Importance of "Being Right" (disciples, hell, atheist, Holy Spirit)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This question is for anybody, no matter your religious affiliation or lack thereof.
I am wondering for how many of you it is important that you are "right" with the religious outlook (or lack thereof) that your are having and how often you consider that you might actually be WRONG?
How often does this cross your mind? Does it ever? If so, how does it affect you? Does it not bother you or do you simply finally always arrive (upon further invstigation) at the conclusion that you are right and that's that?
There might be others who concede without problem that there is no 100% certainty for anything but they follow their chosen path anyhow. Does the unncertainty bother you at all?
I am sure that is a very strong element in debate. Not only because we base our lives on the beliefs we have and it is bothersome to change all that, but because we have personal street -cred invested in our beliefs and opinions.
With the atheist-humanist -skeptic lot, this is made easier by "In Reason we trust" and not making it Personal. Therefore, if something turns out to be wrong, we don't need to take it personally.
With theism I think it is much stronger even than personal cred and lifestyle -changing if they turn out to be wrong. I think their whole faith -based rationale is quietly based on the belief that the god in their head is inspiring them with truths. That is why any proof that they are seriously wrong has to be rejected, because any admission of a serious wrong in Inspired truth and the whole belief - system comes crashing down.
I would be one of those who do not believe there is either zero or 100% probability for anything ... although there are many things that approach zero or 100% probability. If this is what someone defines as "uncertainty" than I suspect they are prone to black and white thinking. Once you are accustomed to everything being on a continuum of probability ... of necessity ... because of our perceptual and intellectual limitations and our lack of omnipotence / omniscience ... then it is not a problem at all. It is just the way things are.
When I was a fundamentalist Christian, I found over many years and experiences that while religious faith produced apparent certainty, it undermined that certitude because it neither predicted likely outcomes or explained life as experienced. When I started paying attention to actual reality and developed decent evidential standards for my beliefs, I found that situation satisfactorily resolved ... even though in some ways reality was less pleasing than my illusions and fantasies, in the long run it's always better to deal in reality.
So it's fair to say that I have run the gamut from staunch fundamentalist to atheist and some waystations in between and so I have pretty good reason to consider that I am actually right. Of course ... like any empiricist I'm open to new evidence ... but like anyone who has experimented with a variety of philosophical views, I don't expect new evidence to send me in a completely new direction -- only to fine tune things. But if there were game changing new info, of course I'd incorporate it.
I'm with David when he said "Search me oh God and know my heart Try me and know my thought and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting."
I'm with David when he said "Search me oh God and know my heart Try me and know my thought and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting."
Yes. I also like, "Let God be true and every man a liar." That includes myself.
I'm with David when he said "Search me oh God and know my heart Try me and know my thought and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting."
... for how many of you it is important that you are "right" with the religious outlook (or lack thereof) that your are having and how often you consider that you might actually be WRONG?
How often does this cross your mind? Does it ever? If so, how does it affect you? Does it not bother you or do you simply finally always arrive (upon further investigation) at the conclusion that you are right and that's that? ... Does the uncertainty bother you at all?
what's "right" for me is what brings me closer to Hashem
what's "wrong" for me is anything that distracts me or pulls me away from closeness to Hashem
it would make no sense whatsoever to remove myself from the source of life and vitality
Jesus provided that the Holy Spirit would tech in His place.
This is whom I depend on, to Know God's will in my life.
Just as Jesus provided individual instruction to His disciples the Holy Spirit guides the individual according to his relationship with God, and his willingness to obey.
If one has no relationship with God, (through Jesus Christ), he has neither.
If a man is in disobedience, he is at odds with God.
Man has a choice.
Jesus provided that the Holy Spirit would tech in His place.
This is whom I depend on, to Know God's will in my life.
Just as Jesus provided individual instruction to His disciples the Holy Spirit guides the individual according to his relationship with God, and his willingness to obey.
If one has no relationship with God, (through Jesus Christ), he has neither.
If a man is in disobedience, he is at odds with God.
Man has a choice.
So close, yet so far, arleigh: "the Holy Spirit guides the individual according to his relationship with God, and his willingness to" LOVE NOT OBEY. We are NOT pets in obedience training we are children maturing in the love of God and each other. "If a man" does not LOVE, "he is at odds with God." Everyone who loves is "born of God" and knows God. Everyone who does NOT love does not know God. All this obedience nonsense is from the schoolmaster stage of our spiritual evolution. Obedience was the beginning of wisdom, NOT the end.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
