OK, Let's think this out (page 3)

Satanus

In what is called preterism, all those prophecies of jesus and in the revelation were fulfilled back there about 2000 yrs ago, between the jews and rome. Jesus really was talking about his generation. The only reason that people have been arguing that stuff since then, is because christianity infected romans and greeks, and then became the state religion. In other words, the nt is not about us or the rest of the world. See preterism - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preterism

As for books about utopias, some science fiction (sf) writers have written quite good stories based on high tech utopias, where people are free to persue practically anything. See ian m banks, for example - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/104-8399991-4911952?%5 Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Iain%20M.%20Banks

I believe that a few of the influencial elites have a peaceful higher tech future in mind, and are working towards it. While they can't control all major events, as in a 'grand conspiracy', they have quite a large influence. Take Maurice Strong, for instance - http://www.taxtyranny.ca/images/HTML/Maurice-Strong/article1.html But, of course, they can only work w what they have.

S

purplesofa

I think its easier, the lazy approach to just let things happen and play out.

We believe so much that God is going to come in and fix things, we are content to continue to let destruction continue to happen.

We feel we are hopeless to change anything. The few people that do actively try to change things meet with such opposition its unreal.

We debate what is right and wrong, what is moral and what is not, instead of what really works!!!

Sometimes I wish every sign, law, rule, regulation, commandment, the slate was wiped clean, Then how would we make it, how would we go on, how would we get along?

Would we simply love our neighber as we do ourselves? and love God with our whole soul, thought, and might?

Think and feel what we know really works? Would we see two young boys hung and killed for a homosexual encounter? Would we steal from another if we were starving? or would we love our neighber and feed the starving?

Over the twenty years I have been exposed to the truth, even they have developed so many rules its too much to keep up with.

We all are living in very teeny tiny boxes. Busting to get out!!!

If there is an inspired god, he is manmade, IMO, and the disasters that happen to the planet are the living planet that it is still evolving and changing............If a "god" steps in, it will only be mankind coming to their senses of whats real, the core of life, stripped of all the scripting. We will have no more excuses.

purps

purplesofa

double post sorry

nvrgnbk

On the one hand, interpreting Armageddon as a metaphor is an interesting concept.

Who knows, when the apocalyptic predictions of Jehovah's Witnesses and other fundamentalist groups continue to go unfulfilled, they may themselves assign them a "spritual" fulfillment, to save face. They're quite good at that sort of thing.

On the other hand, some feel that belief in and expectation of an "Armageddon" is very damaging to both the believers and humanity in general.

purplesofa

While they can't control all major events, as in a 'grand conspiracy', they have quite a large influence

I hope so!

purps

purplesofa

nvr

I am starting to think you are a person that puts people into a box.

purps

nvrgnbk

I am starting to think you are a person that puts people into a box.

Ok.

Not sure how that relates to what I posted above.

Let me try again and let me know what you think, ok?

Your post is about "Armageddon" being stamped on our collective psyche, right?

And as it is, perhaps some are unwittingly saying, thinking, or doing things to make it come to pass.

Am I understanding so far?

Others, in particular the more liberal religious denominations, simply see it as a metaphor.

As for Jehovah's Witnesses and other apocalyptic groups taking Bible prophecy literally and then applying "spiritual" fulfillments to them when things don't work out as they had previously suggested, you and I have both seen that.

What about any of the above indicates that I "put people into a box"?

Maybe we as people put ourselves into boxes.

purplesofa

nvr,

I guess today I wish we could be just connect to the core of who we are, no labels, no athiest, no fundies, no democrats, no republicans, no history.

I will come back to this later.

purps

I think its easier, the lazy approach to just let things happen and play out.
We believe so much that God is going to come in and fix things, we are content to continue to let destruction continue to happen.
We feel we are hopeless to change anything. The few people that do actively try to change things meet with such opposition its unreal.
We debate what is right and wrong, what is moral and what is not, instead of what really works!!!
Sometimes I wish every sign, law, rule, regulation, commandment, the slate was wiped clean, Then how would we make it, how would we go on, how would we get along?
Would we simply love our neighber as we do ourselves? and love God with our whole soul, thought, and might?
Think and feel what we know really works? Would we see two young boys hung and killed for a homosexual encounter? Would we steal from another if we were starving? or would we love our neighber and feed the starving?
Over the twenty years I have been exposed to the truth, even they have developed so many rules its too much to keep up with.
We all are living in very teeny tiny boxes. Busting to get out!!!
If there is an inspired god, he is manmade, IMO, and the disasters that happen to the planet are the living planet that it is still evolving and changing............If a "god" steps in, it will only be mankind coming to their senses of whats real, the core of life, stripped of all the scripting. We will have no more excuses.
purps

nvrgnbk

I guess today I wish we could be just connect to the core of who we are, no labels, no athiest, no fundies, no democrats, no republicans, no history.

I think that would be great too, purps.

You know I do.

But not all boxes are bad.

For example, we can put men that regurlarly hit women in one box.

We can put men that have done so on occasion in another box.

We can put men that did so once, but will never do it again, in yet another box.

We can put those that never have in a box too.

I know I'm in the last box.

I like that box.

I get what you're wishing for, but I think the "boxes" are here to stay.

Edited to add:

If there is an inspired god, he is manmade

Is that you putting yourself in a box, purps?

bem

My 18 year old and I had a similar discussion the other night about the bible surviving, M's take on that was that of some humans needing a guide to make it through life, and as has been said there are some "infected" with a desire to keep the god of the book alive, and as M said that god is interpreted in many forms and fashions, some evil some good. Some humans in this endless quest to make a "purpose or reason" for their existence keep their version of this god alive. Keep rolling out the bibles, and as some thinking ones see a need to prove those other thinkers wrong! they come up with there own take on the whole concept.... "as in, look how many dates have been set by for destruction* armageddon* not just by jw's (I might add.)

Boils down to what I think, a lot of it is man made.

OK, Let's think this out

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