For her to admit to herself that she is wrong would threaten her very sense of self, which has conflated illogical religious ideas with politics. Putting politics into Christianity used to be be the immorality and putting current Republican politics first is actually a repudiation of religious principles. It's a stunning reversal borne o…
For her to admit to herself that she is wrong would threaten her very sense of self, which has conflated illogical religious ideas with politics. Putting politics into Christianity used to be be the immorality and putting current Republican politics first is actually a repudiation of religious principles. It's a stunning reversal borne of rationalism and the desire to construct a means to a predetermined, emotional, and egoistic end goal. My Catholic parents are the same way.
I do wonder sometime about whether admitting being wrong on even the most basic of facts is a step to far as it may be for friends like yours who come by their beliefs through a strict lens of right and wrong preached in many Bible as Fact churches. Doesn't sin and damnation start with the first step, the cigarette, the little sins, the denial of a truth known within the circle, and may certainly lead to loss of faith, giving in to liberals, even agreeing that the life style of those who are deniers isn't all that bad? If I agree with you on this one thing, won't you expect me to agree to others and then we are drinking together and swapping tales and listening to each other and, who knows what else? In a circular set of beliefs, how fearful must one be if some idea or fact can cause a shearing or crack? Truth and light must be great threats to be guarded against and the cloak of beliefs agreed upon pulled up and over to keep believers certain and one with the truth. Just wondering out loud, as something similar might be claimed of any of us who crave the settled, the certain, the right over the best, the only over the possible, safety over growth.
I had a colleague who was a Nazarene. We had to agree that we would not discuss certain aspects of religion like if God is omnipresent and omnipotent, why can't he manifest as Allah.
I did actually catch her up once when she posted a meme that the fires in CA were punishment from God for harboring atheists. She lied and said she had posted it to show how foolish it was. Oh yeah. Nicely put about what is happening with these religious folks. She is also the person who told me that she is glad she is not as educated as I am. I wanted to say I was glad not to be religious and a R like her, but refrained. Not Catholic, btw, but some kind of Methodist I think.
You can call it God or you can call it Karma. I would call it nature's wrath for building homes in the forest and expecting firefighters to be your savior. No politician can defeat nature, and asking them to try is an example of why we need to limit the scope of government. They will always try to do what the loudest voices ask, even if they know they cannot control nature. It's shameful the number of California firefighters who have been injured or perished to save the wealthy from their own foolish choices.
The biblical texts were written by wise men to teach their heirs how to live better lives. In this case, you might refer to Matthew 7, which contains many interpretations of the laws of nature (or God if you prefer).
"24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."
Why are you even bothering with this. The fires were not caused by God to punish atheists living in CA, but our own hubris, no matter what our religious beliefs.
For her to admit to herself that she is wrong would threaten her very sense of self, which has conflated illogical religious ideas with politics. Putting politics into Christianity used to be be the immorality and putting current Republican politics first is actually a repudiation of religious principles. It's a stunning reversal borne of rationalism and the desire to construct a means to a predetermined, emotional, and egoistic end goal. My Catholic parents are the same way.
I do wonder sometime about whether admitting being wrong on even the most basic of facts is a step to far as it may be for friends like yours who come by their beliefs through a strict lens of right and wrong preached in many Bible as Fact churches. Doesn't sin and damnation start with the first step, the cigarette, the little sins, the denial of a truth known within the circle, and may certainly lead to loss of faith, giving in to liberals, even agreeing that the life style of those who are deniers isn't all that bad? If I agree with you on this one thing, won't you expect me to agree to others and then we are drinking together and swapping tales and listening to each other and, who knows what else? In a circular set of beliefs, how fearful must one be if some idea or fact can cause a shearing or crack? Truth and light must be great threats to be guarded against and the cloak of beliefs agreed upon pulled up and over to keep believers certain and one with the truth. Just wondering out loud, as something similar might be claimed of any of us who crave the settled, the certain, the right over the best, the only over the possible, safety over growth.
I had a colleague who was a Nazarene. We had to agree that we would not discuss certain aspects of religion like if God is omnipresent and omnipotent, why can't he manifest as Allah.
Wow! Thank you.
I did actually catch her up once when she posted a meme that the fires in CA were punishment from God for harboring atheists. She lied and said she had posted it to show how foolish it was. Oh yeah. Nicely put about what is happening with these religious folks. She is also the person who told me that she is glad she is not as educated as I am. I wanted to say I was glad not to be religious and a R like her, but refrained. Not Catholic, btw, but some kind of Methodist I think.
You can call it God or you can call it Karma. I would call it nature's wrath for building homes in the forest and expecting firefighters to be your savior. No politician can defeat nature, and asking them to try is an example of why we need to limit the scope of government. They will always try to do what the loudest voices ask, even if they know they cannot control nature. It's shameful the number of California firefighters who have been injured or perished to save the wealthy from their own foolish choices.
The biblical texts were written by wise men to teach their heirs how to live better lives. In this case, you might refer to Matthew 7, which contains many interpretations of the laws of nature (or God if you prefer).
"24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207&version=NIV
Why are you even bothering with this. The fires were not caused by God to punish atheists living in CA, but our own hubris, no matter what our religious beliefs.
You can call it God's wrath, Karma, or Nature's law. They all mean the same thing.