Benjamin L. Corey

Benjamin L. Corey

BLC is an author, speaker, scholar, and global traveler, who holds graduate degrees in Theology & Intercultural Studies from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and received his doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Fuller. He is the author of Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus, and Unafraid: Moving Beyond Fear-Based Faith.

Group-Panic is a Faster Moving & Far More Dangerous Virus than Corona

Allowing group-panic to drive our actions will have far more destructive consequences than the Corona virus itself.

Even before the Corona virus dominated the world’s attention, it could be said that we live in extraordinary times. This appears even more true as each day becomes more like science fiction movies that once had been a thing only of imagination.

While we have no way to predict how long the nation & world will remain in a surreal lock-down mode, and while there is no way to know how this time in history will resolve itself, there is one thing we know is true:

Compared to the Corona virus, group-panic is the far more dangerous virus we should actively avoid– because irrational group-panic is what triggers an endless wave of destruction that is often far worse than than the actual thing we fear.

This is not to say we should be unconcerned with Corona Virus– this situation is deeply concerning, and we all must take every precaution possible to curb the spread of this fast-moving virus– including following all the guidance issued to us from the CDC.

However, while Corona is a fast-moving virus that is dangerous for a certain segment of our population, group-based fear is the faster moving virus that is dangerous for all of us, regardless of age or preexisting medical conditions.

While as a Christian I believe humanity is unique from the animal kingdom in that we bear the image of God, it is times of crisis like this that demonstrate we still very much share some basic animal instincts– specifically that of herd animals.

Growing up on a farm I witness many a time when just one or two animals would get spooked and do something out of sheer fear, only to trigger the rest of the herd to do the exact same thing. While the initial threat that spooks the first few animals is usually a legitimate fear, the tragic irony is that when the entire herd begins joining in with those panic behaviors, the group often creates a set of circumstances far worse than the original threat.

And as we have seen, the same holds true for us.

A small portion of the population rushes out and panic-buys far more toilet paper than they need, and immediately the rest of the herd panics with them– leading them to do the exact same thing. Then, of course, some take it to the next level and begin hoarding other items that leave a shelf bare, only to trigger the same group-panic again– creating a problem that only exists because of fear-based decisions.

The Corona virus hasn’t caused the nation to eat more food or need more toilet paper– it has been our fear-based choices that created a set of circumstances more dangerous than the initial threat that started it all.

This is how group panic works– and it’s the same in humans as it is in animals. In fact, studies have shown that in scenarios where a group of individuals are unsure what they should do, 95% of people will mimic decisions if they see just 5% of the group doing it— even if they know there’s no rational reason for them to do it.

Like with animals, the end result is that our fear-based group-panic places us in far greater danger than the original threat we are facing– and the key is that it is unnecessary danger we place ourselves in. Danger that doesn’t happen if we don’t panic.

While a lack of toilet paper is extremely inconvenient, it’s not all that dangerous– but it proves the point: there is no rational reason for a shortage of toilet paper. There was plenty for everyone just three weeks ago, and there would be enough for everyone now– were it not for the factor of group-panic where 95% of the herd joins the 5% who did something unnecessary.

We are living in an extraordinary time… and it’s a time when we need to be making thoughtful and rational choices– choices that balance what is good for ourselves along with what is good for the group, so that we don’t unintentionally create circumstances far more dire than what would be created if we resisted fear.

In the days, weeks, and potentially months ahead, we are all going to need each other– and we have both moral and ethical responsibilities toward one another. But the number one thing we can each do in order to help ourselves, our neighbors, and the country through this, is to not panic— because our fears create a group-based panic reaction that is a faster moving and a far more dangerous virus than Corona.

Benjamin L. Corey

Benjamin L. Corey

BLC is an author, speaker, scholar, and global traveler, who holds graduate degrees in Theology & Intercultural Studies from Gordon-Conwell, and earned his doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Fuller.

He is the author of Unafraid: Moving Beyond Fear-Based Faith, and Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus.

It's not the end of the world, but it's pretty #@&% close. Trump's America & Franklin Graham's Christianity must be resisted.

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  17. Wise words Mr. Corey. As Christians, we must not panic. We must pray, trust in God, and seek the good of our neighbors.

  18. What are you guys worried about? Trump says he has it all under control.

    With Trump and the Baby Jesus on your side, why worry about a silly virus?

  19. If one is equating the hoarding of toilet paper to being as bad as the virus,that would be nonsense as we all would find ways to wipe without toilet paper,without any negative consequences.Also we do not know if the paper was even hoarded as many many folks may not have had almost no future supply of toilet paper on hand and this may just have made them realize that fact so they needed to get a normal couple months supply thanks.

    1. Yeah, I don’t think it’s irrational to stock up on something you know you need in the future but might not be able to get a month from now (either because you don’t want to risk going to the store or the supply chain has been disrupted).

  20. Waxing pragmatically philosophical, animal emotions reacting to overwhelming impotence creates destructive herd/group-panic in human beings, witnessed by the casual observer as many different forms of blind obedience. These are but a few scenarios:
    *Riot fever
    *Lynch mob mentality
    *Hoarding for personal survival and/or for personal profit trading
    *Religious, nationalistic, racial, gender, occupational, familial allegiance

    The instinct to survive is potentially an overwhelming motivational emotion for every species of life on earth. All physical life forms must first sense to regenerate through procreation and then to feed, nurture and protect; self, spawn, local grouping (herd), and most importantly the entire species.

    Somewhere in the last 25 million years of procreating, the animal species mankind matured to be able to bear an awareness of, and a responsibility to, good and evil conceptualized in spirit, the Genesis image of God. We, mankind, are unaware of any other species of life on earth that displays any interest in spirit development. We don’t know of any other physically dependent anywhere, yet (?), who finds any needs to define love, beyond acting out of love.

    The most necessary property of love to determine good, or evil, results from individual influential decisions is empathy. The smallest body we each, when healthy, can empathize with is our self, from which we can measure the least, and most, we can love our neighbor. The largest body we can in all honesty empathize with, as physical life forms, is our species as a single whole body. Any other species we attempt to empathize with still can only be, at best, measured by what we know of our self.

    Christ saved us from that, with the help of many of Man in the Spirit of truth before, during and after him on earth. The Messiah, in my humble opinion, most capably framed the differences between temporal carnal and eternal spirit life. The term life referring to a kinetic awareness of and influence with others.

    I could easily write a book or two developing on the foundation principles I had to share to get here. I spare us both that exercise.

    The point I am trying to convey is that if we begin, and remain, with love of self as more important to survive than any other then the results are evil as we know from eating that fruit. If we progress to a shared love within select group of bodies within the body of mankind, who we can empathize with and no further, in an emergency we quickly find a leader to coordinate our group efforts to save the group. If we give any group a name it takes on a life of its own. The largest group we can effectively seek to survive, with the most allegiance to, is the only one that we might have the ability to empathize with fully, as our self.

    The Son of Man, aka the Son of God, aka the Messiah, saved us from having to be empathetically dependent on any lesser physical body than for that of mankind’s survival, hence all his sibling students carry each their own cross toward that objective. Individually, each of God’s children on earth and in heaven (simultaneous for us on earth), have been spared any concern for self-survival because we are aware and influential inside God as a whole, and all of God inside each of us. Those who are maturing in their certain awareness and influence in the Spirit of truth have been freed from any lesser obedience than to all their love of all of God, and to our Father’s love of this world and our physical species whom we can fully empathize with.

    When in Christ, and Christ in us, we are not freed from the powerful emotion of empathetic love, especially from the agony of self and our species’ pain. We feel with a heart of spirit and learn with a mind of spirit as does all of God without beginning or end. From our limited perspective of earth, our, each of mankind’s, salvation lies solely in the lead of the Advocate of God who can guide us toward the best good, for each and all. Otherwise, we’re lost to the evil results consequential from limited blind obedience to any less awareness than that of an omnipresent Spirit, who loves us as beloved children.

    In this time necessitating coordinated unity, to save the most lives, please, seek our Father’s perfect lead.

    Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV2011)
    “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
    But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

    Empathize with all of Man as yourself, doing to all others first as you would have all others do to you, as you love yourself. Please, let’s not waste our obedience to any self-centered spirit of influence that seeks to destroy all others, but themselves and theirs, that only they might survive as more important than any other.

    Even finding myself deeply inside the most at-risk age group, just following a major surgery, my heart and mind leads me to do what I can to support most of the whole of mankind to survive this threat. This is nothing compared to Jesus’ example of agony on behalf of his empathy for the whole of mankind, even for those who know no better leadership than to place their obedience in the spirit resulting in:
    *Riot fever
    *Lynch mob mentality
    *Hoarding for personal survival and/or for personal profit trading
    *Religious, nationalistic, racial, gender, occupational, familial allegiance before all others
    * …

    1. Name one man please and how he helped Christ – “Christ saved us from that, with the help of many of Man in the Spirit of truth before, during and after him on earth.”
      God told us to be subject to our leaders – ” Please, let’s not waste our obedience…”
      Try to build up your immune system so you won’t get the flu…

      1. Bob, Google the Golden Rule around the world, the sum of the Law and Prophet’s. “God so loved the world“…

        Contrary to the 6 thousand year old Abrahamic warring religions, the Prince of peace has lovingly influenced mankind in their pursuit of truth from the beginning, of mankind 25 million years ago, of the physical universe 3.8 billion years ago.

        Your concern is appreciated but your advice is scientifically ignorant. This Coronavirus is not a flu, and coming from a different animal species. Human beings have no natural immunities to it. Since it eats the lung tissue any human being can die who has weakened breathing conditions, which all over 60 years of age do to some extent have. This is a bat virus with no resemblance to a human flu.

        1. I ask again. Name one man please and how he helped Christ – “Christ saved us from that, with the help of many of Man in the Spirit of truth before, during and after him on earth.”
          What astronomer or physicist says the age of the universe is “3.8 billion years.”
          In the spirit of the Golden Rule we have the Chinese:
          Francis Boyle, who for decades has advocated against the development and use of bioweapons, suspects COVID-19 is a weaponized pathogen that escaped from Wuhan City’s Biosafety Level 4 facility, which was specifically set up to research coronaviruses and SARS

        2. I ask again. Name one man please and how he helped Christ – “Christ saved us from that, with the help of many of Man in the Spirit of truth before, during and after him on earth.”
          What astronomer or physicist says the age of the universe is “3.8 billion years.”
          In the spirit of the Golden Rule we have the Chinese:
          Francis Boyle, who for decades has advocated against the development and use of bioweapons, suspects COVID-19 is a weaponized pathogen that escaped from Wuhan City’s Biosafety Level 4 facility, which was specifically set up to research coronaviruses and SARS

          1. Bob, you won’t do the work, will you? I show you how to research to discern truth for yourself and you play a “darel” trick of show me, show me, show me, … .

            Here are five individuals who preceded Jesus, the Christ, at introducing the “Golden Rule”. Every major religion has there own form of the “Golden Rule” … in the same Spirit.

            Plato: May I do to others as I would that they should do unto me. (Greece; 4th century BCE)
            Isocrates: Do not do to others that which would anger you if others did it to you. (Greece; 5th century BCE)
            Pittacus : Do not to your neighbor what you would take ill from him. (ca. 640–568 BCE) Thales: Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing. (624 BCE)
            Epicurus: It is impossible to live a pleasant life without agreeing ‘neither to harm nor be harmed’. (469 BC–399 BCE)

            You got me Bob, I sent you a typo, the universe is around 13.8 billion years. You know, that you could have looked so smart by simply saying that the universe is much, much older than 3.8 billion years. Here is one source, much smarter than you or I, who disagrees with the 13.8 billion year figure.

            The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), an orbiting observatory, spent a year making a detailed map of minute temperature variations in the CMB (illustration at top). Models of the universe’s evolution make specific predictions of what such patterns in the CMB would look like. In 2003, WMAP scientists announced that they had compared their satellite’s “baby picture” of the universe to various predictions — and found a match for a specific set of characteristics. The WMAP data indicate our universe is 13.7 billion years old, and made up of only four percent ordinary atoms. Dark matter makes up about 23 percent. The remaining 73 percent is the enigmatic “dark energy.”

            https://stardate.org/astro-guide/age-universe-0

            In the spirit of truth, you just introduced a very dangerous viral conspiracy theory that has been fully debunked regarding Francis Boyle:

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misinformation_related_to_the_2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_pandemic

            When are you going to seek the only Guide into all truth forever? Get your gifted heart and mind of spirit out of the gutter, please! Do some work yourself to find and discern the truth. All you’ve done is used worn out self-empowering religious and secular conspiracy theories to prove the truth is wrong. I am very busy supporting the EOC for my county right now, fighting the very real pandemic and ask your forgiveness for insinuating that the universe is so young!

            1. Let’s take Pittacus. How did he help Christ? His influence was local and minimal. He lived under the Laws of OT and may or may not have used the OT to formulate his sayings. But he was a war commander and dictator which you have repeatedly said you do not abide by.

              Pittacus Of Mytilene, (born c. 650 BC—died c. 570), statesman and sage who is known as one of the Seven Wise Men of ancient Greece. He collaborated with the brothers of the poet Alcaeus in the overthrow of the tyrant Melanchrus (612/611?) and distinguished himself as a commander in the war against Athens for Sigium, killing the Athenian commander, Phrynon, single-handedly. He was elected aisymnetes (dictator appointed during times of internal strife) by the Mytileneans (c. 590 BC) and served in that post for 10 years. Diogenes Laërtius quotes a number of sayings ascribed to him (mostly moral or political maxims) and five lines of lyric verse, as well as a spurious letter to Croesus.

              It is well known that the Corona virus originated in the China. It is well known that the Chinese government lied about the virus and tried to cover its origins. I am not sure why you feel this is some kind of conspiracy theory? See below.

              “The deadly animal virus epidemic spreading globally may have originated in a Wuhan laboratory linked to China’s covert biological weapons program, according to an Israeli biological warfare expert.

              Radio Free Asia this week rebroadcast a local Wuhan television report from 2015 showing China’s most advanced virus research laboratory known the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Radio Free Asia reported.

              The laboratory is the only declared site in China capable of working with deadly viruses.”

              1. Bob, seriously, I don’t have time to do this closed mind and fake news banter that you insist on to push your tired conspiracy theories to justify those who guide you.

                All five of those chronicled to have promoted the “Golden Rule”, the sum of the Law and the Prophets inspired by God for Judaeo/Christian/Muslim consumption by the Spirit of truth, prior to the Messiah, demonstrate the same active Spirit of God. Why is it that you are so adamant to accept that, through the gifted image of their selves which is spirit, God has been active among all of mankind as each of Man could bear and was receptive to truth?

                Today, 1,985 years after Jesus ascended into the spirit kingdom of God, mankind appears to be able to bear much more truth but, per capita, is much less receptive to an accepted relationship with and in God than the first “Christians”. It seems too easy to call truth fake and hoax conspiracies as truth. It sure seems like mankind could use to share in unity the most trustworthy guide available into all real truth forever today more than ever before.

                If you are serious seeking truth that you can act upon, please read the best scientific research we have available to us that does track “Origins Of The 2019-NCoV Virus”.

                https://principia-scientific.org/on-the-origins-of-the-2019-ncov-virus-wuhan-china/

                1. If you don’t have time then why do you respond?
                  Your analysis of the five chronicled is false. First Jesus did not come to promote the Golden Rule or any rule. He came to live and die as a sacrifice for our sins past and future. The fact that other historical figures knew how to treat their neighbor has noting to do with Jesus.
                  Your article doesn’t disagree with the origins of the virus. You should read it.

                  1. I reply because what you spread is dangerous and does no good what-so-ever for us to catch up. If you read the last part, the conclusion, of the scientific study you would see that all trace evidence leads “science” to believe this coronavirus was an attempt to create a virus cure and in no way was an effort for biological warfare. What you, and Senator Cotton, are proposing without conclusive evidence, creates war, not cure!!!

                    You wrote, “He came to live and die as a sacrifice for our sins past and future.”

                    That is a bald face lie. What primitive culture, which we will be compared to by human cultures 6,000 years from now, can you fault as “sinners” for doing the best they knew how? What child do you punish for the errors of their parents, as though they owed some bill collectible by God, especially in payment with eternal suffering? You don’t know the heavenly Father of God and, for certain, neither do those who you accept teaching from relative to their study of God from any written chronicles of Man. You don’t know the fullness of God’s love, and certainly are not applying yours to your neighbors (others) as you would have others apply their love to you.

                    Jesus saved us by doing for us first what he asked us to do for our Father’s will. Why must I carry my own cross if his was sufficient? My salvation was being baptized by Jesus, the Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, who appeared at Jesus’ symbolic baptism of water as like a dove. The truth will set you free from whatever you think you might owe from whatever you have done ignorantly, that you might be remorseful for. I am telling you what Sesus has seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father and/or carnal (requiring propagation to survive) church father.

                    My children did not trespass (sin) against me because they sought a knowledge of good and evil. Little bitty mankind, on a universally invisible minute little planet, did not sin against an omnipotent God by eating a fruit that gave them a knowledge of good and evil, of which they would then be responsible to for the rest of mankind’s life. That was stories developed around the fire at night to explain the 2,000 years before Moses could begin to write.

                    God is not the fantasy of conjecture that you make them out to be. God and their spirit based sentient life is more real and durable than mankind and their physical based sentient life. You’ve got the image to be able to sense that as true, use it.

                    Meanwhile, stop pointing inflammatory fingers of blame, spreading baseless conspiracy theories (trying to look anything but impotent), and help to support your neighbor as you love yourself.

                    1. And you spread Christian truth? I don’t think so. You have some weird belief that no one is to blame for anything but our President. But most know the bio-weapons lab in Wuhan is where it came from.

                      “COVID-19 has now infected nearly 120,000 people, killing more than 4,600 in the process in a devastating outbreak which has now been declared a pandemic. Italy has been placed on lockdown as the infection spreads through Europe at an alarming rate. A study released by Chinese scientists earlier this month found the origin of coronavirus could have come from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a level four biosafety laboratory 12km from the epicentre of the outbreak.”

                      As to Jesus you don’t believe in Him either. Calling His death a bald face lie will not endure you to real Christians either. No one believes He came to recite the Golden Rule and leave us to sort things out.

                    2. And you spread Christian truth? I don’t think so. You have some weird belief that no one is to blame for anything but our President. But most know the bio-weapons lab in Wuhan is where it came from.

                      “COVID-19 has now infected nearly 120,000 people, killing more than 4,600 in the process in a devastating outbreak which has now been declared a pandemic. Italy has been placed on lockdown as the infection spreads through Europe at an alarming rate. A study released by Chinese scientists earlier this month found the origin of coronavirus could have come from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a level four biosafety laboratory 12km from the epicentre of the outbreak.”

                      As to Jesus you don’t believe in Him either. Calling His death a bald face lie will not endure you to real Christians either. No one believes He came to recite the Golden Rule and leave us to sort things out.

                    3. There you go again, Bob. I never called Jesus’ death a bald face lie. I said he didn’t die for our sins, because there simply was no sin to repay!!! We aren’t that important, even to your god of wrath, able to never ever forgive, and punishes little children without end.

                      The entire scripture Jesus spoke to was summed up by the Golden Rule. All the scripture that Jesus spoke to hangs on love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and like that, love your neighbor as yourself … which the last half is, in everything, do to others as you would have others do to you … including your enemy neighbor.

                      Apparently you want the Chinese to cast dispersion on you as you cast dispersion on them.

                      A study released by Chinese scientists earlier this month found the origin of coronavirus could have come from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a level four biosafety laboratory 12km from the epicentre of the outbreak.

                      “a level four biosafety laboratory” is not a “bio-weapons lab”. Passing your conjecture as guaranteed truth does not solve this problem, period. Trump isn’t that important for the Chinese government to release a world pandemic to embarrass him, even if you and he think he is.

                    4. How do you know what goes on the Wuhan lab? You have no idea. This isn’t about our President its about our safety. If China did this they deserve what they get.

                      Failure to believe in sin and death is fatal to your eternal life.

                    5. Bob, we are in the middle of a crisis. Even the Senate has dispersed thanks to Rand Paul’s testing positive. You are not helping because neither do you KNOW what goes on in the Wuhan Lab. You don’t know what goes on in most of the world, but you guess anyway.

                      The only relationship that is fatal to any of mankind’s, born of water, eternal life is not seeing, to not be aware, so to not accept the Spirit of truth as their only guide into all truth as they can bear, as it is clearly written. Guessing will not hack it and I am not guessing. Good luck on your human led theological hypothesis.

                      To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

                      They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

                      Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”

                      “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

                      “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.”

                      “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

                      Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.

                      John 8:31-47 (NIV2011)

                      You don’t hear what God says!

                    6. Bob..I remind you the ONLY empirically verifiable truth of Christina theology IS that man is fallen and has a consistent trajectory to breaking God’s law. I would encourage you to remember that when Herm gives his interesting twist on a Christianity that isn’t Christian in any sense of an orthodox manner.

                    7. Thanks Everett, that puts me in the company of Christ and his disciples. The interesting twist that the Messiah put on Judaism was not Jewish in any sense of an orthodox manner. You, Bob, and darel are prime examples of disciples led by “theology” rather than the Spirit of truth, as written in testimonial scripture.

                      the·ol·o·gy
                      /THēˈäləjē/
                      noun
                      the study of the nature of God and religious belief.
                      religious beliefs and theory when systematically developed.
                      plural noun: theologies
                      “a willingness to tolerate new theologies”

                      “Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

                      or·tho·dox
                      /ˈôrTHəˌdäks/
                      adjective
                      1.
                      (of a person or their views, especially religious or political ones, or other beliefs or practices) conforming to what is generally or traditionally accepted as right or true; established and approved.
                      “orthodox medical treatment”
                      Similar:
                      conservative, traditional, observant, conformist, devout, strict,true, true blue, of the faith, of the true faith
                      2.
                      (of a thing) of the ordinary or usual type; normal.
                      “they avoided orthodox jazz venues”

                      As you read of Jesus, the Christ, was he or, any of his disciples, conformist? Are you conformist?

                      Do you belong to God or orthodox Christianity?

                      I don’t study God, God teaches me, with me in the word of God, and the word of God in me.

                    8. Yes you need something to take your mind off the disaster your president has caused.

                      Funny isn’t it that you criticise herm, when you swallow Trump’s lies.

                      I wonder how many of your loved ones will die from his bs?

                      You have a hide thinking you have anything to say to us.

                      You are nothing more than a self righteous hypocrite.

                    9. You are welcome, Everrett. I do hope the truth will eventually set you free from crisis. The Spirit of truth, as he is written, is really good for eternal relief!

                    10. Truth must be related to more than my own fanciful imagination. I hope you find more than the fanciful gnostic heresies you are presently pursuing.

                    11. I suspect Herm missed this verse. Hebrews 1:1-2
                      (1) God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, (2) has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

                    12. Hebrews 1:14 (NIV2011)
                      Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

                      John 14:17 (NIV2011)
                      the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

                      John 14:20-21 (NIV2011)
                      On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

                      I know you, and Everret, have not been shown Jesus by Jesus. I have! Is that bold enough for you?

                      1 John 4:6 (NIV2011)
                      We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

                    13. just FYI…Herm, do you call yourself a “Christian” or think of yourself in that tradition?

                    14. You know, Everett, as written in your Christian Bible, of one version or another, was Jesus, a carpenter of Nazareth, the truth, or were the vast majority of contradicting orthodox Jews? Who was the only one sentenced to death for his “fanciful gnostic heresies”. Honestly, from the perspective of the Holy Spirit, you cannot bear to know the truth today. Happy Sabbath!

                    15. Oh look its Everitt the theologian

                      Tell us again how your god will laugh at you and your loved ones on their deathbed.

                      God must be rofling over Trump’s stupidity and bs which will cost tens of thousands their lives.

                    16. Bones…to be this obnoxious you have to work at it. I feel sorry for you. And just for the record I do not fear God’s laugh and I have little regret for voting for Trump–look at the alternatives I had!

                    17. Bahaha

                      God’s laughing at you now.

                      It takes a special type of moron who doesn’t regret voting for a bullshitter who’s going to end up killing tens of thousands of Americans.

                      You have nothing to say to us about morality nor theology.

                      You are bereft of both.

                      Your morality is self-serving hypocrisy and your theology is bankrupt.

                    18. Yeah I don’t think I’m going to take much notice of a clown who worships a preside nt who’s going to be responsible for killing more Americans than in every conflict since the second world war.

                    19. After thinking about your last post I am becoming concerned as to why you are not thinking clearly. Since you are “connected” to God I please get on your knees and pray for yourself. Ask God to clear your mind and remove any negative influences. Jesus did say, “physician heal thyself in Luke 4:23.

                    20. Wow, Bob you just took Luke 4:14-30 completely out of context.

                      You have no clue what continual prayer is when the Spirit of truth resides with and in us, without pause, without end. I am feeling truly sorry for your emptiness. Thankfully, even knowing that you are a negative influence on everyone’s possible relationship with and in God, we are still counselled to carry our cross for you. You are loved much more than you love yourself.

                    21. I am afraid that you did not get my point. I fear you are possessed. Instead of what you are doing ask God to rid you of your delusions and conjectures about God in personal prayer. I am praying for you as are others. You can do this. Stop and ask yourself why no one agrees with you on your understanding of God then pray!

                    22. You should be afraid, Bob. You used a scripture, from what’s to you “your only word of God”, falsely, a lie. Read John 8:31-47 (below). Your father is a liar. You don’t hear God because you do not belong to God … you are not possessed by God. I am and can boldly testify with the word of God.

                      Just how many do you believe agreed with Christ 2,000 years ago?

                      “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!”

                      Ask yourself, “whose side am I on?” If you’re honest with yourself, you won’t like the answer, even if just according to scripture.

                    23. That’s an interesting self reflection, Bob. When are you going to start doing that.

          2. Who helped Jesus?

            Off the top of my head…. I could think of Jesus’s mother, his father, the other Mary, the disciples, his teacher, his babysitter, his family, his classmates, his BFF, his boy/girlfriend…

            Do you think Jesus was born with the ability to walk, feed himself and write Ancient Hebrew?

        1. I tried to read it. Some things are far out even for Herm. So it occurred to me that something is very, very wrong. I believe he must be possessed and I told him that. It’s very sad. But that is my feeling.

    1. I was wondering where everyone went.

      I suppose I’d be embarrassed too if I worshipped a President whose bs is going to cost 10s of thousands of lives.

  21. Very well said.
    Interesting that reaction is similar all over the world.
    Water is one thing but paper products is another. Hard to imagine that food is not the priority.

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