TheMeekShall

Sounds absolutely fantastic for the Middle East. Make sure to get Molsems to visit. When alJezzerra had a forum, I was involved and was surprised by the Moslems responce. They usually said after 9/11, they realised terrorism had to be curbed with dialogue. They need to know how many Christians and Jews agree with them. Talking to others over a computer might be a relaxing way of doing this.

I was disapointed with the first episodes of TNG, then I realised that the original captivated me because it was the first of its kind (with the possible exception of Twilight Zone), I started appreaciating it for what it is. The best of the series was, Deep Space Nine, it was amusing to watch the races try to understand each other, especially Quark's confusion about others who didn't think profit wasn't important, and the Cadassians who thought they were preforming "White Man's Burden" [The excuse the British used to conquer, the belief that they were 'ciivilizing' the savages].

It said I believe that Jesus had 2 personalities. Actually, I believe that saying Jesus had 1,2 or 8 personalities is theological gobedygoop. God is Love, and the more we love, the more we tap into God's creativity, and the peace of God.

The county is onto the scam. I thought people would think I was nuts, apparently there have been complaints before.

Quite a cautionary tale. Pluralism is where it's at! I'm fighting an imbred organisation that's 2 months old and can only be described as totalitarian. It looks as if the community is about ready to topple its dictator.

btw, Cynthia it's a mobile food kitchen. A friend of mine knows the County representative who is dealing with the grievance ( some others are going the lawsuit rout, and rightly so). I ran into the county rep and she seemed very interested. I meet with her in 2 hours. Legally, I think we almost have a sure thing, and from her repution the county's rep will help us, and my repution as a decent, forgiving person probably will help.

I posted the same thing on an intellectual, very liberal political site and I got a very different responce. She was right. I've spent some time around wolves in sheeps clothing, and being forgiving and recovering from depression has been like having a target painted on my chest. Don't become a Ned Flanders. Don't give away the farm, know when to pick up a picket sign or an injunction.

Welcome, good ideas. I think in 10 years you'll still have questions, because being Christian isn't as easy to define as walking. To me there are 2 approaches to Christianity - The Berrigan way "Look good on wood." This is too difficult for many including me, and just isn't appealing enough to get converts. Pop Christianity Love is one of my daily activities. I make sure I do things to help others, but not to the point of exhaustion. I feel better, and my peacefulness attracts others. You can't get rid of "lust in the heart", just do a good job everyday, and love youself even when you fail. I enjoy playing chess, because I lose 90% of the time. I get plenty of practice loving myself even when I lose.

The new eposide is fanatasic! How Darth Vader came to the dark side is as good as any Shakespeare. His confrontation when his wife finds out he's gone dark side is unforgettable. Redemption becomes much easier, in my opinion, by coming to realise that the temptation of evil is the big lie.

The third times the charm. NBC is very interested in Humboldt County. The first 2 candidates turned the nomination down, the first probably out of political considerations, the second out of fear of police harassment. (They go out of their way to harass the poor or anyone who helps them, if you live in the burbs, you might not believe the stuff they do here.) NBC is looking for controversy, and with the environmentalists, stoners, rednecks slumlords etc. here, they absolutely wanted us.

An alternate explanation is that evil can only consume the surplus good creates.

What happened yesterday astounded me. NBC called. 3 days earlier a friend approached me about doing a proposal to the show "3 wishes", where a humanitarian is honored by giving a something he/she wants for the good of the town. My friend told me it needed to be in by Sunday evening, so even though I'm at best a fifth string grant writer, the job fell to me. Today I talked to all the town's big shots, and they're jumping on this. Love Works!

Two more miracles - A woman who many people thought was an unholy bitch has changed her ways. I started wondering if she was really as mean as she appeared when I realized by working for a nonprofit she was earning much less money than she could have otherwise. After seeing this apparent altruism, I started praying for her and visualizing her as being the loving person she was afraid to be, but most of the credit goes to her boss, somehow she convinced or coerced her into being nice, but it seems the change is permenent. A friend appears to be reversing terminal anemia. She's gone to my church for 4 years, is a kind, caring person to everyone but herself. Over that time I've sensed that she is cutting herself off from the energy of the universe. By the time she got her diagnosis, it seemed that she had cut herself off from the universe, almost as if there was a layer of varnish on her skin. Intutively, I could feel that nutrients were not going through her normally. She later told me the doctor had told her exactly that. What the doctor never tested for was self love and a sense of safety in the world. There was a zone of deadness around her that looked like her mind was not letting any kind of nurturence in her body. I talked to mutual friends and they had the same sence, so we all decided that praying for her and sending her love could reverse the illness. I guess I didn't fully believe it, because it's shocking to see 2 months after her diagnosis, she's much healthier than I've ever seen her.

Atonement no. God doesn't need a sacrifice to love his children. Humanity needed the crucificiction to get through our thick skulls that God loves us, and desires to give us everything a caring parent wants to give her kids.

I'm always glad to see my threads are thought provoking. Of course, I share my thoughts with friends locally, but I'm so glad the net allows me to discuss things over a large area. Now its time "to boldly go where no man has gone before." Lots of women, have done this but very few men. I saw my friend this morning, and she acted like she hardly knew me. I thought we'd shared something beautiful yesterday. I guess this is how women feel when a guy doesn't call back after sex. I talked to a mutual friend whose known her for years, and she told me that she was probably upset that I wouldn't go see a horror movie last night. Paying $6 to get scared has never made sense to me. What few men are willing to do is honestly discuss the hurt. I've loved plenty of women as friends, even if we've never hugged, it looks like I'll end up loving this woman, even with her on again/off again moods.

There's more: Yesterday when I talked to a very spiritual, positive friend she said I'd be amazed by what happens later. I'd heard too many stories of miracles from friends who had very positive, loving attitudes to be sure I could explain by ordinary means (I have a BA in Math, and their "luck" is hard too explain away). "Later" seems to be happening now . There's a very sweet woman in my life. A day ago, I had doubts about her. A friend blew a situation with her out of proportion, and I was wary. I didn't approach this new waoman, she was quite assertive. The frequency of good relationships in my life has been rare, and now this wonderful woman approaches me! Of course, it's too early to say anything for sure, but this sure blew me away! She has one area in her life that she's upset with, and it's also the one where she's the least forgiving. So I guess God wants me to support her in forgiving these people so she'll get back what she wants. I've also made more progress in the last day that I've been putting off for 4 months than any previous day. I doubt this is coincidence. Love may be more powerful than I ever dreamed.

I would have never have guessed this was possible before it happened to me. Until last week, I thought I had done a good job of handling my emotions. I had to deal with a very hateful person who had recently gotten out of prison, and later found out he was a neoNazi. He'd been nasty to me before, and we were very much in agreement that we needed to stay away from each other, but one day, at a distance of 20 feet our gazes met. His look was so hateful, without a thought, or any control I said, "Let's go outside and have it out." That was so out of character for me, it was inconcievable. Then something else inconcievable happened. He said, "Let's go outside and talk to someone". Instead, we went outside and stayed away from each other. I then avoided any possiblity of running into him for 3 days, then he took off permently. For days, I was in shock that he could transmit uncontrollable hate with a gaze. I'd heard stories that Hitler could do this, but never believed it. As time went on, I realized he had done me a great favor. He taught me The Golden Rule in a way that was unmistakable. I was doing to him what he'd been doing to me. I don't want people to hate or fear me the way I did him, and I've resolved to letting go of hate in my life.

I loved the story too. I often befriend prostitutes who are looking for "dates". They can be some of the sweetest people I know, even when they're using herione. At first I thought they might be just interested in my money, but they've consistantly been kind, especially when I've needed them. I didn't expect anything in return, but I've gotten plenty. I've talked to exhookers who are in drug recovery, they said they were really starved for attention. LOVE A HOOKER TODAY!

A loving parent gives his children the ability to be greater; maybe we can't everything Jesus could but here are some great things Jesus didn't do: Ghandhi - freed a nation from an oppressor thru love. Contraception - ultimately the only way to stop famine. Medicine - saved billions of lives. The Internet - World Peace & Prosperity? Don't underestmate yourselves.

No offense taken. I'm a liberal who sometimes goes on Fox News forums; I can take it. Unity was founded in 1890, a bit early for the new Age, after Myrtle Fillmore was healed of a tuberucular condition, and Charles Fillmore healed a withered leg. http://www.unityofflagstaff.org/unitygen/history.html While I've healed lots of friendships through love, I'm starting to believe some of my more focused friends who say it's made it easier to find good jobs etc. I'm just tired of hate; it doesn't protect me like I thought it would.

A joke? I just think of it as a gentle way of saying Christianity and rationality are compatable.

There are somethings good about Benedict:he's denounced corporate abuses, talked about full employment. Unfornately, the Archbishop of San Francisco that has his old job is a jertk; he tried to close records of molesting priests and preached intolernce twowards gays. http://www.beliefnet.org/story/166/story_16655_1.html

Uggggg! I'd hoped there was an age limit to learn this kind of lesson. When I was a teenager, I'd seen them talk about things as if they were the absolute truth, that no kid was qualified to repudiate, like we must be in Vietnam, I swore I'd never be so closedminded when I was an adult. This is one of those times I need to make good on that. In exchange for that, I've had a load taken off my shoulders, and life has been much easier.

One of my favorite sports was debating Fundamentalists. As in all my debates with them, I was running up the score, and no chance of losing, I thought. He used the phrase "Christian righteousness" and someone asked if a good example of righteousness was Bush. He said that he'd had many differences with Bush, but Bush was a secular leader, not a spiritual one, and shouldn't be thought of in the same way. Well, I said, what about abusive popes like Julius II, who even Machivelli denounced as a warmonger, and Urban VI, who murdered many of his cardinals? He replied, yes they were bad, but that was a long time ago. I said, "The only reason that we haven't had such violent popes was that after the Protestant Reformation, popes haven't had as much power". Then I mentioned Pius XII who had done nothing to denounce Hitler. The argument is made that Pius would have only caused the invasion of The Vatican had he denounced Hitler. I mentioned that he NEVER denounce Hitler, even though he lived to 1958. Then he said something, I forget exactly what, that could have been a microscopically positive comment about Hitler. I replied, "How dare you! Both my parents were German Jews. 1/3 of my family was murdered by them." Later, he said my life would be much better if I practiced gratitude. My next thought was realizing how negative my comments were, and my purpose in saying them was to belittle him as closeminded and a supporter of violence.What I said wasn't about healing, but attack. My comments about even the holocaust weren't about my upset about his statements, but as a way to wound.I was using debate as a form of violence! ----------------------------------------- Then and only then, could I acknowledge fundamentalists as potential allies. They say come to Jesus or else you'll die. To me and others, that's the ultimate coersion. On top of that often people usurp Christian doctine, and that drives people away from the institution of Christinity, but in doing so, these people are following what they see as the most loving path! Some of the points I've made above, are useful in catching fundamentists of balance, but then our job is to heal, to show them that it's better to simply say that people don't need to be told they must follow the teachings of Christ, but how much better their lives will be if they do come from a warmer, more loving philosophy. Then I tell them that The Dalai Lama said "My only religion is kindness." and ask them if that statement is closer to the teachings of Christ or the Buddha, whose main teaching was detachment. Then I remind them that the person who demonstrated the biggest miracle though love was Gandhi, a Hindu. Then I tell them about people in the previous paragraph, who stay away from Christianity, because they're true Christians. Then I ask them if the real test of Chrisndom is saying you give your life to Christ, or living a loving life. Finally, I say the reason they're having so much trouble is that far more people can relate to the value of living a positive kind life, then getting them to call themselves Christians.

I currently go to a Unity Church. We focus on love, with a minimal focus on scriptures. IMO love is the central tenet of Jesus' teachings, so the main difference is the format and style, and is congruent with Christianity.