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The problem, or among the problems, associated with concepts such as "sanctioned by heaven" is the proliferation of sanctioning bodies. It is akin to numerous schisms which ruined professional boxing and produced the current situation where there are four different international sanctioning agencies, each with their own lists of champions in the assorted weight divisions. In such a situation, who is truly the champ?
Islam has its sanctioned by heaven writings, as does Christianity, the Hebrew faith, the Mormon faith...etc. In this swirl of competing claims, how is legitimacy established? This thread has shown us how. ChristyGrl writes that sanctioning is determined by the degree with which she agrees with the specific text in question, and all else is "evil hogwash." Ms. Hepburn would employ field testing with those which emerge as "tried and true" on a personal level.
And that is indeed how it works. If it is good, if I like it, if it is consistent with my prevailing inclinations, then it is divinely sanctioned. If not, then not. It is basically self sanctioning which gets declared heavenly if it passes muster with the individual's standards. It is worse than the boxing situation in that boxing only has to endure four rival certifying agencies while religion has as many sanctioners as it has adherents.
That not at all what I said...what I did say is:
If a writing pertains to the betterment of the WHOLE of humanity, whether it be how we should live in harmony, treat ALL people with respect and dignity, take care of our planet, etc...I consider it inspired writing. If it, in any way, ...it is nothing more than the writings of an evil individual and hogwash!
It's not my thoughts on the subject being written about but the subject itself being written about that I consider inspired. How can any writing be inspirational or uplifting if it in any way discriminates, subjugates, judges, or separates any part of humanity from the whole???
First of all, you have no real evidence that the Bible, God, or any other supernatural force is behind these bursts of good fortune.
Secondly, the reason why I'm fairly certain that it has nothing to do with simply "asking for it" is because I'm your opposite number. I am living proof that Newton's Third Law of Motion is true. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Well, most of my life, I've wondered who the lucky bastard was who was soaking up all of my luck since my life has been one unmitigated disaster after another - and it's far from over. Now, I'm not keen on sharing my personal life with a group of internet strangers, so I'm not going to. Suffice it to say that every last thing - even the small things - have always been a fierce uphill battle for me. NOTHING goes right, and when it does, it always turns into a "Be careful what you wish for ..." scenario.
I remember once when I lost $500 in cash in Wal-Mart. Of course someone found it and went on a spending spree, I'm sure. But I couldn't help but think - why can't I ever be the person who FINDS the money instead of the person who always loses it? The point being is that life to me feels very much like a zero-sum game.
Thus, for all the good fortune you receive, just remember, there's probably some poor sod out there getting screwed as payment.
Want a better life???? Change your THOUGHTS!!!! If you dwell on negativity...negativity will dwell with you...it will follow you, chase you, and always be by your side. Change your THOUGHTS and you will change your LIFE!
If a writing pertains to the betterment of the WHOLE of humanity, whether it be how we should live in harmony, treat ALL people with respect and dignity, take care of our planet, etc...I consider it inspired writing. If it, in any way, ...it is nothing more than the writings of an evil individual and hogwash!
It's not my thoughts on the subject being written about but the subject itself being written about that I consider inspired. How can any writing be inspirational or uplifting if it in any way discriminates, subjugates, judges, or separates any part of humanity from the whole???
All of the above serves to affirm the point I was making. It is you making the determination as to whether something is sanctioned by heaven or not. How you arrive at your personal determinations is not relevant and reviewing your above explanation, I do not see that my characterization of your assertion was in any manner inaccurate.
All of the above serves to affirm the point I was making. It is you making the determination as to whether something is sanctioned by heaven or not. How you arrive at your personal determinations is not relevant and reviewing your above explanation, I do not see that my characterization of your assertion was in any manner inaccurate.
I don't believe anything is "sanctioned by heaven". I believe that people can be inspired when they allow the presence of God, which dwells within them (and within ALL of humanity), to shine forth and guide them. That is when profound wisdom can be shared with EVERYONE and benefits EVERYONE.
Like I said, how can ANYTHING be considered "inspirational" by anyone if it, in any way, discriminates, subjugates, judges, or separates any part of humanity from the whole???
Like I said, how can ANYTHING be considered "inspirational" by anyone if it, in any way, discriminates, subjugates, judges, or separates any part of humanity from the whole???
"Mein Kampk" was considered extremely inspirational by those who went on to join the Nazi Party. I have not read it, but I understand it touches on issues of discriminating against certain people, subjugating them and separating them from humanity.
"Mein Kampk" was considered extremely inspirational by those who went on to join the Nazi Party. I have not read it, but I understand it touches on issues of discriminating against certain people, subjugating them and separating them from humanity.
Good point. I think this is the fallacy of antiquity. In any case it is one more false reason to ascribe special status to old writings, apart from the interest of the sheer antiquity.
This one is immediately disposable, of course. Antiquity does not make ole writing anything other than old. There is no case for debate as there is with the Big Three - historical pre-knowledge, scientific pre- knowledge and prophetic pre -knowledge, all and each of which would vbe evidence of divine input - if the claims stand up.
You are quite right: one can get all sorts of Wiz. from the Bible, the Uh...Lord of the Rings..ahh...peanuts...star trek..Hmm what other erudite sources have I consulted recently..Watts, No... Well, as you say, that is no evidence of anything special other than a writer with some good thoughts and that is easily shown to be so. Though getting the faith -based partiality dood to accept that may not be possible.
Bottom line is 'That doesn't matter'. They are trying to give us reasons to think the books contain evidence of divine input. We can give them reasons why they are not, but it doesn't matter if they will not be convinced.
Only it is incumbent upon us to make the refutation public, as the believers are always going to be passing one false 'proof of God's reality' snippit from evangelist site to theistical blog, like a row of mountain top signal fires.
“See, there is the codswallop on Tekton, and falsity on Living waters; and there the leaping lizards go speeding west: NewWine, Bibletruth, Jews forJesus, C. S Lewis Institute, and the Creation Institute on the borders of Insanity”
Geez, there is a name for the point I was trying to make? Now I definitely need to find a new purpose.
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