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Thread: The "other side" is not dumb

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    Resident Chocolate Monster Lista's Avatar
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    The "other side" is not dumb

    Great article, with some spot on points: "The 'other side' is not dumb"

    In psychology, the idea that everyone is like us is called the "false-consensus bias." This bias often manifests itself when we see TV ratings ("Who the hell are all these people that watch NCIS?") or in politics ("Everyone I know is for stricter gun control! Who are these backwards rubes that disagree?!") or polls ("Who are these people voting for Ben Carson?").
    Online it means we can be blindsided by the opinions of our friends or, more broadly, America. Over time, this morphs into a subconscious belief that we and our friends are the sane ones and that there's a crazy "Other Side" that must be laughed at — an Other Side that just doesn't "get it," and is clearly not as intelligent as "us." But this holier-than-thou social media behavior is counterproductive, it's self-aggrandizement at the cost of actual nuanced discourse and if we want to consider online discourse productive, we need to move past this.
    Isn't it possible that we're not right about everything? That those who live in places not where you live, watch shows that you don't watch, and read books that you don't read, have opinions and belief systems just as valid as yours? That maybe you don't see the entire picture?
    A dare for the next time you're in discussion with someone you disagree with: Don't try to "win." Don't try to "convince" anyone of your viewpoint. Don't score points by mocking them to your peers. Instead try to "lose." Hear them out. Ask them to convince you and mean it.
    Because refusing to truly understand those who disagree with you is intellectual laziness and worse, is usually worse than what you're accusing the Other Side of doing.

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    Senior Member Colonel's Avatar
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    Some times that is how Christians turn into New Agers. Or Ecumenicalists that find common ground with Muslims. Or end up having no opinions at all. But I'd agree that a lot of people need to introduce more colors than just black and white to render everything, both themselves and their peers and also "the other side".

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    Quest (01-13-2016)

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    Resident Chocolate Monster Lista's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Colonel View Post
    Some times that is how Christians turn into New Agers. Or Ecumenicalists that find common ground with Muslims. Or end up having no opinions at all. But I'd agree that a lot of people need to introduce more colors than just black and white to render everything, both themselves and their peers and also "the other side".
    I agree....there is a point where we have to say, "this far and no more" but in areas other than our belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, died on the cross, rose from the grave, and ascended into heaven can we not be more open to listen to what others have to say?

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    Super Moderator Quest's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lista View Post
    I agree....there is a point where we have to say, "this far and no more" but in areas other than our belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, died on the cross, rose from the grave, and ascended into heaven can we not be more open to listen to what others have to say?
    I was thinking on the Bereans this morning...the Pharisees were obstinate in their theology and so could those of Berea be if they had chosen to but they understood that their beliefs could be wrong or at least incomplete...I think often it's not so much that we are wrong, but that we close the door on GROWTH. Revelation is often like pieces of a puzzle or wiring...sometimes we don't realize we have forced a piece to fit or mis-wired some things..
    It's HUMAN and when we so adamantly refuse to stay flexible and teachable in things as you noted here, that don't counter these fundamental truths, we limit where God can take us, hat He can reveal to us. Since He is God of all creation and all mighty and all knowing, we probably should be more pliable in His hands...

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    Senior Member Cardinal TT's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Quest View Post
    I was thinking on the Bereans this morning...the Pharisees were obstinate in their theology and so could those of Berea be if they had chosen to but they understood that their beliefs could be wrong or at least incomplete...I think often it's not so much that we are wrong, but that we close the door on GROWTH. Revelation is often like pieces of a puzzle or wiring...sometimes we don't realize we have forced a piece to fit or mis-wired some things..
    It's HUMAN and when we so adamantly refuse to stay flexible and teachable in things as you noted here, that don't counter these fundamental truths, we limit where God can take us, hat He can reveal to us. Since He is God of all creation and all mighty and all knowing, we probably should be more pliable in His hands...


    Is that like rejecting portals because people haven't had a revelation of that

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    Senior Member Colonel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cardinal TT View Post
    Is that like rejecting portals because people haven't had a revelation of that
    If that refers to a more open path between heaven and earth then noone is rejecting that, but the details matter.

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    Super Moderator Quest's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cardinal TT View Post
    Is that like rejecting portals because people haven't had a revelation of that
    I have not REJECTED it...I am Berean in that I need some actual scripture that supports it..They SEARCHED the SCRIPTURES to SEE if those thing being taught were so...

    SHOW me in the scriptures..not a few obscure passages that don't EVEN confirm that in depth teaching of geographical ORB portals.

    Revelation is a funny thing...many have had revelations of some very UNBIBLICAL truths...such as Joseph Smith. Without solid Biblical verification it cannot be trusted to stand alone. God did not intend for it to stand alone because He knows how deceptive we are to ourselves and the enemy is..that's why He gave us the scriptures to stand on.

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    Senior Member Colonel's Avatar
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    That's one detail, that orbs that show up in photos allegedly have something to do with open doors in Troas (the Bible). Now that's a lot of conjecture. It could possibly be someone's revelation from God but even if it is then I don't find it particularly useful and especially not if it cannot be demonstrated as based on scripture. I'm more likely to just ignore it in case it amounts to the opposite, a notion given by the devil - not to deceive deeply but rather to take attention away from things that are genuinely Biblical. A hundred different sidetracks like that may add up to a lot of confusion and a resulting theology that is far less than helpful.

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    Administrator fuego's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Colonel View Post
    That's one detail, that orbs that show up in photos allegedly have something to do with open doors in Troas (the Bible). Now that's a lot of conjecture. It could possibly be someone's revelation from God but even if it is then I don't find it particularly useful and especially not if it cannot be demonstrated as based on scripture. I'm more likely to just ignore it in case it amounts to the opposite, a notion given by the devil - not to deceive deeply but rather to take attention away from things that are genuinely Biblical. A hundred different sidetracks like that may add up to a lot of confusion and a resulting theology that is far less than helpful.
    All the orbs I have seen in pics are just out of focus dust particles in the air that the flash is reflecting off of. :)

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    The article author claims that his contain crosses and jewish stars but there were no pictures.

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