it isn't in their best interests to point people to a conception of God that is actually real.
Atheism is either ignorance, foolishness, wickedness, or all three.
You can't go against God's will, don't be ridiculous. Whoever is denigrating your words, they are doing it by the will of God.
So is this your excuse?
I tell you, it makes no difference whether you forsake God or come to God. It is by God's will. It is God's will that you experience things the way that you do. It is also clearly God's will that the state of your consciousness changes over time. The you of today is not the same as the you of long past, and it won't be the same you as the you of the future.
I'm throwing around seeds because some of those seeds will land on fertile soil. Those who grow with God will have peace. What is peace? Accepting God's sovereignty over all things and aligning yourself with it. On Earth as it is in Heaven. What does that mean? It means to forsake delusion, and embrace THE TRUTH.
The TRUTH is what sets you free, and embracing the TRUTH will ultimately lead to a happier life.
I can't speak for anyone else, but the reason why I preach the good news is because I'd like for everyone on this planet to have a good time. It's not about me. I have my peace, and believe me when I say that there are many who would look at me and expect me to be miserable. I tell you, there are those who have it far worse than me, and they have found peace because they love God.
So hey, you could say, "I have peace, I am content! I am even happy!". I don't care about that. I am not your judge. The one who really knows is God, and you may be able to fool others.. You may even be able to fool yourself.. But there is no fooling God.
Keeping it real is the best policy, and what am I saying? All I've been saying the entire time I've been on this website is to KEEP IT REAL.
Look at how much opposition I get just from that! You know what it does? It proves scripture right, because scripture SAYS THIS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
Just as they called for the crucifixion of Jesus, just as they slayed the prophets.. So the world will revolt against the truth, no matter how clearly stated it is.
What am I saying?
The Supreme and Ultimate Reality!
Watch people foam at the mouth. It is really pitiable. Yet, it fulfills the scripture, "Because they received not the love of the truth, they have been cursed with strong delusion".
It is the love of Christ dwelling in me that compels me to spread The Good News. Salvation is God. The Truth sets you free.
Keep it real. I'm very consistent. It isn't about me. I'm not trying to be a teacher. I'm trying to point to The Good Teacher. I have faith that Truth stands clear apart from error. I must become less so that The Word of God becomes more. It's not about me. It's about God.
So whether or not you find my words convincing, it is the will of God. I am not the one who saves souls. I am not the one who hardens and softens hearts. It is God, and it is even written that some vessels are made for honor, and others for dishonor.
It is always better to forsake idolatry and turn to The One True God. The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is the focus of the relationship. How does God speak to us? Through his Word, and it is written, "All things were made by him(The word of God which is God); and without him was not any thing made that was made.". If this is the case, your very experience is your relationship with God, and God speaks to you through life.
How can you deny my God? It's because you don't know my God. If you knew my God, there would be no doubt in your mind that this is the only God even worthy of being called God, for all other gods are subject to death, but The God I believe in is Eternal.
The way things actually are as opposed to the way you see things as being or wish them to be.
By definition, there can only be ONE Supreme and Ultimate Reality. There can't be two "supremes" or two "ultimates". There is One True God.
The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
If you say this God doesn't exist, you clearly don't know what you are talking about.
So repent, and believe The Truth.
No, what is irrational is trying to reason with people who have a stated position that THEY DON'T BELIEVE IN TRUTH.
I'm telling you that by your logic, I'm a "determinist machine" even though I believe in God.
Hating atheists doesn't do any good. Show them some charity, they clearly don't know what they are doing. Bashing people and acting superior is never a convincing way to argue.
What do the scriptures say?
Without charity, it matters not if you know everything, can speak every language, and give your body to be burned... The effect you will have is the same as a loud clanging symbol.
Why do I do what I do? Because it is God's will. Why do you do what you do? Because it is God's will.
The one who hardens and softens hearts is God. It does no good to be pretentious about it, because we are where we are because of the grace of God, not our own doing.
You are clearly not talking to me, you are clearly talking to some homogenized prejudice.
Sorry buddy, you making me into your straw man because you have a hate boner doesn't make what I say idiotic.
The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is God. What you experience is a reality. This reality is your personal relationship with The Supreme and Ultimate Reality. Your experience is not God.
I do not kill people. I do not call for anyone to be killed. I believe in charity. You clearly do not believe in charity, because you have already taken yourself as judge by condemning "moronic churches". See, that is the difference between what my position is and your position. My position is not to lean on my own understanding, but instead say, "I don't know", and let The Supreme and Ultimate Reality be the judge, surely the righteous judge. I am a fallible human being. You on the other hand are puffing yourself up to be something.
Well, no matter how intelligent you are, no matter how capable, no matter how influential... You will die in your sins, and God will continue to be as God always has and always will.
You don't understand the faith because you already think you know. I'm telling you that you don't. The faith is in God, The Supreme and Ultimate Reality, and the discipline is loving God. Loving God means loving THE TRUTH. If you love THE TRUTH, it will eventually give you some humility, and make you an overall more honest person.
Maybe you should get a dictionary and figure out what "Supreme and Ultimate Reality" means before you start speaking about things you don't understand as if you had understanding.
The only thing I ever consistently stand on is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality. I don't even stand on myself. Is not honesty intrinsic to this? Who are you to judge another's heart?
Humanity is doomed because that is the nature of created things in a temporal world. Time destroys it all. It is the eternal nature of God's word that saves all of it. Even though yesterday is gone, it is still here, always existing, one with God, The Supreme and Ultimate Reality. All of existence is here by The Word of God, and The Word of God is eternal.
There is no salvation apart from God.
You have a relationship with God, and that relationship is your personal experience.
Your inability to see the truth is called "sin", and there is no man alive without sin.
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. "
Believing in God is easy, you can be absolutely certain of God. Believing things about God is harder. What is God? The Supreme and Ultimate Reality. Recognize that, and allow the spirit of truth to show you the way and grant you a peace that surpasses all understanding.
"Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.
Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father.
Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by."
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
God is defined as The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
What is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality? The way it actually is. Contrast that with the way it isn't or the way as it looks, or the way that is preferred.
How can I prove this is the Christian God? I don't need to prove anything, it stands by itself. The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is clearly the God of all.
I can at least tell you that I see the witness of this God in both the Old Testament and The New Testament. This is the God of scripture that is universally recognized as being "Christian".
Christianity is not the worship of created things though, it is the relationship with have with God in creation with the spirit of Truth.
Make no mistake, God is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality, and if you take God as being anything else you are not talking about my God.
The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is God.
These other gods do exist, but they are created beings. They are mortals with lifespans like everything else in creation.
The One True Eternal God is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
Many Christians were accused of being atheists back in the early days of the Roman Empire.
In fact, just about every atheist argument at some point in history was used by Christians to expose false deities.
Successful atheist arguments, that is, arguments that are actually legitimate, do nothing to disprove God, they only show how our understanding of God is off.
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."
Sometimes you gotta give the brain a good washing to get all that gunk out of the mind.
You can here in Austin, Texas.
Believe me though, it will become apparent why it is better for women to cover themselves. It will not be possible to avoid unwanted attention. I've known women to try going around topless all the time, and they usually learn something.
"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her,
that her warfare is accomplished,
that her iniquity is pardoned:
for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low:
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough places plain:
and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together:
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
The voice said, Cry.
And he said, What shall I cry?
All flesh is grass,
and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
the grass withereth, the flower fadeth:
because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it:
surely the people is grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:
but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
O Zion, that bringest good tidings,
get thee up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings,
lift up thy voice with strength;
lift it up, be not afraid;
say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand,
and his arm shall rule for him:
behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd:
he shall gather the lambs with his arm,
and carry them in his bosom,
and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
and meted out heaven with the span,
and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure,
and weighed the mountains in scales,
and the hills in a balance?
Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord,
or being his counsellor hath taught him?
With whom took he counsel,
and who instructed him,
and taught him in the path of judgment,
and taught him knowledge,
and shewed to him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket,
and are counted as the small dust of the balance:
behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,
nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
All nations before him are as nothing;
and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
To whom then will ye liken God?
or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
The workman melteth a graven image,
and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold,
and casteth silver chains.
He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation
chooseth a tree that will not rot;
he seeketh unto him a cunning workman
to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.
Have ye not known? have ye not heard?
hath it not been told you from the beginning?
have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth,
and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers;
that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain,
and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
that bringeth the princes to nothing;
he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
Yea, they shall not be planted;
yea, they shall not be sown:
yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth:
and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither,
and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
To whom then will ye liken me,
or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high,
and behold who hath created these things,
that bringeth out their host by number:
he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might,
for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel,
My way is hid from the Lord,
and my judgment is passed over from my God?
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard,
that the everlasting God, the Lord,
the Creator of the ends of the earth,
fainteth not, neither is weary?
there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint;
and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
and the young men shall utterly fall:
but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint."
What if? Omnipotent means that God did it. The Supreme and Ultimate Reality. It is better to accept The Truth than to show preference to unrealities or worse yet, live in utter denial of The Truth.
See, when you don't accept God, you are really the one who is embracing arbitrariness. Your god is personal whim rather than The Truth. For this reason, those who would rather bow down to fetishes will be cursed with strong delusion.
It is better to make peace with reality than to outright deny it or pretend it is something else.
Good is determined by God. What that means is, if God does it, it is good.
The only free will is God. If you are going to say that God's will isn't free because only God's will can be done which makes God limited to God's will....
...well, I think that makes even less sense.
Yet this is what I believe, that God alone is good, and all things were created by the will of God.
My faith is not in man, man made institution, or any of these created things. My faith is in God, The Supreme and Ultimate Reality, and this is the God that scripture testifies of.
The first definition of "testament" according to Merriam-Webster is...
"A tangible proof or tribute".
I recognize the two testaments contained within The Holy Bible as being good witness to The One True God, The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
See, you don't understand my faith. You lean on your own understanding. My faith is not in my own understanding, even less the understanding of other people. My faith is not in philosophy, human authority, systems of human authority, less so even the tombs of dead men.
There is nothing surprising about the way people are, all of it has been prophesied of in scripture. It is prophesy because it is true, not because it is said to be true. Have these things been proven to you? Then to you it is not proof.
See, you are telling me what my faith is, and then proceeding to demolish what it is you are telling me my faith is. Wouldn't it make more sense to show some charity in order to actually address someone as an individual rather than a homogenization of prejudice?
You must not be talking to me.
If it means anything, most preachers make me physically ill.
It has been permitted by God to allow these things to happen, and they are not extraordinary things to those who have been educated through scripture. This is how the church is, and this is how it was prophesied to be. The state of the church is not all that shocking to me, as scripture makes it clear that it was going to be this way. It is at least very clear to me.
The God I believe in is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality. That being the case, The Truth is what has authority. Many will claim things by the name of Jesus, but that doesn't mean they even know Jesus.
The Truth is what sets you free, what saves you, what redeems all. That is The Good News, The Gospel. People will always argue over matters of creation. Ultimately, this isn't what the faith is about.
It seems to me that you are being impatient.
IF you want to condemn all idiots, it is this one idiot's opinion that you also condemn yourself. Maybe you aren't really all that bright to begin with. Maybe you are a victim of the Dunning-Kruger effect.
You certainly aren't impressing me. You look very arrogant from this perspective.
See, you have no idea what you are talking about.
Atheism towards the big "G" is denial of existence of The Supreme and Ultimate Reality. Atheists don't even believe in science.
You don't understand what you are saying. You have superstitious ideas about God.
The Supreme and Ultimate Reality. Do you deny this?
If someone defines themselves as an atheist to begin with, that is a clear indication of either some type of fetishization or a warning that everything they say can be discredited as being foolishness.
There is no such thing as an atheist. That isn't how it works. Atheists have a god. They have many gods. They are pagan. They are in denial of their gods because they are superstitious and don't understand what gods are. Whether or not they acknowledge The Supreme and Ultimate Reality, this is their God, The One True God of all.
"Don't worry Timmy, there is nothing to be concerned with. The truth is that there is no truth, there is no ultimate reality. You can be comforted to know that because there is no ultimate reality, the reality you are experiencing is not real. A lie isn't a lie, the truth isn't the truth, and you can now sleep peaceful in the emptiness of nonexistence. None of this is real. You aren't really dying, because there is no dying."
Oddly enough, if you were to believe this to be true, you would still be professing belief in ultimate reality.
If you say. "There is no God", you are sayin, "It is the ultimate reality that there is no ultimate reality."
Surely anyone who has even a basic amount of sense would find such a proclamation hard to believe, whether or not they assumed to understand what was meant or not.
Charity is the prescription here, and atheists have no appreciation for the amount of charity contemporary society gives them. There was a time when this sort of thing was a matter of survival. People who shouted out "There is no truth! The reality is that there is no reality!" were executed for screwing everything up. Of course, executing these people for screwing everything up was also screwing everything up, so the cycle goes on and on.
Charity is the prescription of Christ, if the atheists only knew.
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
This came out in the 1970s, and who does music like this?
https://www.youtube.com/
https://www.youtube.com/
https://www.youtube.com/
If we are talking about recorded music, I'm going to go with the 70s. Why? Because at that point, recording technology pretty much reached its peak. It was the best time as far as actually recording the sound of real instruments. Sound quality was perfected
After that, it all went downhill because the only place left to as far as sound production was synth and electronic sounds. I like music played by real people. I like instruments that sensitively respond to the instrumentalists touch. Triggered drums? Bullshit. Give me someone playing a real drum any day. I don't care if one person can program an epic symphony by themselves, I am more impressed with a group of musicians playing together and making music happen like that.
Part of what makes music fun for me is playing music. I like to play musical instruments, and I like the communication that occurs when you have a group of musicians playing together.
I think the 80s in particular is disgraceful, because so much music from the 80s would have sounded so much better if the record producers and business people weren't pushing so hard for the artists to use the "latest technology". I don't like robotic music that is devoid of soul. I like the nuance of the human touch. This is not something you can get when every time you hit a snare it sounds exactly the same as every other time you hit the snare.
In large part because of the money made during the 1960s, recording technology really hit its peak in the 1970s, and I think listening makes it really obvious.
That said, good music is good music no matter what time it was made. I love a lot of music from every decade.
"speciation due to natural selection"
Ok, so this is the evolution that you are talking about, eh? See, now we are getting somewhere. You shouldn't be so presumptuous. Besides that, when you insult me for not getting something you take as being easy to understand, that is just as much a reflection of your ability to communicate as it is my ability to comprehend.
You claim that speciation due to natural selection is a historical fact. What does that even mean?
I don't believe my position is wishy washy at all. It simultaneously respects freedom of speech and property rights.
If a press uses their property rights to deny usage of the press, others who think that is wrong can stop supporting them. Support a different press. Or get your own press.
Let the haters speak hate, I am not scared of them.
Really quite the opposite. It is an attempt to take art away from the artist and bring them to a more natural, primordial, and child like state. Let the universe do the painting for you.
Really, the artform is in selling the splatter paint art. These people are the real geniuses. Why do you know about any of this crap to begin with? People with way too much money throw their money at it. Maybe they have such a low opinion of everyone else that they see splatter painting as the best the lower class plebeians can come up with. Buying their finger paintings and sticking it to the fridge with a magnet is really the charitable thing to do.
Crazy people need to make a buck too, ya know? Some pretty good art comes out of crazy people.
Then there is splatter painting..... Sounds like some kind of side hussle a land sharking used car salesman would come up with. Surely some dumb rich schmuck would buy this canvas with my guacamole diarrhea splashed all over it. This painting really takes you to a place.
First of all, what determines whether or not something is ignorant or hateful?
Second of all, how is stifling the opinions of "religious people" a solution to "religious people" stifling the opinions of others? What determines what is stifling?
Third of all, how are you not answering your own questions? Maybe the type of reactionary attitude is the reason why all these things happen to begin with. React against a reaction against a reaction to something else? Lets just keep slapping each other back and forth. Maybe eventually someone will give up or get knocked out.
The central figure of my faith was someone who was sentenced to death for blasphemy. There is nothing in my faith that would even assume ever being in a majority position. It is well understood by me that I am living in a very pagan society. There is no compulsion in my faith. There is forgiveness of sins, and even blasphemy is forgiven. The faith I believe in is charity, and charity does not silence those who have different cultural ways of expressing things.
Is this what you see in the world? I say you are superstitious, prejudice, and the very people you think you are fighting on the side of are the ones doing what it is you are so revolted against. People who call for justice, not knowing that it is their call for justice that condemns them. It isn't God that damns someone, they condemn themselves by their own judgement. Mercy triumphs over judgement. The statutes of God are absolute, unbreakable, and perfect.
What can President Trump do on his own? Nothing. It isn't President Trump who is really doing anything.
That is why great leader needs your help. Join the movement. Be the hands and feet working to Make America Great Again!
Or you know, succumb to decadence and complain about everything while looking down on everyone for not being as enlightened as you. The world could use more of those people.
What is so important about this?
If The Truth stands apart on its own, of what benefit is there to attach partners to it?
The benefit is only for those who are too cowardly to address The Truth, and can now attack strawmen while pretending to attack The Truth.
Yet these idols will fall, as it is so rightly propesied...
"...except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
When the straw man is burned away, there you have The Truth, and this is what is really being disputed.
That is what this is fundamentally about. A war against Truth. Love The Truth or be cursed with strong delusion.
Let it be known that The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is God Almighty, and this is Eternally True. Men will scheme about, and they may fool many... But no one can fool God. No one can outsmart God. There is nothing hidden from God.
In real life, people shut you down for not cleaning up your language.
I'm certain that there are many who behave uncivilized in debate over the internet are either doing so because they lack real world experience or are so suppressed in their real world experience that they are inconsiderate of others when communicating online.
There are plenty of people besides who do not take online interactions seriously. They refuse to think about the consequences of their interactions, maybe even out of principle.
I am against censorship of the internet. I believe in the free press. The thing is, unless you own your own press you have to use someone elses press. You are not entitled to use someone elses press. They don't have to accept your money if they don't want you to use it.
People can complain about censorship all they want. I'm on their side. I don't think social media should censor. At the same time, I acknowledge they have the right to do so.
I say people should stop giving so much power and authority to these social media platforms. The internet is a lot more fun with many different websites rather than everything being consolidated to social media. Make your own website!
You know what is going to end up enslaving everyone? Showing preference to things because they are inexpensive and convenient. You don't just vote with a ballot, you also vote with how you spend your money. How you spend your time. Is it worth paying a little bit more because it helps support the local economy and keep it culturally distinct from the rest of the world? I think so. If nothing else, the production and business practices it sometimes requires to mass produce a product and sell it so much cheaper than everyone else requires unethical practices. Unethical practices are not always illegal. IN fact, many unethical practices are very legal.
For freedom of speech to work, people who are offended need to practice charity and forgiveness. If the offended don't truly believe in that spirit of free speech, they are simply exploiting those who truly do.
Oh, something will get done all right.
Death.... Decay.... Destruction....
That is actually what a lot of people are going for. You aren't going to get rid of those people.
A vote for anarchy is a vote for fire, and when fire takes office, the office burns!
The words you are using are invention too, that doesn't mean that there isn't something real that the words are referring to.
Satanism is the worship of self before God or the self as God.
This has always been the case throughout history, and even contemporary forms of satanism such as LaVeyism acknowledge this.
Maybe you don't know what you are talking about. You should consider that.
IF you understood what "The Supreme and Ultimate Reality" was, you'd realize the absurdity of ever communicating such a thing.
In fact, if you completely done away with saying "something is something else", I'm not too sure how positively that would effect the world.
It's just how things work. The thing is, Christianity addresses this issue with The Trinity. Why do the God deniers not see this? They are superstitious, and they feel smug in their ignorance when they find superstitious people who profess the faith without understanding it.
It doesn't matter how simple, plain, clearly, lucid, direct, or well thought out the method of communication.... It doesn't matter how perfect the image... A defiled heart will never see God.
Satanism is worshiping the self as an idol before God. It is a type of fetishism. Definitely pagan, which is the worship of created things as idols before God.
When I say God, I mean "The Supreme and Ultimate Reality".
A satanist is basically an atheist who is willing to admit that they take themselves as being their highest god. In contrast, an atheist who takes themselves as being their highest god would deny belief in any gods.
Where does Satanism come from? The deadliest of the capital vices, PRIDE
"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
To say "Such and such" is "Something else" is inherently fallacious. The "is" in language is the equivalent in mathematics to an equal sign(equivalent to an equal sign.. lol). The reason why they don't teach this in schools is because it undoes all of their indoctrination.
"All affirmations are true in some sense, false in some sense, meaningless in some sense, true and meaningless in some sense, false and meaningless in some sense, and true, false, and meaningless in some sense."
Now repeat this mantra over and over again until you figure out how "The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is God".
Unless you are either too stupid or uncreative to do so, of course.
Of course, the next joke would be that what one person thinks of being God is not the same as what someone else thinks of as being God.
The joke is that God isn't any of these things, God is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality as it Truly IS. As this is the case, the difference between creation and The Uncreated can be discerned.
See, identity is creation, it fundamentally has to do with creation.
God is what God is. The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
IF you believe that, great, but that still isn't what it really is.
If I say "I am a man", I might be a man, but if you take all the mens in the world, you'd see that they are all different. What ties us all together?
People can't even agree on that. Yet, it's how we make sense of things. Are any two of anything the same?
No, it is evident that they are not. Identity is made up. It is unhealthy to take it too seriously.
See, God chops through all this bullcrap like karate through boards. That is why God consciousness is so important. It is easily the best personal practice in every conceivable way.
I assure you, there are many out there who take what I am saying as a joke.
I am pointing to the greatest joke there ever was. The Cosmic Joke.
What is The Cosmic Joke?
The absurdity of expressing The Uncreated through the medium of creation.
It is certainly the joke I get the biggest kick out of. Why? Because it means a life more abundant.
Don't know what an alt reich is. Must be one of your prejudices or something, right?
You are clearly being prejudice.
Maybe people like you speak against Hitler so much because he's secretly a martyr to some national socialist bull crap you subscribe to.
Maybe Hitler is your hero, and you are just projecting. You did after all call me an "alt-reich" scum bag. What does that even mean?
Alternative realm? Are you saying I believe in an alternative realm? Obviously there is a disconnect between how you see reality and from how I see reality. Alternative realm? Clearly we have made different choices.
The choice I have made? To acknowledge God as being sovereign over all things. To recognize The Supreme and Ultimate Reality as The Highest Authority, The One Reality as it Truly IS. What do you do? You bow down to idols and prop up these realities as being some type of authority over Truth. Well, recognize that these little gods have been granted their authority by The big "G". What does that mean? It means I recognize The True Realm, The Kingdom of God. What is it that you are recognizing? The alternative. You bow down to vain mortal idols. Your faith in them is worthless, they are destined to rot, decay, and return to dust. They are alternatives to The Truth. They are lies!
Repent and believe, The Kingdom of God is at hand!
You say that I need to understand, but it is very clear to me that you have no understanding. If you had any understanding at all, you would not be so off the mark.
You may think you can kill The Truth, but one day you'll see that you cannot kill The Truth. You do not know The God of my faith, and you call for the crucifixion of my God with your uncharitable certainty.
"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
And if the God of my faith is a man, why is it that it is written in scripture,
"Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."
?
You do not know my God, your babble is worthless. The God I believe in is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality, and this God is The One Who Saves.
There is no other God like this God, this is The One True God.
Definition of crazy
1 a : full of cracks or flaws : unsound
Certainly, are they not human?
It is fundamental to Christianity to actually admit this. Christians might be crazy, but who else is actually admitting that they are crazy?
"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
What makes something pagan?
You are still looking at created things. The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is not a created thing. These outward manifestations of religion are cultural things. True Religion is relationship with The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
You are still stuck in these cultural trappings. If you understood The Way, you would not be making this fallacy.
There are many gods, and these gods come and go. They are contingent existences. The One True God is not a contingent existence, it was, is, and will forever be. These cultural things you speak of depend on people to exist. God does not depend on people to exist. Only The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is
The God I speak of is the God of scripture, and the God that these scriptures testify of. You do not recognize this God because you are staring at the finger instead of looking in the direction it is pointing.
None of these created groupings and labels can really express just how absolutely true the God I speak of is. No created language could ever hold onto the essence The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
To those who have been gifted by The Spirit of Truth into sight and comprehension, The God I speak of is the evident and necessary Truth.
"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption"
"All people created equal"
The heart of the is of identity fallacy must have something to do with this declaration.
Eliminate discernment, and all things are equal.... As soon as you start to discern, inequality is innate in the action of discerning.
Believe me, there are people with great influence in the world who look at the people as cattle, and they have no more a moral qualm about eating the flesh of cattle than you do.
If you want the majority of humanity to be swallowed up by the robots, ban discrimination and allow power and authority to be concentrated in the hands of a few hell bent on doing the things they do to ENACT JUSTICE as they have been led to believe or have declared.
Maybe it is already happening. Maybe it is has already been done. It is finished. It is perfect.
The Sovereign over all is God, The Kingdom with dominion over ALL creation.
Religion: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
Principle: a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption
Atheists clearly hold to the assumption that God doesn't exist with ardor and faith.
Atheism is a religion, and clearly a stupid one when you accept that God means "The Supreme and Ultimate Reality".
If you don't accept this as God, you might as well just be smashing stone idols, because you aren't even talking about The God of my faith. You aren't talking about The God that is recognized by the theologians, apostles, disciples, prophets, priests, teachers, monks, pastors, scriptures, saints, etc of the religious traditions acknowledged by what according to statistics is 76.8% of the population at least profess!
Denying God is clearly an error, and it is an error undeserving of charity. There is no escaping it, denying The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is clearly an error, and when you deny God, this is what you are denying.
Atheism is a stupid position. It is wrong. The definition of atheism would be a lot more clear if it was "wrong", because that is fundamentally what it is. Atheism is "wrong", and God is
The Truth.
Let it be clearer than anything else. The Truth stands clear apart from error. The God deniers stand on no ground, for The God they deny is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
Denial of The Holy Spirit, The Spirit of Truth can not be forgiven. IS this clearly not cancerous? It destroys itself. It is a house divided against itself that cannot stand. A dog with rabies. A rotting corpse.
Salvation is only through Through The One True God, and this can be witnessed through The Word and The Spirit of Truth.
Be not blind, but see, and be a witness to The Glory of God Most High!
To believe God is to believe that there is a Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
You don't believe in God because you are wicked and trying to usurp the place of God. You will fail spectacularly, and die in your sins.
You attack created things because even you know how stupid your position is. You attack created things because they are not God. You have no argument against God that can stand, because to argue against God is foolishness, and even you know this.
Even before the bronze age, there were people who understood that God is The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.
No, beliefs aren't facts, but God is a fact. It doesn't take a technologically advanced society to figure this out.
If you recognize God, no technological miracle or magic trick is going to fool you into denying God.
Atheists deny gods, that means they claim to not believe in rulers or forces of nature that have dominion over them
Atheists deny God, that means that they claim to not believe that there is a Supreme Being, or Ultimate Reality.
The problem with atheists is that they learn how to be atheists from atheists. Atheists are clearly not a reliable source of information about anything, because that worldview is inherently self defeating and patently ignorant to anyone who knows better.
Personal whim is the god of the atheist, and they deny even this god because they are haughty and blinded by their pride. They point the finger, accusing others of what it is they are doing. Maybe the people they accuse are doing what they are doing, but the difference is that people who believe in God acknowledge their sin while atheists are haughty and in denial about their own.
Atheism is a very superstitious position. Watch and see, all they can do is point the finger at others and dispute the meaning of words. They are lost. It is a foolish position.
Because they received not the love of truth, they have been cursed with strong delusion.
It would be better for atheists to humble themselves, repent, and believe the Good News. The answer is God.
Atheists don't like to hear this because their god is the self. They are self righteous, despite the fact that they don't even believe in righteousness.
The worst atheists are the ones who appeal to science. They are being deceptive, because there is absolutely nothing scientific about denying God. In fact, without God, there is no such thing as science. They will say anything to be justified in the eyes of others. They are men pleasers. They don't care about the truth. Wicked to the core.
Thankfully, God is merciful and forgiving. Grace is given to the humble, but the proud are resisted.
"Now, Kalamas, don’t go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, ‘This contemplative is our teacher.’ When you know for yourselves that, ‘These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness’ — then you should enter & remain in them."
Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"
What is the noble eightfold path but a guideline for heart purification?
I do not see the two as being mutually exclusive. In fact, they are very complimentary.
Jesus is relevant to every religion. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. The church is Universal, and The communion of saints may include many who did not necessarily come from the Judeo-Christian/Western cultural traditions.
The Way transcends cultural trappings, and God is a light that shines in the darkness, even though the darkness doesn't comprehend it.
Religion is not God. True religion is relationship with God. The Way is sincerity of faith and charity. This is "skillful, blameless, praised by the wise; and when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness.
Abide in Jesus, and you will fulfill the teachings of The Buddha.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning."
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (for until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Definition of "arbitrary" from Merriam-Webster...
1 a : existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance or as a capricious and unreasonable act of will
b : based on or determined by individual preference or convenience rather than by necessity or the intrinsic nature of something
2 a : not restrained or limited in the exercise of power : ruling by absolute authority
b : marked by or resulting from the unrestrained and often tyrannical exercise of power
3 law : depending on individual discretion (as of a judge) and not fixed by law
"From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."
What do you say conservatism is?
How is this different from what conservatives say conservatism is?
Do conservatives even agree on this?
Maybe conservative is such a relative label that it doesn't really mean anything. Maybe liberal isn't really much different.
These politics are clearly based off of identity fallacies. The natural result of this is that political discussion tends to look insane to anyone who doesn't buy into that stuff.
Why do you believe these people who claim to represent populations of people? Who elected them anything? Not me. They don't represent me. Who are you listening to? Not me.
Something about this just seems inherently oppressive.
