[tinythinker]

I don't know what you may or may not want to know about me, so how about you ask what you would like to know and I will do my best to answer.

[McKenna]

tinythinker, on Apr 17 2008, 12:31 PM, said:

I don't know what you may or may not want to know about me, so how about you ask what you would like to know and I will do my best to answer.

Hey there tinythinker, welcome!

Hmm...how about...what brought you here? What are you hoping to get out of discussions here? Are you a Progressive Christian, or someone else hoping to learn about/debate with Progressive Christians?

And about you...tell us about yourself! Where'd you grow up? What's your favorite book? What are you passionate about?

Okay so those are kind of random questions but hey it's a start

[October's Autumn]

I had to laugh at your thread title. We own the first 2 Austin Powers movies. Didn't care for the third and I don't know that I've seen the 4th yet. Is there a fourth?

This post has been edited by October's Autumn: 18 April 2008 - 12:18 AM

[tinythinker]

McKenna, on Apr 17 2008, 06:21 PM, said:

Hey there tinythinker, welcome!

Hmm...how about...what brought you here? What are you hoping to get out of discussions here? Are you a Progressive Christian, or someone else hoping to learn about/debate with Progressive Christians?

I think "I'm not entirely sure..." covers all of those questions.

McKenna, on Apr 17 2008, 06:21 PM, said:

And about you...tell us about yourself! Where'd you grow up? What's your favorite book? What are you passionate about?

Okay so those are kind of random questions but hey it's a start

I grew up in West Virginia, in the Kanawha and Putnam Counties area.

I am bad at favorites-type questions. For Buddhism, as a representative sample I like the Dalai Lama's commentary on the Heart Sutra (Essence of the Heart Sutra: The Dalai Lama's Heart of Wisdom Teachings), Thich Nhat Hanh's commentaries on the Lotus Sutra (Opening the Heart of the Cosmos: Insights on the Lotus Sutra) and the shorter Pure Land Sutra (Finding Our True Home: Living in the Pure Land Here and Now), Bits of Rubble Turn into Gold by Taitetsu Unno, and Zen Shin Talks by Rev. Koshin Ogui. For Christianity, a representative sample would include Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith by Marcus Borg, Manifesting God by Fr. Thomas Keating, and Dangerous Words: Talking About God in the Age of Fundamentalism by Gary Eberle. For interfaith and multifaith books, I would list Br. Wayne Teasdale's The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World's Religions and A Monk in the World: Cultivating a Spiritual Life, Thich Nhat Hanh's book on Christianity and Buddhism (I prefer Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers to Living Buddha, Living Christ), and the Dalai Lama's book on Christianity and Buddhism (The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus) which I still need to finish reading. I could also list groups of favorites for other topics (science, non-fiction, etc), but considering the theme of the forums, religion and spirituality seemed an appropriate choice.

I suppose one could say that one is passionate about those things which either inspire them or that really tick them off. To me, love, as agape/caritas in Christianity, as the heart filled with the Four Immeasurables in Buddhism, or by any other description, comes from understanding. So fairness, respect, mercy, generosity, acceptance, come from understanding as well. The opposite stems from ignorance. As others have said elsewhere, you can't just "decide" to love others, first you have to understand them, and then you will automatically begin to care for them. So I could say that knowledge, fairness, and kindness have always been important to me, but generally I would say it is inaccurate to call me passionate about these things. I am generally too preoccupied with other concerns to really get that worked up over these issues, let alone to do much about them. I count myself among the bland and the blind, lost in the myopia of self-indulgence, caught by the steely bear trap of debt, and similarly bound to the other ruinous outcomes of a nation obsessed with individualism and consumerism as the highest values. In other words, an average American.

October, on Apr 18 2008, 01:17 AM, said:

I had to laugh at your thread title. We own the first 2 Austin Powers movies. Didn't care for the third and I don't know that I've seen the 4th yet. Is there a fourth?

I recall that I wasn't able to get anyone to go with me to see Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery when it came out. Not even my fiancé (now wife). So there I was in this theater with about 3 dozen people who also apparently couldn't get many others interested in going to see the film, and we couldn't stop laughing. There currently is not a fourth film, however there are some indicators that there is a decent chance they will make one.

[October's Autumn]

tinythinker, on Apr 18 2008, 10:56 AM, said:

I recall that I wasn't able to get anyone to go with me to see Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery when it came out. Not even my fiancé (now wife). So there I was in this theater with about 3 dozen people who also apparently couldn't get many others interested in going to see the film, and we couldn't stop laughing. There currently is not a fourth film, however there are some indicators that there is a decent chance they will make one.

I hope it is better than the third! I found the first one hilarious. Just watched it again not to long ago. I'm not big fan of theaters so we own them

[McKenna]

tinythinker, on Apr 18 2008, 11:56 AM, said:

I think "I'm not entirely sure..." covers all of those questions.

Haha that's fine! You'll fit in well here I think

tinythinker, on Apr 18 2008, 11:56 AM, said:

I grew up in West Virginia, in the Kanawha and Putnam Counties area.

West Virginia is so pretty! It reminds me of Vermont, where I grew up.

tinythinker, on Apr 18 2008, 11:56 AM, said:

I am bad at favorites-type questions. For Buddhism, as a representative sample I like the Dalai Lama's commentary on the Heart Sutra (Essence of the Heart Sutra: The Dalai Lama's Heart of Wisdom Teachings), Thich Nhat Hanh's commentaries on the Lotus Sutra (Opening the Heart of the Cosmos: Insights on the Lotus Sutra) and the shorter Pure Land Sutra (Finding Our True Home: Living in the Pure Land Here and Now), Bits of Rubble Turn into Gold by Taitetsu Unno, and Zen Shin Talks by Rev. Koshin Ogui. For Christianity, a representative sample would include Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith by Marcus Borg, Manifesting God by Fr. Thomas Keating, and Dangerous Words: Talking About God in the Age of Fundamentalism by Gary Eberle. For interfaith and multifaith books, I would list Br. Wayne Teasdale's The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World's Religions and A Monk in the World: Cultivating a Spiritual Life, Thich Nhat Hanh's book on Christianity and Buddhism (I prefer Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers to Living Buddha, Living Christ), and the Dalai Lama's book on Christianity and Buddhism (The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus) which I still need to finish reading. I could also list groups of favorites for other topics (science, non-fiction, etc), but considering the theme of the forums, religion and spirituality seemed an appropriate choice.

Favorite-type questions are difficult, sorry to subject you to one That's a long list...wow. Many of those I've been meaning to read. I love Marcus Borg and I've read one of the Thich Nhat Hanh books (Living Buddha, Living Christ) which I really found interesting...I should try the other one you mentioned too

tinythinker, on Apr 18 2008, 11:56 AM, said:

I recall that I wasn't able to get anyone to go with me to see Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery when it came out. Not even my fiancé (now wife). So there I was in this theater with about 3 dozen people who also apparently couldn't get many others interested in going to see the film, and we couldn't stop laughing. There currently is not a fourth film, however there are some indicators that there is a decent chance they will make one.

I'm with you two. I think the first movie is hilarious, not quite as fond of the other 2 (the fat Scottish guy simply disgusts me). They are all pretty funny though, I have to admit. I have an uncle who adores all three movies and is constantly quoting them...it's amusing.