Saturday, April 30, 2011

Approval of Man or Love from God

Dear Brother Ron

Do you seek approval of men or Love from God.?

Dromedary

Dear Dromedary

If you seek approval of humans, you are going to be disappointed. Somebody is always going to find a reason to rain on your parade. Have you ever noticed that, as soon as somebody becomes successful or popular, somebody always finds a flaw in that person and exploits it to the fullest? We humans delight in revelations that the rich and famous are no better than us. The psychological term for this is schadenfreude. Classic examples include Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton and Michael Vick.

You already have the love of God. Learn to use the power of that love within you for God's purposes and human approval will follow (at least from the ones who matter).

Best always
Brother Ron

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Apes As Our Ancestors

Dear Brother Ron

Although it is being proven to be the truth more and more these days, people refuse to accept that we came from apes. What is so wrong with that? Why do people fear that thought so much? What's the big deal?

A theory is considered more the truth then the bible and Qur'an. Evolution theory has been studied, experimented, researched, and proven.. so its not just a theory! And apes are our ancestors, apes have 48 chromosomes, we have 46... 23 from each parent, but the one that was missing was infused together the whole time so it didn't count as 2 rather than 1 which made 46. There is enough proof to make it safe to say we are most likely relatives of monkeys. Again, what's the big deal?

Jasmina

Dear Jasmina

Because they prefer to believe that God created man in a single divine thought rather than setting in motion a chain of events which would result in us being here to ask and answer this question. These are people who adhere to a literal translation of the Bible rather than accepting it as a collection of stories passed down orally from generation to generation. This is because they fear that any challenge to any part of the Bible will bring down their faith like a house of cards.

My faith is based on what has been revealed to me by our Father. The Bible is a good guide to behavior, study of ancient Hebrew society and direction toward a closer relationship with God. I am not so much interested in how we got here as I am in what our Father wants me to do to help His plan for our future.

We can argue about ancient history until the cows come home but we can not change it. We should keep our eyes on the road ahead instead of focusing on the rear view mirror.

Best always
Brother Ron

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Animals in Heaven

Dear Brother Ron

If there is a heaven/hell for people, then there must be one for all animals too! I'm being serious. What makes humans any different? We are animals too, just a million times smarter. What do you think?

Sisha

Dear Sisha

I think you are right. I seriously doubt that God sends animals to hell, though. They are just doing what God made them to do. Come to think of it, so are we. Maybe that means God does not send people to hell either.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Best always
Brother Ron

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Am I Going to Hell?

Dear Brother Ron

I sold my soul to the devil ages ago and was a Satanist. I now believe in God but do wrong every day. I don't go to church and I'm not baptized. I used to curse at him every day but I want to change. Could I still make it to heaven? I'm 17.

Tyuxruyi X

Dear Tyuxruyi X

If God sent everybody to hell who makes mistakes, heaven would be a very lonely place. The only time Jesus ever looked somebody in the eye and told him he was going to heaven was the thief on the cross beside Him.

Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us."
Luke 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Luke 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss."
Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom."
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

I hate to break it to you, but what most people call the soul is actually part of the living God alive inside of you. It's not yours to sell. So that bargain is invalid due to failure of the consideration.

Welcome to the brotherhood of God.

Best always
Brother Ron

Am I a Bible-Thumper?

Dear Brother Ron

Am I a bible thumper for reading the Bible? The only time I speak of religion is when I'm asked for my opinion! So, am I labeled by society as a bible thumper?

Universal

Dear Universal

No, you are a seeker after wisdom who wants to learn how to love and serve our Father better. As long as you realize that the Bible is merely Religion 101 and not the way to a complete relationship with God, you'll be fine.

A bible-thumper is a preacher who demands that everybody accept his interpretation of the Bible as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. During his sermons, he carries an open Bible and thumps it with his finger repeatedly to emphasize his words come straight from that book. You do not sound like that kind of person.

Best always
Brother Ron

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Alpha and Omega

Dear Brother Ron

What does Jesus mean when He refers to Himself as the "Alpha and Omega" (Revelation 1:8 & 22:13)?

Reborn

Dear Reborn

First of all, the verses you quote refer to God, not Jesus. Revelations was not written until about 90 A.D. by a man who never met Jesus.

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. Greek was the preferred language of the Roman Empire at the time Jesus was alive and for many years after. Most of the New Testament was translated from Greek manuscripts. God means He is the beginning and the end, as the verse explains.

Revelations 1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Best always
Brother Ron

Alcohol and the Angel

Dear Brother Ron

I was drinking one night, at my worst, when someone came up to me and said, "Amber, this isn't the way". I know he was right. He was the first one to point it out to me though. Could he have been a guardian angel?

Country Gal

Dear Country Gal

If not an angel, certainly a messenger from our Father. I was a professional musician for most of my life. I spent many years watching drunks from the stage. It's amazing how watching drunks in action will convince you not to become one. Let me give you three good reasons why your angel was right.

First of all, alcohol has a drying effect on the skin. When you drink, the alcohol dries you up from the inside out. After awhile, your skin looks like an old wallet. I have watched beautiful young girls turn into wizened hags. I seriously doubt you would want that for yourself.

Second, you find out that once the high goes away, the world is still there where it always was. You still have the same problems you had before you started drinking. Only now you have less money to cope with them and you feel too lousy to try.

Third, when the bar closes, you have to drive home when the bar closes. The guys with guns and badges have no sense of humor with drunks on the road. Waking up in jail with a hangover is not a good thing. Neither is meeting a tree up close and personal at 60 miles per hour. Of course you could always accept a ride from the friendly stranger on the next bar stool and hope he isn't into serial killing or date rape.

All things considered, I would say you definitely met an angel.

Best always
Brother Ron

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Affirmations

Dear Brother Ron

Do you believe in positive affirmations and repetition of affirmations? It has worked for me many times with urgent things. Now Im going to try something more complex. Have you tried this?

Raver

Dear Raver

I'm a big fan of self-talk. There is a part of your brain called the reticular activating system. It acts like a VCR in your head and records everything you see and hear. This is why people under hypnosis can recall their fifth birthday party. The RAS does not distinguish between what you tell yourself and what other people tell you. So if you tell yourself you are a jerk, the RAS records it just like you heard it from somebody else. It works for the positive things you tell yourself too.

Print this in big letters and put it somewhere you will see it every day:

I am somebody.
I am not a nobody.
I'm not as good as I should be.
I'm not as good as I want to be.
And I'm not as good as I'm going to be.
But whatever I may be,
I am still
Somebody.

Best always
Brother Ron

Monday, April 18, 2011

Adam Was a Hermaphrodite

Dear Brother Ron

My sister has always gravitated to churches where they are always dissecting the Bible. I remember back in the 90's she said that the world wide web was the devil's workshop and that WWW was the mark of the beast. The latest she has shared is that Adam was a Hermephrodite(sp). Now, first of all WHERE in the Bible does it say this? She used the scripture Genesis 1:27 :

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them

So, I asked her to look at the next verse 1:28 (I quote)

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth

If this was the case then was God telling Adam to be fruitful and multiply with himself? NO!

Candy

Dear Candy

You will notice the scripture does not say male and/or female created He them. Second, the scripture says created he them, not him. He created two creatures, male and female, not one androgynous being.

Your sister needs to bone up on both her theology and her grammar.

Best always
Brother Ron

Adam and Eve

Dear Brother Ron

Adam and Eve were created by God. Eve ate Apple at Snakes behest. Adam ate Apple at Eve's behest. God finds out and curses Eve to be servile. He curses Adam to be a basic male. He curses the snake to do snaky things and then throws them out of Eden.

Why did Satan make Eve eat the apple? TO TEST HER! He had been ordered to serve humanity remember and refused! Now the first test he gives to humanity to see if they're worthy of the same respect as the Holy Light Father and Eve blows it. Worse, she compounds her sin by sharing it with Adam. And then Adam blows it!!

This was the first test for Satan to do against humanity and it failed. But maybe it was for the best. If Adam and Eve had passed, would Satan have gone on? Life would then have been different. Eden would still sit on Earth. Job would have had a quiet life. Jesus might have grown up to be a thug. Were Adam and Eve meant to fail the test so that Satan would still be an "Adversary", to give humanity the growth curve to achieve their full potential?

Thomas

Dear Thomas

First of all, the tale is allegorical. Adam is the Hebrew word for "man", meaning the generic man. Eve means "life", signifying the importance of women as the bearers of new life. I consider this a Hebrew fable as anthropologists tell us that humans did not develop written language for thousands of years. By the time it was written down, this story had been passed down for thousands of years as oral tradition. You know what happens when you tell someone to tell someone to tell someone.

Actually, the knowledge of good and evil is the basis for all modern religion. We are told by religious organizations to do good and avoid evil. How could we do this without knowing how to recognize good and evil? To me, this was a necessary step in our progression from being wild animals to becoming what our Father wants us to become.

As far as Satan is concerned, I consider him to be a personification of evil created by the religious organizations to scare people into behaving themselves and going to church. There is undoubtedly evil in the world. But we humans are quite capable of inventing the most hideous evils without any help from a little red demon with a pitchfork. Our adversary is our own human weakness and our desire for immediate temporary gratification at the expense of service to the eternal goals of our Father. Satan is just a poor excuse for bad behavior.

Best always
Brother Ron

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Absolute Truth

Dear Brother Ron

What do you think it would take to experience absolute truth? I think there is a one universal truth that connects not just humans, but every living being throughout the whole universe which is capable of questioning it's existence. I also think to perceive "absolute truth" in complete clarity would only be possible for beings who are completely in tune with their own Spiritual existence in relation to the external universe. However this would still be only "perception".

Maybe searching for these so called "truths" is of little importance and practical value as it's too easy to trip over obstacles on one's path if the focus is completely on the distant horizon.

Mister E

Dear Mister E

The only "absolute truth" comes from God. To totally experience this, one would have to be in the presence of God. This would mean the person would have to be beyond the limits of space and time, which of course would not be possible for any living human.

You are correct that even this experience would only be a personal perception. Jesus was probably as close as any human has come to having this kind of relationship with Him. I doubt we will see another person with such spiritual insight in our lifetime.

Best always
Brother Ron

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Abiogenesis

Dear Brother Ron

Does the theist argument that abiogenesis is unlikely imply that gods are infinitely more unlikely?

Many theists argue that even the basic proteins in the most basic forms of life are so complex as to make the chance of life coming into existence through random events impossible throughout the observable universe containing 100,000,000,000 galaxies, most galaxies containing billions of stars, many stars being part of their own solar system in which may be planets capable of supporting carbon-based life as we know it, not to mention other possible forms of life, i.e. silicon-based and possibly more.

Does this then imply that gods, being infinitely more complex, are infinitely more unlikely to come into existence through random events? Wouldn't that mean that the theist argument against abiogenesis is an argument against God? If abiogenesis is impossible, then so are gods? Should they just go back to their faith and leave the thinking to us? After all, no mature atheist claims to have absolute knowledge that gods couldn't possibly exist, right?

Topguesser

Dear Topguesser

For those unfamiliar with the term, abiogenesis refers to theories about the origins of life. There are two basic scientific theories about how this occurred. The first is the iron-sulfur world theory, This theory proposes that an early form of metabolism predated genetics. The other is the RNA world hypothesis, which proposes that a world filled with RNA (ribonucleic acid) based life predates current DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) based life.

The first flaw in this argument is the statement that even the basic proteins in the most basic forms of life are so complex as to make the chance of life coming into existence through random events impossible. You go on to point out (correctly) that we have observed about 100,000,000,000 galaxies, each containing billions of stars. Given this enormous number of stars and billions of years, it is safe to say that anything that can happen probably already has happened.

But all of this assumes that deities are subject to our limited concepts of space, time and probabilities. This is not true. Our concept of space and time assumes that an object (including people) can only be in one place at any given time. It also assumes that we are incapable of moving backward or forward in time. It further assumes that there is only one chain of events. In other words, that which has happened and those things which will happen are the only things which could have happened or will happen. These assumptions are not valid in God's reality. God exists in all times, places and realms of possibility simultaneously.

Once again, we see theologians attempting to practice science and scientists attempting to practice theology. Perhaps we would all be better off if everybody stuck to the fields in which they are competent.

Best always
Brother Ron