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Amen, Brother...
posted by
arGee
on February 18, 2007 at 12:07 PM
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hahahaha, Ariel70, you've got the right idea.
posted by
TAPS.
on February 17, 2007 at 12:51 PM
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Gome, TAPS et al
Lurk, lurk! Lurk, lurk!
Hotdamn! Forgot what I was gonna say now!
Oh, yeah ; if it feels good an' it don't harm anyone else, then do it.
posted by
ariel70
on February 17, 2007 at 12:48 PM
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gomedome
I see you as a highly opinionated person and, I see myself that way also, though I seldom write about my opinions. I stay away from your religious blog most of the time for that reason. (By the way, did you know that most bloggers receive clicks from "lurkers" who never comment. You are definitely not the only one. Are you the one who has been silently reading my posts? LOL) I was not careful enough about how I worded my original comment to you last night.
posted by
TAPS.
on February 17, 2007 at 12:37 PM
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TAPS- - okay, I will call that last comment progress
Though your last sentence has me a bit miffed, specifically the part about taking offence too easily being offensive to others, that one I agree with but hardly see where it is relevant here . . . unless you are suggesting that you are too easily offended? I like to think that I am not too easily offended but always allow the possibility that I may be kidding myself. As an example: The only persons that I have ever blocked from this blog have demonstrated a pattern of continuous harrassment. Much "offence" is absorbed in the process of determining the harrassment pattern. It is reasonable to suggest that after all of the insults and personal attacks that I have endured from a believing majority here on Blogit; that having only one person permanently blocked is a testament to the fact that I am not easily offended. I do try to be cognizant of not being too offensive myself to others. Where I feel I have every right to return the volleys served to me by others back over the net right back at them, I continuously stop myself form the temptation of sending the ball back from the muzzle of a cannon.
posted by
gomedome
on February 17, 2007 at 12:30 PM
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gomedome
I'm sorry that we grate on each others nerves. I have a feeling that we might like each other in person. Actually, I'm not trying to be victim. I'm trying to get out of this gracefully. You may be right in the things you say. I only know that a sarcastic person looks for sarcasm in others and a person who takes offense easily can be offensive to others.
posted by
TAPS.
on February 17, 2007 at 11:58 AM
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Troosha - I stop just short of that conclusion
All living things, from the simplest life form to our complex human anatomies have some sort of sensory perception. All life forms have a means of determining negative versus positive stimuli. All life forms seem to thrive in an environment of positive influence but where I must stop short of your contention is that the universe is comprised of a disproportionate amount of inanimate matter versus life forms.
posted by
gomedome
on February 17, 2007 at 11:55 AM
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Tonyzonit - I was forced to do a lot of praying when young
I can only view it as muttering gibberish to invisible people at this stage in my life. Certainly it is something I would never force my children to do.
posted by
gomedome
on February 17, 2007 at 11:47 AM
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TAPS- - sorry, but you don't get to play victim with me
The truth will always remain that I have left you well alone while here on Blogit. For the most part you have stayed clear of my posts and comments section as well, except for very rare dialogue and the several nasty or sarcastic comments that you have dropped when you stop into this blog every few months. I'm telling you to keep this in mind the next time you stop by to drop another little acidic barb as a comment. Where you may want to suggest that I am assessing your character, I am merely guessing as to what allows a person to think they have the right to do this?
posted by
gomedome
on February 17, 2007 at 11:45 AM
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Presley - I think in a very broad sense everyone prays
At any given time in our lives we can be in a situation where we are hoping for favorable outcomes. Where some folks consciously make an appeal to their God for favorable outcomes there is not one amongst us that does not make a silent wish for things to turn out the way we want. To refer to the things we say to ourselves when wishing for these favorable outcomes as "prayer" may be a misnomer but nonetheless, all of us will at some time or another make a plea to forces unseen to have things turn out the way we desire.
posted by
gomedome
on February 17, 2007 at 11:29 AM
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gomedome
Thank you for the personal note and your assessment of my character.
posted by
TAPS.
on February 17, 2007 at 11:07 AM
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TAPS- - I let this go last night because it was getting late
I have no doubt that "stepping on toes" was the intended sentiment of your initial comment. This is the part that you have always missed: I view your religious beliefs as entirely your problem, where you view them as sacred above all consideration of others. As I have said to many people of your faith when they have decided that they have the right to drop sarcastic comments on my blogs; simply count the number of times that I have done the same in your comments. Seriously...count the number of times that I have left a sarcastic barb as a comment on one of your posts during the entire time that you have been on Blogit....did you come up with a big fat zero? Despite the fact that I view most of the religious constructs that you adhere to with the same level of disdain as you hold my religious opinions. That zero should tell you something about your own distorted sense of entitlement and self justification.
posted by
gomedome
on February 17, 2007 at 11:02 AM
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gomedome
I suppose if one were to view “prayer” as putting positive energy out there, then one could also draw the conclusion that prayer could in fact influence the ebb and flow of the Universe.
posted by
Troosha
on February 17, 2007 at 8:31 AM
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I tried prayer when I was young, it failed, so I abandoned it.
posted by
Antonionioni
on February 17, 2007 at 5:22 AM
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Gomedome
I often wonder about prayer. When I do pray one of the last things I say to "George" is "Let it be your will." I don't pray: "Release him from that coma" or "Heal those seeping wounds." I tell George how I feel then pray for the strength and courage to accept what his His will may be. You know I teeter in my professions of faith and spirituality. I'm stuck in the middle somewhere. But sometimes, I question things including common sense and logic.
posted by
Presley
on February 17, 2007 at 5:17 AM
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Ooops
It looks like I stepped on your toes.
posted by
TAPS.
on February 16, 2007 at 10:46 PM
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TAPS- - I found your opening denial of reading my blog rather humorous
I get a lot of phantom clicks, many people stop by this blog anonomously. ...it is much easier to retain deniability that way.
I didn't reply to your comment to pick a fight with you but can you possibly imagine living a life of never feeling humble enough to attempt to communicate with a mythical being? To maintain my sense of well being, sense of gratitude and general healthy demeaner; I do not need to subscribe to manmade religious constructs and all of the other things that go with it. You may need this, but I do not and I will not tolerate disdain from those who do need it. I can humble myself easy enough without bringing someone else's God into it.
posted by
gomedome
on February 16, 2007 at 10:28 PM
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gomedome
It was my turn to read you today. I make the rounds now and then to all the blogs to see what is going on. Of course you will not be the least bit surprised to know that I pray, attend prayer groups (little old ladies) and am comforted when other people pray for me. I found the comments interesting that were made by Xeno-x and kooka_lives. I think I'm glad that I do not have a great mind like the three of you. With my little mind, I find it easy to feel humble enough to need to talk to God now and then and to praise him for his goodness to me.
posted by
TAPS.
on February 16, 2007 at 5:45 PM
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kooka_lives - what can I say other than great minds think alike
I just don't know how to tell people nicely that they are talking to themselves when they are praying. Their minds have been conditioned to treat everything that supports the idea that prayer is helpful while ignoring everything that does not support the idea. . . and it seems not to matter how heavily weighted the "for" versus "against" is, some people can skip right past 100 things that suggest they are wasting their tme in a feel good excercise by praying, to find those 1 or 2 things that support the idea that it produces results.
posted by
gomedome
on February 16, 2007 at 1:26 PM
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I saw only your title, and had to write my own post
So I wrote my latest post without having read this one.
It is foolish as to how much power some people give prayer. The prayer did nothing. It was the actions of the doctors and hospital staff and the will of the guy to live that saved him. Without those, no amount of praying would have done a thing.
posted by
kooka_lives
on February 16, 2007 at 11:32 AM
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Xeno-x - that's the kicker - they never seem to get discouraged over all
of the times that the outcome is not favorable.
posted by
gomedome
on February 16, 2007 at 11:14 AM
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thing is
they attribute his survival to the power of prayer
but had he died
they would have just said, "It's God's Will."
God, in their eyes, just can't lose.
posted by
Xeno-x
on February 16, 2007 at 11:07 AM
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