charley Posted January 27, 2006 Author Share Posted January 27, 2006 I could try to curse her, but it may not be worth the effort. She does such a damn good job of fucking up her own life -- I don't think I could do any better. Hell, maybe I should send her a thank you note for curing me of my "faith." Great! Sometimes, all we need to do is take a good honest look at our feelings, as you did in raising this issue, for things to naturally snap into focus. So many people repress "unaccaptable" emotions like anger so severely and automatically that they never achieve the insights you have. Being able to admit to and seek an outlet for anger is fundamental for self-respect, in my thinking. Because when you have enough respect for these responses to consider that they could be legitamate instead of automatically repressing them, you quickly get to the point of being able to decide to have them , or not, according to your own values, as you have done. It's all about giving that devil inside a little respect, they're working hard to look after us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 So many people repress "unaccaptable" emotions like anger so severely and automatically that they never achieve the insights you have. Being able to admit to and seek an outlet for anger is fundamental for self-respect, in my thinking. Because when you have enough respect for these responses to consider that they could be legitamate instead of automatically repressing them, you quickly get to the point of being able to decide to have them , or not, according to your own values, as you have done. It's all about giving that devil inside a little respect, they're working hard to look after us. Almond to that. I get so tired of people like my stepmom who say "think positive" all the time. It denies any other feelings you may have. If you don't deal with them in a healthy way and you repress them instead, you run the risk of blowing up at someone over a seemingly small straw that breaks the camel's back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyous1 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Thank you charley, I knew you'd be able to help. You got me thinking about the 7 deadly sins: ENVY SLOTH GLUTTONY WRATH PRIDE LUST GREED Looking back in all honesty, wrath is the only one I really fought and felt guilty about. Maybe pride, but only a bit. I put on a good show of humility and never felt guilty about my hypocracy. Casting off the humble-mantle after my deconversion was easy. I was always too prideful to envy others much. And if I see something I want I just find a way to earn it for myself, so I never felt much guilt over greed either. I always knew I never felt sufficiently guilty about lust. Somehere deep down inside me I think I always regarded sexual passion as a sacred thing, so I never fought that temptation with much conviction. Fight against the temptations of Sloth and gluttony? Am I the only ex-christian who, for the most part, just accepted my sinful nature as a natural thing? Maybe it's a Catholic thing, we can go to confession and be absolved of anything so sin doesn't seem like such a big deal. If I had ever taken my sinfulness seriously I wouldn't have been able to function. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charley Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 Am I the only ex-christian who, for the most part, just accepted my sinful nature as a natural thing? Maybe it's a Catholic thing, we can go to confession and be absolved of anything so sin doesn't seem like such a big deal. If I had ever taken my sinfulness seriously I wouldn't have been able to function. I think that most christians don't take their sinfulnes seriously all the time and that allows them to be hypocrites. Whenever anyone makes a serious attempt to repent they realize it's impossible. In my opinion, christianity is just a poor vehicle that people derive any inspiration from in spite of it, and more out of their own desperate need to be inspired to make themselves into what they need to be to get what they want....but of course, I'm preaching to the choir... So, formalizing ones beliefs in a different way is just evolution of intellectual and emotional honesty. I always knew I never felt sufficiently guilty about lust. Somehere deep down inside me I think I always regarded sexual passion as a sacred thing, so I never fought that temptation with much conviction. ....Ah, yes...you catholic girls are notorious for not taking this sin seriously, as imortalized by Frank Zappa in his song Catholic Girls : '...cath-o-lic girllzz....you know how they go...." (etc.) Shame on you. ...glad you found my thoughts helpful, and you are very welcome... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyous1 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 ....Ah, yes...you catholic girls are notorious for not taking this sin seriously, as imortalized by Frank Zappa in his song Catholic Girls : '...cath-o-lic girllzz....you know how they go...." (etc.) Shame on you. no more shame! (click photo to enlarge) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charley Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 OhNoooo.... ...HaHa...Any girl who came to school dressed up like that would fall victim of penguin-abuse for sure..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurekid Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 Apparently for those who want to enjoy "celestial sex" there is no reason to avoid belief in the Bible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charley Posted February 12, 2006 Author Share Posted February 12, 2006 Apparently for those who want to enjoy "celestial sex" there is no reason to avoid belief in the Bible Thank you for that entry. That is a very interesting group of people. I have been thinking some of polygamists recently, and how they make it work. You know, viewing christians in moderate or extreme-fringe forms as noted above, can be similar to how human conflicts are seen when portrayed in forms of popular entertainment . For instance, in science fiction, most people who enjoy it are aware that the space ships and aliens are not the real subject matter, and that these unusual and inhuman things and environments are used to contrast and thereby highlight the intensely human conflicts and issues that are what the stories are really about. For example, the "voyages of the starship enterprise" are not really about treking the stars and accumulating knowledge about other places as much as confronting challenges and learning anout ourselves and others like us. In a similar fashion, when we look at these people who speak of gods and how they talk to them and hear them talk back, the real forces and beings being portrayed here are not what they are describing, but they are showing us extremes of our own potential behaviors as humans. The real forces at work are not the holy spirit and its' love or wrath, but the rules of social psychology and the drive common in us all to herd together for safety and prosperity, through shared values and social order. It's interesting to see how the rules that we take for granted as being necessary for lasting intimate relationships can be bent and re-applied by polygamists, claiming authority from god almighty. It's almost as if an alien beamed directly on to the bridge of the enterprise and took over the whole ship! The evil "Q", perhaps (my favorite!). But there is something that is very valuable to me in hearing of them....because when I see how they can apparently flaunt all conventions and live as they choose...it gives me faith that someday I....wretch that I am....may too someday have a threesome as a daily menu choice.....praise god.....beam me up now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurekid Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 someday I....wretch that I am....may too someday have a threesome as a daily menu choice.....praise god I guess you'd only have to ask yourself if its worth feigning a ridiculous belief in the here and now... The whole thing just makes me laugh. The whole reason I rejected biblegod is because I have higher morals than he does. Maybe if you were the ultimate man you could marry some swedish models who were cardiologists and dermatologists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charley Posted February 17, 2006 Author Share Posted February 17, 2006 I guess you'd only have to ask yourself if its worth feigning a ridiculous belief in the here and now... ...You missed my sarcasm. I don't come here to trade the politically correct environment of christians for another here that would be equally humorless, and I enjoy being faithless and laughingly above issues when I can. You haven't really left biblegod, because you still think in "his" terms or morals. You are merely competing with him in the morality game that jews and christians made, by being more "moral" than they, or "he". That's merely a reaction, not a radical revolution. A distinction without an essential difference from those you criticize. Throw all that crap out and live on a basis of desire and you are being truly different. Truly revolutionary. ...I feign the ridiculous beliefs of people every day. If I didn't, we would have to kill each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Broke Free Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Throw all that crap out and live on a basis of desire and you are being truly different. Truly revolutionary. Thank you Charley; very well put. What is life but a series of choices (giving in to desire)? Christians try and define ‘desire’ as somehow evil or offensive to god, but even the decision to follow a fundy version of Christianity is in itself giving in to a personal desire; the desire to be part of a group, to relinquish responsibility, to be right! Life presents all of us with a series of desires. It is the combination of the desires each of us chooses that make us all unique. As long as the desires we choose to pursue bring joy into the lives of others or ourselves without undo harm to others, then you have not wasted your life. IBF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurekid Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 ...You missed my sarcasm. I don't come here to trade the politically correct environment of christians for another here that would be equally humorless, and I enjoy being faithless and laughingly above issues when I can. You haven't really left biblegod, because you still think in "his" terms or morals. You are merely competing with him in the morality game that jews and christians made, by being more "moral" than they, or "he". That's merely a reaction, not a radical revolution. A distinction without an essential difference from those you criticize. Throw all that crap out and live on a basis of desire and you are being truly different. Truly revolutionary. ...I feign the ridiculous beliefs of people every day. If I didn't, we would have to kill each other. I certainly didn't think I missed your sarcasm, but if so, then oops! As to biblegod's morals, who knows what set of messed up people kludged them together. The specific point I guess I was referring to is biblegod's adamant proponency of human slavery. As to living in a revolutionary way - I'm a quiet revolutionary right now, but I plan to have a big impact on the world (hopefully). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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