Well all I’m off to the convention. Hope to see you there! I’ll try my best to post over the weekend — I swear to God. Heh Heh Heh…FREE_FOR_ALL subject — what’s on your mind?
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so wdo, which denomonation do you find yourself in these days? Hmmm… this whole friends thing… I’ll need to give that a try.
well spanders
If you took Warren Buffet and put him in a free market in any other part of the world, he would admit that he wouldn’t do as well because of the publically supported infrastructure provided by our tax dollars.
get over warren buffet if you ever meet him or get to talk to him as often as I have you get to know he is just another person just has a little okay a lot more money
hell he still shops at goodwill and drives a slightly beat up lincoln with plates that say thrifty and that he is
Spanders & Pixel,
I promise I’m not here just to promote my philosophy, but this really is a good, thorough book on laissez-faire capitalism. I’m sure it would answer many of your questions/concerns, including explaining what *really* causes monopolies. It’s _Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal_ by Ayn Rand. What do you think about the proposed new Fair Tax? It’s supposed to replace the income tax and the IRS with a sales tax, yet still completely fund the government. Anyone got any more details on this one?
wdo,
It’s good to hear your story!
wdo
Forgot to say…Happy Belated Birthday!
Thanks for sharing wdo. It helps to know where people are coming from when talking or debating, it puts their point of view in perpective.
wdo
Thank you for sharing your story.
I have to admit, that w/o the personal revelation which you omitted, it’s impossible for me to understand what made you convinced of this god.
I can see that you don’t want that part of your experience on the table to be jabbed at.
The rest of your story is very familiar. We must be of about the same generation.
My best friend growing up became one of the Jesus People, while I was embracing atheism. She still is one, has married one and is raising her own flock of people who can’t breathe without praising the lord.
Yes that’s hyperbole, but that’s what her xmas cards sound like.
Your baptism seems like it wasn’t really of your choice, as is the case with the preponderance of baptisms. I gather you are comfortable with it now, but was it really ethical of that minister to push you into it at the time?
Funny you should ask. I distinctly remember the scenario. It was on a Sunday night. He and I were talking after the evening service and he said that thought I should be baptized. I was surprised by his suggestion, but I said something like “Sure, ok we can think about that.” Then he said that he thought we shouldn’t delay. We should do it now. Tonight. He said (and this is nearly verbatim) “You should do it tonight because, what if you’re in a car accident on the way home and are killed? I could never live with myself if your eternal destiny were in put at risk like that.” I balked. He insisted. Splash.
I went home confused.
wdo,
Didn’t you think it odd (at least in retrospect) that a splashing will make the difference between praradise and damnation if you had died in a car wreck that night?
How is that not motivation through fear?
wdo
And how do you feel about it now, in retrospect?
Do you feel that that baptism was “binding” or have you ever felt a need to be rebaptized in the sincerity of your faith?
It is sad that there those among the Christian clergy who don’t understand God’s grace and are confused by the what the sacrament of baptism truly means. Adult baptism isn’t a means of salvation, it’s a sign of, and response to, salvation.
Yes, even then I thought it seemed petty of God to make such a distinction. Now, I just laugh. JCC has it exactly right, it’s a sign, not a means.
It absolutely was fear. But I almost had the sense that it was as much for his sake as for mine. He didn’t want to be held responsible if I ended up in the nether regions.
wdo,
I meant fear on the part of both parties. This makes it far more motivating.
Like I was shortchanged, i.e. it would have been far more meaningful if I’d waited until I understood the significance of it.
No, I don’t feel a need to do it again. I do wish it had happened differently, but it’s ultimately a moot point. (I’m sure you think so, too
).
Oh, yeah. Agreed. I was a kid, so despite thinking it odd, he had me scared. Fortunately, I made it home ok. Whew. Dodged one.
Here’s what’s on my mind. Something my son told me about that he’s seen on the history or science channel:
from
http://www.cyberspaceorbit.com/phikent/japan/japan2.html
Sorry for the long post.
fascinating stuff Karen
It’s people from the Mu continent
Seriously, this stuff facinates me too, thank you very much for the link Karen.
I just checked out some stuff on that underwater monument, and found some cool pictures. To me, it looks like they would have had to been man made at least to some degree, because of the perfection of it all, the steps, the road, the post holes, and much more. I find it a tribute to the scientific process how long it is taking any group of scientists to conclusively rule out the “made by natural causes theory” none of them can explain how it could have possibly been made by natural causes as there is nothing else like it on earth, and there is no sediment as expected from erosion, but as there is also no conclusive evidence that people were there and they were directly responsible for the creation of the structure, scientists just say they don’t know.
Literal christians often say scientists jumped on Evolution, jumped on subduction, jumped on old-age earth, without really considering it very much- then why aren’t scientists jumping on an archeological find that would disprove the ages stated in the bible? Is it because they’re……cautious? reasonable? maybe even, dare I say, …scientific?
Anyway, I would find it very interesting to see what literalist christans would say about this find if it was indeed true that it was made by human hands.
I love it when christians say science “jumped on” evolution. Don’t they know that Darwin and other early evolutionists were religious and found it extremely painful to be forced into this theory by reality? They certainly fought tooth-and-nail against having their faith shattered, but, being reasonable men, finally came to the conclusion that evolution happened. Many scientists today face the same dilemma.
Science doesn’t ever “jump” on things.
I’m glad there are some others who find this interesting. This is thrilling stuff to me. As exciting as getting new information from space. Maybe moreso, because since it’s right here, we can explore it, record it, analyze it and not have to wait for a decade just for a signal to reach somewhere.
becometheunknown
you make a very good point about the slow, precise process scientists are taking with this discovery. No jumping to conclusions.
there are other sites with more info if you do a search for stepped structure found off japan coast, or something similar.
karen,
I find this fascinating, but not as much as new technology, especially when that technology involves military or space. For some reason I’ve always been obsessed with the “future” (and by that I guess I mean Star Wars).
I hope you enjoyed the convention. I was there for most of Friday, and heard about this blog for the first time. Saturday morning, I cycled to the grocery store for some supplies, fell off the bike on my way back to our campsite, cracked my helmet, and ended up spending the afternoon in a local emergency ward having my head examined. That was the end of the convention for me.
The highlight: When I registered at the (Methodist) hospital the clerk asked my religion. “None”, I replied.
“No religious preference?”
“No Religion.”
Sure enough, I was given an armband with no religious reference on it at all. Sometimes people do listen.
My husband came back from the convention talking about a movie (television show?) called “The Root of All Evil”, and he asked me to track it down. All I can find is an American comedy, but somehow I don’t think that’s what he is looking for. Can somebody who heard the discussion enlighten me? Thanks.
I recently got into a heated arguement at a party i was at just last week. someone said somthing about god and i just blurted out god is not real well apparently not everyone thought the same, everyone was agaisnt me. i couldnt understand why noone would listen to what i had to say they all just kept saying “how can you prove god is not real?” so i registered to this site so mayby i could get some help as to what to say when family members come down on me and put me on a guilt trip about not believing in god.
thanks alot
I cannot find an answer as to why people believe in god. They seem brainwashed or under some kind of spell, and I don’t believe you can argue the case for the nonexistance of a god to people who are not thinking intelligently. My question is “how can you prove god is real?” There is sound and provable scientific evidence that disputes the “genesis theory;” there are millions of examples of pain and suffering of the innocent when god is suppose to be all-forgiving and all-loving; there is no hint of proof of an afterlife. I spent the good part of a day in the Honda service waiting area the other day and have not been the same since. First, a lady approached me and sat with me, telling me I was in pain (I am – both physically and mentally). She told me I needed to pray and pray for help. There was no argument on my part – I refuse to get into these discussions. But she did not feel the same way. She went on to tell me that the answers to her prayers came in the form of rich men who took care of her, bought her cars, etc., etc. Whew. What a concept. I made an excuse to terminate the conversation and went to the place where you could get coffee. There I met another lady who was about my age, but you could see she was in pain and suffering so. She was talking to someone about having diabetes, and I told her my friend had it and it was an awful disease. She told me that the only way she got through it all was to pray. No comment on my part. I ordered coffee, and she asked me about the brace on my hand. I have carpal tunnel. She said I had to pray. No comment. She began to tell me how grateful she was to have medicare now and her prayers were answered. I told her I was on SS Disability and my Medicare would not kick in for another 4 months (I’ve been waiting 2 years). She told me that could not be true if I was disabled, then I would get medicare right away. I said that was just the rules if you became disabled before retirement age. And then she looked right in my eyes and said, “You do pray, don’t you?” I said no. The scene she created when I answered her was beyond belief. She was yelling and speaking to everyone there that I did not believe in god and therein lay all my problems. That I did not pray, so how could I hope to get better? (Of course, she was no picture of health). She then, in a loud voice, said she did not want to talk to me ever again, nor did she want me to talk to her. So, I didn’t. I left the area and took a walk around. I saw a man who was trying to cross the street, but could not make it all the way, he was shaking so badly. He was young, and I would assume homeless since he seemed to be carrying all his belongings in a satchel. But most of all he appeared mentally troubled, shaking and jerking and unable to walk – talking to the cars to go ahead, etc. I have seen this many times. I believe there was a time about 15 years ago when they kicked the non-violent mental patients out of the mental hospitals – for what reason? I can only imagine the reason was money. Where is he who watches over us? The other day was a bad day for me. My daughter is in jail now for almost a year for possession of crack. She will face 2 years probation after this. I have spent the last 4 years of my life picking her up off the street, trying to get her help (what a joke), took family medical leave and then lost my job because of it. Spent all my retirement and savings, and am now left with a life to put back together, and I don’t know which piece to pick up first. During one of her in-patient rehab programs, I was told I was not allowed to visit her anymore becaues of co-dependent issues, while her husband (an active drug user) is treated like a king. The State says I can’t see her, but in two months when she gets out of jail, she will go back with her husband. And she will be back in jail by the time she unpacks her clothes – the ones her husband did not sell to support his drug habit. I can’t get past this – this loss of my daughter, for I cannot be a part of her life anymore. So I have been and am more so than ever in this deep depression. What is wrong with this picture? I have prayed and I have not prayed. I have gotten so mad at god for the hurt and pain he deal out. And then I reached the conclusion that no one, no entity could cause this much pain in the world – all over the world. For what reason and to what end? I believe in that theory that if a butterfly flaps its wings in South Africa, a hurricane leaves thousands homeless in New Orleans. I believe we are subject to the winds of change. It is the only thing that makes sense to me. I see the human race as a small group of people who are not long for this earth (as the earth breathes a sigh of relief), who are ruled by money and sex. And those that believe in a god do not have their eyes or their ears open to the truth of what is going on around them. Let them prove to me the existance of an all-loving and all-forgiving god.