Regrets

Originally posted by @romans1009
I be diggin’ your new avatar, tiger. Isn’t that Miss Alawat? No wonder you have a crush on her!

The attraction to women is the main vice in life

... for men

FMF: On a personal affects-nobody-else level, I regretted choosing a module on Medieval European Politics in my third year at university, and wish that I had continued with Landscape Archaeology instead.

Originally posted by @divegeester
Was there anything redemptive about the module on Medieval European Politics?

There was a certain fine balance of non-academic activities and academic demands that made up my work hard play hard approach to being an undergraduate. Exploring new academic pastures with Medieval European Politics ~ rather than a topic and era I would have been more able to coast on ~ applied a lot of unpleasant pressure on the 'work hard' part of my daily equation and I did not really rise to the challenge.

Originally posted by @rajk999
Yeah .. that one would bother me for the rest of my life ... tough.

I have no regrets about money matters, geographical locations or employment. Not worth it. That just leaves regrets about interpersonal situations.

I think we can regret certain things with regard to other people even if they don't rise to the level of actually bothering us too much later in life.

I have a story about someone who is now no longer alive that involves some feeling of regret that will always bother me, I think. But this is not a good arena in which to share it.

Originally posted by @thinkofone
I edited my post to make the sources clearer. Please reread it. What I posted is taken from 1 John 1:5-7. Note the "If" conditions. Do you understand "If" conditions? I doesn't seem like you do.

Once again, I understand it by experience. I understand it not by lectures but by labs.

Christ expects that those who WALK by Him in the light would have a clear conscience. Now a clear conscience means often that one is not AWARE of his transgression. His conscience has no offense.

When the walk causes the light to encrease the awareness of a sin comes to light. Then being aware, confession and forsaking of that sin is necessary.

This is a cycle.

A clear conscience is a test and a check to preserve one in the faith. As the Christian grows in life and in fellowship the ever keener conscience develops more and more in conjunction.

A pioneering disciple - Paul, told us that he exercised himself to keep a conscience void of offense before God and man.

" Because of this I also exercise myself to always have a conscience without offense toward God and men." (Acts 24:16)

That does not mean that he was a sinless man.
It means that as he became AWARE of sins he dealt with them. He repented according to the on going and growing enlightenment in his conscience.

By keeping short accounts and not holding on to any known offenses against his Christian conscience, he kept a conscience void of offense and enjoyed a normal and exemplary Christian walk.

First John 1:7 is teaching the same thing.

Actually verses 5 through 10 form one unit that teaches this ever repeating cycle of deepening walk, confession, fellowship and inner enlightenment.

The fact that this was a cycle is indicated also by the fact that the believers were in different stages of maturity there - fathers, young men, little children (2:12-14)

It is also indicated in his teaching about the anointing within them which continually teaches them to abide in Christ.

"And as for you, the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone teach you; as His anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true and is not a lie, and even as it has taught you, abide in Him." (2:27)

To anoint is to kind of rub in even with ever widening circular movements of the hand. The word picture is quite apt and goes back to the Old Testament anointing oil.

The Triune God is rubbing Himself into His redeemed people. He is an indwelling anointing rubbing, spreading, pressing, expanding more and more into the personality of the saved ones. It also teaches them about all things.

The anointing teaches the believer to linger and abide in the sphere of Christ's indwelling presence.

" ... even as it has taught you, abide in Him."

Originally posted by @sonship
Once again, I understand it by experience. I understand it not by lectures but by labs.

Christ expects that those who WALK by Him in the light would have a clear conscience. Now a clear conscience means often that one is not AWARE of his transgression. His conscience has no offense.

When the walk causes the light to encrease the awareness of a sin co ...[text shortened]... dwelling presence.

[b] " ... even as it has taught you, abide in Him."

[/b]

Once again, I understand it by experience. I understand it not by lectures but by labs.

Evidently you place your "experience" and "labs" above what the passage actually says which is that "the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin"(1:7) ONLY for those who no longer "walk in darkness" (1:6) and "walk in the light as He is in the light"(1:7). That is, only those who no longer commit sin. It's unfortunate that you reading comprehension isn't better. Perhaps then you'd be able to understand meaning of a simple "IF" statement: "...IF we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light...the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin". Logically it only make sense that "walk[ing] in the light as He Himself is in the light" entails no longer committing sin.

Originally posted by @fmf
There was a certain fine balance of non-academic activities and academic demands that made up my work hard play hard approach to being an undergraduate. Exploring new academic pastures with Medieval European Politics ~ rather than a topic and era I would have been more able to coast on ~ applied a lot of unpleasant pressure on the 'work hard' part of my daily equation and I did not really rise to the challenge.

If you don't mind me saying, you sound like someone who likes to stay within their comfort zone and overachieve rather than stretch yourself a bit and achieve more but at the risk of the regret of extra work and possibly even below expectation results.

Originally posted by @divegeester
If you don't mind me saying, you sound like someone who likes to stay within their comfort zone and overachieve rather than stretch yourself a bit and achieve more but at the risk of the regret of extra work and possibly even below expectation results.

I'd say I've taken plenty of risks and been knocked down and got up again aplenty ~ I just have no regrets worth telling of with regard to any of that. What to "stretch yourself" means, well, it's completely relative. What it would actually take - and what "stretch" would be necessary - to walk a lifetime of miles in another person's shoes is squarely in the domain of 'How Long Is a Piece of String?' What "more" means in the expression "achieve more" is also up to - and in the eye of - the beholder/achiever. Not sure that it's anyone else's concern ~ unless one is an employee with targets and working on commission.

Originally posted by @fmf
I have no regrets about money matters, geographical locations or employment. Not worth it. That just leaves regrets about interpersonal situations.

I think we can regret certain things with regard to other people even if they don't rise to the level of actually bothering us too much later in life.

I have a story about someone who is now no longer alive ...[text shortened]... f regret that will always bother me, I think. But this is not a good arena in which to share it.

Me too .. no regrets about money and careers etc. Im done pretty well in that area thank God for that. My both parents were school principals and health fanatics. So education, progress and good health habits, was drilled into our brains from early, [and religion].

My regret is that this thing Im doing now, I should have done it earlier. My father passed away 2 yrs ago without hearing more about the teachings of Christ from me .. he did hear some. He was kind of like sonship ... opinionated, sticking to a few core [but false] teachings. .. ignoring the commandments of Christ. etc etc.

Originally posted by @divegeester
A discussion topic...

What’s your biggest regrettable decision or action?

Is it “Christian” to hold onto regret?

How does one avoid regret?

Philippians 3:13,14
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Originally posted by @thinkofone
[b]Once again, I understand it by experience. I understand it not by lectures but by labs.

Evidently you place your "experience" and "labs" above what the passage actually says which is that "the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin"(1:7) ONLY for those who no longer "walk in darkness" (1:6) and "walk in the light as He is in the lig ...[text shortened]... se that "walk[ing] in the light as He Himself is in the light" entails no longer committing sin.[/b]

You have no experience.

And your atheistic reasoning and reading comprehension are useless here because you reason WITHOUT accounting for the existence of God.

Prove me wrong and confess that you believe that God is.
You're not going to do that because saving face is an idolatrous priority to you.

Your pride before men here is your IDOL.

Your God-less reasoning and your astute reading comprehension skills here are useless.

John 5:44

Christian Standard Bible
How can you believe, since you accept glory from one another but don't seek the glory that comes from the only God?

Contemporary English Version
How could you possibly believe? You like to have your friends praise you, and you don't care about praise that the only God can give!

Originally posted by @sonship
You have no experience.

And your atheistic reasoning and reading comprehension are useless here because you reason WITHOUT accounting for the existence of God.

Prove me wrong and confess that you believe that God is.
You're not going to do that because saving face is an idolatrous priority to you.

Your pride before men here is your IDOL.

Your ...[text shortened]... ve your friends praise you, and you don't care about praise that the only God can give! [/quote]

Seriously jaywill. Set aside you pride. Take a reading comprehension class.

Perhaps then you'll be able to understand meaning of a simple "IF" statement: "...IF we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light...the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin".

Clearly the text is saying that the blood of Jesus cleanses only IF "we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light".

You pridefully place your "experience" above what the passage actually says.

This is what you and many other Christians do: You replace what the text actually says with what you want it to say and delude yourself into thinking that you understand.

Originally posted by @fmf
I'd say I've taken plenty of risks and been knocked down and got up again aplenty ~ I just have no regrets worth telling of with regard to any of that. What to "stretch yourself" means, well, it's completely relative. What it would actually take - and what "stretch" would be necessary - to walk a lifetime of miles in another person's shoes is squarely in the do ...[text shortened]... t it's anyone else's concern ~ unless one is an employee with targets and working on commission.

FMF, this is off topic.

I have a serious request from you -- an actual request on something I would like you to do, involving a thread title with my name in it -- can we talk about that, either here or in a private message?

Originally posted by @philokalia
FMF, this is off topic.

I have a serious request from you -- an actual request on something I would like you to do, involving a thread title with my name in it -- can we talk about that, either here or in a private message?

I am not interested. I will ignore any PMs.

That is fine -- I will take it up with the Administration and I have discovered that you would not have been able to have helped me even if you were so inclined.

But you aren't.

LOL.

Originally posted by @philokalia
That is fine -- I will take it up with the Administration and I have discovered that you would not have been able to have helped me even if you were so inclined.

But you aren't.

LOL.

This is the question you fled from: if you don't really believe in freedom, per se, and you don't really believe in human rights, per se, how do you think a post-colonial, post-military dictatorship developing country like the one I live in should move forward and promote social justice in the wake of what it has been through and in the face of the huge challenges that exist? I don't understand how your Alex Jones-esque polemic stuff matches up with the real world.

Some quotes to add flesh to the vision of yours I am alluding to, Philokalia.

"I do not really believe in some society with some extensive network of "rights" and "freedoms," so whatever "discrimination" means to you would not have similar parallels to me.

"So what are these "rights?" They are a clumsy obstacle to discussing politics in the 21st century. Not that I disagree with "rights," I know how important it is for me to pay homage to the sacred cow."

"We are ascribing "rights" to agents that have no sense of duty, nor have been integrated as productive factors into the society in any way."

"I prefer to think along the lines of duties and practical consequences than rights. And I refuse to pretend that every person in the society has to be treated with the assumption that their citizenship is valuable and wanted."

Reference: Thread 175672