October 7th Hamas Attack - What doesn't add up.

[NedFlanders]

Mike, sometimes the conspiracies are true and sometimes the truth isn’t truth.
I have personally seen both sides on here (if you can call them sides) believe some lies and refuse to change their mind regardless.
Listening to the media results in media views. Listening to the alternative news results in alternate views.
We really shouldn’t be so wrapped up in this as it isn’t actually any worse then what happens regularly in Africa.

We should desire both sides repent and not give in to propaganda on either side.
The hospital is a prime example, WMD’s was another. Are we so easily swayed by political hit pieces pushing a point?

Do you want weapons sent to Hamas? To Israel?
I’m sure it’s easy to say no to the first but what about the second?

It’s nice to see someone posting like a Christian who sees the bigger picture. Thanks.

Even though Mike said he agrees with this post he said enough to convince me he really is assuming a lot of things…. Ironic…

[NedFlanders]

It’s all a red tomato.

And a russet potato.

People are being murdered and the best you can come up is a bunch of jokes. COME ON!!! Wake up to the spiritual battle you are losing!

[barnhart]

Ned, you seem like a passionate person and that is a good thing. In your passion consider the possibility you might misunderstand what someone else is thinking. In the past you have completely misjudged what I was thinking and made dramatic and judgemental statements about it that did not come close to my positions.

[NedFlanders]

Ned, you seem like a passionate person and that is a good thing. In your passion consider the possibility you might misunderstand what someone else is thinking. In the past you have completely misjudged what I was thinking and made dramatic and judgemental statements about it that did not come close to my positions.

Were you up front about it or did you wait to air it now?

[NedFlanders]

Mike, sometimes the conspiracies are true and sometimes the truth isn’t truth.
I have personally seen both sides on here (if you can call them sides) believe some lies and refuse to change their mind regardless.
Listening to the media results in media views. Listening to the alternative news results in alternate views.
We really shouldn’t be so wrapped up in this as it isn’t actually any worse then what happens regularly in Africa.

We should desire both sides repent and not give in to propaganda on either side.
The hospital is a prime example, WMD’s was another. Are we so easily swayed by political hit pieces pushing a point?

Do you want weapons sent to Hamas? To Israel?
I’m sure it’s easy to say no to the first but what about the second?

I agree with you. You are correct about conspiracies. However, not everything is a conspiracy. You are correct that we shouldn't be more wrapped up in this than what happens in Africa. I am unconvinced that Israel has divine right to its land any more than the next nation.

I don't believe I have said anything to intimate that I am wanting weapons sent to anybody. This doesn't mean I think there is moral equivalence between Hamas and Israel.

What does moral equivalence have to do with differences in the kingdoms of this world. In reality they are one and the same not being part of the kingdom of God. Your pointing this out makes it seem like you are having trouble seeing this.

[mike]

What does moral equivalence have to do with differences in the kingdoms of this world. In reality they are one and the same not being part of the kingdom of God. Your pointing this out makes it seem like you are having trouble seeing this.

It is a good question. I believe both can be part of the kingdoms of this world, and neither a part of the kingdom of God, while still not being morally the same as each other. I believe there is no kingdom of this world in which we should participate, administrate, or fight, but there are kingdoms of this world where I would prefer to live and others where I wouldn't. Because they are not the same as each other. Some make it difficult for followers of Jesus to a greater degree, some to a lesser; some have very little respect for human life, others more so.

At the same time, I am aware than any and all of them are not the kingdom of God and can turn on the followers of Jesus very quickly. Because it is true as you say that they are all the kingdoms of this world.

[RZehr]

It’s all a red tomato.

And a russet potato.

People are being murdered and the best you can come up is a bunch of jokes. COME ON!!! Wake up to the spiritual battle you are losing!

Who’s being murdered? Isn’t it just a bunch of method actors like Sandy Hook and 9/11 etc.?
Are promoting wild, and unfounded conspiracies really to be taken seriously? Instead of as a joke? Jokes aren’t the proper response to jokes?

I was wrong about Hunter laptop, and easily admit to it. I don’t remember much about WMD, but to the extent I believed it, I admit to being wrong. But it is a hallmark of the conspiratorial mindset, to actually dig in deeper when face with more evidence. They aren’t known for changing their mind and admitting wrong. So to take the non-conspiracy adherents to task for being in the wrong is sort of odd, given that they do accept new evidence easier than the conspiracy theorists.

But ridicule may not be the right response to the ridiculous.

[ken_sylvania]

And a russet potato.

People are being murdered and the best you can come up is a bunch of jokes. COME ON!!! Wake up to the spiritual battle you are losing!

Who’s being murdered? Isn’t it just a bunch of method actors like Sandy Hook and 9/11 etc.?
Are promoting wild, and unfounded conspiracies really to be taken seriously? Instead of as a joke? Jokes aren’t the proper response to jokes?

I was wrong about Hunter laptop, and easily admit to it. I don’t remember much about WMD, but to the extent I believed it, I admit to being wrong. But it is a hallmark of the conspiratorial mindset, to actually dig in deeper when face with more evidence. They aren’t known for changing their mind and admitting wrong. So to take the non-conspiracy adherents to task for being in the wrong is sort of odd, given that they do accept new evidence easier than the conspiracy theorists.

But maybe ridicule is not the right response to the ridiculous.

Proverbs 26:4-5 would suggest that there is no one right way to answer the ridiculous.

[NedFlanders]

And a russet potato.

People are being murdered and the best you can come up is a bunch of jokes. COME ON!!! Wake up to the spiritual battle you are losing!

Who’s being murdered? Isn’t it just a bunch of method actors like Sandy Hook and 9/11 etc.?
Are promoting wild, and unfounded conspiracies really to be taken seriously? Instead of as a joke? Jokes aren’t the proper response to jokes?

I was wrong about Hunter laptop, and easily admit to it. I don’t remember much about WMD, but to the extent I believed it, I admit to being wrong. But it is a hallmark of the conspiratorial mindset, to actually dig in deeper when face with more evidence. They aren’t known for changing their mind and admitting wrong. So to take the non-conspiracy adherents to task for being in the wrong is sort of odd, given that they do accept new evidence easier than the conspiracy theorists.

But ridicule may not be the right response to the ridiculous.

It seems to me people get distracted and focus on the extreme instead of using discernment to look for facts and use righteous judgement. I mostly never heard of the things you bring up here and I used to be considered a conspiracy theorist…. I just never bothered spending time on the absurd, and to lump all people who don’t follow the main stream narrative into such a group is yes - ridiculous. Lots of false flags to distract people from truth and in this thread we find proof that they work to distract as intended…

[RZehr]

People are being murdered and the best you can come up is a bunch of jokes. COME ON!!! Wake up to the spiritual battle you are losing!

Who’s being murdered? Isn’t it just a bunch of method actors like Sandy Hook and 9/11 etc.?
Are promoting wild, and unfounded conspiracies really to be taken seriously? Instead of as a joke? Jokes aren’t the proper response to jokes?

I was wrong about Hunter laptop, and easily admit to it. I don’t remember much about WMD, but to the extent I believed it, I admit to being wrong. But it is a hallmark of the conspiratorial mindset, to actually dig in deeper when face with more evidence. They aren’t known for changing their mind and admitting wrong. So to take the non-conspiracy adherents to task for being in the wrong is sort of odd, given that they do accept new evidence easier than the conspiracy theorists.

But ridicule may not be the right response to the ridiculous.

It seems to me people get distracted and focus on the extreme instead of using discernment to look for facts and use righteous judgement. I mostly never heard of the things you bring up here and I used to be considered a conspiracy theorist…. I just never bothered spending time on the absurd, and to lump all people who don’t follow the main stream narrative into such a group is yes - ridiculous. Lots of false flags to distract people from truth and in this thread we find proof that they work to distract as intended…

I’m fascinated that you used to be a conspiracy theorist and never heard of these. That is great! I wish I hadn’t. I have heard, it feels like, every conspiracy theory under the sun. And all too often, and to my dismay, from people in our own churches. It seems to be gaining traction, from QAnon, to Flat Earth.

And it has become common enough, that it is causing people such as myself (and apparently Mike), to become weary of it.
These are not harmless. They cultivate a mindset of anti-government and anti-authority that is full of distrust and rebellion. And no, we don’t need to be pro-government as the alternative. But we are to honor the king, and obey governors. And when we “see” the government doing evil, it tends to give license to not honor or obey.

And we should not necessarily take the attitude of “believe what you want” in our church, because this does affect us. It doesn’t stay innocuous. It metastasizes.

Your concern about being distracted by things of the world, at the cost of the spiritual is completely shared by me. And I see conspiracies as doing that very thing in our churches.