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Monthly Archives: February 2014

The Immortality Debate

14 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by Bert Amsing in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

animal souls, Heaven, hell, immortality, immortality of the soul, last judgement, self-consciousness

JW shared Freedom From Religion Foundation‘s photo.
“I cannot believe in the immortality of the soul. . . . I am an aggregate of cells, as, for instance, New York City is an aggregate of individuals. Will New York City go to heaven? . . . No; nature made us—nature did it all—not the gods of the religions.”</p><br /> <p>—Thomas Alva Edison, American inventor in The New York Times, Oct. 2, 1910 ("No Immortality of the Soul" Says Thomas A. Edison, interview by Edward Marshall)</p><br /> <p>- See more at: http://ffrf.org/news/day/#sthash.exERNZZJ.dpuf

“I cannot believe in the immortality of the soul. . . . I am an aggregate of cells, as, for instance, New York City is an aggregate of individuals. Will New York City go to heaven? . . . No; nature made us—nature did it all—not the gods of the religions.”—Thomas Alva Edison, American inventor in The New York Times, Oct. 2, 1910 (“No Immortality of the Soul” Says Thomas A. Edison, interview by Edward Marshall)- See more at: http://ffrf.org/news/day/#sthash.exERNZZJ.dpuf

Like ·  · Share · February 12 at 1:41am · 
  • NJ id support this more if Edison wasn’t such a corrupt f**king dick.
    February 12 at 2:14am · Like
  • JW Hahahaha! Smart people generally are dicks. Autism strolls hand in hand I find
    February 12 at 2:16am · Like
  • Bert Amsing The real problem is that his argument simply doesn’t hold up….belief in the immortality of the soul is an ancient belief agreed to by most religions in the world….his analogy to New York doesn’t hold up because NY isn’t a person….so it is a logical fallacy….besides, everyone knows that NY is an apple…lol
    February 12 at 3:08am · Like
  • Bert Amsing The question is whether the human person is only material or something more….it is not just the immortality of the soul that is at question but the existence of the soul….if we are only material….then we are nothing but energy….and energy never dies…isn’t that a form of immortality of the soul for materialists?
    February 12 at 3:11am · Like · 1
  • Bert Amsing The real issue is whether our self consciousness continues to exist after death….obviously our material transforms into other forms of energy…but what about our self consciousness….the source of our own consciousness of worth and value….which doesn’t want to die…or disperse our energy…it wants to maintain it’s consciousness of it’s own existence and even more, it wants to have a QUALITY expression of that existence…
    February 12 at 3:13am · Like
  • Bert Amsing So the question really is, do we get what we want? We want to continue because we are self conscious…that self consciousness is what is normally considered to be soul…something more than merely materialism…it wants to continue as an individually conscious entity with all of its uniqueness….does it get what it wants and why does self consciousness value itself and want to continue indefinitely? Does it desire what is natural or unnatural? Is the desire integral to its makeup or is it an imposition of religion?
    February 12 at 3:15am · Like
  • Bert Amsing I don’t know of very many people who are happy with death. Animals are not self conscious so they do not suffer the anticipation of termination, but we do….why? If it is due to evolution, why did evolution throw us up on the sands of time with self consciousness, rationality and a love for beauty and joy? This is what the debate about the immortality of the soul is all about….what do you think?
    February 12 at 3:17am · Like
  • NJ to think animals are not self consious re enforces your arrogance bert. ever been hunting? seen the life drain from a majestic beast? given thanks for its sacrifice that you may live?
    February 12 at 10:19am · Like
  • NJ they are concious… very concious
    February 12 at 10:21am · Like
  • Bert Amsing I didn’t say that they were not conscious….I said that they were not self conscious…..from a materialistic point of view, we would say that they do not have a well developed frontal lobe …..why would you call me arrogant about something so obvious? Yes, I give thanks for its sacrifice that we may live….more than you might think….but the anthropomorphism of animals is for cartoons and comic books….not for scientists in the real world….what is the world coming to?
    February 12 at 11:25am · Like
  • NJ look into the eyes of the beast. because you do not share a common language you ASS U ME they are not self concious. as you believe you are greater and they lesser. I cannot prove they are any more than you can prove they are not but when i interact with them,observe how they interact with one another i do not think it’s possible they could not be self aware. the brain, and it’s structures are not well enough understood. we are learning, but not all knowing. how do cyborgs fit into the picture? i have met people in the scientific community who believe cybernetic enhancements to be commonplace in the near future. if not the norm. this gentleman postulates within 20 years the majority of humans will be augmented with integrated technologies to enhance the body. kinda uncomfortable for me. i like the natural and trust natures ability to adapt much more than humanities technology.
    February 12 at 11:42am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Maybe so….and I don’t disagree….on the cyborg thing…but what does that have to do with self consciousness? That has to do with the materialistic side….not the self awareness side….perhaps we need to define a bit better what we mean by self awareness or self consciousness….awareness of self means that we are sentient beings…we can come to rational conclusions about our own existence…..an animal feels pain, suffers the pain and then, when the pain is gone, gets on with their life….they do not suffer the anticipation of pain days in advance or the memory of the pain days after (unless the pain continues)….it isn’t about language (or better said, about communication) but about awareness of self….if they WERE aware of themselves and they wanted to communicate with us …even though we have different languages…there are many ways for them to indicate to us that they are self aware and therefore aware of us as more than simply another animal….to turn to Hollywood for some examples….Happy Feet, The Movie…could be one way to do it….dancing in a human style (rather than an animal’s style) is a self aware, self concious act that would communicate between species…..many other tests for self awareness exist….you can google it if you like….but why ruin a great discussion with words like arrogance and ASS U ME….is that really necessary, just because we disagree? Just saying….
    February 12 at 11:50am · Like
  • NJ my big dog tj died at home last summer. we buried him in our yard. as we were gathered around the grave saying our last goodbyes nessa, our other dog came by with a ball she and tj played with regularly. i have no idea where it came from. she looked at his now silent body and tossed the ball in… i wept. she sat by his grave daily for a month… she still lies there often, and rolls right on that spot. not self aware, hogwash. your book is only a tale, or series of tales. that only reveal a portion of the big picture. i dont have all the answers. never will. but unlike others i wont threaten you with eternal damnation for not believing the same as me. life and the nature of the universe and time are too complex for any one being to know all.
    February 12 at 12:02pm · Like
  • NJ http://www.livescience.com/39803-do-animals-know-who-they…

    Do Animals Know Who they Are? (Op-Ed)

    www.livescience.com

    Animal self-awareness is not as rare as some might think.
    February 12 at 12:14pm · Like
  • NJ you will not censor me bert. i call em like i see em. no bs
    February 12 at 12:24pm · Like
  • Bert Amsing not trying to censor you…..trying to have a conversation…..I have no problem with bs….I have a problem with rudeness….
    February 12 at 9:11pm · Like
  • Bert Amsing Your link is not from a scientific source…..just because it uses the name science…..just like there is pseudo psycho babble…there is also a lot of pseudo science babble….but let’s not worry about it….we are no longer talking or sharing ideas so there really is no benefit to the discussion….live long and prosper….
    February 12 at 9:13pm · Like
  • Bert Amsing One last comment….if there is no immortality of the soul….then when you die, it’s like the TV turns off….nothing…no awareness….you are energy and to energy you will return….but if the soul is immortal….then there is something…are you ready for that something…..or someone? If God exists, whether you believe in Him or not, you will have to deal with that reality. If God exists, it is a game changer…..then the next question is…what does He want? Does He accept me the way I am…good and bad alike….is He a loving God? Or does He condemn me for my disbelief, lack of faith, arrogance, selfishness, broken relationships etc etc? Or both? How do you know? Do you even care? The ultimate reality of the universe, according to the Bible, is a God who is three in one….the ultimate alien, if you like….believe it or not…but if He is there and if He has intervened in human history as the Bible claims, then you have to deal with Him sooner or later….either in life or in death….thankfully the Bible says that He is GOOD….that means that He is both absolutely JUST and absolutely LOVING….not loving alone and not just alone….He takes our evil seriously….and we all have a lot more of it then we are willing to admit….but he loves us too….we condemn ourselves to eternal damnation when we refuse to have a positive, enriching relationship with Him…..this is an inbetween time….He is giving us time to decide….but there is only one way to have a new relationship with Him….His way….He came to earth as a human, paid the price for the consequences and punishment of sin to fulfill absolute Justice….you get what you deserve…He got what we deserved….His love fulfilled his justice…If you don’t do it His way, you don’t get a relationship with Him…..if you don’t want him in this life, you don’t get him in the next….so you condemn yourself…..believe it or not…but don’t be fooled…..a man always reaps what he sows….my wish for you is that you live long and eternally and prosper in every way, but especially in a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit….strange words, perhaps….but, like you said, you don’t know everything….God is inviting you to step into a whole new world of knowing…I hope you come…..
    February 12 at 9:26pm · Like
  • Bert Amsing Their sense of mine-ness or body-ness is their sense of self. Just to clarify, when I read over my response to you, I realized that you might have misunderstood my reference to the psuedo scientific babble remark….it was rude….my apologies….and certainly wasn’t meant to apply to Marc Bekoff but rather to the general field….Bekoff is a scientist of high calibre…but even he is not suggesting, as per the quote above, that an animals self awareness is the same as a human’s self awareness…..they make that distinction in the article…in fact, I like his article because he admits, even from a materialistic point of view, that humans have a highly developed sense of self…he, understandably, identifies it with a material mine-ness or body-ness in animals but states that it is more highly developed in humans….does he mean to say that it is not merely a material self-designation but also a psychological one? He doesn’t say….that is not his focus….but that is what is at issue in the discussion….and that difference is what we are talking about….if you want to say that animals are self-aware in this basic material sense, I would agree….but we were talking about the distinctive concept of self awareness that results in self value, anticipation and memory…a well developed frontal lobe…that is more than material, perhaps even more than psychological….and that has been called a soul for centuries…if that soul exists (whether unique to humans or not), is it immortal? That is the question….
    February 12 at 9:47pm · Like
  • JW Interesting. Certain animals are developing a higher state of self awareness. I have seen it. It is rudimentary, like say that of a three year old. I too have experienced things of that nature. Will another creature ever be as evil (sorry humane) as humans? Don’t know. Apes, dolphins, canines seem the most logical. Who knows. Maybe Bigfoot (who’s DNA has been found – part man-bear?) is the ancestor. Highly doubt it. But if we have proof of aliens, which we do, maybe they are our “soul mates”. The missing sentient link. I think we are immortal in the collective sense of the universe.
    February 12 at 11:43pm · Like
  • Bert Amsing Wow….that was all over the place….you are interesting, I’ll say that…lol
    Yesterday at 1:10am · Like
  • JW  it is all one in the same and totally different at the same time. All if these arguments seem rhetorical.
    Like science everything crosses into another realm. Biology and chemistry. Chemistry and physics. Ect. Everything ties into each other.
    I can’t have an effective argument (as my brain toils in semantics).
    All I really know is cellular respiration happens daily, this I am alive and kicking. When the day comes for my demise it will be definitive answer. I am good person and I have faith if there is a god as you say, I will suffer in eternal damnation. Oh well. Life isn’t fair why would after life be different
    Yesterday at 2:18am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Well, if your lucky….it will be more like the TV turning off…just nothing…scary thought still….I don’t like it much….my relationships, my ideas, my dreams….all gone…into nothing…
    Yesterday at 2:20am · Like
  • Bert Amsing On the other hand, the Bible suggests a much scarier alternative….instead of nothing….something….and that something is called JUDGEMENT…..well, that is even scarier if you ask me….Somebody…GOD….will judge me? On what basis? Morality? Good intentions? Belief? Faith? What?
    Yesterday at 2:21am · Like
  • Bert Amsing And what are the consequences if I do not pass the judgement? Will it be fair? Apparently so….God HAS TO be fair…it is in his nature….but what is fair? Fair is when you clean up your own mess. Fair is when you put things right. Fair is when you take responsibility for your mistakes. At the end of the day, we all know two things….that being fair (justice) is incredibly difficult if not impossible. Once the words are spoken, they cannot be unspoken and (depending on the words) sorry…just doesn’t seem to cut it most of the time….Once an act is done, it cannot be undone…..restitution can (and should) be made sometimes but many times it isn’t a financial matter. We can’t go back in time to undo what we have done wrong….you can’t undo adultery…you can’t undo the hurt caused by lying, or slander or liable or gossip….you can’t undo murder, rape, suffering….how do you make amends? How do you do what is fair? The justice system is not about FAIR….how is putting someone in prison FAIR when they raped and killed your daughter….how is it FAIR that someone lies in a morgue because of a drunk driver who walked away without a scratch….life isn’t FAIR…you got that right….but that is because WE are not GOOD. If people would not do EVIL (in all it’s forms) then life would be fine….and FAIR would not even enter in….as the Apostle Paul said in the Bible…if you love one another you don’t need the law….or justice….or fairness….instead of fairness, you have love which is much better….
    Yesterday at 2:29am · Like
  • Bert Amsing So, what is the point? The point is that God is FAIR….He is JUST….it is part of His nature…..He will require that we fix whatever we have broken and cure whatever we have hurt and make it like it was before our EVIL intervened in the other person’s life to hurt them….
    Yesterday at 2:31am · Like
  • Bert Amsing So if you have never hurt anyone….broken any relationships….never have done anyone any wrong or harm….you are fine…no problem….the only thing is that that person doesn’t exist….
    Yesterday at 2:31am · Like
  • Bert Amsing You can cry out…that it isn’t FAIR that God is absolutely JUST…..I get that….we don’t practice justice very well here on earth much less practice it absolutely….we all know that it would be impossible….there is simply too much evil…and we don’t have the ability to put things back the way they were before….I call it the Humpty Dumpty Principle….all the kings horses and all the kings men, couldn’t put Humpty together again….exactly…
    Yesterday at 2:33am · Like
  • Bert Amsing So, yes, God will be FAIR….He will be JUST….and that ought to scare the living daylights out of us….we live in a JUST universe if God exists….if He doesn’t…no worries….the TV turns off…your value and contribution is over…..se la vie….but if He exists and He is JUST…then we are in trouble….all of us…
    Yesterday at 2:35am · Like · 1
  • Bert Amsing Of course, that realization is the first step on the road to recovery….being realistic about our sin….it’s like addiction recovery….you have to first name the problem….look it in the face and call it what it is….
    Yesterday at 2:36am · Like
  • Bert Amsing But we don’t have a solution…..we can’t control our evil completely and we can’t go back in time to try various times to get it right…..but God has a solution…..
    Yesterday at 2:37am · Like
  • JW Messy and clean all at the same time. Everything ties into everything. It is all energy.
    Like the 4th state of water, who knew.
    Yesterday at 2:37am · Like · 1
  • Bert Amsing He doesn’t just excuse evil…he deals with it….because He is also LOVE….he took the punishment on himself on one condition….that we are loyal to him and to his solution….Jesus Christ, God’s son…the most valuable thing in the universe to him….a voluntary sacrifice…an agreement between the two of them…acted out on earth….but only on one condition…that we confess that we are evil and He is good (just and loving), that we repent (an active daily intention and practice of changing our ways and going in the opposite direction) and that we forgive others and love them the same way that God loves us….on the basis of the cross….God does not just excuse sin….he takes the punishment on himself in exchange for our loyalty and love…it is a relationship….it changes everything…
    Yesterday at 2:40am · Like
  • NJ you cannot prove that “he” exists, how do you know what “he ” will do? another manifestation of your faith dilution.
    Yesterday at 2:40am · Like
  • Bert Amsing So when I face the judgement, I can admit that I am guilty but I throw myself on the mercy of the court in the name of Jesus and claim that he took my punishment….and God will accept ONLY that claim….no other excuse….no other name….no other solution….only Jesus ….the most valuable thing to Him in the entire universe….
    Yesterday at 2:42am · Like
  • NJ sounds like dmt to me
    Yesterday at 2:43am · Like
  • Bert Amsing The reason I get to spend eternity with God is because I am now his son…part of the family…because of Jesus…..not because I am better than anyone else….just because I accepted his solution and acted on it….in this life….hope that helps…
    Yesterday at 2:43am · Like
  • JW Only time can tell. Until then, game on
    Yesterday at 2:43am · Like
  • NJ show me the words your prophet wrote in his holy book… thats what i thought
    Yesterday at 2:43am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Remember NJ…that the basis of this whole argument is that this information comes from God….apparently, He intervened in history numerous times, from Moses to Jesus and he made sure to tell us a number of key things about ourselves and about himself….
    Yesterday at 2:45am · Like
  • NJ i call that intuition. it comes from decisions my conscious mind makes based on observations and interactions with the world around me.
    Yesterday at 2:47am · Like
  • NJ things are always happening. a side effect of the passage of time. without time there is nothing.
    Yesterday at 2:48am · Like
  • Bert Amsing NJ…you say that you cannot prove that He exists….he could do it easily….just show up….He would scare you half to death….but it isn’t hard….or do you want logical proof…..lots of that too….books and books on good, cogent arguments for the existence of God….people who are open to it can find a lot of evidence for the existence of God….on the other hand, the Bible says that proving His existence isn’t the problem…the problem with the human race isn’t that they don’t know that God exists….it’s that they don’t want to follow Him….they don’t want him to have any authority in their lives….I certainly didn’t at first…until I learned to trust Him….I get it….so what God is trying to do is not scare you into heaven…or convince you that he is there….he is trying to get you to trust him with your life…that takes more finesse and patience…
    Yesterday at 2:48am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Not sure what you mean by DMT…NJ….please clarify…
    Yesterday at 2:49am · Like
  • Bert Amsing The problem is that we cannot wait until we see him physically to make up our mind to trust him or accept his solution….
    Yesterday at 2:51am · Like
  • Bert Amsing When we see him, we will be full of fear….every encounter in the Bible even if only with angels was full of fear…because we know we are guilty…and if we are full of fear, we cannot love….that is why He stays hidden….to teach us the ways of love….loving Him and trusting Him before fear overwhelms us…the Bible says that perfect love (God’s kind of love) casts out fear….that is our only protection on the day of judgement….that God loves us and that we love Him in return….
    Yesterday at 2:53am · Like
  • NJ the spirit drug used in shamanic practices … mainly in s america and other tropical areas. be careful not to confuse god and your favorite character, jesus. i’m sorry to tell you, jesus was a fictional character in the new testament created to set an example.. the book was written to control the masses of slaves threatening to revolt against their roman masters. you seem intelligent, i cannot understand how a person as yourself cannot see the obvious evidence. you wanna see spirits? head to the shaman for some dmt. you will see things , you may even believe they are real. most likely they are not
    Yesterday at 2:58am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Learning the ways of love and trust can only be done in this life…without 100% proof….in the context of other alternatives that also make sense….like evolution (which I would accept if I didn’t believe that the God of the Bible actually exists)….trust and love are developed and tested in this life….but in order to enter into the relationship, you have to start with admitting the truth….making a commitment to change…and accepting the sacrifice of Jesus as your substitute….and committing yourself to a life of loyal and loving service to him and his purpose for your life….you might be surprised at the adventure and the joy that your life will have….helping to rescue others and teaching them the ways of love in a dark and dangerous world….not a bad way to go….it enhances my value and my contribution and my uniqueness….and I get to live forever with the one person in the universe who is more valuable to me than anyone or anything else….Jesus….
    Yesterday at 2:59am · Like
  • Bert Amsing I still don’t know what DMT is….but your comments about the shamans I will ignore….even you don’t believe that they are real….drugs and spiritism is a dead end….but your comments about Jesus confuse me….do you really believe that, NJ? Where are you getting your information from? I thought you were a materialist who believed in secular humanism and the triumph of science and technology….I didn’t realize that you were into the new age….
    Yesterday at 3:01am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Your beliefs about the Bible and Jesus are simply incorrect….scientifically and historically….if you had said that Jesus was the historical character that lived 2000 years ago and the concept of Christ was an invention of the church….at least that is a cogent argument….not one I agree with but at least it is based on the Historical Method for determining past events…how can we have a discussion if you do not follow normal procedures for determining truth….in the past or the present…..just saying….
    Yesterday at 3:03am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Oh, wait….maybe you were being sarcastic….and I missed it….sorry….doesn’t always come through in the written word…I’ll just laugh at myself now for missing it….of course, you weren’t serious….ok, ok…I get it…
    Yesterday at 3:04am · Like
  • NJ you are free to live as you wish however my freedom and the freedom of countless others are continually assaulted by religious zealots such as yourself. you judge me and yet your holy book condemns this.i thought you were christian? native spiritual practices have done more good and less evil than Christianity throughout the millennia… read the countless genocides conducted on orders of the church. myan, aztec to name two.
    Yesterday at 3:07am · Like
  • NJ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyltryptamine

    Dimethyltryptamine – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    en.wikipedia.org

    N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT or N,N-DMT) is a psychedelic compound of the tryptamine family. When ingested, DMT acts as an intense hallucinogenic drug.[3] Depending on the dose and method of administration, its subjective effects can range from short-lived, milder psychedelic states to powerful immer…
    Yesterday at 3:09am · Like
  • NJ http://www.nationalgeographic.com/…/features/peru.html

    Ayahuasca – National Geographic Adventure Magazine

    www.nationalgeographic.com

    Writer Kira Salak goes into the Peruvian Amazon to try the shamanistic therapy called ayahuasca, said to cure everything from depression to cancer. Video Exclusive!
    Yesterday at 3:15am · Like
  • NJ where is the PHYSICAL evidence of Jesus? no body. what about Joseph? his other children? jesus’ written words?
    Yesterday at 3:18am · Like
  • Bert Amsing NJ, you say that Jesus and God are not the same person….and that is a legitimate position…one that many people take….he was a good example…as you pointed out….but remember, Christianity is based on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead….we believe that he really, actually got out of the grave, spent 40 days and nights with his followers (over 500 of them) and then went back into heaven (apparently another dimension). Hard to believe…but most of these 500 people were willing to die for their belief that Jesus rose from the dead and spent time with them….not just once but over and over again….no mass hallucination….not possible over 40 days….not an agreement to lie…people do not agree to be tortured and die for a lie….but the disciples who were scared and fearful before the resurrection were full of courage and beans after the resurrection….everyone agrees that something happened…even if it is hard to believe what they ALL said had happened….and if they are right (you will have to decide for yourself), then it proves that Jesus was God….he claimed to be God….if he was lying, he isn’t a very good person and a lousy example ….if he was dilusional, like the crazy guy who claims to be Napoleon….then we should just feel sorry for him but not listen to anything he says….but if he was telling the truth, then he had better prove it….and he did….with what he said….with what he did….apparently he healed people who were born deaf, or grew limbs in the moment, and healed people of all sorts of things….and even rose Lazarus from the grave….the 500 witnesses claim that they were there and saw it with their own eyes….but when he died on that cross, they all lost hope….and were in fear for their lives….then something happened….the Apostle Paul said that if the resurrection did not actually, historically, scientifically happen, then we are the most foolish people on earth….we are basing everything on that one truth….it proves that Jesus was God….it proves that what he said and did was true….and he said that the old testament was true….that the stories about Moses and David and Abraham were true….that the Bible was true and could be relied upon as accurate in what it wants and intends to say….therefore we know that God created the world…even if we aren’t clear exactly how he did it….through a long process of evolution or a quick process of 7 days….both are scientifically possible….but the point is ….Christians, by definition, believe that Jesus Christ as portrayed to us in the Bible…written by the witnesses but inspired by God…is the Jesus of history who rose from the dead….and he is God….and because he is God….his substitution for me works…only God, in the person of Jesus, was valuable enough to die for the sins of the world. You can disagree, but this is the basic position of Christianity….
    Yesterday at 3:19am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Ok, NJ….don’t know what to say to your claims about shamanism….other than it won’t save you from the last judgement if there is one….
    Yesterday at 3:21am · Like
  • NJ thats a big if… i’m not wasting what IS for what MIGHT be.
    Yesterday at 3:22am · Like
  • Bert Amsing And I am not talking about the church….which has made many mistakes in the past and in the present….God is ashamed and often infuriated with those who claim to follow him and yet order genocides…or wars….or inquisitions….of course there are evil people everywhere…and they get into the church as well and sometimes into leadership positions….
    Yesterday at 3:23am · Like
  • NJ there are good everywhere also. being christian is not a prerequisite for goodness
    Yesterday at 3:24am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Agreed wholeheartedly….there is good in everyone….but also evil…our bits and pieces of goodness will not be enough for the FAIRNESS of God…as I stated above…but being a real Christian who takes it seriously is a prerequisite for getting through the last judgement ….if there is one….
    Yesterday at 3:26am · Like
  • NJ http://www.answering-christianity.com/…/the…

    The Resurrection Hoax.

    www.answering-christianity.com

    The resurrection of Jesus is a hoax because Mark, the earliest gospel, never contained the story. The “resurrection” passages were later added to Mark, and his gospel was changed by Matthew and Luke, the Gospel writers are anonymous. It was necessary for Matthew and Luke to change Mark according to…
    Yesterday at 3:26am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Wow…NJ…I like what you just said….You said, that’s a big IF…I’m not wasting what IS for what MIGHT be….I couldn’t have said it better…..Jesus actually said that if you were not ready to give up THIS life, you would not get the NEXT one….so you are dead on…..A Christian, on the other hand, IS willing to give up EVIL, and selfishness and self-authority, to obey a God that they love and trust for what they BELIEVE MIGHT be waiting for them…..some Christians even say that they would rather follow God and love Jesus and turn their backs on their own brands of evil (whatever that might be) in THIS life….even if there is NO eternal life waiting for them….Yes, it is a risk…love is always a risk….yes, it takes faith….faith is the most valuable thing in the world to God….it is a product of love…as it is in every marriage….yes, I agree with you wholeheartedly….
    Yesterday at 3:31am · Like
  • NJ faith is … stupid. blind and stupid. like driving down the highway with your eyes closed stupid.
    Yesterday at 3:33am · Like
  • Bert Amsing The Resurrection Hoax….really? You don’t think that we have seen these pseudo scientific rebuttals over and over again…it actually started right after the resurrection…..the religious leaders of the time told the guards to spread the rumour that the disciples had come at night while they were asleep and stole the body….nobody believed it, of course….a crack Roman guard detail never slept on duty…it was punishable by death….and a bunch of fishermen came and stole the body from them…really?…no one believed it….and it continues today…there will always be people who will claim that it didn’t happen….but they constantly fall short….they can only make noise but there is no substance….if you like, I will go through their arguments and show you in detail….let me know…
    Yesterday at 3:34am · Like
  • Bert Amsing The comments about the gospel of Mark are simply false….no authority on the Bible…Christian and non-Christian…. believes that….and by the way, what they are referring to is the Q document, not Mark…they can’t even get it right….sorry, but it is rather lame….
    Yesterday at 3:36am · Like
  • Bert Amsing You have to check your sources of information….not everything you find on the internet is actually true….or verified….including anything that I have said….you need to go back to the Bible and read it for yourself and find people who are real Christians who can explain it to you….but in the end, you have to decide for yourself whether you believe it or not….
    Yesterday at 3:37am · Like · 1
  • Bert Amsing In any event, if God doesn’t exist, there is no last judgement and you have nothing to worry about….if he does…well…that is another matter….
    Yesterday at 3:38am · Like
  • Bert Amsing One last word about hell…..if you take the attitude that JW has taken…..*game on*…..lol….*we will just have to wait and see*….you haven’t looked at the downside yet….if you don’t get through the last judgement (and you won’t without Jesus according to the Bible), then hell and damnation wait for you….and it won’t be pretty….
    Yesterday at 3:39am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Before you get too caught up with the concept of hell and damnation….you need to remember that everything you receive in this life …..if there is a God….comes from Him….even the life and breath in your body….the sunshine, the beauty, the joy….all of it….we create the evil in the world but all of the goodness of the world comes from God….in this life, God is willing to give you time to make a decision about how you want to live your life….and so he allows you to enjoy his creation and the life that he gave you….but the concept of hell is basically God taking those things away from you….he will not support your rebellion against him for more than this lifetime….everyone gets a chance….but only one….hell is eternal fear….eternal life without God and all of his benefits…and because you live in eternal fear there is no possibility for love…if God only took that away and MADE YOU live forever without love….even if you had everything else….what a miserable existence you would have….so, if you want to wait and see….go ahead….but I wouldn’t take the risk….perhaps this entire discussion was orchestrated by God to give you a glimpse of the love that He has for you …..to tell you how much he wants you to come home…to come back to him….to redirect your life so that he can give you beauty and joy and love to overflowing….so that he can teach you the truth about yourself, and him, and the world….God loves you enough to die for you….the question is whether or not you want to live for him…..at the end of the day, he is just asking you to trust him with your life….give up your self-authority and trust his authority….obey him and love him….and your life will never be the same again….
    Yesterday at 3:47am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Ok, NJ…I like your analogy about driving down the highway …..but not with your eyes shut….that would be blind faith….our faith is based on good evidence….whether the evidence is enough for you or not…you will have to decide….besides, don’t you realize that when you drive down the highway, you are always exercising faith….in a big way….you believe that this car (or worse, a semi truck and trailer) that is coming at you at over 100Km per hour is going to stay on his side of the line….less than a yard away….while you hurdle toward him at the same speed….you believe….you have faith….that he is not drunk….that he is not distracted….that he doesn’t have a death wish….sometimes you are right….maybe most times….but sometimes you are wrong….in any event…it takes faith to drive down the highway even with your eyes wide open….faith is in a person…in this case, Jesus….and God…..faith is not the blind belief that you will not crash and burn….it is the trust in God that even if you crash and burn …..he will be at your side and that even death (on a highway or in bed) cannot separate you from his love….if you are a child of God, you get to live forever….yes, it takes trust….and it may sound stupid to you….but that is the way love is….crazy, risky, but worth it…..or have you never fallen in love before? That is a taste of what it is like with God….
    Yesterday at 4:17am · Like
  • Bert Amsing I expected someone to say….You can’t argue with a person in love….that would have really cracked me up….so true….lol
    Yesterday at 11:09am · Like · 1

Circles of Compassion

12 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by Bert Amsing in Uncategorized

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Tags

compassion, Einstein, Love, the human dilemma, virtue

CC shared Fractal Enlightenment‘s photo.
 
Fractal Enlightenment's photo.
 
Like ·  · Share · 14 hours ago · 
  •  
    Bert Amsing Yes, the question is how to accomplish that widening of our circles of compassion…..i.e. more love as a virtue to all without discrimination….how does the human dilemma factor in….that we do not do what is loving even for ourselves more often than not….the perverseness of the human condition needs to be dealt with somehow…..this is the great dilemma of human existence. We can see the solution but we have a hard time getting there….education helps, reducing poverty helps, but the truth is that love must be a virtue before it can be a solution and our human love does not appear to be strong enough….who will help us overcome? Thank God, there is power in Christ through the Holy Spirit to overcome evil and promote love…..
    10 hours ago · Like · 1

Creation Debate

11 Tuesday Feb 2014

Posted by Bert Amsing in Uncategorized

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JW shared CBC News‘s photo.
But these never existed…. Sigh
Turns out, woolly mammoths ate more than just grass. Their diet mystery has been solved by DNA analysis. </p><br /> <p>Here's how it compares to your own diet: http://cbc.sh/Uw7bMxO
Turns out, woolly mammoths ate more than just grass. Their diet mystery has been solved by DNA analysis.
Here’s how it compares to your own diet: http://cbc.sh/Uw7bMxO
Unlike ·  · Share · February 5 at 6:08pm · 
  • You and RB like this.
  • Bert Amsing Or maybe they did….sigh….creationists have at least four different positions….all of which make sense…..only one of which would suggest that these never existed….sigh….if only people would do their homework….
    February 6 at 3:02am · Like
  • JW Faith vs science. One written by man translated repeatedly and Interpreted. The other proven over and over. There is no argument to be had.
    I do my homework. RB would you care to discuss this.
    February 6 at 4:46am · Like
  • JW Do you pick and choose what you take from the bible as word or as metaphor. We already know that a “flood” the magnitude as described in the bible, didn’t happen. So who interprets the size to let everyone know…So did these poor fellows above trip and fall face first into a puddle? 4 different arguments as to how they were possible. You have a definitive book, It should say.
    You know how it tells all the Christians to be bigots, oh wait it doesn’t! it’s just how over half the Christians I know interpret it as gay people are evil. Not much love when it is a Christians first edict.
    Ham doesn’t deserve a platform. Where is his supporting material for proof?
    February 6 at 4:57am · Like
  • Bert Amsing RB is more than welcome to discuss….but you be part of it as well….if you have done your homework….show it…..so far, I see mockery…..innuendos….inaccuracies…..and irrationality…..where is your homework?
    February 6 at 5:00am · Like
  • Bert Amsing The interpretation of the Bible is not haphazard, nor arbitrary….even though on issues that are not central to the message, there may be more than one interpretation….quite normal for any ancient book written in another language….it is a normal part of the Historical Method…..
    February 6 at 5:02am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Four different arguments for creation…..not for the Flood…..and no, the Bible doesn’t have to SAY which one is correct….the purpose of the Bible is not to be a scientific discussion of the origins of the universe….it has a much more important role and purpose…..do you know what the four positions are? Ham believes in Young Earth Creationism, but there is also Old Earth Creationism, Intelligent Design and Theistic Evolutionism…..do you know what they say? All are compatible with the belief that God created the earth…they disagree as to HOW he created the earth….the real issue is NOT creation, but rather belief in God…..which is a game changer in anybodies life….if taken seriously…..
    February 6 at 5:06am · Like
  • Bert Amsing The people that you talk to about saying that gay people are evil ….are either not Christians…..no matter what they say….or they are Christians who don/t have a clue….just like there are a lot of evolutionists who don’t have a clue….
    February 6 at 5:07am · Like · 1
  • Bert Amsing Christianity is not defined by Christians anymore than evolutionism is defined by people who believe in it….rather Christianity is defined by God through the Bible as interpreted by the community of believers…..just like evolutionism is defined by science through the community of professional scientists….
    February 6 at 5:08am · Like
  • Bert Amsing You can agree or not agree…..you can believe in God or not….but mockery is the last resort of ignorance….
    February 6 at 5:09am · Like · 1
  • Bert Amsing Much more interesting to have an intelligent look at the evidence and at the worldviews of those who interpret the evidence….just saying….
    February 6 at 5:10am · Like
  • DV JW all you are sharing when you speak is angry ego.
    February 6 at 11:12am · Like
  • DV And PS., you’re not sharing facts, you’re sharing your religion.
    February 6 at 11:15am · Like
  • Bert Amsing You are right….I am sharing a certain interpretation of the facts…which you call religion…..the fallacy is to think that just because you believe in evolution that you don/t think that it is an interpretation of the facts but rather the facts themselves….not true….it is not called the theory of evolution for nothing…Nietzche claimed that there is no truth, only interpretation….I would agree….unless, of course, God exists and He has spoken…then his point of view would be truth, wouldn’t it? I am not sharing my religion….I am sharing God’s point of view….whether you agree with it or not is up to you…
    February 6 at 11:46am · Like
  • DV I was speaking to JW actually, Bert.
    February 6 at 11:49am · Like
  • DV I was speaking about the religion of secularism and naturalism and the faith that is required to have a belief in evolution, and the belief in the meandering findings of science as at every irritating step along the way they proudly trumpet, “There is no God, we’re scientists!” Truly pathetic, sad, ego driven, short sighted…
    February 6 at 11:52am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Well, I wouldn’t put it that way….I do believe that many people have made science into something that it was never meant to be…not because of science but because of anthropology….the problem is in us….science is useful and helpful ….but we always have to be careful not to allow it to say more than it says….there is a difference between the science of origins and the science of today….two different processes….not often recognized….still, for me, it is an understandable mistake…or a forgiveable arrogance….since they don’t believe in God….I would probably fall into the same trap if I had not had my own encounter with God while I studied the evidence….it’s a bit like falling in love….if you haven’t experienced it….there is no adequate way to explain it to someone else…lol
    February 6 at 11:58am · Like · 1
  • JW Show me anything to support your position that isn’t in the bible. Your interpretation is emotional, isn’t it? What is the position of Muslims? Jews? Why do you think your position is correct ( considering it conflicts with other texts)?
    February 6 at 12:29pm · Like
  • Bert Amsing You miss the point….sorry….I started with the position that the Bible was the actual point of view of a God that exists….no other religious text is needed…or allowed….the right question to ask is whether that position is reasonable or warranted by the evidence….what is the evidence that ONLY the Bible is the truth from God’s point of view? Now that is an interesting question….and it has an awful lot of evidence supporting it and practically no evidence supporting any other religious texts…most of which do NOT make the claim to be the historic, factual account of God’s interaction with the human race….interesting, no? Most people make too many assumptions about what the other religions actually claim….so if you are asking about the evidence supporting the claim that only the Bible has the truth that comes from the God who is actually there….well, let’s talk about that…..very interesting….
    February 6 at 2:47pm · Like
  • Bert Amsing At the same time, I would also say that an awful lot of evidence…factual, scientific and historical evidence….supports the claims of intelligent design….the reliability of the Biblical text…even with multiple translations and interpretations….and the historicity of the events portrayed in the Bible..especially about Jesus, his ministry, his death, and his resurrection…..a very important point to make is that the Apostle Paul, himself, said that if Jesus did not actually, historically, rise from the dead….we are the biggest fools around….Christianity is the most scientific and historical religion around….including the Jews…the claim is that it actually happened…and if there is evidence that proves that it did not happen…then we are in trouble….but none of this ….well, I just can’t believe in that kind of stuff…type of argument….agreed, it is hard to believe….but the evidence is compelling….if you have the guts to really look into it…..
    February 6 at 2:53pm · Like
  • JW DV. If there is a consistency in the findings it is not ego. It becomes recreating “gods will”, isn’t it. Otherwise it can only be the work of the devil. Ultimately you have a problem with the delivery, ok. But arguing with imperial data like carbon dating is daft.Now I agree that arrogance can lead a scientist down questionable roads. The answers lie in repeating the same test getting the same result. Recreating it in a multitude of ways, consistently getting the same results.I believe the bible talks about science, and tells you to embrace it. I do not interpret it to mean that the earth is a young earth. That to me is silliness. Borderline crazy. Serious.

    In regards to each theory Bert I will read through them in the next few days and address them. You are kind enough and respectful enough to get a thorough reply.

    Ultimately I think that if god truly wrote this through Jesus and crew (if he did do the things proclaimed) would have been more direct. There would not really be interpretation or debate. He demands order every where else in his universe but allows this one flaw, his book.

    It’s not that I have a problem in god. Or the thought of it.

    February 6 at 7:20pm · Like
  • Bert Amsing Interesting point of view, JW…not sure that I agree entirely….lol….but I like your openness….a couple of things….carbon dating is not empirical data….and it is not 100% reliable…but the concept of carbon dating is solid…….and should be respected as solid scientific data….but if you remember what I said about starting with the existence of God and then working backward from there….it is very possible that God created a young earth in a mature form…..if God CREATED…how else would he do it…..a tree would have to be CREATED at a certain age…..or were they all seeds to start with?….I suppose that it is reasonable to assume that God CREATED some seeds, some saplings, some mature trees and some old, gnarled trees…..did they have rings inside them? Did they have a history…that never actually happened…..did those rings in the trees show signs of a forest fire years before that never happened? Possibly….if you are open to the idea of God and therefore the idea of CREATION (rather than evolution), then how else could it have been done….in the writing world we would call it BACKSTORY…..but it never actually happened….did Adam and Eve have a bellybutton? I think so….though it was never used…..they were created mature….who knows at what age…..so the same could be said of geology as with tree rings….geology….or the study of rocks and sediment and carbon dating….are like the tree rings….they are there as part of the creating of a mature earth but they never actually happened…..or so the argument goes….this is the young earth in a mature form theory…..Mr. Ham has taken a slight twist on this theory to suggest that dinosaurs were around before the flood and were destroyed in the flood….that is pure supposition on his part and is not at all representative of the young earth in mature form position…..in addition, as I have said, there are three other positions on the relationship between science and evolution…..theistic evolution would say that God is the initiator of the big bang and CREATED the world through an evolutionary process over millions of years….and that the DAYS in the book of Genesis refer to eons, not 24 hour days …..since it is in poetic form….this is a well accepted view of CREATION that includes most (but not all) evolutionary points of view….for example, we would still take acception to the notion that humans evolved from apes….even non-religious scientists and philosophers today would have problems with the original form of darwinism…..today they talk about neo-darwinism….and mutation and the Cambrian explosion…..(hence movies like ALPHAS and THE X MEN etc)…that evolution moves forward in great leaps and bounds due to a genetic mutation….not through a long process of adaptation…..but I digress….I have given you both ends of the spectruum…..theistic evolution on the one hand and young earth creationism on the other…..the two in the middle are old earth creationism and intelligent design…all of them are within the Christian family and although we often like to disagree with one another….these are all IN HOUSE arguments….Mr. Ham is on the extreme side AWAY from evolutionism and his thoughts on dinosaurs are NOT well accepted by the majority of Christians….intelligent design is what is being taught in Christian schools together with evolutionism to give two perspectives on the same topic….it does create some skepticism on the SCIENCE of evolutionism but, frankly, there already is ALOT of skepticism about the approach of darwinism….it no longer fits the facts….and neo-darwinism is a new attempt to find a new fit….and now there are many who are questioning whether we need a new approach altogether….something other than evolutionism or darwinian evolutionism at least…those are the facts….no longer can we equate darwinian evolutionism with uncontested science ….any more than we can equate the mechanical theory of the universe to physics….we have gone on to see that it is more about quantum physics….and now we have gone beyond even that…it is exciting how our understanding of our universe has grown in the past 100 years….and arrogance about what we think we know is not conducive to an inquisitive mind and the scientific method….any theory of origins affects the very foundations of life….meaning, significance, identity and purpose…so it matters that we get it right….NO, it is not silly, or crazy or anything else…it matters….and if God exists…and if He created the world….however he did it….THAT is what matters…..evolutionary theory comes with all kinds of baggage about the materialistic worldview and secular humanism….which has taken meaning, purpose, significance and identity out of play…and that has affected morality and productivity and happiness and has led to evils of all kinds at alll levels of society….but that is a discussion for another day….hope that helps….
    February 7 at 7:03am · Like
  • Bert Amsing One last comment….do not impose on God an order or directness that you want to have….there is a good reason for being indirect and not so clear….do you think that the 6000 to 10000 years of human history that we know about would have understood the concept of a singularity at the beginning of time….God was talking to all people….throughout history….intelligent and non-intelligent about a new relationship with Him…..he was telling them that He created them….that they rebelled against him and that He is trying to rescue them….but he is a gentleman and is trying to woo us back….not with logice and reason and science and proof…but with character and love and intervention into this world of evil and discrimination and willing to be slapped, and mocked and spit upon and killed by the very people he was trying to love…I don-t want a God who will scare me into heaven or convince me with logic that he loves me….and that I can trust him with my life….I want a God who is willing to die for me to save me….and that is what I have….that is a God that I can trust….just saying.
    February 7 at 7:07am · Like

Mockery and Creation

11 Tuesday Feb 2014

Posted by Bert Amsing in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bill Nye, Creationism, Debate, Dinosaurs, Evolutionism, Ken Ham, Mockery, Superstition

J.W  Sigh. When will this ridiculous argument go away.
Tomorrow please
How Really to Debate Creationists: Bill Nye versus Ken Ham
reason.com
Yesterday, Ken Ham, nutty founder of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum in Kentucky debated Bill Nye, the Science Guy on the evidence for Young Creationism…

Unlike ·  · Share · February 5 at 5:44pm · 

  • You and 2 others like this.
  • 1 share
  • Bert Amsing Sigh. I agree….the truth is so obvious….nothing to debate….the evidence is so clear….lol
    February 6 at 3:00am · Like
  • JW Who created god then bert? Why don’t you stone people who work on Sundays? We can break down Leviticus and move on from there.
    Clear my but, unless your the individual interpreting the bible.
    February 6 at 4:48am · Like
  • Bert Amsing God, by definition, is eternal…..you can believe He exists or not….that’s up to you…but in order to have an intelligent conversation…or debate…you have to know something about the opposing arguments…..your comments show that you are being emotional….and irrational….not intelligently discussing the issues….stoning? seriously? …..Leviticus? …..individual interpretation of the Bible?…..really? That’s the best you can do for a discussion that is at the heart of the moral debate of Western Civilization?
    February 6 at 4:58am · Like
  • FM You wish it would go away and yet you keep posting….
    Hmmm……See More
    February 6 at 5:47am · Like
  • Bert Amsing Good point…FM….lol
    February 6 at 5:50am · Like
  • JW No. Not trolling. Just sick of all of this. I just find it amusing to think that dinosaurs happens in the last 7000 years. Too funny.
    February 6 at 9:07am · Like
  • JW This is both of your professions. Not mine. You are both experts at arguing your position. I am not. I know what I have read and seen in my life.For me selective science is amusing. You except gravity, physics but not geology? Without a doubt dinosaurs existed a lot longer than 7000 years. The proof is empirical.
    February 6 at 9:15am · Like
  • FM JW please don’t put words in my mouth.
    I’m not about to get into a debate because not everybody who is with Bill Nye agrees with Bill Nye and not everybody who is with Ken ham agrees with Ken ham. Done. Over.
    February 6 at 10:16am · Like · 1
  • Bert Amsing Exactly….the debate is bigger (and more professional) than these two debaters….I do agree that it is worthy of debate but I think most people are missing the point…..if science was the only point of departure, we would undoubtedly be evolutionists….although even darwinism is under attack by many non-religious scientists and philosophers…..Christianity is simply making the claim that God exists….and that He has spoken….and we accept that revelation as fact…..how it fits exactly into history and science is open for debate…..but saying that dinosaurs existed 7000 years ago is clearly outside of the revelation of the Bible….as well as science…..science does NOT fully reveal reality ……but reality is rooted in science….the real question is anthropological…..does mankind have the ability to KNOW reality fully? Probably not…..but science does allow us to know truly what we do have access to and what we do understand at least partially…..science (and technology) has been good to us in the last two to three hundred years especially …..but it has made us arrogant to an extent….and some would argue that we have lost as much as we have gained….human nature doesn’t seem to have changed much….and relationships are still the most important aspects of life….a materialistic worldview seems to have made meaning, identity, purpose and significance more difficult to achieve….again, anthropology….the study of man…is the key issue….what is your worldview…what are your basic assumptions about life, and death and what matters and what is true….and how do those things affect your behaviour as an individual and as a society….abortion, gay rights, sexual abuse inside and outside of the church, pornography, wars and rumours of wars, evil in all of it’s manifold faces….the question still remains….if God is there, would it change anything in my life? You can argue about everything else…but if God exists, then evolutionism is wrong and creationism is right….however you understand the science of it….God could have created a mature earth after all, if He exists….so the real question is….does the God of the Bible exist? Did he show up in the burning bush and speak to Moses? Did Jesus really heal people and raise them from the dead? If they are just stories, no problem…..I am with the evolutionists….if they are not, then it is a game changer….my problem is that I have done a lot of homework on these issues and the evidence for the existence of God is quite compelling….even if not conclusive….and that is how God wants it…He isn’t trying to convince anyone….it isn’t a debate for Him….winning people over to His way of looking at the world and creating a new relationship with Him isn’t just a topic of discussion….it was a rescue operation that he was willing to die for…..they mocked Jesus too….they spit on him too…..and they killed him in order to be politically correct….he hung around with the outcasts, the prostitutes, the poor, the politically incorrect….and they crucified him for it…..this isn’t a debate…this is a life and death struggle for your soul….just saying….
    February 6 at 10:52am · Like · 1
  • NJ You cannot argue with those who make a living justifying an ancient work of fiction as literal fact.
    February 6 at 2:23pm · Like
  • RG Superstition is as stupid and it is obvious.
    February 6 at 3:14pm · Like
    • Bert Amsing Mockery is the last resort of ignorance…..just saying….
      February 11 at 9:49pm · Like
    • RG Might as well invent sayings to try and support your superstitious silliness.
      And look at your second comment from the top. Nothing but ad hominem attacks and insults. You superstitious people are confused can only flail impotently at people who make sense and depend on evidence.
      Yesterday at 9:18am · Like
    • Bert Amsing Take a look at what you just did….mockery is the last defense of ignorance……if you depend on evidence…give it…I did….where is yours? I even gave you a green light to discredit the historical accuracy of the resurrection….go ahead…give it your best shot….calling something silly….doesn’t make it so….lol
      Yesterday at 11:14am · Like
    •  
      DH Oh, Bert…
      Yesterday at 8:28pm · Like
    •  
      KW You can never argue religion or politics. People make up their own minds, as well they should. It’s the old, “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” To each his own.
      23 hours ago · Like
     

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Learn the Facts

11 Tuesday Feb 2014

Learn the Facts

Some people suggest that it is a waste of time to discuss and debate people on FB or other social media…..I disagree….I like to discuss and debate at home over a cup of tea and really get into a subject….I find it stimulating and instructive. Although I have strong opinions, I appreciate other people’s points of view….even if I disagree. My only problem is that many people have opinions (myself included) without having all of the facts…..I constantly have to check myself to make sure that my opinion can stand the test of evidence and facts….otherwise I need to hold those opinions lightly and learn from those who have studied a subject in more depth….still, all in all, we need to debate more not less….

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Unconditional Approval

11 Tuesday Feb 2014

Unconditional Approval

This is so true……and it comes from a place of love….just like a good parent who loves his child but does not approve of everything that they do….because the fundamental problem with humans is that we want things that are not good for us and we don’t care…..junk food, smoking, addictions, selfishness, bitterness, resentment, stealing, greed, adultery, pornography, anger, gossip, pride, ego and the list goes on…..we want what we want when we want it …even if it isn’t good for us (and we often know it and don’t care). The human condition is a spiritual cancer because we are cut off from our creator and father. A new relationship through Christ sealed by the Holy Spirit can restore the fundamental principle of obedience to the rule of love…even, and especially, for ourselves….we can forgive ourselves because we are forgiven….at a great price and sacrifice….our sin is not excused, it is punished in another because of love…..that forgiveness and love can change the human heart. Loving obedience to God is the answer….

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Dice and God

11 Tuesday Feb 2014

Dice and God

Coincidence is God’s way of staying anonymous – Albert Einstein
The question is WHY God remains hidden…..there is a very good reason…..and it has to do with YOU…..if God wanted to scare you into a relationship with Him, it isn’t that hard to do….but loving you into a relationship with Him, that takes some finesse and patience….I Peter tells us that God is patient so that as many people as possible will be saved. Once you see God in the flesh, so to speak….your fear will not allow you to fall in love any more than a shotgun wedding is a symbol of true love….lol

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Sit and Talk

11 Tuesday Feb 2014

Sit and Talk

I would love to talk with Jesus …..in the flesh….and an hour would never be enough….in fact, you can read some of those conversations on this website. Conversations with God….especially in the Desert Warrior Series….enjoy.

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Ultimate Ignorance

11 Tuesday Feb 2014

Ultimate Ignorance

Now that is the truth…..the evidence for the existence of God, the reliability of the Bible and the divinity of Jesus Christ is strong and compelling….have you studied it for yourself? You might be surprised at your conclusions….

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