The notion that we all agree to the rules seems like a convenient excuse to kill any arguments to the effect of "well prove it and delete gravity then", "oh I can't do that on my own, everyone has to have faith that gravity will turn off".
To be honest, all these kinds of claims seem to me to be nothing more than an extreme stretching of the actual truth that how you perceive things "changes your world". But that isn't literal.
If I break my leg, I can see it as positive. My leg is still broken, and I can't work.
I can will myself to be sad that I won a million dollars. I have a million dollars and can now pay off my parent's house and cars.
I can perceive a world where bad things are always happening by "attuning" myself to a world where only bad things happen, but all that means is I'm focusing on a bunch of bad things. It doesn't mean more bad things are happening in our world or that the world changed because of my egocentric notion that I'm for all intents and purposes God and control everything.
I don't see how anyone can make the leap from perception power to a literal reality changing power. The power of perception is real, the power to change reality is firmly held in the Hand of God.
these rules aren't stronger because they are followed by many. they are strongly effective in your life, and many others lives, because that is the type of story we came here for. one of consistency; a story that allows us to feel disconnection from God so that we feel it so much stronger when we rediscover the connection.
no, focusing on negative events does not cause you to see more negative events.... but having a negative reaction to any event you see absolutely does cause more things to appear in your life that will cause a similar reaction.
the same is true on the positive side, of appreciation. being in the appreciative state of mind will draw more events in your life that make you feel that same appreciation. That is the point of praising God, of praising the source of every good and perfect gift. Even in scarcity and adversity.
Sure, you can assign that reality changing power to God. I don't disagree. But God affects your reality in response to what you believe, and how you feel, think, and act. So is that really a point of contention?
If you believe that you do not have the power to affect your reality... then that is what your experience will reflect.
remember the centurion's servant. it is all based on your own degree and application of faith.
I do assign the power to change things to God, no matter what I believe, feel, think or act. To say you know the mind of God as you do is hubris, the mind of God is far beyond anything we can experience.
Our beliefs do not control us, God and/or satan do.
I agree to a certain extent. When I was an atheist, many things confirmed atheism and nothing confirmed God. Now that I'm a Christian, everything confirms God and I find atheism ridiculous.
But the ultimate reality always existed. Atheism was always false and God was always Truth. My perception was the only differentiating factor.
And being positive or negative may change what I generally perceive, but it won't actually change reality around me, only my internal perception of objective reality.
Faith works when it is in God. That's not to say we can't put our faith in Satan and get something out of it. But Satan is still Satan and God is still God. Putting our faith in God will be far better than putting it in Satan. Meanwhile, putting our faith in a rock will do just about nothing.
I don't get to make the rock anything more than a rock, and I don't get to decide who God and Satan are. They all exist independent of me. The same as I don't get to decide who you are or tell you what your opinions are. You are an independent being that I don't control with my mind.
I suppose the response to all of this is just, "if that's what you believe, it will be your world", but my problem is I see no evidence of any of this in a literal sense. Perception is one thing, but my world can only change so much based on my beliefs.
The notion that we all agree to the rules seems like a convenient excuse to kill any arguments to the effect of "well prove it and delete gravity then", "oh I can't do that on my own, everyone has to have faith that gravity will turn off".
To be honest, all these kinds of claims seem to me to be nothing more than an extreme stretching of the actual truth that how you perceive things "changes your world". But that isn't literal.
If I break my leg, I can see it as positive. My leg is still broken, and I can't work.
I can will myself to be sad that I won a million dollars. I have a million dollars and can now pay off my parent's house and cars.
I can perceive a world where bad things are always happening by "attuning" myself to a world where only bad things happen, but all that means is I'm focusing on a bunch of bad things. It doesn't mean more bad things are happening in our world or that the world changed because of my egocentric notion that I'm for all intents and purposes God and control everything.
I don't see how anyone can make the leap from perception power to a literal reality changing power. The power of perception is real, the power to change reality is firmly held in the Hand of God.
let me address your misunderstandings.
these rules aren't stronger because they are followed by many. they are strongly effective in your life, and many others lives, because that is the type of story we came here for. one of consistency; a story that allows us to feel disconnection from God so that we feel it so much stronger when we rediscover the connection.
no, focusing on negative events does not cause you to see more negative events.... but having a negative reaction to any event you see absolutely does cause more things to appear in your life that will cause a similar reaction.
the same is true on the positive side, of appreciation. being in the appreciative state of mind will draw more events in your life that make you feel that same appreciation. That is the point of praising God, of praising the source of every good and perfect gift. Even in scarcity and adversity.
Sure, you can assign that reality changing power to God. I don't disagree. But God affects your reality in response to what you believe, and how you feel, think, and act. So is that really a point of contention?
If you believe that you do not have the power to affect your reality... then that is what your experience will reflect.
remember the centurion's servant. it is all based on your own degree and application of faith.
I do assign the power to change things to God, no matter what I believe, feel, think or act. To say you know the mind of God as you do is hubris, the mind of God is far beyond anything we can experience.
Our beliefs do not control us, God and/or satan do.
and since those are your beliefs, they will be confirmed to you in your experience.
They weren't.
I agree to a certain extent. When I was an atheist, many things confirmed atheism and nothing confirmed God. Now that I'm a Christian, everything confirms God and I find atheism ridiculous.
But the ultimate reality always existed. Atheism was always false and God was always Truth. My perception was the only differentiating factor.
And being positive or negative may change what I generally perceive, but it won't actually change reality around me, only my internal perception of objective reality.
Faith works when it is in God. That's not to say we can't put our faith in Satan and get something out of it. But Satan is still Satan and God is still God. Putting our faith in God will be far better than putting it in Satan. Meanwhile, putting our faith in a rock will do just about nothing.
I don't get to make the rock anything more than a rock, and I don't get to decide who God and Satan are. They all exist independent of me. The same as I don't get to decide who you are or tell you what your opinions are. You are an independent being that I don't control with my mind.
I suppose the response to all of this is just, "if that's what you believe, it will be your world", but my problem is I see no evidence of any of this in a literal sense. Perception is one thing, but my world can only change so much based on my beliefs.
Good chat. And we can only perceive reality. Whether we want to admit what we see is up to us. Honesty counts, and truth comes from God.