In a battle of wits, I am unarmed.

The father in your post will have more pain- from his stance before the death of his son.

It isn't spirituality that is the problem, it is Religion.

Ya know, doesn't matter which side someone claims, but when it becomes self-righteous then someone is going to feel abused and uncomfortable. Whether it is by intent or not, the field is no longer level. Read your thread last night, gut response was "Boy I don't need this."

Am no match for you rug, and the ability to spew flames, yet there is a place within that has to nudge you.

I am a Christian, in fact a stuffy Lutheran. Likely it began doc, back when I was still in the womb and mom was teaching Sunday School. Then as it goes California decided it would teach "sight reading" over phonetics in its public schools, the six year old found her rear in a Lutheran School. Got a stay of sentence and released back into public school, only to hear the taunt "goodie two shoes'. In college, was blest with a Jesuit mentor, gave us tools and forced us not to merely defend what we consider Values, but define them. ( If only we would include this idea our kids might be better equipped for life.) Oh yeah, the first day of class with the Jesuit- learned he had flunked an entire English class the previous semester, of course I ran down to try and change my schedule, like that would work eh? When asked if it were true, he got this huge grin and said "If you don't learn the lesson how can you expect to pass the class?"

Some of us have done everything possible to be anything BUT a Christian, sooner or later what you believe or put your faith in catches up to where ever it is you think you are going. Its true, these are not fun times for beliefs as mine, but then read some of Marty Luther's writings when he was daring to take on the Vatican- Humor what a great resource. Yes, I read Luther's writings sure I would hate the man,nope- not even a little. He wasn't perfect, thought the world was flat, and a few other opposing views. Still even in these difficult days for folks like me, its not as overwhelming as what ole Marty tasted.

Before I close and attempt to get ready for the bruising that will come, there is something I am going to share:

"Woe to the legislators of infamous laws, to those who issue tyrannical decrees, who refuse justice to the unfortunate, and cheat the poor among my people of their rights, who make widows their prey and rob the orphan." - Isaiah 10, begins verse 1.

Ya know that just doesn't fit nicely into what the conservative christian(again small "C&quot right ideology teaches. Perhaps, there is something else besides their ways.

Its Saturday, and each Saturday I go and clean the church for Sunday. Grew up with the chapel smelling of lemon oil, yeah, I would do that.

May you day and your heart be filled with sunlight and joy.

WTG.

WOW! Here in Arkansas. WOW!

Am gonna ask our Diamond City Mayor about this possibility,though from what is seen, they are too delighted with Citizens United. When I put a yard sign up about "Occupy something" she was more than a bit unhappy, of course at the time my job was as the Mayor's Assistant. That ended April 30th, so the sign is back up.

Yay Fayetteville! Maybe there are real Democrats in Arkansas, I converted from Minnesotan to Arkansan five years ago, and have felt really lonely in my progressive liberal ideas. Does that mean we may actually get a Constitutional Amendment to overturn personhood?

Its the Journey not the destination.

It isn't spirituality that is the issue. Each of us are unique individuals, our discoveries, our thoughts, and our perceptions. It is Religion that is the flaw, anything that seeks to mandate, control and manipulate becomes repulsive. It is most irritating that though I read and study the same Book as the "hard core", their summary is always 180 Degrees from mine.
Maslows hierarchy about belonging, and I just plain don't fit.

Marty Luther knew about "hard core" in his time also. Only the faces have changed, the goals remain the same.. Hopefully we aren't as squashed today as he surely felt, still his writings are filled with humor. When all else fails, laugh.
I am a Christian, though spent decades trying to be anything but!. My greatest flaws are the most common: vanity and this idea I have some exclusive right to be independent. Which of course led to the hardest thing ever faced, humility, my ears just burned red hot. What was thought would leave me weak, instead did the opposite. Shocking!

What some don't see is that each form of self-righteousness, no matter what side has the same effect of "belittling" someone else based on one's person belief of what is correct. I am one who does rescue turtles, because perhaps the BEST I can do is care about "the least among us". Still I repeatedly wonder after I have thrown my car into Park, and am out the door to carry some turtle in the direction his head is facing, WHAT if some gust of wind turned him around?

Enjoy your journey. You will arrive exactly where you are supposed to. Ask the guy who fell overboard, and darned if he still didn't end up where he was meant to go.

Are Lutherans alienated/bashed here?

Of all the reasons the "other side" outrages me, the conservative christain (small "C&quot right has come in first. Its been irritating enough that its like they read a different Book than I do, they sure have a different summation!

Just visited two sites via DU, and OUCH fits. I wondered and of course discounted that my Democrats would be so vicious- NOW?????? Dunno.

It is an individual thing, you pursuit it or you don't. You wrestle to understand or you don't. Faith really isn't about believing in what is seen or tangible, its faith in what is unseen. And it requires the same sense of humor Marty Luther had dealing with Rome.

I just need to know if this is a place I'll fit or if there is only Limbo, because my grasp of meaning and content is 180 Degrees from that conservative christian (again SMALL "C&quot right.

So has the false teachers created a way to divide us even deeper?

Having trouble with ability to be deluded.

Or should that be diluted?

Does this one have an affiliation with some of the "boys"/brothers here? It's too bad the Earth can't bring a lawsuit, I mean Corporations are considered people, why not This Baby Blue Planet?

Its the names of the players from THEN that

remain playing NOW.
Wonder if there isn't a trail left that might produce enough facts to make an impact NOW.

Its your third paragraph....

Wish I had your insight. Pretty much mine compares to Vonnegut in "Harrison Bergeron"'s normal intelligence. Can see the pieces but not put them together in a coherent manner.


Was it in Ayn Rand's "For the New Intellectual" she uses the term "human ballast"? Assuredly that is the perception of the "1%" to the 99%. WE have the numbers, but that doesn't produce sanity or change. The ONE thing my Democratic party has always driven me nuts with has to do with the layers and multi-focus, we get so busy consumed with our personal focus, we are the perfect target for being "divided" not by our differences but by our difference's impact to a platform, plan, intent.

Perhaps the best we can do: I really am one who rescues turtles. Can't recall it ever being some goal that was set. But they are the "least among us". Still every time I stop my vehicle to carry a turtle across the road in the direction his head is facing, there is this moment of wondering if somehow in the gust from a passing vehicle he got turned around.
Not long ago in the same week, it was the same very Large Red Eared Turtle, returning from the direction I had carried him across the road from. Loaded the Big guy in my car, and drove to a neighbor's , they have a small creek flowing in front of their house. Learned yesterday they have seen the big guy several times, and he seems to be doing well. The creek empties into a cove of the lake. Perhaps, she concludes, the BEST we can do is to care about the least among us.

Howl against wolf hunt in MN before June 20th

It's not the wolves in the woods that are the big concern for 2012!

On our last vacation before I was made a widow, we went to Washkish, MN to a new campground(2005). I have to see what's around me, so we took a drive with our pair of Dachsies which always managed to keep me BUSY. Get about half way around Upper Red Lake towards the Village, and my mate says "Was that a wolf?" I saw squat, so he turned around, and from that millisecond on all I could see was a tail going the speed of light.
Three-four month old pup, looked to have Malamute in her.
Emaciated understates it.
My mate and I had our last fight of this lifetime. "If I'ld have known you were gonna put that #@#$ dog in this @#$# car, I wouldn't have turned around." And my reply "That @#$$ dog wouldn't be in this #@$# car if you hadn't turned around."
When we got to the village, went to a market and bought a 25 lb bag of kibble.
When we got back to camp, and for years I kept it as proof, the young female pup's first poop was literally mud and pine needles. Amazed me then AND now.

Next morning I'm off to the Ranger's office after being soundly infomed we don't need another dog. (I'm still not sure my life has ever really been about what I thought I needed.) The Ranger said "I'ld love to have her (very LONG pause) BUT, she's claimed you, she watches your every hand gesture and movement." Happy Birthday to me, a new puppy.

I didn't name her, the Ranger did. His logic was that this was one of the very few villages left that practice the old ways, so she became "Ponemah". Don't worry, it took me seven weeks to say it correctly twice in a row.

The day before when we got to the village I asked the cashier what the name meant, she said "Across the Lake".
The Ranger said in our english it really means "The Life hereafter". That day I thought it meant her life, three months later it included mine.

I asked my vet about her being a wolf-hybrid and the laws in the City of Mpls, the vet said "Just say, okay, but you pay for the DNA testing." grin.

This was a reallllllllly busy busy pup, amazing things she did. Just amazing feats.

But after the death of my mate, each night she would start out at the foot of the bed, and each morning i would wake up to find my head in the curve of her belly atop my pillow.
Took a while and hints from two friends...

THIS is the most astounding, perceptive, intelligent canine my life has known. I have no choice but see in all our "breeding" efforts we have destroyed some of the best qualities.

SO- my first THREAD at DU has to be about the public comment at the MN DNR website about holding a wolf hunt. CLOSES JUNE 20th!!

[link:www.HowlingForWolves.org/DNR|

LIkely before your birth

there was no choice but to try and prevent Ronny from once more being King in the fair state of Calafia:

No one was able to keep the headquarters open, I had the time. Day after long day, and then we got in this tremendous number of flyers/mailers for the candidate for State School Super. Decided one day there had to be something I could do with all of them.

Part of our county included a very very biased and prejudice area, and turnout was usually nothing to be thrilled with. Took a few afternoons and walked a few precincts, flyering each house about voter reg. BACK then it was three pages in triplicate and a large pain. Got about 55-60 cards back, had some kind of record that year for voter reg.s

The candidate was Wilson Riles, and to my complete astonishment, that precinct in the middle of all its racial hatred carried Mr. Riles. Taught me more about politics than anything has since that time.

My POINT is Julie, EVERY voter and EVERY vote counts. My remark was to urge you to stop and consider how your post feels to us regular folks. DU may not be some stellar place in your estimation, but could it be at least worthy of respect?

Oh yeah, my fine work to register voters, landed me working at an Election Board. May your efforts provide the same "reward".

wow, i feel so insignificant, will you still allow my vote to count?