Sunday Dispatch

[Guest afireinside]

 

 

 

That is one reason I like this forum. It gives me the chance to share my views

and I also get to read what those who disagree with me think.

 

Funny, then, that you have never shown a single sign of actually caring about what other people here think. So you read ... for what reason?

To annoy us with nonsense arguments against what we think. I am beginning to believe he's not actually a Christian just a guy who is taking the piss.

[FreeThinkerNZ]

 

 

 

That is one reason I like this forum. It gives me the chance to share my views

and I also get to read what those who disagree with me think.

Funny, then, that you have never shown a single sign of actually caring about what other people here think. So you read ... for what reason?

To annoy us with nonsense arguments against what we think. I am beginning to believe he's not actually a Christian just a guy who is taking the piss.

 

He's not worth getting annoyed about, mate. 

[midniterider]

IH is keeping the forum lively. He's a masochist. Let him stay. :-)

[FreeThinkerNZ]

I think the original question was what to do about this thread, on the basis that he said from the start that he wouldn't discuss in it, rather than whether to ban him.  As soon as someone mentioned this, he caved and started discussing.  I agree, don't ban him, he hasn't been abusive.  But if he starts any more threads with a refusal to discuss, that's another story IMO.

[midniterider]

Well, the forum isn't a Christian advertising platform, I agree. Though it seems IH's messages don't even mention Jesus some of the time. So it's like this thread was started by a used car salesman who doesnt really ask anyone to buy a used car, only that it would be nice to not have to walk as often? His weekly post is milk when everyone is expecting some meat.

 

I suppose someone should actually discuss something on a discussion board instead of just post quotes by famous people.

[Roz]

We're ex Christians, we've seen the used car salespeople and we know the tricks of the trade to get people into Christianity.  We used to do it ourselves. 

 

This is why my former sect SDA, when starting a 'revival series,' talk about Ellen White last.  They spoon feed people nothing but the goodie goodie generic 'jesus wants to save you!' messages for the first few weeks.  Then when you're properly diluted they then talk about the great White prophet.  Everyone else follows the same basic plan, just with different pronouns. 

 

We know what IH is trying to do, and I for one would vote that he keep going.  Unlike churches or religious sites where they will escort you out the moment you give serious questions, this is a place to freely ask those questions.  So far, those questions prove to rip apart Christianity. 

[midniterider]

It was a fundy who posted this article on FB for another unrelated topic.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kim-simon/i-am-a-kind-mama_b_5219336.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000037

[ironhorse]

Sunday Dispatch.15

 

"I foolishly thought that if I just 'made it' then everything would be okay.
And everything wasn't okay."
~ Trent Reznor

 

Sometimes in life it hits the fan: unfulfilled dreams, rejection, substance abuse, depression, suffering, loneliness, separation, tragedy, disease, death.

 

Good songwriters often express this anguish of being messed up in a messed up world. Billy Corgan said the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” by The Smashing Pumpkins was based on “the human condition of the mortal soul.”

 

“Hurt” by Trent Reznor was released on the album “The Downward Spiral” by Nine Inch Nails. It is one sad song. Reznor, when he penned the lyrics, was going through a ton of trouble. During the five years following the release of The Downward Spiral, Reznor struggled with depression, social anxiety disorder, and the death of his grandmother (who raised him). During this period of intense grief, Reznor began abusing alcohol, cocaine, and other drugs. He eventually became addicted to alcohol and cocaine.

 

In 2003 Johnny Cash covered the song. 71 years of age at the time of filming , Cash had serious health problems and his frailty is starkly evident in the video. He died seven months later. His wife June Carter Cash, who participated in the video, died three months after filming, closely preceding him in death. The house where the video for 'Hurt' was shot, which was Cash's home for nearly 30 years, was destroyed in a fire on April 10, 2007.

 

Later Reznor’s commented on the song and Cash’s video: “I pop the video in, and wow... Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps... Wow. [i felt like] I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn't mine anymore... It really made me think about how powerful music is as a medium and art form."

 

 

Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
My eyes grow weak with sorrow,
My soul and body with grief
~Psalm 31:9

[bornagainathiest]

"Intellectual dishonesty is the DNA of the Christian apologist."   Raoul.

 

 

Ironhorse, 

 

Your intellectual dishonesty disgusts me!

[TheRedneckProfessor]

Sunday Dispatch.15

 

"I foolishly thought that if I just 'made it' then everything would be okay.

And everything wasn't okay."

~ Trent Reznor

 

Sometimes in life it hits the fan: unfulfilled dreams, rejection, substance abuse, depression, suffering, loneliness, separation, tragedy, disease, death.

 

Good songwriters often express this anguish of being messed up in a messed up world. Billy Corgan said the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” by The Smashing Pumpkins was based on “the human condition of the mortal soul.”

 

“Hurt” by Trent Reznor was released on the album “The Downward Spiral” by Nine Inch Nails. It is one sad song. Reznor, when he penned the lyrics, was going through a ton of trouble. During the five years following the release of The Downward Spiral, Reznor struggled with depression, social anxiety disorder, and the death of his grandmother (who raised him). During this period of intense grief, Reznor began abusing alcohol, cocaine, and other drugs. He eventually became addicted to alcohol and cocaine.

 

In 2003 Johnny Cash covered the song. 71 years of age at the time of filming , Cash had serious health problems and his frailty is starkly evident in the video. He died seven months later. His wife June Carter Cash, who participated in the video, died three months after filming, closely preceding him in death. The house where the video for 'Hurt' was shot, which was Cash's home for nearly 30 years, was destroyed in a fire on April 10, 2007.

 

Later Reznor’s commented on the song and Cash’s video: “I pop the video in, and wow... Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps... Wow. [i felt like] I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn't mine anymore... It really made me think about how powerful music is as a medium and art form."

 

 

How can anyone look at the world you just described and believe the following bible verse is true?

 

"By his stripes we are healed."  Isaiah 53:5

[♦ ficino ♦]

Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;

My eyes grow weak with sorrow,

My soul and body with grief

~Psalm 31:9

Ironhorse, if these verses are describing you, you'll feel a lot better if you ditch the imaginary friend/boss and get real. Just sayin'... seriously, dude.

[xtify]

Sunday Dispatch.15

 

"I foolishly thought that if I just 'made it' then everything would be okay.

And everything wasn't okay."

~ Trent Reznor

 

Sometimes in life it hits the fan: unfulfilled dreams, rejection, substance abuse, depression, suffering, loneliness, separation, tragedy, disease, death.

 

Good songwriters often express this anguish of being messed up in a messed up world. Billy Corgan said the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” by The Smashing Pumpkins was based on “the human condition of the mortal soul.”

 

“Hurt” by Trent Reznor was released on the album “The Downward Spiral” by Nine Inch Nails. It is one sad song. Reznor, when he penned the lyrics, was going through a ton of trouble. During the five years following the release of The Downward Spiral, Reznor struggled with depression, social anxiety disorder, and the death of his grandmother (who raised him). During this period of intense grief, Reznor began abusing alcohol, cocaine, and other drugs. He eventually became addicted to alcohol and cocaine.

 

In 2003 Johnny Cash covered the song. 71 years of age at the time of filming , Cash had serious health problems and his frailty is starkly evident in the video. He died seven months later. His wife June Carter Cash, who participated in the video, died three months after filming, closely preceding him in death. The house where the video for 'Hurt' was shot, which was Cash's home for nearly 30 years, was destroyed in a fire on April 10, 2007.

 

Later Reznor’s commented on the song and Cash’s video: “I pop the video in, and wow... Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps... Wow. [i felt like] I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn't mine anymore... It really made me think about how powerful music is as a medium and art form."

 

 

Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;

My eyes grow weak with sorrow,

My soul and body with grief

~Psalm 31:9

 

Oh dear.  I can see that you are trying.  I just don't think you understand that what you're saying is so old news for us here.  

 

Why should we cry out to a fictitious deity for support?  It doesn't actually work, first off.  And secondly, like I've already mentioned to you multiple times, we have already tried this to no avail.  

 

We are ex-christians, not "seekers" or whatever you christians label someone nowadays who holds on to vague notions that a personal relationship with Jesus is possible.  There are so many threads and posts on this forum about the undeniable suffering in life that your recent dispatch is a bit insulting... really.  

[Ravenstar]

We've all been through pain… some more than others. Suffering and loss and grief, it's a part of being human… how we deal with it is where character and integrity come from.

 

I have a pretty…umm… interesting history… been a hell of a run so far, so to say.

 

I've come to the realization (through experience), the choice... that I'm not a victim, of circumstance or anything else. I've also come to the conclusion that religion hasn't done much for me in the way of actually dealing with the bumps of life… actually nothing at all except to give me false hope and shift the responsibility for my life to some nebulous and psychologically crippling mental and emotional construct.  Nope, when it comes down to it .. it's up to me. To feel my loss and grief, feel and face the pain of my mistakes and to use that to grow as a person and act with compassion with others. .. because we never know their story, or what anyone else is dealing with on any day.

 

To live, today, in this world - with it's sunshine and it's storms - THAT is life. To retain our humanity and love for our friends and family and care for others - THAT is our challenge. To learn that we are responsible and capable - that is our strength. It doesn't come from without… it comes from within. Once we stand on our own two feet and face life directly (the help and support of loved ones is nice, sometimes therapy is in order) then… and only then does the real world become clear… with it's myriad shades and colours. It is beautiful, bittersweet… and all we have. Don't waste that on the hope of a fairytale life after death… because you will miss out on the true wonder of life.

 

You will not have lived at all.

[midniterider]

Musically talented and suffering from major emotional dysfunction. A great recipe for making lot of cash! Unfortunately (or fortunately) I am neither musically talented nor suffering major emotional dysfunction.

[mydisplayname]

In my life I'm at a point where I have to take three doses of doctor prescribed calming pills before I can lift my head up from the pillow. Then after a few minutes I can take a shower and go to work, doing something that I hate, so that I can pay the bills for people that I love, but who ultimately waste my money buying shit they don't need.

 

Then I sit in mind numbing traffic for an hour, listening to Christian radio and wondering if maybe I'm the deluded one. Maybe god is punishing me and if I simply repented then he would sort all of this shit out for me.

 

And then finally at work, after my morning meeting where I'm told how useless I am, I log into this site after the weekend and I read the post ironhorse posted, the guy claiming he knows the truth.

 

And what is this truth. 

 

Fucking Johnny Cash......

 

 

I know this isn't actually a democracy, but I would like to change my vote from keeping this thread open to closing it. I see no more value for lurkers here. We can't even post anything about christianity anymore because ironhorse is just posting random shit. 

[thereisnoperfect]

We've all been through pain… some more than others. Suffering and loss and grief, it's a part of being human… how we deal with it is where character and integrity come from.

 

I have a pretty…umm… interesting history… been a hell of a run so far, so to say.

 

I've come to the realization (through experience), the choice... that I'm not a victim, of circumstance or anything else. I've also come to the conclusion that religion hasn't done much for me in the way of actually dealing with the bumps of life… actually nothing at all except to give me false hope and shift the responsibility for my life to some nebulous and psychologically crippling mental and emotional construct.  Nope, when it comes down to it .. it's up to me. To feel my loss and grief, feel and face the pain of my mistakes and to use that to grow as a person and act with compassion with others. .. because we never know their story, or what anyone else is dealing with on any day.

 

To live, today, in this world - with it's sunshine and it's storms - THAT is life. To retain our humanity and love for our friends and family and care for others - THAT is our challenge. To learn that we are responsible and capable - that is our strength. It doesn't come from without… it comes from within. Once we stand on our own two feet and face life directly (the help and support of loved ones is nice, sometimes therapy is in order) then… and only then does the real world become clear… with it's myriad shades and colours. It is beautiful, bittersweet… and all we have. Don't waste that on the hope of a fairytale life after death… because you will miss out on the true wonder of life.

 

You will not have lived at all.

Ironhorse, if you're taking notes, this is an example of how to post something with substance and meaning. All your song lyrics and out-of-context quotes aren't going to have any impact on anybody's life. Ravenstar's thoughtful and heartfelt post will.

[xtify]

In my life I'm at a point where I have to take three doses of doctor prescribed calming pills before I can lift my head up from the pillow. Then after a few minutes I can take a shower and go to work, doing something that I hate, so that I can pay the bills for people that I love, but who ultimately waste my money buying shit they don't need.

 

Then I sit in mind numbing traffic for an hour, listening to Christian radio and wondering if maybe I'm the deluded one. Maybe god is punishing me and if I simply repented then he would sort all of this shit out for me.

 

And then finally at work, after my morning meeting where I'm told how useless I am, I log into this site after the weekend and I read the post ironhorse posted, the guy claiming he knows the truth.

 

And what is this truth. 

 

Fucking Johnny Cash......

 

 

I know this isn't actually a democracy, but I would like to change my vote from keeping this thread open to closing it. I see no more value for lurkers here. We can't even post anything about christianity anymore because ironhorse is just posting random shit. 

 

Well said.

[Aries256]

yeah I agree with closing this thread, seems like mostly random junk, at least should be in another category, such as off topic.

[duderonomy]

Most of us are tired of the third and second string Christians that God is sending here lately.

 

We are done with the milk of Christianity, we want meat.  Enough of this slop.   

[FreeThinkerNZ]

I vote to close this thread.  He can engage in other threads.

[♦ ficino ♦]

In the spirit of many Christian contributions to this thread, I thought I'd post something significant:

 

"Yummy, yummy, yummy

I got love in my tummy and I feel like a-lovin' you
Love, you're such a sweet thing, good enough to eat thing
And it's just a-what I'm gonna do..."

 

[bornagainathiest]

I second what FTNZ said.

 

According to the Den's guidelines Ironhorse is permitted to evangelize here.

However, his behavior has now devolved from that of a Christian evangelist into something else.   Something along these lines...

 

*  Consistently avoiding genuine and serious questions.

 

*  Promising to answer questions about his own posts and points  - and consistently failing to do so.

 

*  Cut-and-paste quote mining.

 

*  Hit-and-run posting of music vids.

 

If nothing else, the locking down of this thread should focus his mind and 'encourage' him to get his shit act together.  

 

Thanks,

 

BAA 

[TheRedneckProfessor]

This is just my two cents, but I thought this thread should have been closed down about three weeks after it was started.  This is nothing more than wasting bandwidth on non-productive drivel.  Bandwidth that could be better served with a good fight, if we had any christians worthy of one.

[midniterider]

This is just my two cents, but I thought this thread should have been closed down about three weeks after it was started.  This is nothing more than wasting bandwidth on non-productive drivel.  Bandwidth that could be better served with a good fight, if we had any christians worthy of one.

 

No sir, this here is a waste of bandwidth:

 

http://www.christianforums.com/

 

:-)

[buffettphan]

 

This is just my two cents, but I thought this thread should have been closed down about three weeks after it was started.  This is nothing more than wasting bandwidth on non-productive drivel.  Bandwidth that could be better served with a good fight, if we had any christians worthy of one.

 

No sir, this here is a waste of bandwidth:

 

http://www.christianforums.com/

 

:-)

 

 

 

And here's another one:

 

http://forums.catholic.com/

 

 

 

Edited to add:

 

http://www.answersingenesis.org/

 

 

I'll stop now, because the list would be neverending!