Seems like quite a series of synchronicities you have there - what all that means though, hmmm. Its probably personal to you and not for the rest of us.
I know the feeling well.
El blanko
JoinedPosts by El blanko
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7
No, really- take it back!
by Insomniac inthis is starting to get creepy.
i keep getting things which don't belong to me, and i have to go around returning them.
in the past 2 months, i was given $120 too much by a bank teller, a loaf of olive rosemary bread was put in my shopping bag at the grocery store (but not charged to me), 2 orders of fries at mcdonald's (again, i was not charged), and then yesterday i bought a dresser at an antiques store, and when it was delivered, the drawers were full of gorgeous antique handbags worth far more than i'd paid for the dresser.
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Proof of Jesus existance
by Jew in.
to all christians, or others, is there any proof of the promised messiah being jesus of nazareth and if so, how can you be sure if he existed?
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El blanko
Outoftheorg:
Ain't that the truth brother - hehe
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The END is NIGH??
by Samdownunder ini watched a fascinating documentary tonight called "the corporation".
it exposed the development of big business in modern day and their greed and corruption of the world.
many of the scholars and experts conceded that by the year 2025, we truly would not have any water left to drink and they discussed the ruination of the rainforests and other important resources as well.
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El blanko
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996302
Reports like that up there are really heart-warming
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The END is NIGH??
by Samdownunder ini watched a fascinating documentary tonight called "the corporation".
it exposed the development of big business in modern day and their greed and corruption of the world.
many of the scholars and experts conceded that by the year 2025, we truly would not have any water left to drink and they discussed the ruination of the rainforests and other important resources as well.
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El blanko
Putting the Bible aside for a moment, I do believe that the health of this planet is suffering as a result of collective human greed.
I also can't see many making a determined effort to adjust their lives in order to meet the challenge of a cleaner & safer future.
Often within my own immediate family I will raise these kinds of issues to guage the general attitude within the herd (my family range from working class to lower middle class) and their value system generally speaking promotes their own material growth.
80-90% of my family drive cars and each household aspires to have more than one vehicle on the driveway (one family having 3 cars to date). Each household desires constant upgrades in terms of their material environment - new electronic gadgets, extentions to their property, internal furnishings upgraded every other year etc
Within itself, this is not remarkable and is simply 'the norm', yet these material aspirations existing within my society echo across the planet and register upon available and limited resources.
Then there are issues like food production and consumption to be considered. Intensive farming techniques to meet the consumer demands of cheap meat and related products, which again make us appear from the outside to be little more than pigs with our heads in a trough of swill.
Then the 'subjective' area of the degradation of morality projected throughout the media.
Then we have the wonders of technology being disfigured and channeled into the hideous flesh-churning war machine. We are teaching the world how to tare flesh apart more efficiently.
To my mind, these are dark times and everything I have mentioned so far is truth.
Yet - I also see beauty within humanity.
This world gets me down and raises me up in equal measues
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MY BREAKFAST WITH A JW THIS MORNING
by Terry injohnny: "what do you mean?
johnny: "they aren't!
johnny: "yes?
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El blanko
Hmmm... all sounds familiar and a typical night in at one of my best friend's house who is currently disfellowshipped. We share a curry and debate into the night. Usually a fruitless exploration of each others belief systems.
As long as we all except that we choose to believe a specific doctrine then there is rarely a problem.
Dogmatism often gets in the way though
Terry, if you pull the rug out from beneath your friend's feet, what will he have to firm his footing?
He raised this particular issue with you by saying that, "Where else can I go to serve God?" I get this constantly with my friend and try as I will, I cannot get him to pick up the Bible and read the scriptures 'plainly'.
The concept of 'one' mediator before God without an organization as a filter simply will not register and that to me is one of the main issues a person faces when attempting to reason with a JW.
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The concept of sin?
by El blanko inok, here is one that jabs into my mind occasionally.
the concept of 'sin' and the fallen state of man is rather profound and used to blow my mind, especially when paul broke down the concept when writing about the struggle with the fleshly state.
i could relate to those words and it was originally one of the main reasons i moved towards the scriptures (that, and the carrot of living forever of course
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El blanko
Terry, that sounds plausible - but what if God actually does exist? LOL ! - he may not like your attempt to rationalize his existence.
By imagining that this rescue vastly improves his chances to transcend the reality of chaos (eventual death) man invests every effort of will into wishfully thinking it into existence.
Yep, makes sense.
Although, I still feel there is a 'supreme' intelligence out there - can't help it man - if it's a drug, I need it.
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The concept of sin?
by El blanko inok, here is one that jabs into my mind occasionally.
the concept of 'sin' and the fallen state of man is rather profound and used to blow my mind, especially when paul broke down the concept when writing about the struggle with the fleshly state.
i could relate to those words and it was originally one of the main reasons i moved towards the scriptures (that, and the carrot of living forever of course
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El blanko
LT:
Hehe - no worries man. I don't think you are being harsh at all, it's just this form of communication sometimes. I'm a pussycat in real life, although my words here make me sound like a right toffy-nosed twit at times.
Yin/Yang is interesting. The white is the male, the dark is the female(!!). Those pesky women again portrayed as dark energy... hehe. With a wee dot of each colour in the other.
FlyingHigh:
Thanks - I'll bare that in mind - well, try It's the bane of my life - I really do not need other enemies, I do a good job on myself.
MyAuntFanny:
I have problems with the idea of salvation through works OR grace because I can't see how any amount of forgiveness can erase our acts or relieve us of either guilt or payment (in the sense of restoring the balance). Which is sort of what Sirona said.
Grace is supposed to reach further than our works (I think). My Oxford dictionary partially reveals grace as "the unmerited favour of God" and to the Christian that is one key to the inner-workings of the faith.
God is supposed to recognize that we imperfect ones can by no means gain life through our own works and therefore God deems us fit through faith in Christ to gain life eternal and applies his grace to those focused upon the son.
So a JW for instance cannot achieve God's grace through 60 hours marked on a slip of paper
At least that is how I see the Christian faith. I do not really understand another version anymore.
Peaceful Pete:
Social awareness is invaluable for any social animal. Animals appear to show shame and guilt when exposed for doing something understood as forbidden. Our minds evolved with programs to worrry about our image (attractive, valuable, dominance etc) as well as a sense of indebtedness to the clan. These programs are always active but at times get suppressed under the weight of self gratification of primary needs like sex or food etc. It is when we become aware of the conflict within our minds that we feel conflicted or guilty.
That's interesting. I assume you take the evolution route then? I had to read that twice to get the gist of where you are coming from and understand now.
If we take evolution on face value, I assume that excessive guilt may be viewed as a faulty mechanism then and the concept of sin, simply man's way of not taking full responsibility for his actions?
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The concept of sin?
by El blanko inok, here is one that jabs into my mind occasionally.
the concept of 'sin' and the fallen state of man is rather profound and used to blow my mind, especially when paul broke down the concept when writing about the struggle with the fleshly state.
i could relate to those words and it was originally one of the main reasons i moved towards the scriptures (that, and the carrot of living forever of course
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El blanko
It's interesting isn't it, the whole 'sin' thing
By the way LT - I was kinda joking with my response.
Surely part of the Christian code is to produce works worthy of Christ & God? Acts within the objective realm to show that one is truly sorrowful for the sinful state of man?
I wish I could be liberated from the concept of sin, it has stayed with me for years and years and often feels like a burden. I feel really bad about myself some days and I doubt I am doing many things at the moment to justify my negative feelings.
Faith eh - what a joke that seems to me at times. I'm fed up trying to believe in invisible hopes & dreams. I need God to touch me on the shoulder and give me something tangible to grapple with for a change!
Sorry... going off the subject a bit there - just having a moan
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The concept of sin?
by El blanko inok, here is one that jabs into my mind occasionally.
the concept of 'sin' and the fallen state of man is rather profound and used to blow my mind, especially when paul broke down the concept when writing about the struggle with the fleshly state.
i could relate to those words and it was originally one of the main reasons i moved towards the scriptures (that, and the carrot of living forever of course
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El blanko
- How does one "free oneself" to attain Nirvana?
By moving beyond mere physical desire; centering oneself with the great universal spirit that joins all and is all?
- What is kharmic debt?
An accumulation of selfish acts that build up throughout one's physical life?
- Why did the Greeks look down on "running away from your fate"?
Not to turn and face one's demon is a form of moral cowardice?
- Where did the "weight" come from, that the Egyptians feared would ultimately be heavier than a feather?
No idea!
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The concept of sin?
by El blanko inok, here is one that jabs into my mind occasionally.
the concept of 'sin' and the fallen state of man is rather profound and used to blow my mind, especially when paul broke down the concept when writing about the struggle with the fleshly state.
i could relate to those words and it was originally one of the main reasons i moved towards the scriptures (that, and the carrot of living forever of course
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El blanko
Ok, here is one that jabs into my mind occasionally.
The concept of 'sin' and the fallen state of man is rather profound and used to blow my mind, especially when Paul broke down the concept when writing about the struggle with the fleshly state. I could relate to those words and it was originally one of the main reasons I moved towards the scriptures (that, and the carrot of living forever of course ).
Let me asked you learned ones a question:
Did the concept of sin originate with the Jewish/Christian experience, or is it traceable to other mythological sources?