Faith is Dangerous

[Nakosis]

I have faith we will be able to do it this time,

Could be dangerous.

unfortunately it will require further mass destruction.

That does sound dangerous.

So that is my question, why do we not heed such good advice?

The Holy books warn we will not heed the advice, because we have become remote from the only source that can save us from our own selves.

That is why we are asked to find God within, God is all the virtues.

Regards Tony

What... what if God is not within?

Lets say God is not within.
And you continue to have faith that God will eventually fix it, fix man.
But there is no one except man to fix things.
It is a gamble that may not pay off.

 

[Nakosis]

I understand that some equate the two, especially pantheists. But they're usually a tiptoe from being atheists, honestly.

I have my personal experiences that show that God cares. Those suffering people probably have their experiences that God cares for them, too. You ever been in a food line with a bunch of homeless people, drug addicts and alcoholics? I have and believe me, those people believe very strongly in God (it's usually religious groups running the food lines in the first place, but they don't discriminate on the basis of belief here). Certainly I've hated God at times in my life. I've even begged Him to let me die or just flat-out kill me, as recently as yesterday. But I'm still here. God knows best. He always reaches out and touches my heart when I'm about to hit rock bottom and fall into the abyss. Obviously I can't prove that "empirically" to anyone but I know what I've experienced and only God Himself can really convert people.

Have I've been in a food line, yes. Have I've been homeless yes.
Now, I don't want to take anything away from your experience...
But, I'll point out, it wasn't God servicing those folks in the food line. It was other people, like you and me.

 

[Trailblazer]

God bless you. I still think you should just call 911 and tell them he's suicidal and refuses to eat. He needs to be in a hospital, from what it sounds like.

I do not really think he is suicidal, just stubborn.
I am going to call the nurse and ask for advice. He has an appt with the urologist next week and an appt with his primary care doctor coming up, and I am going to tell them he needs help. He needs to see a counselor but he he needs a referral from his primary care doc.... you know how HMOs work.

Meanwhile, I got him to eat today and I will make him eat tonight as well.
I do not think he has anything life threatening but he has to put on some weight! I wish I had that problem.

 

[Trailblazer]

But there is no one except man to fix things.

That's right.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Have I've been in a food line, yes. Have I've been homeless yes.
Now, I don't want to take anything away from your experience...
But, I'll point out, it wasn't God servicing those folks in the food line. It was other people, like you and me.

That was just an example I used because you said you think you had a better life than most.

Nothing someone in a message board could take away from my experiences. I've had a whole litany of bizarre spiritual experiences that I can't explain away. Most of them I won't talk about in public forums because they're for me, not others.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

On the contrary, I would suggest that faith is a necessity no one can afford to be without; for the alternative to faith, given all the problems that currently beset the world, is surely despair.

Why must it surely be despair?

 

[sun rise]

Yet what if there is no truth to be found?
Hopefully you'll never grow tired of looking for that which may not exist.
If you ever do, then hopefully you'll have more than faith to rely on.

Thus writes the skeptic.

As for me, I've been slowly finding Truth for the past 40 years. You might find this quirky but I once wrote this about the path I'm on:

While the refrigerator was open
thoughts came of a poem
of yogurt and fruit.

They have their own existence
but when merged together
in a bowl
giving up a part of themselves
to the greater whole
how they dance in joy
in my mouth.​

 

[sun rise]

I do that constantly, but sadly, I do not think that most religious people do that, since they believe that have found The Truth.

One of my wife's missions in life is to show me how wrong I can be from time-to-time. If I can be wrong about daily this-and-that, it helps me remember that my ideas about the Truth can be offbase as well and that humility is needed.

 

[RestlessSoul]

All faith has inherent risk. Faith is as likely to let you down as support you.
Certainly the ideal is to reduce the reliance on faith as much as possible.

The more one relies on faith the more likely something will go wrong.
Validate whenever possible. Faith as a last resort.

Things will always go wrong. Faith helps us to deal with it successfully when they do. Having faith does not protect us from calamity - but it does allow us to meet it with equanimity.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Why must it surely be despair?

Because, to quote Slipknot when they were still a good band, people = ****.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Its gotten a lot of people killed

Everybody dies.

 

[Colt]

I agree, but how does that help us get through this life?
It helps some people but not others. I think people need people to help them.

Unselfish service to others is a way of life for believers. There will always be service to others for an eternity.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

How is love going to prevent my husband from dying of starvation, or does that not matter?

It MATTERS very much so. I would offer help is needed, as to what help is needed and how to supply it, that is up to both of you.

The power of divine assistance for mental conditions is best through prayer combined with the best medical advice available.

Regards Tony

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Could be dangerous.

That does sound dangerous.

What... what if God is not within?

Lets say God is not within.
And you continue to have faith that God will eventually fix it, fix man.
But there is no one except man to fix things.
It is a gamble that may not pay off.

Only as dangerous as we make it, it is up to us to fix it, God has given the required guidance.

The blame is squarely on our shoulders.

Regards Tony

 

[RestlessSoul]

Why must it surely be despair?

Have you seen the world? Either everything happens for a reason, the good outweighs the bad, and somehow it all works out eventually, in this world or the next; or else none of it means anything and all our suffering is for nothing. I don’t believe our suffering is for nothing. If I did, I’d despair, not for myself because I have a good life now, but for all those who still suffer.

 

[Trailblazer]

Unselfish service to others is a way of life for believers.

I agree, at least it should be a way of life for believers.

There will always be service to others for an eternity.

Yes, I agree. We can be of service in both this world and the next.

What Will We Do In the World Beyond?

 

[Nakosis]

Only as dangerous as we make it, it is up to us to fix it, God has given the required guidance.

The blame is squarely on our shoulders.

Regards Tony

Yes, less faith, less risk, less danger.
All up to us.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

On the contrary, I would suggest that faith is a necessity no one can afford to be without; for the alternative to faith, given all the problems that currently beset the world, is surely despair.

That doesn't have to mean faith in God, btw. But one must have faith in something, or else how does one stay sane?

Disagree -- the better alternative to faith is a combination of hope and a willingness to make the effort to achieve what one hopes for. And that does not include getting on your knees and praying for some "higher power" to do it for you.

 

[Nakosis]

Things will always go wrong.

Lessing one's reliance on faith may help with that.

Faith helps us to deal with it successfully when they do. Having faith does not protect us from calamity - but it does allow us to meet it with equanimity.

Well, then, may your faith never run out.

God help us if it does.

 

[Nakosis]

Thus writes the skeptic.

As for me, I've been slowly finding Truth for the past 40 years. You might find this quirky but I once wrote this about the path I'm on:

While the refrigerator was open
thoughts came of a poem
of yogurt and fruit.

They have their own existence
but when merged together
in a bowl
giving up a part of themselves
to the greater whole
how they dance in joy
in my mouth.​

If you've found Truth, then why would you need faith?

BTW, the real Truth is oatmeal and almond butter.