Truth be told

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One of the authors I met online through the groups and forums I've joined over the years is an Italian. He feels that his language does not receive the prominence it deserves. Latin, the basis of all European languages, has its origin in Italy. 

English is a mongrel language. Over the centuries we have been occupied by the Romans, the Picts and Vikings, the Germans and the French. Until Shakespearean times, the language of the royal court was either Latin or French; English was for the peasants. Shakespeare added 200+ new words to the English language and helped it to flourish. It is a vocabulary rich in words from Latin, Scandinavian, French and German languages. As a consequence, it has become the international language and the second language of many countries across the world.

At one time, Britain commanded an Empire with an Empress at the helm. This powerful league of nations has been replaced by the Commonwealth (53 independent countries, 2.2 billion citizens). Britain is no longer a major player in the world, despite being the founding member of such a large group of nations. Britain's lasting legacy is its language. 

Likewise the Chinese, Egyptian, Greek and Roman Empires have fallen. Nothing ever stays the same. Just because one nation gains world power, it doesn't mean they will hold that power forever. The world evolves, power shifts from one group of people to another. It always has; it always will.

Being #1 is great for the ego, but it is  not reality.  Reality is a global world of nations working together for the common good.  Just as states were formed in the U.S. and states became a nation that grew in size and power, nation-states need to work together for the common good.

There is no excuse except for greed and corruption for one part of the world to starve and another to live in embarrassing excess.  However, peace begins with me.  It begins in my home and my community.  Until we harness the power of the vote and put an end to the corrupt and greedy running this country and gouging its lower classes, then we have no real example to set for the rest of the world.

To those that say we need to put religion back in government, I say observe the Middle East.  Our government was given a good framework and intelligent people over the years have worked with that framework mostly for the good of the most citizens.  In recent years, however, it seems all elected and appointed government works for the good of those with the power and the money.

Note the billions, likely trillions, U.S. corporations are stockpiling in foreign banks to keep from paying taxes in the country that brought them to their profitable status capability.  They started here, regardless of whether they expanded globally.  It was our economy that gave them the freedom to succeed - and when the economy needs jobs for its citizens - the corporate wealth is hoarded overseas.

And I hear the Republicans are expected to do well in the elections.  I guess women don't mind losing the ground their mothers and grandmothers gained for them and impoverished lower classes don't mind living as second class citizens so the corporate giants can hoard more money overseas and our own citizens go without jobs, without dignity, without hope.  Disgusting.

Oh - the U.S. stock market is at all time highs.  Too bad the under classes have no excess funds to invest.

Shelagh wrote:

Nothing ever stays the same. Just because one nation gains world power, it doesn't mean they will hold that power forever. The world evolves, power shifts from one group of people to another. It always has; it always will.

And that is the way it is supposed to be - a world ever growing, learning new paths, and changing-----evolving, as it was meant to do.

Was America ever the greatest country in the world?  From whose perspective?  And if it were, would we want to go backwards?

That, I think is part of the illusion. Nostalgia for the past looks at the world that was through rose-colored glasses.  It says things were better when we were younger.  They were not. The good old days are gone because they were not so good as we want to remember.  Progressives have always moved us forward.  They still do.  When we stop moving, we stagnate.  when we try to hold on to some glorious past, we lose sight of the possibilities of the future.

Writers were complaining about the younger generation at least as far back as Shakespeare's time - as far back as the Roman Empire.

But without the rebellions of our children and grandchildren, we would never accomplish the great things we somehow manage to accomplish, in spite of our muddling through.  

America is a nation.  The time for great nations is passing.  We cannot afford to have enemies.  We need to recognize neighbors, and learn to cooperate and collaborate to exist into a positive future with possibilities, not mourn the loss of some great generation that is only great in our distorted memories.  

And, as always, that's just me.

And DK and I were posting at the same time.

Alj: "America is a nation.  The time for great nations is passing.  We cannot afford to have enemies.  We need to recognize neighbors, and learn to cooperate and collaborate to exist into a positive future with possibilities, not mourn the loss of some great generation that is only great in our distorted memories."


Shelagh also mentioned the great fall and loss of the UK's status in the world.  DK weighted in with her insights.

I think looking back is good when we concentrate on the things that led to greatness.  Even though exact same basics may not work or are even appropriate in our new future, there are still some ingredients that don't change.

I responded to a post on FB yesterday where I was asked to like a post of "Putting God back into our Schools".
My response was general.  Given that God is everywhere, why would one want to place him in a school?  We hear similar remarks about God in our government in contradiction to the constitution that people so profoundly claim to support.
We need more education and that includes educated teachers.  We need educated people in our government.  I believe that a candidate for high office should be tested just as required for other government employees.  At least they should have knowledge about the country and the constitution.  Some may even require drug testing.
   
America must stop mouthing off.  Making claims as being "the greatest, the best, the most free”, etc., etc., is not only false, but also antagonistic. Wanting to bring down the arrogant, is natural.  We make our own friends and enemies.  Who we support can place us on the enemy list. 
 
Elections are coming and one can predict some actions.  We will see politicians seeking financial support proclaiming their support for Israel.  I’ve often wondered where that money comes from.  We give Billions in financial aid and supply weapons to Israel.  When an order for weapons comes it is shown as a sale, however there is no payment.  The debt is forgiven.  If you were ever in a business, you know that you can sell a product and then show what is owed as accounts receivable.  When the debt can’t be collected, it is eventually written off as a bad debt and used as a tax deduction.   We supply weapons used to kill people.  We support a regime that is in violation of International Law.  Doesn’t that make us party to the crime? 
Recent cease fire was violated when Israel shelled a suspected building where Hamas leaders were thought to be hiding.  Then Hamas reacted by launching rockets.  We hear about the rockets launched by Hamas and Israel’s right to defend itself and ignore the cause for their reaction.  Harassment is part of the plan.  The goal is territory.  How to eliminate the inhabitants is done in stages.  Inflicting enough pain will get the desired reaction and justify further incursions using defense as a ploy. 
I am a cynic when it comes to any statement coming from the Israeli government.  I have witnessed their lies.  Using the guise of security, Israel is proceeding on its goal of territorial acquisition.  Will there ever be peace?  I don’t think so unless America takes a bold stand for justice.  Sanctions have worked with other countries that violate International Law.  Why not with Israel?  Political suicide is the answer with money being the tool.
 
America must change and as stated by DK, “It begins with me.” 
If you say anything negative about a black, you are labeled a “Racist”.
If you say anything negative about Israel, you are labeled “Anti-Semitic”.
Intimidation has been an effective weapon.  We need to recognize what they are and speak out against injustice.  It gets tiresome and creates animosity even among family and close friends. 
To take that bold step requires courage to say what needs to be said.  When we look into the mirror can we tell that person that we spoke truth or were we a coward and told half-truths or lied?   
 
It is early Sunday morning and I have vented.  In an hour, I will go to Church to sing in the Choir.  The Church is celebrating it’s 250 year anniversary.  Hermann Frech will make a presentation about the history of the church.

The good people keep looking to a better future, made by man. Men keep getting worse with every new generation. 
Even those who do not believe in the bible understand, if men lived by Gods laws, the world would be a better place. Look at the laws that are passed. Each new major law goes against one of Gods laws. The world is divided. How many separate countries are there?  How many different cultures? Race is now a bigger issue than it was in 1950. I search the news in a different way than most people. I type problems into the search bar, and uncover things not even hinted at by the news. The things I find are detestable.
Israel has what they call,  “The black problem.” They are starting to handle it the same manner Hitler did with the Jews. “Do not rent to them. Do not give them a means of earning a living. Do not allow them in your stores.”
Here is a site I found that sends chills down my back: Niggermania. It is only one of many. The blacks also have sites like this against whites.
The earth itself is doing strange things. 
Huge round holes are beginning to appear everywhere…science has yet to figure out why?
The earth is moving. Floods, droughts, large storms, animals are disappearing in great numbers…things are not as they should be. World leaders not knowing the way out.
Everything the Bible warns about the last days, is happening now on a daily basis.
Many countries have the bomb. The littlest of countries can start WW3. How can this be undone?  It can’t.  Man has never invented a war weapon  he has not turned on the world.
Soon you will see the fall of religion…because religion is false, and not a tool of God. Most of the world today do not believe in the God of the bible. They blame God for what religion has done. I do not know when the last day of this system will come, but come it will.

Wasn't it Pilate who asked the question, "What is truth?"?

The answer, it would seem, is different for every individual, based on the "reality" that person "sees."

It's a very scary thing, when paradigms begin to shift, to see one's long-held beliefs crumbling in the face of undeniable change. It is no wonder that we might cling even harder to our old worldviews. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to look at ourselves, and to those beliefs that have defined us, and determined the direction of our integrity. But if we wish to hold on to that integrity, examining our perspectives becomes necessary.

I used this quote in an earlier thread, interestingly titled, "Seeing beyound our eyes ability to image reality."

Quote :

Daniel took a small amulet from around his neck and handed it to Maria so that she could see it more closely.   It was a familiar piece.  He was wearing it the first day they met, and she would see it whenever he wore an open shirt.   She had learned, since their wedding night, that he wore it always, even as he slept.  As she held it, she could see that it was a red-gold stone, like a tiny piece of the larger one she had seen, hidden in the caves beneath them.   It was intricately carved, in spite of being so small, not much more than an inch across.  “It is a medicine wheel,” he told her.   “See how the center is a circle?    The circle shows that all of life is interconnected.  What happens to one of us happens to all.   In my uncle’s library in New Orleans, I found and read a book of sermons by a 17th century churchman named John Donne.   He spoke of this concept in one of the sermons.    ‘No man is an island,’ he said.    ‘Each of us is part of the Continent, a part of the main.’ and he explained it by saying, ‘If so much as a clod were washed away, England would be the less.’This circle has the same meaning.   See how it never ends?”  He traced his finger around as Maria held the talisman in her hands, entranced by what her new husband was telling her.    “It reminds us that life is eternal.   And see, too, that this circle is divided into quarters?   Four, my grandmother told me, is the number of totality,
of the All, like the circle that holds them together - body, mind, emotion, and spirit, all working together, all of equal importance, held in balance by the constraints of that circle of wholeness.”
He stroked his wife’s hair as it lay across his shoulder and continued.   “Our first obligation is to become a whole being, all parts of ourselves interrelated and working together.”  He continued to relate the teachings of his grandmother, remembering, almost word for word, as he went along.   “It begins on the inside, within ourselves, and with knowing who we are, where we come from, and why we think and act as we do.   It is a process that continues throughout our lives, each experience teaching us more, and helping us to understand why we are here.    And as we come to know ourselves more completely, we can begin to know others, so that eventually, we can see their acts without judging them.”
“First,” Maria interjected, “take the plank from your own
eye?”
Daniel nodded his approval.    “Exactly, ‘so we can see more clearly to help our brother.’  That is a part of it, a very important part.”    He pointed again to the etched bit of stone, “Do you see how the four quarters of the circle are defined by a cross?   When I was an apprentice seaman I traveled to many far places, learning about many different ways of life, and I found that the circle and the cross were often important symbols, even among so-called ‘heathens,’who had never heard of our Christ.” He continued, in a slightly different vein, “When the medicine wheel is painted or woven, each quarter has its own color: white, black, yellow, and red.   These colors represent the basic elements of our scientific world:    air, water, earth, and fire.   They also represent the four possible colors of human skin.   When I was on the other side of the world, I saw many people whose skin was yellow, so it did not surprise me when my grandmother told me this was so.”
He looked toward his wife again, and seeing that her face held a curious intensity, he continued, speaking softly, “Once we have come to know ourselves, we can begin to understand others,and let go of the need to judge them, and when we have found there is no reason to judge we can also see that there is no reason to feel shame, and so, no need to blame another.” He finished his explanation, summing up the symbolism of the wheel.    “We are all on a journey - a quest - to find out why we
are here, and what it is that we are here to do.   That means we must be ever mindful, and aware of what is happening around us, and inside of us, so that we have the courage to take action,” he pointed to each quarter of the circle etched into the stone talisman as he spoke, and  he continued, “the  wisdom  to know which action, and the willingness to accept responsibility for the way we live and relate to others.”    He stroked Maria’s hair again, and kissed her temple. “In this way, so I was taught, we live with honor.”

alj wrote:

Wasn't it Pilate who asked the question, "What is truth?"?

The answer, it would seem, is different for every individual, based on the "reality" that person "sees."

It's a very scary thing, when paradigms begin to shift, to see one's long-held beliefs crumbling in the face of undeniable change.  It is no wonder that we might cling even harder to our old worldviews.  It takes a tremendous amount of courage to look at ourselves, and to those beliefs that have defined us, and determined the direction of our integrity.  But if we wish to hold on to that integrity, examining our perspectives becomes necessary.

Pilate  was not an authority on truth. As to holding onto beliefs, world events are easy to prove.  And yes, these events match what the Bible says will happen. What is the right course?  Each person will believe what they want, and take their own course.
I believe reality is what can be proven, not some fiction story about Daniel, and Maria.

Domenic,
your post reminded me of my mother.  She preached to us about the "Last Days" and how there would be "wars and rumors of wars.  Floods, Earthquakes and Pestilence."
Those "Last Days" have been happening for hundreds, if not thousands of years.  The word, "Eternity" comes to mind.  Scientists tell us that our solar system is still expanding (from the bit Bang).  Perhaps it's like a rubber band that is still stretching and once it reaches the end of the stretch it will begin to rebound.  Considering the length of time needed for the "big stretch", I can only imagine how long it would take for the solar system to fall in on itself - as it was in the beginning.

It would make a good story for a Science Fiction writer.

Abe,
things taking place now, have not been happening for hundred, or thousands of years.
The Big bang is nothing but an unproven theory, with nothing to back it up.
Yes religions since the late 1800's have set dates for the end, but the scriptures state, only the father knows, not even the angels. What we are given are things that happen in a certain order. All the freedoms people have today will be taken away. Many of the freedoms are already gone. You will see Christians come under attack, even to death. Things are going to get very bad, and nothing man can do will stop it. The concept of a God will be destroyed, and most will turn away from God. All religions will be destroyed by the nations.These things are set to take place. I don't know when the end will come, but it will.

"Yes religions since the late 1800's have set dates for the end, but the scriptures state, only the father knows, not even the angels."

Domenic, your statement rings true.  Since only the father knows, why the predictions?  Making assumptions based on current events is the same thing.  

It is recognized and accepted that the world is changing.  Change in the weather is real, although still denied by some.  Change in religious views are real.  That doesn't mean the change in views are wrong.  Perhaps enlightenment is the cause.  I think many have turned to spirituality and turned away from religious dogmas.  I know I have.  The study of religion is most interesting.  It does not inspire one to be religious, but is a turn off.  Keeping people ignorant has helped religions expand. Educations is the cause of this change.  Change is one thing we can count on.  Adapting to change is difficult.  "To Grow, to progress, means change." 

I think we both have similar views about the events in the M.E., especially concerning Israel.  How we arrived at these views are dissimilar.  We reach decisions and draw conclusions based on experience and/or exposure to events is a variety of ways.  How we view spirituality and/or religion is also dissimilar, yet we are apt to draw conclusions.  "The most hazardous of human tendencies is to draw general conclusions from limited information."  Being informed in today's world is risky.  Believing what we hear, especially by the media, is a great risk.  Sensationalism can distort the truth. Wanting to believe something to be true is also a detriment.

Abe,
 When my study of the Bible started, I knew all religions could not be right since most were saying something different. Before I looked for a religion that had the truth, I first had to learn what the Bible was saying, and before I could believe the bible, it had to prove true. If it did not, I would have just went my way, and wondered what might, or might not be true.
I did prove the bible true. Here is how;
There are many major prophesies in the Bible. These are big events written well before they took place. They also had to be of the nature that left no question they pointed to a true event…not one of those, oh this fits into that, no, it had to prove to be that. There are many like this. True much of the Bible cant be proven, but since the core can, it takes and stacks the rest into the true column. 
One I was sure I could trust the Bible, I went in search of a religion. My course on this was simple. I made a list of major false doctrines. Such as, A Hell of Fire. Going to heaven. The condition of the dead, etc. If a religion had one of these, I crossed it off my list. I found there is not one religion that teaches what the bible is saying. So I believe in the God of the Bible, his written word, and his son Jesus.
I ten researched to see if anything in the Bible had been changed. This book was written from Scrolls, thus it should match the scrolls…not word for word, because in translation some words would be different, but have the same meaning. I found sections had been changed, with  different meanings.

Here is an example: Genesis  4. In the Bible, when Cain was born, Eve said, “I have gotten a man from the Lord.”  it should say that in the Scrolls…it does not. In the Scrolls it reads, “I have gotten a man from the angel of the Lord, Samual.”
All of this Abe was over a span of more than fifty years.   When they found the dead Sea Scrolls, they matched word for word with the Scrolls the bible was taken from. The dead Sea Scrolls are much older than those used to write the Bible.

So it’s not like I’m running half in the dark, or believing what I want to believe…it is what I can prove out. To tell you the truth, I would have been happier  if it proved out to be like what you believe. I don’t like what is coming down the pike. But it is what it is.
In the end it’s going to be good. The bad will go back to dust, and the good will have an ever lasting live of peace. No more ageing, sickness, or death. All people living under Gods laws.
 So that is where I stand Abe. Believing in God is not something I do because I need something to make me feel good…it is what I found to be true, and because of that, I can’t turn my back on it. There is a God, he is good, he did not start all this mess, but he is sure going to bring it to a halt. He does not want any to die. The only thing he ask of us is to believe in his son Jesus.
Ps: how is your wife doing? I hope she is better.

Thanks Domenic for asking.  She is improving.  She has been going to therapy and that is helping.  For the first in a long time, we went walking without the aid of her Rollator.  She did well although she experienced some pain afterward.

As for the Bible and beliefs.  I respect your beliefs.  They are yours.  What we perceive/understand from what we read is not the same for everyone.  If we believe it, it belongs to us.
I can't feel your pain.  I can imagine the pain you may feel, but that is not the same thing.  How one deals with pain also varies.  I believe the same is true with faith and belief.  Although similar, reactions are not the same.  For example:  I may dwell on "The Love of God" taken from the scripture "God is Love".  I may also take the statement that we are God's children to think that being so, I can't imagine a loving God sending his children to eternal damnation (burning in hell).  Hell becomes an element to deal with if it is to be considered.  I think that Hell was introduced as a means of control - a fear factor, contradicting the Love of God aspect. 
I don't think anyone has all the answers.  Seeking answers can elicit more questions.  It is a never-ending process when dealing with the Spirit world.  I had an epiphany that has meaning only to me.  Trying to explain such a revelation/event doesn't work.  It is a personal thing.  I gather that you have had similar experiences that led you to your beliefs and conclusions.  If you believe it, then it is right for you.  JMO

The end of the world is inevitable for each of us on our dying day.

The end of the world as we know it. Slight difference, DK.

I stand corrected - wouldn't it be wonderful if there is really a next rebirth - I'm just afraid there isn't.  I see no evidence but as they say, I believe the light will turn on when I clap my hands - and voila!

I didn't mean to imply that there's an afterlife. I meant that the world would carry on without us. "Life is for the living."

Who believes the world would not go on without us?  That is a new concept to me.

The world will survive, that doesn't mean humans will - at least not in this life.

If the Big Bang, and  Evolution were proven false, where would that leave God?

Same