Brother Kaman

You are quite correct. I did not say that parents were always the best choice as role model, only that they were the most influential.

Parents are the most influential role models a child can have.

I suppose we are all entitled to believe as we will but removing love from the pedestal it has been placed on and replacing it with anger would surely cause the demise of civilization. Just look at "Christian love" and the Christian mainstream gay bashing, Muslim hating going on now. I stand by what I said and believe and I am sure you do the same.

Love is an emotion the same as sadness, happiness, joy, despair. We like to think that love is some all powerful God thing but in reality it is there to promote the survival of our specie. We survive much better by loving out mates and our children and those closest to us in our support system. Sadness, anger and despair are counter productive to passing our genes to the next generation.

One does not have to be insane to be intolerant of other's religions. Intolerance of the differences in others (physical, mental and intellectual) is a natural human condition. It is simple and easy to be intolerant. It takes dedication and a lot of work to over come it. One in 33 may be bipolar but 1 in 4 children born in the 70's were likely to have one mental illness or another. I had four small children at the time I read those findings and just when I had thought my family had beaten the odds, one of mine had been diagnosed with bipolar and several other unspecified diagnosis. Happens to the best and the worst of us. It is a shame we cannot be something better than human.

Many things in this life tend to be a Pandora's box. Now that it has been done, it cannot and will not be undone. We, as humans, seem to be racing to our destruction in our efforts to live forever.

I would much rather be unhappy rich than unhappy poor. Money does not make one happy but then neither does poverty. Money does not automatically discount one the opportunity to be happy and less money does not necessarily mean one would be happy. Happy is a state of mind, not an economic issue.

Why do we need "heroes?" Cannot you or I (don't worry about what anyone else is doing) find the fundamental goodness within ourselves and act accordingly? The writers of HIGH NOON had Gary Cooper saying, "A man gotta do what a man gotta do," and that about sums it up.

Rather than believe in the fundamental "goodness of man," we should live as fundamentally good men.

Let me begin by saying I read your post titled, "Who is Right and Who is Wrong?" on a different thread and I agree with it. At the same time, people tend to believe that people are Angels or heroes when they are only doing what any self respecting human being would do for another. When a child is being swept away in a river and a man who knows how to swim leaps into the water and saves the child, he is hailed a hero when in fact he was only doing what he felt any man, under the same circumstances, would do and would tell anyone who asked that he was no hero at all. Has our society come to the point where someone doing what they are supposed to do as a human being must be hailed as a hero or an Angel? If I were the lone survivor of a bus or plane accident and said, "God was sure looking out after me that day!" what does that say about all those that God was apparently not looking out after that died on the bus or plane? Or is that the Old Testament God that would kill many to make a point to a few? I am glad that people had the heart to do what they were supposed to do in order to render you aid in your time of need but I find it difficult to believe they were Angels or Demons. Good luck and I hope you find work and shelter you can call your own soon.

I don't see why it should be an either/or situation. I would be hard put to do without the science that has made my life easier: automobiles, airplanes, electricity, clean water and sewage, the list is long. I don't understand how any of this would conflict with anyone's "worship" or why anyone would "worship" the science that brought these things about.

I will keep you close in my meditations. Peace

I will keep her close in my meditations. Peace

My own spiritual belief preaches peace, non-violence, turn the other cheek, etc., but I carry a loaded hand gun with me 24/7. It is on my person or in bed with me and within reach when I shower. I unload it and leave it locked in my car when I have to approach security (airports, courthouse, police station, inside schools). An unloaded gun is a paper weight and a loaded gun is far too big a responsibility to leave laying around anywhere. Although I would probably let someone do to me what they will, I will commit the most heinous acts to protect my family. I am too old to take on a criminal unarmed. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition. Peace (?)

I believe Jesus said something similar, as well. Peace

If one is to believe that God reigns supreme, then it would follow (to me anyway) that whatever God creates is perfect in its creation. Gay, lesbian, transsexual, heterosexual, are all perfect in their creation and therefore "meant to be." I get tired of listening to people say, "Oh, it was meant to be." when referring to a romance that ended in marriage or, "It just wasn't meant to be." when plans to buy a home (or some other important act) fell through. If one believes in the whole "meant to be" philosophy, then whatever happens is meant to happen and whatever doesn't happen is not meant to happen. In some cultures in our not too distant past it was believed that babies born with physical deformities were not allowed to live because an evil spirit intermingled with it and caused the deformity. The same reasoning for using God to bash the gay, lesbian, transsexual community, is the same reasoning for using the Bible to think of black people as sub-human decedents of Cain. I regret if I have offended anyone. The above statements are of my belief and opinion only. Peace

It is indeed sad that kindness is not a natural instinct. I generally let my children learn from their experiences and only interfered when it looked like they may run into physical harm or trouble with the law. They are for the most part, kind people today. Of course, I added the Legend of Tamarack as part of their life's lessons in hope they would pass it to their own children. Peace

My daddy became a jypo logger in eastern Washington at the age of 16. In those days, in that area, a logger's tools were a two man crosscut saw and a double bit ax. When I was a little tad, he told me the Legend of the Tamarack and that story has remained with me my to this day. Many, many years ago, when the forests were young and Coyote and Beaver were many, Tamarack was the most resplendent tree of the forest. In those times past, Tamarack's green needles and straight, tall trunk were its shining glory, especially its fine needles. Tamarack's fine green needles remained green throughout the autumn and winter, just as Pine, Fir, Spruce and Cedar's did. After a time, Tamarack became haughty and believed himself to be better than all the trees of the forest. He felt he was King! It came to pass that one winter settled upon the land that was unusually cold and bleak. The winds blew harsh and cold and the snow piled deeper than any of the forest had ever seen before. Coyote burrowed deep into the snow and made a lodge to protect himself and his family. Beaver packed mud over the top and in the nooks and crannies of his lodge to protect from the howling winds. Snow bird, who seemed to always forget to fly south for the winter, sought refuge in Tamaracks wonderful branches. Tamarack was horrified that a bird would dare to winter in his branches and told Snow Bird to leave. Snow Bird begged Tamarack to allow him to stay but Tamarack held fast and refuse Snow Bird shelter. All the while Great Spirit was watching. When Tamarack shook Snow Bird from his branches, Great Spirit became angry and cursed Tamarack. Great Spirit told Tamarack that because he would not provide shelter for Snow Bird in Snow Birds hour of need, that every autumn Tamarack's resplendent needles would turn brown and fall to the ground and Tamarack would remain naked throughout the winter and no bird or animal would look upon him for shelter. To this day, Tamarack remains without needles each winter. Just as "Into the Forest", this is a parable intended to teach kindness to all living things. Peace

Ah, a voice of reason. Peace.