tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post1226198338598093020..comments2024-03-19T07:04:19.011+00:00Comments on Bruce Charlton's Notions: Christians attributing false motivations to God (William Arkle)Bruce Charltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-6810804759608159222019-07-02T06:53:08.383+01:002019-07-02T06:53:08.383+01:00@Jared - I suppose I am just pointing out that eve...@Jared - I suppose I am just pointing out that even when one gets revelation from trusted sources - this rests upon a personal revelation that the sources can be trusted. There may come a time when once trustworthy sources can no longer be trusted, and at that point it will be personal revelation that informs us of the change. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-23401322386455277672019-07-02T01:54:04.109+01:002019-07-02T01:54:04.109+01:00Your comment beginning "Over the centuries th...Your comment beginning "Over the centuries there have been many attempts to devise a 'motivation-proof' system of Christianity - some system that is both true and also cannot be twisted or corrupted" interested me and I would like to comment on it. <br /> Maybe everybody's different on this point, but looking back at my experience in trying to be a Christian, I think it is revelation (primarily from the Holy Ghost, but also from the LDS prophets and scripture) and the truth I learn from it that I try to align my motivations with rather than relying on good motivations within me and following those.<br /> I think there may be a hierarchy of motivations, so maybe I don't really disagree. My experience is labeling some things as good and some things as bad according as to what I can discern from the Holy Ghost in the 'tough' cases, whereas in my daily actions I rely a lot on the goodness of what I have already received. Every motivation which has been labeled as 'bad' has eventually gone away or has weakened enough so that I can steer my course to ignore it.<br /> So I guess my comment is just a difference in focus, I focused on revelation which is important for resolving the tough or problematic cases, but I guess that really for the most part I rely on my motivations which I hope are good because I try to get them from a good source (God). I just think the distinction is important between the tough cases and the day-to-day because otherwise problems can get unwieldy.Jaredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08598434344351174026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-31834783530353869912019-07-01T17:07:38.157+01:002019-07-01T17:07:38.157+01:00@SK - Over the centuries there have been many atte...@SK - Over the centuries there have been many attempts to devise a 'motivation-proof' system of Christianity - some system that is both true and also cannot be twisted or corrupted. But it's an impossibility. When people (or demons) are wrongly motivated they/ we can twist and corrupt anything to false, evil ends - and system of authority, any scripture, any tradition or philosophy. Conversely, there have been good Christians (real Christians) of many denominations and churches, and no denomination or church. I see no way around the fact that we must ourselves have good motivation and need to infer motivation in others - which is itself an intuitive act (since good motivation can be faked, and there are no reliable perceptible measures of goodness). Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-48125130297235653022019-07-01T15:22:32.436+01:002019-07-01T15:22:32.436+01:00This is so encouraging to me, because I am definit...This is so encouraging to me, because I am definitely one of those who has tied himself in knots over the years, trying to reconcile what I've been told with what my instincts tell me. So much of my struggles have stemmed from anger/resentment towards God, anger which is not His fault, but rather my fault for having unquestioningly accepted certain "truths" and then having been forced later to compare them to reality and instinct. I probably never would have learned of Arkle had it not been for you, Bruce, and I'm indebted.S.K. Orrhttp://www.steepletea.comnoreply@blogger.com