{"id":580,"date":"2017-01-08T14:30:38","date_gmt":"2017-01-08T22:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/?p=580"},"modified":"2017-07-13T14:35:53","modified_gmt":"2017-07-13T21:35:53","slug":"fact-theory-or-metaphor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/08\/fact-theory-or-metaphor\/","title":{"rendered":"Fact, Theory, or Metaphor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/theres-only-grace\/inbaby-hand3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?fit=135%2C135&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"135,135\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"inbaby-hand3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?fit=135%2C135&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-29\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=135%2C135\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"135\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Here are some claims that most of us have heard. Tell me if it is a fact, a theory, or a metaphor. Wait! If I go any further with this, we are going to run into a real issue if we\u2019re not all operating from the same standard of meaning. Ok, let me define fact, theory and metaphor according to dictionary.com:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em><strong>Fact<\/strong>: noun; 1. Something that actually exists; reality; truth; 2. Something known to exist or to have happened; 3. a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true; 4. something said to be true or supposed to have happened<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em><strong>Theory<\/strong>: noun; 1. a coherent group of tested general propositions, commonly regarded as correct, that can be used as principles of explanation and prediction for a class of phenomena; 2. a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural and subject to experimentation, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact; 3. a particular conception or view of something to be done or of the method of doing it; a system of rules or principles; 4. contemplation or speculation; 5. guess or conjecture<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em><strong>Metaphor<\/strong>: noun; 1. a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance; 2. something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Now we can split hairs all day on how best to use these terms but for this exercise let\u2019s say that a fact is real, it happened, and it has witnesses to attest to its validity of occurring. A theory is a hunch that still needs to be confirmed to become a fact; it is a proposal of a viewpoint in an attempt to become a fact. A metaphor is a style of language used to show a relation between two or more diverse objects. If you have difficulties with these three definitions I have supplied, then you are than welcome to reference the fuller ones previously mentioned.<\/p>\n<p>Since we have useable definitions, let\u2019s begin. Tell me if the following is a fact, a theory, or a metaphor.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A. God is Love.<br \/>\nB. God cannot be around sin.<br \/>\nC. God is angry, wrathful and vengeful.<br \/>\nD. Jesus died in exchange for our sins.<br \/>\nE. Jesus died so that we can go to heaven.<br \/>\nF. The blood of Jesus washed away our sins.<br \/>\nG. Believers are the temple of God.<br \/>\nH. No sins are forgiven without the spilling of blood.<br \/>\nI. The wages of sin is death.<br \/>\nJ. All mankind is saved by grace.<br \/>\nK. The kingdom of God has come to earth.<br \/>\nL. The apocalypse is the end of the world.<br \/>\nM. A person must be saved before they can call on God.<\/p>\n<p>I understand that some of these might have multiple answers or be very difficult to fit a definition to it. The purpose is to get you to think rather than agree with what we always been told. This is where the truth you know will make you free. We need to create a dialog not a wall of separation. I know I do not have all the answers but I\u2019m looking. If it\u2019s good news, it has to be good for all, or its good for nothing.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re willing to explore these further, then great. If you\u2019re not, then great. Either way is right for you. My path is to find truth. You\u2019re welcome to tag along if you want. Simple rule though. We don\u2019t have to agree on everything to travel this road together. Your theory has just as much weight as mine and they both may be right or wrong. We celebrate truth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here are some claims that most of us have heard. Tell me if it is a fact, a theory, or a metaphor. Wait! If I go any further with this, we are going to run into a real issue if &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/08\/fact-theory-or-metaphor\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amazonpipp_noncename":"","amazon-product-isactive":"","amazon-product-single-asin":"","amazon-product-content-location":"","amazon-product-content-hook-override":"","amazon-product-excerpt-hook-override":"","amazon-product-singular-only":"","amazon-product-amazon-desc":"","amazon-product-show-gallery":"","amazon-product-show-features":"","amazon-product-newwindow":"","amazon-product-show-list-price":"","amazon-product-show-used-price":"","amazon-product-show-saved-amt":"","amazon-product-timestamp":"","amazon-product-new-title":"","amazon-product-use-cartURL":"","amazon_featured_post_meta_key":"","_amazon_featured_alt":"","amazon-product-template":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[4,6,5],"class_list":["post-580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-10","tag-grace","tag-mike-hillebrecht","tag-teaching"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2ITDy-9m","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":442,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2016\/09\/21\/mysteries\/","url_meta":{"origin":580,"position":0},"title":"Mysteries.","author":"mike","date":"September 21, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"We live in a world where the mysterious is avoided. We must have everything figured out. Yet, it is mysteries that drive us into new territories. Discovery broadens our ability to communicate more effectively. Children love discovery, adults hate it. So here is a mystery for you. Consider the following:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2016 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2016 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2016\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2743,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/08\/is-grace-truly-a-gift\/","url_meta":{"origin":580,"position":1},"title":"Is Grace Truly a Gift?","author":"mike","date":"August 8, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Isa 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Have you ever considered why grace is needed? Probably\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2023 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2023 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2023\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hand in hand","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2015,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2018\/08\/27\/elephants\/","url_meta":{"origin":580,"position":2},"title":"Elephants","author":"mike","date":"August 27, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Across the western landscape of religiosity, within its structural bastions most commonly known as church, adherents are disappearing. No, the long sought-after rapture has not occurred so much as the depressing reality of this present day not aligning with an outdated mode of addressing the issues common to all humanity.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2018 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2018 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2018-postings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/elephants-e1517944853331.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3794,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/18\/empowering-grace-for-collective-awakening\/","url_meta":{"origin":580,"position":3},"title":"Empowering Grace for Collective Awakening","author":"mike","date":"January 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Empowering Grace for Collective Awakening Today's Veil to Pierce Continuing from sustaining grace amid fleetingness, we shift to empowering grace\u2014the dimension that energizes collective awakening, countering the deceptive veil's isolation by fostering shared transformation. This veil often portrays awakening as a solitary endeavor, where the false self hoards insights, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2026 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2026 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2026-postings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/piercing-the-veil-201x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3399,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/12\/decoding-the-matrix-modern-echoes-of-ancient-deception\/","url_meta":{"origin":580,"position":4},"title":"Decoding the Matrix \u2013 Modern Echoes of Ancient Deception","author":"mike","date":"December 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Building on Maya's veil [Previous Blog: Unveiling Maya \u2013 The Ancient Veil of Illusion], consider the Matrix\u2014a simulated prison from film and philosophy, mirroring ancient illusions. What if our \"reality\" is code, not concrete? This post defines the Matrix's traits, parallels to Maya, and detection methods. As we probe deeper,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2025 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2025 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2025\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hand in hand","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2101,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/01\/reflections\/","url_meta":{"origin":580,"position":5},"title":"Reflections","author":"mike","date":"January 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"What came first: the chicken or the acorn? Or was it the egg or the mighty oak? The juxtaposition doesn\u2019t seem to work and yet you instinctively know what I\u2019m aiming for. Regrettably, the question of creation is one that many scurry from simply because its paradoxical nature confounds us.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2019 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2019 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2019-postings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hand in hand","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=580"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":581,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/580\/revisions\/581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}