Comment by joslin01 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by joslin01 | Hacker News Reader

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I've also been thinking on it much of my life, but my conclusions are unlike yours. I believe what's true is true and that what can die is incapable of truth for it's in the nature of truth to always be true. As a result, I do not believe in this world's reality and reject it as just a dream.

The contents of the dream do not matter; just like your dreams at night, it is in the symbolism that you must look for true meaning. Why are you going through the things you are? Are there lessons to be learned? Nor do the laws of the dream matter -- only your belief in them. Would it be possible Jesus resurrect if this world were true and death were king? Or is there something more than the body's eyes see?

Anyway, I'm a follower of the course (A Course in Miracles) if anyone cares about this kinda stuff. If I go on any longer I'll just get down-voted by this pedantic community that will be like "Well actually, a big explosion happened long ago and gave you your free will you stupid lofty-minded primate"

Why do you feel the the Big Bang is incompatible with Christian beliefs? "Let there be light" is awfully ambiguous.

Sure, and the book is exactly four words long so nothing else contradicts anything anyone has ever observed.

A less snarky response is context is important.

PS: Sorry if this came off as harsh, but ambiguity is not really a win. It's like a defense attorney saying look my client is wearing a top hat today he must be innocent; it's just not relevant information.

The Bible is best seen as a story rather than a factual account. Like anything in this world, its value lies in its symbolism. It's a beautiful book if read truly rather than read as a weapon for attack to say "I believe in this!"

There are many times and places where people would have killed you for saying that.

This gets back to context. You interpret things in such a fashion, but many people are horrified by the morality presented in the Bible. “Suffer not a _ to live.” Really that’s just such an uplifting message.

Granted, ignore the inconvenient parts is a very common approach, but if you’re doing that then just be honest about it. Ex: Timothy 2:12 is just not quoted that much anymore, but it used to be tossed around quite frequently.

In the same way one can consider a deeply flawed person beautiful and valuable, surely it's possible to consider the bible a beautiful and valuable book while accepting it's inconsistencies and horrible parts?

The Sermon on the Mount I find beautiful. The general account of Jesus' life too. I also rather like Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon is basically porn!

Given the involvement of a Priest in proposing it, I'm pretty sure it isn't incompatible (at least to Catholics, but evolution isn't incompatible either according to the Church).

You have to understand that anything in this world is seen by me as a dream. God is all there ever has been and will be and created the Sonship (us). Our "fall from heaven" was when we wanted to be God ourselves and thus break free from his rule. In order to do so, it meant opposing everything that is true in His domain -- oneness replaced with disparity, life with death, eternity with time. This is the hell the Bible speaks of. You "burn" in desire by "selling your soul" (believing and pursuing..) for things the "Devil" (your ego) offers yet none of it ever seems to satisfy. Why is that? Why is hatred more commonplace than love?

You cannot destroy heaven and so you dream of these things. We're all helpless victims and if there is a God, he is a cruel master. This isn't the way and creates a lot of sadness and unnecessary conflict in the world.

That's all well and good, but if everything's a dream, then what's the point in talking about it? Why are you on Hacker News telling figments of your imagination about the depth of your dream? Shouldn't you be trying to wake up, or lucid dream, or something productive? Or do you just have to "ride it out"?

For clarification, I'm being absolutely sincere. Because your initial assertion eliminates any further dialogue if you sincerely believe it. So why post here? Shouldn't you be looking for Neo, and awakening him so you can be free of the hell that is the dream?

Do not dally Morpheus. Or conversely, do not spout non-sequiturs and expect to get upvotes.

You don't understand the bigger picture and are simplifying my life for your own personal understanding. It's part of my mission to share what I believe in in hopes it inspires others to live their life a little differently.

"Resist commenting about being downvoted. It never does any good, and it makes boring reading.

Please don't bait other users by inviting them to downvote you."

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

I get downvoted consistently in /r/christianity and you would think they would at least hear me out. Don't mean to be rude or bait, but it's just true and what happens. People write me off as crazy (maybe it's true) and down vote me because it flies against all their beliefs. Oh well, whatever, didn't mean to bore you.

I understand your tendency to talk about the downvotes, and I don't think you are being rude/baiting. Readers here are probably more interested in your argument/contribution to the discussion itself, rather than your opinion of how your argument will be received (discussion about being downvoted). Additionally, a broader point to take away is that downvotes and discourse work differently here than on reddit (despite what reddit's general rules claim).

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