Doctor Of Philosophy In Religion From Ulc

[RevTom]

7 hours ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

 

 

One more sad detail.  The connection between football and brain injury.  Maybe football isn't that wonderful for intellectual goals.  

Sadly- and disturbingly - money outweighs what would normally be a common sense approach to safety, and what is supposedly the primary objectives and missions of schools to provide an education which will prepare students for a career in their field of choice.

[Key]

2 hours ago, RevTom said:

Sadly- and disturbingly - money outweighs what would normally be a common sense approach to safety, and what is supposedly the primary objectives and missions of schools to provide an education which will prepare students for a career in their field of choice.

Even more sad is to consider that many of our athletes may never adequately be prepared for their field of major in schools due to much emphasis on their performance in sports, methinks.

[RevTom]

7 minutes ago, Key said:

Even more sad is to consider that many of our athletes may never adequately be prepared for their field of major in schools due to much emphasis on their performance in sports, methinks.

Yes; in this, schools are failing in their mission to prepare students for a future in their chosen careers. This not only affects the student athlete, but the student body and ultimately the school as a whole.

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

1 hour ago, RevTom said:

Yes; in this, schools are failing in their mission to prepare students for a future in their chosen careers. This not only affects the student athlete, but the student body and ultimately the school as a whole.

 

I think this is perspective -- when the true major is Football and the declared major is a sham.  

[RevTom]

2 hours ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

 

I think this is perspective -- when the true major is Football and the declared major is a sham.  

What an inherently dangerous major!!! The sham I think, is on the college's part. What is the "employment rate" of student athletes into their Football careers? Not very great at all. For those lucky few that make it into major league football though, the rewards can be staggering!!!

[Rev. Calli]

On 8/1/2017 at 10:43 PM, RevTom said:

Honestly, I don't even know why ULC offers any "Degrees" at all. Basically they are just pretty pieces of paper to satiate one's ego. Outside ULC, they are worthless, it seems. I have done extensive study, but it was all decades ago. My life experiences won't even count toward any type of divinity degree on the outside, but I can take exams to shorten my length of study time in a college that uses those type tests. All in all, I think I will just get the book so I can see what Dr. Hemsley's and the others that wrote the books for ULC thoughts were regarding thGreete doctorate. I still have my coursework books from the UMC and can buy more textbooks to keep up with current thought.

3

Greetings to you my brother,

 

I suspect a lot of it has/had to do with raising funds for the church.  But our brother mererdog is right too.  Rev. Hensley had a great deal of contempt for how degrees were issued by other schools and institutions.  So he wanted to make it as easy as possible for all people to get the degrees and status that they wanted.  For the time he started the church in the 1960's, his views toward earned degrees where not that uncommon.

 

In solidarity,

Rev. Calli

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

54 minutes ago, RevTom said:

What an inherently dangerous major!!! The sham I think, is on the college's part. What is the "employment rate" of student athletes into their Football careers? Not very great at all. For those lucky few that make it into major league football though, the rewards can be staggering!!!

 

Staggering is the word.  Fame, glory, wealth, sex and traumatic brain injury.  Frequently ending with memory loss, Parkinson's type symptoms, depression and suicide.  

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

18 minutes ago, Rev. Calli said:

Greetings to you my brother,

 

I suspect a lot of it has/had to do with raising funds for the church.  But our brother mererdog is right too.  Rev. Hensley had a great deal of contempt for how degrees were issued by other schools and institutions.  So he wanted to make it as easy as possible for all people to get the degrees and status that they wanted.  For the time he started the church in the 1960's, his views toward earned degrees where not that uncommon.

 

In solidarity,

Rev. Calli

 

I agree, except that I would put more emphasis on Kirby's rage.  He had a lot of anger towards the establishment.  That also fit the times.  One of the key sayings of the time was "Question authority".  

 

 

Edited August 4, 2017 by Jonathan H. B. Lobl

[RevTom]

17 minutes ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

 

I agree, except that I would put more emphasis on Kirby's rage.  He had a lot of anger towards the establishment.  That also fit the times.  One of the key sayings of the time was "Question authority".  

 

 

Well, with all the input, especially from Brother Jonathan, I have altered my perceptions about earned degrees a good deal. I still think there is a place for them, but as you. Brother mererdog and others have pointed out, there are many flaws in the college and degree systems, and one can be just as effectively self read and trained through entities such as this at ULC. You have reminded me that all the learning and book knowledge in the world won't instill a compassionate heart nor common sense. Thank you all for your discourses that have caused me to alter my views appreciably. I was of those of the times in the 60s, and one of the protesters against the status quo. I am one that likes the references available from the books and studies, but one size does not fit all, and I realize that there are many avenues available to reach a goal, or as a Hindu proverb states, "There are many paths up the mountain."

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

2 hours ago, RevTom said:

Well, with all the input, especially from Brother Jonathan, I have altered my perceptions about earned degrees a good deal. I still think there is a place for them, but as you. Brother mererdog and others have pointed out, there are many flaws in the college and degree systems, and one can be just as effectively self read and trained through entities such as this at ULC. You have reminded me that all the learning and book knowledge in the world won't instill a compassionate heart nor common sense. Thank you all for your discourses that have caused me to alter my views appreciably. I was of those of the times in the 60s, and one of the protesters against the status quo. I am one that likes the references available from the books and studies, but one size does not fit all, and I realize that there are many avenues available to reach a goal, or as a Hindu proverb states, "There are many paths up the mountain."

 

Perhaps there are.  But before we start climbing, is that where we want to go?  Are you sure?  Letting others pick our goal for us is not a great idea.  

[Key]

4 hours ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

 

I agree, except that I would put more emphasis on Kirby's rage.  He had a lot of anger towards the establishment.  That also fit the times.  One of the key sayings of the time was "Question authority".  

 

 

Well, I believe for Christians, Jesus said that as well. More to avoid false prophets and the like, but still a good idea to protect self interest and survival.

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

3 hours ago, Key said:

Well, I believe for Christians, Jesus said that as well. More to avoid false prophets and the like, but still a good idea to protect self interest and survival.

 

The political context, under Presidents Johnson and Nixon, was the Vietnam war.  Now, we have a president who has no problems with the army torturing prisoners -- who told the police to "rough up" prisoners.  Yes.  "Question Authority."  

 

I'm a little vague about the timeline.  I think Kirby was deeply influenced by the conformist society of the Fifties.  I was born in 1953.  The late fifties was when the phrase "long haired freaks" was popular.  If a man had a beard, children could throw rocks at him and their parents would not correct.  1954 was when, "Under God" was added to the Pledge, to distinguish us from the Godless Commies.  The Blacklist was in flower.  They were fearful times.  If I remember Kirby's biography, he was a minister in two different churches.  From this, he clearly developed an attitude towards religious authority.  

[RevTom]

7 hours ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

 

Perhaps there are.  But before we start climbing, is that where we want to go?  Are you sure?  Letting others pick our goal for us is not a great idea.  

I don't follow your context. The statement about there being many paths up the mountain refers to more than one spiritual path, while each path's adherents often have the mindset that theirs is the only valid one. There is nothing at all  that should give anyone the illusion that anything said is remotely connected to letting others pick one's goal. 

Edited August 4, 2017 by RevTom
reacting in kind to negativity

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

6 hours ago, RevTom said:

I don't follow your context. The statement about there being many paths up the mountain refers to more than one spiritual path, while each path's adherents often have the mindset that theirs is the only valid one. There is nothing at all  that should give anyone the illusion that anything said is remotely connected to letting others pick one's goal. 

 

In common usage, the many paths up the mountain lead to God.  That is not what I'm looking for.  I'm not clear on what I am looking for; but it's not God.

 

 

By all means, let the mountain climbers climb.  Let them take the path of their choice.  I wish them well on their quest.   I'm quite certain that what I want, is not on top of the mountain.  By any route.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2017 by Jonathan H. B. Lobl

[Key]

1 hour ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

 

In common usage, the many paths up the mountain lead to God.  That is not what I'm looking for.  I'm not clear on what I am looking for; but it's not God.

 

 

By all means, let the mountain climbers climb.  Let them take the path of their choice.  I wish them well on their quest.   I'm quite certain that what I want, is not on top of the mountain.  By any route.

 

 

How can you be so certain that what you want isn't on top of the mountain, if you never see if it's there?

There are some who feel that it isn't really God, per se, but your higher self evolved. And that is why it has been said that God dwells within you. He is really YOU, at the peak. Just a thought.

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

1 hour ago, Key said:

How can you be so certain that what you want isn't on top of the mountain, if you never see if it's there?

There are some who feel that it isn't really God, per se, but your higher self evolved. And that is why it has been said that God dwells within you. He is really YOU, at the peak. Just a thought.

 

Throughout these threads, I have been trying to get a working definition of God. People have been laughing at me for my persistence in this matter.   The best I can come up with -- that isn't just playing with words -- is the God of the Bible.  Sure I can call my higher self God.  I can call the Universe God.  I can call Nature God.   I can say that God is the state of oneness or absolute unity.   In the end, I think this is an abuse of language.  God is God.  I am not God -- despite Pantheism.  

 

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2017 by Jonathan H. B. Lobl

[Brother Kaman]

13 minutes ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

 

Throughout these threads, I have been trying to get a working definition of God. People have been laughing at me for my persistence in this matter.   The best I can come up with -- that isn't just playing with words -- is the God of the Bible.  Sure I can call my higher self God.  I can call the Universe God.  I can call Nature God.   I can say that God is the state of oneness or absolute unity.   In the end, I think this is an abuse of language.  God is God.  I am not God -- despite Pantheism.  

 

 

 

 

Thou protesteth too much.

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

1 minute ago, Brother Kaman said:

Thou protesteth too much.

 

 

Only you would accuse me ob being God.

 

[RevTom]

The mountaintop in my understanding, is truth and understanding; the fulfilment of one's spiritual destiny. I don't view it as a one size fits all perception of God, but the realization of your specific journey to fulfilment; for me that is the Christian God and the fulfilment of spiritual awakening through the scriptures , but I can't say it to be so for others. I can believe it to be so for all, but I cannot condemn what others feel is their correct path.

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

1 hour ago, RevTom said:

The mountaintop in my understanding, is truth and understanding; the fulfilment of one's spiritual destiny. I don't view it as a one size fits all perception of God, but the realization of your specific journey to fulfilment; for me that is the Christian God and the fulfilment of spiritual awakening through the scriptures , but I can't say it to be so for others. I can believe it to be so for all, but I cannot condemn what others feel is their correct path.

 

Just so.  I understand the symbolism.  Still, if the Kingdom of Heaven is within, there is no place to go, nothing to attain and nothing to climb.  

 

There is an old Zen monk 's lament.  "I know I'm already an enlightened master.  Why am I still miserable?"