What fascinates me is that so many religious people perform acts of charity to please their god, not out of true love and compassion for others. It's bargaining. If the deity is pleased, it will bring good fortune. This is a belief shared by pagans and monotheists alike.
What fascinates me is that so many religious people perform acts of charity to please their god, not out of true love and compassion for others. It's bargaining. If the deity is pleased, it will bring good fortune. This is a belief shared by pagans and monotheists alike.
So much in our life is transactional (some would argue, philosophically, that *everything* is, in one way or another, transactional), and there is great utility in that, but only a cold kind of beauty, if any. We glow when we transcend the transactional.
Exactly. By Jesus dying on the cross, he gifts those that believe in Him, everlasting life. I donтАЩt give HIM anything but my love. And that I give willingly, without question. ItтАЩs AGAPE love both ways. Beyond our comprehension for sure. You canтАЩt buy your way into heaven, by good deeds, money given to the church, or power. ItтАЩs a gift.
Then we would all be good puppets. I like having a brain to critically think, make mistakes and improve, etc. тАЬFree WillтАЭ allows us this. To see all the options, explore it all, and then decide what makes sense in our views. Jesus came to build a bridge between God & people. ItтАЩs hard for us to understand because we canтАЩt see everything the way God does. ThatтАЩs where faith comes in. ItтАЩs the hypothesis in science and itтАЩs critical for both.
Maybe Satan caused the evil in our world? My Bible knowledge isnтАЩt perfect but I remember a GARDEN OF EDEN, that sounded pretty perfect.
Hmm.. always more to learn. Meanwhile, IтАЩm happy that God will judge the Covid elite plannerтАЩs of the virus/ vaccine genocide. тАЬ Vengeance is MineтАЭ Romans 12:19
How did HE destroy it?? Wow, you think God created this beautiful world, only to destroy it?
We are destroying it, by following Satan & the ways of this world. Sorry you canтАЩt see that. I canтАЩt imagine one day without God. Honest. IтАЩve seen more miracles than I can count. Not just coincidences, but true miracles. Too many have put God on a shelf, out of our schools, etc. The result is what you see now. Nope, Satan wonтАЩt win in the end. God has never lost a battle. ItтАЩs too late when Jesus returns. He will judge us all. ItтАЩs a little comfort for those that lost loved ones during the Covid scandal. There were millions. God knows. ЁЯШЗЁЯТХ
He did do something. He bought your salvation from Satan by sending his son to die on the cross. ThatтАЩs the reason you canтАЩt тАЬ earnтАЭ your way to heaven. Because God already won the spiritual war for us. He didnтАЩt make us puppets that automatically follow him. We have the choice to believe or not. God could have created a world without wars, without pain & suffering and he tried. Adam and Eve paved the way for sin by rejecting GodтАЩs instructions.
They HAD everything, and still gave in to the temptations. ThatтАЩs what we have done for centuries. Got rid of the one thing that is good, true, and holy; God. There will come a day, and everyone will see Him and know the truth. All your questions will be answered about love, Satan, & hell. We donтАЩt have to understand everything & we donтАЩt. We only have to have faith enough to follow God. ItтАЩs not complicated, love God & love others. ThatтАЩs it. Simple. We donтАЩt have to be perfect, because we never could be. Only Jesus was.
Read тАЬ Mere ChristianityтАЭ- C.S. Lewis explains this so brilliantly. I just know for me, nothing else makes sense. Plus, IтАЩve seen true miracles in my life that are otherwise unexplainable. HE is too good, to not believe. You donтАЩt know what you donтАЩt know. And you canтАЩt know, unless you get closer to God to find out. It will blow your mind. Seriously. Take a step of faith & see. Many have researched to prove itтАЩs all a myth, or brainwashing, or whatever & what they find is itтАЩs all true. Everything in the Bible historically, has come to pass. The great flood? It happened. Proof is out there, go find it.
But at least thereтАЩs a choice. I would hate to be a puppet, unable to follow & praise my choice of a savior. God couldтАЩve made us that way. What kind of followers would that make? Soul- less puppets, would be the result right? The kind of people that the planners of United Nations тАЬ ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT & RELIGION тАЬ want.
The point of тАЬ choiceтАЭ is everything. ItтАЩs faith in its truest form. ItтАЩs not a myth or folklore just because we canтАЩt wrap our head around this kind of love. ( IтАЩm responding to another response here)
Yes, great floods (plural) happened 12,000 to 15,000 years ago when the glaciers melted, which is why so many regions have tales about it. There's also one in the tale of Gilgamesh Jess Piper mentioned above, along with a tree of knowledge guarded by a talking snake with a human head. Gilgamesh is Sumerian/Babylonian (remember, where the Biblical Jews were slaves?) and is twice as old as the Bible, as are a lot of ancient Egyptian myths they also borrowed (where they were also slaves.)
I've mentioned elsewhere all the previous men-gods that died and were resurrected long before Jesus. And Lynn Manley is right the so-called Church Fathers dumped a lot of other gospels (James, Thomas, and more) because they all said Mary Magdalene was Jesus' beloved and best apostle to turn Christianity into a male-dominated faith. But they're available to read now in some collections called "The Apocryphal Gospels". Apocrypha means shunted, put away, which is exactly what they did. And some of them are far more spiritual than what got shoved down our throats, imo.
I'm afraid that it's your take, and CS Lewis's, that shows little or no research at all. Real Bible scholars find just what I said above, and more. You're both just listening to preachers.
I understand. And reassure yourself that although research convinces most that all religions are man-made, that doesn't automatically turn them into atheists. The 17th & 18th century Enlightenment was full of deists who still believed in "a higher power" - despite religion (which was still persecuting and torturing people in those days) because as Voltaire said, whether you read Jesus, Confucius, Mahomet or Marcus Aurelius, basic morals seem just as universal as the physical laws of gravity that Newton demonstrated. And he felt that that fact, plus further perfections in the universe science was beginning to discover, transcended all religions and spoke for a greater, less tribal and childish power than all of them portrayed. He expressed feelings like you do below on the wonders of life at times.
Re Christianity, I quite appreciated two books by Garry Wills, "What Jesus Meant" and "What Paul Meant" even though I'm not a believer in the Bible like he is. Both are excellent though on how some preachers misconstrue or deform things.
It's good you have an open mind. Seek and ye shall find!
Thanks, IтАЩll check the books out. IтАЩve been watching the series тАЬ ChosenтАЭ too & although they have taken some creative freedoms to make it more relatable, it follows the Bible & makes Jesus feel more real. He wasnтАЩt meant to come & just spread love, he came with a sword to stir menтАЩs hearts & prepare them to fight evil.
Mathew 10:34
The Covid chaos, Agenda 30, & future fake pandemics, is all an example of corrupt evil. This is a spiritual war that was documented in the Bible. Even the digital money in exchange for goods and services is in there. ( The Mark of the Beast) Gods not cowering at this. Either am I. The corporate elite hate the family unit, churches, and all our freedoms. Their plan is to take it all away. Churches werenтАЩt seen as essential during lockdowns, but pot shops & other questionable businesses were. Why??!
Because they know the power that Jesus has.
ItтАЩs good vs. evil, thatтАЩs the choice. Choose carefully & soon. There will come a day when choosing wonтАЩt be available. Truth will always win. And evil canтАЩt hide & deceive forever. ЁЯШЗ
Thanks for your long and thoughtful reply. It deserves as much IN reply!
For starts, I always smile at Matthew 10:34 because indeed, Jesus most definitely did not bring peace to the world. Christianity ultimately brought 1300 years of inquisitions, crusades, religious massacres, persecutions, unspeakable tortures and saw untold numbers of "witches" and "heretics" burned alive.
But I blame that on the greedy power-mongers that weaponized Jesus, much more than on Jesus. However, it's always very important to bear in mind just how much evil religion can, and has, produced over the ages.
Agreed re Covid & fake pandemics. And digital money. (Insane!) But it's absurd to say - lefties, I assume, since you're "almost the last Republican? - hate families, churches and our freedoms. Most of them have families they love, some go to churches and the smart ones fight tooth and nail for our freedoms. Jess is one, imo.
Is this the UN Agenda 30 with its 17 goals you're talking about? https://sdgs.un.org/goals. I'm straining to see what's "evil" in it. Enlighten me.
And the reason shops were OK but not churches during lockdowns had to do with the masses of people in churches vs small shops, where "social distancing' was possible. Concerts, theaters and cinemas were also closed, if you recall. Nothing to do with Jesus. Let's be logical (however Illogical the lockdowns were, agreed. You may not know that many thousands of scientists from Harvard, Oxford, Stanford and all over the world protested it way back in 2020. Over 900,000 toward the end. And that contained an awful lot of non-religious "lefties". Check it out: https://gbdeclaration.org/
Good vs evil is a VERY important choice, I agree! But religion has never had any monopoly on "good", as I detailed above. The oligarchy (I prefer kleptocracy) is definitely our real foe, and they own Republicans and Democrats alike (esp Trump, who aspires to BE one!!).
But ultra-rich people trying to buy up all the power is a constant throughout history. The Founders knew it, and did their best to prevent it here with laws and a Constitution too few respect these days (which includes separating church and state, for all the reasons mentioned above, which they were well aware of. The Inquisition was still active in the 18C in Europe. And other kinds of persecutions...)
Even Jesus told the priests that whores and tax-collectors would enter God's reign before they did. (Mt 21:31). And I frankly interpret "the truth will set you free" very differently than most preachers do.
Also remember that Christ was not a Christian. That system (AND its "sacred writings") were gradually built up over a couple of centuries after his death - by more greedy (& misogynistic) power-mongers taking over where the Pharisees left off. Neither Jesus nor Paul were misogynistic, as the Wills books will help explain.
So think on all that. And you choose carefully too!
Rosa Koire - author of Behind the Green Mask & many YouTube videos, explains the U.N. тАЬ goalsтАЭ. The book & videos are dated a bit but the info. is spot on correct. ItтАЩs like Covid & all the rest of the тАЬ dual- purposeтАЭ programs; it always looks good on paper but the reality is horrendous. The Covid virus & vaccines ( bioweapons) deployed were not a mistake. They were well thought out to be deadly. Our DOD contracted with Pfizer & they both knew they would cause harm & kill. FDA & CDC knew as well. Those that didnтАЩt, but still had a conscience, made for the great exodus- leaving agencies at the roll- out. This included dr.s , nurses, etc. Sad that many well- intentioned medical professionals had to leave their once loved profession because of a few cowardly elite planners. The plan goes back decades.
Please look into Rosa Koire book. If you search long enough you can find a free PDF of the book. It explains a lot and the true intentions of the U. N. unravels. I agree, reading the info. looks fine, but when you see the ultimate power grab intended, it will blow your mind.
Rosa Koire passed away from cancer but the book and info. she left, keeps her memory alive. It just proves what a legacy one person can leave to better our world.
I donтАЩt have ill- will for Democrats. W.H.O., & corporate elie, gov. officials- especially our DOD & others, is what I meant by тАЬ plannersтАЭ of Covid virus & vaccines. Fauci, NIH, of course. These are the evils ones that hate our American way & wish to enslave us into 15 min. cities. ItтАЩs in the planning now, all over the world. ( Rosa Koire тАЬ enlightened meтАЭ) You cant unsee it after you know & see it yourself. Someone here on Substack introduced me. ЁЯСН
C.S. Lewis тАЬ Mere ChristianityтАЭ talks about sin & brilliantly explains your priest & whore scenario. This book explained a lot for me & simplified text in the Bible. IтАЩm still learning a lot but my foundation is strong & solid. I donтАЩt think we can ever know all the details. Besides the devil is in the details. ЁЯЩИ
It didnтАЩt take long for evil to take advantage of Jesus teachings and take what Jesus gave us & complicate it. This is not GodтАЩs fault or lack of planning. This was to clearly weed out the followers from the others. Wars & fighting, Wa witch burnings, and Christian deaths, will all be judged someday. ItтАЩs not my job to judge others. If I judge a church member as a God, and leave my faith because of a man, thatтАЩs on me. ThatтАЩs not God. ThereтАЩs so much we canтАЩt understand, but I understand that. Evil slips into any crack in your faith. IтАЩll reread your response and text more later. On my way to have Nana time with 2 adorable girls. ЁЯе░
I just watched a show about Tolkien & C.S. Lewis discussing myth & religion, faith, etc. Myth is a huge part of the human experience into reasoning & faith. They were skilled in this area. C.S. Lewis was an atheist too, until his mythical understanding gave him his REAL LIFE understanding. Once you see what CAN be, along with the historical truths of the Bible, you canтАЩt unsee it. ( much like the Covid chaos)
I hope you read the Lewis book. What can it hurt? It might just change your life. It changed his. ЁЯдЧ Merry Christmas! ( regardless of your choice) If you message me, IтАЩd send you a copy. ItтАЩs that important.
The book тАЬ Believing is seeingтАЭ by Michael Guillen talks about science & the unseen. He is a PhD and was an atheist until he started researching the similarities in science & your тАЬ folk tale religion/ mythology тАЬ. ( I call Christianity)
ThereтАЩs so much science doesnтАЩt know and canтАЩt be explained. IтАЩm sorry you donтАЩt feel thereтАЩs more to life than what you see or believe. God is real to me. ItтАЩs always been that way for me. I was not brainwashed from youth, if anything, my mom tried to squash my wanting to know more. I asked to go to church. She went so much as a child, and was around many religious hypocrites growing up. I get that. But people make the church and the experience negative, not God.
ThereтАЩs a reason the Bible has been around so long and thereтАЩs a reason some canтАЩt see it, while others canтАЩt look away. I donтАЩt have all the answers, none of us do. But I know my redeemer lives and I know thereтАЩs great evil in this world. IтАЩve seen too much to not believe. I first had faith and still do but the miracles IтАЩve seen solidified my faith. He is not a myth & he stands up for women & treasures them. We canтАЩt make babies alone- we are meant to love others.
Okay, well then you really have more faith than I do. ThereтАЩs no way I could look at all the inexplainable beauty of the earth, look at a newborn baby, watch miracles happen, and not think itтАЩs all coincidence. ThatтАЩs faith that you have in a world full of evil & lies. I see God everywhere I look. I guess whatever you focus on, you see more of. I choose Joy. I choose Hope, I choose Love. Not fake happiness or living without problems. We all have that. I have the same power in me, that rose Jesus from the grave. IтАЩm protected here on earth. I know where IтАЩm going when I die, and I have no fear in dying. Bring on the next adventure. God will have mercy for most that accepted Jesus & then walked sway. The pull of the world is strong. I just want to be stronger than those desires. I donтАЩt have to understand everything to know that following God helps my life flow, in a way it didnтАЩt before.
I love that you read Lewis books. HeтАЩs the best. I ordered a few books from a response on this post. тАЬ Unraveling FaithтАЭ by Rachel Evans. I like new ideas and opinions. IтАЩm not so stuck that I stop looking at new ideas and thoughts. My mom was raised much like this post. She went to church 3-4 days a week and her father was a self- ordained minister. ( a-hole, crazy man) ЁЯЩИ
He beat his boys like a bar room fight, and used his belt regularly. My mom had no interest in church after marrying and having kids. She had seen all the hypocrisy & said she lives everyday of her childhood, thinking God was coming the next day. So I get it.
IтАЩm not judgmental to those that fall away from God, it makes me sad for them. IтАЩm not involved in a church right now and I know itтАЩs important. I will. IтАЩve seen my share of church members that donтАЩt live up to what?! My expectations? The BibleтАЩs? Who knows. ЁЯдЧ
ItтАЩs not about тАЬ religionтАЭ itтАЩs about a relationship. I donтАЩt know what I would do without that steady rhythm of support I feel from Jesus. I donтАЩt/ canтАЩt get that from anyone else. Everyone else has let me down at some point.
I wonтАЩt go on & try to convince you of something you seen so certain of. IтАЩll just say that if you could look through GodтАЩs eyes at you, and see what HE sees in you, youтАЩd get it. HE sees all your troubles, flaws, & questions, & loves you more than a human parent could. HE can make your life here so much more manageable. HE is just waiting for you to ask for help. Prayer changes everything. It does. Ok, IтАЩm done. Take care & go live your best life. тЬМЁЯП╝ЁЯТХ
Why would something that's evolved necessarily be random? There are a lot more things in this world that have a factual, knowable, scientific explanation than things that are random and coincidental. And the things that are random and coincidental are things that you would expect to be, like running into a friend you haven't seen in several decades at an airport in another city kind of stuff.
Just because I don't know and understand something doesn't mean it's not capable of being explained and understood. It certainly doesn't compel me to draw on folk tales from previous millennia and a misogynistic creation of gender roles in a way that permits more physically powerful men to dominate and women to be considered rib afterthoughts, dependent on the most important physical capacity they have that men don't: the ability to incubate babies.
Yes! I stumbled over the writing of Isacc Bashevetiz Singer (I think I'm messing up the spelling) and the idea of a mitzvah - kindness done not to please the Cosmic Book Keeper endlessly tallying up your good/bad score, but simply because it makes the world a little better pleases me greatly. Do it quietly, no one needs to know.
ThatтАЩs not what the Bible teaches. You canтАЩt тАЬ earnтАЭ your way to heaven by doing good deeds. At the same time, I believe that living a life full of sin after sin, without repentance, doesnтАЩt ensure your future either. God knows your heart & is full of Grace. We donтАЩt have to be perfect. We never could be. Lots of people see hypocrisies with churches & organized religion. ThatтАЩs the people, not God.
What fascinates me is that so many religious people perform acts of charity to please their god, not out of true love and compassion for others. It's bargaining. If the deity is pleased, it will bring good fortune. This is a belief shared by pagans and monotheists alike.
So much in our life is transactional (some would argue, philosophically, that *everything* is, in one way or another, transactional), and there is great utility in that, but only a cold kind of beauty, if any. We glow when we transcend the transactional.
Exactly. By Jesus dying on the cross, he gifts those that believe in Him, everlasting life. I donтАЩt give HIM anything but my love. And that I give willingly, without question. ItтАЩs AGAPE love both ways. Beyond our comprehension for sure. You canтАЩt buy your way into heaven, by good deeds, money given to the church, or power. ItтАЩs a gift.
Must be why they ID with Trump. Always making a deal.
You canтАЩt earn your way to heaven. ItтАЩs a gift.
Uh huh. A тАЬgift.тАЭ And the alternative is torture.
WouldnтАЩt a loving god do something to end the torment of Hell?
A loving god would not create hell in the first place. And that's because this god would not create bad people.
Then we would all be good puppets. I like having a brain to critically think, make mistakes and improve, etc. тАЬFree WillтАЭ allows us this. To see all the options, explore it all, and then decide what makes sense in our views. Jesus came to build a bridge between God & people. ItтАЩs hard for us to understand because we canтАЩt see everything the way God does. ThatтАЩs where faith comes in. ItтАЩs the hypothesis in science and itтАЩs critical for both.
Maybe Satan caused the evil in our world? My Bible knowledge isnтАЩt perfect but I remember a GARDEN OF EDEN, that sounded pretty perfect.
Hmm.. always more to learn. Meanwhile, IтАЩm happy that God will judge the Covid elite plannerтАЩs of the virus/ vaccine genocide. тАЬ Vengeance is MineтАЭ Romans 12:19
That vengeful god needs to be put on the shelf forever. No one needs a god who destroys more of creation than he saves.
How did HE destroy it?? Wow, you think God created this beautiful world, only to destroy it?
We are destroying it, by following Satan & the ways of this world. Sorry you canтАЩt see that. I canтАЩt imagine one day without God. Honest. IтАЩve seen more miracles than I can count. Not just coincidences, but true miracles. Too many have put God on a shelf, out of our schools, etc. The result is what you see now. Nope, Satan wonтАЩt win in the end. God has never lost a battle. ItтАЩs too late when Jesus returns. He will judge us all. ItтАЩs a little comfort for those that lost loved ones during the Covid scandal. There were millions. God knows. ЁЯШЗЁЯТХ
Merry Christmas!
He did do something. He bought your salvation from Satan by sending his son to die on the cross. ThatтАЩs the reason you canтАЩt тАЬ earnтАЭ your way to heaven. Because God already won the spiritual war for us. He didnтАЩt make us puppets that automatically follow him. We have the choice to believe or not. God could have created a world without wars, without pain & suffering and he tried. Adam and Eve paved the way for sin by rejecting GodтАЩs instructions.
They HAD everything, and still gave in to the temptations. ThatтАЩs what we have done for centuries. Got rid of the one thing that is good, true, and holy; God. There will come a day, and everyone will see Him and know the truth. All your questions will be answered about love, Satan, & hell. We donтАЩt have to understand everything & we donтАЩt. We only have to have faith enough to follow God. ItтАЩs not complicated, love God & love others. ThatтАЩs it. Simple. We donтАЩt have to be perfect, because we never could be. Only Jesus was.
Read тАЬ Mere ChristianityтАЭ- C.S. Lewis explains this so brilliantly. I just know for me, nothing else makes sense. Plus, IтАЩve seen true miracles in my life that are otherwise unexplainable. HE is too good, to not believe. You donтАЩt know what you donтАЩt know. And you canтАЩt know, unless you get closer to God to find out. It will blow your mind. Seriously. Take a step of faith & see. Many have researched to prove itтАЩs all a myth, or brainwashing, or whatever & what they find is itтАЩs all true. Everything in the Bible historically, has come to pass. The great flood? It happened. Proof is out there, go find it.
IтАЩve read 11 of LewisтАЩs books. Still an apostate.
IтАЩve heard this exact song and dance before. I lived it for 22 years.
Free will is pointless when the wrong choice ends with with eternal damnation.
But at least thereтАЩs a choice. I would hate to be a puppet, unable to follow & praise my choice of a savior. God couldтАЩve made us that way. What kind of followers would that make? Soul- less puppets, would be the result right? The kind of people that the planners of United Nations тАЬ ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT & RELIGION тАЬ want.
The point of тАЬ choiceтАЭ is everything. ItтАЩs faith in its truest form. ItтАЩs not a myth or folklore just because we canтАЩt wrap our head around this kind of love. ( IтАЩm responding to another response here)
Yes, great floods (plural) happened 12,000 to 15,000 years ago when the glaciers melted, which is why so many regions have tales about it. There's also one in the tale of Gilgamesh Jess Piper mentioned above, along with a tree of knowledge guarded by a talking snake with a human head. Gilgamesh is Sumerian/Babylonian (remember, where the Biblical Jews were slaves?) and is twice as old as the Bible, as are a lot of ancient Egyptian myths they also borrowed (where they were also slaves.)
I've mentioned elsewhere all the previous men-gods that died and were resurrected long before Jesus. And Lynn Manley is right the so-called Church Fathers dumped a lot of other gospels (James, Thomas, and more) because they all said Mary Magdalene was Jesus' beloved and best apostle to turn Christianity into a male-dominated faith. But they're available to read now in some collections called "The Apocryphal Gospels". Apocrypha means shunted, put away, which is exactly what they did. And some of them are far more spiritual than what got shoved down our throats, imo.
I'm afraid that it's your take, and CS Lewis's, that shows little or no research at all. Real Bible scholars find just what I said above, and more. You're both just listening to preachers.
C.S.Lewis isnтАЩt my тАЬ researchтАЭ, but he explains human nature & God in a way I appreciate.
I understand. And reassure yourself that although research convinces most that all religions are man-made, that doesn't automatically turn them into atheists. The 17th & 18th century Enlightenment was full of deists who still believed in "a higher power" - despite religion (which was still persecuting and torturing people in those days) because as Voltaire said, whether you read Jesus, Confucius, Mahomet or Marcus Aurelius, basic morals seem just as universal as the physical laws of gravity that Newton demonstrated. And he felt that that fact, plus further perfections in the universe science was beginning to discover, transcended all religions and spoke for a greater, less tribal and childish power than all of them portrayed. He expressed feelings like you do below on the wonders of life at times.
Re Christianity, I quite appreciated two books by Garry Wills, "What Jesus Meant" and "What Paul Meant" even though I'm not a believer in the Bible like he is. Both are excellent though on how some preachers misconstrue or deform things.
It's good you have an open mind. Seek and ye shall find!
Thanks, IтАЩll check the books out. IтАЩve been watching the series тАЬ ChosenтАЭ too & although they have taken some creative freedoms to make it more relatable, it follows the Bible & makes Jesus feel more real. He wasnтАЩt meant to come & just spread love, he came with a sword to stir menтАЩs hearts & prepare them to fight evil.
Mathew 10:34
The Covid chaos, Agenda 30, & future fake pandemics, is all an example of corrupt evil. This is a spiritual war that was documented in the Bible. Even the digital money in exchange for goods and services is in there. ( The Mark of the Beast) Gods not cowering at this. Either am I. The corporate elite hate the family unit, churches, and all our freedoms. Their plan is to take it all away. Churches werenтАЩt seen as essential during lockdowns, but pot shops & other questionable businesses were. Why??!
Because they know the power that Jesus has.
ItтАЩs good vs. evil, thatтАЩs the choice. Choose carefully & soon. There will come a day when choosing wonтАЩt be available. Truth will always win. And evil canтАЩt hide & deceive forever. ЁЯШЗ
Thanks for your long and thoughtful reply. It deserves as much IN reply!
For starts, I always smile at Matthew 10:34 because indeed, Jesus most definitely did not bring peace to the world. Christianity ultimately brought 1300 years of inquisitions, crusades, religious massacres, persecutions, unspeakable tortures and saw untold numbers of "witches" and "heretics" burned alive.
But I blame that on the greedy power-mongers that weaponized Jesus, much more than on Jesus. However, it's always very important to bear in mind just how much evil religion can, and has, produced over the ages.
Agreed re Covid & fake pandemics. And digital money. (Insane!) But it's absurd to say - lefties, I assume, since you're "almost the last Republican? - hate families, churches and our freedoms. Most of them have families they love, some go to churches and the smart ones fight tooth and nail for our freedoms. Jess is one, imo.
Is this the UN Agenda 30 with its 17 goals you're talking about? https://sdgs.un.org/goals. I'm straining to see what's "evil" in it. Enlighten me.
And the reason shops were OK but not churches during lockdowns had to do with the masses of people in churches vs small shops, where "social distancing' was possible. Concerts, theaters and cinemas were also closed, if you recall. Nothing to do with Jesus. Let's be logical (however Illogical the lockdowns were, agreed. You may not know that many thousands of scientists from Harvard, Oxford, Stanford and all over the world protested it way back in 2020. Over 900,000 toward the end. And that contained an awful lot of non-religious "lefties". Check it out: https://gbdeclaration.org/
Good vs evil is a VERY important choice, I agree! But religion has never had any monopoly on "good", as I detailed above. The oligarchy (I prefer kleptocracy) is definitely our real foe, and they own Republicans and Democrats alike (esp Trump, who aspires to BE one!!).
But ultra-rich people trying to buy up all the power is a constant throughout history. The Founders knew it, and did their best to prevent it here with laws and a Constitution too few respect these days (which includes separating church and state, for all the reasons mentioned above, which they were well aware of. The Inquisition was still active in the 18C in Europe. And other kinds of persecutions...)
Even Jesus told the priests that whores and tax-collectors would enter God's reign before they did. (Mt 21:31). And I frankly interpret "the truth will set you free" very differently than most preachers do.
Also remember that Christ was not a Christian. That system (AND its "sacred writings") were gradually built up over a couple of centuries after his death - by more greedy (& misogynistic) power-mongers taking over where the Pharisees left off. Neither Jesus nor Paul were misogynistic, as the Wills books will help explain.
So think on all that. And you choose carefully too!
Rosa Koire - author of Behind the Green Mask & many YouTube videos, explains the U.N. тАЬ goalsтАЭ. The book & videos are dated a bit but the info. is spot on correct. ItтАЩs like Covid & all the rest of the тАЬ dual- purposeтАЭ programs; it always looks good on paper but the reality is horrendous. The Covid virus & vaccines ( bioweapons) deployed were not a mistake. They were well thought out to be deadly. Our DOD contracted with Pfizer & they both knew they would cause harm & kill. FDA & CDC knew as well. Those that didnтАЩt, but still had a conscience, made for the great exodus- leaving agencies at the roll- out. This included dr.s , nurses, etc. Sad that many well- intentioned medical professionals had to leave their once loved profession because of a few cowardly elite planners. The plan goes back decades.
Please look into Rosa Koire book. If you search long enough you can find a free PDF of the book. It explains a lot and the true intentions of the U. N. unravels. I agree, reading the info. looks fine, but when you see the ultimate power grab intended, it will blow your mind.
Rosa Koire passed away from cancer but the book and info. she left, keeps her memory alive. It just proves what a legacy one person can leave to better our world.
I donтАЩt have ill- will for Democrats. W.H.O., & corporate elie, gov. officials- especially our DOD & others, is what I meant by тАЬ plannersтАЭ of Covid virus & vaccines. Fauci, NIH, of course. These are the evils ones that hate our American way & wish to enslave us into 15 min. cities. ItтАЩs in the planning now, all over the world. ( Rosa Koire тАЬ enlightened meтАЭ) You cant unsee it after you know & see it yourself. Someone here on Substack introduced me. ЁЯСН
C.S. Lewis тАЬ Mere ChristianityтАЭ talks about sin & brilliantly explains your priest & whore scenario. This book explained a lot for me & simplified text in the Bible. IтАЩm still learning a lot but my foundation is strong & solid. I donтАЩt think we can ever know all the details. Besides the devil is in the details. ЁЯЩИ
It didnтАЩt take long for evil to take advantage of Jesus teachings and take what Jesus gave us & complicate it. This is not GodтАЩs fault or lack of planning. This was to clearly weed out the followers from the others. Wars & fighting, Wa witch burnings, and Christian deaths, will all be judged someday. ItтАЩs not my job to judge others. If I judge a church member as a God, and leave my faith because of a man, thatтАЩs on me. ThatтАЩs not God. ThereтАЩs so much we canтАЩt understand, but I understand that. Evil slips into any crack in your faith. IтАЩll reread your response and text more later. On my way to have Nana time with 2 adorable girls. ЁЯе░
I'm an atheist.
No, it's a myth.
I just watched a show about Tolkien & C.S. Lewis discussing myth & religion, faith, etc. Myth is a huge part of the human experience into reasoning & faith. They were skilled in this area. C.S. Lewis was an atheist too, until his mythical understanding gave him his REAL LIFE understanding. Once you see what CAN be, along with the historical truths of the Bible, you canтАЩt unsee it. ( much like the Covid chaos)
I hope you read the Lewis book. What can it hurt? It might just change your life. It changed his. ЁЯдЧ Merry Christmas! ( regardless of your choice) If you message me, IтАЩd send you a copy. ItтАЩs that important.
The book тАЬ Believing is seeingтАЭ by Michael Guillen talks about science & the unseen. He is a PhD and was an atheist until he started researching the similarities in science & your тАЬ folk tale religion/ mythology тАЬ. ( I call Christianity)
ThereтАЩs so much science doesnтАЩt know and canтАЩt be explained. IтАЩm sorry you donтАЩt feel thereтАЩs more to life than what you see or believe. God is real to me. ItтАЩs always been that way for me. I was not brainwashed from youth, if anything, my mom tried to squash my wanting to know more. I asked to go to church. She went so much as a child, and was around many religious hypocrites growing up. I get that. But people make the church and the experience negative, not God.
ThereтАЩs a reason the Bible has been around so long and thereтАЩs a reason some canтАЩt see it, while others canтАЩt look away. I donтАЩt have all the answers, none of us do. But I know my redeemer lives and I know thereтАЩs great evil in this world. IтАЩve seen too much to not believe. I first had faith and still do but the miracles IтАЩve seen solidified my faith. He is not a myth & he stands up for women & treasures them. We canтАЩt make babies alone- we are meant to love others.
Okay, well then you really have more faith than I do. ThereтАЩs no way I could look at all the inexplainable beauty of the earth, look at a newborn baby, watch miracles happen, and not think itтАЩs all coincidence. ThatтАЩs faith that you have in a world full of evil & lies. I see God everywhere I look. I guess whatever you focus on, you see more of. I choose Joy. I choose Hope, I choose Love. Not fake happiness or living without problems. We all have that. I have the same power in me, that rose Jesus from the grave. IтАЩm protected here on earth. I know where IтАЩm going when I die, and I have no fear in dying. Bring on the next adventure. God will have mercy for most that accepted Jesus & then walked sway. The pull of the world is strong. I just want to be stronger than those desires. I donтАЩt have to understand everything to know that following God helps my life flow, in a way it didnтАЩt before.
I love that you read Lewis books. HeтАЩs the best. I ordered a few books from a response on this post. тАЬ Unraveling FaithтАЭ by Rachel Evans. I like new ideas and opinions. IтАЩm not so stuck that I stop looking at new ideas and thoughts. My mom was raised much like this post. She went to church 3-4 days a week and her father was a self- ordained minister. ( a-hole, crazy man) ЁЯЩИ
He beat his boys like a bar room fight, and used his belt regularly. My mom had no interest in church after marrying and having kids. She had seen all the hypocrisy & said she lives everyday of her childhood, thinking God was coming the next day. So I get it.
IтАЩm not judgmental to those that fall away from God, it makes me sad for them. IтАЩm not involved in a church right now and I know itтАЩs important. I will. IтАЩve seen my share of church members that donтАЩt live up to what?! My expectations? The BibleтАЩs? Who knows. ЁЯдЧ
ItтАЩs not about тАЬ religionтАЭ itтАЩs about a relationship. I donтАЩt know what I would do without that steady rhythm of support I feel from Jesus. I donтАЩt/ canтАЩt get that from anyone else. Everyone else has let me down at some point.
I wonтАЩt go on & try to convince you of something you seen so certain of. IтАЩll just say that if you could look through GodтАЩs eyes at you, and see what HE sees in you, youтАЩd get it. HE sees all your troubles, flaws, & questions, & loves you more than a human parent could. HE can make your life here so much more manageable. HE is just waiting for you to ask for help. Prayer changes everything. It does. Ok, IтАЩm done. Take care & go live your best life. тЬМЁЯП╝ЁЯТХ
Meant in the beginning that I couldnтАЩt look at this world and think itтАЩs all random evolved beauty & coincidences that happen.
Why would something that's evolved necessarily be random? There are a lot more things in this world that have a factual, knowable, scientific explanation than things that are random and coincidental. And the things that are random and coincidental are things that you would expect to be, like running into a friend you haven't seen in several decades at an airport in another city kind of stuff.
Just because I don't know and understand something doesn't mean it's not capable of being explained and understood. It certainly doesn't compel me to draw on folk tales from previous millennia and a misogynistic creation of gender roles in a way that permits more physically powerful men to dominate and women to be considered rib afterthoughts, dependent on the most important physical capacity they have that men don't: the ability to incubate babies.
Yes! I stumbled over the writing of Isacc Bashevetiz Singer (I think I'm messing up the spelling) and the idea of a mitzvah - kindness done not to please the Cosmic Book Keeper endlessly tallying up your good/bad score, but simply because it makes the world a little better pleases me greatly. Do it quietly, no one needs to know.
ThatтАЩs not what the Bible teaches. You canтАЩt тАЬ earnтАЭ your way to heaven by doing good deeds. At the same time, I believe that living a life full of sin after sin, without repentance, doesnтАЩt ensure your future either. God knows your heart & is full of Grace. We donтАЩt have to be perfect. We never could be. Lots of people see hypocrisies with churches & organized religion. ThatтАЩs the people, not God.