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Daily Quest #584

Maybe I should stop replying to people on youtube. Honestly my first reaction to people's comments is one of being flustered. But then I have to remind myself that I am not the end of all wisdom and knowledge.

Could there be an acceptable level of being flustered? It reaction thereof should never be because I know better, but the reason why ought to be for the other person's mind and thinking. I do not want people to live lives as walking contradictions or think they have to choose between false alternatives and such things as the like.

And I am also frustrated at my own falling short of trying to explain something articulately. I also have to remind mysel...

µTub
Daily Quest #584

Maybe I should stop replying to people on youtube. Honestly my first reaction to people's comments is one of being flustered. But then I have to remind myself that I am not the end of all wisdom and knowledge.

Could there be an acceptable level of being flustered? It reaction thereof should never be because I know better, but the reason why ought to be for the other person's mind and thinking. I do not want people to live lives as walking contradictions or think they have to choose between false alternatives and such things as the like.

And I am also frustrated at my own falling short of trying to explain something articulately. I also have to remind myself that I need to be honest and try to act like I know something when I don't. For example, the whole free will versus total sovereignty issue. There are a lot of mysteries in life that will most likely stay mysteries; and I believe for good reason. We need not spend so much time on particulars when there are other greater things to be addressed.

I have to admit that I do see the same things over and over again; whether by believers or nonbelievers. The most obvious is the insults. No one is ever won over by being insulted... usually... for whichever side someone is on. It surprises me that even people who seem to be believers end up doing this, for they have no excuse. I certainly don't and I've been tempted to indirectly insult people, goes to show my pride.

The other main thing that I see is the Bible-verse-taken-out-of-context; again by both sides. I am more than likely guilty of this in the past, on youtube or elsewhere, and with hope, never again to the degree where it's harmful. To be fair, the whole Bible is the context and when whole passages are illuminated, they're taken out of context to some degree but not to the point where vital points are cut off from helping people understand. However, frequently enough verses are brutalized by most people. Granted the amount of characters you are given to work with are limited in commenting, it still doesn't excuse the act.

On the flip side, many people read too much into the text of a verse, or perhaps one word of a verse. Finding out some meaning that may be linked to the word being examined but it looks weird when you put it back in and read the passage. I don't see this as often but most of the time I think it ends up serving to confuse the issue. It becomes pointless when we stretch texts into something esoteric, that is not the objective. There's nothing wrong with researching the texts to gain a deeper understanding and it always involves more Scripture.

But what I have trouble with the most on youtube is the unsaid contradictions that I sometimes glimpse in the replies of some people. This is usually with people who seem to have some knowledge of philosophy/logic enough to make thoughtful (or perhaps scathing) remarks about the video or whatever. These comments are usually coupled with insults and it saddens me.

I do realize that this is my own opinion of youtube and possibly other places on the internets. I can be wrong. It is what I see though. I say it because I had a similar mindset not too long ago.

1 Peter 3:15-16 "...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is within you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame."

In context, the Apostle Peter is exhorting the believers he is writing to do good even when they are repaid with evil and even in the midst of suffering by those who do evil to them. Granted youtube comments are a far cry from the suffering people experience in face to face encounters, though persecution will be there nonetheless. Not that youtube is my main focus, I don't think it ever should be; just something in passing.

Someone once said or wrote that "evil is to life, as contradiction is to logic" and I agree. Life is lived through what we believe to be true. Yet what we believe to be true does not define life and that is where the contradictions are formed, producing all manner of evil depending on how much trust is put into the contradictions.

I'm not sure where I was going with this. I guess it was just my current view about youtube and perhaps the internets at large.