Not Paterfamilias-just patter. Slouncing around amongst the interwebs lately, seeing the talking heads Byrneing down strawmen and straw houses, I've noticed a pattern in the patter.
Con men and con (fidence) ladies have their story, no matter how ridiculous, down pat.
Whether they are fully convinced themselves in the narrate they perpetrate...can't tell. The best liars sound so convincing that the easily gulled are quickly lulled into going along with the tale that, if it sounds too true to be good, must be dis-proven rather than proven.
I recall a bookseller in a high class, hoity toity Book Emporium-the kind of place that low rent Barnes and Noble attempts to emulate-who had perfect delivery of his sales pitch, which ended with his gently placing a book in my hands.
No sale. But he was good.
I bring up politics {forgive, please!} only as a passing (failing) example. Not all sides can possibly be right about any issue. But the patter excreted in the real world of the internets and the realer world outside---somebody is wrong, someone right. Some of those who are wrong KNOW that they are wrong, but only some. And verse vici on the other side-there are those who know they are right and others who only hope they are right.
Cut the patter. If you are sure about things, go beyond the bumperstuck mentality and dig into why you are sure, what evidence convinced you at first, and if, years later, you still find it true.
Be honest with yourself and examine what grounds you, what you have built your life on.
I'm talking to Christians, too. Brothers and sister in Christ who have the Christian patter down, know the right verbiage for every situ...but haven't dug into their theology to see if it can can pass a stress test. Or four. Or four hundred.
Live beyond patter.
3 comments:
I know, I know: "I believe what I believe and you can't argue me out of my ridiculous beliefs!"
I'm not trying.
I want to to trust, but verify everything YOU believe. Rid yourself of false assumptions and truths that are only half true.
Wipe away the cobwebs and look at life with eyes wide open.
And before you can say, "You first, Doug!" let me tell you, patter-free:
I do this every day. Trust but verify. Get rid of cluttered patter.
It is amazing.
"Patter excreted" is making me laugh, and I'm not too proud to steal it.
But it is possible in a given case that no one is right, or that some are wrong and others partly right. For example, I once took a test of political opinions that asked me to agree or disagree with the statement, "It is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate some criminals." It may surprise you to learn that I agree 100%. There is, however, a big catch: you don't know ahead of time which ones.
I try to turn my mind inside out and shake it hard now and then. A lot of junk builds up in there, making truth harder to see.
Still, the truth is that I am not a Christian, and I don't see much chance that I'll ever be one. (I'd say I see no chance, but the minuscule possibility exists that God will write that big bright message across the sky for all to see.)
This inscription on a small placard has been in my Bible since 1980:
"God is as near as a whispered prayer."
He hardly ever writes big bright messages across skies, though, as I've mentioned before, the Gospel WILL be proclaimed in the air:
"6And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people;
7and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” Revelation 14:6
I think that it is good to challenge one's assumptions and ideals from time to time, just the same as clearing a room of clutter.
If an assumption/truth/ideal is solid, it can stand any challenge.
If, otoh, the idea is based on lesser assumptions which do not hold up to scrutiny...maybe it will change.
I mention Christians in the post-I have some friends who are true believers but who seem to fall for every crazy idea put out there by wolves among the sheep.
I covered some of that earlier this year with the "Five Blood Moons" and Nimrod is Antichrist nonsense.
And when I wrote about those things,I printed a copy and hand delivered it to my friends...they were hurt that I would be so mean towards their faith/beliefs.
But if it ain't then it ain't. Some things are black and white.
Have a good weekend.
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