Love is a battlefield

[Carl Emerson]

A heart at peace will stop looking for answers?

That's basically telling people to quit learning, right? Since there's so much to learn, and so many answers we actually do need to look for. You can have absolute peace while seeking answer's to your questions about the universe or whatever you'd like to learn about.

No - a mind craving for answers has not found peace of heart.
Yes - as you say you can have absolute peace celebrating discovery in science and the learning process is never ending.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Sound's fair that humans are like that, since when can a human actually know how to care for other people if they don't understand how to take care of themselves first. Seriously that's a flaw in the theology of the New Testament, that we are expected to forget about ourselves and put others first. If we would just examine ourselves first, and understand ourselves better, it makes it a lot easier when helping others.

The New Testament doesn't have a theology. Theology is man made. The Bible does not teach not to love yourself.

 

[eleos1954]

Have I read the Gospels?

Yes I have, and I regret I ever did. I can't stand the Bible in any capacity, and under any condition. I can say with absolute confidence that removing that belief system has increased my ability to survive the harsh facts of this world. I can also say also that without believing bogus information I can not prove, I have evolved to another level.

Have I read the Gospels?

I have evolved to another level.

Yes and that's called atheism.

I can say with absolute confidence that removing that belief system has increased my ability to survive the harsh facts of this world.

I would say more so a false confidence, and it won't be available to you in the next world.

 

[Hazelelponi]

All completely internalized, and individually indentified as evidence of God's love for you. But what is love if you can't demonstrate it as a universal theory, and it's the kind of love that's always a little different from the believer to your right.

You get what I mean, right?

You can demonstrate love since it's as much an action as it is an emotion.

Love is patient, and kind, it doesn't think evil, etc etc. Therefore, even though it's nonquantifiable it has an outward effect.

Most people don't spend an hour a day with their mother, sometimes going months if not years without speaking to her, but distance and space and a lack of physical contact doesn't make you love your mother any less...

With God being Spirit, someone can spend an hour a day with God in an actual relationship and have it be something without an outward appearance, but the effect of that relationship can be seen clearly.

It's like someone hitting a brick wall with their car, you can see the effect even if you couldn't see the brick wall.

 

[Fear2Believe]

No - a mind craving for answers has not found peace of heart.
Yes - as you say you can have absolute peace celebrating discovery in science and the learning process is never ending.

That's the point of a real relationship, continual learning.

 

[Fear2Believe]

The New Testament doesn't have a theology. Theology is man made. The Bible does not teach not to love yourself.

My adopted mother used to push that concept on me my entire life. She was a mixed spiritualist of sorts, liked to pick and choose from all beliefs. But narcissism is not actually loving yourself for yourself, it's loving an image of yourself that is not the real you.

 

[Fear2Believe]

You can demonstrate love since it's as much an action as it is an emotion.

Love is patient, and kind, it doesn't think evil, etc etc. Therefore, even though it's nonquantifiable it has an outward effect.

Most people don't spend an hour a day with their mother, sometimes going months if not years without speaking to her, but distance and space and a lack of physical contact doesn't make you love your mother any less...

With God being Spirit, someone can spend an hour a day with God in an actual relationship and have it be something without an outward appearance, but the effect of that relationship can be seen clearly.

It's like someone hitting a brick wall with their car, you can see the effect even if you couldn't see the brick wall.

 

[Carl Emerson]

A couple of questions you didn't answer...

You said...
you have no solid information to offer people other than personal experience

I said
You would need to define 'solid information' - What would you accept as solid information?

I also said...
Why not ask Him to reveal himself to you in a way that you cant deny? He wont mind you asking...

Carl Popper defined the experimental method and Jesus is more than happy to respond within those rules !!!

 

[Carl Emerson]

Nice day in OZ ???

 

[Hazelelponi]

Seriously? I don't speak Hollywood.

 

[Fear2Believe]

A couple of questions you didn't answer...

You said...
you have no solid information to offer people other than personal experience

I said
You would need to define 'solid information' - What would you accept as solid information?

I also said...
Why not ask Him to reveal himself to you in a way that you cant deny? He wont mind you asking...

Carl Popper defined the experimental method and Jesus is more than happy to respond within those rules !!!

I don't know who Carl Popper is, however I do know what make's me happy.

 

[Fear2Believe]

Seriously? I don't speak Hollywood.

Yes seriously, sharing is caring. I'm not here to stroke the Christian belief system, and say "It's okay to believe in thing's, so long as it doesn't hurt anyone"

 

[Hazelelponi]

Yes seriously, sharing is caring. I'm not here to stroke the Christian belief system, and say "It's okay to believe in thing's, so long as it doesn't hurt anyone"

Well if you start a discussion on a discussion forum it's generally considered good form to actually discuss and not just post random film clips at people when they give a thoughtful reply to an OP you create..

 

[Carl Emerson]

I don't know who Carl Popper is, however I do know what make's me happy.

Have a great day...

 

[Fear2Believe]

Have a great day...

I had a awful day today, but I learned a little bit more. So it was worth the awfulness.

 

[Tolworth John]

Not a manufactured experience out of subjective irrationality, no. But if Christian's hold to the transforming experience's of Jesus in their lives as evidence of his existence, then technically my own transformational journey must also be evidence.

But as for showing true love, I'll just say this. I've got a big truck, very very big truck, very big truck indeed.

I use Christians lives as evidence for the reality of there faith.
For evidence for Jesus that is confirmed by history.

 

[Dave-W]

I can perform kind deeds. Acts you may consider loving. But that isn’t the same as loving someone. Not in my mind.

Luke 10:25 And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” 29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 36 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37 And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

The Samaritan did not know the Jewish man who was mugged, but he loved him by his actions.

 

[Dave-W]

The Bible does not teach not to love yourself.

the faith tradition I was in as a youth certainly did. It was based on verses such as these:

Luke 14:26
“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

John 12:25
He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.

2 Timothy 3:2
For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

Self loathing was considered a virtue, self love was considered sinful and even demonic.

One time one of the pastors said the "Prayer of Jabez" was the most selfish prayer in all of scripture and he did not understand why God accepted it.

 

[bèlla]

The Samaritan did not know the Jewish man who was mugged, but he loved him by his actions.

I understand the scripture and addressed the OP’s comment truthfully. I would not have done all that he did nor would most believers for that matter. I’m just honest enough to admit it.

 

[Fear2Believe]

I use Christians lives as evidence for the reality of there faith.
For evidence for Jesus that is confirmed by history.

And I use Christian lives as evidence of the reality that whatever they may believe does nothing.