Search results

What worked for me at age 14— Was brief reading and prayer from the monthly “Upper Room,” before I even got up to urinate! Each day would have one or two verses of scripture, about 1/2 page discussion, and a brief suggested prayer. I’d sometimes roll other things into the prayer. Short &...

This is too much of a pat answer.

Then how in the world did God kill the “first born” ? ! ? Unless you were a believer and knew to put blood on the doorframe. And in my time as a Christian for a year and a half, a little at age 13, all of age 14, and almost half of age 15, this never came up. If it did, the standard...

I guess if we really want to spilt hairs we could say “the means” (action pathway) is different from “the motive” (the emotion in your heart), but I’m happy rolling them together. Ends vs Means is something were used to.

To me, the consequences are more important than the motive. Of course, they are. And it is pleasure or pain, broadly defined. In fact, I prefer to use the terms happiness and suffering.

I think you’ve rediscovered the tension between— Immanuel Kant’s “Categorical Imperative,” & John Stuart Mill’s “Principle of Utility.” ——— And I’m guessing this conflict and tension has echoed through a lot of human thought.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2017/04/14/5-facts-on-how-americans-view-the-bible-and-other-religious-texts/ “While about four-in-ten Christians (39%) say the Bible’s text is the word of God and should be taken literally, 36% say it should not be interpreted literally or express...

And if someone is looking for “absolute” ethics, you’ll just asking for too much. The most we can hope for is to acquire skills in different life areas. And if something is a “between the cracks”-type of deal, then a person needs to just wing it, adjusting as they go.

The young Willie Wonka helps the character “Noodle” find her mother. This is on the theme that ethics are to be found in many life areas. As well as ample motivation to help other people.

To me, this is kind of “lawyering” the situation so that God gets off the hook. Why would God, instead, not try to soften Pharaoh’s heart? For example, maybe He has Pharaoh come across a young nephew who’s down in the dumps because the slightly older boys won’t let him play with them.

It’s certainly magical, and visual. Okay, I’m in favor of a lot of meaning being packed into a small amount of words. For example, from the original “Godfather” movie, one of his main lieutenants tells him who’s wanting to see him. The Godfather asks, “What does _____ want?” He’s giving an...

Google AI — “The phrase "God hardened Pharaoh's heart" or similar wording appears nine times in the book of Exodus. Specifically, these instances are in Exodus 4:21, 7:3, 9:12, 10:1, 10:20, 10:27, 11:10, 14:4, and 14:8. Additionally, the text describes Pharaoh hardening his own heart three times...

I’m slightly open to this. Or, I’ll try to be open to this. But really, from age 5 my whole life has been saturated with TV. I’m very familiar with story. As I guess other people are of different places and ages, even if it’s just deliciously long evenings around the camp fire. And would...

It’s amazing how many different religions, philosophies, etc, have hit upon the Golden Rule. should we say re-invented, re-discovered ? ??

The Bible is about what you’d expect if it was written by tribal people. It’s worthy of respect the same as any other ancient text such as Beowulf, no more, no less.

—————— One method for movies is to give your villain good traits, but he or she is singularly ill-matched for the environment!

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%208&version=KJV 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said. ————— Okay, on this occasion Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Per Google AI, we have 3 occasions in...

Adam Clarke — ‘ . . . eum quem noluerit vocare. "God does not work this hardness of heart in man; but he may be said to harden him whom he refuses to soften, . . ” . . ’ —————— This is a long-winded excuse. Any good Baptist can tell you, the sins of omission are often worse than the sins of...

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%207&version=KJV 3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. —————— Clear, plain English, translated from the Hebrew. Maybe a camp fire story perhaps? ?

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%204&version=KJV “21 And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.”...