gamnot

It is my opinion that one of the most important characteristics of demonic structures is what is referred to as "sadomasochism." Sadism is a corruption of the natural human tendency for self-assertiveness and masochism or being over submissive to the wrong thing whether it is a person or idea  is a corruption of the natural tendency for a "sense of belonging." 

Being assertive as indignation over injustice is not wrong. Compliance for the purpose of maintaining a "sense of belonging" is not wrong, but it can easily spiral out of control.

This is an naturalistic explanation, but it does not rule out supernatural sources.

I have been having arthritis pain in my right leg. It is especially frustrating because I like to take a walk every day, but I have difficulty now because of the pain. You can say a prayer for me and I'll let you know how it comes out. I am 68 years old and I figure that it is old age catching up with me.

 

Much love to you, gamnot...It is amazing to me how I believe the impossible is possible...How I believe, if for instance, we have something similar of the relationship that some in the Bible had with God...I just believe we can be healed...Wasn't it  Moses? He had no pains wasn't even limping or anything-and how was he? Whew-old...I don't believe God is any respecter of persons...I do believe our relationship can be such that whatever we ask in His Name we receive...I just believe that...I'll pray...and believe with you that you recieve what we ask Him for...He loves you so much that He wants to heal you...that's what I believe...

 

The Greatest Love ever known to mankind...Father...Because of Your Great Love for gamnot...I'm asking...Seeking Your Touch Your Anointed Healing for his body...for his joints...for him to move about and do things for Your Good Pleasure...Cover him with Your Love and Heal his body I Pray In The Name Above Every Name...Jesus Christ of Nazareth...Our Savior, Lord and King!!! Love you In Him...NeedYouLord

Thank you NeedYouLord for the kind and hopeful comment. I had not thought about our similar relations with people in the Bible in that way. It is an inspiring thought. Thank you for taking the time to comment. God Bless You.

I have been having arthritis pain in my right leg. It is especially frustrating because I like to take a walk every day, but I have difficulty now because of the pain. You can say a prayer for me and I'll let you know how it comes out. I am 68 years old and I figure that it is old age catching up with me.

I know that dark star is not a perfect metaphor, but I was just trying to communicate the idea that reductionists who believe that they understand evil really do not and their misunderstanding will cause them and everyone else trouble. Evil is something that cannot be fully comprehended. There are certain words that are not part of the reductionist vocabulary, but those words still have meaning.

No problem about the fun comments. I enjoyed reading them. Right now, I believe that there is a widening gulf between what I call reductionists and those with a religious and Christian orientation to life. I was trying to, in a sense, translate between the two. We are beginning to speak different languages with different vocabularies. It is beginning to look like Babylon.

 

I just noticed we kind of took your thread off into the fun ditch.....  that sometimes irritates me when I'm trying to be serious....  my apologies.

I know that dark star is not a perfect metaphor, but I was just trying to communicate the idea that reductionists who believe that they understand evil really do not and their misunderstanding will cause them and everyone else trouble. Evil is something that cannot be fully comprehended. There are certain words that are not part of the reductionist vocabulary, but those words still have meaning.

I just read an article based on an interview with Justice Scalia in which he said that he definitely believed in the devil. His statements caused an outcry from Liberals and reductionists accusing him of irrationality. I was just thinking that if Jesus is represented as being the "Bright and Morning star", wouldn't it be appropriate to symbolize the devil as the "dark star" which we cannot see, but whose activities can be discerned by what is going on in the world. We can see the malignant activities, malignant aggression, and the "hubris and fear oscillations" that are occurring. Modernists and reductionists no longer believe in sin, bad people etc. They may think that they have an understanding of evil, but because of that they will likely be taken by surprise. I don't believe that anyone can get a comprehensive understanding of evil.

I read an essay from a psychology site on this topic. There is a difference between high speed internet porn addiction and other types of porn addiction, such as magazine porn. The reason for this is the ubiquity of porn on the net. A person can go through an image every few seconds for days on end. Each image causes a dopamine spike. It causes the base dopamine level to increase in the brain and the desire for the continuation of the pleasure spikes is maintained. Also the article said that recovery from the addiction is possible, but for younger people the recovery period is about six months, but for people who get the addiction at an older age the recovery period is much shorter; about one or two months.

I suppose I haven't read David calling himself a righteous man but the psalms are peppered with statements of being right before God and keeping himself from wicked men and wicked ways and that he has not sinned before God (Psalm 18 comes to mind).  Was David self-righteous?  Was he over righteous?

And what does Jesus then mean by saying "Be ye perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect?"

I am thinking that making such statements about righteousness could be interpreted as to the motives of the speaker. Motives can be self-serving or for edification etc. It is God who can see into the hearts of people and see their intentions.

 

Thoughts?

Jesus made the statements: "Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect." and "The way to life is straight and narrow and few there be that find it." I don't believe that anyone can adequately strive for those things without the right vital interests and faith and that is something that relates to motives and what is inside the person. It cannot be done through legalism or license as cutting corners for whatever reason. Some televangelists have tried to use sophistry in their ministries and it sure to backfire.

I suppose I haven't read David calling himself a righteous man but the psalms are peppered with statements of being right before God and keeping himself from wicked men and wicked ways and that he has not sinned before God (Psalm 18 comes to mind).  Was David self-righteous?  Was he over righteous?

And what does Jesus then mean by saying "Be ye perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect?"

I am thinking that making such statements about righteousness could be interpreted as to the motives of the speaker. Motives can be self-serving or for edification etc. It is God who can see into the hearts of people and see their intentions.

 

Thoughts?

Yes, I perceive it as being self-righteous and arrogant about your "righteousness".

I am thinking that making such statements about righteousness could be interpreted as to the motives of the speaker. Motives can be self-serving or for edification etc.

 

 

I would agree with that; one can't call THEMSELVES righteous.  That determination can only be made by God and the brethren.

Could this relate to the concept of humility as being as much the opposite of self-abasement as it is of self-exaltation? Or of avoiding what is referred to as spiritual narcissism?

"Do not be over righteous,

neither be over wise

Why destroy yourself?

Do not be over wicked

and do not be a fool--

Why die before your time?

It is good to grasp the one

and not let go of the other.

The man who fears God will avoid

all extremes."

This is from Ecclesiastes 7; 16,17,18

What is the meaning of the phrase "over righteous?" Would this apply to the Pharisees in the time of Jesus who as I understand it, were divided into different sects in which those of one sect would walk leaning forward and those of another sect would walk leaning backwards, as if they were in a competition as to which sect was the more righteous.

I have made posts on other sites on the question of freedom and un-freedom. People are born free, but can get themselves into a condition of un-freedom through their reckless use of their external or praxis freedom; their freedom to do things. Integral freedom means the way external freedom and internal freedom relate to one another. Internal freedom means freedom from things and freedom from a fanaticized consciousness and is considered to be mutually exclusive with idolatry. As idolatry increases internal freedom decreases and vice versa; As internal freedom increases idolatry decreases.

May Christ be with you and keep you in a condition of freedom.

I believe that the very core of the problem can be described using the word: autolatry, which means self-worship. the Old Testament mentioned those who, "worship their own might." Demonic structures revolve around personal and collective cultic power. Those caught up in demonic structures are willing to self-aggrandize themselves at the expense of anyone else. Christians or anyone else who are impoverished in some way are susceptible to being drawn into their orbit.

Another point I want to make about autolatry is that it can be covert and well as overt. After all the devil is a deceiver. Wolves in sheep's clothing can be more dangerous than wolves without sheep's clothing.

I look at it this way: Being on track with God's thoughts and ways is like hitting a target, but for all practical purposes no one is able to hit the bulls eye on the target, but some are closer to the bulls eye than others. I have done quite a bit of reading on the "Culture of Narcissism" in which we live and it's tendency to spawn narcissistic personalities. Narcissism is creeping into Christianity in our time and creating persons who develop a sense of entitlement with bad boundaries. One thing that especially concerns me is the propensity of some television ministers to be abusive of income tax breaks for self-aggrandizement purposes. This creates a viable argument for reductionists and secular minded people against Christianity.

The book of Ecclesiastes says: "God made man upright but men have gone in search of schemes." I suppose that the schemes are fueled by money and for that reason money becomes an idol and object of veneration. Of course, we can say that money is the root of progress too. But it is easy for people to cut corners and to engage in unfair competition and to use their resources for the manipulation and exploitation of others. .............. The problem is that money rather than being used for what it should be used for; A  medium of exchange, a measure of value, and a store of value, is used to power schemes for the purpose of self-aggrandizement.