Brother Kaman

Are these scores, ney thousands, of other forums religious in nature? So much of what is discussed here are Christian topics and it certainly limits my participation and I would imagine it would limit others, as well. It could very well be that it has become cozy and new members or guests can see that it has a "private club" feel to it, if indeed it does.

Well, lets see. You can't keep the two cats because of financial restraints plus you already have your alotment of animals. The people the cats belong to just don't care about the cats or themselves for that matter. I think you already know the answer to your questions including the "Cat Lady." Can't save them all.

There is a world of wisdom in that one sentence.

The Yaqui indians of northern Mexico believe their shamans can shape shift to crows. The Don Juan books by Carlos Castaneda are a good read.

Each year the Magpie visits and leaves me a feather. It is always left in a place where I can't miss it. Yesterday there were about 25 to 30 Magpies in my yard. I am begining to believe they may be my totem animal.

So we should take no stand, teach and believe nothing for fear that we may be wrong?

You consider it your duty to indoctrinate your child as to your position on morals. As parents, we always try to instill (indoctrinate) in our children what is right and best for them.

If I have a heartfelt belief that something is true, then I would consider it my duty to try to pass that along to my child. If I am just playing at having a belief system then my children would be welcome to play whatever games they wish.

Say there, Rev'd Rattlesnake, what happened to the art work and your avatar?

My Stumpy Tailed Australian Cattle Dog seems to prefer skunks to most any thing else, including bees or spiders.

Wow. Your uncle and I must look a lot alike!

People do get along like animals. They get along like the animals they are. The human animal is a vicious one.

Then folk will begin judging the books by the covers.

Many, many people wear different faces depending on the situation. Before I retired, I was a different person at work than when I was at home. I am a different person as a husband than as a father and different yet as a grandfather. I am not always the same to each clerk at each store that I shop. I am a different person to each of my friends. The difficulty, or ease, of being on line is that you can be the same person to everyone on a particular forum or social site such as this forum or facebook. The problem with these venues are that we cannot see each other as we communicate to see the wry smile, the look of hatred, the compassion in the eyes, the body language. I don't see as a picture of our selves would help to know each other. Knowing what a person looks like does not translate to knowing the person.

If one were to say that there are rich people in our country doing this or that, I could understand the argument. Just saying "The Rich" do this or that is B.S. It is the same as saying derogatory statements blanketing the poor or any other class in society. We are individuals who, for whatever reasons (good or bad), make individual decisions. If you wish to argue individual rich persons doing whatever, feel free but it is crap to lump all people of any category together in a statement regarding behavior and that will lead to class warfare.

Thank you for sticking around even if it will be as a circling hawk (or dove). Old time Christians are a rarity here and your perspective adds a lot. As for myself, I have often wondered why any Christian would ask anyone, dead or alive, to intercede with God/Christ. But I am not a Christian so it ultimately does not matter to me. What matters is that your point of view can continue to be represented here on the forum. By the way, I look pretty good in the dark,too. At least that is what my wife tells me.

Our world and everything on it (the entire universe, as well) was created. Whatever created it, I consider to be God, the creator. I believe that creative force, which I choose to call God, dwells within all of us and all things created by that force, energy, or as I call it, God. What the motive are/were, is a mystery to me. I am content to accept things as they are without adding a lot of superstition and mumbo jumbo. God's creation takes place at the quantum level and is amplified into the macro world around us. Quantum law, as I believe it, exists to serve us. All we need do is ask.

As amazing as this sounds, I agree with you.

I have ever agreed with your beliefs but I have always admired your defense of them. You were, to my estimation, a gentleman and stuck to your guns without resorting to "pissiness." I will miss you.

Gone From My Sight I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then, someone at my side says: “There, she is gone!” “Gone where?” Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says: “There, she is gone!” There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, “Here she comes!” And that is dying. Henry Van **

I will hold him and his family close in my thoughts and meditations.

Imagine a creature that doesn't get killed regardless of the fights it get in. That, too, would have an evolutionary impact. My comment was in context of the two prior sentences of yours.

Being something that doesn't GET killed is what survives the best.

According to nearly everyone else, a Christian is one who believes in the teachings of Jesus and accepts Him as the messiah and as their personal savior. I know many Latter Day Saints, as well. I know most to be fine, upstanding citizens. They could all be witches or Pagans for all I care. I don't really give a hoot myself and I stand by my previous post that Mormonism is a cult. You are certainly welcome to your beliefs and opinions as well.

Mormon perspective and theology are not colored by Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets. Mormon perspective and theology were invented by Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets. Because they chose to invent their religion around Jesus rather than the Flying Spaghetti Monster changes nothing. I invented my own belief system based on quantum physics and certain meditative exercises. If I were to gather a following, I too, would have a cult just as the Mormons have theirs.