Professing to be wise................

[Aussie Pete]

Our brains are hardwired to believe lies and conspiracy theories, says researcher (Taylor & Francis, 29 June 2023). Marcel Danesi Ph.D., is a professor of semiotics and linguistic anthropology at the University of Toronto. This poses the question: can we believe what Professor Danesi says? Perhaps his hard wired belief system is repeating lies that he's heard. Of course, as a secular scholar, he is convinced that lying is a result of evolution. Since evolution assumes that everything that survives must be to the advantage of the creature, then lying must be a good thing. Except that Danesi could well be lying about that also. Still, it gets his paper published.......

The foundation of Christianity is truth. God hates lies. It was a lie that got mankind into strife in the first place. Yet speaking the truth can get people in prison now. Simply saying the truth that people are born either male or female is illegal in some places. The ultimate liar will be the Antichrist. The world is being softened up to reject God's truth and embrace Satan's lies. Christians need to shun anything dubious, anything that is deceptive and anything that draws us away from truth. I'm not big on conspiracy theories for exactly this reason. In most cases, there is little evidence and a vast amount of speculation. How about,
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things."

 

[timothyu]

The world is being softened up to reject God's truth

The Christian churches did that when they rejected the Kingdom of God (Jesus' Gospel) to amalgamate and align themselves with the Roman Empire, adopting the opposite form of governance comprised of man's will, rather than God's. Man can spin that all they want to justify it, but in this case truth is truth.

Most of what passes for religion today is based on tradition. A seeker must first set aside what the world of man has taught as truth and go to the beginnings before the system built Christianity in man's image rather than God's. It is an eye opener to see how what was meant to be good news about God's return to take governance of man away from man and return it to Himself has become a religion of what is in it for us, self interest once again rearing it's head as it did with Eve in the Garden. Of course living in a world built upon self that is bound to happen but the whole story in the Bible from front to back tells us to reject self in favour of others. Would business, economics, politics, the media and the like promote such an idea or would they see it as a threat to the world we have made in our own image rather than God's?

 

[d taylor]

-
​

So out of all that spews out of the mouths of scientist, there are only two lies, evolution and the male/female female/male biological lie.

 

[Aussie Pete]

The Christian churches did that when they rejected the Kingdom of God (Jesus' Gospel) to amalgamate and align themselves with the Roman Empire, adopting the opposite form of governance comprised of man's will, rather than God's. Man can spin that all they want to justify it, but in this case truth is truth.

Most of what passes for religion today is based on tradition. A seeker must first set aside what the world of man has taught as truth and go to the beginnings before the system built Christianity in man's image rather than God's. It is an eye opener to see how what was meant to be good news about God's return to take governance of man away from man and return it to Himself has become a religion of what is in it for us, self interest once again rearing it's head as it did with Eve in the Garden. Of course living in a world built upon self that is bound to happen but the whole story in the Bible from front to back tells us to reject self in favour of others. Would business, economics, politics, the media and the like promote such an idea or would they see it as a threat to the world we have made in our own image rather than God's?

I won't say what I think of the Church of Rome. I'm in enough trouble as it is.

 

[OldAbramBrown]

Danesi is insulting semiotics and neurology. Our brains are hard wired to be curious about all background knowledge and to intuit and infer soundly. Bad relational dynamics lead to codependency through suppressing access to information.

 

[timothyu]

I won't say what I think of the Church of Rome. I'm in enough trouble as it is.

There are many definitions of said church but that particular church does not refer to the Constantinian church that grew not out of Rome, but the Roman Empire in the east that gave birth to all others including a Rome based sect that later broke away and declared dominance. He brought together the original sects from all over the empire and they were more than happy to scramble and join the power of the secular world and leave the Kingdom behind. Many offshoots just reverse engineered and backpedaled to give themselves status later on but all were born of this rebellion against the Kingdom including later Protestantism. An institutional far cry from the original movement that as a 'church' was a way of life built upon the will and truth of God rather than as a governing body of man.

 

[eleos1954]

Our brains are hardwired to believe lies and conspiracy theories, says researcher (Taylor & Francis, 29 June 2023). Marcel Danesi Ph.D., is a professor of semiotics and linguistic anthropology at the University of Toronto. This poses the question: can we believe what Professor Danesi says? Perhaps his hard wired belief system is repeating lies that he's heard. Of course, as a secular scholar, he is convinced that lying is a result of evolution. Since evolution assumes that everything that survives must be to the advantage of the creature, then lying must be a good thing. Except that Danesi could well be lying about that also. Still, it gets his paper published.......

The foundation of Christianity is truth. God hates lies. It was a lie that got mankind into strife in the first place. Yet speaking the truth can get people in prison now. Simply saying the truth that people are born either male or female is illegal in some places. The ultimate liar will be the Antichrist. The world is being softened up to reject God's truth and embrace Satan's lies. Christians need to shun anything dubious, anything that is deceptive and anything that draws us away from truth. I'm not big on conspiracy theories for exactly this reason. In most cases, there is little evidence and a vast amount of speculation. How about,
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things."

Lies .... it is known the more repetitive the lie the more the lie is believed ... this is how the human mind works. We see this all the time being used in politics .... so when the same "talking points" are being repeated over and over through politicians and the news medias ... our alert flag should go up.

Word of God is the only truth .... I immerse myself in it daily ... the only truth and am so thankful for it. Amen.

 

[timothyu]

Word of God is the only truth .... I immerse myself in it daily ... the only truth and am so thankful for it. Amen.

True but even the 4 gospels had verses added as the discovery of the oldest original manuscripts show.

 

[eleos1954]

True but even the 4 gospels had verses added as the discovery of the oldest original manuscripts show.

What "original manuscripts" are you referring to?

 

[timothyu]

What "original manuscripts" are you referring to?

Tell you what.. I'll give you this (read after verse 8) and then study up on your own time.

Bible Gateway passage: Mark 16 - New International Version

Jesus Has Risen - When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll...

www.biblegateway.com

 

[oikonomia]

I won't say what I think of the Church of Rome. I'm in enough trouble as it is.

She is the Mother of Harlots.
That is a mother of many daughters who to one degree or another have carried on her errors.

And on her forehead there was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (Rev. 17:5)

In other words, we can come out of her and start another organization. But it is not so easy for her to come out of us.

 

[timothyu]

That is a mother of many daughters who to one degree or another have carried on her errors.

Show me one secular government today that doesn't do the same as the Roman Empire once did.

 

[oikonomia]

Show me one secular government today that doesn't do the same as the Roman Empire once did.

I am not sure of your point.
Just state your point. You don't have to frame it as a question.

Your point is ____________ ?

 

[timothyu]

Revelation and the Roman Empire it referred to.

 

[oikonomia]

Revelation and the Roman Empire it referred to.

Revelation chapter 17 is about a religious Babylon, the best candidate for interpretation is the RCC.
Revelation chapter 18 is about a material Babylon, the best candidate for interepretation is the city of Rome.

There is some overlap.

 

[timothyu]

Revelation chapter 17 is about a religious Babylon, the best candidate for interpretation is the RCC.

The only overlap is that Gentiles were allowed by God to carry scripture forward but are no better suited to serve God's will than their Hebrew people before, all of whom built their own kingdoms while ignoring God's truth as they followed their own as usual.

 

[oikonomia]

The only overlap is that Gentiles were allowed by God to carry scripture forward but are no better suited to serve God's will than their Hebrew people before, all of whom built their own kingdoms while ignoring God's truth as they followed their own as usual.

I am not really getting what you're trying to say here.
I get some fragments of significance.

 

[Aussie Pete]

She is the Mother of Harlots.
That is a mother of many daughters who to one degree or another have carried on her errors.

And on her forehead there was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (Rev. 17:5)

In other words, we can come out of her and start another organization. But it is not so easy for her to come out of us.

My idea of church is based on the teaching of Watchman Nee. As far as the structure of meetings goes, he believed that the Brethren had the right idea. Having attended a Brethren assembly for a time, I agree with Nee's view. However, structure is not as important as Life. The assembly I went to collapsed after the pastor died. Fellowships need a succession plan, training someone to take over when the time comes.

It is natural for people to gravitate to cliques that appeal to them. Natural, but not spiritual. Part of God's plan in making the church a body is so that the people forsake the natural to become spiritual. This is hard, and very few people realise God's vision. That will change because it must. Jesus is building His church. He cannot fail.

 

[oikonomia]

My idea of church is based on the teaching of Watchman Nee. As far as the structure of meetings goes, he believed that the Brethren had the right idea. Having attended a Brethren assembly for a time, I agree with Nee's view. However, structure is not as important as Life. The assembly I went to collapsed after the pastor died. Fellowships need a succession plan, training someone to take over when the time comes.

It is natural for people to gravitate to cliques that appeal to them. Natural, but not spiritual. Part of God's plan in making the church a body is so that the people forsake the natural to become spiritual. This is hard, and very few people realise God's vision. That will change because it must. Jesus is building His church. He cannot fail.

Watchman Nee's books The Normal Christian Church Life, The Glorious Church, and The Orthodoxy of the Church
became critical milestones for me also in enlightenment to the nature of the church.

Along with books by his colleague the late Witness Lee, from the year 1974 I left the denominations and began
to meet on the local ground for the development of the Body life.

Here and there on this Forum I try to share something of what God has shown me of His eternal purpose.
If He caused me to see He can do so to others. Praise Him for His great mercy. And He will not fail to
glorify Himself in His recovery. I hope to see it and live the rest of my life under this governing vision.

I presently meet in the city of Pittsburgh, PA. in the US.