Random Thoughts

[Spinal]

The matching penguins are a nice touch.

[Wryan]

People love to say "the unvarnished truth" or the like, but I'm pretty sure no one in the history of the world has used the reverse.

*slams fist on table* "This speech has been varnished!"

[chrisnu]

Your church really didn't emphasize service or community or civic obligations at all? Really? That's kind of baffling to me.

At the Calvary Chapel I attended (which had 10,000 attendees in 2007), the only thing resembling "community service" was a single food closet, stocked entirely by church attendees. They did have ministries to convalescent homes and prisons, but they were extremely small and received no publicity.

[Mara]

People love to say "the unvarnished truth" or the like, but I'm pretty sure no one in the history of the world has used the reverse.

*slams fist on table* "This speech has been varnished!"

Have you read How I Met My Wife?

[Ezee E]

I've went to multiple churches growing up spent years in christian and catholic schools and there was never talk about making the world a better place for other people. There was plenty of talk that if you didn't get everyone you knew to accept Jesus they were going to hell. And telling us it would be on our conscience if we didn't do everything we could to convert them.

As a Catholic, and as one that was also an alter server for many a years, I have to question your statement here. First off, you said you went, maybe twenty times in eighteen years? Hardly one to say anything there. Second, Church is so boring, that I wonder how you even paid attention to the homily during those early years when our attention span was to simply get out of Church. The homily is the only time that you get away from the Bible. Now, depending on the Priest you have, I'm sure there are some that will want to at least speak about the Church, converting others, etc... But if they don't, they'll go to hell? I don't know. That would certainly get my attention, and I never did hear that.

Bake sales were common, sure. But I think we're forgetting about the Youth Groups that are basically at every Church that do plenty of Charity work. Whether it be Soup Kitchens, assisting villages in Central America, YMCA work, etc.

Also, like Davis, I never heard any talk of the Rapture, outside of some Sodom & Gomorrah discussions, and the Book of Revelations, which is completely different on its own. The "Rapture" that was believed to happen on Saturday isn't even associated with Catholic or Eastern Orthodox beliefs. There's just a small passage in the Old Testament (among numerous others) about the end of the world.

I'm not even a relgious person anymore. I have beliefs, but I've stopped going to Church since college, not because I don't believe, but because I find it absolutely boring and pointless when I've heard the same readings again and again.

What bothers me are blanket statements like the above that make all religious people seem single-minded and hateful. There's some great discussion in the Atheist thread, which I've participated in. Luckily, most call out the people that do create this type of thinking, and avoid the blanket statements.

Hmm... Long post.

[Dukefrukem]

I'd like to second E's post on all points with the exception as server as an alter boy. I went to Church every Sunday and every major holiday, including Ash Wednesday, Good Friday etc until I made my confirmation at 14, and never heard anything about the Rapture or committing people to Hell if you didn't convince people.

[number8]

Altar.

[EyesWideOpen]

I only ever went to Christian churches. I went to a Christian school for middle school and my catholic experience only revolved around my freshmen year of high school where I went to a catholic school. And obviously I don't remember a lot of what was going on in mass/services of either school or church but I know that we never went out and did anything for the community or were asked to. We were given assignments to seek out friends/family who had not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and bring them into the fold.

I don't understand why you think I was trying to make a blanket statement (you didn't accuse Davis of making a blanket statement that all churches he's attended were helping the community) either nor do I doubt that their are lots of churches that do community service I just don't remember any of the one's I went to ever discussing it.

I don't remember any talk about rapture either besides the discussion on Revelations.

[bac0n]

I went to Catholic school through 12th grade. We had volunteer opportunities aplenty where I went, but no talk of rapture or any of that, at least not in the classes that I took.

[Ezee E]

I don't understand why you think I was trying to make a blanket statement (you didn't accuse Davis of making a blanket statement that all churches he's attended were helping the community) either nor do I doubt that their are lots of churches that do community service I just don't remember any of the one's I went to ever discussing it.

I think it's more that you made the idea that all Christian/Catholic beliefs do as you said, only for you to then reveal that you've gone to Church twentysome times in twentysome years, many of which were completely different theologies.

And then just a small rant in general.

[Wryan]

Have you read How I Met My Wife?

"She was a descript person, a woman in a state of total array. Her hair was kempt, her clothing shevelled, and she moved in a gainly way."

Fantastic. Wish I had written it.

[Mara]

Fantastic. Wish I had written it.

Yeah. Me too.

[Scar]

Went to bible school, and Catholic mass just about every Sunday until I was 18. Lots of community stuff, no damnation talk.

Been to one Lutheran funeral (technically a double funeral), and the pastor/priest/whatever went on a soap box about the 10 commandments and if you don't follow them properly you'll be damned. Nice touch for a funeral. :|

[Kurosawa Fan]

That was my experience with Lutheranism as well. Absolutely horrid doctrine that pushes fear of damnation and religious intolerance. Couldn't wait to rinse that stink off my skin.

[number8]

http://brandontauszik.com/prayformercy/

Scroll all the way to the right to hear Camping's admission of defeat. More sad than funny.

SCRATCH THAT! THE MAN HAS FOUND A BETTER ANSWER!

‘The finish five months from now – we’re not changing the date, we’re just learning we have to look at this more spiritually. The Bible clearly teaches on October 21 that the world will be destroyed, but it will be very quick. When you study the Bible, you’re always learning. We had all of our dates correct.

'But God had not opened our eyes yet to the fact that May 21 was a spiritual coming – not a physical coming. Our task is done. We didn't understand the spiritual meaning of May 21.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1NEEIzdxY

[Spinal]

'But God had not opened our eyes yet to the fact that May 21 was a spiritual coming – not a physical coming.

There's nothing worse than coming and not realizing it until two days later.

[soitgoes...]

I was brought up in a Lutheran household, went to a Lutheran church, etc., and though I have completely flipped to the dark side, I would never say anything derogatory about the two pastors at my then church. They were both great, funny men. Church overall was a bore, but it wasn't because of them. That's about as close as I'll ever come to defending my Christian upbringing.

[Dukefrukem]

SCRATCH THAT! THE MAN HAS FOUND A BETTER ANSWER!

So Oct the Earth melts now?

At least we get the summer.

[Qrazy]

He's just trying to buy time until his Rapture lines up with the Mayan Apocalypse, fucking poseur.

[Spinal]

Imagine enduring the most humilating experience of your life, witnessed by everyone on the planet with access to the internet. And then, two days later, scheduling an appointment to have it happen again in five months.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Yeah, I'll say this for the guy: he certainly has an indefatigable spirit and courage.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Imagine enduring the most humilating experience of your life, witnessed by everyone on the planet with access to the internet. And then, two days later, scheduling an appointment to have it happen again in five months.

Indeed. If only he had millions of freely donated, untaxable dollars as a salve for those bitter wounds.

[soitgoes...]

I don't think my cat has ever killed anything larger than a spider. What he does like to do is plop himself underneath a tree where two scrub jays have their nest. He does nothing but hang out there. The two scrub jays go berserk for hours, screeching at him incessantly, and he does nothing more than occasionally look around to see what all the fuss is about. There are plenty of places he could go, but he chooses that spot for no other reason than to piss off a couple of birds. Sometimes he does things that make me mad as hell, but things like this are one of the reasons I love him so much.

[number8]

I'm curious about that guy who spent his entire $140,000 life savings on these Rapture billboards and vans all over NYC. Does he still believe Camping? Is he bitter that he should've left enough to sustain him for the next five months?

Anyway, I don't feel any sympathy for any of these selfish fucking yahoos, but I do feel really, really bad for the children they've starved and effectively fucked over.

[Ezee E]

Camping must have a really effective voice, because believing anyone that old and wrinkly seems like believing the crazy old man talk about war stories when he wasn't even in the war.