RevJackP

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Everything posted by RevJackP

  1. Thank you for the update and all your hard work. Maybe it was a demon that infested your servers.
  2. It's called being bi-vocational and isn't exclusive to the ULC. A lot of religions work this way. I'm fortunate in that I'm retired and can devote more time to ministry. Those who serve their religions and sitll work have my respect. BrDavidOH, have you talked with your boss about your situation? I had one boss that as long as I gave him my 40 a week he didn't care how I worked my schedule. Due to the variety of responsibiilties in different jobs I realize that not evey job can give you the same benefit but it's worth trying to work it out in advance.
  3. Reminds me of an old saying,"I may disagree with what you say, But I agree with your right to say it".
  4. I originally became ordained by Modesto in 2009, following an emotionally charged and botched up funeral for my Mother. Her family had built our local Orthodox church from the ground up, literally brick by brick. My mother served the church and faithfully too, she was there to help clean, cook for events and bake for the bake sales. In the last couple years of her life she had Alzheimer's and we didn't know that she hadn't paid her dues for 2 years. (that church charges $300.00 a year to belong, Sunday donations extra). So the local priest wanted $600.00 cash and for my brother and I to get down on our knees and beg forgiveness for our mother for not paying her dues. He was trying to extort money from us over our mother's death. We couldn't afford it if we wanted too. So our mother was not buried in her church. And she was not buried as a member of the church. That priest never even bothered to check on why my mother would miss church or was not paying her dues. He ignored her and then got all "high and mighty" after her death. By the way neither my brother or I live close to our mother so we were ignorant of any of the details, It seems to me that the "mainstream" religions have complicated their ordaination on purpose to further their own elitism club. I started searching for an alternative to church, not an alternative to God. After many attempts, including brick and mortar visits and online searches I stumbled across the ULC site. Something "struck a chord" so to speak and I liked the freedoms and the brotherhood. Overall the ULC has the right idea. There are others who have abused this idea but the real blame is theirs. There will always be those who abuse thier freedoms for thier own aims, be it to ridicule or put down something that they can not grasp. That is one of the prices of freedom, but we are still here! I want to take my ordination seriously and offer free service to my fellow humans (and animals too!). I am proud to say that I am a graduate of the Christian Leaders Institute online seminary. I'm proud to be a member of this forum were others take their ordination seriously too.
  5. I don't know Pastor Dave, it wouldn't let me have spaces.
  6. murphzlaw1, do you think that hard space _ could be allowed?
  7. RevJohnG well said. While I was not ordained in the Eastern Orthodox, I was raised in it. I always questioned why we had to bow to the priests and up and kiss the Bishop's rings. When we are taught that all men are supposed to be humble. When my family needed the Easter Orthodox church the most, they refused to help us. The local priest wanted $600 in cash and for my brother and I to crawl before him begging forgiveness for our mother who had died from alzheimers. My family, going back to my grandparents, literally built that church. And we supported that church very much. I think that the local priest was on a power trip and was trying to bilk us out of extra money. This is why I like the ULC I can work for God without a lot of politics getting in the way. I'm glad to see that you are intergrating the mysticisms of both religions. There is a lot of truth in this method as I believe that most of the real truth has been shunted aside in the quest for the religions to keep up their elitist clubs. Keep up the good work, God Bless!
  8. He made us laugh, what greater legacy can you ask for? Robin you will be missed. May you find the peace you were seeking.
  9. I view it more as an advertising thing. Pretty paper on the wall to impress potential clients and make your congregation feel good. Also seems to me that somewhere I read that having a D.D. was required for ministers in some states, not sure of this.
  10. This is the conundrum of free speech. Why should what I say be more important that what you say? Or why should whay you say be more important than my speech? There are limits on free speech and our government has mostly limited that to the concept of "harm". While we enjoy free speech we must realize that it comes with pros and cons. As a veteran I can tell you that a lot of good people have died to protect our freedoms including speech, I realize that you know this but just allow me to remind you of this. And also, my view on this is that this isn't really about free speech. It's about one group of people making a statement (sarcastic or otherwise) and then your group would be lumped in with them in the viewpoint of others. Most people would be able to tell the difference, those who don't need to educated. Kind of a convoluted statement but you get my drift.
  11. I can address your questions one at a time here, be advised that I am not a spokesperson for this site. I am just a regular member who has been a member for a while now. These are just my opinions. 1. Are you (this website) affiliated with the original ULC or a splinter group? This is the only site authorized by the very original site, this has been addressed above. But it's true. 2. Is the ULC mentioned in the article the same as this one or any form of recognized branch, or are they just some other church with the same name? When the ULC (original) started gaining popularity, wininng lawsuits and getting a lot of publicity other persons started their own churches ( I'll use this tem inclusively), But only this one has remained recognized. The only splinter group that does not recognize the orginal is a group from Florida called The Universal Life Church World Headquarters. 3. Do you also accept pagans, Jedi, etc in this order if it is not the same one, like the one in the article does? Yes this site or church accepts any and all persons no matter what your beliefs. Just browse the forum and you will see not only acceptance but a brother hood of support and understanding. There is a great opportunity here to learn and educate yourself as to other's beliefs, gain an understanding of how they think, what moves them. And a chance to let yourself out and educate others. My quote: "In knowledge there is understanding, In understanding there is peace." If you get ordained here you are accepted by all the sites except one, mentioned above. 4. If there are differences, what are they and why did other groups offshoot from you, or the original if you are not the original? I'm afraid you'll have to ask the other sites why they did what they did. They have their reasons, anything I tried to explain here would just be guesses. Nothing says that you have to be exclusive to only one site. Some people here do belong to other sites. I also belong to the seminary for the educational and shopping opportunities. 5. If you are different churches, do you (this church) accept those that want to preach using books outside the Bible, like the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pseudepigraphal writings, Gnostic texts, Book of Mormon, etc? In one word: YES. You'll find those here of all different beliefs, with different books of faith. There is no traditional doctrine, only do that which is right. Even if you do not have a book you will be accepted here. No body is judged here, just acceptance. Like I said this is my opinion and mine only, not the official position of the site or it's moderators. But it really is a great site to belong to. I hope these answers help.
  12. Von, we will keep you and all persons involved in our continued prayers. There has been a lot of information put forth here and all of it very good. Let's hope this young man comes to his senses before it's too late. God Bless.
  13. To all my Brothers and Sisters on this site. I am a veteran of the USAF and wish all of you a Happy Memorial Day. Enjoy the day and be safe.
  14. First - Von, know that many members are praying for you. Each in our own way. I'm a retired paramedic with many years of experience in the field, hosp. settings and such. There has been a lot of very good advice given here on this forum. What I consider to be a very important factor in cases like this is one of mentorship. But one need's to understand mentorship. The common definition of a mentor has always been in a positive, educational way. But even a bad influence is a mentor. Good or bad, a mentor is someone who is always there, influencing him. If an addict isn't getting positive support then the attitude of "no one cares" sets in and the addict defaults to world they know best, where they "feel" secure, the answer they "know" that works for them. But I feel that good support must be as constant or even more so, than the bad support. Disclaimer Here: I'm not saying that this is the case for everone. Each human being is different and their actions and such must be watched, learned from and any engagements must be tailored to him. One of the things that I have seen work (quite a few times) is tough to do, it's continued positive support. Anyone who has contact with the son should mentor in a positive way. Not being intrusive or confrontational, just keep letting him know that people love him, care for him and are there for him. He has a relationship with an addict you said. Well that is support and mentoring in a bad way. And it's constant, so you need to let him know that there is loving, caring support for him that isn't giving up and that he has a path to follow when he wants to. Think of it this way; it's why advertising works so well. It's always there, repeatedly we are exposed to the message that the sponsors want us to receive. So later when we have to make a decision the "advertising programming" kicks in and we buy what the advertisers want us to buy. Me, I've always been a believer in "Love Conquers All". You can't make a person take treatment, but you can be there for him when he does decide to. Keep up the good work, and keep posting here. There is a lot of support on this forum. Also keep us informed. Good luck and God Bless.
  15. Atwater Vitki, I'll see what I can find locally. Around my locale the alternative religions are pretty much underground. I've been told by some sources in my local network that there are two people in my immediate area that have crystal shops. Hopefully they can find or know of an Earth-bearing Shaman. Thank you so very much in your efforts. It is greatly appreciated.
  16. Lordie, I think you are right, it's all about the money. The school I went to had some of the highest salaries in the state. And some of the richest families. If you were a jock or from the right name, you got the best treatment and graduated with honors. Even if you couldn't spell honors. I didn't go to Kindergarten but I think I turned out okay. Passed all my college tests with high grades. I think that all this came about because too many parents have to work several jobs just to break even or some parents just don't care to educate their children and are happy to send them off. About your prior nasty replies. Don't let them get to you. People with big egos and small minds with nothing good to ad will always attack. Instead of keeping quiet and learning they have to demonstrate their ignorance with attacks. They do this because they are jealous of your intelligence and knowledge. I've seen this in real life as well as on some of these forums. I can tell from your posts that you are a good person who cares about other people. When I first got out of the military I found myself surrounded by old friends who constantly put me down and insulted me. It got so bad I ended up in consuling. There I was asked: Why do you stay with people who put you down. Make new friends and surround yourself with people who will support you. Also at night when you go to bed, and you close your eyes, who is there in your head with you? Just you. That means that the only opinion that counts is YOURS! and nobody else's. Is that a smile I see, I knew you could do it.
  17. Thank You everybody. Some really good ideas. My wife really appreciates all the responses. This week we'll start our hypnotic sessions, I look forward incorporating several of your ideas to help her relax and maybe make a good effect on the session. I'll let you know. Sincere thanks.
  18. I can understand your feelings, trust me I can. The medical system in this country has really sunk to new lows. Our local medical system, including doctors, clinics and hospitals, almost cost my wife her life. Only by hanging in there and many phone calls did we locate a facility that helped us. Call all the doctors you can find, network with other people. Maybe other persons on this forum are more familiar with your area. When I had a torn retina iwas able to get to the Retina Vitreous Associates in Pittsburgh. May God bless you and your family. May He send healing for your brother. We'll keep you in our prayers.
  19. Has anyone tried the essential oils from GNC. My local GNC has small selection but at least it is handy.
  20. Ah! what wonderful suggestions. Brother Kaman I will certainly incorporate your suggestion, if it helps her to relax it will speed up the induction process. Grateful, you have never heard me sing, when I sing in the car the DJ stops the song and tells me to shut up or he won't play anymore songs. But it's a good suggestion and I may try it in one of our sessions. You have really come through for me. Sincere thanks.
  21. I am absolutely wowed by this. My venture into art is acrylic painting in the style of Bob Ross or Jerry Yarnell. But your work is of high professional quality. You are going to have a great career in art.
  22. First I want to say thank you to all you fine people who have responded. This shows how much a visonary Kirby was. Where else could such a group of people from such diverse backgrounds and beliefs get together for the good of one or the many. Second, from all the replies I believe that we are dealing with earth energies, EM fields to be sure, but there seems to be other energies involved too. My wife is trying to learn some control, we do have some ideas that I found on the 'net she is trying. I am a certified hypnotist and I am working on script to instill some of these suggestions to help her get control. She has some difficulties learning due to her short term memory being affected by the stroke. My plan (is carved in jello not stone), is to make a recording with relaxation music, a script conbined with aromatherapy using essential oils and whatever else anyone can contribute. We've had success before in helping her anxiety after the bout with the superbugs so we think this might work. Hypnotic programming seems to work. More conventional learning methods don't work, with her short term memory loss it takes a lot of repitions before it even begins to sink in. With this in mind if anyone has suggestions in their various fields of learning I would love to hear them. Like: what essential oils may help with relaxing her and helping in the hypnotic session. Maybe suggestions for lighting. I have a lot of special music for hypnotic sessions. I wonder if there are any crystals that could help? With all these fine people on this forum I am hopeful that we will make some progress for her. Bless you all!