Will Nonviolence Ever Be a World Reality?

[Batexia]

Nearly every government or political power says they want Peace. But do they? More and more we read and hear of violence, genocide, war, rape and other atrocities taking place.

Some say it is down to religion - but even in those countries where there is no state religion there are still atrocities. So what is the answer?

[goodlife]

Mankind does not know where it is going, but it is on its way and it hopes desperately that it will move into a renovated world of better living, a new world of man’s making. But despite all the political, social, cultural, economic, scientific and religious changes this is still the same old world. Only the face of it has changed, as any scratch beneath the surface will disclose. Its spirit is still an old-world spirit, its selfish divisions are still there with gaps threatening to widen; its self-reliant, self-determining aims are still there; and, most ominously of all, the unseen, forces behind the operation of this world are still there and feverishly active. Yet, in spite of all the factors for perpetuating the old world,

You all see this happening ,and can’t see it, that the old world present system of things will be removed. And that is exactly what the Bible heavenly government will do. It takes real faith for a Christian to rest his whole life on the Bible.
But that what a marvelous hope ahead, Jesus’ bracing words, “He that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)

[emmie]

no it won't, not while you have human beings with all their foibles

[beso]

goodlife //Only the face of it has changed, as any scratch beneath the surface will disclose. Its spirit is still an old-world spirit, its selfish divisions are still there with gaps threatening to widen; //

Agreed. If only we could move beyond the machinations of the Abrahamic faiths that remain mired in archaic prejudices.

[beso]

Societies that have moved beyond religion are the happiest and most fulfilling. The statistics prove it.

The most religious are the most miserable and violent.

[goodlife]

Beso@areyou being kind to yourself? The answer to that question is not so simple as it seems Man has one talent that separates him from the other animals—the art of making himself miserable. He is the only animal that will turn his back on joy and make himself deliberately unhappy.

[naomi24]

Goodlife, so we can look forward to a non-violent world - after God slaughters all the non-believers. Is that right?

[goodlife]

Naomi, believe what you will, you have the Bible, just as I have.

[naomi24]

Goodlife, Isn't that right then? Is God not going to slaughter all the non-believers and leave the world to you good people?

[LazyGun]

No, goodlife. Mans single, unique talent that separates us from the rest of the animals is the capacity of the mind to engage in abstract thought. All things come from that, including god and faith in god

.Fortunately, as humanity matures, our understanding of the universe and how we interact with it improves, and we have less and less need for superstitious explanations. The need for god, the need for religion dissipates, and thats a good thing.

[beso]

goodlife //Beso@areyou being kind to yourself? //

???? More gibberish.

The facts are that the people of countries like Norway, Sweden and Denmark are measured among the happiest on the planet. They are also among the least religious.

Religion is slowly dying out. There is nothing you can do about it.

[goodlife]

Yes there is, true christians are to preach the “good news of the kingdom” by telling others about it, explaining that the Kingdom is the future world government that will rule the earth.

Why Are People Leaving collapse of religion” is particularly striking in some northern European countries. In Norway and Denmark, only 5 percent of the population are regular churchgoers. In Sweden the figure is as low as 4 percent, and in Russia 2 percent.
Regarding the decline in believers in Britain, the newspaper The Guardian says: “Christianity has never looked in worse shape.” The article states that “for priest and presbyter, 1950-2000 was the worst of half-centuries.” Referring to a special report on religion in the United Kingdom, the newspaper shows that not only young people but also the elderly are losing faith in institutional religion. It says: “Older people are losing faith in God as they age.

New research confirming the trend will shock Britain’s crisis-hit churches, which until now have regarded the elderly as the enduring backbone of their dwindling even after many years of faithful church attendance, some find themselves wondering, ‘What have I really learned in church Am I closer to God as a result?’ No wonder that in the West, spiritual poverty has replaced material poverty as the leading want of our age.

So the success of the Kingdom-preaching work and the growth and spiritual prosperity of Jehovah’s people can be described as a miracle. Without God’s support, which includes his guidance and protection of his people, the preaching work would not be possible. We can be sure that with God’s holy spirit working on the hearts of vigilant people who are willing to serve, this preaching work will be carried on to a successful conclusion, “and then the end will come.” That time is rapidly approaching.( Matt 24:14)

[Old_Geezer]

Human nature being what it is there will always be disagreements and since there is no clear cut authority one can not argue with, it is inevitable that in a free world some will resort to violence as a form of power to fight their own corner. Ultimately any way to force someone else to do what you wish rater than what they wish is violence (or the threat of it) at some level.

One might, at a national or more local level, want peace; but one wants to ensure one is not mistreated also; so it is a question of what takes priority at the time. Life is not as black & white as we may wish; often one has to pick the lesser of two evils.

Religion can be a source of conflict, particularly where the believers feel they have a duty to persuade others. Whilst religions are not the only source of conflict they add their share to the world's troubles,

The answer is to accept the imperfect state we call life. Rather than wish for castles in the sky where all is happy ever after.

[LazyGun]

Once again, goodlife asserts without evidence.

Spritual poverty has replaced material poverty as the leading want of our age? As measured by who? Using what indicators? This is a fundamentally incorrect assertion.

Then we go back to nice. jolly sounding phases and waffle about the support and infusion of spirit to back up evangelising. And then we get to the last statement - that once this evangelism has succeeded (but. once again, no yardsticks by which to measure progress) - its judgement day! the worthy get raptured, the rest of us not so much. Its a cult that worships and looks forward to death, and humanity would be in serious need of help were this cult ever to be taken seriously.

[goodlife]

Lazy@True, If you immodestly take ourselves too seriously, we may find it difficult to maintain a fair and accurate perspective of people and events around us.
Jehovah’s Witnesses, meet with ridicule and rejection all the time, but having a modest and humble spirit enables Jehovah’s servants to find true joy in their ministry, some of the respond so readily to the exposure of religious error. At times, false teaching has blinded people to such an extent that they think they want nothing to do with those who do not agree with their beliefs. Yet, once someone is able to help them to see that they have not been told the truth, they are willing to make tremendous changes, so there hope for you yet.

[jake-the-peg]

It's true goodlife when people have seen they've been exposed to religious erro they can make tremendous changes.

I have a friend who was brought up a Jehovas Witness - her abiding memory as a child was preparing for the end of the world in 1975

Guess what happened

Imagine how emotionally scaring that was for a teenage girl

After all the elders claimed it had all been a mistake and people had not understood them properly but she remembered so well.

She left the JWs

She was exposed to that religious error and it gave her the strength to make tremendous changes - I can only imagine how hard that was for her.


I do hope your church has realised its error and stopped this stupid behaviour of predicting the end of the world

[goodlife]

Sad,these erroneous views did not mean that God’s promises were wrong, that he had made a mistake. By no means! The mistakes or misconceptions, as in the case of first-century Christians, were due to a failure to heed Jesus’ caution, ‘You do not know the time.’ The wrong conclusions were due, not to malice or to unfaithfulness to Christ, but to a fervent desire to realize the fulfillment of God’s promises in their own time.

[naomi24]

//The wrong conclusions were due, not to malice or to unfaithfulness to Christ, but to a fervent desire to realize the fulfillment of God’s promises in their own time. //

Oh, well that's alright then. Never mind who was harmed by that sheer stupidity.

[dickythecook]

There is no profit in peace. So no is the answer.

[goodlife]

Two things can be deduced from the way Jesus answered questions relating to when things would occur in fulfillment of God’s purpose. First, that Jehovah has a timetable; and second, that he alone fixes it, and his servants cannot expect to be given precise advance information of his times or seasons (Matt 24:36)

[LazyGun]

I have yet to see a goodlife post that actually deals with issues raised from previous posts. What we get instead is either a restatement of the original sentiment, or another evidence free post on a different subject.

Assertion without evidence. Assumption of circumstances without any evidence. A paragraph or two wrapping up a biblical verse.

So, when the evidence is challenged, as with jtps post, it is not the fault of those who "interpret" the message. And, we have a damn cheek to attempt to pin these servants of god down to a specific timetable for their prophecies anyway, since it is not our place to question.

Its weasel words after weasel words, always with the fallback position that humanity is imperfect, or undeserving, and therefore unworthy of being able to comprehend the majesty of the message.

Anyone with half an eye can spot the garbage that goodlife burbles. What is more concerning to me is the level of delusion these mouthpieces demonstrate.