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Kiddo, Glad to see you back
Thank you for the compliment there.
It really can be something to watch certain believers as they go about trying to make things 'better' in the world. I was baptized Episcopalian when I was a baby. Never had really brought that up to some of the more die hard believers I have dealt with to see their responses to it. Might be fun to do some time just to get their reactions.
posted by
kooka_lives
on February 13, 2008 at 8:16 AM
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Spitfire
I would be suspicious of anyone who agreed with me 100% of the time.
I know of the joys of typing with one hand because you have a squigglier in your lap. Fun times.
posted by
kooka_lives
on February 13, 2008 at 8:11 AM
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Kooka,
I think life in general can and will challenge anyone in life every day. However, I question Bible referals because I believe it is mostly written in metaphors. Most bible thumpers don't believe that...although most of them do not follow the "bible" even though they say they do. (i.e. "Love Thy Neighbor.") Perfect example is Cain and Able. But, I digress. I'm typing with one hand cause my baby is teething and totally restless right now and in my arms so I really can't go into the stuff I'd like to. Besides it would be too long for a comment anyway. You know I agree with you 99% of the time and now is one of them so I'll leave ya with that!!
posted by
SpitFire70
on February 12, 2008 at 9:28 PM
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Kooka...lol....what's funny is you are more of a Christian than most of the
"Christians" I know...lol.. Did I spell that right? My spelling has been off along with my nerves and mind. Anyways, it's so wonderful and sad at the same time that you (to me, but who am I?) believe and live the way a true believer should. I live in the bible belt, I see and live with the most hardcore Jesus lover wannabes. In fact, my kids go to a Catholic school, I was raised Baptist, and when the holy rollers find that out my kids are treated differently. Not worse (sometimes), just differently. And I am always treated different, as if they have to act like they understand my obvious defect (bein' Baptist) and (because God, Mary and all the bloody Jesus Christs they have hanging on every wall are watching) welcome me into something I could never understand because I was ruined when I got myself dunked in that big ass pool when I was 10. It's not an act, that's the sad part. If it were an act I would feel better. Their "faith" in what I too believe in, puts them on the inside of the pearly gates. They treat me different because their faith has them convinced acting like a superior ass to me will put them in God's graces even more.
I smile, and humble myself to them. Because my faith in our God reminds me that sometimes people forget they are made of the same material as I am. And that is easy to do today. I forget sometimes myself when I make a conscience decision to do what I know is wrong, to remember I sinned. So when I see people, other humans, who believe in my God with totally different perspectives, I try not to judge and be hurt by their judging. I have faith that at the end of the day, for the most part, (there are some plain old fuckers out there) they ask for the same things that I do.
I'm sorry you had that happen to you. I have had to reeeeaaaallly fight with faith lately.
posted by
Kiddo75
on February 12, 2008 at 9:57 AM
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Son, I know about faith in people.
Faith is something that has to be earned. I use the Hebrews passage: "Faith is evidence . . . "
It's like you watch a guy hammering a nail. If he's good, he will hit the nail on the head almost every time. If he is bad, he won't. With the former, you have faith that he won't hit his thumb, or, if you hold the nail, your thumb. With the latter, you can't have that kind of faith, but would probably pass on holding the nail for him.
posted by
Xeno-x
on February 12, 2008 at 6:25 AM
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Re: FineYoung
well, that one blogger can kiss my non-existant (bleep).
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on February 11, 2008 at 10:40 PM
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kooka_lives - I've always maintained that you are a more patient man than I
Especially when enduring comments like the one you refer to. I read it, it was nothng more than an attempt to suggest that your blog has little value except to a handful of people. Typical of someone not able to address the issues being discussed in a blog they disagree with is the likelyhood that the funniest part of such an assertion escaped them: in that the author of such a comment must add themselves to the list of those few readers. Otherwise, how would they know if what they were saying was accurate or not? They would have to have been reading you for awhile. . . too funny.
posted by
gomedome
on February 10, 2008 at 5:17 PM
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zoelovesprose
It is interesting that you bring up nihilists here. I have been called such just because I do not believe in God. A blogger here decided that if you do not believe in God, then you believe in nothing and tried to make the claim that to not actively worship anything is to be worshipping nothing.
I truly do not think there are any nihilists out there. Everyone believes in and has faith in something really. Once you became a true nihilist there is nothing left to live for. And in truth I have known more people who claim to believe in God that are closer to being Nihilists than I have atheists like that.
I can understand belief in God far better than I can perceive nihilism.
Thank you for the comment
posted by
kooka_lives
on February 10, 2008 at 5:07 PM
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FineYoung
Did you know that according to one blogger here you do not exist, since you are a believer who comments on my blogs in a positive fashion. Just a few posts back he made some comment about how only atheists (Although he went and put my father and Gomedome in that category I believe) are the only ones who see an value in my posts here and leave comments such as yours.
As always I am glad to see you understand the idea of my post.
posted by
kooka_lives
on February 10, 2008 at 5:00 PM
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thoughtfulness
I have no problem with you saying that is what you believe, but I do not agree with you at all there. Put your faith where you need to, but please do not try to tell me where to put mine. I find that faith in man pays off greatly and I will continue to put my faith in other people time and time again.
I have never once seen where faith in the Bible or in God has been better for people than my faith in my family, my friends and mankind in general.
So I will openly say I disagree with the scriptures there.
posted by
kooka_lives
on February 10, 2008 at 4:56 PM
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Faith
"put not your faith in the arm of flesh..." scripture always says faith in men may fail, but not God. Sorry, I just had to.
posted by
thoughtfulness
on February 10, 2008 at 1:25 PM
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Great post, Kooka.
I've noticed that the folks that object the most harshly to a challenge of their faith aren't really believers, but hide in their faith; because their faith is weak, they are combative when a challenge is presented to them. They attack the critic, rather than engaging the critic in a healthy discussion. The weak spirit can't stand up to criticism.
If a person is strong in their faith, they can see the challenges presented by writers such as yourself as critique. There is a huge difference between critique and attack. A critique is something along the lines of what you do here in your blog. An attack is a litany of name-calling, accusations that are unfounded, insults and judgement.
A strong person can not only tell the difference between an attack and a critique; but will both engage the critic through healthy, productive discussions, and call the attacker out for what he or she is.
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on February 10, 2008 at 12:15 PM
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Kooka Faith
I know EXACTLY how you feel. And for those who "challenge" your belief systems, or believe that you are challenging theirs...here's my insight. Everyone becomes SOOO pius when it comes to the subject of faith. But- let us not forget that EVERY mystic, priest, messiah, guru, spiritual giant, etc...even Christ Himself, have ALL had their faith challenged. It is what I like to call "Desert Time". I think of the story where Christ is walking through the desert, and His faith was waning.....He was a man.....and for ANYONE to have faith based issues, means that they believe in SOMETHING more powerful and loving than themselves. It is those who DON"T believe in anything, the nihilists, that are left dumbfounded when it comes to the subject of faith. Losing faith, having a shift in faith, I believe to be on eof the most powerful spiritual vessels we have....It means we are thinking....our hearts hurt from being broken, and we challenge the goodness in the world...but our faith always seems to seep back in without us even knowing it.....Faith....whether it's strong or crumbling, it's PRESENT....that's why it's a gift!!!
Love what you wrote, Zoe
posted by
zoelovesprose
on February 10, 2008 at 10:17 AM
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