talkmagic.co.uk

Mandrake wrote:
Can we leave it to the good sense of TM members to self regulate the emotions and get back to interesting and informative discussion please?

You would hope so.

themagicwand wrote:

Mandrake wrote:
Can we leave it to the good sense of TM members to self regulate the emotions and get back to interesting and informative discussion please?

You would hope so.

I am the eternal optimist!

It's all well and good being the eternal optiomist, Mandrake, but everyone is clearly WRONG. How can I willingly stand by and allow people to live in delusional ignorance? I have a conscience, you know!

pcwells wrote:It's all well and good being the eternal optiomist, Mandrake, but everyone is clearly WRONG. How can I willingly stand by and allow people to live in delusional ignorance? I have a conscience, you know!

Optimism is overrated! Let's have a food fight and settle this like mature children.

PS YOU are wrong.

My optimism stems from knowing I am always absolutely and inexorably right. And if my wife is reading this I'm a dead man.....

Mandrake wrote:My optimism stems from knowing I am always absolutely and inexorably right. And if my wife is reading this I'm a dead man.....

Hehe. Give us your phone number and we'll make sure she does!

I've just realised that this in in the public area so pound to a penny, she's already seen it... it's been nice knowing you guys....

and you'll deserve everything that you get

When we met I knew I'd found Miss Right. I just didn't realise her first name was 'Always'.... (might as well go for broke !!)

Mandrake wrote:My optimism stems from knowing I am always absolutely and inexorably right. And if my wife is reading this I'm a dead man.....

Proof that there is a Higher Power in the order of things


I wish to apologies up front to everyone but I believe you can see where I made an point about bear poking before asked to flesh out things. This thread was moving along all fine and dandy until someone had to slam Readers... and what's the quickest way to get the old bear riled?

What gets me though is that the post against Readers had little to nothing to do with the actual practice of it... I didn't realize that until I was almost done with that dissertation.

I'm guessing that I simply need to have a forum filled with "Craigs Replies" and just drop links into existing threads in that I'm getting so very tired of repeating myself. Especially to people that have been on this forum long enough to have seen my posts more than a few times.

Is it sad that I am in all three of those threads Mandrake mentions?

Once again I am wondering what that says about me.

Obviously I am very opinionated.

--Infy

The common denominators in all three posts is that they involve a faith or belief of some kind, the people posting have some solid personal opinions, they're all seriously skilled in their art and are joining in some quality discussions. (I won't mention that they're all members of the best forum inn the universe as that would be way OTT of me )

As long as we keep it sweet, let the threads carry on ad infinitum!

Infinite wrote:Obviously I am very opinionated.

Isn't being self aware amazing?


PS Email on way later Infy

Ho ho, didn't realise how much things had taken off since my post! Might I be allowed another, Mr. Mandrake? (As long as it's not too inflammatory...)

Craig Browning wrote:I wish to apologies up front to everyone but I believe you can see where I made an point about bear poking before asked to flesh out things. This thread was moving along all fine and dandy until someone had to slam Readers...

Craig, of course my post was meant to poke the bear, we both know that But this was my reason: your point above (that everything was fine until someone "slammed" readers) is simply untrue. Everything was fine - FOR YOU!

This thread was started about the horrific "witch burnings" in Africa. Yet in just a little more than a page you have managed to shoe horn in your irrelevant opinions; how you loathe organised religion and see it as a "politically based game playing in which ego and arrogance replace both, faith and adherence to the theology and idealism said tradition is based upon." Although you mention several faiths, quarter of your post refers to the church (i.e. Christianity) in which you state that "hypocrisy is it's cornerstone" - a totally subjective opinion - as a fact.

I haven't hidden my beliefs on Talkmagic. I really do try not to "ram them down peoples throats" (the easiest of easy accusations to make ). But given that I am, I expect, a minority on here in my beliefs, and that they affect my life and the lives of many I see around me in a very positive way, could you try to understand that I may feel like defending a body of people that I belong to? Or, if it's fitting (and I think it was a perfectly logical counter argument/question), to suggest that these accusations you make could be laid just as easily at your door as mine?

I'm honestly not trying to stir up animosity! But if someone makes a lengthy post that is derogatory several times over to a group that they know for sure exist on this forum - even just one or two - and I muster a response, I hardly think it's fair that I be blamed for "setting things off". There are plenty of times when comments one could choose to take umbrage at have been made and in the spirit of things - and because TM is such a friendly place generally - I've happily shrugged them off. But the hijacking of a thread for irrelevant sh*t-talking of someone's beliefs is just not cricket.

I'm happy to admit I don't have an in depth knowledge about Readers, though I don't see why it should stop me asking questions. But I also know that a brief stint of scriptural study does not (evidently) make one an expert in the field of faith and religion. What amuses me all the more is that several times Craig, you have accused religious leaders of being ego-driven. I'm sure many are. But I also know many church leaders who are as humble and selfless a person as you will ever meet, and I also expect that someone searching this forum for all of your posts will have cause to believe that there are Readers with buckets of ego to spare as well.

I half understand your intense dislike; frankly, many British Christians cringe a great deal of the time when we see or hear about the activities of our American counterparts too. But amongst all this hypocrisy, power-struggling and ego tripping you insist is the backbone of my faith and others, there are Christians quietly getting on with their lives, who - inspired by their faith and gently led by their leaders - are befriending and helping prostitutes and providing infinitely patient support to alcoholics (if you've worked with alcoholics you'll know what I mean by infinitely patient) to name just two of the social actions performed by my own church. But apparently, you are absolutely certain God is nowhere in this picture.

Well, I disagree with you - I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to do that

Farlsborough wrote: Christians quietly getting on with their lives, who - inspired by their faith and gently led by their leaders - are befriending and helping prostitutes and providing infinitely patient support to alcoholics

There's a joke in there somewhere, but I'm not man enough to make it. In my mind it involves Catholics.

I must admit that the whole Christianity thing, for me as someone who has obvious pagan leanings, is a double edged sword. In my local area there is a huge Christian community who are very pro-active, run soup kitchens, support ecological initiatives, and are very welcoming of new residents (for example when we moved into the area around 5 years ago they knocked on the door bringing frozen meals for us). However they (and by "they" I mean the vicar and the church hierarchy) also support and endorse a woman who claims to talk to God and hear His voice audibly, and they really "go" for the whole angel thing. Apparently several in the congregation can "see" angels and have assured the vicar that there are lots of them in the church. The first Christmas we were in the area we went to the carol service on Christmas Eve for a good old sing song. The vicar's sermon began with a chastisement for people who had just turned up for a "good old sing song" and don't go to church week in week out. Sheesh.

So some days I kind of "get" the whole Christian thing, then other days I'm just left befuddled by it. I suppose I would feel the same about any organised religion. I can see the attraction (and the good work) but then there's always the bad after taste - a bit like a cup of tea with too much sugar in it. Plus the influx of American money and evangelical politicising.

I think my problem is I ask too many questions! And no. That's not an opportunity to suggest the Alpha Course to me.