[zk]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
zk: Except I don’t believe that at all. I hold to a theology that, from a telelogical and ontological vantage, has remained internally consistent and constant for centuries.
[/quote]

I’m not sure what your theology’s consistency over centuries has to do with anything. So somebody interpreted the bible centuries ago and you and the other people who agree with it have stuck with it for centuries. I don’t see the point. It’s still somebody’s interpretation.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

I believe that modern American evangelicals embrace a “faith” that is immature, incomplete and ill-formed. When I listen to Michelle Bachmann or Rick Santorum, for example, telling me what God “thinks”, I’m repulsed. For someone to hold that the true teachings of Christ would proffer a worldview bent on destruction and war is vile and reprehensible.
[/quote]

They might feel the same way about your interpretation. Perhaps in a couple centuries, their interpretation will still be popular and yours won’t anymore. Will that make theirs correct? It wouldn’t be the first time an interpretation lasted centuries and then fell out of favor.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
I believe in the inerrancy of God’s word, but I also understand that the Bible, as it exists today, is a product of politics (meaning the First Council of Nicaea and their determination as to what was acceptable and what was not, for example the Apocryphal writings), and that the writings contained were not contiguous, thus the contradictions and the flaws.
[/quote]

So how do you decide what god really meant? And how do you decide what writings were “his” and what were the product of politics or other non-divine origins? And how is all of that not your interpretation?

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
Let me put it another way. Scaredy clearly adheres to the Judiac proscription of giving full voice to God’s name, thus his use of the word “G-d” in previous postings. As he pointed out, he has a “religious identity”. That said, however, he probably doesn’t agree with all strains of Judaism. I could point to large groups of Israeli Jewry, for example, that hold some extremely hate-filled and bigoted views on Islam and espouse a territorial prerogative that is eerily similar to the Nazi views on Lebensraum. Given Scaredy’s moderate views, I doubt very much he’d have any truck with that ilk.
[/quote]

Different strains of a religion. I get it. Not sure why you think I don’t.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

Everyone’s path to God (or not) is their own. I agree completely that having God shoved in your face is wrong. If someone asks me for me views, I’ll tell them. Otherwise, however they find God (or not), is their business alone. This also illustrates the dangers of conflating religiosity with spirituality. One can be intensely spiritual and never set foot in a house of worship. Whether we believe it or not, or accept it or not, God’s divine spark exists in all of us. [/quote]

Or, whether we believe it or not, it doesn’t.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

My point was that one shouldn’t tar all Christians with the same brush, in the same way that one shouldn’t tar all members of a certain ethnicity or class or whatever with the same brush.
You and Scaredy represent two of the more thoughtful and well-informed posters on this board and to embrace this sort of monolithic viewpoint, candidly, is beneath you.
[/quote]

If, by “monolithic,” you mean that I think that all christians have the same beliefs, I don’t think that. And I’m not sure why you’d think I think that. I never said that all christians proselytize. I said the ones who do are rude.

Now, if you count my belief that all christians (and all religious people) are placing their faith in a fantasy, then, in that case, my viewpoint is monolithic.

[zk]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook] As a Catholic, I believe the bible is contextual, not literal,[/quote]

What good is it having the word of god if you can interpret it any way you want? Doesn’t it then become the word of whoever is interpreting it however he wants, and not the word of god?

[zk]

[quote=scaredyclassic]

Oooooohhhhhh. That jesus! [/quote]

Hilarious!

[zk]

[quote=scaredyclassic]
Rudeness requires a certain intent. Christian converters are just kind of pitying at best or oblivious at worst to other possible narratives of how reality works.[/quote]

That gives them a benefit of the doubt that I’m not sure I’m willing to give them. Perhaps they know there’s no chance you’ll convert, and they know they’re annoying you, but they want to get to heaven, so they’re selfishly annoying you to achieve their own goal.

[zk]

[quote=scaredyclassic]I think many converters have a strange fantasy that there are vast hordes of Americans who simplyb h Avent been told about Jesus and the good news about getting saved. That’s why they have to let you know … it’s like letting people in on a legal little known tax break. It’s just so great. The word isntvout. It’s free money. How could you not want to hear about it?[/quote]

That is a strange fantasy. Not as strange as some of the ones I have. But strange nonetheless.

[zk]

[quote=scaredyclassic]Well. Ok. This isn’t weird, outdated, out of context bible quoting … this is a reality for millions of Americans today.

this was one quote to support the general duty to evangelize and spread the good word. I’m not implying it’s rude to do so. I’m saying from the Christian point of view you have a responsibility to let people know about Jesus. You’d be amiss to not let others know about the greatness that is jesus. You can’t get into heaven otherwise. It’s a service. For Mormons and jehovahs witnesses it’s not even optional.[/quote]

Yes, it’s a reality for millions of Americans. And yes, from their point of view they have that responsibility. None of that changes the fact that it’s rude and ignorant. My point was that, just because it’s in the bible and just because it’s their responsibility according to the bible, doesn’t make it any less rude or any less ignorant. There are countless indefensible quotes in the bible, and to imply that something is ok because it’s in the bible doesn’t fly.

[zk]

[quote=scaredyclassic]Matthew 28:19. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”

New testaments pretty clear.

Get fresh recruits …other citation support that.

It’s not irritating from the converters point if view. He us literally trying to save your soul so that you don’t spend all eternity rotting in hell.

You should be grateful[/quote]

Yeah, let’s start throwing bible quotes around and see if we can’t come up with a thousand reasons to call followers of that book rude, ignorant, or countless other unflattering adjectives.

[zk]

[quote=flyer]If someone forces their views upon you, just tell them you’re not interested, as you have stated here.

I’ve told many people who insisted on sharing their beliefs with me that I’m not interested because I’m very happy and secure in my own beliefs, and, frankly, have no interest whatsoever in their beliefs–or lack thereof.

Sometimes you have to be firm, but, it can be done.[/quote]

Sure, it can be done. But it shouldn’t have to be done. It’s like a guy hitting on a girl who’s clearly out of his league (in that there’s very little chance she’ll want to hear anything he has to say), and persisting despite her clear lack of interest until she has to be firm about it. That’s downright rude. Same as trying to convert a stranger. Not a crime. Not even a huge deal. But quite rude and quite ignorant.

[zk]

[quote=Blogstar]The atheists, agnostics, and Freethinkers are motivated to prove that you don’t need religion to be good and the religious people think they are good enough without really doing anything for the homeless guy. The results are skewed by these things.[/quote]

I would agree with this. I would also say that many “bad” people use their “faith” to convince themselves and others that they’re not bad people.

[zk]

Yeah, 50 (two years ago for me) was definitely different from 30 or 40.

Here’s when I felt like I’d been around a while: I was computing how many days I’d been working for the company I work for (for seniority purposes). I kept getting a number 8 days different from my employer. I’d been counting 365 days in a year. Turns out I wasn’t counting the EIGHT leap days since I’ve been there. Jesus.

Hitting 50 really made me sit down and ask myself what I want out of the rest of my life and what I’m going to do about it. Although it took another couple years to really come to me. Turns out it isn’t a bucket list type of deal. Heck, I don’t really even feel the need to see the world anymore. I just want to do what I’m doing as long as possible. Spend time with the wife and kid, get in as many rounds of golf, softball games, ping pong games, days at the lake, r/c plane flights, body surfing waves, etc. as I can while I can. Then, if my body can’t take that stuff anymore, I guess I’ll replace the more strenuous hobbies with less strenuous ones.

[zk]

[quote=CA renter]
BTW, am LOVING the longer days![/quote]

Yes! Longer days! Here’s how I think we should define summer here in San Diego: From the first day of daylight saving time to the last. That’s mid March to early November.

Gotta love it.

[zk]

Just make sure the don’t come on your lawn. And if they do, yell at ’em to get off your lawn.

Seriously, though, I’d be way more worried about the pitbulls than the girls. Especially if you have kids.

[zk]

Whether it’s worth it depends on where you live, imho. The potential for earthquakes of a size to significantly damage a wood-frame home varies drastically within California.

http://nsmp.wr.usgs.gov/ekalkan/California/index.html

You can zoom in pretty close on the maps and it’s quite detailed.

In the red areas, it might be worth it. In the green areas, probably not.

[zk]

[quote=UCGal] I don’t like paying taxes – but I do like freeways, education, a safety net for those less fortunate, etc.

[/quote]

That’s something you don’t hear nearly enough.

[zk]

[quote=scaredyclassic]AP taoism.[/quote]

That’s a scaredyclassic classic, right there.

[Author]

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