This is how it is... Period!

[Edward]

Well, like most things, pride is at the bottom of it. People want to be right and do not like to change their beliefs, especially if they were taught to them by a respected elder or family/friend when they were younger. Vanity, having the respect of others, wanting that "office" of respectability. When it is challenged, they feel put down and become frustrated and will reject the words even if their true, because of the pride and vanity.

The more I learn, the less i feel I know. I've learned to be able to set aside my presumptions and suppositions, in order to take a look at anothers view, on the off chance that I may have been wrong. To me, finding the truth is more important than pride. One doesn't have to believe and accept anothers view in order to take a look at it from their point of view. I have found that I was wrong about some things that I believed very much so that were the truth by doing this.

I do try to come across as what if, rather than it is. It keeps down the friction and helps some to not to be so defensive about talk. Some times even that doesn't work though. people are so set in their ways that they jump the gun and get defensive anyway.

This is the age of the ninny. You can't hardly talk anymore without people thinking you're attacking them, lol. So thin skinned.

I heard a saying awhile back that was good. it went, "If you haven't changed your beliefs and ideals within the past 10 years, check your pulse, you may be dead"
This is so profound. There has been so much deception, along with a serious increase of knowledge at the same time, that each day I realize that things are not quite what they seem to be, and truth is stranger than fiction.

 

[Kathi]

I can only say I know if it is followed with scripture and the Word of God backs me up.If someone is just speculating it is not worth 2 cents.

 

[Edward]

I can only say I know if it is followed with scripture and the Word of God backs me up.If someone is just speculating it is not worth 2 cents.

That doesn't always work. many people will reject a scripture if they don't like it, usually with a simple, oh that's a metaphor or an idiom. Sometimes they'll write a 10 paragraph diatribe to explain how it means something else than what is plainly written. Oh, and my favorite one; they were talking to the Pharisees/Saducees/Romans (whoever) so tak it in context and realize it isn't meant for us! (LOL)

I have found that the more I read the bible literally, the easier it is to understand.

 

[Kathi]

That doesn't always work. many people will reject a scripture if they don't like it, usually with a simple, oh that's a metaphor or an idiom. Sometimes they'll write a 10 paragraph diatribe to explain how it means something else than what is plainly written. Oh, and my favorite one; they were talking to the Pharisees/Saducees/Romans (whoever) so tak it in context and realize it isn't meant for us! (LOL)

I have found that the more I read the bible literally, the easier it is to understand.

Sometimes people don't like the limitations of that Scripture so they make it to meet their needs.

 

[Willie T]

That doesn't always work. many people will reject a scripture if they don't like it, usually with a simple, oh that's a metaphor or an idiom. Sometimes they'll write a 10 paragraph diatribe to explain how it means something else than what is plainly written. Oh, and my favorite one; they were talking to the Pharisees/Saducees/Romans (whoever) so tak it in context and realize it isn't meant for us! (LOL)

I have found that the more I read the bible literally, the easier it is to understand.

Uh, can't just go with that one so much.

 

[Deborah13]

That doesn't always work. many people will reject a scripture if they don't like it, usually with a simple, oh that's a metaphor or an idiom. Sometimes they'll write a 10 paragraph diatribe to explain how it means something else than what is plainly written. Oh, and my favorite one; they were talking to the Pharisees/Saducees/Romans (whoever) so tak it in context and realize it isn't meant for us! (LOL)

I have found that the more I read the bible literally, the easier it is to understand.

"You vipers!...."
Is Jesus talking to you? Who was He talking to? Where? When? In what context?

Pull a statement out of a book and if you can't answer at least 3 or 4 of the 5 Ws and maybe how, you may not know enough to understand what is going on. It actually would make a book quite boring, I think.

 

[Edward]

It's a little bit frustrating when people take offense when you wont let them teach you. You're just talking and because you don't see things their way, they take offense and put you down because, well, "that's how it is"

And offering up a mans writings over scripture because they like how he explained what they want to believe.

 

[Obadiah]

I probably wasn't clear.

What I was trying to ask is why do you think we feel we have to deliver our interpretation as a, dyed-in-the-wool, fact, rather than just being able to say that what we are saying is nothing more than how we understand things?

I understood what you were saying, but don't know if anyone is really going to have a good answer for that. Chuck Smith (Calvary Chapel founding pastor) once expressed his frustration on this very thing of people being so dogmatic about so many issues that really aren't that cut and dried. He once said "Christians have a horrible propensity to argue and fight. Whatever side you choose to take on these kind of issues, probably half of your congregation will agree with you and half won't. Whatever you say, you are going to alienate half of your congregation. Why would you want to alienate half of you congregation?" (Maybe not a word for word quote as it was a long time ago, but that's pretty close.)

 

[Kathi]

I understood what you were saying, but don't know if anyone is really going to have a good answer for that. Chuck Smith (Calvary Chapel founding pastor) once expressed his frustration on this very thing of people being so dogmatic about so many issues that really aren't that cut and dried. He once said "Christians have a horrible propensity to argue and fight. Whatever side you choose to take on these kind of issues, probably half of your congregation will agree with you and half won't. Whatever you say, you are going to alienate half of your congregation. Why would you want to alienate half of you congregation?" (Maybe not a word for word quote as it was a long time ago, but that's pretty close.)

You mean like politicans?

 

[Deborah13]

It's a little bit frustrating when people take offense when you wont let them teach you. You're just talking and because you don't see things their way, they take offense and put you down because, well, "that's how it is"

And offering up a mans writings over scripture because they like how he explained what they want to believe.

When I post what someone else has written it IS usually what I believe but they have said and explained it better than I can.
But getting offended is such a waste of time and emotion, I really try not to go there.

 

[Kathi]

When I post what someone else has written it IS I believe but they have said and explained it better than I can.
But getting offended is such a waste of time and emotion, I really try not to go there.

I think getting angry is a waste of time and effort.

 

[Obadiah]

You mean like politicans?

Yep. Now just WHERE did I leave my 10 foot pole???

 

[Kathi]

Yep. Now just WHERE did I leave my 10 foot pole???

They say never discuss politics or religion but......

 

[Edward]

I think getting angry is a waste of time and effort.

Yeah, why would the foot fight the hand? One body.

 

[jasonc]

That doesn't always work. many people will reject a scripture if they don't like it, usually with a simple, oh that's a metaphor or an idiom. Sometimes they'll write a 10 paragraph diatribe to explain how it means something else than what is plainly written. Oh, and my favorite one; they were talking to the Pharisees/Saducees/Romans (whoever) so tak it in context and realize it isn't meant for us! (LOL)

I have found that the more I read the bible literally, the easier it is to understand.

I will remind my first sergeant when he says some OF YOU STANDING IN THIS FORMATION need to be doing this or that. im refusing his order. its not addressed to me but some future soldier. I will let you know how well that works.

 

[turnorburn]

That's almost like saying there are no absolutes Willie.. as in.. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved because if you don't the wrath of God abides on you, that's not "in my opinion" that's a fact.. it could mean it should mean and it does mean are three distinct choices

tob

 

[Willie T]

That's almost like saying there are no absolutes Willie.. as in.. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved because if you don't the wrath of God abides on you, that's not "in my opinion" that's a fact.. it could mean it should mean and it does mean are three distinct choices

tob

See? Right there. The fact that you used "The Wrath of God" as having some sort of universally applied meaning, is indicative of not understanding that "The Wrath of God" is not the same thing in all places in the Bible. If we try to just eliminate the various intentions of a word or phrase, by simply accepting a literal reading, then we are often not reading what the author intended to convey.

Do you "literally" read that to be a disciple of Jesus' means that you have to hate your father, and hate your mother, and hate your sister, and hate your brother? Of course you don't. Why? Because as much as you want to say you read the Bible "literally", you really don't. You read that passage for what you either heard or learned..... and not a bit of that was to be found in those written words.

Yet, is that not what the Bible literally says? That you must HATE your family to be a disciple of Jesus'?

 

[Kathi]

See? Right there. The fact that you used "The Wrath of God" as having some sort of universally applied meaning, is indicative of not understanding that "The Wrath of God" is not the same thing in all places in the Bible. If we try to just eliminate the various intentions of a word or phrase, by simply accepting a literal reading, then we are often not reading what the author intended to convey.

Do you "literally" read that to be a disciple of Jesus' means that you have to hate your father, and hate your mother, and hate your sister, and hate your brother? Of course you don't. Why? Because as much as you want to say you read the Bible "literally", you really don't. You read that passage for what you either heard or learned..... and not a bit of that was to be found in those written words.

Yet, is that not what the Bible literally says? That you must HATE your family to be a disciple of Jesus'?

We take the Bible literally whenever we can.Their are words in the Bible that makes common sense that you can not take it literally.Especially alot of Revelation.Also alot of people think that "sleep" is taken literally in the Bible when people die.That is why some people believe in soul sleep.That is not what sleep means at all.It is just the appearance of someone who is dead.They look like they are sleeping but their soul has gone to heaven or hades.
Jesus may have used the word "hate" to show us that this is how a mother or father look at the action of a child who chooses the Lord above them.

 

[Willie T]

It's a little bit frustrating when people take offense when you wont let them teach you. You're just talking and because you don't see things their way, they take offense and put you down because, well, "that's how it is"

And offering up a mans writings over scripture because they like how he explained what they want to believe.

And yet, Jesus (who was seen as just another preacher to most of His audience) did this all the time when He told the people, "You have heard it said (or read in the Scriptures that....")................... "BUT, I say to you...."

These people had to give up their dogmatic understandings of many God-Breathed, sacred, and very real Scriptures to listen and consider how Jesus was now expressing it to them. (Remember.... Jesus was not one of their recognized and respected priests....... Frankly, to most of them, He was really only a backwoods Street Preacher who was telling them that most of their teachers had not been telling them the truth.) Wow! He even insulted the most respected of their priests, right to their faces.

Yet, some of them recognized long-buried and humanly-distorted truths when He spoke them... as opposed to continuing to believe that everything in their Scriptures was as the traditions of the men they called "Holy" said it was.

 

[turnorburn]

i know Willie it says right here..

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

The wrath of God is unmistakable an unbeliever receives the same punishment Satan receives.. eternal damnation

tob