Well, this thread is the result of something that I have seen in several threads recently, and I wanted some feedback.
Am I "persnickety" as one poster put it, to expect people to qualify and differentiate between something they have been told or something that they have an opinion about and something I like to call "the truth". Even that is troublesome, because outside of the Word of God, even truth can be subjective. Each persons version of the truth about a situation is based on their perception.
I have no problem with someone saying that they feel a certain way, or that they heard something that sounded bad, but were not sure about. But when these things are presented as absolutes, it bothers me.
In my own life, I tend to most always question and filter everything I hear, until I have all the information available. A humorous slant on this topic is the many times I will tell my mother something, only to have her repeat it back to me a few days later as something someone told her, only she usually has some of the facts wrong. I will say, "Mom, I told you that, and that is not what I said."
It is just sad/funny to me, kind of like the e-mail that I got earlier in the week about things that were supposedly going on at WD Camp Meeting which had a little to do with my family. When I got the e-mail, my eyes rolled back in my head, because it was all just so ridiculous and completely untrue.
I ignored the e-mail and went to bed. By the time I got to work the next morning, I had another e-mail, in which the person said that they had got their facts wrong, and that it was just bits and pieces of an older story (which was also mostly wrong), spliced together.
This kind of thing happens all the time, I have seen saints sit in a service and misinterpret something a pastor said, and leave the service and tell all their friends what the pastor had taught during church! And they were there, so it is a fact!! By the time the poor saint realizes that they were wrong, even going back to all the people they have already told the story to can't fix it, because it has spread through half of Pentecost at this point.
Why are we so quick to believe the unbelievable,and assume the worst, with out (most of the time) first stopping to question what the real story is??
I was told one time about something negative that had been said from the pulpit at an event, about the group that my daughter sings in. I was flabbergasted, and furious. The more that I thought about it, the more unlikely it seemed, even though I wasn't a big fan of the person who supposedly said it.
So, I called around and asked some questions of other people that I knew had been there as well. (Oh, my daughter was also actually there, but she had arrived late, so I thought she might have missed it). After getting a few more details, the actual story is that there was a brief mention about a situation that involved members of another group from the church I attend (and what was said wasn't entirely off base).
The person just assumed it was about my daughters group, and presented it to me that way. I'm really glad I didn't go off of my initial reaction, that would have been embarrassing.
Well most people like to quote out of the Book of Opinions
Opinions 1.1 I think
Opinions 3.16 I believe
Opinions 2.38 In my opinion
Opinions 4.12 I heard
Opinions 28.19 Did you know
I always like to hold those I talk to, to support what they say by the Word of God. If what they say is truth isn't it better to pray for somebody else than tear them down. Some but not all of the posts and threads are to stir up controversy and division. This shows the spirit of a person. Especially when directed at an individual or organization rather than an issue.
It is another thing to want to get at truth without belittling somebody else's understanding. When we do this we build bridges and even if we don't agree everybody is allowed their voice. Maybe we can check our own belief by seeing the other side. You and I will never change somebodies view by attacking them. This will only build walls of defense.
We should always check what is told to us and even what we hear. It is filtered through our own perceptions and world view. The meaning of the author or preacher is skewed by what we have experienced.
Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Well most people like to quote out of the Book of Opinions
Opinions 1.1 I think
Opinions 3.16 I believe
Opinions 2.38 In my opinion
Opinions 4.12 I heard
Opinions 28.19 Did you know
I always like to hold those I talk to, to support what they say by the Word of God. If what they say is truth isn't it better to pray for somebody else than tear them down. Some but not all of the posts and threads are to stir up controversy and division. This shows the spirit of a person. Especially when directed at an individual or organization rather than an issue.
It is another thing to want to get at truth without belittling somebody else's understanding. When we do this we build bridges and even if we don't agree everybody is allowed their voice. Maybe we can check our own belief by seeing the other side. You and I will never change somebodies view by attacking them. This will only build walls of defense.
We should always check what is told to us and even what we hear. It is filtered through our own perceptions and world view. The meaning of the author or preacher is skewed by what we have experienced.
Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
That is very good stuff. I need to work on this more, I allow myself to be irritated by these things too easily.
Situations like this are what caused me to begin posting on FCF, NFCF and now AFF. I began hearing things that were being posted regarding my church and pastor that had absolutely no fact. I began lurking just to say what was being said - that was probably my biggest mistake. People were taking things way out of context and spinning it any way they wanted to - Well, needless to say, I "lost it" one day, quit lurking, joined the forum and said my piece.
The title of this thread says it all - people don't mind stating fiction as fact and perceptions as truth - especially if it stirs the pot.
__________________ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Can I get a formal Webster'ized version of pernickity please? I may have a new favorite word.
Main Entry: perˇsnickˇeˇty
Pronunciation: \pər-ˈsni-kə-tē\
Function: adjective
Etymology: alteration of pernickety
Date: 1915
1 a: fussy about small details : fastidious <a persnickety teacher> b: having the characteristics of a snob
2: requiring great precision <a persnickety job>
— perˇsnickˇeˇtiˇness \-nəs\ noun
3: being like, having attributes pertaining to Dizzy.
The best teaching I ever received on this topic was that we are to extend Christian charity to whomever we hear negative things about, and give them the benefit of the doubt.
There is also much we can do, in a polite fashion, to discourage and correct talebearers.
An excellent example is the STOOOpid reporting that came out of New Orleans the first few days after hurricane Katrina. America was told that the predominantly minority refugees in the Super Dome had trashed the place, gone feral, and were raping, pillaging, stealing, killing, and were mere hours away from reverting to cannibalism.
White America bit the back of their hand and listened/watched the news in wide-eyed horror. Very few of us were willing to disbelieve these reports, which turned out to be totally false. It was a good lesson about gossip and modern news reporters, but it was a very deep lesson in the meaning of prejudice.
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The best teaching I ever received on this topic was that we are to extend Christian charity to whomever we hear negative things about, and give them the benefit of the doubt.
There is also much we can do, in a polite fashion, to discourage and correct talebearers.
An excellent example is the STOOOpid reporting that came out of New Orleans the first few days after hurricane Katrina. America was told that the predominantly minority refugees in the Super Dome had trashed the place, gone feral, and were raping, pillaging, stealing, killing, and were mere hours away from reverting to cannibalism.
White America bit the back of their hand and listened/watched the news in wide-eyed horror. Very few of us were willing to disbelieve these reports, which turned out to be totally false. It was a good lesson about gossip and modern news reporters, but it was a very deep lesson in the meaning of prejudice.
Well I would hate to be the one that would tell you I personally know folks who worked with these refugees when they got to Houston and the stories were true.
I also personally talked to the police officers that were they to guard the Astrodome, because many came there with plans to continue their abuse.
Where you heard that is not true is beyond me, I have never ever heard anyone say that.
Plus they had vidoes of the place showing how it was trashed.
But hey believe what you want, as long as it is a rosy picture, wouldn't want anyone to think there could be evil in this old world.
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