Horus_53

Having worked as a cop, I've a view of truth/lying that might be different. For me, it's all a matter of degree. Going to court week after week, year after year, I'm convinced that EVERYONE lies. What you choose to lie about, though, is most significant. Lying about what you saw to an officer of the court, is much different than telling your wife she doesn't look 'fat' in those jeans. I work hard to tell the truth about significant things, but don't 'sweat the small stuff.'

How does one truly practice meekness and humility? In the church, we talk alot about practicing meekness and humility. However, the more I attempt this - the more I seem to encounter the following experiences; 1. Most business relationships find this character trait as a weakness. While this might be attributable to my attempts to work this - most see it as an opportunity to take advantage of me - overtly or covertly. I have even encountered this among church 'careerists' who work their leadership calling like a business position. 2. Most personal relationships work similarly. While the results may be more 'benign', the result is the same. Generally I've found the more meek a person becomes, the more others will impose their will upon them. My question is this - knowing the foregoing may result from practicing humility - how does one cultivate the serenity and inner peace needed to accept it?

Whenever I run across anyone who refers to some anti-mormon stuff, I merely ask him what faith he belongs to. I then say that I working on some 'insert their faith here' literature for my church and wanted their input. So the conversation works something like this after they ask their anti-mormon question; "Hmmm, what's your faith?" "I'm Presbyterian". "Great, I'm working on some presbyterian literature for my church as well and have some questions about your faith, would you be willing to answer them once I answer yours?" To date, most see the ridiculous nature of their position and laugh - but those who don't, aren't worth knowing anyway.

About the curse on Lucifer. It is apparent that Lucifer acted on his own - rather than at the express will of the Father. That's the crux of Lucifer's disobedient nature. It doesn't matter that the action was performed on 'other worlds'. What mattered was that the action on those 'other worlds' was performed at the Father's command and or as He would have done. Lucifer was being disingenuous in his reply. Contrast this action with the nature of the Savior, which was to do the will of the Father. The Father and Jesus acted of the same will and God had confidence that Jesus would do His will. Lucifer clearly acted of his own will - and that made all the difference.

I am soooo tired of people telling me what I'm supposed to believe - based upon what they read. I usually say something like, "really" or "isn't that interesting" and let the topic go. If someone truly 'wants' to know and is willing to discuss it with you - fine. But usually, those who say something liket his are only interested in pushing their opinions on others.

Not just the apocrapha was considered 'missing' from the scriptures. The original first 5 books of the OT, were also a summary or abridgement from a well known earlier source - that unfortunately has not survived to the present time. Who knows how much other material falls into the same category.

Two thoughts about this: 1. Sometimes I believe the very process of becoming Christian is to accept a degree of hypocrisy because there will always be a gap between what is commanded and what is practiced. 2. Often I have heard criticism from atheists about this fact and have marveled at such a lack of intellectual rigor. Normally intelligent people will 'toss out the baby with the bathwater', that is, will paint all Christian religion as false because the people who practice it are not perfect. In the end, I believe they move to this pattern of thought to justify their own sinful behavior. After all, if there are no standards [to live up to] then there are no consequences for their doing 'whatever they want'.

Having read Darwin's original writings, I am convinced evolution is a modern myth. Having said that, I have no qualms accepting that there are observable changes within a species. This does not indicate that I firmly believe all the ID stuff either. The scriptures were creatively obtuse on the matter, preferring to allow an individual to develop a relationship with God for answers.

New member of the forum. Looking for intellectual as well as spiritual discussion. Sad to say that where I live people seem to think they are separate issues - never to be combined.