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Yes Gomedome, I do have some degree of hatred for those people.
Ooops, but then I've been accused of being hateful before, so perhaps I should change the wording to a "strong and glaring dislike for those anorexic looking folks who have the annoying and obnoxious ability to pig out without gaining an ounce." Very annoying!
posted by
JanesOpinion
on June 27, 2005 at 6:07 PM
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JanesOpinion -- don't you hate those scrawny little people that can eat
anything and as much as they want but never gain a pound?
posted by
gomedome
on June 26, 2005 at 6:36 PM
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saul_relative -- you have encapsulated the thoughts of the other comments
admirably....thank you.
posted by
gomedome
on June 26, 2005 at 6:34 PM
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Thank you, Gome, I THINK, for the complement.
Yes, sadly, a vast majority of North Americans -- or at least Americans -- can relate to dieting in some way or another.
posted by
JanesOpinion
on June 26, 2005 at 6:33 PM
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Gome, thanks, but I actually needed a comma between the last two words.
posted by
Ariala
on June 26, 2005 at 6:29 PM
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Ariala --- good point
As vague as your statement may appear, I cannot think of one instance where it it not true.
posted by
gomedome
on June 26, 2005 at 6:25 PM
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JanesOpinion -- that may be your best comment on one of my postings yet
I love the diet analogy. Willpower from the perspective of someone half heartedly fighting the battle of the bulge is something that most of us can relate to.
posted by
gomedome
on June 26, 2005 at 6:23 PM
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avant-garde - thanx --- we tend to forget when speaking of brainwashing
that the religious group we are referring to here has had a few centuries to perfect the craft. I have to agree that if our belief's are entirely based on emotion and/or artifically invigorated, it won't be long before there is a let down.
posted by
gomedome
on June 26, 2005 at 6:18 PM
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Metta -- those are very good points
The "honeymoon period" is a good way to describe it and with all honeymoons it lasts longer for some than for others. One conclusion my friend shared with me is that he remained in the fold for so long because all of his life's associates and aquaintances were of the same religious group. Once removed from the group it didn't take long for him to realize there are other perspectives.
posted by
gomedome
on June 26, 2005 at 6:11 PM
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Nothing is as annoying, irritating, frustrating, and sometimes scary as the
new convert -- no matter to what he is converted to. And as Metta said, the work of sustaining a new direction, faith -- hell, even a diet -- eats away at the energy that comes with the discovery of something new that you might have faith in. And as Ariala so succinctly reminds us, anything with emotion involved ultimately ends, especially passionate emotions, which newfound beleivers, born agains, and lovers all share. It is the passion of discovery that drives us, the curiousity and the need to share that at first sustains us, but the burden of truth about the new discovery and our relation to it that winds us down and, for some, ultimately leads to a new direction, faith, diet, lover, etc. But whether we entertain new faiths, new directions, etc., we lose the zealotry of the new convert ...
posted by
saul_relative
on June 26, 2005 at 5:39 PM
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Anything based on emotion only ends.
posted by
Ariala
on June 26, 2005 at 2:02 PM
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I would agree with Metta's comments.
It's just like starting a diet on January first. A person can have such high aspirations and hopes of success -- that first flush, that adrenaline rush -- "I'm gonna lose 20 pounds. . . . " And perhaps by January 15 the thought is "Perhaps 10 pounds is more realistic." And then by February 1st it's "well, I sure as heck won't GAIN any weight this year." You get my drift. It's part of human nature to be all excited about a new relationship, a new goal, a new whatever . . . . and then with time that first love wears off. Same with Christianity. God's love for us never changes, even though we humans are so damned fickle and constantly changing. I've seen or heard of many a new Christian so full of zeal, and then for whatever reason -- whether it's disappointment with the church, unconfessed sin, or someone he or she looked up to who let him/her down . . . (etc) -- will turn away from God. That new Christian was too busy looking to and perhaps even idolizing a fellow human when he should have been following Christ.
The Bible instructs Christians to "keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith." When we look to others to sustain our faith we will fail. When we keep our eyes on Jesus (spiritually speaking of course, since we cannot see Him), we will not fall away from the faith.
I am currently in a bit of a faith slump. It's not because God has rejected me, but rather because I have moved a few steps away from God. But even though my faith at the moment is like dry bread, I hold onto the realization that God will never leave me or forsake me -- in spite of how far I might run. Many new Christians are not able to make it through a downtime in their faith because, well, because of what I mentioned in the above paragraphs. Sorry to ramble.
posted by
JanesOpinion
on June 26, 2005 at 1:57 PM
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gomer
anything that is not completely natural must be consistently reinstated, which can be called brainwashing. what is natural needs nothing but to see itself validated in experience. good post.
posted by
avant-garde
on June 26, 2005 at 11:59 AM
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I think it is the bliss
that comes from finding God and being born again.... everything is so easy at first in the new glow - the "honeymoon" with God... then comes the work - we find out that because one is "born again" doesn't mean that God will stop our bad habits, that there is work to do - because one is "born again" does not make one a saint - it is hard to look God in the eye when one keeps falling after they gave themselves to God - but did they give themselves to God? .... it is like anything that is fun at first, if one finds it is actually a lot of hard work - regardless of the payoff - lots aren't interested in traveling that road... and one also finds humility when ones eyes are open and find that they fall again and again - it is hard to preach when you find you can not walk the walk so well...
I think this is why folks like me start speaking Love, because we realize that in love is our only salvation - because without love we wouldn't be able to stand up after falling so many times.
posted by
Metta
on June 26, 2005 at 11:25 AM
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