Tuesday, December 25, 2012
New Discussion Group
Defenders of Religion is where you will now find my posts and those of others who join.
Enlighenment vs God
Americans are turning away from religion in droves. Is it because we are an enlightened society? Not at all. We are a dumber society. We are a brainwashed society. But not enlightened. The truth is that there is just no room for God. We are fishing, skiing, playing video games, chatting, watching sports, watching TV, watching movies, entertaining (not teaching) our kids, and on and on and on. We can't go to church or synagogue because football or some other sport is on. We can't read our Bible because it's low on the priority list. We don't teach our kids about God because we're too busy trying to be their friend and they haven't requested any information about the true reason we exist. We are not grateful for our lives. We do not thank God for giving us life free of charge. We spend our lives pretending He isn't important or doesn't exist. The media help us to be ignorant of God because He gets in the way of their plans. All we see in the news are bad things that happen in religious areas - priests molesting kids, those Kansas morons protesting funerals, and anything else they can find to make religion look like a bad influence, while belittling those who do believe. Yes, when you tell your viewpoint and ignore the other side's views or try to make them the bad guy, you are brainwashing. You are a liar. You are ruining people's lives and murdering others. You are the number one enemy of society, media. Of course, there are good media but the mainstream sees them as the enemy, too. Fox, for example, has been pounded for years by the mainstream and sadly has given in to a great extent. CNN used to tell the truth. Strange, though, that Fox is number one, isn't it? Do you suppose people are tired of being lied to? Who will replace Fox when they have become mainstream? I don't know but I do know that they too will be pounded by the mainstream. Perhaps they will be a little more determined than Fox was and not abandon those of us who believe in them and in God. And perhaps we need to take a look at our priorities.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
I am not opposed as some are to the thirteen-billion-year-old universe. I am also not opposed to the young universe theory. But I am opposed to people attempting to use the Bible to attempt to prove or disprove either. The Bible was not written as a scientific document but begins with two very ancient stories explaining how a God created the universe and set it in motion.
We cannot prove or disprove God with these two stories that don't even totally agree. We can't prove who carried down the most correct story of the beginning because most cultures didn't have writing. Stories like these were passed down orally. You know the details were embellished over the millennia.
Scientists have always thought they were on the verge of discovering the key to the universe. They just never quite do. The seven days in the Genesis accounts also have no basis that has been proved beyond all question. Were they days or periods of time? Who knows? The problem with everyone's theory of the beginning is that we have limitations. We do not have the original, unadulterated Genesis story any more than we have the original, untarnished Bible.
The New Testament has actually been altered through the ages. We have many times found older pieces of text that are slightly different than what we are accustomed to. However, we can take that new information and place it into our existing knowledge and become more enlightened as to the overall meaning of the Bible.
I suppose the time the Bible, mostly the New Testament, must have been tampered with the most was when Constantine decided to make Christianity the official religion of Rome. I read a letter in which new copies were sent to him as he requested. Who knows what changes were made? Being the Emperor I'm sure he saw a few that needed to be. It is a miracle that the Old Testament even exists.
Both scientists and creationists have one bad flaw. They think they know what happened and they think they can prove it. But when scientists and theologians find new evidence that puts their theory into question they should realize that their theories aren't quite as stable as they wish. Think about how the number of theories of how things got the way they are have blossomed during the past few decades. If science is so advanced and stabilized, why isn't there only one theory? Meanwhile theologians and scientists find each others' possibilities repulsive. The science community has become almost exclusive to those who reject any specific deity although a general "god" idea is okay as long as it is just a belief and not considered as a potential reason for our existence.
The reality of it all in my long thought out opinion is that God is beyond our understanding. We have been given life and a place to live it (for which we should be ecstatic and overwhelmingly grateful) and limited means of understanding it. Whatever God is is beyond our comprehension. How He chooses to allow us to understand Him and our beginning is up to Him. He gave us the five senses and anything we know beyond that is up to Him. Sure, we have instruments that use other means but we still have to interpret them with those same five senses. Scientists will have to realize that they can only understand the universe as much as He allows them to. God's reality is limitless in my view and man's reality is gradually revealed as He sees fit.
We, as humans, must learn to accept new truths. Both Christianity and science are very reluctant to accept anything that doesn't fit into their preconceived formula of the universe. Martin Luther and Einstein were both rejected at first because their views did not fit into what was widely accepted. My views will not be widely accepted, either, of course.
God reveals things to us gradually and it takes a long time for us to understand them because of our comfort in our beliefs. If they aren't already in our Bible, they're wrong. If we can't detect them with our five senses, they're wrong. That's how we judge reality. Think about it, if God had started the universe at a certain point and told it to go from there, how could we know it or how could we reject it? If you're scoffing now, you're making my point.
We cannot prove or disprove God with these two stories that don't even totally agree. We can't prove who carried down the most correct story of the beginning because most cultures didn't have writing. Stories like these were passed down orally. You know the details were embellished over the millennia.
Scientists have always thought they were on the verge of discovering the key to the universe. They just never quite do. The seven days in the Genesis accounts also have no basis that has been proved beyond all question. Were they days or periods of time? Who knows? The problem with everyone's theory of the beginning is that we have limitations. We do not have the original, unadulterated Genesis story any more than we have the original, untarnished Bible.
The New Testament has actually been altered through the ages. We have many times found older pieces of text that are slightly different than what we are accustomed to. However, we can take that new information and place it into our existing knowledge and become more enlightened as to the overall meaning of the Bible.
I suppose the time the Bible, mostly the New Testament, must have been tampered with the most was when Constantine decided to make Christianity the official religion of Rome. I read a letter in which new copies were sent to him as he requested. Who knows what changes were made? Being the Emperor I'm sure he saw a few that needed to be. It is a miracle that the Old Testament even exists.
Both scientists and creationists have one bad flaw. They think they know what happened and they think they can prove it. But when scientists and theologians find new evidence that puts their theory into question they should realize that their theories aren't quite as stable as they wish. Think about how the number of theories of how things got the way they are have blossomed during the past few decades. If science is so advanced and stabilized, why isn't there only one theory? Meanwhile theologians and scientists find each others' possibilities repulsive. The science community has become almost exclusive to those who reject any specific deity although a general "god" idea is okay as long as it is just a belief and not considered as a potential reason for our existence.
The reality of it all in my long thought out opinion is that God is beyond our understanding. We have been given life and a place to live it (for which we should be ecstatic and overwhelmingly grateful) and limited means of understanding it. Whatever God is is beyond our comprehension. How He chooses to allow us to understand Him and our beginning is up to Him. He gave us the five senses and anything we know beyond that is up to Him. Sure, we have instruments that use other means but we still have to interpret them with those same five senses. Scientists will have to realize that they can only understand the universe as much as He allows them to. God's reality is limitless in my view and man's reality is gradually revealed as He sees fit.
We, as humans, must learn to accept new truths. Both Christianity and science are very reluctant to accept anything that doesn't fit into their preconceived formula of the universe. Martin Luther and Einstein were both rejected at first because their views did not fit into what was widely accepted. My views will not be widely accepted, either, of course.
God reveals things to us gradually and it takes a long time for us to understand them because of our comfort in our beliefs. If they aren't already in our Bible, they're wrong. If we can't detect them with our five senses, they're wrong. That's how we judge reality. Think about it, if God had started the universe at a certain point and told it to go from there, how could we know it or how could we reject it? If you're scoffing now, you're making my point.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
They Don't Want to Go Backwards
Biblical Heritage Center Blogs: Nuns push back against Vatican
But it's like this: Just as you can change your job if you don't like it, there are other Christian denominations to switch to.
The Real Truth about the Middle East
Expose: Kosher Consumers Supporting Israel Boycotters - Op-Eds - Israel National News
Israel is the only Middle East nation that wants peace.
Friday, May 25, 2012
The Next Life
The Bible is very fuzzy on the subject of an afterlife. I have looked for the afterlife in the Old Testament and there doesn't seem to be a belief in one until we hear Daniel say: Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. An earlier possible reference to an afterlife is in Isaiah: Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.
Most of the information about a potential afterlife is found in the Apocrypha and New Testament. There are various accounts of whatever it is and do not seem to me to be factual but in the form of parables which were used to teach ideas. If you understand how they were used, they cannot contradict each other in any factual way.
The concept of an afterlife was developed from the time of Daniel and had blossomed by the time of Jesus. Does that mean it isn't true? It seems to me that when God hears his people yearn for something, He listens. That doesn't necessarily mean that He will do it but it doesn't mean He doesn't care, either. As I pointed out in some recent writing I did somewhere, if God answered every prayer, the world would be in chaos.
I believe in an afterlife. What will happen there I can't say. My hope is to meet my Creator. I want to tell Him how wonderful many things have been in my life and to thank Him for giving me the joys that were not owed to me. To me it seems that all He wants is to be acknowledged and thanked and the rest will come naturally.
I know many people who don't even set aside a moment for God. Many think humanity has moved past the need for a Creator. Others are just so busy with their technologically-infected lives that they can't spare a moment for such a trivial thing as life. If they can't spare a moment for the One who provided such a wonderful world, what are his feelings toward them?
We really don't understand the afterlife other than to know it apparently was meant to be the future for Adam and Eve who chose to eat the fruit of the wrong tree. The tree of immortality and the joy of the Garden were passed by in favor of trying to be godlike. We are not godlike. We are humans and we often make bad decisions.
Here is my personal view of the afterlife. Someday I will die. I will be dead. Many will be dead. When the correct time comes, God will begin calling the names of those He determined to be suitable to be in his Presence. There will be many names He will not call. Those will have lost all memory, all joy, all consciousness forever. Those whose names He calls will arise from death and be in his indescribable Presence. I don't pretend to be able to imagine anything beyond that. There are other things I think would be suitable to do with the worst of the people who lived, but I am not God and you should be glad of that.
Most of the information about a potential afterlife is found in the Apocrypha and New Testament. There are various accounts of whatever it is and do not seem to me to be factual but in the form of parables which were used to teach ideas. If you understand how they were used, they cannot contradict each other in any factual way.
The concept of an afterlife was developed from the time of Daniel and had blossomed by the time of Jesus. Does that mean it isn't true? It seems to me that when God hears his people yearn for something, He listens. That doesn't necessarily mean that He will do it but it doesn't mean He doesn't care, either. As I pointed out in some recent writing I did somewhere, if God answered every prayer, the world would be in chaos.
I believe in an afterlife. What will happen there I can't say. My hope is to meet my Creator. I want to tell Him how wonderful many things have been in my life and to thank Him for giving me the joys that were not owed to me. To me it seems that all He wants is to be acknowledged and thanked and the rest will come naturally.
I know many people who don't even set aside a moment for God. Many think humanity has moved past the need for a Creator. Others are just so busy with their technologically-infected lives that they can't spare a moment for such a trivial thing as life. If they can't spare a moment for the One who provided such a wonderful world, what are his feelings toward them?
We really don't understand the afterlife other than to know it apparently was meant to be the future for Adam and Eve who chose to eat the fruit of the wrong tree. The tree of immortality and the joy of the Garden were passed by in favor of trying to be godlike. We are not godlike. We are humans and we often make bad decisions.
Here is my personal view of the afterlife. Someday I will die. I will be dead. Many will be dead. When the correct time comes, God will begin calling the names of those He determined to be suitable to be in his Presence. There will be many names He will not call. Those will have lost all memory, all joy, all consciousness forever. Those whose names He calls will arise from death and be in his indescribable Presence. I don't pretend to be able to imagine anything beyond that. There are other things I think would be suitable to do with the worst of the people who lived, but I am not God and you should be glad of that.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Is Organized Religion Evil?
Not per se. God is a wonderful being. To believe in God is a wonderful thing. To wonder about God is wonderful. The organized church is not so wonderful a lot of times. That doesn't mean it needs to be done away with. Any organization starts going downhill the moment it is created. It is up to the people of that organization to build it up more than it is torn down. Two major organizations that come to my mind are NOW and the NAACP. Both of these organizations had aspirations and lofty goals and were also wonderful when they began. Unfortunately, organizations have to have the means to function and attaining their needs sometimes causes the organizations to lose their sense of direction. NOW has certainly lost theirs. Churches also do this. My belief is that churches should be local just as government should. If they need help they can call neighboring churches. But don't join up with 5,000 churches and have a head office. That's the beginning of the end. Certain people love power and will do a lot of acting and lying to get it. From a distance they may seem to be doing well but things are prone to happen behind the backs of the people. How about those Crusades? How about the radical Muslim leaders? The American government, as well, was set up to honor local governance. The federal government wasn't supposed to do much - protect us from foreign countries and settle disputes between states and commonwealths and ... oh, that's about it - but look at the American government now. It's absolutely nothing like it began. This is not progress. It is loss of liberty. The American government should go back to its roots and let the states and counties and cities decide their matters. In the same manner, the little country church outside of town shouldn't be regulated and taxed by the home office. This takes a lot out of the entity of a neighborhood, friendly, free church where people are supposed to come together for one purpose - to be thankful to God, not to see what they can get. Nothing is wrong with a little bit of organization. It should be limited, though. The rest is about trust and relationship.
What is Prayer?
Believe it or not, this is a mysterious subject. It seems that it would be simple but if you ask someone to do it they might appear dazed and confused. Praying is one thing but understanding what it is is another. I have had conversations with pagans and their type on the Internet and they usually try to convince me that prayer and magic are the same thing. Not at all. In magic one tries to control his environment. Prayer is not magic in any way. It is asking God to help you. You ask God. He answers. The end. So you might be wondering why it doesn't seem that God answers prayers the way I just explained. It's because of the answer. Some people say that God always answers prayers but the answer is sometimes no. That's close to what I think but I have a much better answer. First of all, I must point out that I seldom pray for myself. I pray for others. I think that's what God wants. I don't think He likes ego trips where you "claim" something and it's yours. He wants us to pray for each other. Where two or three are gathered, there will He be in the midst of them. As for the answer to the prayer, I don't think it's ever No. There are many paths we can take at any given moment. When I pray for myself or for anyone else, I expect God to choose the best path. It isn't apparent to us that God has actually done anything but we have been influenced to make a more fitting choice. I don't think we should ever demand anything from God or ask Him to prove Himself. Then there are the other answers. People doubt that He can heal sickness. That's strange to me since He created us in the first place. It seems to me that He can do anything He wants in the universe He created. He speaks the word and it happens. Just like that. But mostly I think He just helps us by choosing our paths. And if He wants to heal someone He just does it.
Jesus' Bible
Most Americans have no idea what the Bible says, much less about whether or not they believe it. It stands to reason to thinking people that one would actually have to read it to disagree. Sadly, most people just don't have time to think about it in our age of distraction. I have actually talked to people who thought Jesus carried an English New Testament around with him. I just don't have the words to express my thoughts on that one.
Really, read this.
Really, read this.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Big Bang Theory: The Show
Alright, I admit it, I'm a Big Bang Theory show fanatic. Sheldon kills me because he is so analytical and takes everything so seriously. He has difficulty recognizing sarcasm, for example. One of the things he mentions is the theory of alternate universes which I think is silly and just another avenue for scientists to run down attempting to evade the confrontation of the question of a Creator.
Sheldon alludes to what he might be like in an alternate universe (in none of them is he dancing) but that raises the question: In what other universe could he even exist? Do you have any idea how incredible the odds are against it? Supposedly in alternate universes things happen differently and people make alternate decisions. That a certain person could exist in two different universes at all would have to be termed a miracle.
I see no reason to believe there is life on other planets much less in alternate universes. I believe our universe was the work of what we would call a super-intelligent Being who had a plan. To believe in life on other planets or alternate universes would require believing that they were caused by an accident. Of course, I can't speak for God and it could be that He just felt like creating other life than on earth.
That's why I don't have a fixed theology. Over the years I have found that some of my theology didn't stand up to scrutiny simply because men made it up over the millennia. Sometimes it was necessary in their circumstances and sometimes it was just to retain control over the masses. It's like Congress who pass laws that should be temporary instead of permanent. (I think every law we have should be reviewed by Congress and HR periodically to determine whether or not to keep it or trash it. This does not include the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Just think of how many new bills they wouldn't have time to pass.)
In my studies I go by the theory of a friend: My Belief System will be large enough to include all of the facts; I will be open enough to allow it to be tested; and I will be flexible enough to change it when I become aware of errors or new facts (http://www.biblicalheritage.org). I have carried more than one belief about any particular subject around in my head for years waiting for the evidence that would make one or the other opinion conclusive. I would not be a good 21st century American exclusive science club member because the alternative to supernatural creation is not conclusive yet and I doubt it ever will be. The scientific age of the universe is credible to me though I cannot discount the possibility that the Designer could have started it at a certain point. Who could ever determine that? Evolution is a possibility, though I cannot bring myself to believe that the animals changed themselves. However, if the Creator manipulated the changes, it's easy to accept if I find out.
Scientists have reached a stumbling block on their road of blind faith. There are many theories about many things and, as scientific as they are, somehow they just can't totally agree. If the absolute evidence is laid before them, how can they deny it? My answer is that it isn't all there.
Sheldon alludes to what he might be like in an alternate universe (in none of them is he dancing) but that raises the question: In what other universe could he even exist? Do you have any idea how incredible the odds are against it? Supposedly in alternate universes things happen differently and people make alternate decisions. That a certain person could exist in two different universes at all would have to be termed a miracle.
I see no reason to believe there is life on other planets much less in alternate universes. I believe our universe was the work of what we would call a super-intelligent Being who had a plan. To believe in life on other planets or alternate universes would require believing that they were caused by an accident. Of course, I can't speak for God and it could be that He just felt like creating other life than on earth.
That's why I don't have a fixed theology. Over the years I have found that some of my theology didn't stand up to scrutiny simply because men made it up over the millennia. Sometimes it was necessary in their circumstances and sometimes it was just to retain control over the masses. It's like Congress who pass laws that should be temporary instead of permanent. (I think every law we have should be reviewed by Congress and HR periodically to determine whether or not to keep it or trash it. This does not include the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Just think of how many new bills they wouldn't have time to pass.)
In my studies I go by the theory of a friend: My Belief System will be large enough to include all of the facts; I will be open enough to allow it to be tested; and I will be flexible enough to change it when I become aware of errors or new facts (http://www.biblicalheritage.org). I have carried more than one belief about any particular subject around in my head for years waiting for the evidence that would make one or the other opinion conclusive. I would not be a good 21st century American exclusive science club member because the alternative to supernatural creation is not conclusive yet and I doubt it ever will be. The scientific age of the universe is credible to me though I cannot discount the possibility that the Designer could have started it at a certain point. Who could ever determine that? Evolution is a possibility, though I cannot bring myself to believe that the animals changed themselves. However, if the Creator manipulated the changes, it's easy to accept if I find out.
Scientists have reached a stumbling block on their road of blind faith. There are many theories about many things and, as scientific as they are, somehow they just can't totally agree. If the absolute evidence is laid before them, how can they deny it? My answer is that it isn't all there.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Genesis 1:1-5
At first Elohim created the sky and the earth. And the earth was an unformed wasteland; and there was darkness upon the abyss. And Elohim's breath moved against the waters. (Traditionally this has been translated as the Spirit of God but I think it is poetically describing God causing the waves. The word for spirit has a variety of meanings according to context.) Elohim said: Light shall exist. And light did. Then Elohim perceived that the light was beneficial; and He divided the light from the darkness. Elohim called the light part Day, and the dark part He called Night. And the nighttime and the daytime were one day.
What Do We Know about God?
There are two possibilities. One is that nothing caused everything. The other is that something caused everything. I know that philosophy has built quite a concept of the latter but I have a problem with the thinking that arrives at conclusions such as that I cannot prove I exist. You can take "logic" too far. I am sitting here typing this message. That's all the evidence I need. If you are there wondering whether you are really there, you have my sympathy - or you would if you were really there. If you don't believe you are really there, why are you reading something that doesn't exist? To me the statement "I think, therefore I am" is quite suitable in the reality outside the modern philosopher's mind. To go on, Aristotle was also correct in saying that something set the world in motion. I am a believer in odds and the odds are that the universe was not an accident. I have difficulty believing that something sat motionless forever, then suddenly exploded into the universe. I believe that God created the universe and laid down the rules to follow. Therefore He is not subject to those rules. He could be of a substance that we cannot sense because He didn't equip us with what we would need to do that. He might be standing next to me and I cannot perceive his Presence. He can change things in the universe without leaving a trace of evidence we can detect. Supposedly, many people have seen God and I cannot deny it but I would have to trust their words to think that is evidence for his Existence. That is what amuses me about science. To most scientists this is anathema. They only study facts and God cannot be a fact because He cannot be observed or demonstrated. Yet these same scientists are telling me that certain things they cannot demonstrate are facts and, therefore, I should believe them. God can neither be proved nor disproved. It is not in our power to do so. I believe God is the Creator. I worship Him. I do not worship the creation. That means I am very grateful for all the joy, including nature, He has given me to experience. He does not owe me even the next breath. If He chose to take my life right now, why would I complain? I am grateful for the life He gave up to this very moment. The next moment I may not be here.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Bedtime
Someone I care about and haven't seen for a very long time woke me from my three-month slightly depressive slumber. I won't tell you who he is so you can't hate him. I could stay up all night writing (I certainly have before) but I think it would be wise to go to sleep. I'll feel much better when I wake up.
Future Article
A lot of people complain constantly about "Bible thumpers cramming their beliefs down my throat." You'll love me when I get into that.
Other Projects
One thing I plan to do in the future is to go through a friend's (Jim Myers) articles to give you some deeper research into particular subject. Jim is the one who woke me up one day by telling me things that closed my mouth and popped open my closed eyes. We sometimes don't disagree but we both know we don't know everything we should, although he's way ahead of me. If you don't learn anything else from me, at least stay where you're safe and only a little bit uncomfortable. Let other people walk around the edges.
Wow! Another Article!
When I was a standard Christian (the definition is a little loose considering all the denominations) I was taught that I should be offended if anyone questioned the particular brand of Christianity with which I was indoctrinated. I could disintegrate anything I didn't agree with. I was not allowed to question my church's theology because that would be questioning God and, trust me, you didn't want to do anything that caused you to question God. This is not to say any particular church is evil. It's just how most Christians are taught.
Various things offended me and I at once went to battle with my innocent Bible and my guilty theology. (I want to point out that most Christianity is not bad. Only bad spiritual leaders are bad as with any religion. As a matter of fact, no religion can be bad if the leaders and people are good. God will lead good people to where they need to be ultimately. That's not for me to say. I wish to be simply a generic relay and to trust that God will do the rest.) It was my job to take on all the demons and idols with my magnificent theology. And, then, one day, I saw something that gave me a revelation. It was a movie about a woman who had a gift of healing other people who, incidentally, did not believe in God. It took me many years to consider this dilemma. I, of course, immediately annihilated it with my biblical knowledge but the movie stayed in my head and revisited me when I finally learned to think clearly.
It is irrelevant here as to whether or not the woman really healed people. I no longer care. What is relevant is the idea that it is possible. A Jewish parable teaches that even an evil man can do a good deed and that in the final judgment God will consider it. I have said that I have seen God lead some down rather unusual paths to reach their Creator. Who am I to say what God can and cannot do? If God chooses to use a woman that isn't the preferred religion to do his miracles, I cannot judge. I believe God can do whatever He wants and that we sometimes do not understand why He does it. Mankind likes to put God in a box to keep an eye on Him to keep their houses in order. It is not acceptable to allow Him to violate our established, unchangeable belief system.
We really know little of God. It is obvious to me that He created the universe in its incredible complexity. It is obvious that I did not cause myself to live and breathe. And if you had been with me all my life for every moment you would agree that a lot of things have happened to me that were beyond doubt caused by Someone. Most of what we believe is faith. A variety of people wrote the sections of the Bible. It's absolutely true that there are passages that contradict other passages. Does that mean the Bible is invalidated and God does not exist? No, that's ridiculous. Sometime I want to get into the workings of the Bible so you can see how ridiculous that thought is.
Some people think, and I'm not kidding, that God wrote the Bible. Well, no. Men who had a relationship with God wrote the Bible. Sometimes their memories weren't perfect but they certainly made their point. Their writing describes how they perceive God and his wishes. Each writing is supposed to teach the children of their father Israel about God and what He wants from mankind. Even Jesus explained that sometimes a circumstance superseded the Law. In the case of this non-Christian, non-Jewish woman we see that at work, assuming that it is true. Think about it this way - If God loved a particular person and wanted to heal him or her, why does it have to be a licensed (saved/qualified) Christian or Jew? If you have a problem with that, you'd better go read the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus is the one who told it.
I'm not trying to ruffle anyone's feathers. I just want you to understand that God is God and He can do what He wants, however He wants, and through whomever He wants. If we don't like that, we're little spoiled brats in need of discipline.
Various things offended me and I at once went to battle with my innocent Bible and my guilty theology. (I want to point out that most Christianity is not bad. Only bad spiritual leaders are bad as with any religion. As a matter of fact, no religion can be bad if the leaders and people are good. God will lead good people to where they need to be ultimately. That's not for me to say. I wish to be simply a generic relay and to trust that God will do the rest.) It was my job to take on all the demons and idols with my magnificent theology. And, then, one day, I saw something that gave me a revelation. It was a movie about a woman who had a gift of healing other people who, incidentally, did not believe in God. It took me many years to consider this dilemma. I, of course, immediately annihilated it with my biblical knowledge but the movie stayed in my head and revisited me when I finally learned to think clearly.
It is irrelevant here as to whether or not the woman really healed people. I no longer care. What is relevant is the idea that it is possible. A Jewish parable teaches that even an evil man can do a good deed and that in the final judgment God will consider it. I have said that I have seen God lead some down rather unusual paths to reach their Creator. Who am I to say what God can and cannot do? If God chooses to use a woman that isn't the preferred religion to do his miracles, I cannot judge. I believe God can do whatever He wants and that we sometimes do not understand why He does it. Mankind likes to put God in a box to keep an eye on Him to keep their houses in order. It is not acceptable to allow Him to violate our established, unchangeable belief system.
We really know little of God. It is obvious to me that He created the universe in its incredible complexity. It is obvious that I did not cause myself to live and breathe. And if you had been with me all my life for every moment you would agree that a lot of things have happened to me that were beyond doubt caused by Someone. Most of what we believe is faith. A variety of people wrote the sections of the Bible. It's absolutely true that there are passages that contradict other passages. Does that mean the Bible is invalidated and God does not exist? No, that's ridiculous. Sometime I want to get into the workings of the Bible so you can see how ridiculous that thought is.
Some people think, and I'm not kidding, that God wrote the Bible. Well, no. Men who had a relationship with God wrote the Bible. Sometimes their memories weren't perfect but they certainly made their point. Their writing describes how they perceive God and his wishes. Each writing is supposed to teach the children of their father Israel about God and what He wants from mankind. Even Jesus explained that sometimes a circumstance superseded the Law. In the case of this non-Christian, non-Jewish woman we see that at work, assuming that it is true. Think about it this way - If God loved a particular person and wanted to heal him or her, why does it have to be a licensed (saved/qualified) Christian or Jew? If you have a problem with that, you'd better go read the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus is the one who told it.
I'm not trying to ruffle anyone's feathers. I just want you to understand that God is God and He can do what He wants, however He wants, and through whomever He wants. If we don't like that, we're little spoiled brats in need of discipline.
Why am I Wasting my Time?
Why am I writing these little articles? Do I want to be a preacher? Do I want to write a book to get rich? Do I want to change your religion? No. No. No.
I have watched the world change in my lifetime. Today has turned into a state of confusion. Scientists say there is no God. Professors say there is no God. Even spiritual leaders say there is no God.
People are confused. I wish to explain what is logical to you to help you understand your own beliefs. Many of you have all but given up your belief in the Creator of the universe because of your lack of understanding God. Science can neither prove nor disprove God because all they have to judge Him by is the universe. What are they looking for - fingerprints? I think the complexity of life attests to the fact that God created all things. Quite often I read how they were surprised by this, they don't understand that ... They have to rewrite their thinking because something worked differently than they expected. It happens all the time. Yet they can stand there and say God does not exist? They count the complexity of the universe down to the tiniest thing ... until they find something smaller. Then they say they have to lengthen the age of the universe to fit in their latest discovery. Etc., etc., etc.
I know a person who argues this way. He told me just today that I'm not qualified to understand how he feels about something because I am not in his position anymore. I used to be in his position and I know exactly how I felt about things from his perspective. He said I'm disqualified from understanding his position now because I'm not in it anymore. Are you getting dizzy yet?
This is the sort of dribble I read and see. I gave up watching nature shows because the narrators kept telling me how some animal realized it had a shortcoming in its environment and changed some feature to "adapt" to it. It's not that I can't deal with such gibberish. It's that when you hear something over and over (called conditioning) is starts to sound believable. Many different things condition people to believe a certain way. It's the method most colleges and universities use to indoctrinate young, delicate voters. "There is no longer a need for a God." "Conservatives are all rich and hate African-Americans." "Capitalism only benefits the elite." And on and on.
Almost all large newspapers are socialist now. They condition you to believe they and only they care about you and want to enlighten you to the evils of our land. The Democrat Party is Socialist. They boot out anyone who disagrees with them. When a new news service came along, people were so indoctrinated toward the Left that they were sure Fox News, who was actually telling both sides instead of just one, was extreme Right. Anything on the Right, of course, is bad. Let's see, the Media is socialist in their beliefs and the Democrats at the high level are socialist in their beliefs. I wonder if there is a coincidence that they seem to both be opposed to any ideas the Right has including a Creator. You'd better read your newspapers and watch the Evening news a little more carefully.
The thing that bothers me most about conditioning is how the Media for the most part and the Democrats almost totally are opposed to the concept of a Supernatural Creator. If you really watch carefully and honestly you will begin to see this and I will not be there to constantly condition your thoughts. It's just true.
God created all that is however He did it. The universe didn't just suddenly appear without a reason. The funny thing is that scientists who push the Big Bang theory have no idea what caused the Big Bang and they have no idea what happened just before the Big Bang. Yet, somehow, they are absolutely certain that no Creator (generic or not) caused it. They suffer from the same problem as the poorly educated know-nothings they are drenching with their fallacy.
I do not belong to a particular religion. I know what religious theories I lean toward and they are well thought out. Someone created all we know and have yet to discover. This Creator gave us life. He did it deliberately. If He can do this, He can know my name and He can love me. We have a book called the Bible by Christians and the Tanakh by the Jews. The Tanakh does not include some of the material of the Bible. The writings in these two books teach that God loves us and we are to pass it on. If we receive something, we are supposed to pass it on to those who need help. The conditioning has taught America, and by their example the rest of the planet, that we don't need God, that we should care only about those we choose to, and that everything we can get our hands on is ours. This is the opposite of what God set up. The Golden Rule lives in all well-developed religions - Love your neighbor as yourself. And who is your neighbor? Everyone.
This is why I waste my time. There is the story of (let's say) an owl who was passing by a little bird who had heard the sky was falling. The owl asked if the little bird thought he could stop the sky from falling by sticking his feet up in the air. The little bird said: One must do what one can. And that is my mission. If I change a life and that person changes a life, and if it goes on and on, the world can change. A Jewish belief is that you should live your life this way: Half of the world is evil and half of the world is good. It is up to you to tilt the scales. Is it feasible? Sure it is if people can stop entertaining themselves long enough to think. How many people have said they don't vote because their vote won't make a difference? Think about it this way. What if every voter that thinks that way went to vote - all the millions of them? The world would be a lot different.
I don't want to try to make people to believe as I do. I just want people to do something with their lives and be grateful to their Creator for the free gift of life. This is the way to happiness. If you just understood God the way I do (no theology here), your life would change. It would become meaningful. There are a lot of things in my life I am not happy with. Do I dwell on them? No. I am always happy because I have meaning in my life and nothing can stop that. I owe my life to my Creator who loves me and I've got my feet in the air trying to turn our sad little world around. I just need some help. When I stand before Him I may be regretful for not putting my best effort into it, but I will be able to say I tried to tilt the scales.
I have watched the world change in my lifetime. Today has turned into a state of confusion. Scientists say there is no God. Professors say there is no God. Even spiritual leaders say there is no God.
People are confused. I wish to explain what is logical to you to help you understand your own beliefs. Many of you have all but given up your belief in the Creator of the universe because of your lack of understanding God. Science can neither prove nor disprove God because all they have to judge Him by is the universe. What are they looking for - fingerprints? I think the complexity of life attests to the fact that God created all things. Quite often I read how they were surprised by this, they don't understand that ... They have to rewrite their thinking because something worked differently than they expected. It happens all the time. Yet they can stand there and say God does not exist? They count the complexity of the universe down to the tiniest thing ... until they find something smaller. Then they say they have to lengthen the age of the universe to fit in their latest discovery. Etc., etc., etc.
I know a person who argues this way. He told me just today that I'm not qualified to understand how he feels about something because I am not in his position anymore. I used to be in his position and I know exactly how I felt about things from his perspective. He said I'm disqualified from understanding his position now because I'm not in it anymore. Are you getting dizzy yet?
This is the sort of dribble I read and see. I gave up watching nature shows because the narrators kept telling me how some animal realized it had a shortcoming in its environment and changed some feature to "adapt" to it. It's not that I can't deal with such gibberish. It's that when you hear something over and over (called conditioning) is starts to sound believable. Many different things condition people to believe a certain way. It's the method most colleges and universities use to indoctrinate young, delicate voters. "There is no longer a need for a God." "Conservatives are all rich and hate African-Americans." "Capitalism only benefits the elite." And on and on.
Almost all large newspapers are socialist now. They condition you to believe they and only they care about you and want to enlighten you to the evils of our land. The Democrat Party is Socialist. They boot out anyone who disagrees with them. When a new news service came along, people were so indoctrinated toward the Left that they were sure Fox News, who was actually telling both sides instead of just one, was extreme Right. Anything on the Right, of course, is bad. Let's see, the Media is socialist in their beliefs and the Democrats at the high level are socialist in their beliefs. I wonder if there is a coincidence that they seem to both be opposed to any ideas the Right has including a Creator. You'd better read your newspapers and watch the Evening news a little more carefully.
The thing that bothers me most about conditioning is how the Media for the most part and the Democrats almost totally are opposed to the concept of a Supernatural Creator. If you really watch carefully and honestly you will begin to see this and I will not be there to constantly condition your thoughts. It's just true.
God created all that is however He did it. The universe didn't just suddenly appear without a reason. The funny thing is that scientists who push the Big Bang theory have no idea what caused the Big Bang and they have no idea what happened just before the Big Bang. Yet, somehow, they are absolutely certain that no Creator (generic or not) caused it. They suffer from the same problem as the poorly educated know-nothings they are drenching with their fallacy.
I do not belong to a particular religion. I know what religious theories I lean toward and they are well thought out. Someone created all we know and have yet to discover. This Creator gave us life. He did it deliberately. If He can do this, He can know my name and He can love me. We have a book called the Bible by Christians and the Tanakh by the Jews. The Tanakh does not include some of the material of the Bible. The writings in these two books teach that God loves us and we are to pass it on. If we receive something, we are supposed to pass it on to those who need help. The conditioning has taught America, and by their example the rest of the planet, that we don't need God, that we should care only about those we choose to, and that everything we can get our hands on is ours. This is the opposite of what God set up. The Golden Rule lives in all well-developed religions - Love your neighbor as yourself. And who is your neighbor? Everyone.
This is why I waste my time. There is the story of (let's say) an owl who was passing by a little bird who had heard the sky was falling. The owl asked if the little bird thought he could stop the sky from falling by sticking his feet up in the air. The little bird said: One must do what one can. And that is my mission. If I change a life and that person changes a life, and if it goes on and on, the world can change. A Jewish belief is that you should live your life this way: Half of the world is evil and half of the world is good. It is up to you to tilt the scales. Is it feasible? Sure it is if people can stop entertaining themselves long enough to think. How many people have said they don't vote because their vote won't make a difference? Think about it this way. What if every voter that thinks that way went to vote - all the millions of them? The world would be a lot different.
I don't want to try to make people to believe as I do. I just want people to do something with their lives and be grateful to their Creator for the free gift of life. This is the way to happiness. If you just understood God the way I do (no theology here), your life would change. It would become meaningful. There are a lot of things in my life I am not happy with. Do I dwell on them? No. I am always happy because I have meaning in my life and nothing can stop that. I owe my life to my Creator who loves me and I've got my feet in the air trying to turn our sad little world around. I just need some help. When I stand before Him I may be regretful for not putting my best effort into it, but I will be able to say I tried to tilt the scales.
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