In the words of the Bible we are told that we can forget what lies behind and we can press on to the good things that are ahead.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says if anybody is in Christ, he is a new creature.

Old things can pass away. All things can become brand new. This in principle is really good news. It's really good news for people to know and realise that one doesn't have to live in the past, particularly moving into a new year.

Regardless of what one thinks of the Bible, the principle of the old passing away, has some validity.

I see many living in the past, living off long time feelings of hate and are not focused enough on the present and moving forward.

 “moving forward”. Straight from the truly awful Julia Gillard who started that really irritating phrase and turned it into a cliché, and done to death by people incapable of thinking for themselves.

Remembering the past and teaching the young lessons from the past is not living in the past. People who don't remember the past and learn from it are living in limbo; they have nothing to judge the present against. It's all hit and miss. That's why we are swimming blindly in crap today, or at least the idiots making the decisions are swimming in crap.

The topics of redemption and salvation agree with you NathanJ. At least with regards to both guilt and forgiveness. But there is a limit. I'm not saying this because I disagree with that you've said so far, but to put a boundary on how to apply "all things new." Jesus said that no word in the scriptures will change until all things are finished in them. And He also said that His words will not pass away, (though everything else will).

Just wanted to put that boundary on the topic in place so that (if it's agreed on) we can focus on what it means to be a new creation. Or to be renuewed by the Holy Spirit. It's a big enough topic and very encouraging from the stories I've heard from many others. How God changed them, molded them (slowly or quickly) and how God can redeme us, so we should pass on that love to others too. Too much of a topic to try and sumerize every thing, but I look forward to see where this topic goes.

Being made new indeed. :)

It just went downhill.

<<Straight from the truly awful Julia Gillard who started that really irritating phrase and turned it into a cliché, and done to death by people incapable of thinking for themselves.>>

Julia Gillard is a relic. Her influence on the direction of Australia, is little to non existent.

<<Remembering the past and teaching the young lessons from the past is not living in the past.>>

Teaching and living are two totally different idioms. Teaching in principle if undertaken with objectivity can be fair, but without that principle in place it is not.

So if someone is living in the past or has feelings of hatred, their ability to teach or speak on any matter with objectivity may be limited.

<<People who don't remember the past and learn from it are living in limbo; they have nothing to judge the present against.>>

There is a difference between remembering the past and living within the past. New reflections are vital for individuals to take on, but this requires the skill of reflection, a challenge many are not willing to take on.

Avoiding reflection, makes a situation much easier to blame others. These can fit into categories and can include now common terms like the stolen generation, invasion day, areas of sexual abuse, a bad childhood, poor education etc.

Whilst I am not trivialising any of these situations, one must decide if focusing on these matters on a regular basis is of any benefit to themselves and their overall life.

<<It's all hit and miss. That's why we are swimming blindly in crap today, or at least the idiots making the decisions are swimming in crap.>>

The people making the decisions and swimming in crap are simply one person.... themselves. Some people may need help getting out of this mindset and that is where seeking help from others is vital. It may include friends, family, community groups or even as some put on this site.... God.

ttbn

The past is full of lies. The history of the past are all made up stories which do not lead us to anywhere.
It appears that man does not learn any lesson from the past.How do we see the same mistakes being committed again and again?History is useful only as subject in educational institutions. Otherwise it does not serve any useful purpose. Let us analyse the present more seriously and build our future.

Ezhil.

You say the past is full of lies. But how else are we to learn and grow except from learning from our past? There is no analyse of the present without counting on what has happened in our past. Or else we will fall for the same things over and over again.

Analyzing the present without a standard of history to say how it's played out before, is only to philosophize ideas without any merrit to test them on the trials of if they will work or not. The past is not full of lies, but is our teacher. The repackaging of history (how we tell it, how we write it) can be full of lies, but the past is the past.

Natham,
You are quite right there are some that live in the past. In fact a good many, for example I have often wondered why Muslims insist on living in the past with their outdated ideologies and traditions and cultural ways. Surely it would be a great move forward if muslims changed the way they insist women dress and gave them more freedom and not insist they have a relative at their side when out of the house. Surely muslims could update their actions by not advocating that all Jews and infidels be killed if they don't convert to Islam. Then there is honor killing of daughters if she falls in love with an infidel or refuses to marry the old bloke chosen for her. Maybe you can convince muslims that blowing up others is out dated and stop running over people, its mot the fashionable way.

With a few billion Muslims in the world, to convince muslims to 'get up to date' is a real challenge for you and when that job is done come and talk to me about the westerners that still think multiculturalism works just great and we should not discriminate in relation to culture when setting immigration policy. The African refugees have obviously integrated well and respect our laws and social ways. As did the Lebs. History shows 'open borders' works well for 'illegal entrants'

A lecture tour of the Middle East about 'modern culture'could be a good place for you to start.

Ezhil,

What do you mean? Lies are told all the time: in the past, now and they will be told in the future.

Can you provide us with examples of 'lies' in the history you have read?

You are right – man does not always learn from history, and makes the same mistakes, so perhaps you see that there is truth in history, but it is ignored, and therefore it doesn't work? Is that what you mean?

Why do you say “History is useful only as subject in educational institutions” if it is lies? Do not people attend schools and universities to learn how to apply what they have learned to life?

By 'analysing' the present, do you also mean that we just put aside thousands of years of learning and just make things up as we go? What criteria do we have without comparisons with the past?

I don't know how many, if any, live in the past but I do know how important understanding the past is.

If you don't understand the past then you have no chance of understanding the present and if you don't know how we got here from there you have no chance of understanding where we are headed.

Too many of today's folk just think that the present is the way it just is, the way it was and the way it'll always be. They don't, for example, understand how unique democracy is and how fragile it really is. They just see it now, and, not knowing the past don't know how it came to be and what could cause it to no longer 'be'.

So comments like "The history of the past are all made up stories " are about as anti-intellectual as can be imagined. Such people cannot hope to understand the present because they don't even bother to acquaint themselves with the past.

Living in the past may be unfulfilling except for our elders who might have a past they don't want to let pass. But immersing ourselves in the past is absolutely vital for our understanding of all that is, and all that will be, around us. Its what makes us human.

Certainly many living like the days of sodom and gomorrah or the days of noah. Would be good to move on however marxist regress not progress. That is why they turn blind eye to Islam

With very little history being taught these days, and very little interest in it, the last couple of generations think the world began with their births.

Runner,

My money says that Sodom and Gomorrah are already repeating themselves.

You should have observed that the present history is being tampered with by the powers that be with impunity.If this can happen in this enlightened era you can imagine the state of affairs in the past with no or poor communication facilities and poor awareness among the masses.History that we have read is mostly false with very little truth in it. So it cannot be taken as a basis for future development.When writing history bad aspects of the era are blocked and the favorable aspects of the rulers get exaggerated. Have you read from history books that there was rampant corruption in the society of the period?Can you imagine that there was no corruption those days? Kings and other rulers had been tyrants and they would go to any extent to retain their power. Do you want believe this kind of history?

I am happy that you have accepted that we do not learn lessons from the past. When we do not learn lessons from the past what is the use of reading those histories?

Year ttbn i found it sad and hilarous that some young silly girl goes topless at a concert and complains about being groped. Instead of being charged with indecency the poor bloke cops it. Go figure.

Hey Runner,
I think the bloke was wrong for groping her no question, but what did she think was going to happen?
Obviously she wanted the focus on her breasts and with bloke all around drinking...

Both parties should take note:
- If you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.

Equally,

Those that forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.

Why live with past lies when there are many new ones to embrace?

Banjo, Islam cannot change its culture. Change is forbidden and in
any case they will need to repair their genome first.
Stop marrying their cousins for a few hundred years would be a good start.

Runner,
No need for the idiot to touch the topless girl, he could just admire.

I would have complemented her for her nice breasts.

If she engaged in conversation I would have said there is no need to add glitter. Young breasts are attractive enough as they are.

Not everything from the past is bad just as not everything new is good.
Society was far better served when kids had respect for parents, teachers, police.
When young girls had more respect for themselves.
When people took more responsibility for their lives and didn't demand the government solve all their problems.
When kids grew up with the old rhym" sticks and stones" and didn't wilt at conversations they didnt like.
And people had more appreciation of the lives they had in this country because they could remember parts of history that were far worse.

I think the word embodying all you say is 'respect'