Posts by SweetBabyCheezits

SBC, with all due respect, Jaheshua (Jesus) was around walking in Israel long before the New Testament started to be written. So, the fact is the early Christians put their faith in him before the New Testament writers even began to write what they wrote. So, they put their faith in him before there even was a New Testament. Does this make it easier to “wrap your mind around the concept”?

No, not at all. I'm talking about the 21st century not the 1st century. Jesus isn't strolling around here today.

... So, it is possible (and probably best) to place your faith in him without the use or need for much (or parts, as you say) of the Bible.

People who put their trust in "Jaheshua" or Jesus today have to start somewhere. Only a child or an idiot would put his faith in Rafiki the Tree God without some grounds beyond ol Bob over here telling him to listen to Rafiki's voice.

To put faith in Jesus, Yahweh, Jaheshua, etc... you have to start with the bible or your parents or your environment. You can't put faith in an unknown concept, can you? Hearing a voice and assigning that voice to Jehushia is a product of your mind, conscious or subconscious. Why don't you study psychology before you pick the most implausible "possibility" and go with it? I think I know why. Because people who hear voices and fail to consider the other valid possibilities before nailing it down as divine revelation are anosognosic. (See also the Dunning-Kruger effect.)

If you weren't raised in a bible-thumping environment, you probably wouldn't hear Jaheshua's voice or Jesus' voice. If you heard a voice it would most likely be attributed to the most prominently worshiped god in your family/tribe/community/environment. Either way, I think you're delusional and you're encouraging your son to feast on delusions as well.

This is a question you can ask Jaheshua. If anyone can truly answer that question—seriously—it’s Jaheshua. Ask him. And he’ll give you the correct answer to that question.

I asked. He hasn't said anything but the "voice" I hear in my head says that the bible did not originate from superhuman intelligence.

34

Modesty VS Faith

by SweetBabyCheezits in

jw
friends

modesty asks us to recognize our limitations.

faith demands that we know the unknowable.. pick one..

SweetBabyCheezits

That's why I try to refrain from making dogmatic statements such as, "I know this or I know that ... "

However, I do state, without equivocation, that I BELIEVE.

Syl and Tec, I respect that attitude. It forces me to rethink my original statement on faith.

Tammy: I believe with my mind, but I think I believe as much if not more with my heart.

Tammy: I would have to say that my acknowledgment of believing that he did not exist would be roughly the same acknowledgment that a die-hard atheist gives that God might exist. He knows God doesn't exist, but without absolute proof, he can't state it with absolute certainty.

This is what I mean by "know" in the relative, almost metaphorical sense. To have strong faith in Jesus... requires those who possess it to know in their hearts, per se, that Jesus exists and loves them, does it not? Whether you utter the word know doesn't really matter as far as my original post is concerned. It may only be something you "know" deep down inside. Is that inaccurate?

I want the input of those who have faith but I'm trying to measure responses for objectivity and that's very difficult to do. I think if I hadn't started with such a strong assertion, perhaps the replies wouldn't be evasive-ish.

101

Billy Graham says Christians Don't Actually Hear the Voice of God

by leavingwt in

jw
friends

in direct contradiction to the testimony of some of our friends and family, billy graham weighs in.

billy graham says christians don't actually hear the voice of god.

.. the question should have put billy in a dilemma.

SweetBabyCheezits

Psac, I realize that, I just wasn't sure where Tammy stands in her belief of the bible.

34

Modesty VS Faith

by SweetBabyCheezits in

jw
friends

modesty asks us to recognize our limitations.

faith demands that we know the unknowable.. pick one..

SweetBabyCheezits

The statement I made contains what I thought was an underlying principle of the quality of modesty, not the comprehensive definition.

Maybe that wasn't right, though. I just did some googling to get a better understanding of modesty and realized that my understanding of the term ('recognizing one's limitations') came directly from the WT. I was aware of the alternative meaning as well but looks like I held onto the WT's definition, not remembering where it originated. Color me embarrassed.

I need to do more research on that, though. Humility might work but I think adding intellectual humility qualifies it better? Intellectual humility helps us to identify and acknowledge our own areas of ignorance. I just thought modesty was a simpler term that could be used in place of intellectual humility.

If that's not the case, what single word would be the best word used to convey the idea?

34

Modesty VS Faith

by SweetBabyCheezits in

jw
friends

modesty asks us to recognize our limitations.

faith demands that we know the unknowable.. pick one..

SweetBabyCheezits

Does anyone disagree with the first part of the statement, that modesty asks us to recognize our limitations? If so, I'll go back and just refine the second declaration about faith.

34

Modesty VS Faith

by SweetBabyCheezits in

jw
friends

modesty asks us to recognize our limitations.

faith demands that we know the unknowable.. pick one..

SweetBabyCheezits

Who says you must choose only one of the above?

From my perspective, logic says you must choose one or the other because they are at odds in principle, but perhaps that's a false dichotomy. I don't know. I'm trying to figure that out in my own mind and sought input from those of faith. So far the answers have been kinda muddy.

For example...

SBC: To waver in certainty of belief shows a lack of faith, doesn't it?

Syl: No, shows we're human.

Lol... you're like a slippery bar of soap, aren't you? Is it by chance that Syl is an anagram of sly?

Your answer is not at all definitive. Can you hear Alex Trebek stating this in reciprocity?

Alex: "This shows we're human."

Syl, beeping in: "What is to waver in certainty of belief?!"

I'm trying to refine my perspective with solid input from believers. Maybe my original assertion was too aggressive and needs to define the degree of faith I had in mind.

101

Billy Graham says Christians Don't Actually Hear the Voice of God

by leavingwt in

jw
friends

in direct contradiction to the testimony of some of our friends and family, billy graham weighs in.

billy graham says christians don't actually hear the voice of god.

.. the question should have put billy in a dilemma.

SweetBabyCheezits

Tammy: ...Was there something else I could do for you SBC, regarding how I view the bible and Christ?

Yes'm. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the concept of putting faith in Jesus but only accepting parts of the bible....

Tammy: I don't think the bible is inerrant - but has scripture, history, analogies, accounts that witness to Christ and events,

I think this needs a new thread but I don't wanna "call you out" per se.

TEC, I'm missing parts of your background so let me make sure I understand some things first: How do you know which parts of the bible to accept & trust? Do you believe Jesus is god? Do you believe in angels? Satan? Demons? Hellfire? And where did your knowledge of these things come from if not for the errant bible?

14

Odd Deconstructive Moment in the Dec 2010 Awake

by Cadellin in

when i saw the article, "more major earthquakes expected" in page 20, my first thought was wtf?

haven't they learned their lesson about predicting increases in earthquakes?

then i read the article, which shies away from any explicit claim that seismic activity is on the increase.

SweetBabyCheezits

Serious Bible students

As opposed to funny bible students...

34

Modesty VS Faith

by SweetBabyCheezits in

jw
friends

modesty asks us to recognize our limitations.

faith demands that we know the unknowable.. pick one..

SweetBabyCheezits

Okay, I should mention I'm not bashing faith but I am trying to sort out some thoughts that are in my head and I do need some perspective from those who have faith. But please don't use loopholes or dilute how you feel. I'm not trying to lynch any Christians.

I've allowed far too much variance for interpretation of the word know so let me specify, again... I'm referring to the relative sense. For example, my mother says she refuses to be turned away from what she KNOWS is right: her current set of beliefs.

I was only using faith in a particular afterlife as an example. I'm not saying all faith demands that you know what happens when you die. Faith is applied to specific religious beliefs, right?

Let's get down to a very fundamental faith: If you believe in Jesus, you have faith. You KNOW he exists, right? Or would you still avoid using the word "know"? Because if a person wasn't certain of his existence, it would seem he or she is exhibiting doubt - a lack of faith. Is that an accurate statement?