A test
- Thread starter Cyperium
- Start date
does this mean, we are constantly being tested, how dreary.
I think, i'll change my allegiance.
I think, i'll change my allegiance.
How the test (the real one) is made I don't know. It isn't something we should constantly think about and analyse.mis-t-highs said:
If we analyse too much about it, then the test is harder to make...or so it seems.
I think that we can make the test by just being ourselves.
I don't know if everything is a test though, I think that we are sometimes being tested though, but that it is because we get a better understanding of where we are. If someone that's equal to you tests you then it's allmost allways unfair, cause he don't know enough about you to make the test reflect you. But I think that when God tests someone, that test is perfect. If you fail the test, I still think that there are solutions, cause maybe you just "think" you failed.
This is all speculations though, we should live our life and take things as they come.
But if you were to test the intelligence of a rat, you wouldn't give the rat a IQ test designed for humans would you?
you would if you were teaching the rats to become people. Jesus claimed he would inherit the throne of his father and we should be joint heirs. Perhaps the very thing that makes life so difficult is that the test is intended to teach us to be greater than we are.Cyperium said:
You are right, but one way to look at it may be that it only seems that way because we think we are greater than we are, thus trying to see how the test reflects those that are greater. We should approach the test as we are, not trying to fool the test, or fool ourselves that we are smarter than we are.b0urgeoisie said:
If we don't see the test right away, then move on, there will be another chance.
Then we have tests that people are making up because they want you to fail. God's test aren't constructed to make you fail, they are constructed in a way that you can make it. This I believe in. I guess it's about trusting ourselves, and ultimatly trusting God.
OK cyperium here is a parable for you (and any other person who cares to try it) find the divine meaning here.
Once a man came to his ecclesiastical leader asking for relief from sin. The man confessed that he could not help but to sexually molest goats. The wise leader smiled and said you should deliver mail or build houses or anything but work with goats. Another man, who had been listening, entered the house and interrupted the former two by shouting I am a thief and have supported myself that way for most of my life. The leader was much less happy to tell the second man "Get out of my house." Before he could leave the first sinner asked "How are you with goats?"
Once a man came to his ecclesiastical leader asking for relief from sin. The man confessed that he could not help but to sexually molest goats. The wise leader smiled and said you should deliver mail or build houses or anything but work with goats. Another man, who had been listening, entered the house and interrupted the former two by shouting I am a thief and have supported myself that way for most of my life. The leader was much less happy to tell the second man "Get out of my house." Before he could leave the first sinner asked "How are you with goats?"
That the thief should work with goats instead? And that it would be wrong for the leader not to accept him using his earlier advice?b0urgeoisie said:
I do NOT believe that the divine meaning is that the molester should become a thief. The leader could also have shouted "Get out of my house" because he didn't want the thief to become a temptation for the molester since he shouldn't work with goats anymore.
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You must assume that the leader here is wize and his directions are perfect.
Ok, just tell me the thief wasn't into molesting goats too was he?
If that's so, then the thief might have heard their argument and wanted to fool the wise man into saying that they should work together, or if that wasn't so and he still had heard their argument he may have wanted to fool the sexual molester to become a thief because he shouldn't work with sheep anymore.
(and that's why the wise man shouted at him to get out)
Now I've pretty much ran out of options...
If that's so, then the thief might have heard their argument and wanted to fool the wise man into saying that they should work together, or if that wasn't so and he still had heard their argument he may have wanted to fool the sexual molester to become a thief because he shouldn't work with sheep anymore.
(and that's why the wise man shouted at him to get out)
Now I've pretty much ran out of options...
It is important to consider that the leader does not object to the theif going to farm goats.
try thinking about the sins themselves and the nature of each.
try thinking about the sins themselves and the nature of each.
Ok, both deal with temptations, and the wise man are leading them both away from temptation.b0urgeoisie said:
But it's not evident from the story that the thief wanted to steal anything from the wise man, or that the wise man had much in is house worth stealing.
he did want to lead the goat farmer from temptation. because, as vile and repugnant goat sex is to most of us, without the goats around this guy would be normal.
(hint) the thief was sneaky even in his approach to repenting.
(hint) the thief was sneaky even in his approach to repenting.
ok no problem. if you want to think about it for a day that's cool. The key is to consider the sins seperate from the persons first.Cyperium said:I'll try answering that one tomorrow instead. I still don't fully get it
Goat sex - what eternal implications will it have. how would a person best overcome this behavior. would this act force you to sin in other ways
thief - same questions (consider what kind of person a thief would have to be.)
this is weird. :m:
Ok, this is my best shot.b0urgeoisie said:
Maybe the goat-molester would want the thief to steal a goat so that he could continue his act allthough not working with it - and that's why he said "how good are you with goats" (so that he could get information on how to steal the goat/-s). The wise man saw that and said to the thief to get out.
But how does that match with the thiefs sneakiness??
Somehow it doesn't add up.
This doesn't add up either...but maybe the sheep-molester wanted the goats to be stolen, when asking "how good are you at goats"?
Or the sheep molester used his teachers advice when saying to the thief "how good are you at goats?", but then the teacher wouldn't have shouted "get out!" would he? But maybe he did that so that the thief wouldn't fool the molester to become a thief. Or because the thief would do anything but work with goats (?).
I don't think the thief wanted to repent though, he had other things in mind.
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this parable outlines repentance. the wise leader is God or Jesus or whatever you pray to.
Sex with goats is wrong. But, the wise leader can see that it is the end of his crimes. In other words, besides the goats the man is clean and with a change of scenery could live a healthy productive life.
Being a thief, however, is a sin that cannot be commited by itself. In order to be good at it you also have to be a good liar. It is a lazy life. You don't have to be responsible. If you don't feel like working today you can take a little more tomorrow. Look at the way he approached repentance. He waited outside listening to the person in front of him. Then when the leader was kind and understanding he was eager to repent. He didn't even wait until the previous man was finished. He realized he was in the wrong way but his attitude was "I'll confess when I don't think I'll get in trouble for what I've done." He was not really sorry and willing to take whatever comes to fix the problem.
The leader recognized the attitude the thief had. He realized that unless he was willing to purge himself than he would never leave his life of crime. He was much like a smoker that tries to quit but keeps a spare pack just incase. So the thief was trying to grab forgiveness while it was on sale. That is why the thief was rebuked by the leader. Because his attitude showed that it would probably be a long time before he quit stealing, the leader chased him out before he could steal from him.
The goat farmer and the leader would both be OK with the thief going to take care of goats. The idea was that even if the thief started raping goats as an outlet for his wickedness it was better than being a thief. You can rape a goat in the middle of a parade with everyone watching. But, you cannot steal from people and be honest at the same time.
Sex with goats is wrong. But, the wise leader can see that it is the end of his crimes. In other words, besides the goats the man is clean and with a change of scenery could live a healthy productive life.
Being a thief, however, is a sin that cannot be commited by itself. In order to be good at it you also have to be a good liar. It is a lazy life. You don't have to be responsible. If you don't feel like working today you can take a little more tomorrow. Look at the way he approached repentance. He waited outside listening to the person in front of him. Then when the leader was kind and understanding he was eager to repent. He didn't even wait until the previous man was finished. He realized he was in the wrong way but his attitude was "I'll confess when I don't think I'll get in trouble for what I've done." He was not really sorry and willing to take whatever comes to fix the problem.
The leader recognized the attitude the thief had. He realized that unless he was willing to purge himself than he would never leave his life of crime. He was much like a smoker that tries to quit but keeps a spare pack just incase. So the thief was trying to grab forgiveness while it was on sale. That is why the thief was rebuked by the leader. Because his attitude showed that it would probably be a long time before he quit stealing, the leader chased him out before he could steal from him.
The goat farmer and the leader would both be OK with the thief going to take care of goats. The idea was that even if the thief started raping goats as an outlet for his wickedness it was better than being a thief. You can rape a goat in the middle of a parade with everyone watching. But, you cannot steal from people and be honest at the same time.