A Test For The Willing And The Curious - Especially For Those That Are Connected!

Dude ... WanderingMrM

I've explained this to you in message in detail. But I'll explain it again

YOU ARE IN CATHARSIS!

You aren't even that far in. You are only in THE FIRST STEPS

IDENTITY IS AN ILLUSION

People misunderstand this lesson to be something referred to as SHEDDING OF EGO

Let me be very, very, VERY CLEAR ....

IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO "THEY ARE"

IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO "YOU ARE"

The whole purpose of the lesson you are going through, IS TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THIS

As long as you are trying to work out who or what "they" may/might be, or what you may/might be, you are failing to understand the one thing that matters ...

And that is as simple as:

I AM, WHO I AM
YOU ARE, WHO YOU ARE
AIN'T NOTHING GONNA CHANGE IT

Think of it this way

If your "demons" told you, that they were Demons, and the Bible was correct ...

Or they are Angels, and the Bible was correct ...

Or that they were, like Angels or Demons, but the Bible was wrong ...

Or that they were para-dimensional manifestations of your own consciousness, caused by the cyclical nature of time, within a phased dimensional existence, as it causes centres of focus within a physical precept body, through which consciousness can reflect (and through this echo them, as entities) ...

Would any of these answers change anything about "what is?"

Would you be able to know for certain, they were telling you the truth?

YOU CAN'T KNOW

YOU CAN ONLY GUESS

AND GUESSING IS A TRAP

It stops you from seeing the simple, SIMPLY, reality of self

If you want to believe you are Jesus Christ, THEY WILL LET YOU

If your want to believe you are the Devil, THEY WILL LET YOU

They will let you believe whatever you want to believe. Because the lesson is within you understating WHO IT IS that believes and asks the questions

THE QUESTION ITSELF, IS THE ANSWER

It is why we are here. Our purpose for existing. The experience itself

THEY LET YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE ANYTHING AND ANYONE YOU WANT, BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CORRECT TRANSLATIONS AND CONTEXT OF THESE THINGS MEAN

I understand what ARCHANGEL means. So I can honestly say, that I AM an Archangel

I understand what JESUS CHRIST means. So I can honestly say, that I AM Jesus Christ

But those names don't just apply to me. They apply to anyone who looks into the code deep enough, to understand what the words actually mean and honestly see themselves in reflection

This is what they refer to as "Illumination"

Understating that you are one with "God"

It isn't about IF YOU ARE these IDENTITIES

It is about IDENTIFYING with these things within SELF

They are not PEOPLE, they are CHARACTERISTICS

If you want to KNOW GOD ... KNOW SELF

They are the SAME THING

You start off analysing what you COULD BE. Then you move on to KNOWING WHAT YOU ARE

You are getting tangled within your own web

Why? Because it feels good to think that you might be someone really important

So you want everyone to know. You want validation somehow

I understand. I've been through Catharsis

But, whilst you are bathing in that feeling of pride and happiness about being someone truly special, you are living within a self-image larger than your true self

Bigger than you can ever hope to live up to

The idea is to learn to love and accept who your were (and still are) when you were a nobody

Because that person who is a nobody, is just as special as someone named Jesus Christ

As special as anyone who has ever existed, before or after them

As long as you are trying to live up to a greater version of yourself, or identity, you are failing to see this

If you are them .... Then THEY ARE YOU

SO WHAT DOES IT MATTER "WHO YOU ARE"

YOU ARE YOU

You could find out you are the long-lost legitimate heir of a Kingdom. You will still be the same old boring you. Title didn't matter. Identity is an illusion

Eventually you are going to understand what I am telling you

Check the lyrics to a song I wrote below. They may/might help, give you context about "why" we struggle with identity within this world

I do find these replies interesting and it is more captivating that no one really attempted to actually give this a go.

Hmm... we do seem to be lacking in the archeological dig department these days, alas if someone does dig eventually they might find some cool treasure.

a reply to: WanderingMrM

No it's just from a spiritual standpoint this whole egoistical identity thing is sooooooo pre-2012, we're all jaded by some greenhorn trying to be more important than they are.

.

Wah

a reply to: WanderingMrM

I was some what of a villain in a past life but that's about as much as I know regarding that one...

No I am no villain this time around and no hero either!

Whenever you're relying on mixed entities, you're always going to get mixed messages. You've never lived a past life. You're being toyed with.

Narrow your prayer life to Jesus only and leave the lower entities out of it.

a reply to: WanderingMrM

You are nothing.

A dime a dozen. Molded by "this system of things".

Romans 12:2

And stop being molded by this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over, so that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

You are posssibly someone who for example believes there is a distinction between so-called "white magic" and "black magic", and that engaging or taking an interest in "white magic" is harmless, not dangerous at all for yourself or those around you and a good thing, as opposed to "black magic"; as taught by the entertainment media promoting an interest in magic, new age philosophy and eastern mysticism (among other things, such as spiritism; examples of such entertainment productions, those marked with a * are more heavy on the promotion of spiritism than the earlier 3 mentioned subjects, but they usually overlap: Dr. Strange*, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Stranger Things, Harry Potter, Spirited Away*, Lost (last season mostly)*, The Witcher, Supernatural*, Maleficent, Constantine*, WandaVision, Ghost Hunters/Nation/Adventures*, Charmed, A Discovery of Witches, Salem, etc.; a small selection of the popular fantasy genre). Much like the guy named Pjotr (name has been changed) argued concerning "white magic" vs. "black magic" as mentioned in this lifestory:

Provided With a Hope That Sustains Me (Awake! | December 22, 2000)

AS TOLD BY TATJANA VILEYSKA

Our happy family was destroyed when Mother was beaten to death in our apartment. Father committed suicide four months later. ...

...

“White Magic Is Good”

Pjotr *, a distant relative, had an accident while working in a coal mine and suffered head injuries that required treatment in a special clinic. Concerned about his health, he consulted a koldun. The sorcerer put Pjotr in touch with the spirit world. Although his wife and my parents told him that sorcery was foolish, he felt that he knew better. “What I practice is white magic,” he asserted. “Black magic is wicked, but white magic is good.” [*: Name has been changed.]

Pjotr claimed to have powers that enabled him to foretell the future and protect people from harm. Nonetheless, Pjotr’s wife left him. Hence, Pjotr would come to stay with us, sometimes for weeks at a time. His influence on the family was terrible. At any rate, Mother and Father started to have serious arguments. Eventually, they separated and divorced. We children moved into another apartment with Mother, and Pjotr—her blood relative—moved in with us.

Lubov got married and moved to Uganda, in Africa, with her husband. In October 1984, Alexandr went on vacation and I traveled to the town of Gorlovka for a week. When I left home, Mom and I said a casual good-bye. How I wish that I had said more to her or had even stayed home! You see, I never saw Mom alive again.

“Your Dear Mother Is Dead”

When I returned from Gorlovka, the apartment was locked, and a notice from the police forbidding entrance hung on the door. A shiver went down my spine. I went to our neighbors. Olga was too upset to talk. Her husband, Vladimir, said kindly: “Tanja, something dreadful has happened. Your dear mother is dead. Pjotr killed her. Afterward, he came to our apartment, telephoned the police, and turned himself in.”

...

... Additionally, Father had awful dreams. He felt that he was to blame for Mother’s death. “If only I had stayed with her,” he would say, “she would still be alive.” Before long, Father fell into a deep depression. Within four months of Mother’s death, he committed suicide.

...

“Pjotr Is Searching for You”

During my stay in Donetsk, Juliya, a Witness who knew our family, shocked me by saying: “Pjotr is searching for you. He wants to talk to you.”

At home that evening I cried and prayed to Jehovah. What did Pjotr want with me? I knew that he had served several years in detention for his crime. I hated him for what he had done, and I felt that he didn’t deserve to learn about Jehovah’s new world. I prayed about the matter for some days and then realized that it was not for me to decide who is worthy to receive eternal life. I recalled Jesus Christ’s promise to the criminal hanging next to him on a stake—that the criminal would be with him in Paradise.—Luke 23:42, 43.

With these thoughts in mind, I determined to see Pjotr and give him a witness about the Messianic Kingdom and God’s new system of things. Accompanied by two Christian brothers, I went to the address given me by Juliya. There, for the first time since Mother’s death, I came face-to-face with Pjotr.

The atmosphere was tense. I explained to Pjotr that I had become a Witness of Jehovah and that the Bible had helped me to understand why in this system we must all experience problems, sometimes even personal tragedies. I also told Pjotr how terrible it had been for us to lose our mother and then our father.

Pjotr explained that a voice had told him to kill my mom, and he went on to describe in detail what had happened on that day. As I listened to his horrible story, my disgust was mixed with pity, for he seemed nervous, like a hunted animal. Once Pjotr finished talking, I tried to show him some of the wonderful promises in the Bible. He claimed to believe in Jesus, so I asked:

“Do you have a Bible?”

“Not yet. But I have ordered one,” he answered.

“You may know already that according to the Bible, the personal name of the true God is Jehovah.”—Psalm 83:18.

Upon hearing that name, Pjotr became agitated. “Do not mention that name to me,” he said. “I cannot stand that name.” We got absolutely nowhere in our attempts to tell Pjotr about the wonderful promises of God.

I left with one thought clear in my mind: If I had not come to know Jehovah, I might have been murdered as Mother was, I might have committed suicide as Father did, or I might have been manipulated to do horrible things as Pjotr was. How deeply grateful I am to have come to know the true God, Jehovah!

Look to the Future, Not the Past

...

2 Timothy 3:1-7

But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3 having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4 betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5 having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. 6 From among these arise men who slyly work their way into households and captivate weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, 7 always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.

Not strong women. But they do like to give these women that impression by means of flattery.

What Is the New Age Movement? (Awake!—1994)

... Actually, there is very little that is new about New Age beliefs. For example, its philosophy is based primarily on Eastern mysticism, which is thousands of years old.

...

A Religion of Self

In her autobiographical film Out on a Limb, famous actress and New Age author Shirley MacLaine stands on a windswept beach with her arms outstretched and exclaims: “I am God! I am God!” Like her, many New Agers promote the search for a higher self and the idea of a god within. They teach that humans need only raise their consciousness to find their divinity.

Once this is accomplished, they claim, the reality of a universal interconnectedness becomes clear​—everything is god, and god is everything. This is by no means a new idea. Ancient religions of Mesopotamia and Egypt believed in the deity of animals, water, the wind, and the sky. More recently, Adolf Hitler allegedly encouraged others to embrace the “strong, heroic belief in God in Nature, God in our own people, in our destiny, in our blood.”

New Age culture is saturated with literature, seminars, and training programs dealing with self-​potential and self-​improvement. “Getting in touch with my inner self” is a popular logo. People are encouraged to try anything and everything that can help them unleash their own possibilities. As one writer put it in the magazine Wilson Quarterly, the “movement’s central teaching is ‘that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as it works for you.’”

Margot Adler, a New Age guru, explains that many of the women who join women’s New Age movements do it “for reasons that are very personal. . . . They hate their bodies, they hate themselves. They come into these groups which basically say to you, ‘You’re the Goddess, you’re wonderful.’” [whereislogic: weak women, easily seduced and taken in by flattery, "always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth."]

...

Hence most people into these sort of things (Eastern Mysticism, New Age philosophy, spiritism and counterfeit spirituality) are more likely to be (weak) women than men, cause women are more into these sort of things. That's not to say that there aren't plenty of men trying to capitalize on this though, as described at 2 Timothy 3:6, but women seem to be in the majority in this area.

Pardon my honesty if you take offense* to any of the truthful information or the real life experiences shared in my previous comment. It's worth it though. (*: Also, try not to interpret my phrase "a dime a dozen" as me saying you are worthless, I just used that expression to indicate that it's common in this system of things, especially among those commenting in this subforum; I wouldn't have bothered with this heads-up otherwise or if I didn't care about your well-being and those around you or those whom you affect with the philosophies/ideas you express here. Compare the text under my profilename and my signature.)

Why Search for Truth?

...

A Treasure Worth Any Price

Granted, accepting the truths of God’s Word exacts a price. First, just learning the truth can be a shattering experience. The Encyclopedia Americana observes: “The truth is often disagreeable, because it fails to support prejudice or myth.” Seeing our beliefs exposed as untrue can be disillusioning, especially if we were taught by trusted religious leaders. [whereislogic: or gurus, or philosophers and teachers promoting new age philosophy and eastern mysticism, or media entertainment writers.] Some might liken the experience to finding out that trusted parents were, in fact, secret criminals. But is not finding out religious truth better than living under a delusion? Is it not better to know the facts than to be manipulated by lies?*​—Compare John 8:32; Romans 3:4. [*: The Greek word for “truth,” a·leʹthei·a, derives from a word meaning “not concealed,” so the truth often involves the revealing of that which was formerly hidden.​—Compare Luke 12:2.]

Second, living by religious truth may cost us the acceptance of some who were formerly our friends. In a world where so many have “exchanged the truth of God for the lie,” those who hold firm to the truth of God’s Word seem peculiar and are sometimes shunned and misunderstood.​—Romans 1:25; 1 Peter 4:4.

But the truth is worth this twofold price. Knowing the truth sets us free from lies, delusions, and superstitions. And when we live by it, the truth strengthens us to endure hardships. God’s truth is so reliable and well-founded, and it so inspires us with hope, that it enables us to stand up under any test. No wonder the apostle Paul likened truth to the wide, sturdy leather belt, or girdle, that soldiers wore into battle!​—Ephesians 6:13, 14.

The Bible proverb says: “Buy truth itself and do not sell it​—wisdom and discipline and understanding.” (Proverbs 23:23) To dismiss truth as relative or nonexistent is to miss out on the most thrilling and fulfilling quest that life offers. To find it is to find hope; to know and love it is to know and love the Creator of the universe and his only-begotten Son; to live by it is to live with purpose and peace of mind, now and forever.​—Proverbs 2:1-5; Zechariah 8:19; John 17:3.

For some real positive vibes (as you might put it when thinking or talking about the counterfeit version of spirituality, spritual enlightenment/light and so-called "positive vibes", see Isaiah 5:20,21):

Coming back to the quote from The Encyclopedia Americana used in the article in my comment above: “The truth is often disagreeable, because it fails to support prejudice or myth.”

Myth 1: The Soul Is Immortal (One Myth Leads to Another)

A popular myth and philosophy in this system of things is that some immaterial or spirit part of a human being survives the death of the physical body. Myths/false stories that are connected to this myth are reincarnation (in Eastern Mysticism) and in Christendom (not the same thing as Christianity):

Myth 2: The Wicked Suffer in Hell

“For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the wholesome* [Or “healthful; beneficial.”] teaching, but according to their own desires, they will surround themselves with teachers to have their ears tickled.* [Or “to tell them what they want to hear.”] They will turn away from listening to the truth and give attention to false stories.” (2 Timothy 4:3,4)

“So we should no longer be children, tossed about as by waves and carried here and there by every wind of teaching by means of the trickery of men, by means of cunning in deceptive schemes.” (Ephesians 4:14)

“Look out that no one takes you captive by means of the philosophy and empty deception according to human tradition, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ;” “We have much to say about him, and it is difficult to explain, because you have become dull in your hearing. For although by now* [Lit., “in view of the time.”] you should be teachers, you again need someone to teach you from the beginning the elementary things of the sacred pronouncements of God, and you have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. For everyone who continues to feed on milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is a young child. But solid food belongs to mature people, to those who through use have their powers of discernment* [Or “their perceptive powers.”] trained to distinguish both right and wrong.” (Col 2:8; Hebrews 5:11-14)

“However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron.”(1 Timothy 4:1,2).

Knowledge (Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2)

...
Knowledge (gno'sis) is put in a very favorable light in the Christian Greek Scriptures. However, not all that men may call “knowledge” is to be sought, because philosophies and views exist that are “falsely called ‘knowledge.’” (1Ti 6:20) ...
... Thus Paul wrote about some who were learning (taking in knowledge) “yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge [...] of truth.” (2Ti 3:6, 7)

a reply to: whereislogic

Let me put you into a hypothetical situation here. I want to see what your answers to these questions are

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions

All I ask you, is that you answer the questions without using God or the Bible as reasoning for your answers

Reason them by emotions. By Feeling. By Logic and Reason

---

Let us say …

You were/are a non-Indian man

And you were dating an Indian woman

You went to visit with the Indian womans family. Where she ambushed you and asked if you will marry her

You know of course, that she is only asking you, because she wants to assert the power of her will and choice, over the traditional wants of her family

Basically, she is only asking you because she wants to p#$s her family off. Specifically, her Father

Do you say yes? Even though you do not really want to marry her?

Let us imagine that a voice you interpret to be God asks you at the time, “Do you want to marry her?” and you tell them honestly, that you do not

Would you still say yes?

If so, why would you say it?

There is a good reason why you would say yes, when you do not want to. I just want to see if you understand the dynamics of being in such a situation, deeply enough to see it and understand

Why would you say “yes”?

More importantly, why would she do something such as this and put you in such a position? When there is really no need to?

There is a good reason for this too. But, do you see it and understand it?

Let us say …

That you say yes. Whether you understand why or not. Whether you understood why she was doing it or not

You then need to go before the womans family, to explain yourselves

* Do you take the position of the woman? Stand with her against her family? Even if it means that they may/might end up hating you?

* Do you take the position of the family? Stand with them against the woman? Even if it means that she may/might end up hating you?

* Do you take the active approach, acting as mediator between the woman and her family? So that both can come to an agreement on what is taking place? Do you even see where a compromise could lay in such a situation? Do you see what you could you do to make everyone happy? And nobody hate each other? There is a way to do it. Do you see it?

* Or, do you take the passive approach. Stay as quiet as you can, while letting the woman and her family sort out their differences?

I am interested in how you would handle such a situation

Also, I am interested in what determinations you would make based upon this situation and what happened, after you were ambushed into a confrontation with the womans family. Regardless of what the reasons were, and the good or bad intention behind what was being done

Do you stay with the woman?

Do you go on to marry her anyway? Because of what? And why? If you did not want to prior to this?

Or do you move on? Find someone else?

There is wisdom within every possible avenue that you can travel within this situation

Most importantly out of all these questions …

Who is it, that is “weak” or “strong” within any of your choices?

Is the woman weak? For wanting to act strong?

Or is she strong? For refusing to be weak?

Are you weak? For saying yes, when you wanted to say no?

Or are you strong? For doing something you did not want to?

Are you qualified to make such assertions? Unless you have experienced the situation?

What is the right choice for the situation?

What is the correct outcome?

Then after you have answered all this …

What would be the best outcome that you could possibly see, for everyone involved?

Did your choices serve everyone involved?

Or did they just serve you?

Or did they just serve the woman?

originally posted by: Compendium
a reply to: whereislogic

Let me put you into a hypothetical situation here. I want to see what your answers to these questions are

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions

All I ask you, is that you answer the questions without using God or the Bible as reasoning for your answers

Reason them by emotions. By Feeling. By Logic and Reason

Can't say I'm interested in leaving God and His teachings in the Bible out of my thinking cause abandoning the ultimate source of truth, knowledge and wisdom interferes with any attempt to use logic and reason properly and appropiately. Emotions/feelings can also interfere with that, as a Vulcan in Star Trek might remind you of and they would be right (although there is no need to completely suppress all emotions/feeling as they do, that's not healthy either, and quite impossible to accomplish for humans). Actually, the article in my signature about propaganda (the preceding page actually) mentions:

“By clever and persevering use of propaganda even heaven can be represented as hell to the people, and conversely the most wretched life as paradise.”—ADOLF HITLER, MEIN KAMPF.

AS MEANS of communicating have expanded—from printing to the telephone, radio, television, and the Internet—the flow of persuasive messages has dramatically accelerated. This communications revolution has led to information overload, as people are inundated by countless messages from every quarter. Many respond to this pressure by absorbing messages more quickly and accepting them without questioning or analyzing them.

The cunning propagandist loves such shortcuts—especially those that short-circuit rational thought. Propaganda encourages this by agitating the emotions, by exploiting insecurities, by capitalizing on the ambiguity of language, and by bending rules of logic. As history bears out, such tactics can prove all too effective.

...

Lies, Lies!

Certainly, the handiest trick of the propagandist is the use of outright lies. Consider, for example, the lies that Martin Luther wrote in 1543 about the Jews in Europe: “They have poisoned wells, made assassinations, kidnaped children . . . They are venomous, bitter, vindictive, tricky serpents, assassins, and children of the devil who sting and work harm.” His exhortation to so-called Christians? “Set fire to their synagogues or schools . . . Their houses [should] also be razed and destroyed.”

Luther was agitating the emotions, exploiting insecurities, causing interference with logic and reason in those of his flock, paralyzing their thought, preventing clear thinking and discernment, and conditioning these individuals to act en masse with hatred towards Jews. Many self-professed Christians acted on this exhortation and Jews paid the price. No wonder that the hatred for Jews was still going strong in Europe and Luther's birthplace and place of preaching, Germany, 4 centuries later when the Nazis were voted in as the ruling party. Here emotions interfering with clear thinking and discernment, logic and reason, led to the holocaust. It also shows that Martin Luther wasn't a real christian, remember what I said about Christendom not being the same thing as Christianity? Luther was a prominent leader in Christendom, the counterfeit version of Christianity with counterfeit "apostles of Christ" warned for in the Bible. Those who do not take that warning seriously and leave the teachings of God as found in the Bible out of the picture, out of their thinking, pay the price and are more easily deceived into committing these acts of hatred and violence. Their feelings taking over from letting logic and reason dictate their actions and attitudes towards Jews and even other self-professed Christians (or real ones for that matter; Calvin for example was instrumental in getting Michael Servetus burned at the stake, for denying the false doctrine of the Trinity). For example during the Reformation and the resulting 30 year war, a religious war between different factions of Christendom, all participants and religious leaders fueling the fire demonstrating that they were counterfeit Christians, misled by Satan showing that Satan was their true spiritual father using his popular 'divide and conquer' technique.

“But what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to eliminate the pretext of those who are wanting a basis for being found equal to us in the things about which they boast. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps disguising himself as an angel of light. It is therefore nothing extraordinary if his ministers also keep disguising themselves as ministers of righteousness. But their end will be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:12-15)

A professor of government and social studies who has studied that era says: “Antisemitism has fundamentally nothing to do with the actions of Jews, and therefore fundamentally nothing to do with an antisemite’s knowledge of the real nature of Jews.” He also notes: “The Jews stood for everything that was awry, so that the reflexive reaction to a natural or social ill was to look to its supposed Jewish sources.”

Making Generalizations

Another very successful tactic of propaganda is generalization. Generalizations tend to obscure important facts about the real issues in question, and they are frequently used to demean entire groups of people. “Gypsies [or immigrants] are thieves” is, for instance, a phrase frequently heard in some European countries. But is that true?

Richardos Someritis, a columnist, says that in one country such perceptions caused a kind of “xenophobic and very often racist frenzy” against foreigners. ...

Again, we can see the negative result (in attitude, behaviour and resulting acts of hatred and violence) of letting emotions/feelings cloud your thinking and allowing propagandists and racists a way in to manipulate masses of people to feel hatred and to do bad/evil towards their fellow human beings. If logic and reason really guided their thinking they would be more willing to consider the facts and let them guide their thinking and form their opinions, rather than their emotions that can be played upon by practiced propagandists, liars and deceivers:

It has been shown, however, that when it comes to delinquent acts, the culprits in that country are just as likely to be native-born as foreign. For example, Someritis notes that surveys have shown that in Greece, “96 out of 100 crimes are perpetrated by [Greeks].” “The causes of criminal activity are economic and social,” he observes, “not ‘racial.’” He blames the media “for systematically cultivating xenophobia and racism” by a slanted coverage of crime.

More examples how propaganda (or propagandists playing on the emotions) can paralyze thought, prevent clear thinking and discernment, and condition individuals to act en masse.

Name-Calling

Some people insult those who disagree with them by questioning character or motives instead of focusing on the facts. Name-calling slaps a negative, easy-to-remember label onto a person, a group, or an idea. The name-caller hopes that the label will stick. If people reject the person or the idea on the basis of the negative label instead of weighing the evidence for themselves, the name-caller’s strategy has worked.

For example, in recent years a powerful antisect sentiment has swept many countries in Europe and elsewhere. This trend has stirred emotions, created the image of an enemy, and reinforced existing prejudices against religious minorities. Often, “sect” becomes a catchword. “‘Sect’ is another word for ‘heretic,’” wrote German Professor Martin Kriele in 1993, “and a heretic today in Germany, as in former times, is [condemned to extermination]—if not by fire . . . , then by character assassination, isolation and economic destruction.” [whereislogic: actually "sect" is another word for "cult".]

The Institute for Propaganda Analysis notes that “bad names have played a tremendously powerful role in the history of the world and in our own individual development. They have ruined reputations, . . . sent [people] to prison cells, and made men mad enough to enter battle and slaughter their fellowmen.”

Playing on the Emotions

Even though feelings might be irrelevant when it comes to factual claims or the logic of an argument, they play a crucial role in persuasion. Emotional appeals are fabricated by practiced publicists, who play on feelings as skillfully as a virtuoso plays the piano.

For example, fear is an emotion that can becloud judgment. And, as in the case of envy, fear can be played upon. The Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, of February 15, 1999, reported the following from Moscow: “When three girls committed suicide in Moscow last week, the Russian media immediately suggested they were fanatical followers of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Note the word “fanatical.” Naturally, people would be fearful of a fanatic religious organization that supposedly drives young people to suicide. Were these unfortunate girls really connected with Jehovah’s Witnesses in some way?

The Globe continued: “Police later admitted the girls had nothing to do with [Jehovah’s Witnesses]. But by then a Moscow television channel had already launched a new assault on the sect, telling viewers that the Jehovah’s Witnesses had collaborated with Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany—despite historical evidence that thousands of their members were victims of the Nazi death camps.” In the mind of the misinformed and possibly fearful public, Jehovah’s Witnesses were either a suicidal cult or Nazi collaborators!

Hatred is a strong emotion exploited by propagandists. Loaded language is particularly effective in triggering it. There seems to be a nearly endless supply of nasty words that promote and exploit hatred toward particular racial, ethnic, or religious groups.

Some propagandists play on pride. Often we can spot appeals to pride by looking for such key phrases as: “Any intelligent person knows that . . .” or, “A person with your education can’t help but see that . . .” A reverse appeal to pride plays on our fear of seeming stupid. Professionals in persuasion are well aware of that.

Slogans and Symbols

Slogans are vague statements that are typically used to express positions or goals. Because of their vagueness, they are easy to agree with.

For example, in times of national crisis or conflict, demagogues may use such slogans as “My country, right or wrong,” “Fatherland, Religion, Family,” or “Freedom or Death.” But do most people carefully analyze the real issues involved in the crisis or conflict? Or do they just accept what they are told? [whereislogic: other examples of repetitious slogans and mantras in the religion of scientism for example: "Evolution is a fact." "Evolution has nothing to do with the origin of life or abiogenesis*." *: a.k.a. "the chemical evolution theory of life" or "chemical evolution" for short; showing that this slogan and mantra is false and misleading. And again, unverified evolutionary philosophies/ideas and myths/false stories, originating from Babylon > Eastern mysticism > Greek religiously motivated pagan philosophy, were instrumental in convincing the masses that Jews, gypsies and darker skinned people were less evolved than Aryans*, resulting in the acts of barbarism commited in the holocaust and the barbaric eugenics experiments and exhibitions in Europe, Africa and America before and after WW II.*: in fact, the very term "Aryan" originates amongst the religious pagan philosophers and Brahmin in eastern mysticism, who taught the same evolutionary philosophies and myths in connection with the teachings of reincarnation, having the lighter skinned Aryans as the ideal and darker skinned people below that ideal (form of evolution or reincarnation), likewise they also promoted the term "tree of life" in connection with reincarnation and these evolutionary philosophies. As the first linked video, 2 parts, explains. Likewise, the symbol of the various crosses used by Nazi Germany, such as the Assyrian cross and the Swastika, originate from the pagan religions of Babylon > Eastern mysticism, and in case of the Swastika, Buddhism in particular. The cross used in Christendom traces back to the same sources (ultimately from Babylon and the cross of Tammuz).]

In writing about World War I, Winston Churchill observed: “Only a signal is needed to transform these multitudes of peaceful peasants and workmen into the mighty hosts which will tear each other to pieces.” He further observed that when told what to do, most people responded unthinkingly.

The propagandist also has a very wide range of symbols and signs with which to convey his message—a 21-gun salvo, a military salute, a flag. Love of parents can also be exploited. Thus, such symbolisms as the fatherland, the mother country, or the mother church are valuable tools in the hands of the shrewd persuader.

So the sly art of propaganda can paralyze thought, prevent clear thinking and discernment, and condition individuals to act en masse. How can you protect yourself?

IS THE WORK OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES PROPAGANDISTIC?

Some opponents of Jehovah’s Witnesses have accused them of spreading Zionist propaganda. Others have charged that the ministry of the Witnesses promotes Communism. Still others have claimed that the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses promotes the ideals and interests of “American imperialism.” And there are those who assert that the Witnesses are anarchists, fomenting disorder with the aim of changing the social, economic, political, or legal order. Obviously, these conflicting accusations cannot all be true.

The simple fact is that Jehovah’s Witnesses are none of the above. The work of the Witnesses is carried out in faithful obedience to Jesus Christ’s mandate to his disciples: “You will be witnesses of me . . . to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Their work focuses solely and exclusively on the good news of the heavenly Kingdom—God’s instrument for bringing peace to the whole earth.—Matthew 6:10; 24:14.

Observers of Jehovah’s Witnesses have found no evidence that this Christian community has ever been a force disruptive of the good order of any land.

Many journalists, judges, and others have commented on the positive contributions that Jehovah’s Witnesses have made to the communities in which they live. Consider some examples. After attending a convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a reporter from southern Europe commented: “These are people with strong family ties, they are taught to love and to live by their conscience so as not to harm others.”

Another journalist, formerly negative about the Witnesses, stated: “They live an exemplary life. They do not violate the standards of what is moral and right.” A political scientist similarly remarked about the Witnesses: “They behave toward other people with profound kindness, love and gentleness.” [whereislogic: as I mentioned earlier, there's no need to purge all emotions like a Vulcan, that would interfere with acting good ("with profound kindness, love and gentleness") towards others as well. Not a good idea if you want to be a good person.]

Jehovah’s Witnesses teach the rightness of submission to authority. As law-abiding citizens, they follow Bible standards of honesty, truthfulness, and cleanliness. They build good morals into their own families, and they help others to learn how they can do the same. They live peaceably with all men, not getting involved in disruptive demonstrations or political revolutions. Jehovah’s Witnesses seek to be exemplary in obeying the laws of the human superior authorities, while they wait patiently on the Supreme Authority, the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, to restore perfect peace and righteous government to this earth.

At the same time, the work of the Witnesses is educational. Using the Bible as a basis, they teach people worldwide to reason on Bible principles and thereby develop right standards of conduct and moral integrity. They promote values that improve family life and help young people cope with their peculiar challenges. They also help people to find the strength to overcome bad habits and to develop the ability to get along with others. Such a work would hardly be termed “propaganda.” As The World Book Encyclopedia says, in a climate where ideas circulate freely, “propaganda differs from education.”

Source: The Manipulation of Information (Awake!—2000)
Next page: see link in my signature concerning the question: "How can you protect yourself?"

edit on 16-1-2022 by whereislogic because: (no reason given)

originally posted by: Compendium
a reply to: whereislogic

Let me put you into a hypothetical situation here. I want to see what your answers to these questions are

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions

All I ask you, is that you answer the questions without using God or the Bible as reasoning for your answers

Reason them by emotions. By Feeling. By Logic and Reason

originally posted by: whereislogic

Can't say I'm interested in leaving God and His teachings in the Bible out of my thinking cause abandoning the ultimate source of truth, knowledge and wisdom interferes with any attempt to use logic and reason properly and appropiately.

Here's why (note especially the bolded parts):

Philosophy (Reasoning From the Scriptures)

Definition: The word philosophy is derived from Greek roots that mean “love of wisdom.” As used here, philosophy is not built on acceptance of belief in God, but it tries to give people a unified view of the universe and endeavors to make them critical thinkers. It employs chiefly speculative means rather than observation in a search for truth.

How can any of us acquire true knowledge and wisdom?

Prov. 1:7; Ps. 111:10: “The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge . . . [and] of wisdom.” (If the universe were not the product of an intelligent Creator but only of some blind, irrational force, then no unified view of the universe would be possible, would it? Nothing that would qualify as wisdom could result from a study of something that was itself irrational, could it? Those who attempt to understand the universe or life itself, while endeavoring to leave God and his purpose out of account, meet with constant frustration. They misinterpret what they learn and misuse facts that they glean. Leaving out of account belief in God destroys the key to accurate knowledge and makes impossible any truly consistent framework of thought.)

Prov. 2:4-7: “If you keep seeking for it as for silver, and as for hid treasures you keep searching for it, in that case you will understand the fear of Jehovah, and you will find the very knowledge of God. For Jehovah himself gives wisdom; out of his mouth there are knowledge and discernment. And for the upright ones he will treasure up practical wisdom.” (Jehovah provides needed help through his written Word and his visible organization. An earnest desire and personal effort, including the use of one’s thinking ability in a constructive manner, are also necessary.)

Is it realistic to expect to find absolute truth from this Source?

2 Tim. 3:16; John 17:17: “All Scripture is inspired of God.” “[Jesus said to his heavenly Father:] Your word is truth.” (Is it not reasonable that the Creator of the universe would have full understanding of it? In the Bible he has not told us everything about the universe, but what he has had recorded there is not speculation; it is truth. He has also stated in the Bible what his purpose is for the earth and for mankind and how he will accomplish it. His almighty power, superlative wisdom, flawless justice, and great love guarantee that this purpose will be fully accomplished, and in the best possible manner. His qualities thus assure us that his statement of purpose is completely dependable; it is truth.)

What is the origin of human philosophies?

They come from people who have limitations: The Bible informs us: “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jer. 10:23) History testifies that trying to ignore that limitation has not produced good results. On one occasion, “Jehovah proceeded to answer Job out of the windstorm and say: ‘Who is this that is obscuring counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins, please, like an able-bodied man, and let me question you, and you inform me. Where did you happen to be when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you do know understanding.’” (Job 38:1-4) (Humans by nature have limitations. Additionally, their experience in life is relatively brief and is usually confined to one culture or one environment. The knowledge they possess is thus restricted, and everything is interconnected to such an extent that they constantly find aspects that they had not adequately considered. Any philosophy that they originate will reflect these limitations.)

They are developed by humans who are imperfect: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) “There exists a way that is upright before a man, but the ways of death are the end of it afterward.” (Prov. 14:12) (Because of such imperfection, human philosophies often reflect a basic selfishness that leads perhaps to momentary pleasure but also to frustration and much unhappiness.)

They are influenced by demonic spirits: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) “The one called Devil and Satan . . . is misleading the entire inhabited earth.” (Rev. 12:9) “You at one time walked according to the system of things of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit that now operates in the sons of disobedience.” (Eph. 2:2) (Philosophies that encourage people to disobey God’s wholesome and upright requirements reflect such an influence. No wonder that, as history testifies, human philosophies and schemes have often brought grief to large segments of humankind.)

Why is it an evidence of clear thinking to study the teachings of Jesus Christ instead of human philosophy?

Col. 1:15-17: “He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and upon the earth . . . All other things have been created through him and for him. Also, he is before all other things and by means of him all other things were made to exist.” (His intimate relationship with God enables him to help us to learn the truth about God. Furthermore, as the one through whom all other things were made, Jesus has a full knowledge of the entire created universe. No human philosopher can offer any of this.)

Col. 1:19, 20: “God saw good for all fullness to dwell in him [Jesus Christ], and through him to reconcile again to himself all other things by making peace through the blood he shed on the torture stake.” (Thus Jesus Christ is the one through whom God has purposed to bring all creation back into harmony with himself. To Jesus, God has also entrusted rulership over all the earth, as shown at Daniel 7:13, 14. So our life prospects for the future depend on getting to know him and responding favorably to his instruction.)

Col. 2:8: “Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ.” (What a sad mistake it would be to choose such deceptive human philosophy in preference to acquiring true wisdom as a disciple of Jesus Christ, the second-greatest person in the universe, next to God himself!)

How does God view the “wisdom” offered by human philosophy?

1 Cor. 1:19-25: “It is written: ‘I will make the wisdom of the wise men perish, and the intelligence of the intellectual men I will shove aside.’ Where is the wise man? Where the scribe? Where the debater of this system of things? Did not God make the wisdom of the world foolish? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not get to know God, God saw good through the foolishness [as it appears to the world] of what is preached to save those believing. . . . Because a foolish thing of God [as the world views it] is wiser than men, and a weak thing of God [as the world may see it] is stronger than men.” (Such a viewpoint on God’s part is certainly not arbitrary or unreasonable. He has provided in the Bible, the most widely circulated book in the world, a clear statement of his purpose. He has sent his witnesses to discuss it with all who will listen. How foolish for any creature to think that he has wisdom greater than that of God!)

a reply to: Compendium

If you misunderstand the place you are in then your definition is one of misunderstanding. First is that you assume everyone thinks as you do or you know how they think. This is way off considering 75% of people don’t have an inner dialogue. An inner dialogue is your connection to God or a higher being and just because you don’t hear a response doesn’t mean you don’t get one. So that leaves 25%. Out of that 25% less than .25% have negative RH blood. Rh positive blood means you have a type of monkey blood. That would put the population of the planet down to 141 million souls. When your soul was born or created it begins in a lower dimension to begin the process of its evolution to becoming a part of the supreme being. To make sure it stays in this dimension until it has attained enough knowledge to transcend it, a sort of wall had to be put around it. This would be time. It’s the only thing that keeps us here.
141=6
Earth=6
Child of God=6

Or maybe not 😂

a reply to: whereislogic

How about you can use the Bible but it has to be the one in paleo-Hebrew, which is it’s original text and language? The one you are using has been translated by the Greeks then by the Catholic Church. And it is a very poor translation used by the church to control and attain wealth from the people who read it. The paleo text has no mention of Lucifer, the devil, Satan or hell. There are no tithes. The names used in the Bible are all Greek names also. So how can a text that doesn’t even use the original names of anyone be trusted to have the truth?

a reply to: mcsnacks77

And how would keeping all Bible copies in "paleo-Hebrew" help inform those who do not speak or read paleo-Hebrew as to what the Bible really teaches (especially in comparison with and contrast to the doctrines of Christendom that contradict what the Bible really teaches regarding subjects such as the doctrine of the Trinity, the myth of the immortal immaterial soul, and the myth that wicked people will suffer from endless torture in a fiery hell, experiencing pain, after they die)?

Hasn't the Catholic Church already done something like that by keeping Bible translations in Latin, burning those who dared to translate it to their native language (or declaring them to be heretics), and having control over the universities that teach Latin right along with indoctrinating their students with the doctrines of their Church in those universities and schools of theology (Catholic seminaries)? So that everyone who was taught Latin already was indoctrinated into the doctrines and interpretations of their Church, as they were conditioned to trust their teachers and only take their theological information from them. Seems like an efficient way to control the flow of information and keep people in the dark regarding where the Bible teaches something contrary to the doctrines of their Church.

It works the same way in Judaism till this day, where things are kept in Hebrew, then having the Jewish religious leaders teach the flock their version of Hebrew. Arguing that they know Hebrew better than anyone who isn't a Jewish scholar cause it's their language after all, as they say. So anyone who dares to point out where they are wrong about some interpretation of a Hebrew word used in the Bible, supposedly can't know any better than they do. Even when the historical facts concerning how a certain Hebrew word was used is freely available to all, if you know where to dig. You don't need to be Jewish or trained and indoctrinated by Jewish scholars to dig that up.

More than half the Bible was written in Greek by the way. And those Bible writers who wrote in Greek wrote the names of Bible characters in Greek as well. Which meant that after transliteration (changing the characters from one alphabet to another), and translation, the names looked a bit different than the Hebrew as well. Shouldn't they have done that and keep the names in the old paleo-Hebrew, with letters that most people can't even read nowadays? Like the four Hebrew consonants יהוה (not paleo-Hebrew, but Hebrew after the Babylonian exile; transliterated to YHWH in the Roman alphabet*).
*: If you want to know how those letters looked like in paleo-Hebrew (before the Babylonian exile), there's a picture here (can't copy-paste that):

Appendix A4 The Divine Name in the Hebrew Scriptures (New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures; Study Edition)

When the Olympics starts in a couple of weeks, should they keep all the Russian names of athletes in the Russian alphabet, all the Chinese names in the Chinese alphabet, etc. (even in broadcasts for that part of the world that uses the Roman alphabet), otherwise they can't be trusted to convey that information truthfully/accurately?

a reply to: WanderingMrM

Did you know that Earth is on a 25920 year precession? And at 12,660 the Earth gets hit by asteroids, this also happens at the 25920 mark also. The 12,660 is when we are in Leo. The 25920 occurs in Aquarius. Leo is in the summer quadrant. Aquarius is in the Winter quadrant. Both are in the Dark half. So this is The Dark Winter of Aquarius. Aquarius can also be referred to as Antichrist. Because Leo is where and when Christ was born. So the opposite of that would be called the Antichrist. My ears have been ringing for a year now. Probably because of interference with my Alpha Waves. Be safe.

a reply to: whereislogic

The Greek Bible is written in code using Math. Which can be deciphered. I mean if I did it so can others. But the paleo-Hebrew is written to tell the story of what happened and what will happen. The paleo Hebrew is the exact telling of the story. There is no Jesus, only reference to a messenger or message. The Bible is a puzzle.

a reply to: whereislogic
The crop circles that were made awhile back were making references to the Bible. Did you understand those messages?