Originally Posted By JeffG CCJ, I'm not going to let you drag me into some kind of a big argument. I will simply allow both of our posting histories to speak for themselves. I stand by my earlier posts, so no apology is warranted or forthcoming. -Jeff
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Back on religious topic before the frankly stepped in---- Maybe CM or anyone else? I'm stunned that a month or so I mentioned Joel Osteen and not ONE person saw him on tv as I asked. 10 million or so people bought his book as I did> He changed millions of lives including mine and yet NO good words about him. Is it jealousy that he's so happy and has "good news from God today" his typical greeting? Does the news always have to be of a vengeful God like Charles Stanley is always pushing (who I also see)? Why can't there be a room in Christianity for happy people like me and Joel? Just wondering as I see the hate from people like Jeff who don't like love and kindness apparently from people like me and Joel.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Jeff--No argument--someone posted a joke --I laughed and you blasted me? Why? My posting history of being open-minded and changing my mind? Me mentioning that truthful fact? Just stick to topic Jeff and show me why I offend by saying that. When did you change your mind and when were you open-minded? Show me link like Douglas, STPH, Darkbeer, Dabob, Tom Sawyer,? You attack me with nothing but venom. My daughter almost died Tues and you attack me. Yes---people CAN see our posting history. Let them read on. As Bill O'Reilly says let the audience decide.
Originally Posted By StillThePassHolder "You attack me with nothing but venom. My daughter almost died Tues and you attack me." First off, if your daughter almost died Tuesday, which would be the first time I've read anything about it, then I'm sure all of us here sincerely hope everything will be fine. Second, however, this part-"You attack me with nothing but venom"- Jeff hasn't done that, he's never done that to anyone, and he and I have often disagreed, but whenever someone disagrees with you or tries to point something out to you, you immediately go to extremes like this, and then go off on some tangent that no one can read or understand due to the style in which you post. Simply because someone disagrees or takes issue with what you've posted doesn't mean there's "venom" involved or that someone has "jumped down your throat". Comments like "you must be fun around the office", like you posted in another thread, border on bizarre quite frankly, especially when you keep repeating that type of sentiment in different ways, and that's if you can be understood. When you first started posting here I asked if you could at least address the grammatical aspects of your posting, and you refused. I've said it before, you're one of the more unique posters we've had here, maybe ever, and that isn't necessarily a good thing.
Originally Posted By cmpaley >>Back on religious topic before the frankly stepped in---- Maybe CM or anyone else? I'm stunned that a month or so I mentioned Joel Osteen and not ONE person saw him on tv as I asked. 10 million or so people bought his book as I did> He changed millions of lives including mine and yet NO good words about him. Is it jealousy that he's so happy and has "good news from God today" his typical greeting? Does the news always have to be of a vengeful God like Charles Stanley is always pushing (who I also see)? Why can't there be a room in Christianity for happy people like me and Joel? Just wondering as I see the hate from people like Jeff who don't like love and kindness apparently from people like me and Joel.<< I think you miss the point. Yes, God is love and is full of mercy and kindness. He is also just. Let's bear in mind that life is not all peaches and cream. Sometimes, God allows suffering into our lives so we can draw closer to Him. If you're suffering, it's not necessarily helpful to be "happy and positive" (sometimes, it would be ridiculous to be "happy and positive" in the midst of dire circumstances) but it IS helpful to be humble and grateful to God and to unite your sufferings to Christ on the cross and offer it up to Him as a sacrifice. The best "good news from God" isn't about prospering in this life. Look at some of the most awesome saints in history: St. Francis of Assisi, St. Claire, Bl. Theresa of Calcutta, St. Theresa the Little Flower, and so on. These people lived lives of abject poverty and some lives lives of intense suffering and sickness. Their joy wasn't in prosperity and money but in God. The "good news from God" that counts is this: "in a little while we'll be with the Father." Nothing in this life, except one's own choice to turn away from God through mortal sin, can take that away from a Christian.
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Originally Posted By cape cod joe To Douglas I'm going to bed now but I can't wait to wake up and see how STPH can bob and weave his way out of this one? Maybe he'll do the not respond thing making believe my posts never existed or as he put it, I'm not worthy of even being read. Thanks STPH about my daughter. 2 people said they were sorry. TWO If someone sneezes here they want pixie dust or whatever, but when my daughter almost dies two now three people cared enough to mention it. I give you heartfelt thanks for that STPH. night night and you are right> my writing does s..... Always the truth..........
Originally Posted By JeffG Thanks for the support, STPH, although it appears to have fallen on deaf ears. As I said before, I think my posting history here speaks for itself. I'm definitely not going to let myself get into a basically incoherent flamewar... -Jeff
Originally Posted By woody "On that, we are agreed. As a prospective Catholic, I do NOT want fundamentalist Christians imposing their version of the faith, which is anathema to most Christians, on the country." You're proof that it isn't working. For everyone that find "fundamentalists" to be contrary to their faith, the divide gets larger. What's sad is maybe the "fundamentalists" have a bigger bullhorn, but that doesn't mean they are winning the message war. So cmpaley, you have nothing to worry about. "Fundamentalists" have a real image problem in the mainstream media and the blue states, but I equally think the contrary is true. Liberal Christians are just a villified, but it is quite clear that mainstream denominations like Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians have lost memberships. I do think the Catholics fall in the middle of the religious wars. They have a strong conservative theology, but are rather weak in enforcing the proper behaviors of their clergy and laity. It is quite sad to see the Catholics lose their moral authority.
Originally Posted By cmpaley >>I do think the Catholics fall in the middle of the religious wars. They have a strong conservative theology, but are rather weak in enforcing the proper behaviors of their clergy and laity. It is quite sad to see the Catholics lose their moral authority.<< That's an American phenomenon. For some reason, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops seem to think that they operate autonomously from the Vatican and the teachings presented from the Ambos (Catholic for Pulpit) reflect a watered down version of the faith...thus, many "liberal" American Catholics. Go outside the United States, you'll find a totally different Catholic Church where people ARE faithful to the teachings and the Sacraments.
Originally Posted By cmpaley Oh, and one small correction. Theology isn't "conservative" or "liberal." Theology is "orthodox" or "heterodox." The "conservative" and "liberal" labels are for politics, not theology. Interesting thing about orthodox Catholic teaching is that it is both "conservative" (moral issues) AND "liberal" (economic and social justice issues). This makes it difficult to be a full fledges Democrat or Republican and a Catholic. You have to compromise something of either party's platform or stop calling yourself an orthodox Catholic.
Originally Posted By StillThePassHolder "Thanks for the support, STPH, although it appears to have fallen on deaf ears.' Anytime, and yes, it has, although not surprisingly.
Originally Posted By woody >>Theology isn't "conservative" or "liberal."<< No, I disagree. In essense, the teachings of Jesus Christ is radical and liberal when compared with The Law; however, how the Christian sects apply the teachings can be liberal or conservative. I think those who don't accept the literal interpretation is liberal.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer >>I think those who don't accept the literal interpretation is liberal.<< A truly literal interpretation is impossible for us today. The words and phrases mean different things today than they did 2000 years ago. That's the fatal flaw and deadly hubris in fundamentalism, in my opinion.
Originally Posted By cmpaley >>>>Theology isn't "conservative" or "liberal."<< No, I disagree. In essense, the teachings of Jesus Christ is radical and liberal when compared with The Law; however, how the Christian sects apply the teachings can be liberal or conservative. I think those who don't accept the literal interpretation is liberal.<< And this is the whole point of the authority of the Church...a teaching recognized by only two Christian Churches...the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches. The beauty of that is the unity of teaching...it's not up to each individual to decide what they'll accept or not or what they think is literal or not. Christ left a Church that is led by the Holy Spirit into all truth, not a book (John 16:13). St. Paul calls the Church the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:16). Through the teaching office of the Church, we have the teaching passed down from the apostles through their successors, the College of Bishops, to today. Amazing.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe CM--I don't miss the point at all--"God has good things in store for me today" because I believe. Moses didn't wait for the Red Sea to part and THEN walk. He believed took the first step and then God did the rest. I am a conduit of God with NO power except what He so generously bequeathes upon me. So everyone can have their (this philosophy or that) but I believe in miracles and the Lord performs them. Now everyone together--JUMP on JOE!
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Even my father-in-law shakes his head when he drives down Country Club Rd. here at the Ridge and sees the miracles and hearing me say "Thank you God" all day long. He is no longer laughing at me and my wife but smiling. Miracle after miracle have occurred to us in the last 2 thanks to Almighty God and my faith, so all the making fun of me and patronizing me here at the LP will not change my boyish enthusiasm for life.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer Why do you think God is rewarding you with so much in the way of material wealth and success, ccj? Or, to rephrase, why do you think it is God who is rewarding you?
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Because I believe Tom--But the material is not the concern as the miracles were the most TANGIBLE (unfortunately) that people focus on, including Diane's father. How sad is that? Most of the miracles are non-material related like my daughter NOT dying last Tues as ONE example out of hundreds> a miracle. Like Joel said yesterday--Be kind and good things will happen. We just had 3 people call to buy insurance in the last 2 hours because people said to call Joe. Plain and simple, unlike some few people here, I'm obsessed with helping others and the money comes in. I really don't even care about the money thing, except when people attack me here. Like Rick Warren says in Purpose Driven Life--"I'm just getting ready for eternity" "Thank you God" I appreciate you asking Tom
Originally Posted By TomSawyer How are you using your new found wealth to serve Him? Do you think He granted these things to you because you're a great guy, or do you think there is some purpose behind giving you enough wealth to live in an expensive home in a gated community?
