If someone says that he doesn't trust a responsible person, the responsible person will still continue to be responsible and trustworthy because that is who he is. He is responsible and trustworthy by nature. It doesn't matter what other people think, he will still act in accordance with his nature. He will follow the rules and submit himself to those who are over him. A responsible person will ... because he knows that those rules are for his benefit.

Nowadays so many people romanticize pirates. Children's movies and TV programs love to play pirates. Church Vacation Bible Schools often have "Pirate"days. Are these really the examples that we want our children to fantasize about and to emulate?

In reality, pirates were nothing to be romantisized or emulated. Pirates were thieves, butchers, murderers, rapists. and terrorists. They made their living by doing great harm to or killing others.

Words and labels meanings. What you give something a label, you label it according to what it is or what it does. For example, a tool that is used to drive screws into wood is called a "screwdriver". In another example, in years long ago a person who made pottery was called a potter.

However, when something is personafied, then the meaning is often disregarded. Let us take a look at the word "Spirit". Putting any form of personification aside, let's look at what the word actually means.

There is no such thing as a holy book. Books of any type are just black ink on white paper, or some simulation of that. Holiness can only be found in a life that is lived for God. God is holy.

God cannot be found in a book. God is living and active, he is alive. Books are black in on white paper.

From time to time you hear the question, "If there is a God, then why do bad things happen? Why is there evil, disasters and tragedies in this world?" I don't have the answers to that question. But I do have some thoughts. It has been said that every dark cloud has a silver lining. Many good things have come out of seeming tragedies.

Over the years I have seen many outspoken Christians and atheists......
In Reality, I don't think that the views about desire morals and behaviors of the "Christian", the atheist, or the agnostic are all that far apart. What often separates them is misunderstandings, prejudices, personal biases and "doctrine". I sincerely doubt that anyone of these groups would be against being kind to others, dealing honestly with each other, realizing the importance of telling the truth, etc. (The overall heading of these virtues might be love, as follows.

Jesus came to show us how to live this life, how to think, how to act, and how to behave. He came as an example for us. He came to give us his spirit (his was of thinking and acting, his motives and his desires). But, instead of putting on Christ, many have made his spirit into a person, a diety, into God himself.

I have been listening to an online audio course about the Historical Jesus, taught by Bart D. Ehrman. In Module 21, The Afterlife of Jesus, he makes this statement:

"They took the religion of Jesus and made it into a religion about Jesus." Bart D. Ehrman

It has been said that we are to love our enemies, pray for those who despitefully use us. What does all this mean?

Jesus quotes as saying, if you... you to go one mile, go two miles.   Give to him who asks of you.... and your Father in heaven.

In aother place it says that we are to be as wise as serpants, but be as harmless as doves

This morning I read the forward in a book that gave me some answers to a question that was within me, that I hadn't yet put into words. This has to do with the connection between belief and knowledge. Here is a copy of that forward: 

"THIS IS JUST INFORMATION

This book contains just information. All information can be (partially or completely) true or false regardless of where it is found. "Great spiritual master", "enlightened guru", TV, a book, Internet and others are sources of information. None of these and no other source of information can give you (real, true) knowledge.

Knowledge is something you build by experience, using the information you receive. The information itself is not knowledge. To build your own knowledge, you can use information from different sources. Having checked the information out and having experienced it, you can say: I know. Until then you were believing, you did not know.

Today that thought came to me "evidence based religion". After that thought came to me I did a Google Search on that phrase "evidence based religion." There showed to be 83,500 hits. Evidently I wasn't the first person to have that thought. The website on the top of the list was called Evidence Based Religion. While there wasn't much on that blog, I did find these two useful definitions below.

In the middle of the night I was laying in bed and had these thoughts running around in my head. I as unable to sleep and was keeping my wife awake by my being awake. I finally got up and went to my computer and started writing. I basically had this one question, "What does it mean to love God?" How can we love God, who is Love Himself? This is what came out as I wrote.......

In trying to plan a new type of project at work I had asked for advice from other professionals. On of the responses was "Ask the Holy Spirit to show you..... He is the best teacher." The  person was kind and considerate in her response and meant well. But her response got me to thinking. What is meant by that response? 

Does that mean that: 

This morning I was doing some research about ethics on the Internet. One of the articles I came across was called "Teaching Values in School: An Interview with Steve Johnson

I mainly started this website to have a place where I could think out my ideas, to explore what do I believe about various subjects. A large part of this process has been my trying to untangle myself from various erroneous religious ideas and beliefs. I would suppose that many young people have went through a growing up and thinking out who they are at a much younger age than me. In my writings (perhaps necessarily) on this website I've written a fair amount against religiosity and man-made religion and false beliefs about the Bible.