Do you hide it under a bushel?

[KCKID]

Recruitment bottomline.

Recruiting others to one's belief be it fact or be it fiction through fear tactics ...isn't this what YOU are all about, PC_F?

Yep, I thought it was.

 

[Beanieboy]

Meh. What are the hours like?

Never starts earlier than 10, Happy Hour after work (Cosmos), and the usual: medical and dental/cut and style, in house dry cleaning, free Madonna tickets.

 

[Nihilismus]

What is with homosexuals these days? They want to get married, have kids, raise families, attend church, vote Republican, join the armed forces and generally contribute to society. What is wrong with you people!?! You've got it made! Free sex! No social responsibility or obligations! Fabulous tastes! Broadway! Come on!

 

[corvus_corax]

In RL, do you hide your bushel, a part of who you are? Do they know about your CF writing? Are you able to allow a part of yourself to come out here that you can't in RL? Should you allows try to allow that part out? Is living your religion/spirituality enough, or should you be talking about it at the level that you do here?

I talk about my opinions and facts every time it comes up
With my wife, my best friend, with my co-workers and with my son.
Yes, they do know about my CF writings (s'matter of fact, that is often the point of the conversation). Granted IRL, I tend to be a bit more "gentle" in my approach, but Im not afraid to tell someone that they're wrong (and demonstrate how they are wrong).
And yes, I do talk about it IRL at the "level" that I do here, although not as often (e.g. two to three times a week IRL as opposed to many many times a week online).

But yes, those that I talk to KNOW how I feel about the things I talk about here on CF (e.g. the evolution vs creationism idiocy, the denial of the sciences, abortion, the existence of a deity, ethics, morality, abortion, same sex marriage, etc etc etc)

I'm "nicer" IRL than on here, but no more bashful.
Hope that answers your question.

 

[JTKIRK]

Recruiting others to one's belief be it fact or be it fiction through fear tactics ...isn't this what YOU are all about, PC_F?

Yep, I thought it was.

It is a method that has worked for about 2000 years for the RCC.
It's fanatics like this that caused people like Gandhi to say, " I'd be a Christian if it were not for the Christians!"

Gandhi Rejected by Christians

by Rev. Frederick L. Pattison
from his booklet "Challenging: Gay & Lesbian Baptists"
- soon to be available on this website

Mahatma Gandhi, the renowned leader of the people of India, in seeking to overthrow British colonial rule of his native land, was an avid reader. Although a Hindu, in his quest for freedom, he read the four Christian Gospels. He wanted to know more about Jesus of Nazareth. In his reading of the Gospels, Gandhi was impressed with this man whom Christians worship and follow. Where could he find out more about this Jesus whom Christians refer to as "the Christ - the Messiah?"

One Sunday morning Gandhi decided that he would visit one of the Christian churches in Calcutta. Upon seeking entrance to the church sanctuary, he was stopped at the door by the ushers. The ushers told him that he was not welcome, nor would he be permitted to attend this particular church as it was for 'high caste' Indians and 'whites' only. He was neither 'high caste', nor was he British. Because of the rejection by this church, 'the Mahatma' turned his back on Christianity. With this act, Gandhi rejected the Christian faith, never again to consider the claims of Christ! He was 'turned-off' by the sin of segregation that was practiced by the church. Gandhi later declared, "I'd be a Christian if it were not for the Christians!"

 

[KCKID]

I, JTKIRK was going to make a post using KCKID’s Computer, as my computer is not working, but have relised that any posts made using this computer would of appeared under the screen name of KCKID. I apoligise for any confusion. JTKIRK.

 

[Beanieboy]

What is with homosexuals these days? They want to get married, have kids, raise families, attend church, vote Republican, join the armed forces and generally contribute to society. What is wrong with you people!?! You've got it made! Free sex! No social responsibility or obligations! Fabulous tastes! Broadway! Come on!

Vote Republican???
Those are some eye scratching words, sir...

 

[Beanieboy]

From looking at everything Gandhi said, and did, I have a hard time believing that he wasn't worshipping God. He may not have confessed his sins, asked Jesus into his heart, jumped up and down 3 times and sprinkled himself with holy water, but his fruit, his words, clearly demonstrate it.

 

[Polycarp_fan]

It is a method that has worked for about 2000 years for the RCC.

It's fanatics like this that caused people like Gandhi to say, " I'd be a Christian if it were not for the Christians!"

Gandhi Rejected by Christians

by Rev. Frederick L. Pattison
from his booklet "Challenging: Gay & Lesbian Baptists"
- soon to be available on this website

Mahatma Gandhi, the renowned leader of the people of India, in seeking to overthrow British colonial rule of his native land, was an avid reader. Although a Hindu, in his quest for freedom, he read the four Christian Gospels. He wanted to know more about Jesus of Nazareth. In his reading of the Gospels, Gandhi was impressed with this man whom Christians worship and follow. Where could he find out more about this Jesus whom Christians refer to as "the Christ - the Messiah?"

One Sunday morning Gandhi decided that he would visit one of the Christian churches in Calcutta. Upon seeking entrance to the church sanctuary, he was stopped at the door by the ushers. The ushers told him that he was not welcome, nor would he be permitted to attend this particular church as it was for 'high caste' Indians and 'whites' only. He was neither 'high caste', nor was he British. Because of the rejection by this church, 'the Mahatma' turned his back on Christianity. With this act, Gandhi rejected the Christian faith, never again to consider the claims of Christ! He was 'turned-off' by the sin of segregation that was practiced by the church. Gandhi later declared, "I'd be a Christian if it were not for the Christians!"

Ghandi was shot and killed by a member of Ghandi's own religion.

Be that fact as it may . . .

What kind of "Christians" hold to the caste system?

Certainly NOT an idea from the Apostles:

James 2:

Favoritism Forbidden

1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.

3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?


5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?

8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! Faith and Deeds

14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.


18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"[e] and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

 

[Polycarp_fan]

Recruiting others to one's belief be it fact or be it fiction through fear tactics ...isn't this what YOU are all about, PC_F?



Yep, I thought it was.

How laughable that you must be me to try to gain a point or two in your debate.

Obviously, as anyone with a semblence of reasoning powers can see, I am not recruiting, but only pointing out differences
between right and wrong.

Guess which one you are?

And I'll even let you answer for yourself.

 

[JTKIRK]

There is a song that I sang as a kid: "Hide it under a bushel, no! I'm going to let it shine..."

Do you hide it under a bushel?

In reflecting on a post in Why are you here, I have tried to discuss religion, theology, the meaning of Life, defining God with people I know, but people often get very uncomfortable. It's one of the Things to Not Bring Up at the Dinner Table.

I don't feel it necessary to wear it on my sleeve, nor do I think anyone else should. However, it's interesting, maybe a little odd, that my closest friends barely know this Beanieboy side of me. They know it in my living, in my interactions with them, in what I say and how I live my life.

However, they don't know how fascinated I am with all of it, how much I love comparative religion, how I often find myself in the Comparative Religion section of bookstores, that I speak in tongues, or that I believe that above anything, be it status, money, fame, etc, is loving God with all your heart, and loving yourself, and loving your neighbor as yourself.

I'm not exactly hiding it under a bushel. I don't even know if what I believe has a label yet, and I like keeping my God without a label, because words are slippery enough. When I ask you what a bird is, you tell me that it is a animal with feathers and wings that flies. I then say, "Is a penguin not bird? And ostrich"?

So, how then could I slap a label on God, of all things, something that I sense spiritually, rather than see in the physical place?

I sometimes cut and past better posts of mine to reflect upon later, as well as those of other posters, but I don't share them with people in the RL. If anyone, I think I have shared many of my thoughts with my brother Larry, who was a former pastor, and studied in Seminary. I often find that our views are strangely in sync with one another, offering a God of love and mercy above all things, one who does not tell you that he is angry or mad at you for something you did, but tries to get you to understand that the love is unconditional, that nothing you do, nothing you have ever done, nothing you will do, will ever make God stop loving you.

I have shared a few of my writings with my partner, but again, while very spiritual, isn't really into the religion aspect, sometimes feels like what I am saying is going over his head, or that he just isn't that interested, but happy that I am so passionate about it.

Growing up gay, I spent most of high school and a lot of my early college years trying to fly below the radar, afraid of being "discovered" for having gay feelings, knowing what happens to anyone who dared to come up, I often resign to being a bit of an enigma unless probed, and the person trusted. I can't really say that people perk up when you mention spirituality in general, suddenly wanting to jump in, so, that is a factor, too. My students, when talking about The Alchemist, and how often it had religious references, asked me about my religious affiliation, and I explained it as best I could. However, I'm not sure how many people know it, or how often my closest friends have even asked me about such things.

In RL, do you hide your bushel, a part of who you are? Do they know about your CF writing? Are you able to allow a part of yourself to come out here that you can't in RL? Should you allows try to allow that part out? Is living your religion/spirituality enough, or should you be talking about it at the level that you do here?

BB I do think that a lot of Christians, do seem to hide there Christianity under your bushel. Like a lot say they are but do not example it.
Then of course you have those (like some I could mention on this forum) who example it's bad side by their often rude and arrogant posts. They can not be accepting of ALL (race, sex orientation etc) and end up giving Christianity a bad name.

 

[JTKIRK]

There is a song that I sang as a kid: "Hide it under a bushel, no! I'm going to let it shine..."

Do you hide it under a bushel?

In reflecting on a post in Why are you here, I have tried to discuss religion, theology, the meaning of Life, defining God with people I know, but people often get very uncomfortable. It's one of the Things to Not Bring Up at the Dinner Table.

I don't feel it necessary to wear it on my sleeve, nor do I think anyone else should. However, it's interesting, maybe a little odd, that my closest friends barely know this Beanieboy side of me. They know it in my living, in my interactions with them, in what I say and how I live my life.

However, they don't know how fascinated I am with all of it, how much I love comparative religion, how I often find myself in the Comparative Religion section of bookstores, that I speak in tongues, or that I believe that above anything, be it status, money, fame, etc, is loving God with all your heart, and loving yourself, and loving your neighbor as yourself.

I'm not exactly hiding it under a bushel. I don't even know if what I believe has a label yet, and I like keeping my God without a label, because words are slippery enough. When I ask you what a bird is, you tell me that it is a animal with feathers and wings that flies. I then say, "Is a penguin not bird? And ostrich"?

So, how then could I slap a label on God, of all things, something that I sense spiritually, rather than see in the physical place?

I sometimes cut and past better posts of mine to reflect upon later, as well as those of other posters, but I don't share them with people in the RL. If anyone, I think I have shared many of my thoughts with my brother Larry, who was a former pastor, and studied in Seminary. I often find that our views are strangely in sync with one another, offering a God of love and mercy above all things, one who does not tell you that he is angry or mad at you for something you did, but tries to get you to understand that the love is unconditional, that nothing you do, nothing you have ever done, nothing you will do, will ever make God stop loving you.

I have shared a few of my writings with my partner, but again, while very spiritual, isn't really into the religion aspect, sometimes feels like what I am saying is going over his head, or that he just isn't that interested, but happy that I am so passionate about it.

Growing up gay, I spent most of high school and a lot of my early college years trying to fly below the radar, afraid of being "discovered" for having gay feelings, knowing what happens to anyone who dared to come up, I often resign to being a bit of an enigma unless probed, and the person trusted. I can't really say that people perk up when you mention spirituality in general, suddenly wanting to jump in, so, that is a factor, too. My students, when talking about The Alchemist, and how often it had religious references, asked me about my religious affiliation, and I explained it as best I could. However, I'm not sure how many people know it, or how often my closest friends have even asked me about such things.

In RL, do you hide your bushel, a part of who you are? Do they know about your CF writing? Are you able to allow a part of yourself to come out here that you can't in RL? Should you allows try to allow that part out? Is living your religion/spirituality enough, or should you be talking about it at the level that you do here?

Beanieboy, I thought you would like to know that I found myself thinking about this issue and looking closer at myself, top question.

 

[PhilosophicalBluster]

Just for clarification, a bushel is a unit of measurement. I think it's volume, but it may be mass. I've heard it used in agricultural context.

 

[.Sabre.]

Ask me about my faith and I won't lie. I do talk about it often, but not in an annoying or disrespectful way. I never, ever try to recruit people.