President Trump and Evangelicals

[RonD1120 62]

JoeWeber

******

You believe you are descended from seed of Abraham? I've never before heard the claim although, admittedly, I travel in less exalted circles. Is that usual amongst those you know and how did you come to believe so? Is it a Galatians thing or something you just know?

I've believed the possibility for a long time. First, I developed a sense of spiritual awareness at an early age. Second, God said that Abraham's seed would be like grains of sand. Third, all born-again Christians are adopted into the family.

You brought up the notion of conjecture about how my brain was wired. I added on to it with my guess in an attempt to confirm your supposition.

So you believe that God created you wired to believe in God so that you would? Do I have that right?

I never thought of it quite like that but it sounds plausible. Therefore, it is our task, focus, and life plan to invite others into the family of God so that we can enjoy eternal life together.

I may have had a genetic predisposition but it was and is a choice made by free will. The same factors prevail in all life's predilections and course decisions.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[jcd11235 0]

RonD1120

I never thought of it quite like that but it sounds plausible. Therefore, …

That you're content to jump to a conclusion after judging something to be merely plausible (although the reasonable paraphrasing of your claim is actually anything but plausible) indicates a lack of understanding of basic logic.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[RonD1120 62]

jcd11235

***I never thought of it quite like that but it sounds plausible. Therefore, …

That you're content to jump to a conclusion after judging something to be merely plausible (although the reasonable paraphrasing of your claim is actually anything but plausible) indicates a lack of understanding of basic logic.

Logic lacks efficacy when dealing with spiritual matters. The reason is that logic relies on the natural and physical.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[kallend 2,148]

RonD1120

I have long believed that I am from the seed of Abraham. Therefore, being wired to believe is a distinct possibility.

.

Didn't you tell us that you chemically rewired your brain some decades ago?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

kallend

***

I have long believed that I am from the seed of Abraham. Therefore, being wired to believe is a distinct possibility.

.

Didn't you tell us that you chemically rewired your brain some decades ago?

Yeah but Jesus rewired it. After the requisite tithing of course.

[wmw999 2,588]

I’m all for people taking advantage of whatever helps them in their life, including religion. It’s helped personal friends of mine, not just with drugs and alcohol, but with finding a community that they felt part of in a positive way, and that gave missing meaning to their lives.

Might they have found it some other way? Maybe. But they did find it that way, and one doesn’t always keep looking.

How many other sports would satisfy what skydiving has for us? How many of us have checked all the others to see if they were better?

I’m not in favor of the “turn off brain and discernment” approach to life with religion, but I see those as different axes. We seem to have posters here who do just fine at ignoring reality without seeming to be evangelical Christians.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[DJL 235]

RonD1120

***

You believe you are descended from seed of Abraham? I've never before heard the claim although, admittedly, I travel in less exalted circles. Is that usual amongst those you know and how did you come to believe so? Is it a Galatians thing or something you just know?

I've believed the possibility for a long time. First, I developed a sense of spiritual awareness at an early age. Second, God said that Abraham's seed would be like grains of sand. Third, all born-again Christians are adopted into the family.

You brought up the notion of conjecture about how my brain was wired. I added on to it with my guess in an attempt to confirm your supposition.

Oh, you should try 23andMe. They might be able to tell you for sure.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[theplummeter 15]

DJL

******

You believe you are descended from seed of Abraham? I've never before heard the claim although, admittedly, I travel in less exalted circles. Is that usual amongst those you know and how did you come to believe so? Is it a Galatians thing or something you just know?

I've believed the possibility for a long time. First, I developed a sense of spiritual awareness at an early age. Second, God said that Abraham's seed would be like grains of sand. Third, all born-again Christians are adopted into the family.

You brought up the notion of conjecture about how my brain was wired. I added on to it with my guess in an attempt to confirm your supposition.

Oh, you should try 23andMe. They might be able to tell you for sure.

What if he finds out that he’s the descendant of a Phillistine slave owned by Arab Hebrews?

Ron, would you gladly give your life and those of your family back to the people who own you with divine rights of inheritance as outlined in the Bible?

[Faicon9493 141]

RonD1120

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/photo-surfaces-of-evangelical-pastors-laying-hands-on-trump-in-the-oval-office/ar-BBEiC0p?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp

This is part of the base I belong to, not surprising. The thing to note is how many people are influenced by a megachurch and how they disseminate information.

Quote

Trump is a self-described Presbyterian but does not attend church, though he has been embraced by many evangelicals. While evangelicals vary in their views of Trump, a survey from the Pew Research Center during Trump’s first few months in office found that white Catholics and white evangelicals who attend religious services regularly have a higher approval rating of Trump than those who don’t attend services regularly.

Going to church does not make you a Christian. Getting drunk and passing out in a hangar does not make you a skydiver...oh, wait...nevermind.

Trump was masterful in tapping into the underbelly of America. They sit in those pews too, right next to the good folks.

[RonD1120 62]

16 Mar 81 I was born-again. I became a new creature in Christ. I put off the old and put on the new. I renewed my mind and began to look at life from a more beneficial perspective. I am now in the world but not of it. Better is He that is within me than he who is in the world. I am saved and sanctified.

All the above is available to anyone who reads it.

John 3:16
Romans 10:9,10

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[JoeWeber 2,940]

RonD1120

16 Mar 81 I was born-again. I became a new creature in Christ. I put off the old and put on the new. I renewed my mind and began to look at life from a more beneficial perspective. I am now in the world but not of it. Better is He that is within me than he who is in the world. I am saved and sanctified.

All the above is available to anyone who reads it.

John 3:16
Romans 10:9,10

Ron,

Saying stuff like that frightens some and pisses off others. You believe you are not of the corporeal world but, nonetheless, you seek to modify it for those who see it as the one world they will ever know.

You believe you were created with a predilection to believe in a God. That's a very convenient view that, as ever, can only be defended by using belief in God as your starting point.

I believe that a predilection to believe is a selected trait. My starting point is observing that the ancients had no science beyond religion and often no governance beyond religion. They were superstitious, fearful of nature and convinced that the supernatural was real. They trusted their shamans and priests to guide them.

I have no trouble seeing how over time those traits might be saved by natural selection in the exact same way I can see how a fear of being too close to the edge of the cliff would be saved over time.

Hence, I believe you have succumbed to your own natural wiring by cleaving unto the Jesus proposition. Of course it feels incredibly right and thoroughly natural to you. How could it not?

[jcd11235 0]

JoeWeber

… the one world they will ever know.

“Taking LSD was a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life. LSD shows you that there’s another side to the coin, and you can’t remember it when it wears off, but you know it. It reinforced my sense of what was important—creating great things instead of making money, putting things back into the stream of history and of human consciousness as much as I could.” -Steve Jobs

The older I get, the more I'm inclined to believe most people would be better off experimenting with hallucinogens than with religion.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[gowlerk 2,275]

jcd11235

***… the one world they will ever know.

“Taking LSD was a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life. LSD shows you that there’s another side to the coin, and you can’t remember it when it wears off, but you know it. It reinforced my sense of what was important—creating great things instead of making money, putting things back into the stream of history and of human consciousness as much as I could.” -Steve Jobs

The older I get, the more I'm inclined to believe most people would be better off experimenting with hallucinogens than with religion.


Ha! The last time I spoke to Jesus was during my only bad acid trip. I was 15 years old and worried that I would never come down! I stopped believing when I was nine, but that stuff they grind into you as a young child has a way of sticking in your head.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[Bob_Church 7]

gowlerk

******… the one world they will ever know.

“Taking LSD was a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life. LSD shows you that there’s another side to the coin, and you can’t remember it when it wears off, but you know it. It reinforced my sense of what was important—creating great things instead of making money, putting things back into the stream of history and of human consciousness as much as I could.” -Steve Jobs

The older I get, the more I'm inclined to believe most people would be better off experimenting with hallucinogens than with religion.


Ha! The last time I spoke to Jesus was during my only bad acid trip. I was 15 years old and worried that I would never come down! I stopped believing when I was nine, but that stuff they grind into you as a young child has a way of sticking in your head.

Hey, c'mon. If people are willing to talk about how LSD rewires your brain can we do it in its own thread? It's interesting stuff. Plus, and no offense to Rob meant here, but I think the way LSD affects your mind would make you less prone towards religion.

[JoeWeber 2,940]

Bob_Church

*********… the one world they will ever know.

“Taking LSD was a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life. LSD shows you that there’s another side to the coin, and you can’t remember it when it wears off, but you know it. It reinforced my sense of what was important—creating great things instead of making money, putting things back into the stream of history and of human consciousness as much as I could.” -Steve Jobs

The older I get, the more I'm inclined to believe most people would be better off experimenting with hallucinogens than with religion.


Ha! The last time I spoke to Jesus was during my only bad acid trip. I was 15 years old and worried that I would never come down! I stopped believing when I was nine, but that stuff they grind into you as a young child has a way of sticking in your head.

Hey, c'mon. If people are willing to talk about how LSD rewires your brain can we do it in its own thread? It's interesting stuff. Plus, and no offense to Rob meant here, but I think the way LSD affects your mind would make you less prone towards religion.

Depends on the tab, right? Purple Owsley isn't Orange Sunshine, so they say.

[Bob_Church 7]

JoeWeber

************… the one world they will ever know.

“Taking LSD was a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life. LSD shows you that there’s another side to the coin, and you can’t remember it when it wears off, but you know it. It reinforced my sense of what was important—creating great things instead of making money, putting things back into the stream of history and of human consciousness as much as I could.” -Steve Jobs

The older I get, the more I'm inclined to believe most people would be better off experimenting with hallucinogens than with religion.


Ha! The last time I spoke to Jesus was during my only bad acid trip. I was 15 years old and worried that I would never come down! I stopped believing when I was nine, but that stuff they grind into you as a young child has a way of sticking in your head.

Hey, c'mon. If people are willing to talk about how LSD rewires your brain can we do it in its own thread? It's interesting stuff. Plus, and no offense to Rob meant here, but I think the way LSD affects your mind would make you less prone towards religion.

Depends on the tab, right? Purple Owsley isn't Orange Sunshine, so they say.

Or the amount of strychnine.

[jcd11235 0]

Bob_Church

***************… the one world they will ever know.

“Taking LSD was a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life. LSD shows you that there’s another side to the coin, and you can’t remember it when it wears off, but you know it. It reinforced my sense of what was important—creating great things instead of making money, putting things back into the stream of history and of human consciousness as much as I could.” -Steve Jobs

The older I get, the more I'm inclined to believe most people would be better off experimenting with hallucinogens than with religion.


Ha! The last time I spoke to Jesus was during my only bad acid trip. I was 15 years old and worried that I would never come down! I stopped believing when I was nine, but that stuff they grind into you as a young child has a way of sticking in your head.

Hey, c'mon. If people are willing to talk about how LSD rewires your brain can we do it in its own thread? It's interesting stuff. Plus, and no offense to Rob meant here, but I think the way LSD affects your mind would make you less prone towards religion.

Depends on the tab, right? Purple Owsley isn't Orange Sunshine, so they say.

Or the amount of strychnine.

Largely an urban myth. I once read a study from a law enforcement organization of some sort that found confiscated LSD to consistently be very, very pure (though not necessarily very, very high potency), something of an anomaly among street drugs.

It makes sense. The dose is too small in volume to be easily visible. If someone wanted to rip people off, they could just sell them sugar cubes/undosed tabs, and be gone before anyone was the wiser. A half dose would look the same as a full dose, so there would be no reason to use an adulterant to cut it down.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[RonD1120 62]

JoeWeber

***16 Mar 81 I was born-again. I became a new creature in Christ. I put off the old and put on the new. I renewed my mind and began to look at life from a more beneficial perspective. I am now in the world but not of it. Better is He that is within me than he who is in the world. I am saved and sanctified.

All the above is available to anyone who reads it.

John 3:16
Romans 10:9,10

Ron,

Saying stuff like that frightens some and pisses off others. You believe you are not of the corporeal world but, nonetheless, you seek to modify it for those who see it as the one world they will ever know.

You believe you were created with a predilection to believe in a God. That's a very convenient view that, as ever, can only be defended by using belief in God as your starting point.

I believe that a predilection to believe is a selected trait. My starting point is observing that the ancients had no science beyond religion and often no governance beyond religion. They were superstitious, fearful of nature and convinced that the supernatural was real. They trusted their shamans and priests to guide them.

I have no trouble seeing how over time those traits might be saved by natural selection in the exact same way I can see how a fear of being too close to the edge of the cliff would be saved over time.

Hence, I believe you have succumbed to your own natural wiring by cleaving unto the Jesus proposition. Of course it feels incredibly right and thoroughly natural to you. How could it not?

My only desire to offer a path out of the suffering some experience by the weight of the worldly circumstances in which they are immersed.

I forgot to mention above in my reply to kallend that my brain was definitely rewired in April 1983 when I asked for and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[RonD1120 62]

I agree. I never found any evidence of strychnine in LSD in any report that I read.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[gowlerk 2,275]

Nevermind the evangelicals, some of the Mennonites in Canada are getting upset at all the Trump bashing:

http://dailybonnet.com/local-man-unfollows-satire-site-one-many-trump-posts/

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[Bob_Church 7]

RonD1120

I agree. I never found any evidence of strychnine in LSD in any report that I read.

When I was 16 or so we said that strychnine was being added to LSD to give better colors. The debate tended to break down into us boys who believed it, and blamed it for our nausea, and the girls, who were much smarter than us, and pointed out things like "that's a piece of blotter, where would you even put strychnine?"
But I don't think any of us believed it by the time we were 18.