For this discussion "righteous" would mean "rightly related to God through Christ." "Talk with" would mean a face to face conversation, as well as hearing or viewing someone on a screen or in a media venue.
Please do not defer the question by speaking of some grand reference to be used, such as "They show fruits of the Spirit," or "Seem to be a nice person," or "They appear gentle, responsive, and try to help." Even the notion that "They show personal interest" is not necessarily a valid marker. Neither is being "Positive, supportive, and sincere." There exist very skilled and smoothly spoken Godless talkers in the World.
Try to think of actual words, information, nonverbals, cognitive references, and proclamations they would communicate to show they serve The Lord. If this discernment is not a routine habit, then people will be easily fooled.
For instance, any religious talker with highly fashioned and stylized hair, wearing big jewelry, is vain, and therefore a manipulative spirit. As well, anyone who is loud, insistent, and mouthy is called by Scripture "froward." In a positive sense and according to Proverbs, a person who listens more than they talk, and is hesitant to speak, is wise.
And, people who speak in order to constantly express their personality and their feelings are self centered. Unfortunately for many people, being chatty, humorous, and full of mirth is not Christlike, whereas God through Apostle Peter commands all people to be "sober."
How Do You Decide Someone You Talk With Is Righteous?
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Re: How Do You Decide Someone You Talk With Is Righteous?
Post #2I know a lot of people. A lot. And only a handful I would consider 'righteous' by my definition (meaning my definition may not meet yours or hers or theirs).Benson wrote: ↑Wed Feb 10, 2021 12:22 am For this discussion "righteous" would mean "rightly related to God through Christ." "Talk with" would mean a face to face conversation, as well as hearing or viewing someone on a screen or in a media venue.
Please do not defer the question by speaking of some grand reference to be used, such as "They show fruits of the Spirit," or "Seem to be a nice person," or "They appear gentle, responsive, and try to help." Even the notion that "They show personal interest" is not necessarily a valid marker. Neither is being "Positive, supportive, and sincere." There exist very skilled and smoothly spoken Godless talkers in the World.
Try to think of actual words, information, nonverbals, cognitive references, and proclamations they would communicate to show they serve The Lord. If this discernment is not a routine habit, then people will be easily fooled.
For instance, any religious talker with highly fashioned and stylized hair, wearing big jewelry, is vain, and therefore a manipulative spirit. As well, anyone who is loud, insistent, and mouthy is called by Scripture "froward." In a positive sense and according to Proverbs, a person who listens more than they talk, and is hesitant to speak, is wise.
And, people who speak in order to constantly express their personality and their feelings are self centered. Unfortunately for many people, being chatty, humorous, and full of mirth is not Christlike, whereas God through Apostle Peter commands all people to be "sober."
They are kind, understanding, faithful to their belief and non-judgmental.
Have a great, potentially godless, day!
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Re: How Do You Decide Someone You Talk With Is Righteous?
Post #3This is one of my biggest problems with Christianity. It can't, definitively, decide who is "good enough" for Heaven, or even, morally.
But that's another thing, so, I'll just cut to the chase, and tell about my own view of people.
Consistency and Sincerity. I look for both. You can be sincere but self-deceived; kidding yourself. And you can be a consistent hypocrite, who just doesn't CARE by nature. But it seems to me you can't be both: a sincere consistent hypocrite. This is because you are determined by all indications. Determination can't be faked. It points to some reality you are trying to compensate for (that reality being the infinite gulf between you and Perfection). You are, in other words, attempting, with all your might, to cover all the bases. If you are consistent but insincere, you may be doing it all for some ulterior purpose. If you are sincere but do NOTHING in your life (that is, NOTHING in your life indicates you are being spurred on to greater things) then that is hollow. In both cases there is a pronounced lack of determination to do the Good.
So, determination is the most important qualification. That still may not be the easiest thing to measure, but it's the best I got.
One more thing: sincerity can be faked along with actions as a hypocrite. But daily sincerity shows itself, if it is genuine, after getting to know someone. You get to know their body language, whether they are natural. It helps also if the society you are living in encourages positivity rather than phlegmatic cynicism. But I know, I know... you can still be a sincere introvert. My diagnosis is not perfect and I have to accept that.
But that's another thing, so, I'll just cut to the chase, and tell about my own view of people.
Consistency and Sincerity. I look for both. You can be sincere but self-deceived; kidding yourself. And you can be a consistent hypocrite, who just doesn't CARE by nature. But it seems to me you can't be both: a sincere consistent hypocrite. This is because you are determined by all indications. Determination can't be faked. It points to some reality you are trying to compensate for (that reality being the infinite gulf between you and Perfection). You are, in other words, attempting, with all your might, to cover all the bases. If you are consistent but insincere, you may be doing it all for some ulterior purpose. If you are sincere but do NOTHING in your life (that is, NOTHING in your life indicates you are being spurred on to greater things) then that is hollow. In both cases there is a pronounced lack of determination to do the Good.
So, determination is the most important qualification. That still may not be the easiest thing to measure, but it's the best I got.
One more thing: sincerity can be faked along with actions as a hypocrite. But daily sincerity shows itself, if it is genuine, after getting to know someone. You get to know their body language, whether they are natural. It helps also if the society you are living in encourages positivity rather than phlegmatic cynicism. But I know, I know... you can still be a sincere introvert. My diagnosis is not perfect and I have to accept that.