Jonathan H. B. Lobl

I agree. Putting great ideas into practice is the hard part. Perhaps you remember the Asehops fable about the cat and mice. The mice agreed that someone had to put a bell around the cat's neck. One old mouse said - "Yes. But who will bell the cat? Theory and practice. 😆 Jonathan

No. Also no children. This works out well because I never took a wife. I never found anyone I wanted to be married to. It's one of the few serious mistakes I managed to avoid. So many of my peers are on their second divorce. 😆🤣

A lot of topics are self limiting. The threads on Agnosticism and Atheism have been beaten to death. I doubt anyone has changed their opinion on vaccination or masking. Well, updates. I still have to mask up at my senior center and medical places. Otherwise, masking has largely passed. I had the new bivalent vaccine booster. Vaccine booster rates are low. Things are not quite normal. Or maybe they are. Jonathan 😀

I have a social nature but I have run out of things to say. Jonathan

Thank you. I have also missed you. 😀

You have chosen an extreme example. I have little to offer in the way of wisdom. A less extreme example: A person who I regarded as a friend, who was also one of my teachers, who I had business dealings with -- bounced a check off me and disappeared into the night. I could have mourned the loss of the money. A $200 check. Instead I decided that it was a small price to be rid of a false friend. Your example is more complicated. If the situation keeps you from sleeping. If it affects your health. You will be less able to protect your children and your enemy has found another way to harm you. Your rage will not harm this person. It will consume you. A Buddhist idea that I find helpful is the middle path of moderation. Get enough sleep. Don't sleep your life away. Don't starve yourself. Don't be a gluten. Don't be lazy. Don't work yourself to death. Etc. Buddha himself was not always a good example. He abandoned his wife and child to seek enlightenment. This is not something his wife agreed to or his son. I think it was a vile, despicable and selfish decision. Then again, Buddha was only a man. For all of his great wisdom, a flawed man like the rest of us.

The basic ideas are solid. The path has had 3,000 years of professional monks to make things complicated. I do have a few concerns. Buddha was clear that everything was subject to confirmation. Including his teachings. This is a path to enlightenment. After 3,000 years, there should be a lot of Buddhas. Where are they? Perhaps I have wrong ideas about what it means to be enlightened. Or what it means to be a Buddha. That said, to my understanding, Buddha was an Agnostic. He seems to have disdained gods and metaphysics.

The whole idea of releasing the transitory and understanding that everything passes. It really helps in dealing with all manner of loss. The idea of letting go of anger and resentment. It makes mental health more understandable. Anger is a fire. It burns. Releasing desire is also useful. IMO.

In my own terms, I would call this grounding. Still, I think we are in agreement. Jonathan

I have found the basic ideas of Buddhism very helpful. I don't regard myself as Buddhist.

Yes. Just so. ☺

Interesting. Thank you.

I read the Gospels. Jesus is explicit. His Kingdom is not of this world. I have no objections. He can run his kingdom as he sees fit. I won't be there.

We can split a few hairs. I am not concerned with God's authority in the kingdom of Heaven. So long as we DON'T have THEOCRACY on Earth.

What do you mean - "authority of Scripture"? Does Scripture have authority? Who enforces that authority?

Behind all of this is the assumption that Jesus had the authority to change the law. The rabbinic authorities, then and now, do not agree that this is so.

You sent me to Matt 19: I read it. Now you're mad because I don't see your spin. What I am seeing is why there are so many divisions within Christianity. Christians can't agree on this stuff. What do you want from me?

Open any Bible and read the actual text. Jesus is not telling a story. He is standing in front of them and cursing a fig tree to death. Then they stand there, lost in admiration for how quickly the tree died. Am I seeing something that isn't there? Take this one step further. Pretend that you are one of the disciples. Jesus is in a bad mood. He's hungry and he just killed a tree - because he's hungry and in a bad mood. What would you say to him? "Oh wow! That was great!" Dude had a temper. Would you tell him to chill?

I went back and read Matt 21:19. 1. Jesus cursed the fig tree to death. 2. He did this in front of his disciples. 3. His disciples marveled at how quickly the tree died. 4. In verse 21, Jesus explains to his disciples that this is a an example of spiritual power. He goes on to explain that this is nothing. That they can make a mountain jump into the sea. What the bleep is wrong with you? Didn't you think that I would pick up a Bible and check? This is no parable. It's straight out narrative.

Where does the text state that it's a parable instead of a narrative?

That is the nature of evidence free, fact free faith. All convictions. No reasoning.

Please Dan. No more bovine flatulence. I read the book for myself.

By my reading of the Gospels, Jesus had his flaws as a man. Consider the story of the fig tree. It was out of season to bear fruit, so Jesus killed it because he was hungry and in a bad mood. Dude had a temper. If this is how he treats a tree, how is he going to treat an actual opponent? So much for - "Love your enemies."

Your declarations are clear enough. Nothing that I say to you will change anything. I am not motivated to continue.