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| ▲ | McAlpine5892 2 days ago | parent | next [-] | | > Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Matthew 24:34–35 Of course when the prediction doesn't fit, the Cirque du Soleil level mental gymnastics come out to explain how "this generation" didn't actually mean that. Meanwhile, scientists predict solar eclipses with 100% accuracy. Among many other physical phenomena. Much of that knowledge was ascertained despite religion relentlessly persecuting those seeking out answers about our universe. > Unlike other religions, it said a lot of things that have come true... I can promise you that followers of every religion have made this same claim and also have a list of "proof". They don't look at each other and go "darn, that Christianity keeps getting it right somehow!". I highly recommend checking out The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan [0]. It is a great way to improve anyone's baloney-detector kit. We all want to understand our world, but some "answers" are pure Grade-A baloney. --- [0] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17349.The_Demon_Haunted_... | | |
| ▲ | nickpsecurity 2 days ago | parent [-] | | You're quoting one that's intentionally vague, likely a double fulfillment. Those have elements of present and future in them with recurring patterns. That genre in Hebrew literature is highly subject to interpretation where even Christians can't agree on what the specific timing of fulfillment would look like. That's often not the point either since times were symbolic for Hebrews. Let's look at it real quick: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2024&ve... Proper interpretation starts with the opening, or thesis statement. The chapter you're citing opens with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. It had Herod's support. So, it was unlikely Rome would destroy it. It's unlikely not stones would he left given its strength of construction. Yet, that's exactly what happened after they killed Jesus and in the lifetime of some present ("this generation"). Then, the topic changes partly during a private conversation. Now, we have multiple comtexts. Jesus refuses to tell them the timing. Instead, He focuses them on the behaviors of people and key circumstances to watch out for. He says many false prophets, including fake versions of Jesus, will show up first. Watch out for those. We've since seen many claim to be the reincarnation of Jesus or warped versions of Christianity that elevate mere humans to equal or have priority over Christ and His teaching. Catholicism, Islam, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Prosperity Gospel, Social Gospel... it keeps happening. We will see some dramatic increase in wars, famines, and earthquakes. That's vague. In the past 100 years, we have seen the world go to war, famine in the richest nation during COVID, and scientists speculating about why earthquakes increased. He says that's "the beginning of the birth pains." So, these happen before other things. In Hebrew and Greek styles, this also tells us Jesus is describing a process more than a specific event in time. At any point, His words might be referring to some aspect of the process or a specific event. Be careful of that if interpreting. He says "you" will be delivered up to tribution, be hated for His name's sake, and betray and be hated by one another. This happened in the Apostle's time. It also happens today where Christianity is illegal in many countries, censored in many more, and mocked in others. The Gospel is persecuted more than any other religion. In my area, rap songs about dumping women you use for sex or murdering people in your neighborhood are played openly in stores but they ask us to quiet down about Jesus to not offend people. "Or leave." And then the Gospel will be proclaimed to all nations "and then the end will come." There's a specific criteria where all people groups, which is what the Greek word meant back then, must hear the Gospel to cause or finish what He is saying. Then, the rest references more details of the overall process. That generation did see the process begin with some fulfillment. He said people standing there would see Him come in glory. The next chapter or soon after is The Transfiguration where people saw Him in glory. So, that happened already. Evangelicals want the rest to happen. We're doing our part. Of 7,000 people groups, we have gotten the Gospel to around 4,000 with 3,000 left. The Bible was translated to 2,000+ languages. Even Facebook AI team used it for mass-multi-lingual since no other book is as widely translated as the Bible (as predicted). The one work God said was His proved to be the most inclusive and globally impactful with same positive changes, answered prayers, anf miracles happening. As before, even enemies of Christ persecuting Christians met Him and were transformed. It keeps proving out. | | |
| ▲ | touristtam 2 days ago | parent [-] | | Why do you have to stray so far away from the topic related to this article? | | |
| ▲ | nickpsecurity a day ago | parent [-] | | There's two reasons, one general and one here. The general is the God of heaven and earth, Jesus Christ, commanded us to tell people about Him. He said to believe in Him alone and repent to be forgiven. Also, if we've ever done evil, we'll burn alive for our sins since they are not trivial to God. I've also seen over 100 lives transformed by faith in Christ... from fentynal addicts to people who did drive bys... while popular worldviews are doing record harm. So, we share Christ when possible because we love Him and you over all things. Othe HN side, I currently only respond that way when it's in the article or comments. The article mentioned the sacred texts (Bible) along with Nebuchadnezzar who eventually believed in God in the book of Daniel. The article is also promoting the site while other articles there are disturbed with damage to it. Such political claims often receive counterpoints. Finally, one commenter was already discussing the Biblical aspects and I was responding to them specifically. |
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| ▲ | LargoLasskhyfv a day ago | parent | prev [-] | | I upvoted you because I agree with some of the points you've made. With that Jesus Christ thing as such not so much. Essentially much of what you wrote can be traced to much older sources, countlessly translated, and very probably distorted, because there is always loss in translation. While from a conspiracy theorist view, Jesus Christ, and what happened to him, can be seen as a later 'invention', made up by whomever, for whichever reasons. As can be Islam. No matter what they say about the 'holy Qoran' being 'checksummed', and whatnot else. Why am I even responding to you? Well, because in my younger years (mostly 1982, other place(s) in 1988 & 2004) I did wonders, too. Impossible things. But with witnesses, sometimes documented by X-Rays directly afterwards. Other times with medical staff watching while I did it(healing about a dozen sick kids in one wing of a child hospital), at other times healing and rejuvenating several female teachers, healing and rejuvenating a very old and sick nun( 90+ years old, eaten up by cancer, to about 25 biological age), leading up to having sex with a bunch of them, in their chapel, on their altar, because the acting chief nun insisted, and I've been like why not? :-) Leading to a Jesuit trying to exorcise the devil out of me, which ended very bad for him :-) In one of the rather luxurious appartments/condos right below https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godesburg the arrogant snobs lived in, at the times. I've let him live, to be my messenger to the Vatican, or whoever is really pulling the strings there, instead of the sockpuppet/showroom dummy called Pope. With a threat, of destruction, if they don't change their ways. And a claim, that all what is theirs is mine, but I don't even want it, because I consider it spoiled and dirty. (edit: I've spoken Latin to him, because besides that he could only speak Italian, or so he said to the two other Jesuits present , both not understanding Latin fluently enough, so I made them understand telepathically, in real-time. I couldn't speak Latin at the time, but it came to me, as I wished. Effortless. Just like that. Did that a few days before, to a medical Doctor, because I've been angry with him, because initially 'uncooperative' while healing a girl called Alice from severe (open) brain trauma caused by traffic accident, and Romanian to a Nurse which was present while I 'prepared') I've written about that here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45191472 and maybe here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44956926 , and here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37759103 because for me, in most cases, but not exclusively so, it really IS connected to sex, but of a very special kind. What am I trying to say with this? People rambling about "Jesus Christ" really rub me the wrong way, for obvious reasons. IMO they are either just parroting the stuff because of group pressure, or have experienced something which they can't explain, without resorting to the next best template they have. And missing the real thing. (edit: Or not even having the required neuroarchitecture to be able to perceive or perform this at all.) Which is... hard to explain, but possibly there are and were always some of us, which had some of these powers, for whatever reason, if only for a short time, and not always all of them. This is a pattern, spanning across history, reflected in common themes in all cultures, way before christianity. Which I consider an especially evil way of dumbing down access to spirituality. Akin to absolute McDonaldization of food everwhere, any time, when there could be so much more on the table. Cheers! edit: I could swear I've written several times about MKULTRA and how I think about that, but can't even find one single comment of mine, mentioning that. Hrrm. Strange. edit: Got one! https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21169197 and another https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34464465 | | |
| ▲ | LargoLasskhyfv a day ago | parent | next [-] | | edit(timeout): If you're wondering why you can't find anything about the events I've mentioned, that's because I insisted that the involved parties keep their mouths shut about my identity, that I don't want to see any of this reported in the media, at the times newspapers, radio, or TV. Even to the police, or firemen, when they were involved. (Like trying to break open doors with an axe, when I've been doing my stuff, and some panicked bystanders called them) I don't care about 'followers', groupies, fans, admirers, 'disciples', publicity and fame. Never did. They are distractions. And a potential hassle. As the metaphor of some allegedly crucified guy shows very well, doesn't it? :-) | |
| ▲ | nickpsecurity 18 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | | I appreciate your interesting response. I'll start with an oft-repeated myth that falls apart under scrutiny: "Essentially much of what you wrote can be traced to much older sources, countlessly translated, and very probably distorted, because there is always loss in translation." Your claim assumes that whatever published document appears to be older was (a) older than any oral traditions, (b) the original claim, and (c) true, or more true than the later one. Then, any published works that come later are inventions or distortions rather than the truth. We have literally millions of counterexamples today disproving all of those premises. Today, we see most people racing to be first to publish or to market often do shoddy work or lie or scheme to succeed. The people who move more slowly and carefully are often more accurate. Most traditions and stories don't even get published. They're almost all oral traditions among friends. This was more true back in ancient days with their transmission done carefully. Whoever wrote something first had more money. We see today that whoever has more money for publishing isn't the first or most honest in many cases. The corporate media dumps out so many lies we can't count them. The polytheistic works show many changes as they morphed from a few to thousands of gods and mythical stories. The Bible is firstly monotheistic which was a mind-blowing concept in that region. People are jailed or killed for claiming only one God even today. Next, the Bible gets extended in a backwards-compatible way by over a dozen authors from different walks of life and time periods. Then, it has history backing it up which was often challenged by atheists before that history showed up. Then, there's the miracles. They have multiple witnesses, some who were skeptical or enemies of Jesus Christ, backing up His miracles. We've seen these follow the real church for a long time in areas where the Hindus and Buddhists say they never saw miracles before. Further, Jesus Christ had perfect character, didn't sin by using people for sex as you claimed to, and also never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever which is comforting given His promise of salvation never changes for those who repent. Most of what you described wouldn't come from God. It's out of character for Him. All of those encounters, done in Christ and righteously, would've instead been a nice testimony of loving, upbuilding acts. It's instead just hedonism that might be severely punished by God. That would mean you got your power from the Devil, lied about it, or imagined it. I've prayed you repent and are healed of whatever is going on with you. | | |
| ▲ | LargoLasskhyfv 16 hours ago | parent [-] | | :-) I didn't use or abuse people for sex. Typical and false accusation of people who misunderstand what that really can be, and besides that in most of the cases I haven't even been the initiator. Because, yes, I can be, and have been shy, regarding these matters. If you think I've been whoring around and just discarded them 'after use', you are wrong. Maybe I can be just charismatic and tempting sometimes? Please don't pray for me, that is just offending and insulting to me. Like that attempted exorcism. I stand by my words: Christianity (and Islam even more so!) is BS for holding sheeples down. A trapdoor, dead end, cargo cult. Regarding oral traditions, I'm wondering what you think of the 'Dreamtime' of Aboriginial Australians, the accuracy of their transmissions, reaching back tens of thousands of years? Or the Akashic Records? (Whoa! So satanic!) |
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