Mopac

Howdy ya'll.

The last year I have been pursuing monasticisim in the Orthodox Christian tradition. Since I have last been around, I have been coast to coast, as far east as Holy Cross in West Virginia, as far west as St Herman's in northern Cali. I have learned alot. I have matured a lot. It has been quite a trip.

Despite my expectations of ending up in an English speaking monastery, providence has lead me to a Greek monastery. 

The schedule here is very rigorous, I am using a small window of opportunity to post this topic. I won't likely be able to answer any questions until Sunday.

Schedule most days for meis like this.

10pm - 10:30 pm Pray together at church

10:30 pm - 1:30 am Pray alone or read

1:30 am - 3:30 am Liturgy

3:30 am - 4 am Optional light breakfast

4 am - 7 am Sleep

7 am - 8:30 am Cup of Coffee and reading

8:30 am - 11:15 am Obediences(work, mostly gardening for me)

11:30 am - 12 pm Lunch

12:30 pm - 3pm Obediences(more garden work)

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Vespers

4:30 pm - 5 pm Dinner

5 pm - 5:30 pm help clean up after dinner

6 pm - 9:50 Sleep

There are slight variations in the schedule depending on if it is a feast day or not.

My time here has reached its end. I now must retreat back in to the desert where I am to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling.

What have I been consistent with since the beginning? That The Truth is God, The Supreme and Ultimate Reality.

That The Orthodox Catholic Church preserves this understanding, and right teaching concerning the good news of God, salvation, and the kingdom of God.

That is the witness I leave. Jesus Christ is the answer. Abide in Him, that is The Eternal Way of Truth. To find Christ is to find True Love.

The path is straight and narrow. Wide is the path that leads to destruction. Only The Truth sets free. To live in defiance of The Truth is to be a slave to delusion. There is freedom in Christ. Real freedom.

You can be absolutely free, only if you want to be.

The last true rebellion against this world of lies and deceit is death to the world.

Denominationalism is strictly a protestant/"evangelical" Christianity phenomena.

What does it really mean?

That the entirety of the church is not present here, it is not truly catholic.

Some say they are "nondenominational", but do any so called "nondenominational " churches have the entire faith? No, they like all the other denominations only contain a piece of the pie.

The One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church is truly nondenominational, not nondenominational in pretense. That is, the fullness of the faith is there. It is complete. It is universal. It is catholic.

The Orthodox Catholic Church is the complete church. 

My wife died 6 months ago, so if it was a surprise to anyone, I am a male.

Since I am no longer married, I am free to become a monk. I will not likely return after lent, as I will likely be living in a monastery.

I love all of you, and despite me grumbling from time to time, I enjoyed many of our conversations.

Thank you DART for the good times.

I will be gone by the end of the month, so if there is anything you'd like to talk to me about, this would be the time!

My time is short on this forum, so I want to leave with a piece of advice to all Christian posters.

When someone is rude, respond with kindness.

When you feel like making fun of the person you are talking to, or insulting them for being particularly dense, don't do it. It hurts your witness. Be patient. Long suffering. 

People are rarely converted by arguments and such. Without love, it doesn't matter if you know everything. You won't be heard.

BE CHARITABLE.

Remember, you are not The Holy Spirit. You can not save anyone. Your job is to plant seeds. Seeds that you may never see grow. Be content with that.

If you call yourself a Christian, and do not engage with a spirit of love, you are doing more harm than good. It would be better if you worked on yourself before trying to proselytize.

Truly, Christ is best witnessed by someone who walks in the way. Being a good Christian is the best witness. 

Have faith in divine judgment. Don't be lead astray by passion or insecurity. Become less so that Christ is magnified.

Will you slip up? It happens. Don't excuse yourself, simply correct course.

Aquire the spirit of peace, and thousands around you will be saved.

Not too long after the "Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party" or the Bolsheviks took over Russia, they held elections. They lost and decided to do away with elections.

If you want a fine example of what an anti-Christ government looks like, The Soviet Union is a fine example from modern history.

Is it any suprise that the most vocal socialists are also very atheistic? It isn't,  because socialism and militant atheism are inseparable.

I identify as a state highway.

Where my rights?

I serve the world, I carry an unfathomable weight, a path I make straight.

I collect taxes, but I didn't ask for them. 

I have become the mask I wear, a mask of concrete.

It's 2020, I'm a state highway.

Any thoughts after watching the video? Lets talk about it.

A fascist is a bundle of sticks. This can even be seen on the fascist flag.

Old English slang for bundle of sticks is a faggot.

Therefore anti fags.

I only recognize The Ultimate Reality as God, and there is only One. It is the evident truth that The Ultimate Reality is sovereign over all things. 

It is the evident truth that denial of this God is superstitious; that atheism towards this God is the most extreme form of nihilism, utterly self defeating, unjustifiable, and patently STUPID.

As it is an obvious fact that The Ultimate Reality is True God, and anyone who dare dispute this an IDIOT, it should be the case that anyone professing atheism should be understood as someone who is uneducated or petulant. The proper way to deal with someone who is so confused should be with charity. A real intent to guide someone suffering from such a delusion toward The Way and knowledge of The Truth. A real patience to endure abuse with long suffering. A true desire to humble oneself before The One True God, and to understand that righteous debate is about edifying one another, not the making oneself out to be something.

Dare anyone dispute it? 

There by necessity is Ultimate Reality.

The Ultimate Reality exposes all sophistry, rhetoric, science falsely so called, delusion, pretense of reason, and self will for what it is.. transient, mortal, temporary, dust in the wind. Nothing but vanity. Your life is not even as long as a blink in eternity. The Ultimate Reality always was, always is, and forever will be.

The Ultimate Reality makes an argument, and His argument is Himself. 

Dare you say, "The Truth is a lie!"?

Dare you say, "Prove to me it is true that The Truth exists!"?

Are you out of your mind?

There is no argument than can even so much as make pretense of challenging God. 

For us Orthodox, Christmas is actually 12 days, and from start to finish there is a progressive revealing that occurs. 

On December 25th we celebrate the nativity of Christ. This celebration of the birth of Christ is a celebration of God being with us in the world.

On January 1st, the 8th day of Christmas, we celebrate the circumcision of Christ. The significance of this day is that it would have been the day that Christ officially received His name, Jesus. The name Jesus means "Salvation of God". This celebration of Christ's circumcision is a celebration of God's name being revealed to us.

On January 6th we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, or theophany. On theophany, worship of The Trinity was made manifest. This celebration of Christ's baptism is a celebration of both God being made visible, and The Eternal way, which is worshipping God in Spirit and Truth, aka The Trinity.

Sadly this ancient tradition and the mystagogy that it was intended to facilitate the communication of has largely been lost by most protestant/evangelical churches, who in their zeal to seperate themselves from Roman Catholicism discarded the church calendar. 

Well, to those of who still use the church calendar, it is very useful as a learning tool. Besides the fasts and the feasts, every day there is a saint to remember making it a good way to learn church history. Besides that, there are scripture readings every day that are intended to flesh out the typography of the faith and reveal Christ. 

To those evangelicals and protestants who don't have the calander, you're really missing out! It is a useful teaching tool, and it brings people together. 

To those Roman Catholics and Orthodox Catholics who have the calendar, consider making it a part of your daily life.

Sure, one could say that all days are equally holy, but lets not forget that the intent here with the calendar is to edify. It is there to make use of, so why not? If it isn't your cup of tea, that is fine, but observing the calendar is still a good practice. For some people, it helps them to be mindful of God, and what believer would count that as a bad thing?

Happy new year, everybody.

Do you know The Way?

The Way of Truth.

The Way of Eternal Life.

It is worshipping God in Spirit and Truth. It is partaking of the divine nature. It is synergia with the divine energies. It is becoming divine by God's grace. It is union with Christ Jesus.

It is The True faith. Worshipping the undivided consubstantial Trinity.

It is the path of the spiritual athlete, the one who forgoes the fleeting vanities and insatiable passions of this life, the one who allows themselves to be purified by the waters of Truth in order that they confrom to the image of Truth.

It is The Way of Peace, of freedom. Those who abide in The Way hold humanity back from slavery and destruction, until The Way is forgotten and people destroy themselves.

The Way is True Religion, and it is revealed to all who sincerely seek it.

The nativity fast starts tomorrow, so I will be absent from the forums at least until after Christmas.

I encourage everyone to spend less time in front of screens, and more time spent interacting with the real world this holiday season. Don't take your elderly relatives for granted, one day they could be gone!

The Orthodox Catholic Church is the very Church of the Apostles. Western Christianity diverged from Orthodox Christianity over a thousand years ago, and so we tend to have a very different understanding of the faith. 

With the west we share the first 7 ecumenical councils.

We used to share the 8th ecumenical council with Roman Catholicism, but after the schism, the Roman Catholic Church reverted to a council that was specifically abrogated by what we consider the 8th. This is likely because one of the things that council did was made it anathema to alter the creed of the church, which the Roman Church was guilty of doing. Altering the creed of the church is one of the reasons that The Roman Catholic Church broke away from The Orthodox Catholic Church.

So we maintain that we are the definitive Christian Church. The Orthodox Church.

So if you have any questions about Orthodoxy or how it might differ from newer forms of Christianity that developed in the west,  ask away! I am very well read and do my best to answer questions.

This topic

Has screwed everything up, everything!

Miscellaneous forum, topic "."

Anyone ever hear the story of the boy who cried wolf?

A boy was charged with watching the sheep to make sure that wolves wouldn't eat them. If he saw a wolf, he was supposed to yell, "Wolf! Wolf!", which would alert the adults for help.

Well for fun, mischief, boredom, or who knows what the boy decides to cry wolf when there is no wolf. The adults come, and seeing no wolf, they reprimand the boy.

Well, out of fun, mischief, boredom, spite, who knows what the boy decides to cry wolf again when there is no wolf. The adults come, and seeing no wolf, they reprimand the boy.

So every so often, the boy will cry wolf when there is no wolf, and eventually the boy is not taken seriously. One day an actual wolf comes, and when the boy cries, no one comes. Sheep were lost that day.

It might be the case that so much of what you say has been debunked in the mind of the other that they cease to take you seriously when you say something that is real.

And lets not kid ourselves, pointing out that the other side is dishonest doesn't magically undo the dishonesty of the side that is pointing.

I will be taking a brief break the forums from August 1st until August 15 in honor of the fast of the dormition of the theotokos.

So until then I will answer questions about Orthodox Christianity to the best of my ability. Serious inquiries only(it is worth at least suggesting, right?).

By Orthodox Christianity I mean The Orthodox Catholic Church. Otherwise known as The Eastern Orthodox Church.

I am a member of The Orthodox Church of Antioch in The United States. Our church's HQ is in Damascus on the street called straight, the very street Saint Paul had his blindness removed after his vision on the road to Damascus. It was Antioch that Christians first were called by that name(it originated in those who did not believe mocking our sacrament of Chrismation, but we made the name ours). Before then and even after, we professed to follow The Way.

(From the confession of Dositheus)

~~~~~~

So the conclusion here is that it is not fit for unbelievers and heretics to interpret scripture. Scripture belongs to The Orthodox Church, and it is what The Church teaches about scripture and its meaning that matters.

Indeed, all Christian heresies make use of scripture. Yet, they twist scripture to conform to their false doctrines. Likewise, atheists and other unbelievers use scripture to avoid understanding what we really believe, instead arrogantly telling us what we believe.

Yet our religion is simple and pure. Our religion is loving God, and loving mankind who is made in the image of God.

And The Orthodox Church is the very church of Jesus Christ and The Apostles, the church that all others can be traced back to deviation from. 

Deh playin Tchaikovsky at the fireworks in DC on July 4 omfg Russia!

(Editors Notes: We cannot even well imagine but "50 Million Victims Of The Orthodox Christian Holocaust" is not the correct number, as we have learned from Alexander Solzhenitsyn that more then 66.5 million Orthodox Christians also perished from 1917 and onward during the times of the Soviet Union. Secondly the New Martyrs of Serbia are increasing, the killing of innocent people, the destruction of Churches, Monasteries, Cemeteries, and homes, as well as a massive killings of Serbian Orthodox Christians, and countless missing people.)

(OP Notes: this article doesn't take into account the killings since 1999)

1. Avarice. That’s according to Saint Paul. It’s idolatry, because, in the end, let’s be honest with ourselves, we’ve turned to idolatry wholeheartedly and enthusiastically. Avarice is typical of our age. It’s a rejection of the worship of the true God. People who are avaricious are indifferent to the legitimacy of the methods they employ. Lack of faith takes on new and increasingly uncontrolled forms. The virus of greed in today’s world has mutated and been transmitted to all strata of society. Let us not fool ourselves that it’s only the rich who belong to this category. It’s all classes. It’s just that the have-nots live in the hope of acquiring things themselves. What we call the consumer society has ended up as consumer hysteria. The ideal and aim of people today in all social classes is to accumulate material goods, unthinkingly, even though these are often superfluous. This greed, which is at the root of today’s ecological crisis, was denounced 16 centuries ago by a great theologian, the Father and Teacher of our Church, Saint Gregory of Nyssa. He stressed that we should use, but not misuse. We should allow ourselves to enjoy, but within reason. We should not become the ruination of all the creatures which live on land and in the sea.
2. The elimination of the sense of justice. In theory, we’re all against injustice; it’s a pastime that we all, to some extent enjoy. But in our everyday lives, if we think that something’s in our interest, we find a variety of pretexts to go along with it. During Great Lent, the insistent voice of the Prophet Isaiah urges us to ‘Remove the iniquities from your souls… learn to do good, seek judgement (i.e. justice), deliver those who are being wronged, plead for the orphan and seek justice for the widow… and come, let us reason together, says the Lord’. Holy Scripture is full of clear commands for us to be just in every facet of our lives, especially in our dealings. But it’s not only about employers who might not treat their employees fairly. When the injustice is perpetrated by certain employees, this is often overlooked. In the public sector, for example, when they work fewer hours than those agreed, but still think it their right to be paid a full wage. You might think these are mere details. But such minor injustices undermine the general sense of fairness, responsibility and dignity within a society.
3. Another root of corruption is distortion of the truth. A lie in all its forms. ‘Woe to you who call evil good and good evil’. The Prophet raises his voice also against those ‘who present darkness as light and light as darkness’, who ‘present the sweet as bitter and the bitter as sweet’. ‘Woe to those who consider themselves wise and knowledgeable in their own opinion.’ At another point in the Old Testament it is stated most expressively: ‘Those whose support is lies are shepherding the winds’ (Prov. 9, 12). The first book of Holy Scripture tells us that our Fall was the result of a lie, while the last informs us that ‘all those who love and practice lies’ will remain outside the Kingdom of Heaven. Lies, in general, undermine our ability to love. This may seem a little strange, but I’m referring to a thought of Dostoevsky, who puts into the mouth of Starets Zosima the following words: the main thing is not to lie to yourself. People who lie to themselves and believe in their own lies reach the point where they can see no truth, either in themselves or in others. So they lose respect for others and for themselves. If you don’t value others, you cease to love. I believe that this relationship between lying and the truth is most revealing. Starets Zosima concludes that people who lie to themselves are the first to be offended, because at times it’s very pleasant to feel you’re being affronted, isn’t it?
4. But the most egregious danger is ego-centrism, captivity to ourselves, worship of our personal interest, or that of our family, our place or, if you like, our nation. The antidote to this remains justice, together with support and self-sacrifice. The secret to discovering your true self is to offer it to others. Emphasizing and experiencing this value remain the Church’s greatest contribution. Drawing on the best pages of its history, the Church adds to the classic ‘cogito ergo sum’ – ‘I think therefore I am’- ‘I love therefore I am’. In accordance with the model of existence of the Holy Trinity, that of love and reciprocity.

Sometimes the hardest thing for me to do around here is not resort to name calling and mockery. People are so rude to me. It seems like the dumber someone is, the more arrogant they are. When I condescend to accommodate the learning disability of the person I am talking to, they just insult me more and declare victory.

It is not easy for me to be to be nice. It is hard. I look at these people who can't control their emotions, and say whatever is on their minds. No restraint, no self control. I see these people as weak and foolish people. They pitiable and hopelessly ignorant. 

It is not easy to love. It is easy to hate. I don't think this is appreciated enough.

I pray that my untruth not obscure the truth of God, fool that I am.

I feel better

And to this day, there are still some among nominal Christians who, denying the church itself, think that they have somehow recreated the first century church that to this day is alive and well in The Orthodox Church, the very church that Jesus promised would not be overcome by the gates of hades.

This is the big one.

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

Central then is the question... who is Jesus Christ? 

The proper understanding of who Christ is happens to be central to the entire faith if Christianity. Everything points to this. There are a lot of ideas about who Christ is, but it is only the proper understanding that reveals the nature of salvation and life eternal.

Central to Christology is the incarnation and what it means. Also central to Christology is The Trinity.

This is the gospel. The good news. 

Anyone want to take a shot at this before I explain the Orthodox position?

Who do you say Jesus Christ is?

I got a hold of some. Made guac over the weekend and put it on everything.

The last 2 days I've chopped one into my instant ramen(I recommend Soon, they are delicious and vegan), and holy snap these things are hot!

My guts might hate me later...

...and on that, what am I doing to myself by subjecting myself to all this high scoville food? Is it healthy? 

Post some examples of the news media twisting words or removing context to paint a certain picture for political reasons.

Can be any side of the political spectrum

Please source with proofs.

This should be good.

Also worth noting, caeseropapism is recognized as a heresy.

All this said, secular(by this I mean worldy) governments love to exert control over the church!

"If we turn away from evil out of fear of punishment, we are in the position of slaves. If we pursue the enticement of wages, we resemble mercenaries. Finally if we obey for the sake of the good itself and out of love for him who commands, we are in the position of children." ~ Saint Basil the great

The great lent is coming up. To those who aren't familiar, it is the 40 days leading up to pascha.

For us Orthodox, the great lent starts the monday after next. 

I will not be posting here during lent, and I may just decide to stop posting here all together. I don't really think spending my breaks glued to a phone is what I care to do anymore. Besides that, I don't really think there is anything more here for me to do. 

The Truth is God. It hurts me to see people so carelessly blaspheming God as if this sort of thing doesn't really effect the world. It does. And while there is likely nothing I can say that would persuade the one who has thoroughly rejected God, you are making a huge mistake. Your way is foundationally cursed. You may mock what I am saying and reject it, but it would really be better for you if you repented.

I do love you. That is why I spent so much time repeating myself. I hope somebody got something out of it.

It's not about me. Forget me. Go with God.

The Orthodox Church is The One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church founded by Jesus and The Apostles.

I am especially interested in any questions from others who call themselves Christians, because there are a lot of misconceptions about The Orthodox Church among both Roman Catholics and the protestant churches. 

Well, I would hope in this topic that the differences become apparent, and that the authority of Orthodoxy is shown. It is The Christian Church. 

From 1 Ezra 3-4:46 (Scripture taken from the St. Athanasius Academy Septuagint Copywrite 2008 by St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology)

~~~

Now King Darius put on a great banquet for all his subjects, for his entire household, and for all the nobles of Media and Persia. He also invited all the satraps, commanders, and governors under him throughout the one hundred and twenty seven provinces extending from India to Ethiopia. They ate and drank, and when they were satisfied they returned home. As for King Darius, he returned to his bed chamber and slept, but awoke.

Then the three young men who were attending the king as bodyguards said one to the other, "Let each of us speak one strong saying, and whichever saying of ours seems to be the strongest, King Darius will give him great gifts and a feast in his honor. He will be dressed in purple, drink from gold cups, ad sleep in a gold bed. He will have a chariot with a gold-studded bridle, a turban of fine linen, and a gold necklace around his neck. Because of his wisdom he will sit second to Darius and will be addressed as kinsman of Darius."

So each one then wrote down his saying, sealed it, and placed it under the pillow of King Darius. THey said, "When the king awakens, they will give the writings to him ad the one whose saying the king and the three nobles of Persia may judge the wisest, the victory shall be given to him, as it is written."

The first one wrote, "Wine is the strongest." The second wrote, "The king is the strongest." The third wrote, "Women are the strongest, but above all things the truth conquers."

So when the king was awakened, he took the writings the gave to him, and he read them. Then he sent forth and invited all the nobles of Persia and Media and the Satraps, commanders, governors, and highest officials. e took his place in the seat of judgement, and the writings were read in their presence. He said, "Call the young men, and they will clarify their sayings." so they were summoned and came in. They said to them, "Interpret for us the sayings you wrote."

So the first, who spoke about the strength of wine, began and said thus: "Men, how is wine the strongest? It leads astray the mind of all who drink it. It makes a single mind of both the king and the orphan, of the servant and the freeman, and of the poor man and the rich man. It turns every mind to feasting and gladness, and it does not remember any pain or any debt. Wine makes all hearts rich, does not remember a king or satrap, and makes everyone talk in big money terms. When men drink, they do not remember to act as a friend to friends, and after a short while they draw swords. But when they become sober, they do not remember what they did. O me, is not wine the strongest because it forces us to do such things?" SO he spoke in this way and then became silent.

Then the second, who talked about the strength of the king, began to speak: "O men, has not man prevailed on land and sea, becoming the master of them and everything in them? But the king is strong and rules over these, for he is their master; whatever he commands them they obey. If he commands one to make war on the other, they do it. If he sends them out against enemies, they go and subdue mountains, walls, and towers. They kill and are killed, but the word of the king is not transgressed. If they conquer, they bring everything to the king- whatever they forage or anything else. But those who do not serve as soldiers nor wage war, but cultivate the land, they too bring to the king whatever they sow and harvest. They also compel one another to pay taxes to the king. Although he is only one man, yet if he says to kill, they kill, if he says to spare, they spare. If he says to smite, they smite; if he says to destroy, they destroy; if he says to build, they build; If he says to cut dow, they cut down; If he says to plant, they plant. So all his people and his army listen to him. In addition to these things, he reclines- he eats, he drinks, he rests- while they keep watch around him. Nobody can leave to do his own business, nor they disobey him. O me, in what is the king not strong, since he is so carefully obeyed?" Then he kept silent.

Orthodox Christianity is almost unknown in the west. The Orthodox church tends to get confused with Roman Catholicism, which is a shame because they are very different. Most Christians who are not Roman Catholic in The United States belong to one of the many protestant or evangelical denominations.  

As discerned by Fr Thomas Hopko...

"The protestant west was characterized by missionary expansion and liberal theology. This was the era of the "quest for the historical Jesus" through the means of historical and biblical criticism. It was a time when the Christian faith was considered by the theologians primarily, as a religion of feeling or moral behavior. At this time, there was a clash between the liberals and the fundamentalists. The fundamentalists, particularly in America, insisted on using the bible as a manual for science to be interpreted literally in a manner inconsistent with the purposes and intentions of the holy scriptures as understood and interpreted in church tradition. Thus in the western protestant world of the nineteenth century, the dominant choice offered was that of either liberalism of a rational or pietist variety, or sectarian fundamentalism."

Now ask yourself, does any of this sound familiar? Does any of this sound like the Christianity you have been preached?

Well, Orthodox Christianity is very different. 

For those who make The Bible an idol before God, as well as the atheists who argue as if The Bible is God, I came across this while reading, and I thought it was well put and worth repeating here....

"There emerged in the Orthodox Tradition the position that the Bible is the record of truth, not the truth itself.. According to the Church Fathers, the truth itself is God alone." ~Father Theodore Stylianopoulos, Professor of New Testament at Holy Cross School of Theology

And I'd also like to note that The Orthodox Church's liturgy is almost entirely scripture, so there aren't many other churches where you'd get a bigger dose of the bible. 

I don't see how nationalism is intrinsically racist, but CNN was on at my work all day yesterday repeating over and over about dog whistling and equating nationalism with racism and hating Jews.

I just don't see it. Isn't "one nation under God indivisble with liberty and justice for all" in the pledge of allegiance they urge kids to repeat like a mantra in school?

Isn't it preferable that elected officials prioritize the places they were elected to represent or work for to the interests of everybody else.

It really doesn't make sense to me. What is so racist about being a nationalist? 

All definitions courtesy Merriam-webster...

Leprechaun 

"a mischievous elf of Irish folklore usuallybelieved to reveal the hiding place of treasure if caught"

Gnome

"an ageless and often deformed dwarf of folklore who lives in the earth and usuallyguards treasure"

Werewolf

"a person transformed into a wolf or capable of assuming a wolf's form"

God

"The supreme or ultimate reality"

=====

Notice how one of these words is defined as THE ESSENCE OF REALITY ITSELF.

If you say God, that is, The Ultimate Reality, doesn't exist.. you are holding a really stupid position.

Blocking the bridge during ACL even, messing with the buslines and the city's bread and butter. What is up with this certain brand of protester that think it's ok to block one of the most difficult bridges to turn around from? Protest by causing pandemonium and chaos?

Traffic blockers are up there, just a step behind vandalizers if you ask me. Because you can't accept what happens, inconvenience everyone else?

What makes the people who take part in these things think this gathers sympathy for their cause? This is straight up terrorism.

Now hey, protesting is arguably an American pastime, but there are times when protesters need to cut the crap. Anybody got some more examples of protesters being obnoxious?

According to Merriam-webster...

"1 capitalized : the supreme or ultimate reality"

To say that God doesn't exist is like saying, "It is true that there is no truth". Clearly self defeating.

To demand proof for God is like saying, "Prove to me that it is true that there is truth.". Clearly an unreasonable request.

In fact, if you say there is no God, you are denying all truths, because if there is no ultimate reality, there is nothing that makes anything real. 

So since there is reality, there must be reality as it truly and ultimately is. This is what God means.

So let it be known that atheism at its core is a denial of reality, and for that reason no argument with the premise "God doesn't exist" can be accepted as even possibly being valid. You can't make claims about reality while simultaneously denying that there is reality.

There is no argument against the ultimate reality.

And this is why it is not written in vain,

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

The subject matter of this bible study will be the command of Jesus. I ask that if you are wanting to participate, that you are respectful to the subject matter. This will not be a topic to debate the reality of God, validity of the bible, or Christianity. You don't have to be a Christian to take part, just be respectful and open minded.

So to get things going, here are some relevent passages. Give us your thoughts, opinions, application tips, etc. Lets see if we can stay on task.

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

---

"Charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm."

 ---

"And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

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"And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."

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"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."

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"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.