Ex Nihilo

Nice S!

Is that the case with your religion? I only know from what I've read in the illiad and such, but I thought the gods were quite particular about how humans were to act toward them and were quite swift and severe in punishing any slights...especially hubris. For Christians, sin is a missing of the mark, the mark being right action in the eyes of God, the conduct we were created to live out and one day will live out, imho, when we are fully conformed to Christ.

Greetings PPM, I wrote a post a while back about a man I met who claimed he saw a gnome. It was very interesting. Have you ever had contact with the fair folk? If so, what was it like?

I've said it elsewhere, I believe that all will go to heaven, but most Christians reconcile this idea by saying that one is condemened only when they actively reject the salvation of Jesus Christ. Because the people you lay out have never been given the chance to accept or reject, they will only be judged by what they know. If they do good "who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus"--Romans 2:14-16. (Sorry but it's just not fair to say that Christians can't use the bible when you get to use awesome quotes from the Upanishads, why should Hindus get to have all the fun?)

Then what is your take on it RabbiO?

So, what's man's prob? Does he have one? How does he overcome, iyo? Or is this all just something navel gazers think about instead doing something useful like organizing their soack drawer?

maybe...I detected a hint of an italian accent. Sort of a "squawkka squawkka" and a lot of wing gesturesAnd what does a totem animal even do anyway?

That's an interesting thought. My wife believes her totem animal is a black panther. I once went to a psychic with my wife when I was a teenager, she told us some yarns about our past lives about how I was once an Aztec and gave my kids to be sacrificed and that now they're my spirit guides oh and my totem animal is a jaguar....all completely verifiable, right? Whatevs, I'm not even a cat person. I wish I had that $20 back. Years later, my wife talked to her aunt who's a medium who told her that her spirit animal would visit you in life or dreams and no one but you can know what it isn I used to have recurring dreams of a hooded figure with a raven on his shoulder....I'll have to ponder this.

Hi all, I had a curious thing happen to me this morning. I took my dog out for a walk here in CO. It was the middling part of the predawn morning right before sunrise that's like twilight only more coldly blue, if you know what I mean. It was the chilliest morning since the end of summer, with a hint of frost on the ground and cold enough to see your breath. I stood looking at the shadowy mountains in the foggy west and trying to shake off the sleep. As I stood there, the biggest raven I have ever seen suddenly swooped down in the silence and landed just feet in front of me. My dog tried to bark, but the bird squawked at him in a way that made her lay down and stop barking. Then he stared at me so intently like he was looking into me. I was captivated and stood glued there for what seemed like forever. He then squawked at me and then flew right over my shoulder almost taking my head off. He left a feather that landed on my shoulder (which of course I'm keeping) Very strange.... So was I visited by Odin? The long lost love Lenore? Whatever it was, it was very very curious...

Hi all, Halloween is my favie holiday. Below are a few of my favorite songs to get me in the mood for Halloween. Mayhaps some of you have some to add http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eStq-IvLaXk Happy Halloween, boys and ghouls.... ....I have a couple more to post but I appear to have reached my video maximum. Maybe I can add in a bit.

I agree with you Bro K. And while I don't know helpful this is in the pagan context, I remember having this same conversation with an older relative (back in my pre-parent, free wheeling hippy days) and she just laughed at me. She asked if I planned on making my kids eat right or brush their teeth the right way or just let them choose to do it whenever or however they felt like it. I said of course I'd make them eat right and brush their teeth. She said, as I recall, that I'm an idiot then, because a persons immortal soul is way more important than their teeth or bellies. Being a parent means always being a parent in the big ways and the small ones. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." A parent who thinks they've found the truth has a duty to share it and not let their children have to stumble around with no direction. But then, like I said, I don't know how applicable this is to a pagan parent. Free advice...free for a reason.

Hi Bro K, I cleaned out my profile a while back when I was taking stock in how I was presenting myself and what I was presenting of myself online. I don't actually recall taking down the pics but I probably did in a fit of over-zealous deletion. I did thesame with my twitter andfacebook. I figured as old as the posts were, there wasn't much traffic on them. Sorry...I'll add an avatar, I feel so empty and insubstantial without one. LOL

My wife is Romany and holds to a number of beliefs and taboos that are more cultural than religious, but like most Romany gypsies, she has kind of adhered to a vague kind of Christianity that lives aide by side with her other beliefs, like reincarnation and spiritualism....I was raised a Methodist but went with my mom to the Episcopal church on Sundays too, since she worked as the organist for both churches. My grandmother would take me to the baptist church on Wednesdays in the hopes that I'd get some sense. When we started having kids, we all joined the Episcopal church since it was the one church we both had experience with. I think together we feed off each other ans borrow from each other. It's hard not to be superstitious when so many of her omens come true, after a while you buy in. We've more than one fight over how far to go with teaching our beliefs but finding a middle way is possible. About the only thing we fully agree on is the existence of ghosts and spirits and the universal salvation, other than that, we're usually on different teams. I hope its good for my kids. I want them to think critically about their beliefs ans never just take someone's word for things. Why would anyone surrender their god given right to free thought like that?

I too support the nonagression principle. People should be free from violence, and should violence be impressed upon them, they should be free to defend themselves effectively. It's the first principle of individual liberty.

Much better said than my attempt...I've said it before, I do love me some CCC

I checked my history, God began revealing himself as Both plurality and unity from the very beginning, or at least by day 6: " And God (singular) said, Let us (plural) make man in our image, after our (plural) likeness " Gen 1:26 While the old testament, reveals god as creator, it hints at his other persons. With the incarnation of Christ, the full revelation was given. John 1 (relevant part): "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made...In him was life; and the life was the light of men....And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth...No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." And again in the last chapter of Matthew, when he directs his followers to baptize "in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost" And in John 14:26, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." You are right that trinity as a word is not in the bible, but we don't worship words, we worship the reality those words describe, which is all over the scriptures. Tou are also right that not everyone has held those views. That is why the church has had councils and developed creeds to seperate truth from error. The creeds themselves are both Trinitarian and biblical, as seen below: I believe (Acts 8:37) in one God (Deut. 6:4), the Father (John 20:17) Almighty (Revelation 1:8), Maker of heaven and earth (Isaiah 51:13) and of all things visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16). And in one Lord (Ephesians 4:5) Jesus Christ (John 17:3), the only-begotten Son of God (John 3:18), begotten of His Father (John 1:14) before all worlds (Colossians 1:17), God of God (Colossians 1:15), Light of Light (Revelation 21:23), Very God of Very God (John 1:1-2), Begotten (Psalm 2:7), not made (John 1:3), Being of one substance with the Father (John 10:30), By Whom all things were made (Ephesians 3:9); Who for us men (1 Corinthians 15:3) and for our salvation (Colossians 1:21-22) came down from heaven (John 3:13) And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:20) of the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:27) And was made man (Hebrews 2:14); And was crucified (Acts 2:36) also for us (Romans 4:25) under Pontius Pilate (Mark 15:15). He suffered (1 Peter 4:1) and was buried (Matthew 27:60); And the third day He rose again (1 Thessalonians 4:14) according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:4); And ascended into heaven (Ephesians 4:10), And sitteth on the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33); And He shall come again with glory (Matthew 16:27) to judge both the quick and the dead (Acts 10:42); Whose kingdom shall have no end (Isaiah 9:7). And I believe in the Holy Ghost (Psalm 51:11), The Lord (Galatians 6:8) and Giver of Life (Romans 8:2), Who proceedeth from the Father (John 15:26) and the Son (John 16:7), Who with the Father and the Son (2 Corinthians 13:14) together is worshiped and glorified (Revelation 4:8), Who spake by the Prophets (2 Peter 1:21). And I believe one (Ephesians 4:5) holy (1 Peter 2:5) Christian (Acts 4:10, 12) and Apostolic (Acts 2:42) Church (Colossians 1:18). I acknowledge one Baptism (Ephesians 4:5) for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), And I look for the resurrection of the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16), And the life of the world to come (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Amen.

Here it is. I am now immortalized. Two weeks ago I got to strike two things off my bucket list: 1) go see the greatest band around in concert; and 2) be in a music video. I got my wish! For your viewing pleasure, Milford and sons' I will wait video filmed at red rocks: Ps: if you have good eyes you can see me at 21seconds in. I'm on the fourth row just to the right of the key boardist. Lol!

I hate this. I think it's a real loss.

My deepest condolences Rev. Rainbow. I am praying for you.

That's a beautiful way of putting it nestingwave.

I take your points very seriously, Dan, but rather than hijack this thread, I will answer them in another topic. Since I am without a computer and am stuck typing on my cell so this may take a while.

lol. Fair enough, everyone has a right to be wrong (myself included?)...

The white stripes are uh-mazing! My kids love this song: http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US

I disagree with your characterization of the catholic church Dan. Everything taught as part of the infallible tradition of the church is found either explicitly or implicitly in the holy scriptures and nothing taught in the church is condemned by the scriptures. The trinity, the primacy of the papacy as heir to the office of Peter, the Real Presence in the Eucharist, the veneration of the saints, infant baptism, the 7sacraments, the priesthood, special veneration of Mary ever-virgin as the mother of god, all have a connection to the bible....the bible itself is catholic, compiled and canonized by the church. The catholic church cannot trace itself back to any one prophet or preacher. It traces its beginning to Jesus Christ and his apostles. But what about your tradition? If you read the protestant bible, then your reading a bible edited by Martin Luther, not the canonized by the church. If you believe that man is saved by faith alone you are contrasicting the bible because the book of James says exactly the opposite, if you deny the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist you contradict the bible because it says exactly the opposite in multiple places. If you believe that infants are forbidden from being baptized, then you are teaching something that appears nowhere in the bible. And if you belive that the bible is the only authority, you're not using the bible to do so because, again, it says exactly the opposite. I wonder who exactly is using man-made traditions and their own prophets?