"The Secret" via Oprah Winfrey & actor Jim Carey

Ken,

Thanks for your thoughts.

First, let me address the "maybe it would be best to preface your posts" point. Everything I write is, by default, my opinion. So there is no need to write, "In my opinon..."

Plus, as I find those phrases (I think, in my opinion, and so on) to be escape clauses. If a person is Called on what they wrote as being incorrect, they always have the "Yeah, but it was just my opinion" fallback. I choose not to do such and prefer to Stand behind what I write.

Second: The definition of Delusional is, someone suffering from delusions. And the definition of delusion is: A false idea typically originating from a misinterpretation but firmly believed and strongly maintained in spite of contradictory proof or evidence; Delusion refers to belief in something that contradicts reality; Anything that deceives the mind with a false impression, a deception, a fixed false opinion or belief that cannot be shaken by reason; a persistent false belief that is strongly held despite clear evidence that the belief is actually false; a false belief that a person maintains in spite of evidence that proves it untrue.

Now, it's pretty obvious that people who think the world is flat are delusional, right? And those who believe in Santa Clause and The Easter Bunny are equaly delusional, aren't they?

Strangely, The Church held the Earth is Flat and the Earth is Center for a long time - despite Proof to the contrary. Ask Galelio what he thinks of the delusional church people after being subjected to House Arrest for his Proof the Sun was the center of our solar system.

Children are Told Santa and Easter Bunny are real. They believe it even though there is no proof of it. It doesn't matter that all kids believe it, or that there are movies made of Santa, it doesn't change Reality, does it?

Take Yeshua's death. If he was dead - and I mean Truly dead in a physical sense and not Spiritually Dead (ex-communicated) or only Thought to be dead (mistaken death) - then he would have suffered irreversible brain damage after several minutes due to lack of oxygen, a bit more time the lactic acid in his muscles would have formed a gel and he would be in Rigormortis. The bacteria in his body would start to thrive and ingest his body and eat through his gut. Gradually spreading. And all within a couple of days of Death. Making it impossible to Be Alive Again even if theoretically possible as the body is incapable of sustaining any life, other than the bacteria decomposing it. This is reality.

If someone is said to have died and "come back to life" many days later, there are two explanations: 1, the person was NOT really dead to begin with and 2, the story of the event is a fraud. If 1, then the person didn't really die, did they? So any Claims to as much are false. And any belief in the false claim is also a delusion.

A person who believes such a thing without Proof to back it up - and someone else's word is hardly proof, is it? - and who holds onto that belief Despite reason, is rejecting Reason all together and is thus Delusional by definition.

Look at those who Believe the Shroud of Turin is real and not a fake. They Believe despite proof to the contrary. They reject reason in favor of belief. They are delusional.

And whether you Like It or not, they are the Facts of it. So my use of the term Delusional is Factually based and correct and is come-to based on Reason and Reality. And based on this... ANYTHING that does not fit into the deluded person's beliefs is Automatically dismissed as a matter of course, or as something that just cannot be. Hence, if said person has suspended their ability to reason to such an extent, they cannot then be told something that requires their "ability to reason" to be grasped for what it is.

The Scope of this forum is for discussion of anything and everything. Not just what Ken thinks the scope is.

As for Truth. Truth is reality. Outside of reality and reason is Untruth and Mysticism. A person can know "Truths" - whatever is meant by that. But only if they can Reason towards them. Truths cannot be obtained by Neglecting Reason and going by Feeling or Mystic Belief or Hearsay.

Now a sideline: If I say, "I saw Dien turn into a bat, fly down an alley where homeless people were, rematerialise in human form, suck the blood out of one of the homeless, turn back into a bat and fly away" would you...

1: Believe me?
2: Think I was delusional?

Why did you pick the answer you picked? What REASONs did you use? Would you change your answer is I told you one million other people also believe it? Why/Why not?

Now, if you do believe Dien did those things - and Dien, I am just using you as a convenient example we all know, no offense - I will say you are delusional because you believe in something which requires the suspension of reason, is not possible in a reality kind of way. And whether you get upset at my use of the word or not, does Not change the fact of it being a delusion, does it?

Areas are only Sensitive if people feel they have a vested interest in the area. They aren't sensitive to those who do not have such an interest. If something upsets you, I find it is a good thing to pay attention to it and Think about it.

When I first saw V for Vendetta I was uncomfortable and slightly miffed at what I perceived to be Lefty Slant to the story. I Thought about my reaction to the movie and then decided not to think in terms of black and white but to accept the movie and story for what it was. And I quite enjoy the movie - apart from the annoying Natalie Portman.

I viewed "Supersize Me" as an interesting movie. But some on the Far Right saw it as an Attack on Corporate American lead by a lefty. I say, "get over it". Some view the Mel Gibson movie Payback as Entertainment, others think it is Satanic.

I wonder, if Yeshua didn't die as claimed and was merely Thought to have, and if "And he was the word of the lord" and later in ACTS when it says "And the word of the lord was in... and the word of the lord was in..." and thus that means Yeshua was in those places as he was The word of the Lord... I wonder if that would upset you or those who believe he had died? Regardless of your answer can you answer WHY about your answer?

Have you seen the movie Instinct with Anthony Hopkins and Hugo Gooding? There is a Great scene where hopkins has Gooding in a headlock and Ask him what he took away from him. Control? No, because he never had it to begin with. Freedom? No because he never had that either? He took away his illusions.

Remember, nothing is a big deal unless you make it a big deal. If something makes you uncomfortable, ask yourself WHY. You are about to learn something about yourself.

Michael Ross