Right And Wrong Vs. True And False

When I was in high school, I was obsessed with being right. All I wanted, when entering into any discussion about my faith and world view, was to prove that I was right and you’d have to be an idiot not to believe the same things I believed. It’s no surprise, that now looking back, I was the idiot. No one wants to be wrong. It’s such an ugly idea. Wrong. Go on and roll that around in your mind for a while. It just leaves you feeling a little dirty, doesn’t it? But there I was so wrapped up in spreading the good news, that I never stopped to consider the other side of the discussion. I’m embarrassed by this now. If I could go back and school myself on empathy and kindness, along with a healthy dose of “shut the hell up,” I would jump at the chance. Right and wrong.
It seems that we are now obsessed with right and wrong as opposed to true and false. There’s a very distinct difference. When you go through life thinking everything you believe is right, you seldom pause to think if it’s true. You’d rather spend your time focusing on how much better you are than everyone else because, let’s face it, your right. I’ve learned you can’t have a discussion about truth and think your right about everything. The stronger you try to convince people you’re right, the more wrong you’ll seem. Now, truth interests me. It takes the discussion to a place that seems fresh and not retread and worn like old truck tires.
Philosophical people will at this point naturally ask, “what is truth?” That’s a great question. Let’s start with admitting that there’s more going on than what we see, hear, touch and know. There is a soul inside of us, is there not? I only ask because I don’t know that there is any other way to look at ourselves, unless we have more than just chemicals in our oversized brain making us the only species we know of to have the ability to think about the consequences of our actions.

In being able to ponder, we also are required to experience morality. How will our actions affect those around us? Our natural instinct is to think of ourselves first. That’s why that question rarely gets asked. We’re too wrapped up in us to care about anyone else. And I think that’s sad.

But there I was so wrapped up in spreading the good news, that I never stopped to consider the other side of the discussion.

I like some of your thoughts/insights, but can you clarify what you meant by this? What do you mean by, 'the other side of the discussion'?

I never stopped to think that there were reasons- some valid, some not- why people didn't believe in Jesus the way I did. I never understood why they wouldn't or couldn't believe. And that's what makes faith so great...you can't force someone to have it. It can't be bestowed on you...you earn it by living your life and hopefully learning about yourself and God along the way.

Josh

So, knowing what you know now, how do you better enter a conversation with someone else? Are there things you said then that make you bite your tongue now, be patient, and listen? How and what have you learned? What is your favorite color? Do you still talk to people with the same conviction?

Mine is blue.


God bless,
The other Josh

I do listen more now. And it's funny that more people will just ask me if I'm a Christian now, without me really bringing it up. I guess they see something in the way I am. I'm humbled and awed by that, as I don't think as highly of how I live my life. But it pays to stick to your convictions, without rubbing other people's noses in it, I guess. My favorite color is red. And I do bite my tougue when I think of some of the stupid things I actually let fly from my my mouth.....


"are you kidding? How can you possibly believe that?"


That was a staple of the olden days.

We live and learn