Fawzo Posted November 4, 2012 Report Share Posted November 4, 2012 You have to feed the spirit, God just doesnt protect you especially if you walk a crooked line you have to try and follow in Gods path and in that way he will protect your spirit, things happen on earth that God has no control over, he does not get involved that is why he gave us free will. Thats why people ask how could God let that happen it really isnt God that lets it happen it is man's free will and God does not interfere with our free will.Is it their free will that people, suffer and die. Free Will is limited within the structures that God created.If one has to feed Spirit and God was all there was, what did he eat, himself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mererdog Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 I have never heard of a terrorist or thug yet who just stopped because someone said they were a pacifist and lets just talk about it over a coffee.I saw a thing on the news once where a man with a gun burst into a home demanding money. Inside the home were a pair of ladies who calmly asked the man if he would sit down for a cup of tea and offered to talk to him about whatever was bothering him. The man ended up apologizing, and leaving the house in tears. It happens. Of course, the story only played once on the late news as a human interest puff piece. Had the man shot the two elderly women, the story would have been repeated more often. Had there been an attractive blond lady involved, it would have made the national news.There are two points to mentioning this. One is that peaceful solutions don't get press. The second is that not knowing a nonviolent solution to a problem is not the same a nonviolent solution to the problem not existing. And in the rush to excuse resorting to violence, we often discourage looking for nonviolent solutions. After all, once you have decided that nonviolence cannot work, you will never give it a real try, will you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan56 Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 After all, once you have decided that nonviolence cannot work, you will never give it a real try, will you?I'm guessing that the opposite is also true... Once you've decided that nonviolence will work, you may not live long enough to give it a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mererdog Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 I'm guessing that the opposite is also true... Once you've decided that nonviolence will work, you may not live long enough to give it a try. That is always possible. There are few, if any, real guarantees in life. The thing is, I would rather die doing right than live doing wrong. How about you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev.Frank Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 (edited) Is it their free will that people, suffer and die. Free Will is limited within the structures that God created.If one has to feed Spirit and God was all there was, what did he eat, himself?God does not need to feed his spirit! He is the almighty, he IS! And yes it is free will when people suffer at the hands of others not the free will of the person suffering but it is certainly the free will of the person causing the pain and suffering they have the will to do it or not they chose to do it their free will and the person suffering also has the free will to lay down and take it or stand up and fight against it. Edited November 5, 2012 by Rev.Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fawzo Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 God does not need to feed his spirit! He is the almighty, he IS! And yes it is free will when people suffer at the hands of others not the free will of the person suffering but it is certainly the free will of the person causing the pain and suffering they have the will to do it or not they chose to do it their free will and the person suffering also has the free will to lay down and take it or stand up and fight against it.What about the free will of not being a part of God's little drama whatsoever? Exactly God does not need to feed his Spirit and we are merely little flames off of the big flame, what else could we be since we descended from his Spirit which is all there is in all actuality I do believe. So then why should our Spirit hunger whatsoever? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youch Posted November 20, 2012 Report Share Posted November 20, 2012 Describe and define pacifism....... To me, the concept is antithetical to nature, and thus is a farce like so much other liberal nonsense...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokigami Posted November 20, 2012 Report Share Posted November 20, 2012 I would also like a definition of violence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mererdog Posted November 20, 2012 Report Share Posted November 20, 2012 Describe and define pacifism.......\Pacifism is the renunciation of the use of physical violence as a problem-solving tool.To me, the concept is antithetical to nature,It would be antithetical to my nature to be anything else. It is a mistake to consider what is unusual to be unnatural. In nature, what is usual today is not usual tomorrow, because what is effective in today's environment is not effective in tomorrow's. If we do not do things that we have not done before -if we do not do things that no other animal has done before- we will not survive as a species. That is not meant to suggest that pacifism is necessary to prevent extinction, of course. Merely to point out a flaw in your reasoning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Kaman Posted November 20, 2012 Report Share Posted November 20, 2012 (edited) All things in nature are natural. Humans are every bit a part of nature and there for just as natural as any thing else. Humans, however, have the advantage of being able to adapt to new situations and conditions far more readily than other creatures. If ALL or most humans were to become pacifists, it would be the natural condition of humans. As it is, it is natural for some humans to be pacifists at some level and it is natural for some humans to be violent to some degree or another. My own belief is, a pacifist will be a pacifist until the pacifist's home and family are threatened at which point violence will win out or the "non-violent DNA" will no longer pass itself to a new generation. Edited November 20, 2012 by Brother Kaman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mererdog Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 My own belief is, a pacifist will be a pacifist until the pacifist's home and family are threatened at which point violence will win out or the "non-violent DNA" will no longer pass itself to a new generation.It is your belief, therefore, that threats cannot be effectively handled in nonviolent ways. That belief is proven false by the many times threats have been effectively handled nonviolently. When people find themselves in situations where they think their only options are to fight or die, they usually have other options they just haven't thought of.And purely as a matter of theological consistency, I can believe you when you tell me that I am god and I create my own reality, or I can believe you when you tell me that there are times I have to resort to violence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Cornelius Posted November 21, 2012 Moderator Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 It is your belief, therefore, that threats cannot be effectively handled in nonviolent ways. That belief is proven false by the many times threats have been effectively handled nonviolently. When people find themselves in situations where they think their only options are to fight or die, they usually have other options they just haven't thought of.And purely as a matter of theological consistency, I can believe you when you tell me that I am god and I create my own reality, or I can believe you when you tell me that there are times I have to resort to violence.so some psycho breaks into your house with the intent to kill you and your loved ones while committing perverse acts just because he liked your yard gnome and then saw your family and liked them too. what's the non violent option to protect your family? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Kaman Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 (edited) It is your belief, therefore, that threats cannot be effectively handled in nonviolent ways. That belief is proven false by the many times threats have been effectively handled nonviolently. When people find themselves in situations where they think their only options are to fight or die, they usually have other options they just haven't thought of.And purely as a matter of theological consistency, I can believe you when you tell me that I am god and I create my own reality, or I can believe you when you tell me that there are times I have to resort to violence.Your reality of this world already contains violence or you would not speak against it. Resorting to violence to save your home, family, self could be a part of your reality as well. Dying and not passing on your DNA could also be your reality. Animals (humans are animals, you know) resort to violence to pass on their DNA. They will do battle over territory (home), defend their young (family) and fight to the death to survive (self). Those that are successful are able to pass on their DNA. Thou art God, meredog. The decision is yours. Edited November 21, 2012 by Brother Kaman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youch Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 I would also like a definition of violence.\Pacifism is the renunciation of the use of physical violence as a problem-solving tool.It would be antithetical to my nature to be anything else. It is a mistake to consider what is unusual to be unnatural. In nature, what is usual today is not usual tomorrow, because what is effective in today's environment is not effective in tomorrow's. If we do not do things that we have not done before -if we do not do things that no other animal has done before- we will not survive as a species. That is not meant to suggest that pacifism is necessary to prevent extinction, of course. Merely to point out a flaw in your reasoning...ALL animals live in a world unlike yours, it seems....And isn't this FACT descriptive of what is happening in the world?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mererdog Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 (edited) so some psycho breaks into your house with the intent to kill you and your loved ones while committing perverse acts just because he liked your yard gnome and then saw your family and liked them too. what's the non violent option to protect your family?That would depend on the specifics of the situation. Of course the odds of that happening are miniscule. I don't assume theft is ok simply because I may someday be unable to find food without stealing. I simply do my best to lead a life that does not place me in situations where I feel compelled to steal. Edited November 21, 2012 by mererdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mererdog Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 Dying and not passing on your DNA could also be your reality.That is true whether I act violently or not. It isn't as if violence guarantees success. Dying and not passing on your DNA could also be your reality.That is true whether I act violently or not. It isn't as if violence guarantees success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atwater Vitki Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 so some psycho breaks into your house with the intent to kill you and your loved ones while committing perverse acts just because he liked your yard gnome and then saw your family and liked them too. what's the non violent option to protect your family?For starters, a cup of tea, biscotti in the nice chair and a warm blanket....then we could discuss whatever the childhood trauma was that caused him/her to act in such a violent manner towards others.. ..oh wait....that's the Dr. Phil approach... ...getting back to reality.....Naturally this sort of violence in one's home is a bit out of the ordinary and calls for rather direct measures. If a person is unable, or unwilling to use combative force against the intruder, I would suggest doing everything the attacker demanded. In my case the garden gnome would be planted squarely up the intruders backside thus solving the immediate danger problem and the complicity implications as well! Violence is a terrible thing as I've said before and can have life changing effects on both perpetrator and defender...and not always for the good...even when in defense one's life or that of their loved ones. Violence should be the very last resort, short of surrender which is simply not an option....IMHO. If a person chooses to use violence, then they should also be prepared to suffer the immediate and long term physical and emotional consequences of their actions....which in many cases are not fully known until many years later.Blessings Be, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan56 Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 If a person chooses to use violence, then they should also be prepared to suffer the immediate and long term physical and emotional consequences of their actions....which in many cases are not fully known until many years later."If a person chooses not to use violence, then they should also be prepared to suffer the immediate and long term physical and emotional consequences of their actions....which in many cases are not fully known until many years later." To fight or not to fight, that is the question. To resist violence or stand idly by and perish. A persons cause and purpose might determine whether they're a pacifist. Christ had a reason not to fight, Patton had a reason to fight, neither were cowards, both were honorable men with a purpose behind their choices. If a greater good is achieved by a persons decision to fight or surrender, then perhaps there's nobility in either choice. There's a time to die and a time to live, circumstances often determine the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokigami Posted November 22, 2012 Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 there are probably more than two options. how do we measure if a greater good was achieved. does it matter if the result was intentional? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend V Posted April 12, 2013 Report Share Posted April 12, 2013 True pacifism is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of great strength. No species but humans are capable of practicing it and the majority of them never will. If everyone was a pacifist the world would be a much better place. Unfortunately we live in a world full of hate, greed, and lust. It is because of these three things pacifism seems to most like a pipe dream. I pray pacifism will be the only reality in the next life. Only then could it truly be called heaven. †?† Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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