Primitive man?? No mate the men of scriptures where very much the same as us. They had the same faults; played the same unwise games that modern man plays. Only difference between them and us is we play with toys that can cause more damage. With the growth of knowledge so with the growth of sorrows.
Even if primitive man was more than us. Even if they had guides.
The stories they tell would still be their perceptions of what they saw. Just like us, they perceived experiences and believed in what they thought they knew, when they didn't really know.
The men where not primitive and they where guided by God in their words.
Still perceptions. And their perceptions of who 'God' was, doesn't make their perceptions more valid.
People in this forum tell me they are guided by God!
I believe that those people do believe it too, but their perceptions of the experiences they've had, doesn't change the fact that they believe something they don't know. And I'd be OK with that, as long as they could: admit they don't know, and see other explainations are still possible, but they have choosen to believe in what made most sense to them with the information they have available.
You can still believe, when you word it propperly, and you recognize you don't really know. It is strong beliefs in only one possible expaination that become harmful. Strong beliefs are the ones people believe they know, when they don't. Strong beliefs don't ussually have any flexibility. If the information available changes to contradict a strong belief, we generally disregard the new info, rather then modify the belief!
And you think you are somehow safe to go on in a lifetime exploration? You think that if you just keep exploring then you will not have to commit to anything and in that way you can be free to think and do as you please all your life? You think that in the end you can stand before God and say. Hey i searched for you all my life so you cannot reject me for not finding you, cause i looked?
I can still believe things, I just don't believe anything so strongly that I wouldn't be able to change my belief if the information available changes.
Yes I do think I am safe to explore my entire life, because their are many things that will still be unknown, why pretend to know something when I know I don't know.
I am not worried about having to stand in front of 'God' after my human journey. I don't even see that as realistic. I do believe in afterlife, but I don't know nothing about it, and I don't know if we can take anything (memory, thoughts, dreams, etc...) Afterlife might just be the energy that remains. But I don't believe Heaven and Hell is the afterlife.
As far as I am concerned this violent, greedy, hateful rock where everyone looks out for themselves, and no one is trying to make the world a better place for everyone, we are already in Hell - and if we were ever able to overcome our differences so we could make the world a better place for everything, we are capable of creating a peaceful, harmony, loving world that would be much like Heaven. We can never create that Heavenly earth as long as people have strong beliefs that contradict others strong beliefs, and neither is willing to admit their belief could be wrong! Overcoming our differences will have to involve letting go of strong beliefs so we can find common goals.
If God gives the message He wants to give you and you pass it by without acceptance then you have rejected the message that saves you. And in that your eternal rejection will be justified.
Your perception of who 'God' is, is not the same as my perception. Neither of us know, we both have beliefs, but we both could be wrong. I see a bigger picture that doesn't matter who is right, but where everyone is capable of recognizing they don't know for sure. This is key if we are ever gonna find unity.
There are a lot of people who find safety in a policy of lifetime searching to avoid a decision. But in fact their decision not to make a decision is a rejection of the decision God wants them to make.
Says who? Did your God tell you that?
Why should I commit to an unknown, and pretend to understand something that isn't explainable?
You talk like you know things that aren't known, news flash - no one knows, and that includes you!
I still have plenty of things I believe, but my beliefs are very flexible. Some of my beliefs even contradict themselves, simply because I don't know, and I see more then one possible explaination. I revise beliefs when my information changes. I open and close doors whenever I gain knowledge that can help me do so.
I have peaked inside so many different doors, that I am amazed just finding the doors.
I will never choose 1 door to blindly run through without having the known information show me what door.
I am not a fan of tunnel vision, and strong believers have tunnel vision.
Only looking in one place for all the answers doesn't seem like a wise decision neither.
