Previous William Thomas Sherman Info Page postings, quotes, observations, etc.
Now something could not bother you unless it is. And yet something only is because somebody says so. The obvious question then you must ask yourself is, exactly who is this somebody?
1 John 4: "Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God..." One way to do this, he goes on to state, is having the spirit person say that that Jesus Christ has come from God.
And yet is there in addition a further way to test a spirit? Yes, and that is by determining if they are honest, moral and just -- at least as much as you could reasonably expect anyone to be. For if a spirit person is not verifiably honest, moral, and just, why and how could you ever think of trusting them; unless perhaps it was out of irrational and childish fear?
Quite understandably, he is afraid he will get into trouble if you know what he did and who he is (and therefore he makes a point of denying you this information.)
Every consciousness comes from God, who is ultimate consciousness. And although not all consciousness a given one might possess is God (exception potentially), everyone possessing consciousness can be said to be and possess a part of Him. Be kind and respectful therefore to your fellow man, and animals and plants too, for you know not what they might one day become; seeing that they have some of Him in them.
"What does it profit a man to gain the entire world and lose his soul?"
or
"What does it profit a man to gain his soul and lose the world?"
Either way, people are like that.
To anyone else it is utter insanity, but to the Three Stooges or the Outer Limits, however, it is perfectly normal behavior.
...Hence it appears that the soul is not naturally immortal; but is made immortal by the grace of God, through faith and righteousness, and by knowledge. “Of which salvation,” he says, [1 Peter 10] “the prophets have inquired and searched diligently,” and what follows. It is declared by this that the prophets spoke with wisdom, and that the Spirit of Christ was in them, according to the possession of Christ, and in subjection to Christ. For God works through archangels and kindred angels, who are called spirits of Christ...
...“Verily foreknown before the foundation of the world.” Inasmuch as He was foreknown before every creature, because He was Christ. “But manifested in the last times” by the generation of a body. “Being born again, not of corruptible seed.” The soul, then, which is produced along with the body is corruptible, as some think...
~ Clement of Alexandria (c.150–c.215), Fragments, "Comments on the First Epistle of Peter"
"We are told by William of Malmesbury, that Pope Sylvester the Second, a profound mathematician who lived in the eleventh century, made a brazen head, which would speak when spoken to, and oracularly resolved many difficult questions. Albertus Magnus, who was also a profound adept in those sciences which were taught by the Arabian schools, is said to have framed a man of brass; which not only answered questions readily and truly, but was so loquacious, that Thomas Aquinas, while a pupil of Albertus Magnus, afterwards an Angelic doctor, knocked it in pieces as the disturber of his abstruse speculations. This was about the year 1240. Much in the same manner, the notion of our knight's horse being moved by means of a concealed engine, corresponds with their pretences of producing preternatural effects, and their love of surprising by geometrical powers. Exactly in this notion, Rocail, a giant in some of the Arabian romances, is said to have built a palace, together with his own sepulchre, of most magnificent architecture, and with singular artifice: in both of these he placed a great number of gigantic statues, or images, figured of different metals by talismanic skill, which, in consequence of some occult machinery, performed actions of real life, and looked like living men."
~ Thomas Warton, History of English Poetry, vol. II, sec. XV.
An economy may be overflowing with jobs and material wealth, yet what good is all that if it suffers from a dire poverty of heart, spirit, rationality, and just law and order?
For many, the game of life consists of obtaining 5 or more of 7 tokens/pieces and you win, and yet no single token piece is strictly necessary,
If he is doing something with his life then what exactly is it he is doing?
The word is the ghost of Charles Manson is now lurking about somewhere, having, as he does, some business to settle with them.
As best as I can figure it, he wants you to be his Dean Martin. The idea being, if you don't go along you'll incur his retribution.
[ch. 4]
...For in reality there is no other purity but abstinence from sins. Excellently then Epicharmus says:—
“If a pure mind you have,
In your whole body you are pure.”...
[ch. 6]
...The altar, then, that is with us here, the terrestrial one, is the congregation of those who devote themselves to prayers, having as it were one common voice and one mind...
~ Clement of Alexandria (c.150–c.215), The Stromata, Book 7.
[ch. 3] ...Rich he is in the highest degree in desiring nothing, as having few wants; and being in the midst of abundance of all good through the knowledge of the good. For it is the first effect of his righteousness, to love to spend his time and associate with those of his own race both in earth and heaven. So also he is liberal of what he possesses. And being a lover of men, he is a hater of the wicked, entertaining a perfect aversion to all villainy. He must consequently learn to be faithful both to himself and his neighbours, and obedient to the commandments...
...Now the Greek philosophy, as it were, purges the soul, and prepares it beforehand for the reception of faith, on which the Truth builds up the edifice of knowledge.
This is the true athlete— he who in the great stadium, the fair world, is crowned for the true victory over all the passions. For He who prescribes the contest is the Almighty God, and He who awards the prize is the only-begotten Son of God. Angels and gods are spectators; and the contest, embracing all the varied exercises, is “not against flesh and blood,” [Ephesians 6:12] but against the spiritual powers of inordinate passions that work through the flesh. He who obtains the mastery in these struggles, and overthrows the tempter, menacing, as it were, with certain contests, wins immortality. For the sentence of God in most righteous judgment is infallible...
~ Clement of Alexandria (c.150–c.215), The Stromata, Book 7.
(Some assorted from our Note Pad drawer)
* If it should so happen you are dealing with a person who believes in the teaching of demonism (and at the expense of honesty, right reason, peace, law and order, etc.), take the opportunity to remind them that such a doctrine and teaching is absolutely the worst on record.
* The use of spirit people is a method of some to excuse or even legitimate serious crime; the idea being that spirit people are superior to and above basic morals and common law.
* It cannot be said too often that so much of the time we take a part (or someone or something) for the whole.
* When those who can't honestly or fairly compete against someone argue for rejecting that person, then you know why.
* Can lasting good come from an amoral source?
* He deliberately ruined all these people's and animal's lives in order that he might go on living in a fantasy world.
* If your neighbor pays invading barbarians extortion money, must you as well?
* He can get you in. But after that, it is to a not insignificant extent up to you to raise yourself up from there.
* Sirach 30:16 "There is no riches above the riches of the health of the body: and there is no pleasure above the joy of the heart."
* (Sayings I often like to employ:)
- "brother of all mice"
- "hickory snick jick"
- "by jingo is the means of saying no jingo."
[ch. 2]
...So the best thing on earth is the most pious man; and the best thing in heaven, the nearer in place and purer, is an angel, the partaker of the eternal and blessed life. But the nature of the Son, which is nearest to Him who is alone the Almighty One, is the most perfect, and most holy, and most potent, and most princely, and most kingly, and most beneficent. This is the highest excellence, which orders all things in accordance with the Father's will, and holds the helm of the universe in the best way, with unwearied and tireless power, working all things in which it operates, keeping in view its hidden designs. For from His own point of view the Son of God is never displaced; not being divided, not severed, not passing from place to place; being always everywhere, and being contained nowhere; complete mind, the complete paternal light; all eyes, seeing all things, hearing all things, knowing all things, by His power scrutinizing the powers. To Him is placed in subjection all the host of angels and gods; He, the paternal Word, exhibiting a the holy administration for Him who put [all] in subjection to Him...
...For this was the law from the first, that virtue should be the object of voluntary choice. Wherefore also the commandments, according to the Law, and before the Law, not given to the upright (for the law is not appointed for a righteous man [1 Timothy 1:9], ordained that he should receive eternal life and the blessed prize, who chose them...
...And, on the other hand, He is in no respect whatever the cause of evil. For all things are arranged with a view to the salvation of the universe by the Lord of the universe, both generally and particularly. It is then the function of the righteousness of salvation to improve everything as far as practicable. For even minor matters are arranged with a view to the salvation of that which is better, and for an abode suitable for people's character. Now everything that is virtuous changes for the better; having as the proper cause of change the free choice of knowledge, which the soul has in its own power. But necessary corrections, through the goodness of the great overseeing Judge, both by the attendant angels, and by various acts of anticipative judgment, and by the perfect judgment, compel egregious sinners to repent.
~ Clement of Alexandria (c.150–c.215), The Stromata, Book 7.