I’m right and you’re wrong…

[Isaiah 6:8]

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this ‘emotion’ is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder, or stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. His eyes are closed.” Albert Einstein

In today’s world it seems we want to remove the mysterious. We all want “evidence” and we want to be “right.” In religious and political circles we’ve abandoned civility for the sake of proving who is “right” and who is “wrong.” Richard Rohr says he doesn’t recall Jesus ever saying “This is my commandment: thou shalt be right.” The amazing arrogance of people today to claim the truth creates walls, wars, and wailing.

Where is the embrace of the mysterious? When asked which is the greatest commandment in the Law, Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matt 22:36-40)

Does loving our neighbor require that we first prove who is right? Does standing in awe at the sunset require that we first argue about color refraction? If I am in Venice, Florida and pull into a service station, do I demand proof that what comes out of the hose is gasoline before I pump it into the tank of my beautiful car?

Faith, by definition, requires walking ahead without clear “evidence or proof” that what we believe will happen. If we remove faith and the mysterious from our lives, we are not reaching for our ultimate best; rather, we have deteriorated into mechanized robots — or as Einstein says, “as good as dead.”

How concerned are you about being right?

Source

[mizzdy]

You mean I am not right?!

That old sledge hammer hurts! What I want to know is when did debates and telling each other the 'truths' become, iron sharpens iron'? I love a good midrash but I am tired of the whole, 'God revealed it to me, this is what the scriptures really say' and oh the best is when someone declares I have studied/gone to school/was taught/shown this out and I understand it better than you. Ok rant over.

Its not just here its all over the net! I have seen an increase in attacks on one another throughout this entire year. Wonderful people I know have gotten so hurt and burned out their faith is hurting as they look upon their brothers and sisters in wonder how they can treat one another the way they do. One gal I know said her faith felt squashed! The enemy is working over time as the days get shorter until His return.

Loving our neighbor starts at home and with those in your family, if we treat our family like we treat others on the net we might start a family war. The personal attacks on ones salvation truly need to stop just because a person doesn't hold your truth doesn't make them right or wrong and standing on the foundation that one is correct is pretty prideful and we all know what God says about pride. Lev. 26:19 I will break down your stubborn pride. Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Humility, grace, humblness of the heart all go towards showing His grace and how He has worked in you and that is what we should be in constant awareness of and pass that along to others. I know how difficult it is to get ones point across and also to have a different view of things than most, I also know how it is when others address how I see things its usually not with a lot of grace but it has shown me His grace. We need to learn to apply it to all areas of our lives.

shalom,

Mizz

[oldzimm]

I'm always right.........when I'm not wrong.

How important is truth? How many times in the Bible did Jesus say "I tell you the truth............"?

The truth is one of the reasons Jesus came to us, God's word was added to, twisted and misunderstood by others, Jesus had to set people straight. That is why so many times Jesus said "I tell you the truth.......".

[Isaiah 6:8]

I'm always right.........when I'm not wrong.

How important is truth? How many times in the Bible did Jesus say "I tell you the truth............"?

The truth is one of the reasons Jesus came to us, God's word was added to, twisted and misunderstood by others, Jesus had to set people straight. That is why so many times Jesus said "I tell you the truth.......".

I think the point of the op is this. If we push to be right with out having love for the person, you may win the argument but lose the soul!

[NTMicaiah]

Speaking the truth in love...what a challenge that is!!! Thank you all for this topic and for your responses to it, you blessed my day with it. The Word of God tells us that Life and death are in the power of the tongue. The Scripture also tells us that our words can be so hurtful to others that they are like the piercings of a sword.

May God teach me sweetness of speech!

NTMicaiah

[tintiger78]

2 Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

When it comes to doctrinal things, I do believe being right is important. But that ONLY comes through proper study of God's word and not our personal interpration. For those places that we have no clear defination (such as the debate over the timing of the rapture), prayer and the guidiance of the Holy Spirit is needed and discussion with other believers is quite helpful. Some things just can't be left to personal opinion (such as faith in Christ being the only way to salvation).

But I agree with others that if being right is the only reason for the debate then the focus is in the wrong place. Jesus never argued to prove Himself right. He spoke the truth and left the hearers to respond as they would. Love must be the motive, not ego.

[Guest yod]

Truth is extremely spiritual. Indeed, it is the highest of spiritual pursuits because love can not exist without it. The battle for the Universe is being fought on the battleground of truth. In any situation, whether we're talking about salvation or the order you placed at the drive-in window of McDonalds, the truth matters supremely. Where the truth loses, the devil has won a piece of God's turf.

Truth is spiritual and physical reality. Anything less is darkness. There is a reason why a witness takes an oath to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth". Many people tell the truth without telling the whole truth and/or nothing but the truth. That is how the serpent beguiled Eve, btw.

I don't really care if I'm "right" but I do care that the truth is spoken and will contend for that ferociously. If what I'm saying isn't true, then I want to know it so I can be "right". I don't find that everyone else feels the same way about it. Too many would rather be seen as winning an argument than letting the truth win.

Truth can divide bone from marrow, and has to be handled carefully and considerately. The problem with that is we can't always be considerate if we don't know someone well enough personally to consider how they will interpret the truth and respond. Especially on a discussion board where there is no body language, we are left to assume and presume another's moral code (honesty/righteousness), their motivation, their level of intelligence, their biblical literacy, their obedience or desire for the truth, and many other such considerations.

The truth is an equal opportunity offender. It shows us all to be wrong quite often. May it always be so!

[Fez]

"The devil has many tools"

"A lie is the handle that fits them all".

[oldzimm]

"The devil has many tools"

"A lie is the handle that fits them all".

I think Fez just spoke the "Truth".

[Given Grace]

I'd say being "right" is relative. In some religions, they say this or that is right. But some would say this isn't. A concrete example of this is the views of Christians and Muslims. Don't get me wrong here, I am a Catholic.

However, when it comes to truth, then it is absolute.