by Jon Pinney on December 29, 2009
I know this is coming a little late, but I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope you had a great time and got to see your loved ones. I hope we all can remember why we celebrate Christmas and take that message to heart.
by Jon Pinney on September 29, 2009
As I have read novels throughout my life, I have realized that many of my favorite authors have a keen understanding of reality and truth. Their stories are woven around the truth as they believe it to be. In many instances I share their beliefs.
The book I am currently reading has bits of what I consider to be truth littered throughout it’s pages. It is the sixth book of Terry Goodkind’s “The Sword of Truth” series, entitled Faith of the Fallen. Following are some of my favorite quotes from the book.
Page 21:
“The only sovereign I can allow to rule me is reason. The first law of reason is this: what exists, exists; what is, is. From this irreducible, bedrock principle, all knowledge is built. This is the foundation from which life is embraced.
“Reason is a choice. Wishes and whims are not facts, nor are they a means to discovering them. Reason is our only way of grasping reality–it’s our basic tool of survival. We are free to evade the effort of thinking, to reject reason, but we are not free to avoid the penalty of the abyss we refuse to see.”
It has always been my belief that truth exists. Things are the way they are. There is only one correct answer.
Whether we accept or find the truth is something else entirely. Just because I do not believe something is true does not mean it is false. Truth is truth. It is independent of desire, faith, understanding, acceptance, or pretense. It is my goal to seek truth where I can find it.
That is why I have always said that true religion and true science are the same. Religion and science are two different methods of uncovering truth. In the end, science will prove the truth of true religion.
Page 460 (expands on the first quote):
“The most important rule there is…the only sovereign you can allow to rule you is reason.
“…It is not only the most important rule, but the simplest. Nonetheless, it is the one most often ignored and violated, and by far the most despised. It must be wielded in spite of the ceaseless, howling protests of the wicked.
“Misery, iniquity, and utter destruction lurk in the shadows outside its full light, where half-truths snare the faithful disciples, the deeply feeling believers, the selfless followers.
“Faith and feelings are the warm marrow of evil. Unlike reason, faith and feelings provide no boundary to limit any delusion, any whim. They are a virulent poison, giving the numbing illusion of moral sanction to every depravity ever hatched.
“Faith and feelings are the darkness to reason’s light.
“Reason is the very substance of truth itself. The glory that is life is wholly embraced through reason, through this rule. In rejecting it, in rejecting reason, one embraces death.”
The only thing I would add to this description is the importance of recognizing that our own reasoning abilities are not perfect. That is why I believe a merging of our own reason, mixed with our faith and feelings, with inspiration from God, is the only way to find with any certainty truth in this life.
by Jon Pinney on May 22, 2009
I’ve recognized a trend among people… Some people think that humility means that you downplay, overlook, or ignore the greatness within you. After all, can I be humble if I admit that I’m an amazing singer, or artist, or businessman?
My thought is that to be truly humble, you must not only recognize the greatness within you, you must also embrace it. You must not be ashamed of it.
Sometimes I think our culture tries to make everyone the same. And sometimes the ones that stand out are the ones that get ridiculed the most. So we try not to stand out.
My hope for people is that they will look at themselves and see what it is about them that makes them great. So many of us look at ourselves and only see the negative aspects. We dwell on those things. We hate those things. Our self-esteem is low because of them.
If we could instead accept who we are and that we are not perfect, our lives will be so much better. Once we recognize that we have things to work on, we can begin the work. And by also paying attention to the positive things about us, we can begin to develop self-love for who we are.
Jesus Christ taught that the most important commandment was to love God first. After that, we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Many people overlook the fact that he commands us to love ourselves.
If we are truly humble, I believe that we will learn to recognize our greatness and our weakness, and to be okay with both. It is time that we stop being ashamed of who we are; that we accept who we are; and that we love who we are.
I hope you will join me in this…
by Jon Pinney on April 28, 2009
While driving across the desert the other day, I randomly spoke what I thought was a pretty interesting (and even profound) thought:
“Time is weird. It always feels like now.”
If you think about it, at every moment of our lives, it is now. All we can really experience is the present. We can remember the past and look to the future, but the present is all we can experience.
Can we measure time? A clock marks the passing of time, but it does not in itself measure time. A cup of flour can be measured. A glass of water can be measured. But we as humans do not possess a way to measure time. We can only take note of its passing.
When God says He is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega, is He really saying that He lives outside of time and can therefore measure it like we measure a glass of water?
