Sounds like an awesome series, bro
I agree with Steve, and I’ve said it before, you’re a great writer, Geoff When are you gonna write a book already, man?
Anyways, I admire your intensive and thorough search for the truth about things. I admit freely that I’m just too lazy and lack the motivation to really study and search things out a lot. I’d much rather watch cartoons or play games, and I guess I prefer to feed off the fruit of your labors.
But in all seriousness, I know I should try to search things out for myself more.
I was thinking next year, once I’m married and my lady and I are settled a bit, of taking another go at the Bible, and maybe be more careful in my reading of it then I was my first time around. And maybe whenever I do read through it again, I could include others in my reading, make it more of a community thing I guess, and I can ask questions here on the forum and elsewhere, look up stuff online, and try to get a better understanding of what I’m reading if at all possible. I mean, I’d love to read the Bible in its original languages, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen, so I’ll try to do what I can.
And maybe I can take it real slow, take my time with it, just one step at a time, and see how it goes…
Like our recent new member, Carrie, I have struggles with the Bible and believing in its authority as well, and tend to go more by my own experience and gut feeling about things, but if the Bible really does have value (which I believe it does) I want to get all I can out of it.
Anyways, about satan, yeah, I’ve never really been sure about that myself.
I mean, I think I can understand those who don’t believe in a literal satan or literal demons, and just pin the problems of mankind squarely on mankind, which makes sense and seems more humble and honest, but then on the other hand I’ve heard about different experiences people have had, being attacked by unseen forces, being tormented by voices and things like that even when they’re not mentally ill (or don’t seem to be anyway).
When I hear about stuff like that it makes me wonder. I guess I try to find a balance by thinking that we shouldn’t pass the buck when it comes to responsibility for the mess, but then I am open to the possibility that there really are dark forces at work in the world, though I don’t know what those forces are exactly. Demons? Maybe. Negative energy, a la Ghostbusters II? I lean more in that direction.
Also, I liked how you used President Obama as an example of scapegoating. I feel the same way. I mean, I don’t think he’s great, or has done everything right, but I think it’s unfair for everyone to pile on him like they have, and I’ve seen that with just about every president who’s come down the pike.
That doesn’t mean leaders shouldn’t be held responsible for wrongful actions or shouldn’t be questioned, because leaders should be open to question, but I do think it’s unfair to pin everything on one person.
Even in the case of someone like Hitler, as terrible as he was, he wasn’t the only one who was to blame for what happened in Germany.
I mean, he was a crazy dude that people followed.
The government didn’t have to follow him, the military didn’t have to follow him, the people didn’t have to follow him. It’s not like he was Superman and couldn’t have been resisted. He was just a guy. So I think there are others who were just as guilty as Hitler, for following along with his madness, as he was.
And the same could be said about any dictator or tyrant I think (and of course a lot of folks say Obama is one, a dictator or a tyrant, though people have said that about just about every president we’ve had at some point, which I think is unfair, considering how we still have so much more freedom than other places in the world, but I digress).
So yeah, I appreciate you pointing that out, as it’s a good example of something that’s going on right now.
Anyways, I’m looking forward to what else you have to say, and I’m hoping what you have to say will give me a little more clarity on things. Also, one of these days I gotta read your Checkmate On Hell series, bro, as it sounds really good.
Blessings to you and thank you for sharing the fruit of your labors, you are a generous man.
- Matt