Questions questions questions
One who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; one who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.
It's been stated on this weblog that only those who have all the answers should attempt to give any opinions or judgements or statements about the truth. Balderdash! This rule, if implemented, would mean that only the dishonest, the ignorant, and the insane would ever be able to give their opinion, judgmenets or statements. Because they are the only ones who truly believe that they know the truth about EVERYTHING.
I am a very confident guy. As it turns out, I am often right. That is to say, the things that I say, the things that I believe, they correspond to reality. But I've learned the hard way the damage that can be done when you leave no possibility in your mind that you could be wrong. Beautlfully logical, wonderfully constructed airtight arguments and opinions can be wrong. And terribly slapped together thoughts can be true (even a broken clock is correct twice a day). So if you are entirely sure of everything you believe, and you don't often examine it and start asking questions about it, you can stagnate in a pool of wrongness. So yes, I ask many many many questions. And guess what? I learn a whole lot by doing so. If you're sure that you're right about everything, you are definitely wrong. This is why Socrates said, "The only thing that I know is that I don't know." So yes, I have a whole lot of answers, but I also have more questions. . . which is a good thing. I enjoy getting them answered.
26 Comments:
I have not attacked a person but do attack patterns of thought. After all, pray for your enemies, bless those who persecute you for your enemy is not flesh and blood and so these are the best weapons of all! Is a head bowed in thought different than one bowed in prayer? Who are you talking to? "This is true for I tell my self so."
"I enjoy getting them answered."
Hmmm. I take a man at his words. If he says he doesn't know many answers. I take him at his words there. If he says he wonders at what he is becoming. I take him at his words that he does not know. If he says to embrace the dramatic and become a fanatic. I say, "Hmmm, maybe he is becoming a fanatic for some lack of mind/soul." If he says there is blood on his hands even as he kneels, testifies and proselytizes. I say, "Isn't that blasphemy, which sadly seems to weigh heavily on his mind." Then I answer the mind's own question about what it is becoming. But you didn't accept the truly dramatic! ;-)
You do not seem to want it. Always seeking, never finding, this is the way if the Truth does not walk your words for words are thoughts and patterns of thought is the mind itself. It is there, in your Conscience.
Who is a prophet? It is one who walks with the Logos. If this, then that. Some prophecies are simple. "If you touch the stove little Tommy, then it will burn your hand. Now hear the WORD of the Lord, little Timmy!"
Timmy starts crying, okay, "Well, don't worry that much little Timmy, Jesus still loves you. But you will still burn your hand so I tried to put some of the fear of the Lord in you." IF people begin to dance around the pagan fires all day instead of working and men do that which is detestable in the sight of God and spread diseases, THEN the weakened nation will be taken over by its stronger neighbor. If you let the Truth/Logos walk in your words, you are by nature a prophet. You have already met plenty of "false prophets." You wouldn't know one if it...well, never mind. Hehe. They say if this, then that but are quite wrong. But they do not say now hear the WORD of the Lord! Because they know it is not in their own mind/soul.
Why not embrace the true drama of the prophetic poet that is TRULY dramatic. I must say, it is a little odd to say embrace the dramatic and become a fanatic and then say, "Man, prophetic poets are such fanatics. Lunatics or somethin'...." What? You wanted me to shoot you with lasers from my eyes? Gee...I am looking at you with my third eye, all crazzzy like, though. And I should note that I do not say all that it sees of some poor minds/souls. I have been cryptic enough about plenty. Sometimes when I am cryptic, "Huh?" Okay you want to know, "Ouch, but that hurts! You Big Meanie!" And so on. Why is Revelation so cryptic? Is something probably going to hurt quite a bit? Hmmm. It is a good thing that justice and mercy go together. That is certain. I take a man at his word though, if he says he does not need mercy, it is time to be merciless. If he says he knows not justice, it is time to be just and rain the Law and the prophets down on his head. If he says he knows not the answers, it is time to give him some, so far as one is able.
In the interest of teaching young men how to dance with the Devil, a parable.
A parable, the story of Eve walking with the Logos.
The Serpent slithers up, the metaphysical being in it says, "I wants thisss Garden! Even God spoke out the One who walks in Words in saying, 'It is good.' It IS good and I wantss it! I WANT the sense of the sensuous that the One who walks in Words has!"
There is the logical Eve, just minding her own business. The Serpent says, "Did God really say?"
Eve says, "What are you really saying?"
"Huh? But I, eh, uh, eh...I really want to say something here."
Eve says, "Why?"
"Listen woman! Are you going to listen to what I have to say, or not?"
"Well, for the sake of argument what are you really saying?"
The Serpent replies, "Wait a minute, huh? Well, I'm really saying what did God really say? That's what I really wanted to say, okay?"
Eve replies, "But I know what God really said already."
"But I...what? Oh, ssso you do, do you? How arrogant and prideful! You just think you do!"
Eve replies, "Of course I think I do. That's because I do. It's really quite simple."
"No it isn't! Now lisssten to what I have to say lest I bite you!"
Eve replies, "Just for the sake of argument..."
"Well then, what I really, really, wanted to say is that God only speaks out the Word to control you! For you see, He is just jealous and fearful. He secretly really fears me!"
Eve replies, "You? Or me?"
"I meant you. Now look at this fruit, doesn't that make you feeeeel good? "
Eve said, "Well, you know. God did really say that it was forbidden."
"I, uh, eh....what? Woman!" And then the serpent tries to bite at her heel. But she simply steps on its head, crushing it.
Then she goes to Adam and says, "You'll never believe what happened by the Tree today!"
Jesus wepted?
It is yet to be written, Jesus laughed!
"If you're sure that you're right about anything, you are definitely wrong."
You're definitely wrong about that. But at least you aren't sure that you're right because that would be wrong.
You enjoy getting your questions answered?
Hmmm....
I meant to say "If you're sure you're right about everything," not "anything" -- so yeah I was wrong about that.
I should have said, "I enjoy getting them answered by people who know what they're talking about." Maybe that makes more sense to you?
You know, you really shouldn't isolate lyrics and think that is my complete statement on life. For instance, "becoming" is specifically about transition times, where everything gets mixed up but you have faith that things will be alright once you're on the other side. Obviously not everything said in a song about that will apply to every moment in life.
Most songs are postcards from a specific moment or time or situation which can illuminate similar moments or times or situations, but they don't apply to everything. So one shouldn't expect them to apply to everything. It's like looking at a postcard from Costa Rica while sitting in the North Pole and saying, "Bah, they say there is sand and blue ocean and tropical breezes, obviously they DON't KNOW a thing!!! Because it's snowing and cold!" The proper way to experience the postcard would be to think, "Oh, so that's how it is in Costa Rica."
Missing: "anonymous" comment by *N!! Where did it go? Did it even get posted? :o(
*N
Okay *N, here. Found my comment by clicking back a lot. I am sorry if I accidentally posted it twice!
I have been reading some of the comments. Honestly, sometimes I get a little lost, but I am noticing a theme of the question- Is honesty is offensive? OR maybe more accurate: Is claiming/proclaiming absolute truth being offensive? Am I wrong?
Out of all the discussions - I see little discussion (maybe It was discussed and I missed it) about the most important question!!!!
What is pleasing to God?
1 Thess. 2:4-6
"...we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed- God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men not from you or anyone else."
All of you, I reccomend reading more of 1 Thessolonians, at least chapter 2... wait and 4 too! :o)
Read again, "God has ENTRUSTED us with the gospel"! Like the parable of the men with the talents, since they are GOD'S talents, NOT ours we better use those talents as God wants us to!!!
Matthew 25:14-30 -- "'..I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' His Master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant!... throw that worthless servant outside into the darkness..."
God is serious!!
Lets get back down to the basics of the gospel- In all we say, all we do, in every way that we act, Who are we trying to please??
Lets discuss this next, could we please?
*N
p.s.- this could easily turn into "sunday school" answers. Get real please! An easy way to get an answer to this is- if you've posted, look over some of your comments you've posted and ask yourself this as you read.
*N
"You know, you really shouldn't isolate lyrics and think that is my complete statement on life."
When you speak forth as a poet/prophet you speak of your own mind and its patterns. The mind is the soul. In fact, it is often precisely the moment when you will speak what you think is really true deep, deep in your soul. It seems unavoidable. And yes, some souls seem shallow indeed! I find the words of poets/prophets fascinating. At any rate, look at your own words, test them in your mind. See if the Truth walks among them, if you truly have eyes to see as you say you do.
I did not want to speak forth as a prophet/poet. I sought a way around your words. I could not find one.
And this annoyed me as I was trying to read. There is no way around it. When you say, over and over, "There is blood on my hands." even if placing a crowd around yourself with words as you speak forth these words of your soul.
I take you at your words. Kraus vs. Freud, is the history of certain patterns, "egocentric..." etc.etc. Know the patterns, know how to fight the enemy. So there is that if you have eyes to see and want to see.
Disenchantment...to a new enchantment, which will get its head crushed. I try to drag it from its little
hiding place in disenchantment too. Drag it out, crush its head.
There is mercy. But there is none for those poor souls who will not speak forth that they need it though. The Word is merciless to those who will not admit to Him. What WOULD Jesus do? Since He was such a "nice guy"...
On another note to those who spoke.
One thing about all this, "I am my body/feelings." type of thing that some have spoken of here. If there is a malevolent wise man, he will manipulate your feelings and you will tend to do his bidding. He will not cut through them but will manipulate them. This is what His story shows. People just said they would never forget and such a sad ending to the story is already to be forgotten! You are all a part of a story that is so much bigger, even if there seem to be two battling authors as to how it is written. I think He has already written the ending to His own story. But what is the ending to our part?
"Is honesty is offensive?"
Well N, is this mini-me?
I tell you the truth. The American Republic was founded by wise men who sought to protect the Word at near any cost to themselves and to protect speech, its expression. They were wise. It abolished slavery. And it eventually crushed the head of Nazism. But now, change is written in the wind. It builds up, slowly. People of the Book will start to be silenced and history forgotten as civilization dissolves, then ends. Who can say if it is the final time. The battle goes on...
"Words collide and crack under these new skeptical strains, dissolving into banalities the colossal enormity of what must be expressed lest we forget. Remembering for the future has become doubly dispiriting by our having to remember for the present, too, our having to register and confront what is wrong here and now.
...It stops up its ears to shut out what it does not dare to face. ...We have to get on with our lives. Besides, memories reconstructed in words, even when they are documented by evidence, have not often changed the world or fended off the powerful seductions to silence, forgetting, or denying."
(The Annals of The American Academy of Political and
Social Science November, 1996 548 Annals 45
THE HOLOCAUST: REMEMBERING FOR
THE FUTURE: "Havel to the Castle!"
The Power of the Word
By VIOLET B. KETELS)
The Book is to be silenced:
"The National Church demands immediate cessation of the publishing and dissemination of the Bible in Germany.
...On the day of its foundation, the Christian Cross must be removed from all churches, cathedrals and chapels . . . and it must be superseded by the only unconquerable symbol, the swastika."
(The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany. William L. Shirer. (Simon and Schuster) 1990 :238-40)
It's all just such a big happenstance that it is to be the people of the Book that are silenced. Such happenstance, that European socialists are anti-Semitic.
But the youth of the nation do not know much of His story. That is certain. They seem to be starting to repeat it, in general. These are the patterns they walk. And they don't seem to want to read His story, either. Too much thinkin'...and that's just hard! Prophets....gloom and doom, it is a sweet thing that there is mercy.
"So if you are entirely sure of everything you believe, and you don't often examine it and start asking questions about it, you can stagnate in a pool of wrongness."
I will not question God's Words that He has revealed through the ages. This is the only truth. I am sure of this and I will not apoligize for being sure. This is the ONE truth that I am certain of. All of those words on the page are true, revealed by God through human hand and inerrently sustained by God's.
These words spoken by God speak of many things...all of which are true. He does not desire those He loves to be in a state of questioning all of the time or else He would not have revealed these words. He desires us to know Him and be sure of who He is.
"It's been stated on this weblog that only those who have all the answers should attempt to give any opinions or judgements or statements about the truth."
Humans in their sinfulness cannot have all the answers, but God in His love has revealed the answers in His Word and He makes His Words come alive in the hearts of those He loves by His Holy Spirit. It pleases God for us to know, which is the opposite of being in a state of question marks. Yes, we ask questions to learn, but if we never seek or learn the answers to these questions there is no point in asking them.
~B.
"so I tried to put some of the fear of the Lord into you."
You see no problem with this?
MyNym, walking with the truth will do you no good unless you're walking in the spirit as well. How many of the fruits of the spirit have you displayed here?
"By their fruits you shall know them."
What are the fruits of your attacks on "thought patterns?" Little besides amusement for yourself and your friend. This isn't a game.
I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him. . .
"The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control." Galatians 5:22
Just because you disagree does not make MyNym lacking in these areas. Do you even know him? How can you make a such a judgement then?
Why turn a dicussion or debate into such pokings?
I do not know MyNym other than through what he has said on here. You might want to check the color of your glasses if you think his posts have lacked in those areas.
I'm sorry if my "pokings" offend you or MyNym. I don't atack people, though I do attack spirit patterns.
Whoops, insert a "don't" in between "you" and "think."
Mini Me??
*N
Do you think you are setting the standard here by writing like this, snakeman? Because you point out a fault that you think someone else has does not make you free from that fault yourself, look at the manner of your response.
*N
Interesting that you would completely ignore what I wrote to change the subject.
But I won't do the same to you. My posts turned sour when MyNym arrived on the scene. Other people on here know me in person, so it isn't necessary for me to defend what kind of a person I am, but my past posts have been about 99% lighter in tone and content than what I'm writing now.
I have not claimed to be anything special. I'm not claiming to be perfect in anything, I haven't even claimed to be a Christian on here. MyNym, on the other hand, has claimed that he "walks with Logos," that he has superior "thought patterns" and that he is a prophet. Yet he acts more like a child than the people he looks down on as children.
If MyNym really had something constructive to say, he would have taken it up with Jason in private as Jason suggested a while ago.
What MyNym does doesn't hurt my feelings. I really wouldn't care at all except that he has attacked the band with what he claims is "the word of the Lord" and refuses to stop posting his lengthy, off-topic ramblings on someone else's blog.
"If MyNym really had something constructive to say, he would have taken it up with Jason in private as Jason suggested a while ago."
Jason is a leader of young men. But his words all contain subtle changes. Oopsy here, oopsy there. Then the "silent treatment" because there is nothing to say sans words. All just happenstance. He says he seeks the Truth in words but does so to look wise in other's eyes or his own eyes. It would have done no good to give him more words of the Truth and wisdom to make subtle changes to. As a leader, where is he leading you? Or is that yet another question that is not to be answered?
The parable of Enoch's friend.
Once upon a time there was a man named Enoch who walked with the Logos. He walked so closely with it that one day he was no more because God just took him away.
But one day, as Enoch walked with God he came upon a friend. And as he looked down on his friend he said, "Why are you down there." His friend say, "Why do you look down on me! Come down here with me, right now!" And Enoch replied, "Huh? Why would I want to come down there?" His friend said, "I won't be your friend if you don't!" Enoch said, "Well, I am your friend but I can't come down there with you. But look, it looks like you are sitting in your own excrement or something. That is unsanitary and will drive you slowly insane!" His friend replied, "What?! Why I oughta!" And he threw some up at Enoch but it just came down and landed on his own face. Enoch's friend cried out, "Are you proud of yourself now!" Enoch replied, "Uh, not really dude but you really ought to get up from that excrement." The friend shouted, "I'd rather just die since you look down on me!" Enoch said, "But my friend, listen now, you will."
"'...so I tried to put some of the fear of the Lord into you.'
You see no problem with this?"
It is better than taking little Timmy's hand and putting it in the fire so that he screams the truth, "It really IS hot!!!" And it is better than letting little Timmy stick his hand in the fire.
Perhaps you need to see little Timmy's problem, fire is hot and it will burn him.
"What are the fruits of your attacks on 'thought patterns?'"
Those whose minds have been opened will understand. It is basic philosophy to deal with metaphysical ideas and patterns of ideas. Why? And why do you want silence?
Philosophy/Logos plus poetry = prophecy. It is a powerful union.
"Little besides amusement for yourself and your friend. This isn't a game."
No, it is not. It is a war for the mind. And minds might be opening, strengthening, etc., to what is actually a better sense of feelings. If they are opened, then they will understand.
But for closed minds, those that will not be opened to both justice and mercy....perhaps all there can be when confronted with the Word are deeper feelings of despair and death. And the demand is then, silence!
A young man speaks forth the Truth:
"'What is important, what brings together all these questions,' Yorck replied, 'is the totalitarian claim of the State on the individual which forces him to renounce his moral and religious obligations to God.' 'Nonsense!' cried Freisler, and he cut off the young man. ....punishment was meted out as soon as the trial had ended on August 8. ....
Goebbels is said to have kept himself from fainting by holding his hands over his eyes."
(The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany. William L. Shirer. (Simon and Schuster) 1990 :240)
There are those who would kill the Truth.
What's the problem? Why make a big deal? Why not just be a "nice guy" as the weak ones are? It is because the war of the "pen pushers" must be won lest the spiritual battle is lost and evil becomes manifest.
That is why. Nice guys don't seem to know that there is anything worth fighting/judging. Instead, everything is defined by their own "feelings," friendship first friends, being nice, etc. But when it all manifests out, it is not nice at all.
Someone has to say so and speak forth in the prophetic/poetic voice. You just keep talking to the hand as it keeps writing the message. Read the message instead...
About attempting to judge fruit...I do have my fruit basket, I suppose. But about this attempt at judgment to make things merely "nice" so that the enemy is not fought in the spiritual battle among words. Note, Jesus was a great fighter of it! Would he not show the fruit of His own spirit?
"The rhetorician seeks to move men. It is reasonable, therefore, to judge his effectiveness by ascertaining whether he has moved any and, if so, how many. But it is precisely this seemingly incontrovertible logic that we must now scrutinize. The base rhetorician seeks to move men toward evil; since it seems to be the nature of man that he wants to go to hell as quickly as possible, it is not surprising that effective base rhetoricians can greatly accelerate this process for millions, and tens or even hundreds of millions of per sons. Marx, Lenin, and Hitler were indeed successful in influencing great multitudes. This is precisely why we consider them eminent rhetoricians, base to be sure, but brilliant. After all, many individuals try to drive men into slavery, as if they were cattle; but only a few succeed. These we hail as “great historical figures.”
I submit that we cannot judge the noble rhetorician by this standard. Since he urges men to be better than they are, the noble rhetorician cannot possibly succeed in changing those who prefer to remain as they are or become evil. Indeed, because his task is to bring men to them selves, not to him, the noble rhetorician ought not to be judged by his manifest effect on others at all. Rather, he ought to be judged by the clarity and steadfastness with which he proclaims his counsel. Should not a single person heed his advice, the noble rhetorician would still have to be judged successful in proportion as he succeeds in per fecting his own soul by perfecting his own language. So judged, Kraus’s success is as imposing as that of his ad versaries whom he so “unsuccessfilly” opposed. For, in the final analysis, what Karl Kraus sought was to purify him self by purifying his own language. He achieved his goal. He died a semantic saint in a semantically satanic society."
(Anti-Freud. Thomas Szasz :56-57)
"As tens of millions of voices cannot make a circle
a square, so the united voices of myriads cannot lend
the smallest foundation to falsehood."
--Oliver Goldsmith
It is quite simple you see, a circle, it is not a square. Nor is saying that you kneel and testify with blood on your hands "really" saying that you have clean hands. Look, your hands already seek ways to lend support to shed the blood of babies.
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