constantine319

You'll need to upload the image somewhere and get a URL for it. Most forums I've been on don't allow you to upload directly to the forum's database, this one might be different because there's an area in my CP that is called My Media. Otherwise I recommend imageshack.us - it's free and works right away. Then you can use the image code or [img]www.url here.com[/img]

I have a feeling you are missing my point entirely. My original comment was appreciation for the way participants had handled this thread - nothing more, nothing less you are not at fault

wow!! haha that's so crazy. the things you learn... thanks for sharing

uh... I did? Dude have you ever had a discussion with someone who had a different opinion and made you feel like crap because he was convinced his position was right and you were stupid for being wrong? Sometimes people do this intentionally, sometimes they do it unintentionally. My comment was acknowledging that this thread was a great example of articulating their views without coming off as complete asses Yes, I've seen those, too, and I quite like how they run things. It gives everyone a chance to take on a leadership role rather than being stuck with leaders no one cares for.

I did see lots of comments on the original article along the same lines XD agreed! a friend pointed out to me that snakes could be a metaphor for non-believers or religious antagonists, which I felt resonates well with the scripture. bwahahahahahah

Mack Wolford was a pastor who preached that handling snakes was a way to prove he's, uh, ... well I'm not sure how to concisely sum this up without ruining it for you. So you should read the article. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/serpent-handling-pastor-profiled-earlier-in-washington-post-dies-from-rattlesnake-bite/2012/05/29/gJQAJef5zU_story.html interesting... thoughts?

I have a few things I am firm about - like, that I need to drink plenty of water during the day, or get plenty of sleep (or I turn into a cranky monster)... but what are those limits? When have I had enough water? is it 60 oz? or 80? Is 8 hours of sleep a night enough? What if those are interrupted hours? What if I am so restless that I can't really get much sleep that night? (these are really the things that I think about on a daily basis. As you can imagine it gets quite annoying to some around me ) There are too many variables (at least, for me) to be totally convinced or devoted to much. I live in a world where I am constantly weighing the 'black and white' nature of concepts, beliefs, theories, etc. It really bothers some of my friends who seem to ascribe to a more black and white convention. Through lots of trial and error I've learned that there is a beneficial side to uncertainty, although I would really struggle to say 'all uncertainty is actually a good thing'... because, technically, in the moment of uncertainty, we are experiencing doubt, which can be quite traumatic for some people, depending on the weight/effect it has on one. I consider uncertainty to be a challenge with a juicy reward at the end, rather than as a 'good' or 'bad' thing... more like a door which we can choose to walk through and gain a new treasure, or ignore and always wonder what's behind it. I think I am the way that I am because I have realized there is no 'one size fits all' to life and although the problem-solver part of me really likes knowing where those lines are... I know that having gray areas and having uncertainty has lead me to be a better person. If that makes sense great topic! looking forward to seeing what others have to share.

Wow, I've really enjoyed this thread. As someone who struggles to convey her opinion in ways that are more neutral and less personal/offensive, I really appreciate people who take the time to explain nicely. so thank you, everyone yes, this is one of the reasons why I have struggled with so much of organized religion. it's always 'this is the right way' and the 'right way' rarely focuses on teaching you how to determine what is right for yourself, rather than following what someone else says to do. on the other hand, how much more difficult is it to teach people to honor their own divine truth when leaders do not know how to do this for themselves? It's kind of an endless cycle... we humans are very good at repeating what we see, even though it might seem wrong, because someone else is doing it for a good reason. Reminds me of a controlled study I read about in high school that was designed to test the effectiveness of a stranger's instruction to inflict pain on others. The way they set this up was to look like the volunteer participant was helping a researcher evaluate the effect of pain on a person's ability to answer questions correctly. The volunteer participant could not see this other person, but as they read the questions and the other participant answered, they were instructed to give the unseen person a shock every time the question was answered incorrectly. A scientist in the room kept track of the record; if the volunteer ever hesitated or questioned what they were doing, the 'scientist' encouraged the volunteer to keep shocking the other participant. Phrases like 'they knew what this would entail when they signed up' or 'please continue to fulfill your obligation' were used. What ended up happening was, as long as an instructor in the room kept instructing the volunteer to continue, most participants kept applying shock to the 'victim'. They concluded that the power of an authority figure to convince humans to keep harming humans was quite strong. Very interesting, I think...

I got to that part, too, which was equally embarrassing, I just found it kind of questionable that just because someone's initial response to a situation is intuitive doesn't necessarily mean they're not logical. I dunno that I'd base my whole scientific study off of that I did really enjoy reading this article, Kingfisher, thank you for sharing that (http://www.timescolonist.com/life/Faith+logic+exist+study+contends/6649861/story.html)

on a related note - I think some of you may laugh at this - I saw this article linked in the 'similar' area of the above post. please ONLY read if you are prepared to laugh!!! http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/04/26/logic-linked-to-religious-disbelief-study-implies/ And I quote; I had to stop reading after that. I'm all for educating and facts and all that good stuff, but really? I think the wording of the question leaves it too open to interpretation. IMO to test someone's logic, you have to give someone a perfectly logical question. Otherwise you're testing their language skills and that's a WHOLE different can of worms.

I loved this shared it on FB and Twitter so more people can read it.

Law of projection... I've never heard about that one before. Although I think I am familiar with the concept, that we project our issues onto others. Based on what I've read so far that sounds exactly right.

I wanted to share with you guys a passage I read from chapter 1, about the meaning of miracles. This is on page 32 of my copy. I think this is really interesting because in the Mormon church, I was once told that our purpose here on earth is to learn. I was also taught somewhere along the lines that because we are (theoretically) made in the image of our Creator, we have the abilities of the Creator to create... so I find the bit about how we create our own life to fit our beliefs to be really interesting. It reminds me of the Law of Attraction.