see what I have always thought about religion is that it is great for people who need, if it helps you live a happy fulfilling life than more power to it.  Me personally I don’t feel like I need it.

Reubenesque:

“We were made in God’s image but Christians say He gets upset when we use that wisdom instead of relying on Him.  Somewhat of a quandary wouldn’t you say?”

Christians who suggest that we err by using our God-given gifts (including intelligence and widsom) are overstating their case.  I think it is safest to say that using our own wisdom and relying on Him are NOT mutually exclusive.  Both are important, and both are (Scripturally/theologically) supportable.

Peace.

We were made in God’s image but Christians say He gets upset when we use that wisdom instead of relying on Him.  Somewhat of a quandary wouldn’t you say?

Verne:

Ditto!!

Peace.

@ Dr., Dr., and Maani;

Hi guys, good on ya Dr. Top of the New Year to you and have a happy 2009.

Hi, Maani, I agree w/ you.  HNY!

sorry, but war is not the paradigm of civilization. Patriarchy is the expression of insecurity and fear. If your teachers had been more competent, they would have related to you the story of civilizations that lasted for thousands of years without kings, slaves, war, or weapons. We are not made stronger by fear or weapons, but by ensuring the weakest among us will prosper—the women and children. If you can’t understand that you must be a republican. Republicans cannot function without greed and fear.
Read Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus, Ghandi, Mohammed, Buddha and on and on. If we want to survive, we must be protectors, not enforcers. It is not warriors, but mothers that give us life.
Vote Republican! Go from peace and prosperity to war and debt. They are playing on your fears. Those of us true Americans who are neither scared of terrorists nor republican bankers will prosper while you drown, alone, in fear.

DKIA:

LOL!  And yet…what IS the impetus when there is no “guilt” factor involved?  LOL.

Peace.

Good point, Verne.  But I did donate to a humane society this Christmas because Jesus wanted me to.

I said, “Unhand me, thou foul Truthdig.  I must now needs answer the call of the Lord.”  And I, Verne, I tore myself away from TD and trundled on down to the Humane Society.  That, my friend, is acting!!!

Whoever made up that guy was a genius, him and Allah and all those other action figures.  Now, if I could just get myself to do it without outside intervention.

troublesum:

Right you are.  And yet, we are even MORE out of touch with our spirits.

Peace.

If you bring 100,000 sacks of gold as an offering to God, He will say, “Bring me the heart, I want the heart.”
Rumi

And modern man is so out of touch with the heart that he no longer knows he has one.

troublesum:

Superb.  Pithy and concise.  Bravo.

Peace.

The figure in the cartoon is a head on legs and God is all heart.  It is only when we live exclusively in our heads that we believe that we are self sufficient.  Believing that we are self sufficient, we have nearly destroyed the world.

If we could really “save ourselves,” how is it that we created such a mess of this planet in every possible way?  That we are destroying it seemingly as quickly as we can.

Things are getting worse, not better, and the only ones we have to blame are ourselves.  Looking in that mirror should not have produced a smile, but an even deeper frown - unless the man is happy that he is helping (whether directly or indirectly) to destroy the very planet he lives on, possibly making it inhospitable - and even uninhabitable.

Peace.  (Feel free to call me a curmudgeon…LOL)

I liked it because it’s true: Save yourself! Act!
But Truthdig is a holding pond! And very effective from what I can see.

Very nice indeed…. Merry Us !!!