Because one day - I would love to be proven wrong
Oh, please, dear Q (again, peace to you!). Let's at least try and stick to being truthful with one another. If THAT were true... that you WOULD love to be proven wrong... YOU would start looking for such truth with YOURSELF, not others. AND... you would look for the TRUTH in what is shared with you... and not continue hanging onto the lies... while denying that it is the LIES that make you angry.
to be shown by action not words, by evidence not anecdote that there is something more than delusion in the claims of the supernaturalist.
Again, no truth. You do NOT want to be shown ANYTHING. How do I know? Because I responded to that "desire" and PM'd you my phone number. Said, "Hey, call me!" Yet, I haven't seen your name pop up on my caller ID. Instead, I received some lame "excuse" as to why you wouldn't pursue any further. So, okay, you don't believe me; fine. But PLEASE don't try to convince anyone HERE that you "would love" to be proven wrong. Because that is a lie; you are only interested in others, including folks like me, acknowledging that YOU are "right." Isn't going to happen, dear one... at least, not with me. However, my number is still in your PM...
The stranger and more absurd the claim the more likely I am to critique it and even at times mock.
Yeah, but why this? I mean, there are all kinds of strange and absurd things out there. Are you critiqueing, even mocking them all? Why this one? I think your next comments gives a clue (however, I want to stop here and ask you to take my CAPS as italics. It's just easier for me to show emphasis through caps... because I type so fast. But I am not raising my "voice", not at all).
You stand as an outlier
And that bothers you... why? I mean, its not like you have great regard for the... ummmmm... "norm." I think that bothers you... because your usual arguments, rebuttals, disagreements, etc., don't suffice. What you keep MISSING... is that they don't APPLY.
by claiming to be a mystic and your claims are about as far out as it gets here.
Another error. I make NO such claim. I don't even know what a "mystic" IS. And my claims are NO different... not at ALL... than others who've come before me (or others who make them now). So, "far out there", how? What is SO different... that YOU consider it "as far out there as it gets." Name ONE thing... that I have claimed... that is beyond what others before/like me have claimed. ONE.
The onus - whether you like it or not - is therefore upon you to back up your assertions or choose to be seen as a dotty individual.
Please. Neither suffice for you. Again, I gave you my personal phone number. YOU refuse to go the next step. And as far as how you see me... you're the only one upset about that. I don't agree with... or receive... how you "see" me. And that bugs the HELL out of you. WHY?? The only thing that will appease someone like you is for me to say either (1) "Yep, Q, you are/were right... I was/am wrong; or (2) "I'm dotty." Because neither has occurred... and you realize they're not likely... you cannot handle it. But, again, I must ask WHY? Why is what some little lady thousands of miles away from you thinks/believes/says/claims... such a weighty issue on YOU?
Heck, the Pope claims that he's the "vicar of Rome" and next in line after Peter. The GB claim to be part of the "FDS." Pat Robertson, Jimmy Swaggert, James Robeson, Billy Graham, the Dali Lama, and a plethora of others are out there... vocal... in the media... on TV... leading millions. I am just a lady posting stuff from a laptop computer in a small room of her house... on one internet forum. No TV show. No magazines. No church. No cathedral. No council. No cardinal college. No monks or monestaries. No priests, elders, deacons, nuns... Haven't endorsed any politicians or policies, no world leaders consulting with me. Haven't blessed any wars, war implements, sports teams, race cars, or celebrity performances.
What are you AFRAID of??
I used to teach a guy who knew where satan lived. It was real in his head but I knew that "the back of Tesco's in a cardboard box" was not likely to be Lucifer's hideout.
I would tend to agree with you. So what... he's not me, nor am I he...
Still he believed it.
Again... SO WHAT?? Why does what HE believed... or I believe... bother YOU? What is it to YOU?
I've seen madness and it can wear the most harmless and pleasant of smiles. He never backed up any of his claims with anything solid.
I've seen madness, too. And it comes in all sorts of garments. Including totally harmless. Not all who are mad are harmful. Not all are even capable of harm. AND... some who are NOT mad... are VERY harmful, capable of GREAT harm. SO... what??? I mean, if you're SO concerned about madness... and particularly among those who profess a union with Christ... why aren't you expending your energies exposing the Pope? Or the GB? Or Pat Robertson? Billy Graham? Creflo Dollar? You know... those folks who use such claims to entice MILLIONS to follow THEM... and even sometimes to wage war and/or harm/kill their fellow man? I mean, if you are SO concerned? Why are you wasting your time with me... and some guys who thinks Satan lives in a paper box behind a store? We're small beans, man! Why waste your time with us?
And please... PLEASE... don't tell me it's because you're "concerned" about the "danger" I could/might cause to others. Because (1) I haven't caused ANY, and (2) there are way more folks out there causing danger... and you don't seem to be concerned with THEM...
You may not realise this but your responses are quite often as rude and aggressive as anything else seen here. Your tone is often very condesecending
First, I think you may be confusing assertiveness with rude/aggressive. Second, you haven't ever heard anyone else speak as I do... and so you take offense. Third, this is a INTERNET board... and for you to assume "tones" that I don't INTEND... is foolish. Fourth, you don't know me, not at all, personally or otherwise... because if you DID... you would "perceive" an entirely different tone that I believe you do.
hence why I'm much quicker to match your tone than I am with most others here.
But see, that's the problem, dear one: you THINK you're matching my "tone"... when you have no idea what my tone IS. You're reading words... and because of how YOU perceive... are implying things that truly aren't there. Let me give you an example: I once had to reprimand an employee. Why? Because she had removed the furniture from the lobby of one of the properties I oversaw... yes, all of it... to furnish her empty house during an "open house". She was selling it but her stuff was shabby. Residents called me complaining that someone had wandered in off the street and taken the lobby furniture. When I went to check, however, the furniture was there. When I told this employee about the calls I received, she feigned ignorance, had "absolutely no idea" what the residents were talking about.
Unfortunately, her RE agent made... wait for it... FLYERS... which showed the furniture! So, she and I had to have a talk. And we did. I told her that I was going to write her up, that I would write up ANY employee who removed company property without permission, and that she would be put on probation. I told her that what she did was absolutely unacceptable, under no uncertain terms, and no such conduct would be tolerated again. Now... the TRUTH is that I should have fired her. ANY other supervisor in my position would have fired their employee. But... she begged me not to (because her housing was tied to the property). So, I gave in... and let her keep her job and housing (yes, what she did was a serious violation of company policy, but I didn't think the punishment should be homelessness).
She signed the discipline form... and we went on from there. Until I noticed, one day, that some mutual friends were treating me... "strange." When I asked if something was wrong, they denied it. But I finally got it out of one person (who was more loyal to me than to her). I was told by this person that this employee was going around telling everyone that I had been "cruel" to her... because I had "yelled" at her... for nothing! Now, of course, I can't tell these others what actually took place (and this employee KNEW this!)... because I would be in breach of employee confidentiality. So, I endured many months of people thinking I had actually BEEN cruel... and yelled (which, if you knew me, was absurd).
But let me tell YOU, dear Q... I have never... EVER... raised my voice... OR spoken to ANYONE... cruelly... in my entire life. Not once. Not ever. Other than about 5 weeks ago... when my beloved Li-Li got off her leash and ran into the street in front of truck! I did yell, then... but even so, it was a hoarse yell. You see, I sing... and so my voice WON'T yell! Never has.
I eventually did discuss the matter with people that I COULD talk about it with... because I wanted the lies to STOP. So, they spoke to HER. And what did they come back and tell me? That she admitted that I had not yelled at her at ALL... nor had I been cruel... at ALL... but that she was mad... AT HERSELF... for doing what she did, getting caught, and having to HAVE me even speak to her. BUT... she didn't know how to deal with what SHE felt... HER chagrin... and SHAME... and so she blamed me.
Why did I tell you this? Because I believe that that is exactly what's happening here: rather than looking at YOURSELF as to why what I share "bothers" YOU... you want to turn it into being about "how" I state it. Versus... your inability to RECEIVE it... AS it's stated. But I would have to ask you to look at yourself... and ask yourself... why YOU are offended?
Better yet, at WHAT are you offended? Because you've given sort of conflicting things: either it's WHAT I state... or how I state it. If it's WHAT I state, I must again ask you... why does it bother YOU? If it's HOW I state it, I would apologize... and say please don't read negative "stuff" into my tone, for there really is none there... as well as perhaps you might consider asking yourself why in the world anything I... someone you've never met and don't even know... have to say... and how I say it... offends YOU.
Normally I just enjoy reading people's contributions and don't feel too moved to stick my oar in.
Yes, but when it's from "AGuest", you simply cannot help yourself. Right? Again, I don't think that has as much to do with ME... as it does with YOU. I mean, if I irritate you THAT much... why address me, at all? Why BOTHER?
This topic however, is at the heart of the philosophical and religious question - why do we suffer? This is so important a topic that all faith hangs on it
In YOUR opinion, okay... Why, though, does that have to be MY opinion?
- if god did not offer a way to escape suffering I suspect only the irrational or insane would be tempted to add to their burden by taking up the cross as well.
As with your opinions, you're also entitled to state what you suspect. Must I agree (I don't, but I had to ask)?
It cannot be answered simply by saying that your special relationship with god answers it -
For YOU perhaps not... but that's YOU, dear Q. Some would say the same thing about evolution (how we got here, etc., cannot simply be answered by saying that we evolved). Right? So, how can YOU say the question cannot be answered in such a way for others/everyone?? I mean, so long as it suffices for one ASKING...
you must realise most of us here do not have any such relationship so an appeal to your subjectve experience is of academic interest but not of any practical use
I DO realize that... which is why I endeavor not only share all that I receive, but from WHOM I receive it! I hold virtually NOTHING back. Why? So that if you are WISHING you, too, can know the POSSIBILITY... which is the same for YOU as it is for ME. But you don't truly CARE about my subjective experience... not at ALL... because if you DID... you would have called. You didn't. I didn't hide from you. I don't hide here.
As for practicality, I think that would depend on the person: perhaps not for YOU... and those who think/believe/disbelieve like YOU. But for those who think/believe differently... is it not up to them as to the practicality? Are you, though, not doing the EXACT same thing as you accuse religion: trying to CONTROL and DICTATE what others can/do/should/should not... think/believe/disbelieve?
- as you've made clear before - your god is only there for those select few who meet his criteria and the rest of us are toast.
The rest don't have to BE toast, though, dear one. It is their CHOICE... as it is YOURS. Don't want to be toast? Then...
Any answers you have that square your conscience with Jah while innocent and unlearned billions bleed and die in agony ground into a merciless earth by natural and man made disasters are quite rightly to be derided as of no use to them.
Yet, those are the very ones that look for, often put faith in, and embrace such answers, aren't they? Let me ask you, dear one: what "disasters" have YOU undergone? On the other hand... okay, let's say there's no God (which, again, blows me away because you MUST believe there is one... else, why be so ANGRY with "Him"): what are YOU doing about these "innocent and unlearned"? Because, see, MY God... has told ME to "do something" as best I can for as many as I can. And so... I do. And so, whether "He" exists or not... if I am compelled TO do something... ME... personally... to ease the "suffering" of such ones... the best I can... why do you still find fault?
Part of my ire is in the glib discussion that is used to excuse our mental gods and by extension ourselves as slaves of said gods and downplay the real tragedy and evil that requires countless deaths as part of a divine plan.
I have the same ire, dear one... at those who believe in no God... and so find it completely acceptable to, say, wipe out entire tribes/villages, etc., in the name of oil, gold, diamonds, power, authority, military might, etc... or for whatever reasons... because they don't "believe" they have anyone to answer to. They are "atheists", openly and admittedly.
Yet, I don't blame YOU for what THEY do... nor do I attack YOU when you try to explain that atheists "don't" do such. When we all know they do. I don't care that you don't believe... and I don't care about your response to questions such as this enough to take issue with you, personally.
Unlike you... and many "bible-thumpers", as some are called... I don't see the difference between the two. Truly. There are some religious people who are evil... and there are some who try to do good. There are some atheists who are evil... and some who try to do good. MY faith is not contingent upon belonging to either of these groups. I am not a "democrat" or "republican"... or one who buys into the notion that one must be of one group or the other. Because just as with my FAITH... my politics are NOT defined by the two groups that "most" acknowledge, the popular camps.
Perhaps I walk to the beat of my own "drum," dear Q. Again, I must ask you: SO WHAT??
Again, I bid you peace, truly... and I remain YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
SA