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Is it better to be good but know you can never be the best, or ignorant and happy?
To use a pop-culture analogy (yes, I think "Amadeus" qualifies as popular culture) is it better to be Salieri -- to know genius, and have just enough talent to be able to appreciate it for what it is -- yet know that you can never achieve it yourself; or never to know your own mediocrity?
I'm purposefully being vague so it can be more of a philosophical question than a specific request for guidance. In real life it's not usually as simple as that, though questions of that kind can affect a person's career choices.
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It occurs to me that that sort of question (in a slightly adapted form) can also apply to relationships. Do you accept a moderately happy but difficult relationship? Or do you end it in the hope of finding a perfect one?
That one is so dependent on circumstances I'm not sure it can be answered without further information. Please feel free to answer if you've got any insight, however.
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I think a person strives to be the best he can be. the Shame comes in not attempting to do your best when you know its possible. it is better to know the potential is there and strive to reach it, than be at the top and not be able to see your own faults and short commings.
In realtionships, well im not very experienced in that area. It seems to me that a relationship with ups and down would be better than a perfect one. I think you need the downs to appriciate the ups. there is no such thng as Mr. Right and no such thing as a perfect realtionship. It would kinda be like the Chip and Dale cartoons, each one trying ot be more polite than the other.
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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Guest
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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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it is like saying am i ever completly wrong, or am i ever completly wright.
i know i am good at what i do but am i the best, i like to think i am
will some have the guts to say that i am not, most people will just think you are a big head...............::-)
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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It is best to be the best you are capable of being, having due regard to the day you are striving to be it.
I would rather do my very best and know I have done it than to be the very best.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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cossie
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On fire! |
Location: Exiled in North East Engl...
Registered: July 2003
Messages: 1699
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... and list three quotations which - I think - have a bearing on the topics in this thread:
"Happiness is like coke - something you get as a by-product in the process of making something else." (Aldous Huxley, in 'Point Counter Point', 1928 )
"This above all - to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
(William Shakespeare, Polonius to Laertes, in 'Hamlet', 1601)
"The best is the enemy of the good." (Voltaire, Contes: 'La Begueule', 1772)
Is that a sufficiently philosophical answer to a philosophical question?
For a' that an' a' that,
It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man tae man, the worrld o'er
Shall brithers be, for a' that.
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DUH Football !!!
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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cossie
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On fire! |
Location: Exiled in North East Engl...
Registered: July 2003
Messages: 1699
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... I'd be very happy to oblige!
For a' that an' a' that,
It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man tae man, the worrld o'er
Shall brithers be, for a' that.
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You know what I said: Beat me spank me whip me, but if you mess up my hair, you die.;-D
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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Is it better to be good but know you can never be the best, or ignorant and happy?
Since I don't want to be ignorant, I'll settle for being good but not perfect.
JC
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Ah, but if you were ignorant you would not know you were ignorant.
For all you know, you could already be ignorant.
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Deeej, your logic is irrefutable, and your comment could push a person into a state of deep depression - because how can we know at all when we are ignorant or not? Do we actually know anything at all? :-/
So, there must be some sort of reference point, enabling us to say, e.g., "Yes, you can sing, and we love your voice!" or "Shut your mouth before we do!". But while lots of people buy cd's with Andrea Bocelli, others prefer Bruce Springsteen.
It is easier, then, to differentiate between a person who knows the name of only one country in the world, which he believes to be Texas, and one who knows the names of all the countries in the world. But, for what purpose should anyone need to know all those names? To some it would be a lot more useful to learn how to mend a pair of shoes.
Some people are both ignorant and in positions of power, and use arrogance and the emperer's wardrobe to compensate for their lack of knowledge, and to retain their positions. Often with disastrous consequences. Dr. Semmelweiss introduced hand- and instrument-washing to stop puerperal fever, and demonstrated that his ideas about infection were correct. Contrary to evidence, the medical expertise of the day rejected his ideas.
Ignorance, and its opposites, are not necessarily absolute and objective entities, but often circumstantial, and we base our decisions on changing situations and demands, both intellectually, practically, amotionally and socially. We decide what is important at a given time, and we have the ability to think and react morally. At the same time, lots of people choose not to use their own vast pool of experience, intellect and moral standards. Instead they hand themselves over to con men. Not only in Rednecksville.
Enough quantity talk!
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Not a problem dude! Im sure someone would let a person know they are ignorant.
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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cossie
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On fire! |
Location: Exiled in North East Engl...
Registered: July 2003
Messages: 1699
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There is, of course, a logical defect in the original question: knowing you are good but can never be the best is not in any real sense an alternative to being ignorant but happy. All that one can do is consider the relative merits of each of these two situations. The extension to relationships adds another dimension, but relates to the same basic issues.
So where do we start? In the career scenario, it will very much depend upon what you do. If you work as a creative artist - and this would cover such diverse fields as music, film and architecture - you will obviously wish to make the fullest use of your talents. As you gain experience and move up the field, you may or may not find yourself head to head with someone who clearly has superior abilities. In that situation - of which Salieri is a good example - jealously almost inevitably leads to self-destruction, but there is an alternative strategy. Staying with music, there have been plenty of budding composers who have failed to achieve wide mainstream recognition but have achieved fame and adulation in a niche market. For example, outside of his native USA, Jerome Moross is lagely unknown but his score for the 1958 Western 'The Big Country' is widely regarded as among the greatest film scores ever written - even though it didn't win the Oscar for which it was nominated. In any event, appreciation of talent matures with time; what is originally seen as genius may later be downgraded to competence, and what is originally dismissed as mediocre may later be regarded as genius. It's entirely pointless to burn yourself out trying to outdo someone whom you perceive to be better than you are. You may not be the biggest fish in the ocean, but it isn't impossible to find a pool in which your talents will be appreciated and admired. Of course, without talent you wouldn't have found yourself in the competitive situation in the first place, so choosing to be ignorant but happy is not an option available to you.
In the non-artistic fields the situation is different - but not all that different. If you have ambitions to be a successful entrepreneur and a self-made millionaire by the time you are thirty, the odds are that you are so self-orientated that you can never achieve true happiness anyway; you will always be driven to make more money, and whilst money may give you pleasure it can't buy you love. If you're like most of us, just a cog in a bigger wheel, then I would suggest that contentment comes from trying to do your job as well as you can, without constantly competing with your peers. If you are in control of others, try to lead rather than drive - you will not only earn respect but will increase efficiency. You do all of this by challenging yourself rather than by comparing yourself with others; you can learn from others, but sometimes not a lot! Ideally, therefore, you will find self-satisfaction at your own level of competence; being ignorant is not a pre-condition of being happy!
In any event, ignorance rarely does bring happiness. Back in the heyday of the British Empire, received wisdom was that as long as the natives were fat and happy, they would have no objection to the rape of their country's resources. Now I'm not suggesting that the spread of Empire was all bad; in many areas the living and educational standards of the indigenous populations were greatly improved - but even in those cases, once the higher standards became commonplace the inherent unfairness of the system changed fatness and happiness into a lean determination to change the status quo. So it is with ignorance. It's a word with rather unpleasant connotations, but I use it in the sense of lack of knowledge, rather than lack of ability. A limited education doesn't prevent anyone from seeing what is going on around them - and in today's world that's not especially likely to make them happy!
In summary, as Polonius said, to thine own self be true. Accept yourself for what you are; try to rectify your faults and strengthen your abilities, but don't feel a compulsion to outdo everyone else. That will never bring you happiness - just smug and unattractive self-satisfaction.
In a relationship, all of the above principles apply, some even more so. The best can be very much the enemy of the good, insofar as a partner who is always pursuing an unachieved ideal is very likely to destroy any good relationship he may already have. And happiness in a relationship is not somthing we can achieve directly; it comes as a by-product of our attempts to be better and more caring individuals. All of humanity is fallible, but if we look hard at ourselves before presuming to criticise or compete with others, we can find true happiness even in a relationship which has occasional periods of turbulence.
This may LOOK like a dissertation, but the topic is wide enough to demand a textbook for a complete response! In the interests of brevity my comments may come across as superficial, but I really do believe in what I say!
For a' that an' a' that,
It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man tae man, the worrld o'er
Shall brithers be, for a' that.
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Ah, but by such logic ignorance is a problem-free state of being, as you don't know about it.
And as soon as it somehow starts bothering you, as soon as you compare to something, you are no longer ignorant. (By Deej's logic, of course)
I believe in growth and evolution. Grow instead of detoriating.
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Whoah! I'm speeding! I broke 50 kbps today first time!! Hold on! 52.0 to be exact 
Is it better to be good but know you can never be the best, or ignorant and happy?
I agree with JayCee!! 
I'll settle for good, not perfect.. I no longer think I can do anything perfectly. If something comes out that well it was chance or an accident. But I still try.
That's all anyone can do anyway:
Try hard,
Do the best you can,
Don't worry about the rest!!
Sorry no real philosophy here. Just me today. My extended resources are shut down for maintenence.
Well, ok, I'll try:
Your statement almost implies that we'll be unhappy if we're good, not best. But since it doesn't exactly, I'd rather know what BEST is, strive for it, & be happy than live a diluded life & be happy. The diluded, ignorant poor wretch will suffer for his lack of knowledge not knowing the cause. He's ignorant of his mistakes.
I choose the former.
Teddy
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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>The diluded, ignorant poor wretch will suffer for his lack of knowledge not knowing the cause. He's ignorant of his mistakes.
When I say ignorant, I don't necessarily refer to stupid people. I just refer to people who are quite happy to live their lives in cocoons, not taking into account other people's views or alternative positions on a subject.
The fact is, from what I read, there are a lot of people in America like this. And they seem happy. (There are people like that over here, but I'm afraid it's more obvious in your country, partly because it's led by someone who meets that description. Also, the British tend to take things in moderation, so they are not quite as likely to take extreme positions en masse.)
>That's all anyone can do anyway:
>Try hard,
>Do the best you can,
>Don't worry about the rest!!
The problem is, if your viewpoint is skewed enough, you can think you are doing the best you can, but in fact you are not getting anywhere at all.
Dear, oh dear, oh dear. I've brought politics into it. I didn't mean to do that.
David
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>"You know what I said: Beat me spank me whip me, but if you mess up my hair, you die."
You shouldn't TEMP that wiley older man, BOY!! Didn't i teach you ANYTHING??
He's probably scheming right now...,thinking "How long is his hair anyway?"
What is that saying about age & treachery will win out over youth & strength every time?
I thought,"He'd have to catch me first!!" ha ha ha
;-D Good luck!
Teddy
(I know your reply was to Cossie)
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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pimple
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Likes it here |
Location: USA
Registered: March 2006
Messages: 375
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Here the Army add states
"Be ALL that you can be - In the ARMY!
How likely is that? If anything were going to twist someone's concept of....
It would be the American Army
S
Joy Peace and Tranquility
Joyceility
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>Here the Army add states
>"Be ALL that you can be - In the ARMY!
Ours is, "Be the best".
Going by slogans alone, our Army is blatantly better than yours. In America, you have a lot of Americans being the best ... they can be. Over here we have a lots of Brits simply ... being the best. 
Not that I have any particular love of armies, but in a crisis I would be more inclined to trust ours, even if I weren't British, simply because of the more moderate British sensibility. (Am I just believing the anti-American propaganda? Or have I watched too many Vietnam War films?)
David
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I dunno about "blatantly better" but i do know whenever the brits & americans go it together they usually suceed! 
I believe we are descendants of two brothers Ephraim & Manasseh, the sons of Joseph on whom Jacob (renamed Israel) confered the promised blessings. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Israelism Israel today comprises mainly the tribe of Judah, but the other ten tribes were taken away into captivity & later spread out. Some refer to them as "the lost ten tribes".
I believe the English speaking countries are the inheritors of the blessings god promised to Abraham years ago. There were many times the promise was repeated & detail was given increasingly until we find promised to be a "nation & a company of nations."
This prophecy was never fulfilled in history. Only the US & BC fit!
I'll study up & write more later.
TedTheHandyman
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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>I dunno about "blatantly better" but i do know whenever the brits & americans go it together they usually suceed!
Er, as long as one ignores the last five years...
>I believe we are descendants of two brothers Ephraim & Manasseh, the sons of Joseph on whom Jacob (renamed Israel) confered the promised blessings.
>I believe the English speaking countries are the inheritors of the blessings god promised to Abraham years ago. There were many times the promise was repeated & detail was given increasingly until we find promised to be a "nation & a company of nations."
Now that is an odd thing to believe. There have been people in the UK for far longer than Christianity, or even Judaism, has been around, so it would be impossible to say that everyone in the UK has Jewish blood in them. I don't deny the possibility that there were early Jews who came across to the UK, and ended up becoming part of the population... but so what if there were? The point of Christianity is that it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or Gentile; you can still be saved. Trying to argue, without much evidence, that we are all descended from a couple of people simply stigmatises those from a different cultural origin who most likely were not. And that is a Bad Thing.
David
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Guest
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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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I knew from the time I was about 7 years old, watching a friend's mother who was an artist, paint beautiful pictures, that I wanted to be an artist of some sort. I attended art school, and knew that although I had talent, I would never make it as a fine artist. I studied Graphic design and worked as a designer and taught design at two schools. Never in my 45 years following my chosen profession did I not look forward to going to work.
I decided with the advent of computer graphics it was time to trade in my brushes for golf clubs, and enjoy the great outdoors. This lasted about a year and a half, and the urge to create started to build inside me again. This time I decided to paint for myself, and just for the joy of it. I didn't have to make money, and after I had my babies on the wall for a while, I could give them away to friends that admired my efforts. (I only have so much wall space anyway...out with the old and in with the new.)
I now teach a watercolor class at the Senior Center close by, and get a great satisfaction helping others find the joy of being creative, just as my friend's mother gave me that spark so many years ago.
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Ok Teddy,
Get out your pin and paper. get a copy of the High Kings of Ireland. In 645Bc I believe that is correct, there came to Ireland a Sage or wise man, his name was Olam Fala. He brought with him a princes from a far land and her name was Tia Teppi (not sure of thea spelling) the Tia part is correct. He came with a scribe whoes name was Barruk. He brought with him three items. A harp, an ark, and stone called Liafail (read from left to right or right to left the name is the same)The princess married the son of the high King. (the rulling houses of England can be traced back to this marrage. the stone liafail is the corronation stone. Every king or queen of England has been crowned sitting over the stone. In WW2 the stone was taken into the English countryside and burried to keep Hitlers men from getting it.
Now, Do you know why the most popular name in Ireland is Jerry, Jerrimy, Jerimiah. Olam fala was the prohet Jerimiah, he left Jerusilam with the two daughters of Hezikia. Tia was the youngest daughter. Barruk was Jerimiahs scrib (god told him to go where ever Jerimiah went and to write everything he said nad for this he would die for a pray)(In other word he would die of old age). the stone, was the stone jacob laid his head on, where he saw the angles ascending to heaven. The harp, the harp of David, the ark, well you guess. God made a promise to David. As long as the sun rose and set and the moon was inthe heavens, there would be a desendant of David sitting on a throne over a people of Israel.
Oky doky
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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Deej wrote:> Do you accept a moderately happy but difficult relationship? Or do you end it in the hope of finding a perfect one?
any relationship will be difficult in that it requires struggling to understand the other & to love & accomodate one's self to love them.
It is normal for marriages to be difficult. the easy beautiful ones are truly rare.
The sad thing to learn, in a human perspective, is that you never will find another that really does understand you perfectly (in all ways) or can satisfy every need & desire you may have.
I find there's an eternal spirit being that does, though, and even better that we understand ourselves!
However that still leaves the mortal human longing for companionship & a reason for his living.
So we must endure to love & be loved imperfectly. The biggest requirement being to be able to say,"I'm sorry" and mean it & try again to understand better (the person, the situation, the reaction, whatever).
What did you expect? Something profound? From me?? HA HA HA  )
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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I had just typed for about 30 minutes & it all went blank! I'll start composing in an editor where i can save as i go! I was almost done with my message too, final editing!
Please stand bywhile technical difficulties are resolved, maybe another 30 minutes or so...
Teddy
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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pimple
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Likes it here |
Location: USA
Registered: March 2006
Messages: 375
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Quote your sources
Simon
Joy Peace and Tranquility
Joyceility
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cossie
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On fire! |
Location: Exiled in North East Engl...
Registered: July 2003
Messages: 1699
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... I feel a dissertation coming on!
The trouble with Celtic legends is that they mean different things to different people - especially the Irish and the Scots, who by and large don't agree about anything.
Although known throughout the island, the legend Brian relates seems to have taken particular root in the South-East corner of Ireland - the ancient Province of Leinster, and especially in the part now represented by the counties of Wicklow, Kilkenny and Waterford. It's certainly true that Jeremiah and Jeremy are popular Christian names in that area, though they are little used in the rest of Ireland, where Padraig, Sean and Seamus (Patrick, John and James) reign supreme.
There's also a problem with the stone itself. A standing stone said to be the Lia Fail can be seen at the Hill of Tara, where the High Kings of Ireland were reputedly crowned. Tara is in County Meath, about 25 miles North of Dublin, still within the Province of Leinster.
Meanwhile, in the Province of Ulster in the North-East of Ireland, centred on the modern County Antrim, the small Irish Kingdom of Dalriada was becoming increasingly powerful, and by the ninth century it had extended its influence to gain control of much of Scotland. On the death of his father Alpin in 841, Kenneth I (known as Kenneth McAlpin) succeeded as King of Dalriada, and by 843 his kingship was recognised by the Pictish tribes in central Scotland. In 850, Kenneth moved his Court to Scone (pronounced Skoon) in modern Perthshire, and he is recognised as the first King of Scots. He is reputed to have brought with him the Stone of Destiny, or Lia Fail, upon which his predecessors had been crowned, and upon which the Kings of Scots were subsequently crowned until it was pinched by the English under Edward I in 1296. Despite a promise to return the stone, the typically treacherous English held on to it for 700 years. It was placed under the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey, and thereafter all English monarchs have been crowned upon it. It was stolen by a group of Scottish Nationalist students in 1950, but was recovered four months later, and was back in Westminster Abbey in plenty of time for the Coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953. Of course, the Royal House of Scotland (the Stuarts) succeeded to the English throne in 1603, so in a sense tradition was restored 400 years ago. At long last, the English returned the Stone to Scotland on 15 November 1996, and it can now be seen in Edinburgh Castle with the Scottish Crown Jewels.
The legend of Jacob's Pillow and the Lia Fail is attached just as strongly to the Stone of Destiny now in Edinburgh as it is to the Lia Fail at Tara, which - confusingly - is itself often called the Stone of Destiny. So you pays your money and you takes your choice!
By the way, there are probably more Irish Brians than Jeremiahs; it's a Celtic name and very popular in Ireland in memory of Brian Boroimhe (Brian Boru), chief of the Dal Cais people, who after a number of military victories was crowned as King of Leinster in 984. He carried on fighting pretty well everyone, and by 1002 he had established himself as the first King of the whole of Ireland.
So, Brian, that means both of your Christian names are Irish. As a fervent Scot, I'm not sure that I should continue speaking to you! ;-D ;-D ;-D
For a' that an' a' that,
It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man tae man, the worrld o'er
Shall brithers be, for a' that.
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No Message Body
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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Yes brian, what you said fits into the great scheme of it all. It's part of the history of the movements of 'God's' people across the earth before they inherited the great blessings they've enjoyed these many years. I believe the kings of England can trace their lineage back to Abraham.
How'd you happen to hear of that, my young scholar??? Let me guess, reading! I did that too as a kid, it was a means of escape from the world where I was uncomfortable & didn't fit in. I'd read alot since at least second grade. I remember I read all of Charlotte's Web the day The books we ordered were distributed at school in 2nd grade. I loved DR. Doolittle too. My mom read those to me as I must've been too young yet to read myself. A loving mother is a blessing to her children. in many ways I'm more like my Mum than my dad.
And Deej, some good points too brother, let me explain as I understand it..
Firstly, the last 5 years you refer to. well, that conflict isn't over yet. We are succeeding, whether it was all proper to do or not, but we're succeeding. as an aside, I'd think we'd already have Bin Laden if a slip wasn't made in a courtroom & a secret divulged that we were tracking him by his satellite phone. We could've easily had him but we were shot in the foot by a loose lipped lawyer. Since then a few more mistakes have been make, but the cause of peace moves forward. That country was a divided country from long ago & it'll simply take years for the rival parties to be able to work or at least live together. The Muslims are killing each other as well as us..theirs is certainly not a religion of peace tolerance or mercy when zealously adhered to.
God was bound to bless the descendants of Abraham as he promised regardless of the other inhabitants in the lands where they were (UK, USA or otherwise). So He has for this great many years blessed us with all the bounties of heaven above & earth beneath riches & resources & favorable weather & soils & even owning the gates of our enemies. Blessed as no people have been blessed before all from the faithfulness of our fathers, Abraham on down...
Though God was faithful to His promises Israel has not always been. God desired them to be a model nation to the world. However God's purpose includes all nations & people who have ever lived, so now He is calling to Himself disciples of all the nations in this new covenant age. It is a spiritual covenant & God calls his church spiritual Israel. God wants all peoples of the earth to ultimately come to know him, try his way, and see that it is good. His plans ultimately include all nations & peoples who have ever lived on the earth.
I read & believe that God is not now drawing all peoples to him. Most will be called after their resurrection, as this now is only a day of salvation (for those called now) and THEN is another day of salvation for the vast majority of humankind, after Jesus Christ's return & the setup of His Kingdom over all the earth. That'll be the only perfect government this world will ever know. It will be a wonderful time of restoration from all the damage man has inflicted on the earth. A renewing even of the spirit of mankind itself.
However the Bible does indicate that God has a special purpose even yet for the physical nation of Israel, to serve at his temple in the Kingdom. God's government will be headquartered in jerusalem, specifically on moun Zion, from whence it'll spread peace & joy throughout the earth. God says He will gather Israel from the four corners of the earth, where they're captive, at the time of Christ's return at the end of the age. So the people of Israel, all 12 tribes are alive now & will be at christ's return. So we won't always prevail & will be overcome by other nations as events move toward the time of the end.
So you see though He worked with & blessed a physical nation, His ultimate purpose on earth is to call & convert all peoples to his perfect Way for human life. Since He created us it stands to reason that He has our best interest at heart & will teach us how to attain our ultimate potential.
This all assumes the holy bible is what it says it is, the inspired words of the creator of the universe as an instruction book for human life. If the bible is not what it says it is, then none of it can be trusted, it is then simply words of men. I have tested it by trying what it says & found God to be real & true to His word & powerful & fulfilling beyond all expectation.
now what was this thread about originally? ha ha ha
Teddy
I'm going to go to my other house & get an old IBM keyboard that's bound to be better than this new junk. I'll type back later...10:50 pm 18 march 2006
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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cossie
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On fire! |
Location: Exiled in North East Engl...
Registered: July 2003
Messages: 1699
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... and I am not trying to drive you away. But please keep your fundamentalist beliefs to yourself; they are deeply offensive to some of the other users of the board. In particular, your suggestion that redemption is to be reserved for a select few is, to me, entirely repugnant.
There may, or may not, be a god - but what IS certain from academic research is that the Judaeo-Christian Jehovah and the Islamic Allah are two interpretations with a common origin. And, to be blunt, over the last two millennia, the number of innocent souls killed in the name of Christianity exceeds by an enormous margin those killed in the name of Islam.
Every individual is entitled to his faith - but faith is faith, it isn't knowledge. As the old schoolboy saying goes, faith is believing in what you know ain't so. I'm not asserting that anything is, or isn't so, you are free to believe what you wish to believe. However, with apologies to Timmy for being so forthright on his board, I object in the strongest possible terms to your use of this community to promulgate as facts the tenets of your individual belief.
For a' that an' a' that,
It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man tae man, the worrld o'er
Shall brithers be, for a' that.
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ah excuse me. I dont want to be a spoil sport, but you said God was bound to bless the decendants of Abraham as he promised..... Wellllllll, the Arab nations, the 9 kings. are the decendants of Abraham. they are decended thru Ishmael.
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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pimple
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Likes it here |
Location: USA
Registered: March 2006
Messages: 375
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Thank you!
I was about to break the promise I made to the Boss not to say anything nasty directly to anyone. So in general:
My biggest problem with the fundamentalist is that they pick and choose, and then when they have it is writ. Where it says that if a man's brother dies; he HAS to 'cover' the widow so that the line can continue. No one is insisting that that be taken literally!
First Samuel 28:5-9 Where the lady 'witch' of Eudora congers Samuel's ghost. It is reported as 'fact', not hearsay, Saul saw it. What does that mean to the people that claim it is 100% true?
It has always been easier to believe than think.
Simon
Joy Peace and Tranquility
Joyceility
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I'll be happy to do so, but BOY that takes alot of time. No prob with the bible, I know what's in there, the other stuff is a deep study & I'm not saying everything is clear or the dots all connect.
The facts are that there is a promise & prophecy that exists. There is also the US & BC on the face of the earth. Now the two line up in all the details so I'd say the bible prophecy was referring to us.
I'm convinced from my past studies over 20 years. it's hard to summarize all those studies quickly & easy for another to poo poo them if one did. So I'll see what I can get together, view wikipedia link given, Google the subject & make your own discisions. it' s a big free country & we only are responsible for our own selves. I'll not try to convince anyone of anything other than explaining it as I see it.
if there's something i say that rings true with you then take it with you, if you've no use for it, leave it where it lies. Just as you would in a grocery store. It sounds corny or red-neckish perhaps, but "the grocery store approach" has stuck in my mind for years.
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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redemption is NOT reserved for a select few, read the following post, there could be no better news in the world. sorry i made it sound that way.
someone asked me to explain..what happened to tolerance??
whatever, sorry..
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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the promise was conferred on abraham's son by sarah, that she bore in her old age, By God's choice, not by ishmael or others. Generally only one heir in each line up to a point.
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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proof, it takes proof. not blind faith.
i enjoy good thoughtful conversations on subjets where people are willing to consider stuff.
BTW as i'd posted before, I'm not even close to "Christian Fundamentalism". I disagree with traditional christianity & think the catholic church is about as close to the church of satan as it can get & still use parts of the bible & the name "Christian"!! Ah! what a LIE!
I'm a seventh day christian, a sabbatarian. but who cares...?? let's just forget it. a few are interested in talking, some want to yell.. you're ok..I don't want to upset anyone, but i can't be responsible for their reactions..
Hey I keep forgetting to ask you about the different pics you put as your avatar. There were a couple before this yellow ford. why don't you add a line to your signature that explains each one.
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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pimple
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Likes it here |
Location: USA
Registered: March 2006
Messages: 375
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direct question!
I haven't been on a board before, and was running under the impression that the avatar was 'printed' each time a message was posted, and that it would be fun to have a ongoing show of different stuff. Computer wise it makes more sense that it is dynamic, but I hadn't stopped to think.
This is the SS "William M. Donner" constructed in 1909. The car just happened to be there when I drove by.
Thanks for asking
Simon
Joy Peace and Tranquility
Joyceility
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pimple
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Likes it here |
Location: USA
Registered: March 2006
Messages: 375
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Point of view, and POV is everything in a story. Much like history never reflects the views and opinions of the loosers of whatever conflict.
S
Joy Peace and Tranquility
Joyceility
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as a side note, if anyone is interested in brushing up on their knowledge of the bible I know of a great site that does so in Lego form, http://www.thebricktestament.com
It's really quite something
It's always the old to lead us to the war
It's always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won with the sabre and the gun
Tell me is it worth it all
~Phil Ochs "I Aint Marching Anymore"
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