This manuscript is a reply to Steve Pavlina's article,10 reasons you shouldn't have a religion, posted on his website, Private development for smart folk.
I do not like the term religion as the worship of Devil as well as every other sort of worship falls into the general heading of religion, but to identify with and reprove his article which includes followers of Jesus Christ, I?ll use the term religion. Steve calls folks like me or any person in any religious system idiots, hypocrites and Morons. He asserts and I quote, When you subscribe to an established religion, you have just two options. You can become an idiot, or you can become a hypocrite, and then he says, Congratulations! You are a moron believer.
Here is the solution to Steve Pavlina's 10 Reasons You Should Not Have a Religion. It is clear that Mr. Pavlina has had some bad experiences in the Catholic faith in which he was raised, but to assume that all religion is for morons due to his limited experience is ludicrous. My experience is the exact opposite of Pavlina's; I therefore give you 10 reasons you ought to have a religion primarily based on not just my private experience, but also on facts:
I do not think any person would consider me a moron or idiot . I graduated from a private college with a 15 acceptance ratio, now a university, at the very top of my class with an A- average and I'm a believer in Jesus. The Bible does say however that "The fool has related in his own heart that there is no God."
I've got many reasons in believing in Jesus but I'll only share 10 here:
1. Jesus is a real historical figure, not some made up legendary figure. There is more to substantiate his existence from extant history than there's for Napoleon Bonaparte. All of the info about Jesus isn't form the Bible alone or from those that believed in him; Josephus, a near modern of Jesus and a 1st century writer though reputedly a sceptic touches on Jesus:
The works of Origen (c. 182-251 CE) which have come down to us mention Josephus quoting Jesus Christ twice. It is worth referencing both passages in full:
Flavius Josephus, who wrote the "Antiquities of the Jews" in 20 books, when wishing to exhibit the cause why the people suffered so great misfortunes that even the Temple was razed to the ground, declared, that these things occurred to them in accordance with the wrath of God in effect of the things which they had dared to do against James the brother of Jesus who is named Christ. And the wonderful thing is that, though he didn't accept Jesus as Christ, he yet gave testimony that the goodness of James was so great; and he says the folks thought that they had suffered these things due to James. (On The Text of Matthew, 1:15)
For in the 18th book of his Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus bears witness to John as having been a Baptist, and as promising purification to people who went through the rite. Now this writer, though not believing in Jesus as the Christ, in seeking after the reason for the decline of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, while he ought to have said that the conspiracy against Jesus was the reason behind these tragedies befalling the people, since they put to death Christ, who was a foreseer, announces nevertheless-being, though against his will, not far from the truth-that these tragedies happened to the Jews as a punishment for the death of James the Just, who was a brother of Jesus (called Christ),-the Jews having put him to death, although he was a man most distinguished for his justice. Paul, a genuine disciple of Jesus, announces that he regarded this James as a bro of the Lord, not so much thanks to their relationship by blood, or of their being brought up together, as due to his virtue and doctrine. (Origen, Against Celsus, 1:47)
Jesus walked on this earth and had disciples who followed him and served him. At his crucifixion all his disciples but the Apostle John deserted him in fear. The Apostle Peter betrayed him 3 times by swearing saying he didn't even know him.
After the resurrection of Jesus when his disciples saw him and talked with him, their attitude changed. No. Longer did fear rule them; they stood resolutely in their belief and all but the apostle John, who stood with Jesus till the end, were martyred for their belief. John was exiled to a lonely island to live out the rest of his life. What fools they would be if Jesus was simply a made up legendary personality or if in reality he didn't rise from the tomb.
2. The Bible is the true word of God and has never been proved otherwise. It's my practice to read the Bible through every year and I know the Bible well and have not seen anywhere it is full of discrepancies or falsehood. It is indeed a book of knowledge and has the answers for each need we have. To discredit it or reject its teachings is, to my mind, true ignorance. Click here for six articles that prove the providence of Scripture:
3. The change that it has made in the lives of those I've known . Just last year I met a man in Florida whose name is John and John spent 23 years of his life in a Federal jail for first degree murder. John by his own word was a gangster. His life was full of violence and crime.
John met Jesus the savior while in prison and was paroled after 23 years and for years now he has served the Lord. He's a deacon in his church. He's involved in helping other prisoner's transition back into civilian life after jail. He is among the best folk I know .
Another man I have known for many years was in a rock and roll band and a drug abuser . Jesus helped him to change his life and now he is a volunteer missionary. He volunteers his time without pay to go on mission trips. This week on Thursday he left for the Philippians and from there he'll be going to Mongolia and then on to China. Time and space will not permit me to tell you all the stories I know about lives that've been modified by Jesus.
4. Smart folk trust in Jesus. I did a study of the presidents of the U. S. from Wikipedia, and lots of our presidents had roots in the Christian faith. Now I do not believe that Steve Pavlina or anybody else can say that our presidents have been fools and idiots because they suspected in Jesus. The person that made such a statement would seem to be the idiot.
I wouldn't reject the indisputable fact that many have disgraced the name of Christianity; there were many, and not only from the Catholic church, but from many denominations. Even among the disciples of our Lord there had been Judas who betrayed the Master for 30 pieces of silver.
People from all kinds of life have proven themselves to be treacherous and dishonest and this obviously includes the religious world also.
5. There is not any better means of true personal development than when somebody is right with God spiritually. I have known many who never heard about Steve Pavlina who are developed to a point so far advanced to what human teaching could have ever taken them. To know these sorts of people and to experience their kindness and love for others and to call them idiots is the greatest possible contradiction of terms.
6. To know Jesus is to know the truth , quite the reverse of what Mr. Pavlina believes. Jesus related, Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
Living in an entire world of sin, separate from the love of Christ is bondage. I don't need try and persuade you of this, just read your morning newspaper or watch the 10 o'clock news and see for yourself. We live in a world crammed with hate with folks in bondage to drugs, sex, malevolent offences and perversion to name a few. Knowing Jesus and worshiping him is the best management of time. The time I've spent in studying the 7, which is the beginning and shutting of everyday has been one of the most favorable things I have ever done. It starts my day on a more encouraging note especially when I add to that a period of prayer and meditation, which I usually do. The time when I?ve been in a public worship service and have been lifted up by the teaching of the Bible is the most precious hours I ever spend. There are a lot of ways to waste precious time but our presence with our Lord in worship, Bible study and prayer isn't one of them. Bible. The loyal Christian mates I've made, who are the best folks in all of the world, is just another reason I'm grateful to know Jesus as my savior.
I am probably a member of an organization called Campers on Mission who volunteer their time to work for free to do mend on children's homes, orphanages as well as for folks who can not afford to do repairs themselves. I have yet to meet one of these folks that I did not like. Their attitude and gratitude for life is astounding compared with the general public. To call these good people simpletons is inhuman and. Shameful.
8. Knowing Jesus is freedom from fear.
That verse from the 92rd Psalm, Yea though I walk thru the valley of the shadow of death I will be able to fear no malevolent because thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me is a great comfort to the soul. I find great solace in knowing that Jesus is with me and he has comforted me when I walked thru the valley of the shade of death with my dear better half which was my number one pal. He was there and he provided the grace I needed to continue on. I believe it is Mr. Pavlina and people who he has wrongly misled thru his papers who have something to fear. When it is time to die and stand before the creator of the Universe, what are you able to then say when he asked you, why wouldn't you suspect when you had each opportunity? 31
I am pleased I know Jesus due to the dramatic difference it has made in my private life. You know, you cannot know how others feel or what they experience but you can know your own heart. No, Mr. Pavlina can not know my heart; he only can know his own experiences in the Catholic Church which I gather have been awfully bad according to what he is saying. I, from the other standpoint, know my experiences, and I have never felt any of the negative things listed in his article concerning fear, being make to conform to any set of rules or becoming submissively tractable to false teaching and dogma, or feeling I have wasted my time etc. Quite to the opposite, I have felt loved, educated, edified, blessed and nourished. There is no doubt that Steve is a well informed person. But to put it into perspective, his knowledge, like any other person, is terribly limited. What I'm indicating is that I speculate if Mr. Pavlina has ever considered that among all of the knowledge he doesn't have, that there just might be the knowledge of having a
suggestive relationship with 0 . Is an individual simply to rely on their lonesome negative experience or their own limited knowledge and let it dictate to them what to believe? Knowledge would tell us to go outside our own limited knowledge in pursuit of truth lest we be deceived by our own stupidity.I want to give credit where it is due. Steve Pavlina is without doubt a gifted writer who indisputably has helped lots of folks in personal development. I concur with a lot of what he writes, and I have absolutely no sick will towards him. I am thankful that we live in the great country of America where he as well as I am able to express our Gods readily without fear. My sole regret is that he can't see past his bad experiences in belief growing up and has led many others into boo boo due to it.
I do not like the term religion as the worship of Devil as well as every other sort of worship falls into the general heading of religion, but to identify with and reprove his article which includes followers of Jesus Christ, I?ll use the term religion. Steve calls folks like me or any person in any religious system idiots, hypocrites and Morons. He asserts and I quote, When you subscribe to an established religion, you have just two options. You can become an idiot, or you can become a hypocrite, and then he says, Congratulations! You are a moron believer.
Here is the solution to Steve Pavlina's 10 Reasons You Should Not Have a Religion. It is clear that Mr. Pavlina has had some bad experiences in the Catholic faith in which he was raised, but to assume that all religion is for morons due to his limited experience is ludicrous. My experience is the exact opposite of Pavlina's; I therefore give you 10 reasons you ought to have a religion primarily based on not just my private experience, but also on facts:
I do not think any person would consider me a moron or idiot . I graduated from a private college with a 15 acceptance ratio, now a university, at the very top of my class with an A- average and I'm a believer in Jesus. The Bible does say however that "The fool has related in his own heart that there is no God."
I've got many reasons in believing in Jesus but I'll only share 10 here:
1. Jesus is a real historical figure, not some made up legendary figure. There is more to substantiate his existence from extant history than there's for Napoleon Bonaparte. All of the info about Jesus isn't form the Bible alone or from those that believed in him; Josephus, a near modern of Jesus and a 1st century writer though reputedly a sceptic touches on Jesus:
The works of Origen (c. 182-251 CE) which have come down to us mention Josephus quoting Jesus Christ twice. It is worth referencing both passages in full:
Flavius Josephus, who wrote the "Antiquities of the Jews" in 20 books, when wishing to exhibit the cause why the people suffered so great misfortunes that even the Temple was razed to the ground, declared, that these things occurred to them in accordance with the wrath of God in effect of the things which they had dared to do against James the brother of Jesus who is named Christ. And the wonderful thing is that, though he didn't accept Jesus as Christ, he yet gave testimony that the goodness of James was so great; and he says the folks thought that they had suffered these things due to James. (On The Text of Matthew, 1:15)
For in the 18th book of his Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus bears witness to John as having been a Baptist, and as promising purification to people who went through the rite. Now this writer, though not believing in Jesus as the Christ, in seeking after the reason for the decline of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, while he ought to have said that the conspiracy against Jesus was the reason behind these tragedies befalling the people, since they put to death Christ, who was a foreseer, announces nevertheless-being, though against his will, not far from the truth-that these tragedies happened to the Jews as a punishment for the death of James the Just, who was a brother of Jesus (called Christ),-the Jews having put him to death, although he was a man most distinguished for his justice. Paul, a genuine disciple of Jesus, announces that he regarded this James as a bro of the Lord, not so much thanks to their relationship by blood, or of their being brought up together, as due to his virtue and doctrine. (Origen, Against Celsus, 1:47)
Jesus walked on this earth and had disciples who followed him and served him. At his crucifixion all his disciples but the Apostle John deserted him in fear. The Apostle Peter betrayed him 3 times by swearing saying he didn't even know him.
After the resurrection of Jesus when his disciples saw him and talked with him, their attitude changed. No. Longer did fear rule them; they stood resolutely in their belief and all but the apostle John, who stood with Jesus till the end, were martyred for their belief. John was exiled to a lonely island to live out the rest of his life. What fools they would be if Jesus was simply a made up legendary personality or if in reality he didn't rise from the tomb.
2. The Bible is the true word of God and has never been proved otherwise. It's my practice to read the Bible through every year and I know the Bible well and have not seen anywhere it is full of discrepancies or falsehood. It is indeed a book of knowledge and has the answers for each need we have. To discredit it or reject its teachings is, to my mind, true ignorance. Click here for six articles that prove the providence of Scripture:
3. The change that it has made in the lives of those I've known . Just last year I met a man in Florida whose name is John and John spent 23 years of his life in a Federal jail for first degree murder. John by his own word was a gangster. His life was full of violence and crime.
John met Jesus the savior while in prison and was paroled after 23 years and for years now he has served the Lord. He's a deacon in his church. He's involved in helping other prisoner's transition back into civilian life after jail. He is among the best folk I know .
Another man I have known for many years was in a rock and roll band and a drug abuser . Jesus helped him to change his life and now he is a volunteer missionary. He volunteers his time without pay to go on mission trips. This week on Thursday he left for the Philippians and from there he'll be going to Mongolia and then on to China. Time and space will not permit me to tell you all the stories I know about lives that've been modified by Jesus.
4. Smart folk trust in Jesus. I did a study of the presidents of the U. S. from Wikipedia, and lots of our presidents had roots in the Christian faith. Now I do not believe that Steve Pavlina or anybody else can say that our presidents have been fools and idiots because they suspected in Jesus. The person that made such a statement would seem to be the idiot.
I wouldn't reject the indisputable fact that many have disgraced the name of Christianity; there were many, and not only from the Catholic church, but from many denominations. Even among the disciples of our Lord there had been Judas who betrayed the Master for 30 pieces of silver.
People from all kinds of life have proven themselves to be treacherous and dishonest and this obviously includes the religious world also.
5. There is not any better means of true personal development than when somebody is right with God spiritually. I have known many who never heard about Steve Pavlina who are developed to a point so far advanced to what human teaching could have ever taken them. To know these sorts of people and to experience their kindness and love for others and to call them idiots is the greatest possible contradiction of terms.
6. To know Jesus is to know the truth , quite the reverse of what Mr. Pavlina believes. Jesus related, Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
Living in an entire world of sin, separate from the love of Christ is bondage. I don't need try and persuade you of this, just read your morning newspaper or watch the 10 o'clock news and see for yourself. We live in a world crammed with hate with folks in bondage to drugs, sex, malevolent offences and perversion to name a few. Knowing Jesus and worshiping him is the best management of time. The time I've spent in studying the 7, which is the beginning and shutting of everyday has been one of the most favorable things I have ever done. It starts my day on a more encouraging note especially when I add to that a period of prayer and meditation, which I usually do. The time when I?ve been in a public worship service and have been lifted up by the teaching of the Bible is the most precious hours I ever spend. There are a lot of ways to waste precious time but our presence with our Lord in worship, Bible study and prayer isn't one of them. Bible. The loyal Christian mates I've made, who are the best folks in all of the world, is just another reason I'm grateful to know Jesus as my savior.
I am probably a member of an organization called Campers on Mission who volunteer their time to work for free to do mend on children's homes, orphanages as well as for folks who can not afford to do repairs themselves. I have yet to meet one of these folks that I did not like. Their attitude and gratitude for life is astounding compared with the general public. To call these good people simpletons is inhuman and. Shameful.
8. Knowing Jesus is freedom from fear.
That verse from the 92rd Psalm, Yea though I walk thru the valley of the shadow of death I will be able to fear no malevolent because thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me is a great comfort to the soul. I find great solace in knowing that Jesus is with me and he has comforted me when I walked thru the valley of the shade of death with my dear better half which was my number one pal. He was there and he provided the grace I needed to continue on. I believe it is Mr. Pavlina and people who he has wrongly misled thru his papers who have something to fear. When it is time to die and stand before the creator of the Universe, what are you able to then say when he asked you, why wouldn't you suspect when you had each opportunity? 31
I am pleased I know Jesus due to the dramatic difference it has made in my private life. You know, you cannot know how others feel or what they experience but you can know your own heart. No, Mr. Pavlina can not know my heart; he only can know his own experiences in the Catholic Church which I gather have been awfully bad according to what he is saying. I, from the other standpoint, know my experiences, and I have never felt any of the negative things listed in his article concerning fear, being make to conform to any set of rules or becoming submissively tractable to false teaching and dogma, or feeling I have wasted my time etc. Quite to the opposite, I have felt loved, educated, edified, blessed and nourished. There is no doubt that Steve is a well informed person. But to put it into perspective, his knowledge, like any other person, is terribly limited. What I'm indicating is that I speculate if Mr. Pavlina has ever considered that among all of the knowledge he doesn't have, that there just might be the knowledge of having a
suggestive relationship with 0 . Is an individual simply to rely on their lonesome negative experience or their own limited knowledge and let it dictate to them what to believe? Knowledge would tell us to go outside our own limited knowledge in pursuit of truth lest we be deceived by our own stupidity.I want to give credit where it is due. Steve Pavlina is without doubt a gifted writer who indisputably has helped lots of folks in personal development. I concur with a lot of what he writes, and I have absolutely no sick will towards him. I am thankful that we live in the great country of America where he as well as I am able to express our Gods readily without fear. My sole regret is that he can't see past his bad experiences in belief growing up and has led many others into boo boo due to it.
About the Author:
About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is an inspirational speaker and writer who has been concerned in teaching Christian Private Development for more than 30 years. There are over 600 articles to help you on his website in your personal expansion. Be certain to take vantage of the FREE offer to get the eBook The 4 Pillars for Private Development while available.