So Im on the phone with my mom telling her about this military scholarship that my father and I have applied for together. Whilst doing so I explain to her the bleakness of the situation and she immediately interrupts me and says "I dont wanna hear all dat. Boy you got favor. I already prayed about this." Thats great! But of coarse I would have written this if I didnt have a rebuttle.
I notice alot of times that Christians are optimistic. And I admire that! BUT...Are they too optimistic not to be realistic. My family has repititively hit me with "I got favor", "I prayed about it" , and "Dont worry...Just pray". Ill do that guys, but shouldnt I still consider the contingencies of the situation? I think the term that will address this is "spiritually blind optimism".
They are spiritual so they are taught to go off beliefs rather than reality in most cases. They are taught to put all thier beans into one pot...the God Pot (lol). For the record, I am not implying any type of subordination to the belief system nor God. Im just talking. But back to my point. . . . --> They are optimistic becuase of the way they practice applying their beliefs. I.e. - God you are the provider. If I ask for it, you will give it to me..thats what the word says. SO Im not worried about paying my bill, I just know youll handle it." (exaggeration) They have extreme hope but are blind becuase they dont take into account that even though they practice religion in belief they are still present in the secular world. I feel that they should open their eyes and put as much secular work into erradicating the obstacle, as they would into praying.
My thesis is this.
Christians (the ones i've encountered) practice thier belief system like much of the Greeks practiced everyday life (if you havent noticed...I love Ancient Greece). With that I find the need to address this situatoin as the great philosopher Plato analyzed his people. Plato developed a term called "Platonic Dualism", meaning that his people lived in two realms, a higher and a lower realm. The higher realm were the people who lived thier lives directed by philosophies, ideas, and pure knowledge. The lower realm were the people who relied on senses to lead them in the right direction. Plato argued that the lower realm wasnt the way to go becuase senses can easily decieve you. Think about it, its logical. What you smell isnt always what you see and what you touch isnt always what you hear.....Are you seeing the parallism yet?
I feel like Christians do the same. They have reciprocated the two realms where as they rely on a tool apart from pure knowledge and philosphy to lead them. Basically not considering the actuality of the situation and look down upon the "lower realm" in this case; the realm of strict knowledge. Maybe if the barrier was erradicated (thats my fav word), christians would prosper more?...Thats overwhelmingly specious but its logical. Most christians occupy positions in the lower working class of america...With that I will make my mark on Websters face and coin my own term; Spirecular dualism. -->Spir-spiritual, -ecular- secular , dualism - joining the two<-- My conclusion is that if Christians joined the two "realms" of being into one way of viewing the world and approaching problems, that maybe they would prosper more (hence maybe because NOBODY knows how God operates) and stress less. Think about it...
. . , i should stop picking on religion. I always get bad feelings afterwards like Im corrupting the minds of ppl or something. Will I be next to drink Hamlet?...like Socrates? =(....ahhhhh just joshin!! Lol
I notice alot of times that Christians are optimistic. And I admire that! BUT...Are they too optimistic not to be realistic. My family has repititively hit me with "I got favor", "I prayed about it" , and "Dont worry...Just pray". Ill do that guys, but shouldnt I still consider the contingencies of the situation? I think the term that will address this is "spiritually blind optimism".
They are spiritual so they are taught to go off beliefs rather than reality in most cases. They are taught to put all thier beans into one pot...the God Pot (lol). For the record, I am not implying any type of subordination to the belief system nor God. Im just talking. But back to my point. . . . --> They are optimistic becuase of the way they practice applying their beliefs. I.e. - God you are the provider. If I ask for it, you will give it to me..thats what the word says. SO Im not worried about paying my bill, I just know youll handle it." (exaggeration) They have extreme hope but are blind becuase they dont take into account that even though they practice religion in belief they are still present in the secular world. I feel that they should open their eyes and put as much secular work into erradicating the obstacle, as they would into praying.
My thesis is this.
Christians (the ones i've encountered) practice thier belief system like much of the Greeks practiced everyday life (if you havent noticed...I love Ancient Greece). With that I find the need to address this situatoin as the great philosopher Plato analyzed his people. Plato developed a term called "Platonic Dualism", meaning that his people lived in two realms, a higher and a lower realm. The higher realm were the people who lived thier lives directed by philosophies, ideas, and pure knowledge. The lower realm were the people who relied on senses to lead them in the right direction. Plato argued that the lower realm wasnt the way to go becuase senses can easily decieve you. Think about it, its logical. What you smell isnt always what you see and what you touch isnt always what you hear.....Are you seeing the parallism yet?
I feel like Christians do the same. They have reciprocated the two realms where as they rely on a tool apart from pure knowledge and philosphy to lead them. Basically not considering the actuality of the situation and look down upon the "lower realm" in this case; the realm of strict knowledge. Maybe if the barrier was erradicated (thats my fav word), christians would prosper more?...Thats overwhelmingly specious but its logical. Most christians occupy positions in the lower working class of america...With that I will make my mark on Websters face and coin my own term; Spirecular dualism. -->Spir-spiritual, -ecular- secular , dualism - joining the two<-- My conclusion is that if Christians joined the two "realms" of being into one way of viewing the world and approaching problems, that maybe they would prosper more (hence maybe because NOBODY knows how God operates) and stress less. Think about it...
. . , i should stop picking on religion. I always get bad feelings afterwards like Im corrupting the minds of ppl or something. Will I be next to drink Hamlet?...like Socrates? =(....ahhhhh just joshin!! Lol
...WEBSTER...Get at me!
2 ppl talkin' to me:
Well, Christians who don't fully understand--or fully articulate--their faith do tend to sound, and often really are, overspiritualized. I can't say that this is the case with your mother, but often Christians like to spew what I call theo-babble, the kind of mindless spiritual muck that has little or nothing to do with the tenants of Christianity as taught by Jesus and the apostles.
One such apostle (one who was taught by Jesus himself and then taught Christianity to the world after his death) wrote:
"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
-James 2:14-17, English Standard Version (my fav one)
Still, we must then ask what is the role of faith? Easy. It allows us to reach God. When we come to believe in God, it is then that he teaches us to DO good. That's what it REALLY means to live by faith. Doing good even when evil is easier.
The apostle Paul said:
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel...for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.' "
-Romans 1:16-17, ESV
You should study the history of religion in complement with world history. When I took it in 10th grade it has opened my eyes to my religion (which is Catholicsm). My mantra for religion goes as follows: Let go and let God, after you have tried to help yourself by his will! If you know what is right from wrong, you help your fellow brother and sister, and do what feels right (by standards of the Commandments and Society's Law)you should be fine. Religion is just a general guideline on how to have a positive perspective. I see it as this: a huge mountain...at the top is Nirvana, heaven, life after death, paradise, a better place...whatever you wanna call it...and the different religions are just different ways to get there...but ULTIMATELY, thats the end goal.
In the meantime, however, LIFE still goes on, you gotta be realistic, you can't go in the grocery with the bible and say I give you the WORD of God may I have food...sadly, it doesn't work like that...the Bursar/Registration office at college doesn't accept hymns as a method of payment for tuition. You still gotta work hard, and ask God for the strength to continue, the provision to remain open and alert, and the guidance to remain on the right path!
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What you say shawty?