Are we willing to tell the truth when needed?  That is a real challenge but I believe we should be ready to tell the truth at all times.  Are we ready to hear it?  I would hope that we would be ready to hear it.  What truths would we rather went unsaid?  I would suppose truths that hurt someone - I for one don't like hurting others -

Isn't there a phrase somewhere that states: "The truth shall set you free"

It is a risk but one I believe worth taking

Greetings!

If you are talking the truth in regard to one personally, for myself, I tend to react to the truth, if it is truth someone is telling me for my good or for the good of someone else, on the defensive initially.  This can cause me to turn inward, to retreat (or lash out), or to counter-attack.  But eventually, if it is indeed truth . . . then I become humble and sometimes am able to change.

Generally, I am not ready to hear it . . . I may know it, but am not ready to hear or be confronted by someone else.

Sometimes there are truths that are better left unsaid, especially if sharing the truth is not going to change anything but only hurt someone.  Someone once asked me if I thought they should bring to light a personality trait/characteristic they saw in another to them . . . I cautioned them on this as I thought it would only hurt and alienate their relationship and might not bring about the desired change for this person anyway. 

On a level other than personal . . . let's say faith . . . I believe one needs to be careful and tactful in sharing their perceived truth.  As faith, religion, understanding, knowledge and relationship with God, is very personal, and one person's truth can differ from another's, I think one needs to be careful before they begin to tell others what the truth is.  Especially from the perspective of what God's truth is - as in "God told me . . . " or "it says so in the Bible" (or any holy book).  I can believe/think God is telling me something different from someone else, and I can interpret the Bible (or any other writing) differently from someone else and who is to say which understanding is the truth and which one isn't.

Hope, peace, joy, love . . .

When I preach that God's will is the will of the whole, and putting our anthropocentric interests above those of the planetary whole goes against God's will, then I lose the goodwill of part of our congregation and most of the people around me. But I preach it anyway, because I believe it to be God's truth.

What is truth?

Ha GordW,

Couldn't get through one paragraph about truth without distorting the truth

Your bible seems to be broken, I could send you one that works, at least until you can get yours into the shop.

Thanx SNP, for illustrating exactly what "truth telling" should NOT be about.

It's good to have people like you here, for examples of un-Christlike behaviour, if nothing else.

"What is truth?" his pupils asked Master Socrates.

"Only the ignorant dare to answer," answered Master Socrates

Jesus answered the existential question with: "I am the truth," which suggests that truth is in being rather than knowing.

Both Jesus and Socrates, as well as many other sages and saints, were depicted with their index finger pointed imploringly heavenward, which, perhaps, suggests that truth is ineffable, or that truth is God.

Allow me to be ignorantly daring and answer the existential question.

I think there are two kinds of truth, the small "t" truth of analysis, and the capital "T" Truth of synthesis. The two truths are dimetrically opposed, and both are equally true, but the capital T Truth is the ultimate Truth, and the small t truth is subordinate and secondary to capital T Truth.

This is so because synthesis is the ultimate state of being, whereas analysis constitutes only the analysis of that state. Moreover, the truth of analysis is determined by the viewpoint of the observer, which is arbitrarily chosen by the observer. Even the most basic scientific observation has two opposite viewpoints and truths—particle or wave. More complex observations have more, and something as complex as the human experience has a virtually limitless number of viewpoints and truth.

This renders small t truth relative. But capital T Truth is always absolutely true. IT, however, can only be experienced in the pure, unconceptualized experience. Any conceptualization of capital T Truth is analysis, and relative, and subject to the arbitrarily chosen viewpoint of the observer or experiencer.

Many people are afraid that factual or physical relativism will detriorate into moral relativism. This need not be so! The pure, unconceptualized experience, wherein we experience reality as it really is, is one of unity and synthesis, filled with unitive love for everyone and everything. Hence: "God is Love." The pure, unconceptualized experience of reality prompts us to act in the spirit of unitive love.

But, in order for society to function, we need some commonly agreed on small t truths. If these truths are based on the unitive experience, and are periodically renewed—by societal consensus—as new insights arise, and these new insights are also based on frequently delving into the unitive experience, then small t truth is good. As I said above, small t truth is subordinate and secondary to capital T truth. Small t truth should, at all times, be based on the ultimate wellspring of wisdom, which is the unitive experience of the cosmic synthesis, a.k.a. God.

I think what SNP is saying that for GordW to say it's " not about forecasting the future", is an inaccurate statement.

That statement gives the impression that prophecy doesn't include times of speaking of future events.

I would consider prophecy as more like speaking God's truth at times along with the inclusion of foretelling things that are to come.

 I do believe prophecy is speaking of God's truth, & sometimes foretelling future events are not included.

Bolt

I don't think Gord W was intending to claim that prophecy could not include forecasting.

What I got from his statement was that forecasting was not what prophecy was "about".

Something like "Homemade strawberry jam is not about the sugar"

What I got from SNP's comment was "AHAH!!!!! Caught you again you Satan serving, scripture skewer!!! Look at me everyone.... I'm holy! Ne-ner, ne-ner, neeeeeeee-ner"

SPeaking of future events that are likely to happen is not forecasting the future as many people seem to think of it.  PRophets say "because of a, b, and c then x, y, and z will happen", often because it is supposedly GOd's will.  But x, y, and z will happen in the near future or are already happening.  They aren't going to happen centuries later.   Unfortunately that is what many people think Biblical prophecy is about.

Bible prophecy is a testimony. Plain & simple.

I have a hard time with people who seem to feel in nessisary to make God's plan & the revelation of it through scripture anymore difficult than it would seem to the intellect of man, when it is spiritually discerned for the most part.

These testimonies may include the foretelling of future events according to our actions.

I so far have yet to see where they have failed us before & I don't believe they ever will.

Bolt

For clarity, while prophets mention what will come it is not their focus.  THe focus is on what is happening now, on telling a truth about what is happening now.

For many people prophecy as forecasting the future is about what will happen next year or next decade or next millenium, not about tomorrow or next month.  In short what most people see as prophecy is actually the work of a seer -- and is frowned upon under Jewish law as being part of magic/wizardry.

Indeed, yes, many prophets were not welcome at all, especially in their home town.

Bolt

Prophecy is an inspiration to create a more divine and better future.

If a prophecy touches the divine in us, then we feel moved to carry it out, and then the prophecy comes true.

I feel like a Pilate with unwashed hands.

Believing we know God's will...results in the danger of not being ableo to examine others whimseys...

and I would think having a prerequisite of knowing one's own.

Which I think is a rarity.

The Idea tat we should enlarge our circle of caring if not actual charity seems to me to be a good idea,  but the will of God? Perhaps man is but a temporary guess, a stab at consciousness in one of the infinite number of universes....

Now personally, I think that would be a dismal conclusion : I VERY much prefer to believe that my life has great profound cosmic Purpose , largely contained in the beautifully written poetry that I am going to get around to writing one of these days. 

I'm 81, I better get on it...:-)

I feel like a Pilate with unwashed hands.

Believing we know God's will...results in the danger of not being ableo to examine others whimseys...

and I would think having a prerequisite of knowing one's own.

Which I think is a rarity.

The Idea tat we should enlarge our circle of caring if not actual charity seems to me to be a good idea,  but the will of God? Perhaps man is but a temporary guess, a stab at consciousness in one of the infinite number of universes....

Now personally, I think that would be a dismal conclusion : I VERY much prefer to believe that my life has great profound cosmic Purpose , largely contained in the beautifully written poetry that I am going to get around to writing one of these days. 

I'm 81, I better get on it...:-)

Hi Happy Genius,

It is my hope that anyone who recieve testimony from myself would recieve it as a gesture of friendship even though it may not align with ones beliefs.

I don't wish to come across as anyone who would think himself better or superior in any way by the way I preach.

I realize that this is an open forum in which to do so in a way that would suggest I am open to discussion about it.

My understanding of what is revieled to me will probably not change in it's meaning, but how it is all revieled to others may differ & I have respect for that & realize that people see things differently.

It does sound as though I think I know it all, but to be quite frank,  I just have so much confidence & trust it what is to come & I only wish to express how wonderful it all will turn out once God's full plan is established in us. There is so much more than one can even comprehend. I only wish I had words that could descibe & do it justice in it's description.

At least the way I see it with whatever understanding I have of it so far.

I would also like to hear whatever you 81 year old mind has to offer with rgards to poetry. I love poetry  & songs.

Bolt

Truth is like Buckley's cough medicine. Tastes bad but it works.

Buckley's gacgh!

I just got over a bout of Pertussis.

I drank Buckley's from a coffee mug. I'm pretty sure that's what scared away the evil pertussuis demons.

First a cheerful confession: yoiu say:

I don't wish to come across as anyone who would think himself better or superior in any way by the way I preach.

In my case, I do. All the time. VASTLY superior, and in many ways.

I am slowly getting to realize that this opinion is not exactly uiversally shared.

We are all ignorant, just about different things and one can learn from about everyone.

Ta da! Another superior attitude about which I am charmingly hypocritical..

Soren Kirkggard said "Language is the art of conceiling thought"

Preaching is a great way of learning how easily it is to be misunderstood.

In 1945, I read Renan's 'Life of Jesus' -been a heretic ever since - the Jefferson Bible, and all that...recently I've been thinking about Jesus in the terms of 'higher consciousness' mixing in the Naj Hammadi library--and the 'Gospel of Judas'...

Poetry? It is the only way to tell truth, to have you realize truth :-)

Prose I propose

Is just for churls

Unable to see

When truth unfurls....

(Yeah, I'm into doggeral...:-)

Here: you say:

There is so much more than one can even comprehend. I only wish I had words that could descibe & do it justice in it's description.

Confirming my praise of poetry..:-)

Regards...

Ha! that is a very colorful way of putting it! good for you!

Poetry is a wonderful way of expression, I just find that some things in my mind are so hard to express with just words, poetry is a good start though I would agree.

Bolt