Walking with Jesus

[SearchingforPeace]

I think it's kinda racist to say a member of a minority group doesn't have a right to feel bitter. You're denying them the freedom of their own will, which strikes me as colonialist exploitation.

You are soooooo silly.....

 

[Coriolis]

I think it's kinda racist to say a member of a minority group doesn't have a right to feel bitter. You're denying them the freedom of their own will, which strikes me as colonialist exploitation.

Well, first I didn't say oppressed people don't have a right to feel bitter. The idea of having a right to feel anything is silly. We feel what we feel. What we don't have a right to do is to act on our feelings however we please, without regard to consequences. Also, you are equating oppressed groups with minorities. This is not always the case, and my comment made no such connection.

In any case, the point was to show how oppression can lead sometimes to more virtuous behavior, and sometimes to less virtuous.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Well, first I didn't say oppressed people don't have a right to feel bitter. The idea of having a right to feel anything is silly. We feel what we feel. What we don't have a right to do is to act on our feelings however we please, without regard to consequences. Also, you are equating oppressed groups with minorities. This is not always the case, and my comment made no such connection.

In any case, the point was to show how oppression can lead sometimes to more virtuous behavior, and sometimes to less virtuous.

Now that you mention it, I agree with you about oppression leading to virtuous and unvirtuous behavior. I've certainly found that to be true over the internet.

 

[LonestarCowgirl]

Ok I know I'm not the only Christian on this forum, and I generally keep my faith to myself as far as discussion goes, because I know it's such a personal thing for everyone and I think it can be hard to do that in the right way.

However, I also think that it would be beneficial to open up discussion for anyone who might share a common experience or whomever it resonates with.

So I try to live by faith in Jesus Christ. It's hard and I have seen people around me 'take' so much better to just slipping into a churchy Christian community and lifestyle, and every time I've tried that I've felt weird about it.

Of course Ive waxed and waned, never rejecting God, but just varying levels of 'trying' I suppose. Or just closeness to the idea or to God maybe. But every time I come back, I feel like more is gained. I've had some great moments with God and in the word that help assure me that He's still with me. But I deep down think/know I'm not likely to overhaul my life and that I'll probably do a lot of the same things wrong again and again.

Part of the problem is I really don't specifically know what to change. I've tried to make changes based on what i thought I should do, but of course that was not coming from God and it wasn't a positive organic change. I've recently been convicted of something that is clear to me and I feel compelled to change it in a way that makes me think I might just try to stay in prayer and wait for those moments. It's always my goal to do that, but again, I flake out.

Ok so that's my situation. No real question I guess, just wanting to open up discussion for whoever wants it.

Press in. Come near to God and he will come near to you (James 4:8).

 

[Virtual ghost]

Ok so that's my situation. No real question I guess, just wanting to open up discussion for whoever wants it.

From what I see you have only 3 general options


1. You can try to stop the whole religion thing if it is so hard to keep up with it. There is nothing in the world that objectively says that a person must be religious, be religious to be good or be religious to be happy. This trully is not so bad lifestyle as it may sound at first. However from what I see this is not something that interest you.


2. You can try to find more people like you, spend time with them and celebrate religious holydays with them. What would allow you to do what you want and do good in this world.


3. You can continue what you are doing right now. But from what I see that is not a real option either.



Choice is yours..

 

[tinker683]

As someone who considers himself a semi-Taoist, might I offer this suggestion?

Stop overthinking it. The brain can be a terrible thing to have and I get the impression, reading your posts in this thread, that you're over thinking this.

If being like Jesus is truly your goal, then be like him. I have no doubt it will scary and uncertain, but just be. God will make sure you get to where you need to be.

 

[five sounds]

"A Christian is not a person who experiences no bad desires. A Christian is a person who is at war with those desires by the power of the Spirit. Conflict in your soul is not all bad. Even though we long for the day when our flesh will be utterly defunct and only pure and loving desires will fill our hearts, yet there is something worse than the war within between flesh and Spirit—namely, no war within because the flesh controls the citadel and all the outposts. Praise God for the war within! Serenity in sin is death. The Spirit has landed to do battle with the flesh. So take heart if your soul feels like a battlefield at times. The sign of whether you are indwelt by the Spirit is not that you have no bad desires, but that you are at war with them!" John Piper

I can relate to everything you wrote. Sometimes our willingness to battle at all is the victory itself. We will fail, we are doomed to repeat our mistakes, but the beauty of the cross is that it works despite our attempts to change our instincts and desires.

i've remembered this since you posted it, and just came back to it. thank you. it's really good.

 

[Also]

i've remembered this since you posted it, and just came back to it. thank you. it's really good.

I was thinking about this thread earlier today. I hope you're doing well!