A subject long debated for several thousands of years.
A question flew through the air and hit me like a ton of bricks - what is truth? How do we know what truth is?
Well, my computer's definition of truth is "the state of being true." Then it defines true as "in accordance with fact or reality." So, yeah, basically, truth is the reality of it all. I'm sure we can all agree on that.
There are so many religions out there that no man can count them. Honestly . . . . every individual has their own religion, if you think about it. A religion is a personal set of beliefs. Thus being so, no two men can have the same religion; for we all are different. Many can have several similarities, but there will always be differences and personal opinions.
In my understanding of things, I believe that the REAL TRUTH will set a person free. I don't believe in the saying, "What he/she doesn't know won't hurt him/her." I believe it does. If we know the reality, we can step in and change things around - at least alter them in some way.
Christians are well-known for strongly expressing what they believe as ultimate truth. But then again, Muslims think their way is the only way. This goes for everyone.
Most of my blog readers are Apostolic Pentecostal Christians. I will speak mainly to you all in this paragraph. If you are one to travel and visit different churches, it is probably no secret at all to you that no two Pentecostal churches believe the exact same thing. Some are more conservative with things. Others are more liberal. Which way is right?
In my opinion, I truly believe that the only way to know what truth is is to try it and prove it. You cannot find fault with real truth. It will always stand true. No one will ever be able to change it or defeat it.
It's been my habit in the past to base what I believe entirely off of whichever person I happened to adore the most at the time. I would pay extra attention to them, matching my standards with theirs. I've decided not to do that anymore. It's like I saw that person as the only one to mimic my life after. It was like I would subconsciously ask myself WWSD - What Would So-and-So Do? LoL.
I think another way to discover truth is to be EXTREMELY open-minded. If you make an effort to perform a very detailed study on something that is very contrary to your belief, you will learn to understand where others are coming from.
YOU CANNOT MAKE A JUDGMENT UNLESS YOU HEAR BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY!
All people are composed of emotion and logic. Some operate strictly by emotion; others by logic. But it is necessary to maintain an even balance of the two. Get my drift?
So far, I have found no better truth than what I have discovered in Pentecostalism. And in no way am I saying that Pentecostalism is the only way. It's just that I've found nothing better. I have become extremely open-minded and understanding. I think people should learn to be that way regardless of anything. If you hear both sides of the story, you'll have a decision to make which one to follow. Just because you learn about something that's not appealing to you doesn't mean you have to follow it. It just makes you become more confident in what you originally believed.
We all need to let go of pride and traditions. We are all individuals. I've personally tried and proven much of the Bible, so I have made a decision to wholly follow it unless something better comes along. Honestly, I don't think I could possibly find anything better, but it's unnecessary to make that proclamation. Real truth speaks for itself.
People are tired of hearing about religion. We all want an experience. It's always talk, talk, and more talk! How about some walk? We want to be involved in truth, not just blab away and war over about what we perceive to be truth.
I also think that real truth is alive. Since it is a very well-known common theme that all humans possess a drive to search for true love, I assume that the real truth is that true love. Yes? No?
Speak at me.
This is a comment that a friend of mine posted to this same blog entry on Myspace:
ReplyDelete"If I may try my philosophical hand at this, True love is the true purpose, whereas truth is the lens through which you see it. It means that understanding what is true will open your eyes to the most beautiful things in life, big and small, sublime and strange. True love is more beautiful when it is realized as being true love. It is the perception of, the finding, the declaration of This is: true love. Well how do you know? well I feel it. I just know. I understand. So it is in this we see that the understanding is the key. This is truth. A lens with which to see the world. although, again, one could argue that a true truth is only seen without the aid of a lens, but i wont go there right now. :c)"
Shortly after, he privately messaged me the following:
"Hello there!
I was wondering if you could help me with something. You are the only other philosopher I know, so it's become increasingly difficult for me to discuss certain things with people, because they have no concept of philosophy, or as I like to call it, thinking with greater meaning. Now I say that you are a philosopher like myself because you live your life by faith, which is actually quite hard of a concept to grasp for some people. Anyway what this means is you think on very grand, large scale. This is the type of thinking that philosophers use to argue about life and death and all the trivialities in between.
Do you think you would be up for these kinds of discussions? I must warn you I feel, that philosopher discussions almost always end in heated argument, although it is all out of fair battle, so to speak. lol. But yeah, if you would be interested in this type of discussion let me know. I would love the opinions of another, especially those of a Christian, as you actually have a notion of what it is that you believe, whereas many other philosophers and religious folk alike really just believe whatever they're fed.
I am very melancholy unfortunately, so I have a tendency to get carried away with passion and ideas. It would be refreshing and most helpful if you were there to offer some grounding insight :c)
Let me know if this sounds like something you'd be interested in. If it is, I will launch my first question for debate, and that is going to be: "Define God."
SEE NEXT COMMENT FOR MY RESPONSE. I feel this is highly relevant.
That sounds like so much fun! I accept.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you already know I'm fairly melancholy too, a philosopher's prime temperament! :-P Actually, I'm pretty much equally phlegmatic too. It's an odd combination.
Well, to start this off, I hope you would have already seen my comment back to you on my blog entitled "Truth." But here is a c.c. of the part I want, nonetheless. Actually, I will just post your response, my response, then I'll post my definition of God, and we'll go from there. I'm pulling my definition from my already given blog response.
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BLOG COMMENTER: "If I may try my philosophical hand at this, True love is the true purpose, whereas truth is the lens through which you see it. It means that understanding what is true will open your eyes to the most beautiful things in life, big and small, sublime and strange. True love is more beautiful when it is realized as being true love. It is the perception of, the finding, the declaration of This is: true love. Well how do you know? well I feel it. I just know. I understand. So it is in this we see that the understanding is the key. This is truth. A lens with which to see the world. although, again, one could argue that a true truth is only seen without the aid of a lens, but i wont go there right now. :c)"
FWIENDAWAN: "LoL, b4 I read ur latter statement regarding arguing against the assistance of a lens, I started thinking of an argument as such. Peradventure I shall dig deep into thy philosophical hand and question.
It seems that a lens provides a barrier. I was going to argue that lenses can be tainted and/or tinted, which would prevent one from seeing true love in its actual state, but then the thought of a microscope occurred to me and discontinued that idea. A microscope contains a lens in which exponentially magnifies the object ahead of it. Perhaps that is more of the lens of which you speak.
However, even so, a lens creates a barrier between the beholder and the object, does it not? Would not true love unveil itself? We may look at people through our own way of thinking, but regardless of how we look at them, the reality of their identity won't change. In order for us to see the reality of them, mustn't we commence a relationship with them and get to know them?
My idea of the characteristics of true love comes from the Bible, though it appears to be true in all walks of life. Behold the essence of true love as described in 1 Corinthians 13 - true love stands tall regardless of rights or wrongs (agape). It shows a friendly, generous, and considerate nature. It doesn't show feelings of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck. It shows humility. It's not promiscuous, nor selfish, nor quick to become angry. It thinks no evil. It frowns upon the bad and smiles upon the good. It's resilient and unstoppable by all things. It's hopeful and strong, undefeatable. It never fails nor makes mistakes. It endures forever.
Are you in agreement? Yea or nay?
If the answer is yea, then if true love is essentially flawless, is it possible for it to exist in a human being?
If the answer is nay, then what be your idea of true love?"
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I believe that God is the true love of which I speak. He's not just a part of true love, but I believe that He literally IS true love. And in order for true love to exist, there must also be a "be-loved." True love needs an object to project itself onto. I believe that we are that object. I also believe that this God's name is Jesus. (Therefore, I am more in accord with the oneness movement than with the the trinitarian movement. I can use Jewish customs and laws, along with other things, to prove the oneness theory, but that can be in another discussion if necessary.)
Playing off the words of our responses to my blog, it is one of my prime goals in life to get past the lens and get to know and touch God - to be fairly intimate with Him. I believe the Bible to be full truth, but the manuscript appears as the metaphorical lens to many around the world. As I daily walk in a divine relationship with this Jesus, I have found Him to truly be whom the authors of the Bible have said He was. And I have yet to find contrary. I've gone beyond a mere "mustard seed" faith and have experienced Him.
Allow me to re-quote a part of your response to my blog: "True love is more beautiful when it is realized as being true love. It is the perception of, the finding, the declaration of This is: true love. Well how do you know? well I feel it. I just know. I understand. So it is in this we see that the understanding is the key. This is truth."
Here you imply that true love can be felt. I am in one accord with you; though I must ask a question: would you also agree that love can only be felt if it is mutual? Also, how can we love that which we do not understand?
Consider the following: I believe God is my creator; therefore, He understands every single aspect of me. He knows how I'm supposed to function. He knows what's good for me and bad for me. There is not one thing He doesn't know about me; for He formed me. He even knows the number of hairs upon my head. I also believe that He first loved me and that He will never stop loving me regardless of anything; for it is not His will that any should perish, but that all should inherit eternal life. So . . . . the more I come to understand the ways of God, the more I come to love Him. The more I come to love Him, the more I feel His touch. So if love can only be felt if it is mutual, then I must say that the more I come to understand God, the more I shall feel Him. And that is true based from what I have experienced.
Since God is a spirit, not having a body of flesh and blood, his touch is different than that of man's. Generally when I feel His touch, the hair of my skin arises in accompaniment with goosebumps. That is what people feel, as they describe, when they sense the presence of an apparition, though fear may grip them, and the sensation is cold. When I feel what I feel, I feel a warmth, a sensation of love, peace, and joy, indicating that it is indeed a good apparition or a holy spirit, one could say.
I suppose the same feeling can be achieved with something inspiring - be it a dramatic movie with a happy ending, a touching letter, a moving chorus, etc. But I can challenge that. Time to time, I can feel this presence at a much greater intensity. I will experience the aforementioned feelings, but the feeling won't just dwell on the surface of the skin; I will feel it submerge into my flesh, reaching to the depths of my bowels. Often times it will cause my body to tremble, whether gently or sometimes fairly noticeably. It's something I have no control over; that is, once I have chosen to give myself in a full act of worship to my Maker. I offer Him myself as a living sacrifice. There have been a few times when this presence has caused me to collapse like a ton of bricks onto the floor, completely unharmed. It would so coerce me to weep and prayer with the totality of my heart. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
I tell you all this in truth and verity, for a lie would just be a waste of both our time.
Also, I believe that nothing is accomplished in this world but in answer to prayer. God does not get involved in the affairs of man unless one invites Him in. He looks for earth partners who understand Him and love Him. He would that they would know His will and be able to pray according to it. Prayer is answered solely according to the will of God.
Well, I have given you both of what I understand logically and emotionally of God.
Is this a satisfactory response to your statement, "define God"?
Most sincerely,
Aaron McGrew