Let's differentiate between two main groups right here. Find your line. There are Christians and non-Christians.
A Christian believes that Christ is the messiah, that He is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for our sins, and by His resurrection that God proved right there and then that all of our sins (past, present and future) were forgiven, and that one day He will return to reign over a new earth after the day of judgment.
A non-Christian by contrast believes that Christ is a liar or fraud or simply never existed (yet every major historic text describes him to some capacity by name - Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus son of Joseph, etc), that He is a fraud, that his death was deserved because we have no sin (sin is relative, by the way) and need no forgiveness except to ourselves, and that some day we simply die and that is that.
Now let me single out the wristians, too. A Christian should also believe that they themselves are never fully without sin, that they make mistakes, that they break the ten commandments repeatedly on any given day, that they should be humble before God (or they will be humiliated before men), that they are no better than anyone else, that it takes all kinds of people to make up God's plan (some people are just good examples of what not to do), that this earth [and this life] will never reach the utopia that will exist on the "new earth" and people will never just all of the sudden all decide to come to Christ on your watch, no matter what you say.
So now that we've got all that happy shit out of the way, let me reiterate a few things that I've always known to be common sense, but it took my wife's exploratory questions to remind me that not all people have such common sense.
First, if you are "in Christ," then this place, this world, this time, is the worst it's going to get for you. If you think your day / week / month / year / decade / life has sucked, well, there is hope for you. If you are not "in Christ" by contrast, then this place / world / time is as good as it's going to get for you, so live it up! This is your time and have a big party.
Second, if you are "in Christ" and you don't get stopped on a dime for your "sins" while you're down here, then guess what... You'll love the fact that come Judgment Day it's a big "this is your life" episode where every little fuck-up and atta-boy will be pointed out. You'll be humiliated with the best of them, but when it's all said and done, you're "sins" are paid and you'll be ushered into the new "mansion in the sky." If you are not "in Christ," then by contrast, you will probably not have to be stopped at all for your "sins" (what sins?) and even though there may be this whole "this is your life" episode for you (whatever?), you'll just shrug it off and then be cast into the fires of damnation, but since you don't believe in any of that stuff, it probably won't happen anyway, so again, no sin, no judgment, live it up, party hearty!
Third, if you are "in Christ" then the words "I am" and "father" and "bond-slave" actually hold relevance to you in your life. They are reverent, in once sense or another, and between those and those "red words" in the bible, you tend to take notice, pause and reflect. For example, "I am the Alpha and the Omega" are words spoken of God, the Holy Trinity, Christ the Son of God, and mean that He has been, is, and will forever be who He said He was... God. Again, by contrast, if you are not "in Christ," then the words "I am" refer solely to you and your lifestyle, "father" is one of those optional parental units and "bond-slave" refers to how you feel about society as a whole, no matter where you live, because you want to simply do what you want to do, what feels good and whatever rewards your sense of self to the fullest. Again, party on!
Now that I hope I've widdled you down to one of two groups -- man, I hope I didn't leave anybody sitting on the fence, because then understanding the depths of your tool-ness will be so much more complicated to explain from here if you simply "don't get it" by now -- let me explain why you're such a tool.
There are two rigid aspects to this life / world. There is "good" and there is "evil." These terms are not to be confused with the words "great" "awesome" "groovy" or "excellent" nor "bad" "alright" "cool" or "malignant." In the yen-yang slang, there is black and white, right and wrong, and back to the obvious : good and evil. If you want to look at it as a polarization, that's a relatively common view. If you're from a background similar to mine, then you will see it as this : humans are pure dag-nasty evil and only by the grace of God (no matter if you believe in Him or not) you are somewhat good. You will never reach any sort of "awfully good" and definitely never "perfect" in this life. Agree to disagree and let's move on.
There are those then by relativism and existentialism that will then say that we have two sides : good and evil (no matter how hard you marginalize it) and then perhaps shades of gray in between. That's fine, I'll grant that for the sake of the argument. On any given day then, there are those who push the agenda of good and there are those who push the agenda of evil. Both are significant. Both believe that they are the "good" and that those against them are the "evil." (If you disagree with this assertion, then you have a very unique perspective and with a little clarification, I'd love to hear about it.)
To define "good" and "evil" is very difficult for a non-Christian (and half of all Christians at least) because of our personal perspectives. The bible defines this as "right in one's own eyes." People do things wrong because they are invoked, provoked or otherwise filled with emotion. Beyond the bounds of the wristian is the profound statement that "feelings are not facts." With that in mind, to do the right thing would not necessarily involve our personal input and especially not our "feelings" about the matter. To a Christian, the standard that is set (that is difficult if not impossible to attain) is that of God's Holy standard. That is the basis of where the word "is" is defined (see "I am"). To a non-Christian, the standard is relative based on one's ideals, morals, values and ethics, whatever state that they may be in that day.
Am I a "good Christian?" No. In fact, I'm a lousy Christian. I don't push Christianity. I don't throw it in people's faces. I don't thump my bible. I don't even give away tracks at shopping malls. Let's get one thing straight : If it wasn't for the grace of God, I wouldn't consider myself anything but a tool for use by the elements of evil for the use of spreading evil like seeds throughout the world.
Here in lies the crux of it all. No matter what you're level of spirituality or theology, there are a set of principles that define who we are. Some examples are : How we view ourselves. How we view marriage. How we view family. How we view society. How we view government. How we view our trade. How we view our hobbies. How we view life in general. How we view other countries. How we view inanimate objects (flowers, art, etc). How we view animate objects (pets, wild animals, birds, etc). How we view mortality. How we view humanity. How we view philosophy. How we view mind-altering substances (tobacco, beer, weed, etc). These are the things that make us what we are. We all have one common and dominant thread, and that is understanding.
If you are willing to make a statement, stand behind what you say, and make it plain enough to all who hear / read your statement that this is how you feel and why (not "this is how it is and if you don't believe that way, then you are wrong"), then you are always going to be doing the work of "good." You can be the most hated man on the planet, but if you are doing the right thing in pushing the agenda of understanding, then you are in the right. If you are agreeing to disagree because you have a difference of opinion, then you are making headway in the black or white categories.
If you are not, then, well, you're just a fucking tool.
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javadewd posted on Jun 04, 2009
| views: 403
Comments
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superbozo said on Jun 04, 2009....
Get out of bed the wrong side this morning did we Java :)Mate I've come to the conclusion that 98% of people that I meet are tools whether they believe it or not. -
javadewd said on Jun 04, 2009....
Actually, yeah, I gotta admit, SB. I'm also so terribly sorry that the ratio is just as high for tools where you are as it is here in middle America... It's practically tool-topia! -
Twylarants said on Jun 04, 2009....
I tried to find myself in your descriptions, JDewd, but as a lifelong atheist I guess I don't fit in here.
I can identify with paragraph 14, though..."Herein lies the crux...". I do have principles, morals, and ethics. I simply have no beliefs...spiritual, theological, or supernatural.
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javadewd said on Jun 04, 2009....
Twyla, I hate to say it, but you're probably better off than all of us at this point. At least you're understandable... -
Twylarants said on Jun 04, 2009....
Why thank you. You'd be surprised how many people have a completely wrong idea of atheism. I've been accused of worshiping Satan and have had to explain that I am A-theistic, not monotheistic or pantheistic....A-theistic. Jeesh! -
javadewd said on Jun 04, 2009....
I don't slight you at all, my dear. I figured that you of all people would understand that even a non-Christian can avoid the "tool" label by simply not being an ideologue. I'm sure you recognize where I'm coming from, that yes, I'm a Christian, but that doesn't mean I think I'm better than anybody else. I'm not perfect. I'm not even good at it, but you wouldn't come at me because of it. It has a simple framework to it, and I have to provide the rest to make the picture. Make sense? -
Twylarants said on Jun 04, 2009....
Absolutely. I have a great deal of respect for people who live their faith and truly love their God, like Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama.
Some, though, complicate their religion by using their God for their own purposes, and that offends me.
Good post, by the way.
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anonymous said on Jun 04, 2009....
We know Jesus to be the son of God because a fallible mortal man, Paul, tells us so. ONLY the books of Paul contain quotes by Jesus claiming to be God. Five times he's asked and dodges the question. On the sixth, he says it's so? Or was there a misquote? One need not accuse Jesus of lying or being mistaken, or a nut. You only need accuse Paul. (or merely those fallible mortals who have transcribed his work.) Between Jesus and us much mischief could come.
For thousands of years, an entire sect of Christianity called the Arians believed Jesus to be holy, perhaps deified, but not God himself. A warrior who became Pope, Constantine put people's necks to the sword and declared Jesus to be God. Again, a mortal man told us so, OR ELSE!
"... God proved right there and then that all of our sins (past, present and future) were forgiven,"
If Jesus had NOT come back, his sacrifice could not possibly have meant he died for our sins? I don't see how it was proof of anything. The Jews slew animals to pay for sins. None of them had to come back to life to make the atonement legit. Jesus' death replaced the thousands of slaughtered animals (millions over the years). I don't see why resurrection was necessary. The analogy would play out just as well. I'd sooner see the resurrection as a demonstration of the power to deliver a new covenant of everlasting life, banishing death. But, hey, whatever floats your cross.
I've been led to understand that the only historical texts that refer to Jesus were written by Christians or about them. Extensive Roman records do not record anything about a revolutionary figure by the name "Jesus" (or it's Hebrew equivalent "Joshua") by Pontius Pilate or anyone else, for that matter.
Either Jesus exists or we have no sin that needs forgiveness?
You know NOTHING of Judaism, do you? Humanism is NOT the only alternative to Christianity. The black and white world you live in is comforting, but fictitious.
The "believe in Jesus, or else!" thing was expressed much more elegantly in Pascal's Wager. (Look it up, folks.) I consider this proposal a STARTING POINT of faith, not the conclusion. Good luck. You desperately seek to prove God and miss the point. Pascal is useful for convincing yourself that the search for God is not wasted effort.
Jahweh, Allah, Jehovah, JHVH, "The Word". Knowing the lingo isn't as important as knowing the purpose. I think it's possible that there are atheists and agnostics that please God more than many men that know all these words but ignore the pleas of the Jewish carpenter.
It's spelled: "whittled".
"If you're from a background similar to mine... You will never reach any sort of "awfully good" and definitely never "perfect" in this life..." Either you missed a few words, or I pity your self-loathing soul.
I suspect some people know they are evil and don't care. I also find it possible that evil is composed of only two things: selfishness and misunderstanding. Further, it's not that certain events or acts are always good or evil. When you have an accident and hurt yourself, is that evil? It's BAD, but is it evil? When a snake kills your dog, was it evil, or was it nature? A snake doing what a snake does? When a man takes revenge on an evil man, is that good because an evil man is punished or is it evil to have taken vengeance (which God claims as his right alone?) If you are crystal clear on these ethical questions, there are trickier stickier conundrums than these and should it cause you wonder that those of us less gifted may believe in good and evil but not trust ourselves to know which is which in every case? Are we wrong to be suspicious of those who claim their judgment in these matters is superior to others we already hold in high regard? Whom do we believe when others tell us a particular event or person is evil, and why? Is it not likely that we, ourselves, are the best judge to consult about ethics if we have no one around us we deem wiser? Is this hubris, or merely common sense. Surrounded by fools, does one agree to decisions made by committee? If we are told to consult clergy, who do clergy consult? And if clergy ultimately are left with only prayer to find wisdom, is it always wrong to rely on prayer rather than someone who others consider wise regardless of your own impressions?
You're a tool if you don't seek stark contrast? In what? Everything? Depending on the difficulty and importance of interpreting an event's ethics, is it never acceptable to decide it can remain unknown without consequence? Such perfectionism has its own drawbacks.
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ALIENated said on Jun 05, 2009....
Ah, no one can twist the scriptures like the devil. Thanks anonymous. Why not sign in? Ashamed of your thoughts? What hog wash. I used to read the Bible looking for loopholes, too. I suppose you learn a lot that way, but not much that edifies. It will be fun, and sad, to watch these explanations being given as excuses on judgement day. But, ignorance is no excuse.
I do find it strange that the very mention of Jesus attracts those that supposedly do not believe like a magnet. I can understand why Christians want to spread the Good News, but I cannot understand why nonbelievers are so dead set on explaining it away. I suppose misery loves company.
Thanks for the good words javadewd.
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
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Twylarants said on Jun 05, 2009....
I can tell you why I'm drawn to discussions about religious beliefs, Alien. The subject itself fascinates me in much the same way science fiction entertains me, but even more so, the willingness of people to attack those whose beliefs differ from their own rather than accept the differences and move on is a real study in human nature and provides insight, on a smaller scale, into the motives behind war.
Countries and religious zealots will bomb each other out of existence or strap explosives to themselves to take out as many human beings who worship in a different way as they can in order to get to heaven.
And yet, all agree there is a Supreme Being. I don't get it.
I don't believe in ghosts, either. Merely stating that fact has cost me friendships over the years, as ridiculous as that sounds. That's how fervently people want others to validate their own beliefs.
If you're afraid of ghosts and I'm not, does that mean you're an idiot for being frightened of things that go bump in the night?
If you believe in socialism and I believe in capitalism, does that make me an unfeeling bitch?
If you believe you'll be rewarded with eternal life for being a good person here on earth and I live a good life just because...well, just because that's the way I live my life, does that mean I'm right and you're wrong?
I'm sure I'm over simplifying the whole thing, but I don't mean to ridicule or minimize the importance of a person's religious convictions in any way.
Can you imagine this world, this very day, if every member of every religion went about their religious activities without prejudice or any regard or interest in what any other person in the world believed?
Silly me....what would the news anchors talk about?
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javadewd said on Jun 05, 2009....
Hey anonymous :
How about sending me some contact info. I could go for 12 days citing how throughout the four gospels how it was revealed how Christ was the son of man, that how by coming back he confirmed (and fulfilled) the old testiment.
Also, you know nothing of Judaism, then, because all Jews know they need a savior if they have any sort of God-fearing bone in their body, because they cannot hold up to the scrutiny of the ten commandments their whole life.
If I wanted to start a blog about faith, then I would do that. How about you do that, and link to that and I'll be right there to rub your fucking nose in it you tool.
I'm also happy that somebody finally corrected my spelling on Whittled. I can now die and go to heaven a happy man. Thank you!
I will finally agree that some people know that they are evil and just don't care... They are tools. Welcome to the final paragraph of my post. It took you how long to get there? And to say 'nature' is evil is ignoring a perspective that you can't see... The one above you, playing out, beyond your control. Deal with it you coward.
And to Twyla -- always a pleasant discussion -- all the best!
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doortoinsanity said on Jun 05, 2009....
I believe there is more to the Good/Evil paragraph. I believe sometimes evil has to be done for the greater good. I also am not against the other side, I believe they have a purpose too.
I believe we are all tools with free will.
I never read anonymous' comment. I believe if you don't have the balls enough to stand behind your words, they probably aren't worth a shit to read. I don't think they should be allowed on here.
Loved your blog! -
javadewd said on Jun 05, 2009....
Thanks DTI... I have to do yours due diligence soon too, man, I've just been busy is all. -
Twylarants said on Jun 05, 2009....
(Psst, JDewd...DTI posted about her boobs being a distraction, so....) -
doortoinsanity said on Jun 05, 2009....
LOL! -
javadewd said on Jun 05, 2009....
My wife's boobs are quite the distraction, too, so... -
ALIENated said on Jun 05, 2009....
javadewd: you can block anonymous, you know. Most everyone else has. -
javadewd said on Jun 06, 2009....
They all have to poke their nose out of the closet at some point... Tools that is... Hell, bloc seems to have no trouble at all!
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javadewd said on Jun 09, 2009....
Twyla, went trolling DTI's blog today... Couldn't find boobs. Hope you're not falsie advertising... -
Twylarants said on Jun 09, 2009....
How odd. I don't usually see boobs where there are none. Hmmm...wonder if I had a stroke? Well then, never mind. -
javadewd said on Jun 12, 2009....
Three old women were sitting on a park bench when a streaker came running by. Out of courtesy he stopped right in front of the bench where they were sitting...
The first old woman had a stroke.
The second old woman had a stroke.
The third old woman almost had a stroke,
but she fell off the park bench reaching out to touch it.
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travelr712 said on Jun 12, 2009....
copied from this post:
***************************************************************************************************
travelr712 said about 3 hours ago....
there is a flaw in your logic jd. many had to 'speak for god', because all of the writings in the bible were by men, not god. in fact, it is pure speculation that there is any diety whatsoever that had any part in those writings, or that any such diety even exists. it must be purely taken on faith that this text had any influence whatever from such diety, so it cannot be used as factual evidence in a discussion other than that the text itself exists and that the text says this or that, not that what the text says is true.
javadewd said about 3 hours ago....
Hey, dickhead, haven't you ever heard of the Stranger on the Road to Emmaus? I just love it when some secular progressive fuck tard with his head up his ass goes the whole route of "the writings in the bible were by men" when they know damn well that they were divinely inspired. You really think a bunch of Egyptian rejects with practically no education just "came up with this shit" one day? You've got to be fucking retarded!
To make matters worse, if "there is no God" then go fuck your dog and say goodnight, Gracie! It doesn't squelch the fact that God didn't invent abortion, that was man's creation. It also doesn't squelch the fact that there were heathens (you're probably related to a few of them, you douche bag) that were killing their kids as sacrifices to Molech and by doing so people actually thought that they would be blessed by that god, too. So who's the bigger dupe? Those who faithfully followed a diety in a book or those who threw their kids in the fire because they felt that their children were a burden??
Now I'm sure mOOn realizes that I pointed out a flaw based on a misnomer that God somehow invented abortion, which is simply unfounded and not true. If you don't believe in God, then fuck off, I wasn't talking to your heathen ass anyway, you tool.
And since when do you have any right to say what is factual evidence in a discussion? Are you now our lone fucking authority on what is fact and evidence? Last time I looked, you are but a shit pile of a man. What authority are you? List your credentials or shut the fuck up, sack lick. Nobody has to speak for God. Nobody.********************************************************************
why would any of what you said to me convince me to believe in your god, or that you even follow the words of your 'savior'? is your kindness, charity, understanding and love for your fellow man only extended to those who agree with you? in my opinion, from the myriad of like comments you've posted about me over the last few weeks, it seems quite obvious that it does. it is people who 'conduct their faith' in this manor that further convince me there is no actual diety, and that there was no 'savior who changes men's hearts', because if this is the type of behavior that is acceptable in your belief system, i want no part of it. it is certainly not acceptable in mine.
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Twylarants said on Jun 12, 2009....
So that's how I hurt my foot....I fell off a bench! -
javadewd said on Jun 12, 2009....
I don't expect you to believe in God. You're just a tool, don't you get it? No burning bush or extraordinary miracle is going to convince you, oh rational bloviating vagina!
I am strangely amused that you, a fuck tard, little shit pile of a man, is going to tell me how to be a person, much less a Christian.
I'm still waiting on your credentials, dick breath. Bring 'em... Don't see 'em... Don't think you have 'em. You have no moral authority. You have none here. You probably don't have any in your own home. That's why you're here, right? You want to present your toolage to the masses and say, "See? See? I'm a little shit pile of a man, and I am my own moral authority. There is none higher than I." Dude, you can so go fuck yourself and your dog.
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RollingC said on Jun 12, 2009....
Sorry I missed this post before....will come back....Rc -
javadewd said on Sep 14, 2009....
Promises, promises... -
RollingC said on Oct 18, 2009....
Well...I didn't say when I'd come back did I ?
ps....good post.
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doortoinsanity said on Oct 20, 2009....
Hey, psssstt.
I miss u fuckers!
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