Res Ipsa wrote:What if someone is happier having Jesus in their life than they are without?
Are you suggesting that such a one originally didn't have Jesus in their life and on their own failed to achieve or maintain a high level of happiness without introducing an imaginary friend into their life?
Res Ipsa wrote:What if someone is happier having Jesus in their life than they are without?
Are you suggesting that such a one originally didn't have Jesus in their life and on their own failed to achieve or maintain a high level of happiness without introducing an imaginary friend into their life?
I’m not suggesting anything other than the possibility that a person could be happier with Jesus in his life than without.
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.”
― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1951
SteelHead wrote:Res, How is Jesus in anyone's life? His legacy, teachings (or those attributed to him) - sure.... But tell how Jesus himself is in anyone's life. Please.
I’m using the phrase In the way that I understand Shulem to be using it: belief in a divine Jesus, acceptance of him as a personal savior, and having some sort of personal relationship with him. Something like that.
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.”
― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1951
SteelHead wrote:Res, How is Jesus in anyone's life? His legacy, teachings (or those attributed to him) - sure.... But tell how Jesus himself is in anyone's life. Please.
Res Ipsa wrote:I’m not suggesting anything other than the possibility that a person could be happier with Jesus in his life than without.
I suppose it is possible that a person could be happier having an imaginary friend in their life rather than having a normal healthy relationship with themselves and other living persons who live on planet earth. But hey, who am I to say that someone couldn't be happier playing with their imagination and living a fantasy?
Res Ipsa wrote:I’m not suggesting anything other than the possibility that a person could be happier with Jesus in his life than without.
I suppose it is possible that a person could be happier having an imaginary friend in their life rather than having a normal healthy relationship with themselves and other living persons who live on planet earth. But hey, who am I to say that someone couldn't be happier playing with their imagination and living a fantasy?
Exactly. Who are you to say? Who am I to say?
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.”
― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1951
It has crossed my mind that I thought Jesus in your life meant finding the life message and death of Jesus an inspiration to try and make the world a better place.
Occasionally it sounds as if in this thread Jesus in your life is about making time on Saturday to play checkers with an imaginary friend.
huckelberry wrote:Occasionally it sounds as if in this thread Jesus in your life is about making time on Saturday to play checkers with an imaginary friend.
No, actually, we're sewing this week.
;-)
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
Res Ipsa wrote:I’m not suggesting anything other than the possibility that a person could be happier with Jesus in his life than without.
I suppose it is possible that a person could be happier having an imaginary friend in their life rather than having a normal healthy relationship with themselves and other living persons who live on planet earth. But hey, who am I to say that someone couldn't be happier playing with their imagination and living a fantasy?
There are people who have undergone significant trauma, and who do find comfort in having a Good Guy accompany them everywhere, comfort them, tell them they're loved and how to love. I wouldn't be surprised if it enhanced cognitive abilities for some, by decreasing anxiety.
My mother's father was almost completely absent from her life even though alive and well. My father's father was an abusive alcoholic. It appears to me that they primarily use their religion to focus on that relationship of feeling like they legitimately exist and that others do as well. It helps them function.
Where I would be more critical is the exclusive reliance on an institution to do that, as Mormonism demands.
