Naysayers will not endure, but you can endure

Post by Rick C. Hodgin
There are a lot of naysayers, a lot of detractors in this world.

Yes, you are a good example.

Post by Rick C. Hodgin
They
postulate things that are not true as though they were true,

Yes. You postulate a sin that we would have.

Post by Rick C. Hodgin
and it is
being done that way to mislead people, confuse people, sow seeds of
doubt in people's minds,

Exactly. The idea of a sin is a good example of those misleading ideas.

Post by Rick C. Hodgin
encourage thoughts which lead people away from
where they should be and to some other place.

Exactly. Postulating an inexistent "sin" puts people in the defensive
about GUILT.

By pointing to GUILT, religious zealots take people away from what they
actually are, since there is no "sin" that we would have acquired
through birth in this world.

Barry Schwarz

2017-07-18 22:00:38 UTC

If everyone would stop responding to this crap, those of us who have
him killfiled would not have to see any of it.

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 23:07:37 +0200, jacobnavia

Post by Rick C. Hodgin
There are a lot of naysayers, a lot of detractors in this world.

Yes, you are a good example.

--
Remove del for email

jacobnavia

2017-07-20 17:31:19 UTC

Post by Barry Schwarz
If everyone would stop responding to this crap, those of us who have
him killfiled would not have to see any of it.

Newcomers do not know about killfiles, and it is bad that this group
seems to be dominated by religious zealots. I doi not reply to him very
often but that kind of trash can't be just ignored.

Keith Thompson

2017-07-20 17:46:52 UTC

Post by Barry Schwarz
If everyone would stop responding to this crap, those of us who have
him killfiled would not have to see any of it.

Newcomers do not know about killfiles, and it is bad that this group
seems to be dominated by religious zealots. I doi not reply to him very
often but that kind of trash can't be just ignored.

Yes, it can be ignored. Please do so. You're not a newcomer, you know
about killfiles.

--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst-***@mib.org <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
Working, but not speaking, for JetHead Development, Inc.
"We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this."
-- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"

Rick C. Hodgin

2017-07-20 18:05:43 UTC

Post by Barry Schwarz
If everyone would stop responding to this crap, those of us who have
him killfiled would not have to see any of it.

Newcomers do not know about killfiles, and it is bad that this group
seems to be dominated by religious zealots. I doi not reply to him very
often but that kind of trash can't be just ignored.

Jacob, I would like to suggest to you that you do not find value in the
things I post because you do not properly understand them.

If the possibility of you not understanding something properly matters
to you, then you can take steps to correct it.

Thank you,
Rick C. Hodgin

James R. Kuyper

2017-07-20 18:14:58 UTC

Post by Barry Schwarz
If everyone would stop responding to this crap, those of us who have
him killfiled would not have to see any of it.

Newcomers do not know about killfiles, and it is bad that this group
seems to be dominated by religious zealots.

Who are these religious zealots who dominate this group? I see only one
Christian, Rick C. Hodgin, and several Atheists, who are offensively
promoting their religious beliefs here. All of those people combined
don't even come close to dominating this group. I've heard it claimed
that other people are religious zealots, but none of them actively
promote their religion here. This is a world in which a super-majority
of the population are religious, and in such a world, you will
occasionally run into zealots. But if they don't let their zealotry leak
into their messages to this newsgroup, there's no justification for
complaining about the fact that they happen to be zealots.

jacobnavia

2017-07-20 22:50:18 UTC

This is a world in which a super-majority of the population are religious

Yes, and they impose their stuff on us. So you are on the side of this
"christian", and refuse to sign anything aginst him.

"I see only one Christian, Rick C. Hodgin, and several Atheists, who are
offensively promoting their religious beliefs here."

OK, so now at least, I know what you are.

Richard Heathfield

2017-07-21 00:03:26 UTC

This is a world in which a super-majority of the population are religious

Yes, and they impose their stuff on us. So you are on the side of this
"christian",

I doubt that very much.

Post by jacobnavia
and refuse to sign anything aginst him.

What's the point? If Rick C. Hodgin is in breach of his T&Cs, a single
complaint (eg yours) should be enough to unhorse him. And if he isn't,
any number of names won't be enough.

Post by jacobnavia
"I see only one Christian, Rick C. Hodgin, and several Atheists, who are
offensively promoting their religious beliefs here."
OK, so now at least, I know what you are.

Yes; he's a fair-minded person who can think clearly about the problem.

We all know that Rick C. Hodgin abuses this newsgroup. You know it, I
know it, and James knows it. Unlike you, James also realises that the
correct way to deal with the problem is to add the guy to your killfile
and forget about him.

Mr Hodgin is not the only person to provoke this newsgroup with his
views on religion. You have done so yourself, if I recall correctly,
albeit from the opposite side of the fence. So you are in no position to
criticise him. Put your own house in order before complaining about the
behaviour of other people. And killfile the guy instead of moaning about
him. Moaning won't help. A killfile will.

--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

Gareth Owen

2017-07-21 06:16:37 UTC

Put your own house in order before complaining about the behaviour of
other people.

Fair comment.

And killfile the guy instead of moaning about him.

Did it ages ago. But they're not mutually exclusive.

And I really really don't like the idea that people subject to internet
abuse should just silently tolerate/ignore it. That leads to the
serious issues we see on so many social media networks (or it would, if
anyone gave a **** about Usenet anymore). IMHO such consistent abuse
should be shut down.

Moaning won't help.

Assumes facts not in evidence, your honour.

A killfile will.

Doesn't mean you can't do both.

jacobnavia

2017-07-21 09:44:16 UTC

Post by Gareth Owen
And I really really don't like the idea that people subject to internet
abuse should just silently tolerate/ignore it. That leads to the
serious issues we see on so many social media networks (or it would, if
anyone gave a **** about Usenet anymore). IMHO such consistent abuse
should be shut down.

This is the core issue. Spammers like him will thrive with the silent
acceptance of his behavior by the rest of the group.

Ben Bacarisse

2017-07-21 11:28:00 UTC

This is the core issue. Spammers like him will thrive with the silent
acceptance of his behavior by the rest of the group.

By all means complain to anyone you think can shut down an account you
deem to be abusive. But, at the same time, don't respond to this kind
of spam. Rick thrives on interaction, not silence. Just look at the
pattern of posts and you'll see.

This is not at all like the personal abuse problem that is rampant on
social media systems. Rick's nonsense is no more acceptable, it's just
that the solution is different.

--
Ben.

Rick C. Hodgin

2017-07-21 11:56:55 UTC

...Rick thrives on interaction, not silence. Just look at the
pattern of posts and you'll see.

It would be easy to conclude such an assessment when you only look at
the pattern of the replies and not the content, but I do not reply to
everyone, and when I do reply it is to correct a misstatement or some
misunderstanding.

My goals in the posts related to Christianity are to introduce changes
in the lives of the people I have an interest in. If I were interested
in boating, I'd be in the boating newsgroups doing the same there for
the people there. As it is, I have an interest in semiconductors,
programming languages, operating systems, and assembly.

Bottom line, Ben:

Jesus Christ will give a person eternal life, and forgive their full
sin debt without judgment. Despite the opinions of people like Jacob
who believe there is no such thing as sin, there is, and this gift He's
given us is important. It may not seem like so important today because
He gives us space to prove to Him who we are in this world, even if we
ultimately prove to Him we reject Him and are in rebellion against Him,
but in the end ... everyone will lose fully, and be utterly cast down
to the lowest place ... unless they know Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior.

The message is this: You can have eternal life. Jesus will forgive
you and change your existence in that way.

Thank you,
Rick C. Hodgin

Richard Heathfield

2017-07-21 12:43:57 UTC

On 21/07/17 12:28, Ben Bacarisse wrote:
<snip>

Post by Ben Bacarisse
This is not at all like the personal abuse problem that is rampant on
social media systems.

Agreed. When the term "social media" became current, it was immediately
obvious that it doesn't apply to Usenet.

Usenet is *anti*-social media.

Social media are for people who can do fluffy bunnies and lols.

Usenet is for people who can do arithmetic and algebra.

--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

Gareth Owen

2017-07-22 10:43:14 UTC

Post by Richard Heathfield
Usenet is for people who can do arithmetic and algebra.

There's at least one regular in this group that disproves this.

Richard Heathfield

2017-07-22 11:31:19 UTC

Post by Richard Heathfield
Usenet is for people who can do arithmetic and algebra.

There's at least one regular in this group that disproves this.

Oh dear. I was hoping you hadn't noticed. But I do /try/ to keep up...

--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

Richard Heathfield

2017-07-21 12:37:45 UTC

This is the core issue. Spammers like him will thrive with the silent
acceptance of his behavior by the rest of the group.

Kill-filing does not imply acceptance - quite the opposite.

He doesn't thrive on silence. He thrives on your attention. Until you
withdraw that attention completely, he will carry on posting off-topic
content.

If you kill-file him, you won't see the articles where he requests
technical help, and so you won't supply him with that technical help. He
will instead have to seek it from less capable people. That is the cost
that is associated with being an ass. Until you impose that cost, he
will continue to be an ass.

--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

Barry Schwarz

2017-07-21 15:20:53 UTC

Put your own house in order before complaining about the behaviour of
other people.

Fair comment.

And killfile the guy instead of moaning about him.

Did it ages ago. But they're not mutually exclusive.
And I really really don't like the idea that people subject to internet
abuse should just silently tolerate/ignore it. That leads to the

If you killfile the abuser, you no longer suffer any of his abuse.

--
Remove del for email

Gareth Owen

2017-07-22 10:44:46 UTC

Post by Barry Schwarz
If you killfile the abuser, you no longer suffer any of his abuse.

Untrue. I suffer second order effects. For example, anyone intelligent
who stops posting because they don't want to deal with his garbage.

Richard Heathfield

2017-07-22 11:33:23 UTC

Post by Barry Schwarz
If you killfile the abuser, you no longer suffer any of his abuse.

Untrue. I suffer second order effects. For example, anyone intelligent
who stops posting because they don't want to deal with his garbage.

Or indeed anyone intelligent who stops posting because they don't want
to wade through a great many articles from people complaining about his
garbage instead of killfiling him.

--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

Malcolm McLean

2017-07-22 11:44:53 UTC

Post by Richard Heathfield

Post by Barry Schwarz
If you killfile the abuser, you no longer suffer any of his abuse.

Untrue. I suffer second order effects. For example, anyone intelligent
who stops posting because they don't want to deal with his garbage.

Or indeed anyone intelligent who stops posting because they don't want
to wade through a great many articles from people complaining about his
garbage instead of killfiling him.

Why not discuss OOP on the "Death to C++" thread?

David Brown

2017-07-22 10:32:11 UTC

Put your own house in order before complaining about the behaviour of
other people.

Fair comment.

And killfile the guy instead of moaning about him.

Did it ages ago. But they're not mutually exclusive.
And I really really don't like the idea that people subject to internet
abuse should just silently tolerate/ignore it. That leads to the
serious issues we see on so many social media networks (or it would, if
anyone gave a **** about Usenet anymore). IMHO such consistent abuse
should be shut down.

It is the cost of having an open and uncensored forum - some people will
abuse it. What is the alternative, however? Moderated groups exist,
but are rare these days - the workload of moderating is too much for
most volunteers, certainly for a group this size. And who gets to
decide which posters are allowed, and which posters are not allowed?
Rick posts a lot of his religious drivel here (I have nothing against
people being religious, and don't mind talking about it on occasion -
but Ricks religious posts are drivel and abuse). But Rick also posts on
topic about C as well as vaguely topical posts about C-like languages.

Moaning won't help.

Assumes facts not in evidence, your honour.

Plenty of experience shows that moaning rarely helps - and it certainly
has had no effect in this case. When a new member joins this group and
makes posts contrary to the group's conventions, then "moaning" - or
"helpful constructive criticism" is certainly worth trying, and
sometimes guides the newcomer into better behaviour. But it either
works quickly, or it never works.

A killfile will.

Doesn't mean you can't do both.

As I say, moaning is worth a try. But it has been tried here, and has
not helped. Moaning /more/ never helps.

Gareth Owen

2017-07-22 10:47:59 UTC

Post by David Brown
It is the cost of having an open and uncensored forum - some people
will abuse it. What is the alternative, however?

Do exactly what Jacob is doing.

Post by David Brown
Plenty of experience shows that moaning rarely helps - and it
certainly has had no effect in this case.

Moaning to Rick has no effect. Fundies gotta Fundie.
Moaning to his Usenet provider might.
It probably won't, but it might.

James R. Kuyper

2017-07-22 19:06:23 UTC

Post by David Brown
It is the cost of having an open and uncensored forum - some people
will abuse it. What is the alternative, however?

Do exactly what Jacob is doing.

I doubt it. He alleged no violations of eternal-september's terms of
use, so he's given them no justification for disabling Hodgin's account.

Malcolm McLean

2017-07-21 15:35:35 UTC

Post by Richard Heathfield
We all know that Rick C. Hodgin abuses this newsgroup. You know it, I
know it, and James knows it. Unlike you, James also realises that the
correct way to deal with the problem is to add the guy to your killfile
and forget about him.
Mr Hodgin is not the only person to provoke this newsgroup with his
views on religion. You [Jacob Navia] have done so yourself, if I recall correctly,
albeit from the opposite side of the fence. So you are in no position to
criticise him. Put your own house in order before complaining about the
behaviour of other people. And killfile the guy instead of moaning about
him. Moaning won't help. A killfile will.

Quite a lot of people have tried engaging with Rick, including myself, in the
hope that maybe he can see sense. I don't recall Jacob otherwise spreading
atheist ideas on the ng in an inappropriate way Topicality is not so tight
than any mention at all that one is an atheist itself constitutes abuse.

Richard Heathfield

2017-07-21 16:40:09 UTC

On 21/07/17 16:35, Malcolm McLean wrote:
<snip>

Post by Malcolm McLean
Topicality is not so tight
than any mention at all that one is an atheist itself constitutes abuse.

If that were all that he'd done, I wouldn't have mentioned it. He is, of
course, nowhere near as much an offender as Rick C. Hodgin.

I'm trying not to make /too/ big a deal of this because I'm trusting to
my memory and I'd hate being asked to back it up with some references
because that would take time and effort that I don't want to spend on
this. I am trusting that Jacob will remember doing what I have said he
has done, and that he will take the point without anyone having to rub
his nose in it with references.

--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

j***@verizon.net

2017-07-21 02:10:29 UTC

This is a world in which a super-majority of the population are religious

Yes, and they impose their stuff on us. So you are on the side of this
"christian", and refuse to sign anything aginst him.

I'm certainly not on his side - his beliefs are very nearly antithetical to my own. I don't believe there is a God. If I'm wrong about that, and if God did in fact choose to create beings capable of disagreeing with Him, I don't believe that being the Creator of the Universe would give Him the moral authority to impose His own opinions about morality on such beings. Even if He did exist, I don't find it even remotely plausible that the Christian Bible contains a divinely inspired description of what He wants us to believe and to do.
On the more mundane level, I believe that it is both impolite and seriously counter-productive to promote his religious beliefs in a forum not intended for such discussions.

However, despite the fact that I'm in near-total disagreement with him about those issues, I don't see any legitimate grounds for eternal september to remove his account. I would have to say the same about the Atheists I referred to elsewhere; it has nothing to do with whether or not I share their beliefs.

Post by jacobnavia
"I see only one Christian, Rick C. Hodgin, and several Atheists, who are
offensively promoting their religious beliefs here."
OK, so now at least, I know what you are.

You should know, if you've paid any attention to my previous postings to this newsgroup, that I'm an Atheist. It therefore aggrieves me somewhat that Atheists doing their best to be obnoxious outnumber the one Christian who is being obnoxious without even having to try - but that is in fact what I'm seeing, and I see no point in not acknowledging that fact. I wish I could believe that those atheists were actually Christians masquerading as atheists for the purpose of discrediting us, but I don't believe that's the case.
If you think there's other people being similarly obnoxious here about their religious beliefs, please identify them.

jacobnavia

2017-07-21 10:01:25 UTC

Post by jacobnavia
OK, so now at least, I know what you are.

I was wrong. Excuse me.

jacob

Ben Bacarisse

2017-07-20 19:40:49 UTC

jacobnavia <***@jacob.remcomp.fr> writes:
<snip>

I doi not reply to him very often but that kind of trash can't be just ignored.

It's the only way. No group has ever been saved from spam by replying
to it. All that happens is the thread gets bumped (in most interfaces)
and the spammer is encouraged to post some more.

--
Ben.

Kenny McCormack

2017-07-20 19:46:23 UTC

Post by Ben Bacarisse
<snip>

I doi not reply to him very often but that kind of trash can't be just ignored.

It's the only way. No group has ever been saved from spam by replying
to it. All that happens is the thread gets bumped (in most interfaces)
and the spammer is encouraged to post some more.

Or you can sit back and enjoy watching Rick make an ass of himself.

Note: It is not cool to talk publicly about who you've KF'd - but it is OK
to talk about people who you "select" (i.e., the ones whose posts you
actively seek out to read). Rick & Keith are both sources of endless
amusement and are thus in my "select" list (which, in my newsreader, is
actually part of the killfile, though logically separate from it).

Or, to put it another way: Dr. StrangeRick: How I learned to stop worrying
and love the troll.

--
Atheism:
It's like being the only sober person in the car, and nobody will let you drive.

Malcolm McLean

2017-07-21 15:46:43 UTC

Post by Ben Bacarisse
<snip>

I doi not reply to him very often but that kind of trash can't be just ignored.

It's the only way. No group has ever been saved from spam by replying
to it. All that happens is the thread gets bumped (in most interfaces)
and the spammer is encouraged to post some more.

In order to count as spam, sending has to be cheaper than receiving. The
spammer sends out many messages in the hope of a return from one or
two, and inconveniences everyone by taking up time and attention (sometimes
referred to be geeks as "bandwidth"). Rick doesn't do that. The posts are
obviously written with care and attention, and often address regulars by
name, and he responds to objections in a way that would be appropriate on
a religious newsgroup. (Incidentally you get plenty of atheists on Christian
forums, it's not necessary to go off topic to find damned souls to engage and
perhaps save).

It's not spam. It's off-topic, obsessive posting. But I don't know the answer.

Rick C. Hodgin

2017-07-21 16:12:48 UTC

Post by Malcolm McLean

Post by Ben Bacarisse
<snip>

I doi not reply to him very often but that kind of trash can't be just ignored.

It's the only way. No group has ever been saved from spam by replying
to it. All that happens is the thread gets bumped (in most interfaces)
and the spammer is encouraged to post some more.

You are misguided, Malcolm. You are among the great masses of sleeping
people who believe you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, but do
not.

You let thing after thing go by in your community, person after person
in your life life, and you do not take the time to share with them the
truth, and the path to righteousness, holiness, and all right ways
through Jesus Christ.

You politely acquiesce to the enemy's guidance to put Jesus in a box
and only "pull Him out" where it's "appropriate." The enemy has you,
and so many other Christians, but the day is coming when the reality
of your complacency will burn again you in judgment. When the people
around you that had the opportunity to at least hear from your mouth,
to at least be given the chance at salvation, testify against you.
"No, Malcolm never talked to me about salvation. So far as I knew,
he went to church, but that was about it."

Is that what you want to have on display for all eternity? The half-
Christian? The partial witness?

Who do you think you are that you are in this world, professedly saved
by the ATONING BLOOD SACRIFICE of Jesus Christ, and yet you DO NOT
move forward for Him in the areas of life you are present. Do you
think Paul only made and sold tents in isolation, such that he kept
his business focused on money, and then he could do his teaching people
the truth at night?

You have so much to learn, Malcolm.

Post by Malcolm McLean
It's not spam. It's off-topic, obsessive posting. But I don't know the answer.

Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 28:18? And do you remember
then what He also said in Matthew 28:19-20?

There is an order of precedence in importance.

1) All people die.
2) Nobody knows when we will die.
3) Everyone who dies without asking Jesus to forgive their
sin will go to Hell forever.
4) THAT MEANS SOMETHING TO ME!!!! And it does to them too,
even if today they can't see it because nobody's taken
the time to teach them the significance of WHAT THAT MEANS.

We have amazing and wonderful and brilliantly created people all
around us, Malcolm. And they are NOT JUST in the religious areas.
They are in all walks of life. And they are going to spend a
conscious eternity in Hellfire in agony and torment because people
like you feel compelled to ONLY discuss "religious things" in the
"appropriate" "religious settings."

We are living breathing human beings made in the image and likeness
of God. He is literally before all men right now. He desires to
be our out-front everything, the One we turn to for guidance, the
One we turn to for leadership, the One we turn to for inspiration,
and in all other ways the One we turn to. He also guides us only
and always rightly, so it is a wholly appropriate thing to seek Him
in all of these out-front ways.

What you are advocating is evil, Malcolm. You are speaking with the
forked tongue of the enemy who tries to demean and pigeonhole Jesus
Christ, to try to put Him in boxes which are self-contained and don't
ever leak out into other areas of our lives.

Well here's the news flash for you, oh misguided soul:

1) All people die.
2) Nobody knows when we will die.
3) Everyone who dies without asking Jesus to forgive their
sin will go to Hell forever.
4) DOES THAT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU? Can you honestly look at
the fantastically wonderful men and women on these Usenet
groups and not say within your own heart, "I CARE ABOUT
YOU ENOUGH TO TEACH YOU THE TRUTH!?"

What manner of cold heart would turn their back on people and leave
the "religious discussions" to the places where people go to seek
out such things? WE MUST take the message out to people because
they are in sin and WILL NOT come to their own:

A former prostitute:

"People like me don't go to church."

Thank you,
Rick C. Hodgin

Rick C. Hodgin

2017-07-21 16:32:41 UTC

There is an order of precedence in importance...
1) All people die.
2) Nobody knows when we will die.
3) Everyone who dies without asking Jesus to forgive their
sin will go to Hell forever.
4) DOES THAT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU? Can you honestly look at
the fantastically wonderful men and women on these Usenet
groups and not say within your own heart, "I CARE ABOUT
YOU ENOUGH TO TEACH YOU THE TRUTH!?"
What manner of cold heart would turn their back on people and leave
the "religious discussions" to the places where people go to seek
out such things? WE MUST take the message out to people because
http://youtu.be/oFmv-Lz73hI
"People like me don't go to church."

A former exotic dancer:

"You just want to love and help everybody. Your heart just
cries out to everybody... and your life is changed."

Thank you,
Rick C. Hodgin

Rick C. Hodgin

2017-07-21 18:17:57 UTC

Post by Rick C. Hodgin
Who do you think you are that you are in this world, professedly saved
by the ATONING BLOOD SACRIFICE of Jesus Christ, and yet you DO NOT
move forward for Him in the areas of life you are present. Do you
think Paul only made and sold tents in isolation, such that he kept
his business focused on money, and then he could do his teaching people
the truth at night?
You have so much to learn, Malcolm.

Here's a video I was listening to this afternoon, and it has the
very teaching I'm addressing here in it:

The part about Paul begins at 6:01:

http://youtu.be/_MRLBKjxak4

"Is there a situation that is so impossible, so complex, so
perplexing, that it is impossible for you? ... This is why
Paul says what he says, and it's why Paul says what he says
the way he says it. He's basically saying 'It's only Jesus.'
No man can had anything to do with that which only Jesus can
do..."

http://youtu.be/_MRLBKjxak4

"If you were to cut the Apostle Paul, he would bleed Jesus.
If you were to have a conversation with the Apostle Paul,
the only thing he'd want to talk about is Jesus. That's
what he preached. He preached Christ and Him crucified.
And whenever he would get off topic, off-message as it were,
he would always get right back to the main thing. He kept
the main thing the main thing. Jesus. Jesus only. Not
Jesus and... Not Jesus if... Not Jesus but... No. Jesus
only..."

We are to be like Paul in our walks, Malcolm. We are to be focused
upon reaching out to people, becoming all things to all men so that
we might win some for Christ. And in the things we do in this world,
we are to have Jesus ahead of everything we do solidly, purposefully,
with His light shining brightly for all to see. We are not to hide
behind a fence we're sitting on, or to side with the world while we
keep Jesus strapped down to the hitching post over there while we go
about our business over here.

We are to be one with the Lord, even as He and His Father are One.

Thank you,
Rick C. Hodgin

Rick C. Hodgin

2017-07-21 18:37:01 UTC

Post by Rick C. Hodgin

Here's a video I was listening to this afternoon, and it has the
http://youtu.be/_MRLBKjxak4
http://youtu.be/_MRLBKjxak4
"Is there a situation that is so impossible, so complex, so
perplexing, that it is impossible for you? ... This is why
Paul says what he says, and it's why Paul says what he says
the way he says it. He's basically saying 'It's only Jesus.'
No man can had anything to do with that which only Jesus can
do..."
http://youtu.be/_MRLBKjxak4
"If you were to cut the Apostle Paul, he would bleed Jesus.
If you were to have a conversation with the Apostle Paul,
the only thing he'd want to talk about is Jesus. That's
what he preached. He preached Christ and Him crucified.
And whenever he would get off topic, off-message as it were,
he would always get right back to the main thing. He kept
the main thing the main thing. Jesus. Jesus only. Not
Jesus and... Not Jesus if... Not Jesus but... No. Jesus
only..."
We are to be like Paul in our walks, Malcolm. We are to be focused
upon reaching out to people, becoming all things to all men so that
we might win some for Christ. And in the things we do in this world,
we are to have Jesus ahead of everything we do solidly, purposefully,
with His light shining brightly for all to see. We are not to hide
behind a fence we're sitting on, or to side with the world while we
keep Jesus strapped down to the hitching post over there while we go
about our business over here.
We are to be one with the Lord, even as He and His Father are One.

Some additional teaching on this subject (at 16:34):

http://youtu.be/_MRLBKjxak4

"I imagine Paul to be very intimidating. Some describe his
outward appearance as this ... short man. But I'll tell you
when he walked into a room, everybody noticed, and certainly
the early church feared him greatly. He was a very strong
man, a very strong personality, but that's a problem. God
has to break that strength, that self-reliance, and this is
what God does with strong personalities...

"Some of us are too strong for God to use. Oh my goodness.
It hit me as if it were only for me. Nobody else had to be
there that day. That was the Lord saying to me ... I've got
to take you into this desert of isolation for a period of
time, because there are some things I need to break in you.
You're too strong in your own strength. You're too reliant
upon your own savvy, your own ability, and I have to break
that. And I have to do it in such a way that I'm preparing
for you, because that which I have for you you're not ready
for it yet.

"If I were to allow you prematurely to do that which I am
calling you to, you would fail miserably and I cannot be a
party to that. So I've got to break that in you that would
cause that to happen to you..."

Each of us is called by God to the extent we are. We must humble
ourselves in our walks, and then walk forward not in our own strength
but in His strength. Not in our own thinking and ways, but in His
thinking and ways.

God is eternal, and He has eternal plans for us, but even those
eternal plans begin with us here in this world today. And His plans
are not like the world's plans, but they are His plans, focused on
His goals, looking toward the future He has mapped out for each of
us.

It's why those who follow after the Lord are often considered to be
lunatics by the people in the world ... because our goals are no
longer the same goals of the world, but they have been transformed,
replaced, reignited with a fire that's of the Lord, rather than the
old fire we had within us which was of self.

It is not a diminished walk. It is not a loss, but it is a great,
and I mean truly great gain. It is the Lord in our lives empowering
us as we go. It is the Lord in our lives leading us through all we
will be led through.

This calling is before all men and women. We can each embrace this
call from within and begin our walk in His journey for our lives.
We can lean into the Lord and put our full weight and trust in Him
because not only can He not fail, but He's there to catch us even
when we fail.

Thank you,
Rick C. Hodgin

Rick C. Hodgin

2017-07-20 16:41:50 UTC

Post by Rick C. Hodgin
There are a lot of naysayers, a lot of detractors in this world.

Yes, you are a good example.

Post by Rick C. Hodgin
They
postulate things that are not true as though they were true,

Yes. You postulate a sin that we would have.

Jacob, have you ever asked yourself why I post these things? So many
here have concluded I do it just to spam, or just to be a troll. But
is that a real answer?

Look at my life, and ask yourself if I am someone who is outwardly
teaching things which are different than I'm doing personally? Ask
yourself if I am simply a troll trying to argue with people, or if
there is something else at work?

If you dig deep, Jacob, you'll find that I have been changed by the
Lord. I still make plenty of mistakes. Daily even. But in my core,
and in my new heart filled with love and peace and compassion and real
caring for my fellow man, I have been changed. The change is real,
and I know the source of that change, and I know that everyone can
receive that change too just for the asking.

Post by Rick C. Hodgin
and it is
being done that way to mislead people, confuse people, sow seeds of
doubt in people's minds,

Exactly. The idea of a sin is a good example of those misleading ideas.

Do you really think you have no sin, Jacob? By what standard are you
judging? The Biblical standards reveal all men for who they are:

1) Ever told a lie? Even once?
2) Ever stolen anything? Even once?
3) Ever coveted something another person had? Even once?
4) Ever lusted after someone who wasn't your wife? Even once?

And there is a long list of things the Bible points out to us are sin.

The Law was never intended to give life to man. No one is justified
by keeping the Law. But the Law serves to point out where we fail,
and to teach us that we need Grace. That Grace was given us in the
man Jesus Christ, and by what He did on the cross we are set free from
our sin.

Sin is real, Jacob. And it comes with a heavy price (eternal damnation).
It's what makes what Jesus offers so amazing, and so sweet.

Post by Rick C. Hodgin
encourage thoughts which lead people away from
where they should be and to some other place.

Exactly. Postulating an inexistent "sin" puts people in the defensive
about GUILT.
By pointing to GUILT, religious zealots take people away from what they
actually are, since there is no "sin" that we would have acquired
through birth in this world.

The "guilt" you refer to comes from God, not me. I point out the
things He has taught us He will judge (sin in general, but through
the law some specific examples).

When we then feel guilt after having heard this information, that is
God's gift to us being poured out upon us. It's designed to point
us to Him innately. It's His inner stamp on our core being so that
we know right from wrong, and what He calls us to is to be right.
He points out to us where we are wrong. He does this so we will come
to Him and receive forgiveness, humbling ourselves, so we can be
guided by Him in moving forward.

There are a lot of false voices in this world teaching people wrong
things. Jesus is THE ONE VOICE teaching man right things.

If you want to do what's right, Jacob, you have the source to go to.
It's your choice, but really ... who would choose to do wrong things
when the ability to right things is handed to you, along with the
free gift of eternal life? Only a fool.

Thank you,
Rick C. Hodgin

Snit

2017-07-18 22:14:59 UTC

On 7/18/17, 1:46 PM, in article

I have read the Bible. Not impressed. But it is not a big of a turn-off from
Christianity as your posts are.

Post by Rick C. Hodgin
You've heard me talk about how He came here to
forgive your sin and to give you eternal life, but what does that really
mean? God has not left you abandoned. You are not alone in this world.
Even though bad things happen here, it's not because of God, and God is
the solution to ending all manner of bad things.
-----
Right now you are alive in this world in your body, but your spirit is
dead in sin. If it were something tangible you'd see it like a corpse
on a table long dead.
What Jesus does is come to you and take away your sin before God. He
transfers your sin onto Himself (like taking a dirty jacket off and
giving it to Him). All of your sin leaves you physically and goes to
Him so that He bears the burden of your sin, not you.
When Jesus does this, that spiritual corpse comes alive and you are
then living spiritually. This immediately asserts itself into your
life and you change in that instant. Literally the old you dies, and
the new you is born with the rebirth of that spirit life.
From that day forward everything about your life will change, and you
are able to move toward and do things that were not possible before.
You're able to move away from and shun things you were powerless over
before. Jesus gives you authority and power by His resurrection from
the dead, and your new spirit life is in constant communion with Him
in the spirit. You are able to receive guidance from His own Holy
Spirit continually, and He will lead you away from false things and
toward true things.
-----
Whoever you are, wherever you're from ... you need Jesus Christ in
order to know the truth. You need to have your sin forgiven so you
can be alive eternally.
Until this happens you are walking in darkness, falseness, and you
have no life in you, even though your physical body is alive, for it
is the spiritual life that is eternal, not our physical bodily life.
When we leave this world and depart from our physical body, we will
go to one of two places: Heaven (being forgiven by Jesus here on
this Earth) or Hellfire (with our sin remaining on us).
In either case, our spirit will reunite with a new body, an eternal
body, one that is literally immortal. For the soul going off to
Heaven it will be love and peace and unending growth and prosperity.
For the one who has rejected Jesus Christ's offer of forgiveness,
their sin will overtake them and they will only burn in agony and
torment in the unquenchable flames of Hell forever.
-----
There is this binary end to your life: Heaven or Hell. And it has
to do entirely with what you did with Jesus.
Ask Him to forgive your sin today, and pass from eternal death to
eternal life today. Begin the next chapter of your existence, the
one that is written in eternal life, and ends happily ever after.
Thank you,
Rick C. Hodgin

--
Personal attacks from those who troll show their own insecurity. They cannot
use reason to show the message to be wrong so they try to feel somehow
superior by attacking the messenger.

They cling to their attacks and ignore the message time and time again.

polymorph self

2017-07-21 15:06:44 UTC