Why doesn't God share His knowledge?

bluebison25 said:I’m dealing with the exact same virus issue. I’m using Firefox.

Dead for a few hours? Look, I haven't been there myself, but I know people who were hovering right on the edge for two or three minutes. That’s just my take on it. I am 100% certain that death is nothing more than eternal rest, which is why you have to fight like hell to stay alive as long as possible. It’s a proven fact that keeping the mind sharp through constant learning—even when you're in your 80s, 90s, or 100s—boosts brain activity. It basically extends your "lifespan" and helps ward off Alzheimer's.🙂

Dead for a few hours? I haven't experienced that personally—though I certainly know people who have hovered on that threshold for a few minutes, right around that two-to-three-minute mark. If I say that, it is simply my own reflection on the matter. And I am one hundred percent certain of this: death is nothing more than eternal rest.

bluebison25 said:You all seem a bit lost when it comes to distinguishing fact from fiction, but whatever. I’m currently reading a solid critique that dismisses Ivancic’s "book" about Jesus of Nazareth being a Historical figure as nothing more than a fairy tale, systematically tearing down every supposed "proof" and witness. Like Anthony Perez9 pointed out earlier, the only "historians" who would ever try to prove the existence of the supernatural are theologians—people who, much like yourselves, can't tell the difference between reality and make-believe. 🙂

Harold Doyle3 said:🙂
"In the beginning was the Word..." right?

But how do you actually express yourself through language?
( If you say "I"... well, everyone with even a shred of self-awareness says "I," yet every single "I" is unique... or is it?)
And what about people living with split personalities?

Are we expressing ourselves through others, while they express themselves through us?
Isn't that just one big circle?

Benjamin Taylor6 said:Harold Doyle3 says:
Reality itself is just a construct born from human imagination and thought.
(we operate under the assumption that what we perceive as reality actually *is* reality)
Plato's cave

Reality is a shadow. Reality is a cave. But honestly, none of that matters in this specific context:

I’ve always preferred expressing my own truth a bit differently—mostly by swearing like a drunken sailor. 😲

There was this Zen master named Hogen who lived a solitary life in a small temple out in the sticks. One day, four traveling monks show up at his doorstep asking to light a fire in his courtyard just to warm themselves up.
While they’re busy tending the flames, Hogen overhears them bickering about subjectivity versus objectivity. He decides to jump into the fray and asks, "Take this large stone here. In your estimation, does it reside within your mind or outside of it?"
One of the monks replies, "From a Buddhist perspective, everything is an objectification of the mind, so I would say that stone exists within my mind."
"Your head must be incredibly heavy," Hogen remarks, "if you're carrying a stone like that everywhere you go."
There's actually a second part to that story.
The master adds, "So, you believe everything is an illusion—an objectification of the mind—just like this brick I'm holding in my hand while you hold it in your mind?" Then, he drops the brick right on the student's foot, sending him hopping around and howling in pain.
"Why all the shouting and jumping," Hogen asks, "if this brick is nothing more than a figment of your own mind?"

silentridge8 said:...so, when are you actually going to provide a definition of reality that isn't just some New Age platitude? 🤣

Ivancic isn't claiming Jesus wasn't a historical figure; he's arguing that certain Jewish groups at the time denied He was the Messiah. It's typical to swap terms around like that, but I'm glad you finally realized that original sin isn't about geography or cardinal directions—it's about the Fall itself. 😉

Paul Anderson2 said:I don't know, I can't really get behind that idea.

It’s pretty common for people to resort to descriptive rambling when they can't find the actual word or specific name for something. Like, you know that thing—the part that sits on top and keeps everything from spilling out? Well, that thing broke, and that's why...

bluebison25 said: ?

silentridge8 said:I can't say I'm surprised by this one. 🙂

If someone spends their time writing books exploring whether a historical figure actually lived up to an idealized version of themselves, then writing a book just to claim "that ideal isn't historical" is nothing more than a joke. 🙂

It's like if someone wrote a whole book about how powerful a Mercedes-Benz engine is based on the specs on the official Mercedes-Benz website, and then I decided to write a book titled "Mercedes-Benz doesn't exist." 😂

Nancy Wilson2 said:Perhaps... or in the unlikely event that science actually manages to uncover the truth regarding what consciousness truly is—where it originates and where it ultimately returns.

bluebison25 said:Look, I wasn't planning on arguing with you about this, but I don't want to come off as rude, so here's the bottom line: Ivancic wrote that book right here under this title. In it, Ivancic lists all the "irrefutable evidence" proving that Jesus of Nazareth was a real person. I actually did some digging and found a text that takes every single one of Ivancic's "proofs" and explains them for what they actually are—no twisting facts, no lies, and no religious dogma—and every single piece of evidence points away from Jesus existing. But honestly, it doesn't matter; you're already convinced Ivancic is right, and that's clearly the only thing you care about. 👍

Paul Anderson2 said:I guess that'll be figured out too, though I don't think it's really going anywhere or returning from anywhere. It’s more like it just... "appears" and then "fades."

bluebison25 said:I honestly don't get why you're giving me such a hard time:

"After thousands of years of fanaticism—generations upon generations of Christian apologists, theologians, priests, and monks grinding away, all backed by massive amounts of Vatican money—we finally get this little booklet claiming to be the ultimate proof that Jesus Christ was a real historical figure. I’m looking at 'Jesus of Nazareth as a Historical Figure' by Tomislav Ivančić, a doctor of theology from the famous Gregorian University in Rome, just to show you how they approach the whole debate over whether Jesus actually existed. This tiny book tries to answer the single question that holds the entire Church and all organized religion together: What do we actually know for sure about Jesus of Nazareth, the man who declared himself the Christ - Messiah? Are there any eyewitness accounts from the Age of Jesus at all? Positive or negative, it doesn't matter. "

That's the intro to a book that takes every single one of Tomislav Ivančić's 'proofs' and lays them out with a solid historical breakdown. Do you see what I'm getting at here??

bluebison25 said:Look, man, nobody is whispering in anyone's ear. There are smart people and there are idiots; all it takes is one tiny spark to send someone spiraling into total madness or turning them into a world-class genius. That Freddy Hoyle guy might have been brilliant in a lot of ways, but he decided his intellect was a gift from God. Honestly, it’s no surprise how things turned out...

bluebison25 said:@silentridge8: It’s not just about that one video (Zeitgeist). Sure, it might spark some logical thinking, but frankly, I couldn't care less what those people actually do. Take this text, for example—it tackles the whole issue head-on. Even if you won't bother clicking the link, let alone reading it, it doesn't matter. Just look at the bibliography at the bottom; it's massive, and every single book is backed by solid historical and scientific evidence. No question about it.

@Benjamin Taylor6: How exactly are you defining a calling? Look, I have a friend who's heading into the ministry because he claims he heard God's call. Personally, I think he's lying to himself; that "calling" exists solely inside his own head.