Look, I don't mean to disrespect you or your life experience or your faith. But I hear allot of this “I know in my heart that this is true!”, and I think that this is a very false and dangerous approach to life. So let me tell you a story from my own life that may illustrate why:
Back when I was still doing my army reserve duty, in the signaling forces of the IDF, I was stationed in a base at the north of Israel. Every once in few years, we had a major training drill that was held in the army’s main training areas, in the Negev desert, near the border with Egypt. Our first mission was simply to get all our gear there. It was a 17 hours ride in a long convoy of military trucks that always got delayed for this and that reason. Not much fun.
I remember one in particular, in which we finally got to the training area around 3am. It was a foggy night and everybody were very tired. So after about 17 hours of driving south, when the road turned half a circle and we went north for the last half an hour or so, nobody could notice what was going on. Then we parked and they let us go to sleep for a little, and then it was off to work to essentially setup the communication systems of a small city, within few hours. At sunset, our commander, a battle hardened brigadier general, gathered us to an opening talk. “Look at the sunset”, he said, “It looks like the sun is setting in the east, right? Well it is not. It is you who are disoriented. So be careful because before you know it, you can find yourself across the border in Egypt”. Now let me tell you how that felt. I would go out of a tent, and tru to go back to the comm center. It's not that I felt lost. I was very confident that I know the right direction and it took me quite a few steps to realize that I was walking in exactly the opposite direction.
That day I learned that the most untrustworthy thing in the world are one’s own convictions. You see, when you are in the desert, and the view around you is pretty much all the same, with not enough to get you oriented, luck of skepticism will make you ignore even the very few things that can give a clue. But the thing is that being wrong feels like… being right.
So I am not saying that you shouldn't have faith at all, certainly not, but you should also have doubt. IMO, we shouldn't be so sure that what we believe is right… but I'm not that sure about that either.
Oren, that had to be tough! Sand, heat, fear, disoriented. I find Jews are a unique people, smart, funny, beautiful, (Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca) in the old testament and (Mary the mother of Jesu, Elizabeth) in the new. Some can also be stubborn. I cannot change my position and you may never see things as I do, but we can be friends.
William (Bill)
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Of course we can be friends. I don't expect you to change your position at all.
So how do you like our conversation about God so far?
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
To tell you the truth I'm enjoying it emencly. I hope you as well. Are you married, kids? I live in Florida, grew up in New York, We have 5 kids and 4 grandchildren.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit