For quite some time now, I have felt that something was wrong with the world and that, being that I was the only one who saw it, it was my responsibility to fix it. However, I did not know what to do, I could not focus my efforts, and anything that I attempted was immediately shot down by my peers. After reading Fahrenheit 451 last week, I realized that everything I had been doing was beginning to come together. I suddenly had the final piece of the puzzle. I can't allow the world around me to degrade to the point it ahd reached in the novel, when asking the question that would get people to think would be punishable by imprisonment. People today do not think, they allow the television to think for them. Therefore, as the apparently only person left on the face of this earth who knows that there is a problem, I have decided to begin the 'fight for truth' as it were. Bradbury's view of the future did not speak to me about censorship as I had thought it would. It spoke to me of the apathy and cowardice of our culture and gave me a faint glimmer of hope that perhaps there was someone else out there who could help me.

I cannot attribute this entirely to Bradbury, but I can say that he gave me the last piece to complete my longing for change. If anyone wants to know more about why I'm fighting, or if anyone wants to join the fight, or just let me know that I am not alone, please feel free to email me. My ear is always open.

@

I can tell you that you are far from being the only one who sees problems in this world of ours. The biggest problem is that there are so MANY problems that it is quite difficult to know which one to fight against, when and how to fight them. I encourage you to help make your world and ours better to whatever extent you can, but don't act as if this burden is on your shoulders alone, nor is it yours to bear. It would be folly to try to take on the problems of the whole world, for who could end suffering or the apathy of which you speak, affecting entire nations as it would seem. Start small, change your own world, make your self whole, then set out to help your family and community around you. You will spread broad ripples that will reach out further than you know, and in effect, you WILL change the world, but it will never be as you expected or in what ways your own thoughts produce. Bottom line, be all that you think good in the world, and reach out to others that they may see the good in you. But never forget that you are not alone, in more ways than you may know.

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I've found the only way to do anything is to take advantage of the exponential powers of two. (2 becomes 4 becomes 16 etc.) However, if I can ask the other people who see what I see to act as well, I begin with a base of more than two. Imagine the effects! So I will try as best I can to offer the opportunity to fight to as many people as possible, then move on from there.

I know I'm not alone, now or ever, but it sometimes feels that since I am the only one doing anything visible (maybe I'm not, but I see nothing to indicate otherwise), that I must be the only one left who can still see the truth.

I know that someday every person I know will turn their back on me, but even then I am not alone. God's gotten me through tougher things than this before, so why act alone now?

Yes, I know exactly what you are talking about. It is as though you have lived my life.

@

Dear Truth?,
I understand most of what you said, and have sometimes felt very alone, as you do, but why do you say that everyone you know will one day turn their backs on you? Without even knowing you, I am worried about you. I'm not trying to pry or to lecture, so please do not take it that way. I see lots of problems with our world and sometimes feel at a loss as to what to do, but not to the point where my family or friends will forsake me. Please clarify, and please take care.

[This message has been edited by lmskipper (edited 01-17-2004).]

I would be interested in knowing exactly what actions you are taking to fix the problems you see. Just curious.

I say that everyone will turn on me because, well, I can't say in any specific words. Some of my friends see what I see, but don't care. Most don't see it. My family is already somewhat against me, trying to deter my efforts for change, telling me it will never happen. I don't find this depressing or worrying. On the contrary, I take it to mean that I am finally doing something right. When a light is brought into darkness, the darkness hates the light. I find it inevitable that these people will forsake me, but it's not really something bad from my perspective. Anyway, (and don't take this like I'm a snob or something) what do I really need them for anyway? Yeah, they'er great support at times, but I don't actually need them if I have God. "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

As for my plan on what to do, well, uh... it would be difficult to explain in a manner that would be clear without more background than would probably be polite on this board (id est, there's alot). However, the simple summary is that I intend to "re-unify" the people with God. (I know it sounds really Eva, it sounds really new-age, but I can get more indepth if you email me. I'll be happy to explain why it's not.) Unfortunately, that may not be the best choice of words, but it is all I can think of at this point that really sums it all up.

I am encouraged to know that there are more people out there, and that they too wish to actually do something. Please email me if you want to know more about my plan. I need all the help I can get.

Yes, reunifying people with God, in my opinion would help a lot of things. There are a lot of people in the world, and a lot who adamantly resist any relationship with God, let alone accepting His existence. I think much of their problem lies in some thorn in their side about Christianity, people have always had and always will have something against Christianity. Something in the truth deters people, I'm not sure what. The only thing is, I'm not sure how true a lot of the things Christians actually say (and act)are. I am a Christian and it seems that a lot of other Christians give Christianity a bad name because of their judgmental and often superior attitudes. In truth, I'm not sure how utterly "correct" our beliefs as Christians are. We've got the basics, I believe, but who knows about the rest. Some things you just can't know I guess. Anyway, back to the original thought, reuniting people with God would help tremendously just in attitudes and behavior of people in general. The only problem is that people will always be against God, so there is some work cut out for you. I'm sure you expect hard times. I'm not discouraging you, just be prepared.

Yestermorrow:

I am thrilled that you found a form of religion that makes you happy. I am also pleased that you don't seem to blindly accept Christian religious teachings as automatically right.

There is a significant difference between spirituality, belief in God, and specific religion. To me, religion is a very personal and private thing. It makes me uncomfortable to have such personal information "out there" on a bulletin board designed for general interest.

Despite my protests above, and to level the field, no I am not a Christian. In fact, I'm Jewish. I have been on this bulletin board for several months now and have always been a bit discomfited by some of the religious threads, but just ignored it. I don't know why your post tonight motivated me more than the others, but it just seemed like the time to get it out.

[This message has been edited by jfaronson (edited 01-19-2004).]

Wow! Then maybe it's working....

How do you mean?

I have been mystified (and I mean 'mystified)...thru the years when you speak perfect reasonable thought to someone, some Christian scripture...and it just...''''whoooshes'''...over their head, like a stone skipping across the water. I would think, "Gee, you say something that clear to someone, of course they are going to get it !".

Nope!

It's something perhaps like when I was a kid, and I thought everyone 'knew'...that is to say, everyone knew what was happening...this intuitive knowing of the world that explains everything, that's indelible to one like blood. Later, I would discover no one knew nothing. I would think that perhaps it's something like that here.

I sat down with Ray at his home the other week, and in our conversation, made reference to the first chapter of Ephesians, where it says that before God made anything, he already knew me, and saved me by 'inserting' me into the character of his Son, who always pleased him, and therefore, I now can please HIM. Wow! The immediate reaction from Ray was... 'I don't believe that!'

Well, what are you going to do with 'that'?

Got a card from someone last week that knew about this, and he plainly said it... pray that Ray receives the Holy Spirit. And THAT is it!

You can't analyze it, you can't dissect it, you can't figure it out, you can't intellectualize it. God breathes it into your being...not you figuring it out by some inner mysticism...but God breathing it into your consciousness.

Otherwise...you'll never really get it...!

[This message has been edited by Nard Kordell (edited 01-20-2004).]

Last things first...

Nard, you are precisely correct. No amount of intellectual thought, speak, discussion etc. can ever convince anyone of anything. I quite understand that. I've found from experience that convincing someone is impossible. All I can do is offer a doorway to someone, and allow God to work them through it. I do, however, have an obligation to point out the door. Some people say that that door is demonstrated by the way you live; others, that it is the actual presentation through words. I use both (well, I try). When I speak of re-unification, I�m not really trying to speak to those who do not believe or are not sure, I am speaking to those I know can begin the process, the ones who DO believe.

jfaronson, that�s great that you would feel comfortable enough to share something so personal with us. I must ask, however, why you feel it is a personal thing. If you don�t want to answer, that�s okay. I�m just curious because I know that many people feel similarly. Personally, I feel that my relationship with God affects my everyday choices and actions, so it would be impossible to keep it personal.

Yestermorrow, yes, people will always be against God, but not everyone, right? I understand what you are saying about Christians giving Christianity a bad name. I believe it was Gandhi who said, �If it weren�t for the Christians, I�d be a Christian.� It really frustrates me sometimes when I�m in a group of friends who are not believers, and someone starts talking about something they heard. �It annoys me when people say, �I hate gay people,�� they say. I know that the people they�re talking about probably call themselves Christians, but what do I say? I want to say that I hate people who hate other people, but !!! That�s more hypocritical than the people themselves. I think some of the friction comes from identifying with �Christianity� rather than �Christ.� We�ve let religion get in the way. That�s something I hope to address in my present project. If we can unite the churchs into the Church, the first step will have been taken.

It would seem that something huge is about to happen. The war for the hearts and minds of the people is about to begin. Already the sides are being formed. On this side, the side of the truth, more and more people are turning up willing to fight. On the other side, they are trying to frighten us into silence. Has anyone heard this yet? The word �God� is no longer allowed to be used on Fox. However, f*** is now acceptable on the airwaves. Why? Because people like me and you are a threat to the survival of anti-thought and anti-god belief systems, and they are trying to supress us. Forgive me, I tend to rant at times.

Yes, I have my work cut out for me. The more allies I have, the easier it will be. I am prepared for opposition, but I must say that I was not prepared for people actually understanding me. Very few in my direct sphere of influence have understood, and it is good to know that I am not alone.

@

jfaronson: spirituality, religion, etc--these things are very personal indeed. So personal in fact that they must be shared if ever we share ourselves with the world. How unfortunate it would be if we were filled with such a good thing, with unique perspective on that thing, yet we were not willing to share it. Therefore, it is good that you have shared it with us--it shows strength in your belief among other things. A little off the subject, but pertinent nonetheless, it is good to know that you are spiritual, whether Christian, Jew, Bhuddist, Muslim. For these are just names really, labels that somewhat limit us, however much truth they posses. I am a Christian, and I accept that label, but it is up to me (and anyone else with a label) to defy some of the dangerous bounderies of that label that may separate me from a good thing, such as a relationship with another person who may be unwilling to befriend me should I adhere to certain strict "rules" of Christianity. For example, Christians say that a person who does not believe in God, accepting Jesus Christ as their saviour, will most likely (or definitely, depending on who you're talking to) go to Hell. Now, seriously, how do we think this makes non-Christian friends feel? Probably not too good. God doesn't want forced relationships based on a "believe, or else" ultimatum. I actually had a "hard-core" Catholic tell me I was going to Hell because I was a Protestant, as if that really means anything. People like him can lose sight of what really matters. To be honest, I don't really believe in further separation of the church into denominations. But that's another story. I guess, in all this rambling, that what I'm trying to say is that we shouldn't adhere to our labels simply for the sake of adhering to our labels. Just be yourself, we are all unique spirits with different perspectives and experiences, so naturally we shouldn't all see things the same way.
I wanted to say this a while ago before my tangent, and that is that God is present in many forms--Jesus, Mohammud, Bhudda, our family and friends as well as in ourselves. I think almost all spirituality really comes down to the same source: God, whether we call it that, or call it Love, or another name entirely, He is the one we seek.
On that note, Truth?, I want to say that it was a very cool thing you mentioned, that we let our title Christianity get in the way of our true focus--Christ. Anyway, peace to everyone, and good luck with all your spiritual journeys.

Whoa, hold on. I missed something. Maybe I missed the point, but are you saying that Christians worship the same god as Muslims and as Buddhists and as humanists? I'm sorry, that might not be what you're saying, but that's what I see. Please help me clear this up.

@

Yestermorrow & etc:

I think the reason I chose to respond to Yestermorrow's post is that he was willing to admit that acceptance of a doctrine is not necessarily a claim of absolute truth. This open-mindedness is painfully lacking in most religious groups--of all faiths.

I still believe that religious belief is a personal thing. I think it's private because I don't like doctrine forced on me, therefore I try to avoid doing it to others. I just didn't think it was fair for me to make commentary on your religious remarks without revealing that part of myself for explanation.

Each faith has good and bad aspects--good and bad members. After a fairly extensive study of many different religions (largely as a result of situations just like this ) it seems that yestermorrow is exactly right. The basis of most belief systems is that a general "good force" is the impetus behind the world. If we could all try to keep this in mind, tolerance and understanding for those with different opinions would come more naturally.

Peace.

[This message has been edited by jfaronson (edited 01-20-2004).]