I was once assigned to work with a group of men, very congenial fellows, really. Except for one, that is. They warned me that when he arrived, not to mention religion. It would "set him off".
Sure enough, when he arrived he began to rave about his church."We have a preacher who is one of the 144,000," he told us. You would be tempted to ask, "Which one?", but he was not to be joked with. He continued to rave.
Strange, he looked normal, but he gave the impression of one who was--as I heard a man say--"mentally insane". This must be one of the worst forms of the disorder.
A personal friend of mine for over fifty years, could converse on almost any subject, except religion. Oddly he told me that he watched for anger in an argument, as a tip off of error. In anyone besides himself, I think he meant. But, I believe he was right on this score.
When I hear anger over my favorite subject, I think "This is the flesh getting mad", a sure give away. I once made a preacher so angry that he erupted on me, so violently that he later apologized. This is sure not bringing out the best in people, is it? Someone said of a person, "They could get shot at a Quaker picnic."
The problem I have, as I have been repeatedly told is, "You always think you're right." I wondered who in the church believed they were wrong when they spoke. Like to meet them.
I forgot to tell you that I later met a lovely woman who had been married to the "144,000" guy. I do believe I understand why they were divorced.
It seems to be true, that the weaker a person's argument, the more heated they become. They substitute feeling for knowledge, I guess. If a person knows their facts, sometimes after years of testing and making certain, they tend to be relaxed.
J. Vernon McGee said it so charmingly. "When we get to heaven you'll see that I was right."
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