That being said ...
I guess labels are very much necessary at times. My Dad is 96 years old ---in three months he will be 97 years old. And he has several medications he is supposed to take twice a day. It is very important that the medication labels are accurate, and that he follows the labels.
Doctors often need to follow labels to be able to more efficiently treat patients.
I worked in a mental health facility, and I didn't prescribe medications ...as I was just a direct care worker. I saw conditions, and I saw that those conditions were being treated, so my job was just to treat everyone the same and be fair about it. And I did view each person as a valuable individual.
So, I don't know all the labels ...I just know there are mental illnesses of all sorts. And though I don't know the name, nor do I know the name of the person ...and that is not important. The person is important ...and the point I'm trying to make, I think is important also.
My one story here is what a friend of mine shared with me. At the time, I was renting a single room in a house that had 4 rentals upstairs, and 2 downstairs. I was told there was room for parking in back of the house, but there was only one way to the back through a very narrow alley. I saw two cars already parked in back, and one car parked in the alley ...which blocked access to the back. And even if any of the two places in back became available, I would not want to be blocked in ---nor would I want to be parked in the alley to block anyone else in.
So, I parked across the street at the Post Office. My friend said he was a bit concerned doing the same thing, and the first night he parked there he was concerned someone may vandalize his car ...but, he said the guy in his neighboring room relieved him of those concerns. He said he didn't really know the guy, as the guy seemed not to like to socialize and slept through most every day. One may assume he worked nights, but it appeared he was on government assistance and didn't work at all. His mental condition perhaps became a bit more clear the following evening when my friend was awaken from his restless sleep, upon hearing the guy in the adjacent room speak as if through a homemade megaphone, "Step away from that car. I haven't called the police yet, and you may think you can be long gone before they get here, but if I do call them, I will ask them to send an ambulance also. You may think I'm bluffing, but I would not want to take those odds. I'll give you to the count of three." My friend looked out his window, and saw a shadowy figure with arms raised in the air carefully step away from his car, taking a few steps, then running. And from that point on he said he never worried about his car being vandalized. And he felt he had the perfect neighbor.
Do we feel God was able to arranged just the right people to preserve His Word for us??
Bottom line: Whether we believe in God; and whether we believe He chooses to communicate with us and to what extent?? I'm not saying you have to the count of three to decide, but do consider it a serious matter ...and what choice will you make??
I know many people who spoke of going to see Billy Graham years ago. They could have just read his book, and honestly, his book probably had more in it than what they were going to get from seeing and hearing him in person. Yet, I do understand that they wanted to see him in person, and perhaps they brought a friend with them also. And Billy was likely wanting to present his message in a simple and clear way. Though it is also my belief that the books Billy wrote were more in depth and and gave us a clearer understanding who Billy was, and also his view of who God is. And even more so, by reading the Bible I believe we can get an even better view of who God is ---because I believe God is the Author.
My view of God that He would want us to have the same fair choice that the angels had ---in knowing Him. And though it seems the angels would have had it easier, we have a very carefully preserved record of who He is, and much experience and reasoning compiled for us to make that very clear.
The Bible says that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Many nations who didn't follow God ---still feared God. And those who did follow God, by not following Him very well, also fear Him. The fear this second group had was not the best relationship, but it was their 'beginning of wisdom'. They somehow reconciled to themselves, not to God, that if they maintained their strict degree of reverence to Him ---it would suffice to satisfy God. And it was very important to maintain this reverence as to preserve an understanding of the standards they were to follow, even though they too often followed them poorly. They had a Holy of Holies, and only the High Priest was allowed to enter.
Later, God told His people that He was sick of their sacrifices ...that He wanted obedience.
And later still, when Jesus came and allowed Himself to be a sacrifice for us ---the veil or curtains blocking the way to the Holy of Holies was ripped from the top to bottom, allowing everyone access to Jesus. (Though some church organizations try to maintain a degree of preferential status.)
WE should still maintain a reverence, but just as God said He was sick of their sacrifices and wants obedience ---Jesus also wanted obedience and loyal followers. He said He was the Sabbath. Jesus was our sacrifice. We are to be obedient and loyal as witnesses to Him. No profanity, no misuse of His Name, and no misrepresentation of His Word ---we are to be witnesses to the very Word that He gave us.
Like I made mention of, God wanted His followers, His people, to be obedient ---and though often times they were not, that does not mean that God was not going to use them in some way. And in the Old Testament, they often feared God ...but we used to sacrificing instead of following, yet still, they didn't understand God's desire for who they should be, though they still understood the real fear they felt as a result of not following Him. It was sort of like ---why did Adam and Eve fear they were naked ---and the answer is because they had sinned. And God's people feared God, and even feared saying His Name ---and when they were to copy the documents, they felt it was truly God's Word, and feared copying it wrong. And God used them to preserve His Word. In the New Testament, Jesus knew what kind of dedication was once again needed to copy the very spoken 'Words' of Jesus ...and those who would testify to others about Him, through the leading of the Holy Spirit,
A word about 'evolution', as an alternate view to how we came to be ---a view not compatible with Creation. I guess I will leave it to the scientists who are Christians to discuss that ---but, I was intrigued by the discussion over consciousness.
When a baby is born ...that first smile is so precious. Now, I know what some of you are saying ---that first smile is not a smile, but just that the baby has 'gas'. Perhaps the baby is smiling over what he is preparing for you, of which 'gas' is just a precursor ---or God smiling through the baby, for all good reasons.
But, I'd think that if God is smiling during those moments ---it is not a laughing smile, but a 'pleased' smile ---pleased over our commitment to our child, which He has prepared for us, what He had prepared for our parents, and their parents ---back to Creation, the 'in the beginning' of our lives.
Yes, I believe in God.
And I believe our children did not just have copy machines for brains, nor just mimicking us with the joy they saw in us ...they would have all too easily also seen the frustration over a sometimes difficult task. I believe their smiles were from God, and also God smiling in knowing we'd both make it ---together, and with Him.
