@josephw saidAlmost all of this is simply talking about us in terms of what we do, which is more about our actions than the actual question of how do we define people? We do this with many things we study; when we look at the laws of the universe, typically, we are only speaking about, for example, what gravity does, not what it is. Some defined people by whether God accepts them or not, forgive them or not, but that doesn't tell us who we are; how are we defined? We may look at what we think of the others here by judging their actions as we see them; that isn't defining them either it's only talking about how we perceive what we like or dislike when it comes to someone's actions. How are we defined? What does it mean to be human? If we argue over these types of questions, what hope would there be to grasp God or many of the other questions that people have?
It sounds more like you're judging people rather than "defining" them.
Although I agree with your premise of using God's Word as the standard with regards to human conduct.
@medullah saidI see them as being the same thing but seen from two perspectives. Theists take something profound and difficult to wrap one's head around, like the source and nature of personhood, and see it through a prism that explains things by attributing them to supernatural causality. Thus "personhood" gets labelled "soul".
How is the "personhood" the soul?
@rajk999 saidColossians 1:25
I would rather say using the teachings of Christ as the standard for human conduct is better than using Gods Word [I take it that is the bible].
Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (italics mine)
"Word of God" occurs 44 times in the New Testament scriptures.
"Word of the Lord" 12 times.
"Word of reconciliation" once.
"Word of truth" 4 times.
"The Word of the truth of the gospel" once.
There are other variances.
Jesus used the phrase "word of God" six times in the 4 gospels.
@fmf saidYeah, like I said. People are defined by what they do.
KellyJay asked: How do you define people?
My stab at it:
As a species, we have the capacity for cognition.
As social creatures, our moral compasses have been formed and developed by ~ and for ~ our communal existence.
Each of us has exclusive access to our own unique narrative.
This unique accumulation of memories is seen through the prism of our unique set of m ...[text shortened]... nt-for-each-person proclivities - gives us the definition of what and who each individual person is.
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There is an ancient teaching about "people" that goes something like this:
It groups all people into four kinds. 1) Those who are very quick to anger, but quick to forgive. They'll blow up about just about anything, but are quick to realize another person's value, and apologize. Those are only remembered for their quick temper.
2) There are those who are slow to anger, but also slow to forgive. These are the kind that many will back away from least they "cross that line." It takes a lot to push them over the proverbial edge, but, once riled, these are the kind of people who will really attempt great damage, and will hold grudges for life.
3) There are the truly "ungodly." These are the ones that are quickly angered, THEN slow to forgive. Examples abound in social media forums. If they find a single post they don't approve of, they will spew with anger and hatred towards that poster for years to come.
4) Then, thankfully, there are the "godly." They are slow to anger, and quick to forgive. The older I get, the more like that I strive to be. (Keyword there, "STRIVE."😉
There is an account in the gospel message, Book of Matthew, chapter 13, in which Yeshua haMasshiach (most commonly called Jesus around these parts), gave four examples of people, four classifications if you will. He was, of course, speaking of four kinds of people that heard the Word concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 13:1-23)
@liljo saidGreat post.
There is an ancient teaching about "people" that goes something like this:
It groups all people into four kinds. 1) Those who are very quick to anger, but quick to forgive. They'll blow up about just about anything, but are quick to realize another person's value, and apologize. Those are only remembered for their quick temper.
2) There are those who are slow to anger, but ...[text shortened]... king of four kinds of people that heard the Word concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 13:1-23)
I think I fall into the first group, but "striving" for the fourth. 🙂
My wife, God bless her, is definitely in the fourth group.
@liljo saidSo, in short, you see the definition of a person through a prism that explains things in terms of supernatural causality, is that right?
There is an ancient teaching about "people" that goes something like this:
It groups all people into four kinds. 1) Those who are very quick to anger, but quick to forgive. They'll blow up about just about anything, but are quick to realize another person's value, and apologize. Those are only remembered for their quick temper.
2) There are those who are slow to anger, but ...[text shortened]... king of four kinds of people that heard the Word concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 13:1-23)