tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post1466757376410526379..comments2024-01-25T00:50:10.679-05:00Comments on Thoughts from a Sandwich: Wrestling with ChristianityDagoodShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04557451438888314932noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-69000774484297362192011-02-01T13:34:06.842-05:002011-02-01T13:34:06.842-05:00about the panic attacks.
i never had panic attac...about the panic attacks. <br />i never had panic attacks, but i was diagnosed coincidentally shortly after leaving christianity with a mild anxiety disorder. <br />id had it my whole life, ie-it wasnt caused by leaving christianity, but the medication i was given, celexa, worked wonders. <br />its only anecdotal of course but i have<br />become convinced that people who <br />tell this story your story<br />like a childs story my story<br />are to no small degree dealing with a <br />medical condition which is <br />greatly helped by medicationhappyboynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-46680969394394519832011-01-15T12:23:10.454-05:002011-01-15T12:23:10.454-05:00Regarding labels. For me, it was a personal thing...Regarding labels. For me, it was a personal thing. I needed to intellectually sort out where I was at. It was for my sake. I came down on, <br /><br />Agnostic: I don't know. <br /><br />Atheistic: Because I do not actively worship &/or believe in a "God." <br /><br />However, I have never been set-in-concrete since leaving the faith &/or the church and I aspire to never be set-in-concrete again, as was the case at one time with my conservative evangelical days.<br /><br />As I write this comment I see that intellectually, I'm an Agnostic Atheist. <br /><br />Emotionally, I'm an Apathetic Agnostic Atheist. I'm a tripple-A. *grin* All that means is, I think I'm as about at peace in my journey as I've ever been.<br /><br />I do know now though, that I'll never stop reading, writing and talking about this topic.Zoehttp://acomplicatedsalvationreborn.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-74231771571683221412011-01-15T10:21:32.159-05:002011-01-15T10:21:32.159-05:00HeIsSailing
"I constantly find myself veerin...HeIsSailing<br /> "I constantly find myself veering in, out and around all sorts of beliefs - questioning, wondering, pondering."<br /> <br />I love that quote. That's definitely where I am. Learning to be at peace with that is a gift. Sometimes I am, and sometimes I'm like Like A Child, I just want to figure it all out and slap a label on myself. <br /><br />Like A Child,<br />I'm "decision-averse" myself, though making a decision would be welcome if I could do it. If I'm honest with myself, I can see that the trajectory I'm on doesn't end with maintaining Christianity. However, I still feel the need to keep studying and reading, just in case there is something I haven't considered yet, or some impressive evidence I'm missing. Though I'd like my decision to be an intellectual one, I don't think it can be entirely that for me.And I actually think it makes better sense for me to integrate all the ways I come to conclusions: intellect, emotions, intuition. I think that's the way we typically make our decisions. And the truth is, Christianity does make an appeal to our emotions and experiences(at least the forms with which you and I have some familiarity.) Therefore, I think it's unfair to discount our emotions and experiences if they don't support Christianity. For example, I would think that Christians would look radically different in behavior from others, given the indwelling of the holy spirit, but what I see indicates that there's often no difference between Christians and non-Christians. Now of course I can point to a wealth of examples where people do change in lovely ways when they become Christians and where Christians do great charity work. But then I can also point to Christians who are destructive because of their beliefs. We are expected to take positive experiences as evidence and discount negative experiences.DoOrDoNothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15775977854913362396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-35762796994564440332011-01-15T09:43:07.346-05:002011-01-15T09:43:07.346-05:00Like A Child,
I know exactly what you mean. I ha...Like A Child,<br /><br />I know exactly what you mean. I have so many emotional entanglements that won't allow me to just walk away. My intellect tells me one thing, but my emotions say something different. Having found a few people online that share my doubts and questions has been quite helpful. Like HeIsSailing I hope at some point to just be at peace with not having to have a label. <br /><br />I found myself at an Episcopal Church this past Sunday. I found the congregation friendly, though I didn't know anyone there. The music was uplifting. Having come from a Baptist Church I wasn't at all familiar with the liturgy, but that didn't seem to matter. I didn't partake in communion because I'm so conflicted. I felt very much on the outside looking in. I watched those around me raising their hands, closing their eyes, and wondered "do I really even believe this anymore". It was a very strange feeling for someone who has been so sure of everything.D'Mahttp://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.gx=1&.rand=a7hssm3r1pg2vnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-17929851372809420272011-01-15T01:01:11.237-05:002011-01-15T01:01:11.237-05:00Like a Child,
I first began seriously questioning...Like a Child,<br /><br />I first began seriously questioning my Christian Faith about 5 years ago, and since that time it has been a constant process of learning, questioning, and growth. I still attend church on occassion, I still contemplate on the supernatural (mostly due to my reading of various Christian Mystics), but I don't believe in such a thing as a personal or transcendent God. At least, not most of the time.<br /><br />I think that it is not necessary to stop questioning and settle on some firm philosophical or theological ground, just to give yourself a label - be it Atheist, Calvinist, or whatever. I personally don't tag myself with these labels because I constantly find myself veering in, out and around all sorts of beliefs - questioning, wondering, pondering. <br /><br />And I am satisfied with the fact that I will probably never settle on firm ground! To me it is a constant search, one that I take more or less seriously depending on my mood. <br /><br />It seems only natural with the kinds of questions that we ask in these blogs, questions or unseen and transcendent matters, questions to which we can never know the answers, that my beliefs and convictions will always be in a state of flux. I know many would find it very confusing and even scary, but I have learned to be at peace with it. <br /><br />I wish you peace, no matter where you wind up.HeIsSailinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09154368305822276669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-11117756754419771992011-01-14T23:31:35.002-05:002011-01-14T23:31:35.002-05:00Dma,
I've been wanting to respond to this thr...Dma,<br /><br />I've been wanting to respond to this thread but have been out of town. Plus, i feel like i have hit another rough patch emotionally...i just want things to end...the sadness, the questioning. Agnostic christianity is harder than i thought, but i am not ready to give up my consideration of christianity for several what could be classified as emotional and subjective reasons. My thoughts are very dynamic so i cannot answer your questions in any fashion that wouldn't embarrass me, intellectually. The best i can offer is compassion and empathy. The best comfort i have been given thus far is from doubters themselves....both verified that aspects of my struggles were not imagined. Dagood, in a comment a few months ago, said, to paraphrase, i cry with you b/c i understand. Dagood, do you have the quote? And some thoughts expressed by christian bloggers like cliff at outside the box have also challenged me intellectually, not to give up just<br /> yet. And most of the time, i just dont want to make a decision (i am decision-averse in many other areas of life)...and so i've really resonated with doordonot's progression.Like a Childhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15991265512226039592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-90193503581405671002011-01-13T10:52:21.236-05:002011-01-13T10:52:21.236-05:00DagoodS,
Actually that was the answer I thought y...DagoodS,<br /><br />Actually that was the answer I thought you would most likely give and ultimately the conclusion I've come to. See the thing is, I'm not nearly as certain there is a God as I was even a month ago. But if there is a God I think that just about every culture and every religion has worked out a way to make Him in our image the way we think He should be and if there is something that seems unanswerable then "God is sovereign and can do what He wants to do".D'Mahttp://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.gx=1&.rand=d1aiiuc4ugsv7noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-20498939871866253122011-01-13T10:38:34.739-05:002011-01-13T10:38:34.739-05:00HeIsSailing,
I checked out your blog. Love it! Gl...HeIsSailing,<br /><br />I checked out your blog. Love it! Glad you dusted it off. :~) By the way, thanks for the links to your posts on hell. Like DoOrDoNot I understand some things intellectually that I have not been able to let sink into my heart just yet. <br /><br />Much like another blogger my journey into doubt started with a very innocent question. I thought surely there was an answer to it, but when I googled it I was so shocked at what I found. That doubt led to more doubts and here I am with way more questions than answers. I feel like I've been on the Batman roller coaster at Six Flags!D'Mahttp://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.gx=1&.rand=d1aiiuc4ugsv7noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-52403592244966757302011-01-13T10:33:30.826-05:002011-01-13T10:33:30.826-05:00D’Ma,
It is not that your questions are elementar...D’Ma,<br /><br />It is not that your questions are elementary—you may be asking the wrong person. *grin* I feel no obligation to align the accounts in the Gospels, or provide rational explanations; I won’t even bother attempting to present what some Christian may say. (Because 90% of the other “Christians” will jump in and tell me I am incorrect, and “True Christians” (c) do not agree with my statement.) <br /><br />I enjoy immense relief in not having to align such accounts—they were writings made by various individuals with varying purposes and simplest solution is there was no intention to write actual history, or to align one with the other. Mark wanted to present Jesus one way, which entailed people thinking he was crazy, and Jesus replacing his family (who may also have thought him crazy.) Matthew wanted to present other aspects of Jesus. If Matthew doesn’t align with Mark—that’s expected and usual.<br /><br />I have yet to see a consistent method to determine what is historical about Jesus and what is not.<br /><br />As to your second question on God’s sovereignty …beats me *shrug*. The bizarreness of the God hypothesis, is how humans put limitations on such a creature in one statement and then remove them in the next. He must be just; but he can also be merciful. Resulting in…what, exactly? A God that can do anything, near as I can tell. So why talk about his “having” to be one way, when one creates a loophole the same size as obligation, allowing him to do whatever he wants. God truly can have his cake and eat it too!<br /><br />God has to be immaterial, because our universe is material. God has to be timeless, because we have time. O.K., got it—we have it, so God doesn’t. But then the same person says God has personality because we have personality. Huh? I thought I was just told, “If we have it, God doesn’t” and then I am immediately informed, “If we have it, God must have it as well.”<br /><br />Which is it? <br /><br />In the end, we face the simple conclusion—the God hypothesis is utterly, totally and completely unverifiable. You can say anything, everything and nothing about God and it could, could not, might and might not be true. We have no way of verifying any claim. It is rendered meaningless by its inability to be defined.DagoodShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04557451438888314932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-57398134555547079152011-01-13T09:49:43.521-05:002011-01-13T09:49:43.521-05:00You now have at least two sidebar links. :-)You now have at least two sidebar links. :-)Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-34455181271563990152011-01-13T06:38:48.161-05:002011-01-13T06:38:48.161-05:00DoorDoNot,
Thank you for reading my old blog artic...DoorDoNot,<br />Thank you for reading my old blog articles! Oh Dear, I wrote those articles so long ago, that I forgot most of what I said. I have been out of the blogging world for quite some time, and only occassionally visit again to read my favorite blogs, and sometimes raise a stink with certain Christian apologists.<br /><br />warning - shameless plug follows:<br /><br />Lately, however, my brain has been screaming for a creative outlet. DaGoodS here has done me the great honor of adding a link to my new blog on his sidebar. Not much there yet, and I plan on writing about much more than my religious experiences. But check it out if you wish!HeIsSailinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09154368305822276669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-24599463126970478542011-01-13T03:03:36.985-05:002011-01-13T03:03:36.985-05:00HeIsSailing,
I read the articles you referenced th...HeIsSailing,<br />I read the articles you referenced that you wrote on hell. I see why DagoodS has been encouraging you to blog again. Although hell is a "hot" topic that really gets folks discussing online, I haven't found too many posts like yours that really address the problems with accepting the doctrine. Coincidentally, I just began blogging about my experiencing with belief in hell in an effort to help me work through it. I can reject it more intellectually than emotionally at this point. Anyway, I'll definitely link to those articles of yours in a future post of mine. I look forward to more of your thoughts.DoOrDoNothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15775977854913362396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-42027516861138342362011-01-12T16:28:40.034-05:002011-01-12T16:28:40.034-05:00I hope my questions don't come across as being...I hope my questions don't come across as being too elementary. I've done enough reading and researching to find out that the gospel accounts and the Bible in general are not necessarily as inerrant and inspired as I had once held them to be. I'm doing some outside reading about the various issues wrapped up in this to hopefully help me frame my questions a bit better.<br /><br />It's just that I've been entrenched in this for more than 20 years, having stuck my head in the sand on many of my questions. I guess I thought if I closed my eyes they'd go away.<br /><br />As I stand back and look at it the whole thing seems to make less and less sense to me.D'Mahttp://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.gx=1&.rand=db89mkelh53vpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-83879302022539991802011-01-12T15:41:44.528-05:002011-01-12T15:41:44.528-05:00In either case wouldn't it be odd that later i...In either case wouldn't it be odd that later in the gospels Jesus' family thinks he's gone mad if they'd been told all about Jesus being the Son of God?D'Mahttp://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.gx=1&.rand=1ldgg5fcmmfebnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-23059302330542058102011-01-12T14:17:36.607-05:002011-01-12T14:17:36.607-05:00D’Ma,
Let me answer your first question regarding...D’Ma,<br /><br />Let me answer your first question regarding the angels’ announcements and Jesus’ family.<br /><br />Keep in mind two things:<br /><br />1) The writers were using sources, and to some extent felt compelled to abide by that source. Either because the community expected it or the writer relied upon it. Matthew used Mark; Luke used Matthew and Mark.<br /><br />2) The writers had agendas—they were writing to certain recipients, and those communities had expectations, as well as the writer’s own agenda to inform the community.<br /><br />Mark, the first gospel, displays certain themes. One strong theme is the rejection of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus is rejected by the religious leaders, rejected by his own disciples, and rejected by the entire Judean community. Mark also includes, as part of the rejection cycle, Jesus’ own family’s rejection. (Although it is not necessarily clear Mark 3:31 relates back to 3:21)<br /><br />At this point, in Mark, Jesus’ family disappears from the scene. Only in later Gospels do they re-appear in subsequent scenes..<br /><br />Matthew’s gospel also displays certain themes, including fulfillment of prophecy and comparison to Jesus as great a prophet as Moses. Since Mark didn’t have a birth narrative, Matthew is free to make one up with the Angels (speaking only to Joseph, a man), and Magi, and Kingly jealously, and Visions, and escape to Egypt. However, once we reach Jesus’ Baptism, Matthew follows Mark’s Gospel (changing what Matthew doesn’t like).<br /><br />Luke also has certain themes—only being a generally more favorable disposition toward women. Not caring for Matthew’s grandiose birth, Luke humbles it up a bit (removing that silly non-historical Slaughter of the Innocents), and having the angel talk to the more appropriate Mary. (Not Joseph.) Again, Luke follows (roughly) the chronology of Mark/Matthew after Jesus’ Baptism.<br /><br />This is simply a conflict of different writers’ agendas.DagoodShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04557451438888314932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-42361803700053626502011-01-12T12:09:26.316-05:002011-01-12T12:09:26.316-05:00HeIsSailing:
I read your 3-part rant about the be...HeIsSailing:<br /><br />I read your 3-part rant about the belief in Hell and I did find them helpful. I know what my logical mind is telling me but there are some things planted so deep within it's hard to separate the emotional stuff from what you know. I believe it's called cognitive dissonance and I have lots of it. I know it isn't rational, but then again fears rarely are. No matter how many times I tell myself this makes no sense I still find it hard to let go of it. <br /><br />I do have a couple of questions that maybe someone here can help answer. 1.)If an angel appeared to both Mary and Joseph to tell them that she was carrying Emmanuel, why did she and his brothers think he was crazy? 2.) If God is Sovereign why would He need for the Jews(His chosen people) to reject Him in order to include us dirty old gentiles? Why couldn't He include us by some other means?D'Mahttp://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.gx=1&.rand=47n5sl6blgebrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-78966821220900415722011-01-11T19:16:52.188-05:002011-01-11T19:16:52.188-05:00Hi D'Ma. My, that very old comment of mine th...Hi D'Ma. My, that very old comment of mine that DaGoodS pointed to was written when I was still a Christian. These blog posts and comments are a bit like time capsules, are they not?<br /><br />D'Ma, I also came from a very Fundamentalist background. Actually, I was raised in some sort of Pentacostal/Assemblies of God denomination but in a bit of a cult-like atmosphere, then devoted myself to Calvary Chapel for several years. I dumped Fundamentalism years ago, but still considered myself a Christian for a very long time before ditching it all together. Yet, even though I had ditched Fundamentalism, it was very difficult to leave the Christian Faith which I knew to be false.<br /><br />So in that way, I definitely understand what you are expereincing, and I wish you much strength, D'Ma.<br /><br />So how did I dispense of the belief in Hell? A long story, but one of the major events that removed that belief was an episode that occured some 18-20 years ago, in which I tried to witness Christianity to my recently de-converted mother. I was in such fear and pain for her soul, that I used to cry during my prayers to God, that she would once again see the light of His Salvation. I cried because I loved her, and did not want her to be damned. So... .. I preached to her, as lovingly as I could - and she, just as lovingly, mocked me, and made me feel like an inept buffoon, and made me realize what an absurd, childish, rediculous belief HELL is.<br /><br />It is harsh, but you know D'Ma, sometimes mockery works. I am not a religion hater, nor evangelize my non-belief very much, but I can say that I truly, with all my gut, HATE the poisonous doctine of Hell. I sincerely hope that you to are able to remove yourself of that truly loathsome superstition.<br /><br />If you want some reading material, here is my 3-part rant about the belief in Hell that I wrote long ago - maybe you will find them helpful:<br /><br />http://de-conversion.com/2007/11/12/in-fear-and-trembling-the-peace-from-our-lord/<br /><br />http://de-conversion.com/2007/11/16/worthy-of-damnation-a-wailing-and-gnashing-of-teeth/<br /><br />http://de-conversion.com/2007/11/30/total-depravity-of-humanity-%e2%80%93%c2%a0the-outer-darkness/<br /><br />I hope this goes through the spam filter - sorry DaGoodS, I have forgotten all my HTML skills.HeIsSailinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09154368305822276669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-49771455563203685422011-01-11T12:52:34.754-05:002011-01-11T12:52:34.754-05:00DagoodS,
Thank you so much for the welcome. I co...DagoodS,<br /><br />Thank you so much for the welcome. I come from a very fundamentalist background and had never given science much of thought. I was trying to witness to someone and they began to ask me a lot of questions I didn't have the answers to. I figured if I was gonna speak intelligently I would have to know a bit about these things. I'd never given evolution the least bit of consideration as it was "a tool of the devil". Once I started to look into that one thing just led to another. At this point I'm having a really hard time separating my emotions from my intellect(not that there's all that much of it). This is a very difficult thing to be certain.<br /><br />I noticed that HeIsSailing said hell was one of the first things he let go of. How did he do that? <br /> <br />Small town South Georgia isn't exactly the place to be when you have these kinds of questions and doubts.D'Mahttp://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.gx=1&.rand=67i2c0a4m1fugnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-30874522137534750652011-01-11T10:27:53.320-05:002011-01-11T10:27:53.320-05:00D’Ma,
You are free to ask whatever you want. I p...D’Ma,<br /><br />You are free to ask whatever you want. I probably hope I can help more than I actually can. <br />The closest I wrote regarding the struggle was <a href="http://sandwichesforsale.blogspot.com/2007/03/cant-win.html" rel="nofollow">here. </a> (Odd to read HeIsSailing’s comment within that entry.) Alas, I never know what to say.<br /><br />I could tell you, “Don’t worry, it gets better” (and it does). But what good is that? Like telling a person who has just broken a bone, “Don’t worry, eventually the pain will go away.” Something we all know; but did the pain diminish even the slightest by my stating the obvious? Nope…not a bit.<br /><br />Finding local people who could relate was impossible. My sole recourse was sharing on-line. I was fortunate to “reside” in one forum where I could argue out my theistic angst, and “reside” in another where I felt safe to be with friends going through similar questions. Unfortunately, as the internet goes, both forums have basically disappeared.<br /><br />I became even more fortunate to associate with a local group who studies the Bible from a non-theistic perspective—the group contains deconverts I relate with. We laugh and joke, and empathize with our respective positions.<br /><br />And, finally, I am truly blessed to acquire a new set of friends (difficult to do at age 40!), where the relationships are growing and my position on predestination doesn’t even come up, let alone eliminate our friendship.<br /><br />I am glad you are wisely seeking professional help. This is NOT re-painting a room, or changing one’s hairstyle. There are elements within Christianity so deeply rooted, they need to be discussed and dealt with by people in the know.<br /><br />If there is anything I could say, it is this—welcome. There are more of us than most think, and we enjoy the discussion, and will encourage you to find your path, regardless where it takes you.DagoodShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04557451438888314932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-83193457324608027832011-01-10T21:40:45.049-05:002011-01-10T21:40:45.049-05:00D'Ma,
I feel your pain. The online community d...D'Ma,<br />I feel your pain. The online community does make a difference, doesn't it? Hope those drugs kick in quickly for you :)DoOrDoNothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15775977854913362396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-42627627776857719092011-01-10T21:08:36.420-05:002011-01-10T21:08:36.420-05:00"I received an email from someone a few days ..."I received an email from someone a few days ago that broke my heart, b/c she is facing the same battle i dealt with months ago...panic sttacks, loneliness, trying to figure out what church to switch to in the fundamentalist bible belt south. She should not feel so alone. There should be somewhere she can go locally, to find a welcoming christian community"<br /><br />That post is about me, I think. I felt so alone in my doubts and have found such a nice and compassionate online community. There is no one here I feel comfortable sharing these doubts with. Teetering on the edge of agnosticism with only fundamentalist evangelical friends is very difficult to say the least. I've followed your blog and actually found HeIsSailing's blog first. I would certainly like to pick the brains of folks who are farther along in their journey than I. I actually ended up in a psychiatrist's office today....I now have drugs, halleluah!lolD'Mahttp://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.gx=1&.rand=ed3otqb0tab16noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-36157639696845023712011-01-09T16:39:02.145-05:002011-01-09T16:39:02.145-05:00DaGoodS says:
I couldn’t do 14 masses. I just…co...DaGoodS says:<br /><br /><i> I couldn’t do 14 masses. I just…couldn’t. What you describe would cause my head to explode. The combination of rote anti-intellectualism and blind acquiescence would eventually force me out of the pew and into the lobby for the remainder of the service.</i><br /><br />Actually DaGoodS, there was one mass where I did just that. I visited several catholic churches in the days before Christmas for the ‘Simbang Gabi’ ritual, that is popular in Philippines. It just got to be a bit unbearable one particular morning, at the Church of Mary of Good Council, so I went outside during the Mass to clear my head. The particular church I went to was open-air with no lobby, but several hundred people sitting outside in folding chairs listening, from loudspeakers, to the miracle of the Mass that was occurring inside. Fortunately, I had a video camera with me that particular morning, and recorded some interesting things that **might** wind up on YouTube. Yes, I must write about my adventures over the Christmas Holidays. I am firing up my old blogsite now and dusting out the cobwebs. Stay tuned.HeIsSailinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09154368305822276669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-66462662562852702342011-01-07T18:45:14.221-05:002011-01-07T18:45:14.221-05:00This blog entry was not about you, not for you, no...<i>This blog entry was not about you, not for you, not to you.</i><br /><br />Never said it was. If I am not supposed to comment on your blog unless the post under which I comment is "about" or "for" or "to" me, just let me know! I don't see anyone else here held to such an absurd standard.<br /><br /><i>Therefore (unsurprisingly) you completely misunderstand it, and once again fail to support your claim regarding predisposition changing before evidence convinces.</i><br /><br />And just as unsurprisingly you miss my entire point. Who said I was trying to support my claim? I was asking you to explain your view, but you took a pass, obfuscated, and engaged in obscurantism.Dave Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07771661758539438173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-41396221862261544082011-01-07T12:03:09.443-05:002011-01-07T12:03:09.443-05:00What an awesome post! I like it because it almost ...What an awesome post! I like it because it almost feels as if you time-travelled to those earlier stages of your de-conversion and expressed the pain experienced at the time, and oh so well.<br /><br />As for me, it was excruciatingly painful. I just didn't want to lose my faith that had held me up during so many years of distress and suffering. Yes, my faith held me up, not the object of my faith. The glassed with which I saw the situations and how I interpreted the events helped me carry on.<br /><br />Once I lost my faith, I had to see reality for what it was: shitty. <br /><br />So, at the same time I lost my feel-good drug, I had to experience the pain of all those years during which I had ignored the suffering. It was awful. I feel like throwing up just thinking about it.<br /><br />Thanks for the post. <br /><br />** LorenaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20896717.post-29229117052108668672011-01-07T07:32:39.360-05:002011-01-07T07:32:39.360-05:00He Is Sailing,
I couldn’t do 14 masses. I just…c...He Is Sailing,<br /><br />I couldn’t do 14 masses. I just…couldn’t. What you describe would cause my head to explode. The combination of rote anti-intellectualism and blind acquiescence would eventually force me out of the pew and into the lobby for the remainder of the service. <br /><br />So start writing some blogs…hint, hint. *grin*<br /><br />Your last sentence is worth its weight in goldDagoodShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04557451438888314932noreply@blogger.com