Hello everyone. I’ve been getting emails and comments asking what has happened to the videos. Well, the answer is quite simple. I’ve been sick, so production has fallen off. I’m better now. Don’t worry. It wasn’t COVID-19, just a case of Shingles. Apparently, I had chicken pox as a child and the virus has been hiding in my system all this time waiting for a chance to attack. I have to admit that at the worst of it, my face looked quite a sight – like I had been at the wrong end of a bar fight.
Right now, I’m alone, standing outside in these beautiful surroundings, because I just had to get out of the house. Since I’m alone, I’m going to take my face mask off.
I’ve been a little concerned about some things for a while. My concern is for the children of God. If you are a Christian—I mean a real Christian, not just in name, but in purpose—if you are a real Christian, then your concern is for the body of Christ, the congregation of the chosen.
We have been offered the opportunity to rule with Christ and to be the means by which the world’s problems--not just those of our local community, not just those of our particular country or our particular race, indeed, not even just those of the world, but the problems of humanity since the beginning of time—it is offered to us to be the means by which the entire failed and tragic history of Mankind can be fixed.
Can there be a higher calling? Can anything this life offers be more important?
We need faith to see that. Faith allows us to see the invisible. Faith allows us to overcome what is before our eyes and what may seem more important at the moment. Faith allows us to put such things into perspective; to see them as the pointless distractions that they really are.
In the beginning, the Devil laid the foundation for a world of deceit; a world built on the lie. Jesus called him the father of the lie, and lately lying seems to be growing in strength. There are web sites that track the lies told by politicians and some of them number into the thousands, yet these men are accepted and even revered by many. Being lovers of truth, we may be moved to act against such things, but that is a trap.
Anything that distracts us from our commission to make disciples and preach the good news of the Christ is playing into the hands of the wicked one.
When Satan first deceived, Our Heavenly Father uttered a prophecy explaining that there would be two lines of descendants, one of Satan and one of the woman. The woman’s seed would eventually destroy Satan, so you can well imagine why he has become obsessed with doing everything he can to destroy that seed. Since he cannot do away with it by direct assault, he tries to mislead it; to distract it from its true mission.
Let us not play into his hands.
There are thousands of us out there scattered about trying to find our way out of false religion into the freedom of the Christ. Sometimes we can lose our way. Having been under the thumb of men for so long, we become suspicious of any authority. Some have gone from the one extreme of absolute trust in men to the other extreme in which they are willing to believe any wild theory as long as it calls into question those in positions of authority.
Do you think Satan cares? No. All he cares about is that we are distracted from our main mission.
Maybe we see a web site that seems to offer credible evidence that the wild fires in California were caused by the government using particle beam weapons, and we jump on that band wagon. Or perhaps we see the contrails—condensation trails—left by jet engine exhausts and believe the claim that the government is seeding the atmosphere with chemicals. A surprising number of people have accepted the claim that the earth is flat and that Nasa is in on the conspiracy.
The Bible says at Proverbs 14:15, “The naive person believes every word, But the shrewd one ponders each step.”
I won’t spend time proving that each of these stories is a hoax, because you can do so yourself quite easily. The power to verify the truth or falsehood of any claim is at your fingertips. So why do some prefer to just believe rather than make the effort to check things out for themselves. Isn’t that what got us to waste so much time in our previous faith: a willingness to just believe without verifying. We put blind trust in men.
I recently saw something on Facebook claiming that the coronavirus is not as deadly as we were led to believe, that it has a 99.9% survival rate. That means that only 1 out of a thousand people die from it. That doesn’t seem so bad, does it? The person making that post even gave us the figures, so it seems credible as long as—as long as—we don’t do the math ourselves. I’m sure that was what he was counting on.
How did the person making this post arrive at that figure? By dividing the number of people who have died from the virus against the entire population of the earth. Well, of course you’re going to survive if you are never infected in the first place. I mean, if you were to calculate the chance of dying during childbirth by including in your calculation all the men in the world, you’d end up with a pretty good survival rate.
The Facebook poster challenged the reader to share this information, “if you are brave enough.” And therein lies the problem in my opinion. These people are exploiting a growing mistrust in authority. As one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I trusted the authority of the men heading up the Organization. I now see that I was betrayed by the organization. I know that governments have misled us, institutions have misled us, churches have misled us. So, it can be very easy for me to come to mistrust all such authorities. Having been fooled for so long and so completely, I don’t ever want to be fooled again.
But it wasn’t the institution that betrayed us, be it political, commercial, or religious. It was just the men behind it. Other men seek to exploit our sense of betrayal by lying to us and planting wild conspiracy theories in our heads. If we are kicking ourselves for putting blind faith in what the eight men of the Governing Body taught us, we do we now blindly trust what some unknown guy with a web site tells us about anything.
I’m telling you things right now, but I don’t ask you to believe me, I ask you to verify what I’m telling you. That is your only protection.
How can you avoid being fooled again?
There was one human who was willing to die for you. That was Jesus. He never exploited anyone, but came to serve. His faithful disciple John was inspired to write the following from 1 John 4:1—“My dear friends, do not believe all who claim to have the Spirit, but test them to find out if the spirit they have comes from God. For many false prophets have gone out everywhere.” (Good News Translation)
You and I have been created in the image of God. Unlike the animals we have the power of reason. We have this magnificent brain, but so few of us choose to use it. It is like a muscle. If you train your muscles, they get stronger and you become more coordinated. But that takes effort. It’s much easier just to sit at home and watch TV. The same goes for the brain. If we don’t exercise it, if we don’t make the effort, then we make ourselves vulnerable.
Paul tells us: “Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry YOU off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)
That does not just relate to religious teaching, but to anything that would distract us from the Christ.
The Devil want us to be distracted. In fact, he’d love it if he could get us to disobey our Lord. He’s tricky and has had thousands of years to perfect his craft.
Recently, I’ve heard some claim that facemasks are part of some government conspiracy to take away our freedoms. Soon we’ll be injected with ID chips under the guise of COVID-19 injections.
American’s cherish their first amendment right to freedom of speech, so this argument seems to have traction. However, let’s think about it critically for a moment. Would you say the same thing about signaling your turns when you’re driving? You could argue that where and when you turn is a privacy issue and no one has the right to know that. You could argue that whether you decide to tell others if you plan to make a turn or not is a freedom of speech issue. Therefore, if a policeman fines you for failing to signal a turn, hasn’t he has violated your constitutional rights?
I can just see the devil laughing himself silly when he gets Christians sidetracked on such ridiculous issues. Why? Because not only is he changing their focus from the kingdom to issues of the world, but he might even get the to engage in civil disobedience.
Does it matter whether a face mask works or not? To Christians, it shouldn’t. Why do I say that? Because of what Paul wrote to Christians in Rome.
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” (Romans 13:1-5 NIV)
You may find the character of your president, King, prime minister, or governor reprehensible. The idea of showing such a man respect or honor might seem abhorrent. Nevertheless, this is the command we have from our King, and he does deserve our respect and honor and obedience. Besides, if you please him, then one day you will be in the position to judge the whole world. So just be patient.
What I’m trying to say is that we have been freed from enslavement to men, so let us not allow ourselves to again fall under the control of men promoting self-serving wild and zany ideas. They could cause us to miss out on the prize, just as the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses almost did.
Please read the following passage and ponder it prayerfully, for there is a world of wisdom in it:
Paul’s words to the Corinthians at 1 Corinthians 3:16-21 (BSB).
“Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”
Therefore, stop boasting in men. All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All of them belong to you, [all of them belong to you]
and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.”
Think about it: “You are God’s temple.” “All things belong to you.” “You belong to Christ.”
Archived Comments
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Comment by Frankie on 2020-07-31 16:38:20
Hi Eric,
I've been reading for a while this discussion and I'd like to present my view on the issues discussing here. I'm sorry, it's been a little longer.
But first of all, I'm glad you are all right now - the disease you suffered from is very troublesome. Take care.
1. Way of discussion
Some comments placed by Roryks and JA are unnecessary personal. We should rather focus on the essence of the problem than on person presenting views. We, as Christians, are to love our neighbors and even our enemies. We can respond kindly also to unpleasant arguments. And I'm learning that as well.
I read about 1 hour the Roryks' site. Rory S. has a very bitter experience with Org, and perhaps it was his way to manage his further existence. I would be very happy if God drew him to the true path of life. I'm sure God will do everything for him. Eric, I appreciate that you didn't respond the same way.
2. Obedience
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." (Romans 13:1)
God has temporarily established authorities into the existing system on Earth. He did not appoint specific rulers (Trump, Putin, etc), but a system of organization of mankind until it will be all over. Otherwise, anarchy and chaos could reign on Earth. Therefore, the community of people on Earth must be somehow controlled.
However, our obedience to the authorities is not absolute. God's commandments are superior to those of the Caesar, and we must be careful that the commandments of the authorities do not conflict with Jesus' commandments and with our Christian conscience. Because authorities often play dirty games with their citizens with fake cards, as evidenced by history and at present. But we always have an ace:
"But Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than any human authority. (Acts 5:29, NLT)
But that does not mean that we will revolt in unrest and destroy the authorities in the form of some revolutions. This would be an attempt to undermine God's system measures that allows what-existence of social systems on Earth. If someone does it, it's his business, but it's not our business.
3. Conspiracies
"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” (Matt 4:8-9)
"We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." (1 John 5:19)
This wicked world is still in Satan's hands - all the kingdoms of the world, including their rulers - and also everyone who is part of the world, to a greater or lesser extent, except Christians (John 15:19, 17:14). World politicians clearly declare the path to globalization. The management of social supersystems proceeds hierarchically from top to bottom in a pyramidal arrangement: 2nd - Money, 3rd - Politics, 4th - R&F. And on the top of the pyramid, as number one, sits Satan.
This top-down management system is as efficient as in any company. To control all, you only need to control several - top managers. If Satan wants to confuse and mislead people, why not use conspiracies everywhere, not only on the Internet, but also from politicians and in official media (I call them "corporate media", because today all the mainstream media serve those who fund them). In this way - a lie against a lie - Satan hides the truth.
If one wants to find out the truth about a "conspiracy theory", he/she must use critical analysis and use data cross-validation. And to look for information from credible sources, consider arguments and counter-arguments. Avoid emotional conclusions. Analyze data from publicly available sources. A lot of such information exists on the so-called alternative websites, where science specialists publish. Such scientists are often not admitted to the corporate media for political reasons or for financial interests.
Based on my experience, I can say that there is no conspiracy like a conspiracy. The word conspiracy has become synonymous with cheating and lies. But the uncomfortable truth is too often referred to as a conspiracy. And the conspiracies from politicians are not exceptional.
However, God's word is crucial to us (John 17:17). Our mission is to spread the gospel (Acts 8:12), to shine with the light we have received from Jesus (Ephesians 5: 8), to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21), and to do many other good things based on love.
Frankie
Comment by Fani on 2020-07-19 01:54:04
Je suis tres contente d'entendre à nouveau tes encouragements. Je me suis inquiétée.
Oui, ne faisons pas des choses profanes nos préoccupations, tout en rendant "à César ce qui est à César".
Philippiens 1 : 9, 10 "Et voici ce que je continue à demander dans mes prières : que votre amour abonde toujours plus, accompagné de connaissance exacte et d’un parfait discernement ; que vous puissiez discerner quelles sont les choses les plus importantes, afin d’être purs et de ne faire trébucher personne jusqu’au jour de Christ ;"
Merci encore. Prends bien soin de toi.
Que Jéhovah bénisse les efforts des bergers qui prennent soin du troupeau.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2020-07-20 11:02:04
Merci pour vos aimables paroles, Fani.
Comment by Zacheus on 2020-07-19 02:22:03
most interesting article and thankyou.
.
Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2020-07-19 07:50:47
Eric, I am glad you are better. Thank you for making sure our eyes are on the right track.
Comment by Lois on 2020-07-19 22:06:35
Thank you very much for discussing this topic. Conspiracy theories have become so popular these days. If the government wants us to wear masks, we should even if they may not work. It is a small inconvenience, but complying shows proper respect for the government that is currently in place and is in obedience to God’s word. I agree whole heartedly with your views. There are more important things to study than the latest conspiracy theory. We can make better use of our time studying and sharing the good news of the Kingdom!
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2020-07-20 11:00:26
Amen, Lois.
Comment by roryks on 2020-07-20 16:06:44
This has got to be one of the most surprising essays/videos I have read of yours, Eric. Your Proverbs scripture needs to be applied to mainstream media and not to so-called "conspiracy theories".
Perhaps you could spend the day in a quiet room with no distractions, reach down into your soul and ask yourself if the world of mankind is really at the mercy of a deadly plague? At the very least go and watch several weeks of Ron Paul's Liberty Report on YT and read the recent article The Covid Coup on The American Mind (dot) com.
If you do not do these things you will find yourself as one of those ones that Jesus talked about "eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the flood came and swept them all away." Obediently going along with, and supporting - and telling others to support!! - every stipulation the government advises without question, without shaking your head in bemusement.
It is astonishing.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2020-07-20 17:13:18
Since we're handing out free advice and speaking with the voice of God, perhaps you should check out this video. It might allow you to have a more balanced view of what Ron Paul et al is dishing out.
I believe this link will work within the USA:
and this one elsewhere: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/07/john-oliver-coronavirus-conspiracy-theoriesReply by roryks on 2020-07-21 02:28:42
"Handing out free advice and speaking with the voice of God"? Are you including yourself in that assessment?
If you are directing me to John Oliver, Vanity Fair, and the Hollywood Reporter to make your point then you really are deeply entrenched in your determination not to see.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2020-07-21 18:51:26
Hmm, well, which of us keeps spouting opinions as truth and refuses to back them up with evidence?
Reply by roryks on 2020-07-22 00:55:55
I would suggest that you go back and reassess your video. It is confused and confusing. It is so surprising that it uses the same tropes seen in Society reasoning.
You start off with the title: Conspiracy Theories and the Great Trickster, so right out of the gate it is obvious that your beef is with so-called "conspiracy theories." You don't seem to appreciate that "conspiracy theory" is a catchall phrase that triggers an immediate negative response in the listener, much in the same way the Society uses the word "apostate". The very word itself does all the heavy lifting for you. Then you link it with the Great Trickster, Satan the Devil. There is obvuscation in your article as you try and say that "all men" in one way or another can be manipulated by the Devil - but actually you leave no doubt that primarilly you mean the conspiracy theory crowd.
The first image is of you wearing a mask. You are displaying your own virtuousness. "I'm alone. I'm going to take my face mask off." Another display of your caring attitude. And then, "My concern is for the children of God." How concerned can you really be when after everything is stripped away your message is simply, "Wear the damn mask."
It's just a mask. It's just a pinch of incense. It's just a signature. It's just some words. It's just a salute. Down that path lies craven subservience. Absolutely not what Jesus was all about.
What evidence have I not given? I limited it to Ron Paul, and The Covid Coup article. If you'd looked at that essay you would have found an abundance of evidence. You responded with John Oliver and some Hollywood celebrities. Go to OffGuardian, or coronacircus, or the Corbett Report. Seek out Dr Andrew Kaufman. What more evidence do you want, if you would only deign to look at it?Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2020-07-22 10:32:14
I have looked it up. You seem to feel that these articles give overwhelming proof. I do not find that to be the case. What worries me about these things is how they can escalate. For instance, you state: "It’s just a mask. It’s just a pinch of incense. It’s just a signature. It’s just some words. It’s just a salute. Down that path lies craven subservience."
That is false equivalence. A pinch of incense was an act of worship acknowledging the emperor of Rome as a God. Saluting the flag recognizes that the saluter gives allegiance to a symbol of the sovereignty of the nation. Wearing a mask has nothing to do with worshipping a god figure. The science is sound. Spittle from the wearer is trapped and so the risk of airborne infection from moisture droplets is reduced. That is just good manners and demonstrates love of neighbor. The mask doesn't so much protect the wearer as it does the people around him.
Your statement that this is the path to "craven subservience" is precisely the point I was making. The devil wants us to disobey the superior authorities in matters that do not test our loyalty to God. Just as the Witnesses have disobeyed Romans 13 in the matter of reporting pedophiles in their midst, so those who promote civil disobedience such as you do here are unwittingly doing his job for him.Reply by roryks on 2020-07-23 03:48:22
You have left the cult of the organisation, but you are still trapped in the cult of the world.
When you use terms such as "civil disobedience" and "conspiracy theories" it means that you have not extracted yourself from the world's way of thinking.
The Christ must be indwelling. He must be rooted in our hearts. It means we are sovereign over our own soul. What is happening throughout the world is a battle for our souls. Some might say it is subtle, some might say it is blatant. But at some point in these constantly increasing demands upon us we have to reach a point where we say, NO!Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2020-07-23 13:23:57
I agree with what you say in the last paragraph. However, in the first two, you are wrong.
Reply by roryks on 2020-07-27 02:04:37
A long comment like this, making so many points, isn't really seeking a discussion and asking questions it sincerely wants answers to, and that's fine. In any case it's not a great forum for doing that. And in the long run it will no doubt all be moot.
If you want to know more about me, or get in touch, you can do so through acarpenterfromnazareth.com.
You ask a very good question about my relationship with Eric and that's something I shall go off and ponder.Reply by Psalmbee on 2020-07-30 11:44:44
Ironically, I got the same impression as you Just Asking, which in turn compliments my minor leaguer statement.
Psalmbee
Reply by roryks on 2020-07-29 12:18:26
No offence given by what you said. You asked a valid question about what it is that I have against Eric. It made me go away and ponder...
For me, I think Eric must be a surrogate Governing Body member. I still have a wife who is deeply in with the Witnesses, and two daughters who are currently going along with their Mum. I cannot rail against the Organisation, so I railed at Eric. He's about the same age demographic as the GB. There is a curious thing that has happened over this coronavirus thing. Because the Society have allied themselves with the world and declared that their official position is pro-pandemic, it means that simply discussing the news with my wife and offering an alternate take on it, is tantamount to apostate speech. Eric seems to me to be just one step removed from Society officiousness, and to have him come out and adopt the same position as the organisation was bad timing. I rarely comment, but this video pushed a button.
That is only second level. There is a deeper level which I had to work through when I left the religion. It has to do with parental issues and anti-authoritarianism. The former is about becoming reconciled to your God, and the latter I make no apologies for because I think we should all be anti-authoritarian.
And these are not light issues. They are vital. If we do not do the necessary work on ourselves, and find out what makes us who we are on a personal level, we cannot be expected to make any serious progress when it comes to reaching the kingdom of God within ourselves. And while saying that, I don't consider myself to be "Christian", just that Jesus knew what he was talking about.
As far as those figures are concerned - "As of today, July 23, 2020, there are reportedly 15,552,692 cases and 633,442 deaths, after this disease took off in earnest for only about 5 months" - I don't trust them. Bare numbers do not tell the whole story of age demographic, co-morbidities, socio-economic environs etc, etc. And even if I did accept them, No, it's not enough deaths. 633, 442 out of 9 billion? It shouldn't be enough deaths for you either.
It's not enough deaths for keel-hauling the economy, putting millions of people out of work, destroying great swathes of small businesses and people's livelihoods to the benefit of Amazon and WalMart et al. completely up-ending the human experience where for thousands of years we have ticked along (relatively) fine but now we are to accept that actually we are disease-carrying rats who can pass on a deadly plague as soon as breath on you. And for how long? How long are we going to be masked up? How long are you expecting it to last? No, it's not enough deaths for putting children through this bizarre ritual sending them off to school to stand six feet apart from their friends, wear masks and be told that although they don't feel anything they can still be carriers of the deadly plague, and they could make mummy, daddy, or teacher sick. It's not enough deaths for bringing the heavy boot of authority down on people in general. It's not enough deaths to put people worldwide under lockdown, separate families, and keep them confused with vague notions about what this virus is meant to be.
And that brings us to cults. Cults have nothing to do with size. It is about mindset, thought manipulation, and the level of control a small group can have on the masses. Robert Lifton's Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism is a study of brainwashing in China, with a population of over 1 billion. His eight criteria might well be something Eric has used to argue against the Society. North Korea might be looked at as a nation with a cult-like mindset. Thought reform can be brought to bear on as large a body of people as you believe are possible to manipulate - even if that means worldwide. All it takes is time and patience. Go and listen to Yuri Bezmenov and see the lengths that Russian officialdom went to indoctrinate their people.
You only state how you feel about conspiracy theories, but you don't say why you feel that way about them. What is the root cause of your disdain? Are you an exJW? If so, do you remember how you felt about apostates or those who spoke against "the truth"? Even if they came brandishing evidence, we would shut our ears and refuse to listen.
We hand our lives over to authority figues because that feels like a safe place to be. We don't have to do any thinking for ourselves - we are only required to listen, obey, and be blessed. We don't want to listen to conspiracy theories because it is too frightening a prospect that those we have entrusted our lives to may not have our best interests at heart.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2020-07-29 20:22:19
"No, it’s not enough deaths. 633, 442 out of 9 billion? It shouldn’t be enough deaths for you either."
That logic only works if we can say that the virus is gone and that all 9 billion have been exposed and survived. But the virus is still spreading an based on the comparison between infected survivors and infected victims, if we do nothing and just let the virus run its course, we would be looking at many millions of deaths.
The fact is that the vast majority have not been exposed YET. If the governments had done nothing and if everyone took no personal steps to protect themselves, then far more would have been exposed than have been, but still there would be many not yet infected, as it takes time for a virus to spread.
The proof can be seen by comparing countries like South Korea, Canada, and others where steps were taken to control the spread and the United States which, while taking steps has had states that have refused to deal with the spread in an aggressive manner. The comparison shows how quickly the disease can spread if safeguards are disregarded.
Of course, if we choose to believe that all the doctors and hospital administrators and bureaucrats are cooperating to falsify the numbers, then we will have no basis to believe anything and any discussion becomes an exercise in futility.
Reply by roryks on 2020-07-22 02:21:00
Reply by Ken on 2022-01-27 22:29:21
Eric, I watched the videos you highlighted - please look up the Georgia Guidestones in Elbert County its a massive granite monument with 10 new commandments for mankind written in several existing languages and a few ancient languages. The first is to maintain the human population at 500 million. They are expecting to do this by the year 2030 according to the UN Agenda21. They now call it Agenda 30. A lot of scientists and emminent doctors and virologists believe that they are using vaccines to achieve this goal, but they are being censured by main street media. The National Health Service in the UK has almost collapsed. They are telling people if they are having a heart attack to make their own way to hospital in some areas. If you want to know what is really happening in America and Canada I suggest The Stew Peters Show for USA and Laura Lynn Tyler Thompson for Canada. They both put their trust in Jesus. It will open your eyes to whats happening around the world. You can get banned on Youtube for just talking about vaccines and Covid. They use AI artificial intelligence that scans every youtube upload. I know you are very busy but the time you spent with JW's didn't do you any favours. Best Wishes - Ken.
Comment by Alithia on 2020-07-21 08:02:19
I think this has been a great discussion. It highlights some very important facts. I am not referring to the numerous conspiracy theories out there. I am referring to the process where people take in information and come to various conclusions.Very different ones at that!
I think the very fact that people can come to conclusions that are very polarised should cause people to ponder the reasons why this happens. And to be able to identify clearly the reasons, how we may be deceived and how we can protect ourselves through the use of clear thinking.
Eric put forward some very compelling arguments that should give everyone pause for thought next time they hear some sensational report. (The devils gonna getcha, is just one of them)
Whether corona virus is planned or not, is not something I wish to comment on. However I must say I am stunned at how people are so compliant, blindly, and willing to be obedient to government direction simultaneously around the world! And on the other hand, you have those who out of hand dismiss the whole thing is a hoax! Even though I would have to say that the average person is quite clueless about all of the facts.
It seems to me that there is one universal group-think going on at present amongst governments and their populations, the scope of which is unprecedented. But that may be just due to the limited understanding that I have at the present.I reserve my opinion. I note others have their opinion, most of them of which I disagree with. I will say, I mostly agree with Eric because of the reasons he puts forth.
Love to all from Alithia hear in Australia.
Comment by Theextremebiblicist on 2020-07-21 11:33:27
Hoping you continue to get well. Thanks for making the effort for sharing this video with us.
Comment by Meleti Vivlon on 2020-07-21 13:55:42
Where have I heard this type of reasoning before? Oh yes, now I remember:
Life Everlasting--in Freedom of the Sons of God.
"In view of the earth-wide situation and the world's condition, it appears most urgent for the liberation like that of the Jubilee to come soon. Most certainly the near future would be the most appropriate time for it. God's own written Word indicates that it is the appointed time for it." (p. 27)
"Most certainly the near future would be the most appropriate time for it. God's own written Word indicates that it is the appointed time for it." (p. 30)
Based on decades of experience, of repeating the same mistakes and expecting a different result, shouldn't we just listen to the Lord who tells us most emphatically that...
"Concerning that day and hour nobody knows..."
and again,
"they took no note...so the presence of the Son of man will be."
and again,
"Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming."
and yet again,
"On this account, you too prove yourselves ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it."
(Matthew 24:36-44)
Comment by lazarus on 2020-07-24 05:26:27
Thanks Eric,
Balanced and I believe there good reminders. Nothing wrong with that.
Many bible believers are getting bogged down with every rabbit hole conspiracy. Good reading, maybe even true. Is God threatened by it? Is Jesus Our Lord panicking we may be deceived? Was God’s sovereignty threatened when Satan rebelled? Was God’s sovereignty threatened when Adam and Eve sinned against Him? Imagine the panic In the heavens, really. Was there.
Is God’s sovereignty threatened each time people all over the Earth choose to sin? 9/11, 2k bug, Crime, violence, corruption, wars, etc.
Conspiracies left right and centre.Of course not!
Has Jesus got this.
God created angels and humans with a choice. Because His sovereignty is not threatened, He created people with the freedom to love Him or rebel against Him. That’s what true love is all about—having a choice to respond. Is it a Worship Issue?
Gods purposes or plans for mankind are not going to be derailed by the conspirators. Why stress about them?
Good to see you well Eric, take care.
God bless all
Frank
Comment by Psalmbee on 2020-07-26 12:15:07
Hi Meleti,
Glad to see you have recovered from the shingles. With what I'm looking at (likes and dislikes), it may seem that your batting average went down, but don't sweat it, we have some pitchers here from the minor league if you know what I mean.
Psalmbee
Comment by Elpida on 2020-07-30 13:47:18
First of all, I am so glad you have recovered. Unfortunately, I know how you feel as I too have had shingles. Thank you for this article on conspiracy theories and the great trickster. Your timing is excellent in reminding us to check our facts.
The bible speaks for itself and at one point I believed everything I was told was The Truth and I did not follow-up to check it out. I am not a baptized witness but chose to study with them as a way to learn to use the bible. However one day after a Watchtower study, I was confused and decided to check other bibles and then noticed that words and meanings had been changed. I did not do anything about it at that time as I figured it had to be me as all the others there didn't have any problems.
All that changed when someone who feels the same as me referred to the Beoreans Pickets site and my whole world changed for the better. The misgivings I had and the unsettled feeling I had that something was missing, disappeared when I met others like me.
I appreciate being able to discuss and learn without having to follow religious dogma.
Comment by gavindlt on 2023-08-22 05:11:12
So Eric this is what Science and NASA wants us to believe?
That the ball-Earth is spinning around its axis at 1,000 miles per hour, revolving around the Sun at 67,000 miles per hour, while the entire solar system rotates around the Milky Way galaxy at 500,000 miles per hour, and the Milky Way speeds through the expanding Universe at over 670,000,000 miles per hour.
ALL of this by the way is literally “flying” in the face of our direct observation, ALL experimental evidence and against our common sense yet we must believe it!
We can’t messure it, repeat it or observe it, yet we must accept the heliocentric theory as fact! Like we must accept the fact that masks work to filter out microorganisms to protect us and our granny or the fact that a PCR test detects a virus thats never been isolated or the fact that vaccines even though never double blind tested like the measles shot will not lead to shingles or accept the fact that DARPA did not militarise there mRNA technology to enable an untested gene therapy that kills and harms or the fact that BIBLE cosmology depicts the earth as flat!
Yes, anyone who views Science or NASA or WHO or the FDA or big Pharma or God forbid there own government as deceitful with a nefarious agenda to deceive and harm mankind must for a FACT be a silly conspiracy theory!
So, a little consideration to negotiate. If the Earth and atmosphere are constantly revolving Eastwards at 1,000 mph, how is it that clouds, wind, and weather patterns casually and unpredictably go every which way, often travelling in opposing directions simultaneously? Why can we feel the slightest Westward breeze but not the Earth's incredible supposed 1,000 mph Eastward spin!? And how is it that the magic velcro of gravity is strong enough to drag miles of Earth's atmosphere along, but weak enough to allow little bugs, birds, clouds and planes to travel freely unabated in any direction?
And of course should we consider what does the BIBLE say? Not what SCIENCE says about the earth but the actual BIBLE. IF you remove the cool aid goggles and focus, not on NASA and governments and scientists, all of whom have an agenda to discredit God and infer we are only infinitesimal, a mere minute part of a endless cosmos that reduces us to negligible, incidental…… not central, to Gods intended purpose, whom will we trust? Gods unchanging word that even a babe can understand or the deep things of Satan that is designed to make us feel unworthy, unimportant, undignified, insignificant and small, all a byproduct of chance. If our ONLY reference about our origin was the BIBLE, what alternative conclusion would we reach. It is not difficult to conclude that if we change our paradigms and world views that appose the accepted unified world agenda designed to draw us away from feeling close to our heavenly father God and accepting the bibles agenda and ultimate goal, to draw us close to God through his only begotten son Jesus Christ, guided by Gods active force through Holy Spirit, then the conclusion we reach changes EVERYTHING! So can we free our mind and trust in the plain simple narrative of the bible. Keeping in mind that any ability to explain complexity, simply, is evidence of masterful deep understanding. If you have seen me you have seen my father, the great teacher, Jesus said. I’m only looking at things for the first time in 35 years without reference to a prescribed narrative. Well then, let’s see how deep the rabbit hole goes!
And then there is the obvious question.
The question I have is why are all flight plans based on a horizontal flight plan with no curvature taken into consideration. Why are all navigation plans at sea embarked with no consideration of any curvature. Why are all railway and canal engineering plants built with never ever factoring any curvature into consideration. Land, air and sea endeavours ALL never ever consider projects with factoring the earths so called curvature. Everything is always based on one premise only. That the earth is a horizontal flat plain. That’s why you always talk of sea LEVEL and HORIZON.
Why is that? Answer that simple question to yourself please. Railways are built level for thousands of miles. Canals are built level for thousands of miles. Flights are taken across continents for thousands of miles at flight paths horizontal to the flat non rotating earth. Why? Because they are in denial or because they know this globe in not a curving sphere. Look at the stars, they never change. Your eyes are not deluding you as if it was a figment of your imagination. We are not hurtling through space at 700,000,000 miles a second. We are not revolving around the sun. Your eyes and common sense tells you when you check out the stars and sun and moon placed close by for us to observe, placed IN the bible firmament that those bodies are moving above a stationary earth! Should we trust NASA and science or our own observable living experiences?
Now imagine this “silly conspiracy theory” Eric.
“Imagine If the Government or NASA or the trusted Media had said to you that the Earth is stationary, imagine that! And then imagine we are trying to convince people that 'no, no it's not stationary, it's moving forward at 32 times rifle bullet speed and spinning at 1,000 miles per hour.' We would be laughed at! We would have so many people telling us 'you are crazy, the Earth is not moving!' We would be ridiculed for having no scientific backing for this convoluted moving Earth theory. And not only that but then people would say, 'oh then how do you explain a fixed, calm atmosphere and the Sun's observable movement, how do you explain that?' Imagine saying to people, 'no, no, the atmosphere is moving also but is somehow magically velcroed to the moving-Earth. The reason is not simply because the Earth is stationary.' So what we are actually doing is what makes sense. We are saying that the moving-Earth theory is nonsense. The stationary-Earth theory makes sense and we are being ridiculed. You've got to picture it being the other way around to realize just how RIDICULOUS this situation is. This theory from the Government and NASA that the Earth is rotating and orbiting and leaning over and wobbling is absolute nonsense and yet people are clinging to it, tightly, like a teddy bear. They just can't bring themselves to face the possibility that the Earth is stationary though ALL the evidence shows it: we feel no movement, the atmosphere hasn't been blown away, we see the Sun move from East-to-West, everything can be explained by a motionless Earth without bringing in all these assumptions to cover up previous assumptions gone bad.”
So take a look at the books and links I’ve sent you and ask yourself, is the bible lying or shrouded in poetic ambiguous language? Are your eyes and living observable experiences lying to you? Could you possibly for a moment conceive that Science is and has always lied to us! Or are we lying to ourselves just like we lied to ourselves believing that having another booster shot and wearing a mask will save our granny and our neighbour because the good government backed by the good doctor told us so? Are you aware that governments are registered as corporations in Geneva, or is that another silly conspiracy. Are ALL these corporations lying to us?
Please I ask Eric, you let me know if I and others are just silly conspiracy theorists caught up in a fantasy, so distracted that we have taken our eyes off the Christ and are in danger of losing our true inheritance as a Child of God.
Please be aware that when you dismiss and diminish people as silly little vacuous conspiracists, they could be a perspective Child of God!
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2023-08-22 10:50:07
Your comment did not post immediately, because of the links you included. Those trigger a filter and put the comment into an approval queue. I've removed them for now, because we need to address your comment directly.
You start off treating science as a person or entity acting with an negative and nefarious agenda: "So Eric this is what Science and NASA wants us to believe?" You refer to it six times in your comment, always negatively, ending with this statement: "Could you possibly for a moment conceive that Science is and has always lied to us!"
You link science to NASA, WHO, the FDA, and big Pharma. "Science" isn't an entity, political or otherwise. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as "knowledge about the structure and behavior of the natural and physical world, based on facts that you can prove, for example by experiments."
You then make the claim that all the findings of Science regarding the movement of celestial bodies is false, stating that ALL of this by the way is literally “flying” in the face of our direct observation, ALL experimental evidence and against our common sense yet we must believe it!"
That is quite a claim. All our knowledge of the universe, gained by centuries of research must be disregarded because you distrust NASA, WHO, FDA, and big Pharma?! Long before those political entities existed, Galileo observed spots on the Sun, the church authorities forced him to recant. He had direct observation to back him up. That's science. They had a false religious theology to support.
You would have us disregard all the direct observations and experimental evidence from centuries of astronomical research because you claim it is all fake? Now wouldn't that require a centuries long conspiracy? You would have us believe that the Catholic Church was right all along and the earth is really flat, because your interpretation of the Bible (your opinion) is valid and makes common sense. I will tell you one thing I've learned in my 70-plus years of living with humans: Good sense is anything but common.
The irony is that you don't have to believe what others tell you to prove the earth is not flat. You can do the "direct observations" and find the evidence through experimentation all by yourself. There are a number of sights on the internet that provide common people, not scientists, with the means to prove the earth is not flat through experimentation.
Referring to your concluding statement which reads: "Please be aware that when you dismiss and diminish people as silly little vacuous conspiracists, they could be a perspective Child of God!"
I didn't use the word "vacuous" in this video, and the only reference to "silly" pertains to the Devil. Of course, I wouldn't be a Child of God if I wasn't motivated by love which means that I also love truth and will defend it. How can we snatch someone from the fire, if we are afraid of being burned ourselves. (Jude 22, 23)
Since you consider yourself to be a perspective child of God, I applaud your desire to advance in God's grace. Here is what characterizes a child of God according to Scripture:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5 ESV)
There are many sites on the internet proposing many wild theories, claiming an authority they do not possess. Jesus has all authority. (Matthew 28:18) We can do nothing apart from him.
"So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God." (1 John 3:10 NLT)
"We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments." (1 John 5:2 NLT)
"Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us." (1 John 4:11, 12 NLT)
If we are guided by resentment and a distrust of all authority to the point that we are willing to believe anyone who claims to have hidden knowledge, then we are easily led astray yet again, and can turn out wasting valuable time, and much worse, promoting false theories that could mislead others away from the true knowledge. The devil doesn't care, just as long as we don't become those God is looking for to worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:20-24)
Finally, when we are a child of God, the holy spirit is our guide for life. (Romans 8:14) Pray for the spirit to guide you. Don't get involved in the world's agendas. When they asked Jesus whether they should pay the Roman tax, they were looking to trap him, or perhaps to see if he would lead them to free themselves from subjection to Rome, the superior authority of the day. Did he get involved in the world's political system back then? Did he spend his time talking about all the corruption of the Roman Empire? His goal was to promote the kingdom. Anything else just robs our time from that vital work. If you really want to be a child of God, submit to our Father and promote the Kingdom of God.
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28, 29 NIV)