Ham

Well.. mine was.. Dueling Exorcists. "We are not here to study the bible" OK lady, agreed. Those ground rules will work both ways, now, won't they? She knew I was involved with da way. "I rebuke thee, foul spirit of blasphemy, in the name of Jesus.." I fire off the next volley. "out, thou foul spirit of idolatry, in da name of the Lord.." the exchange went on for some time. We traded exorcisms of "foul spirts".. from error, to who knows what. I have a good imagination.. finally.. at the last.. she called for a truce. "You just have to hang loose with Jesus here.."

Yes, quite.

Thank you for your kind words. Even though we are using *slightly* different vocabulary, I think we practically agree on all points here.. what kind of experience and brain power does one need.. well.. seems the more one has, the less one has..

Plus it was a *convenient* name to drop in 1967. Barth was what.. eighty years old at the time, and within one year of the end of his life? Somehow, I don't think confirmation of da victer's claim was exactly part of the vicster's plan.. I think the one at HQ wasn't wearing a filter.. came out of packs of Kool shorts..

vewy vewy interesting.. why pick a *revelation* that was not exactly documentable? I mean.. if he could have shown some record of a run of twenty or so winning tickets, it might be a TAD more believable.. "don't try this at home, kids.." maybe he got the names of the winners from the fortune-teller..

Interesting. Too bad many others of us didn't do the same.. at least a lot sooner..

The last creature I watched.. was lucky. Normally, the speed limit through this zone approaching a dead end is 20 mph. Squirrels could easily gambol out onto the road, and out of the way of danger.. but the car was going at least 45. The Squirrel leaped, and ran like there was no tomorrow.. he missed the front tires of this idiot by about six inches, by estimation.

yes. very, very good friend.. thank you for your kind comments.

Maybe.. the only difference between a Holy Creature, and a grease spot.. is the humane application of the brakes during one's pilgrimage through life..

Just out of curiosity. What was your first impression? My first impression of some wiccans.. I couldn't label them as evil.

There are so many other schools of thought. Life was not very "interesting" when there was no male or female designation..

I think the big problem is trying to shove an Infinite God into a well behaved, logical, sane, predictable package.. I wonder what it is like to be normal, predictable, well behaved, logical, and self-contained for an eternity.. I can be that. Well, for a few moments at a time.. maybe at least when it counts..

Targeting the vulnerable.. I think da way had a lot of targets. On one level, those searching for answers, and who could provide a little bit of money, blood and sweat. On another, those with excess of money looking for a wort(less) organization to throw it to.. on another, those with excess of fame to provide some kind of stamp of approval..

from Skyrider on another thread.. How come I never heard of this? Was it at an old advanced class or something? Anybody know any details? did herr victoid emcamp himself about the tent.. Loudly claiming "victory* in jesus' name over da spirits of one so possessed? Was it a case where he was just so obnoxious that any reasonable (unpossessed) person would RUN in the other direction? I had a similar experience once, but I did not run off. I just started "casting spirits" out of the insane religious nutcase trying to do the same thing to me..

I don't remember this..

Pools of sorrow, waves of joy.. maybe this is too much.. :)

You have to read it in the original.. some of the verses.. it sounds like he is singing.. "nothing is going to chain my world".. Yeh! I heard it.. in the second repetition of the chorus..

I know where the dream ends. I have seen it.. just not sure about the timing, or exact details..

What is it.. there is a verse, somewhere.. about someone who hastens to be rich will not be innocent.. god bless them.. the wife of one the corps "men" here.. said boldly.. "you can't blame US of that.."

every decade I have become something that I had no clue that I would become the decade before.. where is the certainty in that? One decade I became a husband and father.. I washed windows, cleaned dishes.. it was really fun. The next.. I became some kind of electronics expert. The next.. I moved from taking to giving. I used electronic knowledge to give back to the community.. I became a ham radio operator.. the next decade.. I became a mathematician.. this decade, I'm trying to figure out how to teach math.. becoming some kind of professor? now what. No idea.. but each step along the way has not been exactly logical. I feel like every ten years or so, I've peeled off one more layer after another.. weird, huh..

Certainty? One runs in the nearest direction.. I have a few certainties. One of them is from a dream when I was young.. very young. There was some construction down the street where I lived. There was a mound of sand, the neighborhood kids were playing with the sand. They had their little toy cranes, dumptrucks.. that is the real part of life. In the dream, it became a mound of nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollars. All I could carry off, I could have.. so what does that tell me. I'll never be rich. No hundred dollar bills.. no cash hoard.. but all I really NEED, to carry off as I wish. So I'll never exactly starve, will I.. isn't that enough certainty? What more could I really want.. as far as THIS existence is concerned? I'm speaking as regards to physical existence.. If I was greedy, I'd write a few computer programs to work with finances, and rape and pillage some people's retirement accounts and pensions.. and social security..

Ha! well, I wasn't worried.. I figured it would come back to topic. But did it every really stray? "fornication" can be only really enjoyed by the spiritual elite.. it wasn't "sex". It was "getting one's needs met.." "relieving the tension of da manogawd so he could properly *minister* to da flock.. make his job "easier" so to speak. one has to see it in the "original" to really appreciate it.. abundance? I think it is related. Da manogawd and manogowdesses NEED a trip to the Bahamas to be fully rested enough to make the most important spiritual decisions regarding YOUR life. Of course they do.. proper accommodations.. miraculously trimmed groomed lawns..

some of us have evolved beyond that.. evolved? I dunno. Maybe that is not an apt description.. maybe.. compelled? maybe everybody needs that kind of experience.. you know. One look at some kind of light, and everything melts away, just shy of leaving this existence.. I abhor certainty, or the claim for it, anymore.. Why settle for certainty, when one can have a real direction to go in..

before doing so. Rub and wear a necklace made out of strung garlic.. wear a very large silver cross. carry a few wooden stakes..

thanks for your kind comments. the problem I have with the religion is.. when things go "wrong" so to speak, out come the excuses. Idiom of permission, various euphemisms.. It just seems to me, that most of the euphemisms and idioms attempt to attribute logic to a god which may not be exactly logical (human characteristic).. I'd say a lot more, but I'll try to stay on topic here..