1. Joined
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    23 Mar '20 06:561 edit
    A Christian friend whom I know very well said to me a few days ago “I am not worried about Coronavirus”. The comment was from a much broader exchange about social distancing and self isolation, particularly the safety of a vulnerable person mutually known to us and the context being that “not being worried about Coronavirus” meant that this Christian friend was suggesting compromising the given safety advice. My Christian friend went on about how they were not afraid of the virus and that it was no more dangerous than flu and that it was all a ploy by establishment to bring about a culture of fear and thereby introduce punitive controlling laws which would not be lifted after the crisis. I was feeling rather impinged as I was anxious for the safety of our vulnerable mutual friend.

    Here’s the thing, things for discussion...

    - It is not courage one is exhibiting when one doesn’t believe the thing to fear exists ~ it is either insight or denial. Not courage. Courage and “supernatural peace” as RBHILL called in his thread, are exhibited when one is faced with a real threat and one overcomes the fear of that real threat. There is a big difference.

    - Believing that this virus is no more dangerous than normal flu when your belief is based on nothing more than a decades old ideological construct of a conspiracy of global fear-mongering and end-times world orders, is fine ... as long as your “beliefs” and subsequent choices and actions don’t impact the safety of other people.

    - complacency about something you don’t believe is a danger is not the opposite of the fear others may have. Fear is a natural response to a perceived threat, courage is the strength of the rational mind to overcome that fear. “Supernatural peace” is therefore the strength of the spirit overcoming the fear, rather than the natural mind overcoming it.

    If you have peace, share it.
    If you have courage, show it.
    If you have fear, don’t be downhearted, it’s normal.
    If you are complacent, shame on you.

    Your thoughts?

    Edit:
    Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
    Colossians 3:15
  2. Joined
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    23 Mar '20 08:07
    @divegeester said
    It is not courage one is exhibiting when one doesn’t believe the thing to fear exists ~ it is either insight or denial. Not courage.
    I believe death is the end. I don't believe I have anything to fear - or even consider - as a result of other people's beliefs about pleasant everlasting life versus unpleasant everlasting life, so to speak. I don't think that any courage or cowardice, on my part, is involved. I am only "in denial" about Christian doctrines in the same way as I am "in denial" about Hindu, Sikh, Islamic, Jewish or scientology's doctrines. If anyone wants to describe my perspective as "insight", that's fine by me.
  3. Standard memberSecondSon
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    23 Mar '20 12:48
    @divegeester said
    A Christian friend whom I know very well said to me a few days ago “I am not worried about Coronavirus”. The comment was from a much broader exchange about social distancing and self isolation, particularly the safety of a vulnerable person mutually known to us and the context being that “not being worried about Coronavirus” meant that this Christian friend was suggesting ...[text shortened]... hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.[/i]
    Colossians 3:15
    Off the top, Covid19 is a real threat, and killing more people at a greater rate than the flu on a percentage basis. I think it wise to have a healthy dose of "fear" and take necessary precautions.

    There is a "clean" fear. Psalm 19:9. And there is a fear that "hath torment". 1 John 4:18.

    Having said that I think your post is superficial and shallow, (not that your points are invalid) with regards to the biblical application of "supernatural peace" relative to the human condition in a lost and dying world.

    Now, before you take exception to my assertion above and become unhinged, allow me to explain.

    In the beginning there was only one sovereign will governing creation. Then a created being, a cherub, Lucifer by name, raised up his own will against God's will. Isaiah 13:13,14

    The world of men is the interface between two opposing wills, albeit unequal wills; between heaven and the gates of hell as it were.

    Prophetically speaking, the current human condition, with regards to the playing out of God's redemption of man here on earth, Satan's domain, will continue to spiral out of control until the end. Matthew 14, Mark 13, Luke 21.

    The thing about "conspiracies" is, is that man is basically an unwitting fool caught between two worlds. On the one hand man is to one degree or another within the will of God based on his willingness to yield to the revealed will of God, as a believer. On the other hand man is a blind accomplice with the destructive will of restrained evil.

    I believe "the world"(of mankind) has been in the "end times" for 2000 years, but is entering now to the conclusion of that time just prior to the resumption of the prophetic calendar relative to the "seventieth week of Daniel", with regards to Israel and the completion of God's plan of redemption.

    Read Revelation chapter 5. "The book" with the seven seals is the "title deed" of creation.

    There's nothing to fear, that is as long as one is walking in the kingdom of light as opposed to the kingdom of darkness.
  4. Subscriberrookie54
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    23 Mar '20 13:57
    @divegeester
    thank you
  5. SubscriberSuzianne
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    23 Mar '20 14:08
    @divegeester said
    A Christian friend whom I know very well said to me a few days ago “I am not worried about Coronavirus”. The comment was from a much broader exchange about social distancing and self isolation, particularly the safety of a vulnerable person mutually known to us and the context being that “not being worried about Coronavirus” meant that this Christian friend was suggesting ...[text shortened]... hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.[/i]
    Colossians 3:15
    Amen.
  6. Joined
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    23 Mar '20 14:58
    @secondson said
    There's nothing to fear, that is as long as one is walking in the kingdom of light as opposed to the kingdom of darkness.
    I don't think your religious beliefs create or portray anything credible that anyone needs to "fear".

    Furthermore, if you walk around telling yourself that you have "nothing to fear" vis a vis your own religious beliefs, then that seems pretty harmless to me. Go for it.
  7. Joined
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    23 Mar '20 16:051 edit
    @fmf said
    I believe death is the end. I don't believe I have anything to fear - or even consider - as a result of other people's beliefs about pleasant everlasting life versus unpleasant everlasting life, so to speak. I don't think that any courage or cowardice, on my part, is involved. I am only "in denial" about Christian doctrines in the same way as I am "in denial" about Hindu, Sikh, ...[text shortened]... scientology's doctrines. If anyone wants to describe my perspective as "insight", that's fine by me.
    Without meaning to sound rude, I don’t think you are included in the sample: “I am courageous of something I don’t believe exists”. You DO believe that coronavirus exists and you are being calmly pragmatic. The sample of people I am referring to are those who chose to be complacent and confuse that complacency with courage because they don’t believe what the scientific community are telling them, I.e. they don’t believe the virus is something to be fearful of.

    Them telling others that they are being “fearful” because those others believe there’s s something to fear, is not edifying,
  8. Joined
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    23 Mar '20 16:10
    @secondson said
    Having said that I think your post is superficial and shallow
    Of course you do; you don’t like me because I regularly box your ears for being unprincipled and blowhardy.

    Do you se this global pandemic as part of the events within the later stages of the end times which you mention, and facilitating the processes for introducing this “one world order and one world religion” you have been recently railing about?
  9. The Ghost Chamber
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    23 Mar '20 16:16
    @divegeester said
    A Christian friend whom I know very well said to me a few days ago “I am not worried about Coronavirus”. The comment was from a much broader exchange about social distancing and self isolation, particularly the safety of a vulnerable person mutually known to us and the context being that “not being worried about Coronavirus” meant that this Christian friend was suggesting ...[text shortened]... hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.[/i]
    Colossians 3:15
    I'm a little worried that the Jehovah's Witnesses will find out we are 'all' at home.

    😲
  10. Joined
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    23 Mar '20 16:28
    @ghost-of-a-duke said
    I'm a little worried that the Jehovah's Witnesses will find out we are 'all' at home.

    😲
    Haha, I saw that one too.
  11. The Ghost Chamber
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    23 Mar '20 16:30
    @divegeester said
    Haha, I saw that one too.
    😞 I'm taking credit for it.
  12. Joined
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    23 Mar '20 17:11
    @divegeester said
    Without meaning to sound rude, I don’t think you are included in the sample: “I am courageous of something I don’t believe exists”. You DO believe that coronavirus exists and you are being calmly pragmatic. The sample of people I am referring to are those who chose to be complacent and confuse that complacency with courage because they don’t believe what the scientific co ...[text shortened]... they are being “fearful” because those others believe there’s s something to fear, is not edifying,
    The apparent discrepancy between the ball you brought and the ball I picked up and ran with, will be all the more mysterious if I simply decline to run back towards you and give the ball back.
  13. Standard memberBigDogg
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    23 Mar '20 18:37
    @divegeester said
    A Christian friend whom I know very well said to me a few days ago “I am not worried about Coronavirus”. The comment was from a much broader exchange about social distancing and self isolation, particularly the safety of a vulnerable person mutually known to us and the context being that “not being worried about Coronavirus” meant that this Christian friend was suggesting ...[text shortened]... hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.[/i]
    Colossians 3:15
    Good post.

    Bran thought about it. 'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?'
    'That is the only time a man can be brave,' his father told him.
    George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
  14. Joined
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    23 Mar '20 18:51
    @bigdoggproblem said

    Bran thought about it. 'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?'
    'That is the only time a man can be brave,' his father told him.
    George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
    Spot on.
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