Bramble

We don't have a discount grocery store like Aldis, though we shopped there when we lived in the midwest. We do participate in SHARE, which is a way we can save on groceries. http://www.sharecolorado.com/index.cfm?act...does_share_work We garden, too, and grow lots of herbs and garlic. So many herbs grow like weeds--we dug out tons of sage last year and gave it away on freecycle.

I don't know you and this is certainly a big and difficult decision. One thing I do know...I wouldn't want my kids to learn to avoid friends and loved ones in their troubled times. Reminds me too much of TWI, kick-em-while-they're-down-because-of-their-bad-believing. I'd rather they learned to show compassion and empathy, and used some elbow grease to help out.

I agree Oprah is a separate issue from Eckhardt Tolle. I see her as someone on her own journey, which just happens to be public. Like everyone, she has her flaky moments and her profound moments. As for self indulgent, no I don't get that. I know that people in other places live short and brutal lives trying to survive...I know people here in our country who work more than one job and fall into bed exhausted and still poor, and still with no health insurance or financial security...But one of the recurrent things in Tolle's works is the connectedness of all people, of not seeing people as 'other', but as part of yourself--so in a sense, their pain is your pain. If other's truly began to think this way, couldn't that bring about needed change for those who live in grinding poverty?

The book does not encourage following a guru, celebrity etc, nor is it brand new stuff. What the book teaches has been practiced in cultures far removed from Oprah on the flatscreen.

Did you miss that it is a book discussion about a book? Seems to me that it would be a discussion for people who have read the book. Most peopel who participate on the PFAL discussions either have been involved in it or have studied it--how else can they be on topic? As for Oprah's theology, I have no problem with a Christian disagreeing with it and choosing not to be involved. I do object to the demonizing of those who believe differently than they do...but have learned to expect it from certain theologies--"others" are evil type stuff. Which is one of the things this book addresses.

From what I can see on the Oprah boards, people are not abandoning the ANE book and joining fundamentalists churches as a result of all the preaching and the Oprah/Tolle are the antichrist stuff. Those who are vehemently opposed seem to be preaching to their own choir. Hellfire and rigid dogma that condemns so many others just doesn't have the power over people that it once did. Many seem to see such attitudes as destructive. There seems to be a sense of--why are you here if you haven't even read the book? Not the roll over and show the belly folks like some of us were in TWI. Reminds me of when people would call TWI a cult due to our non trinitarian beliefs. Um, that's not what made it a cult! But the fact that almost 4 million copies of the book sold during this Oprah deal must have some people and churches really scared. The fundamentalists are very vocal, but there are plenty of other Christians on the boards who are reading and having positive things to post.

The tone of the article doesn't sound a bit biased to any of you? Relax, the class on Oprah is over in a few weeks. The religion-IS-competition/warfare-and-we 're-going-to- win people will find something else to oppose and condemn, because that is what they do. And teachers like Eckhardt Tolle will continue to find audiences who are interested in spiritual aspects that are not attached to any certain faith. I have several of his books on audio, and I find his voice soothing. But it does lack the authoritative book slapping fervor that was the style in TWI.

Yes! Venting. Grrr. I don't actually watch Oprah, so don't get the guru thing, but I'm sure there are some starry eyed followers.

Okay, whatever. Plenty of people who haven't even openned the book seem to know exactly what its really about, a brand new eeeviiilll religion with Oprah and Eckhardt at the helm, gearing up to utterly destroy Christianity, and there is no changing their minds, nor do I want to waste my time trying. Nobody needs to actually read the book, watch the class vidoes, or participate in any discussions about the actual content about the actual book! Now, that would be silly, because xyz has already discerned it all for us! Please spread the xyz message about this book, its gotta be right. In my opinion, that is a made up hysterical drama fueled by fear of those that are different, outside the fold, and believe differently. Same old same old. Our way is the only true right way, all others are roads to hell. Yawn.

I think there is a big difference in attitiude and heart between those that aren't reading it because it doesn't interest them (there are books I'm not interested in reading by popular Christian writers, Islamic writers,Jewish writers etc), and those that aren't interested in it and have labeled it as evil, devilish, and those that are getting something out of it as cult members. Or worse. I don't go on a forum that is discussing a book I haven't read and never plan to read and disparage the readers and tell them how awful and wrong they are for reading it or liking it, which is pretty much what is happening last I looked on the book forum on Oprah.

It's her current book club book, A New Earth by Eckhardt Tolle. It seems to have the fundamentalists very excited about the dangers of it. Others find it enlightening.

When I saw the American Idol program end with a Christian song I thought perhaps the producers were acknowledging and in a way thanking all the work done in poverty stricken areas by church organizations. Even here in the states groups like Catholic Charities ( I volunteer with a low cost food program with them and it is well run and draws in volunteers of all faiths and no faiths) do alot to help the poor. That they were trying to work with such organizations, not separate from them.

LCM got more into the blood on the moon and speculated that our government may have covered up something during the moon landings. I think that was inthe WAP class but it might have been his Adv WAP class.

My mobility and comfort level has improved a lot from what it was at the worse two years ago. I haven't tried the omega three(thanks for the idea), but I do think I have less inflamation when I eat well and hydrate, do the excercises etc. I've lost weight, too, which probably helped. Shoes make a big difference for me in comfort level.

I have osteoarthritis in my knees. I've had anti inflamatories, cortizone shots and physical therapy. If you have alot of swelling, then the physical thereapy can teach you the excercises but they won't really be effective until you get the swelling down. Once i broke down and got cortizone shots the excercise es started working. I do water excercise( mainly heel to toe walking with water resistance) and rubberband stretching excercises, which help, and have braces etc for flares. Since I've lost quite a bit of cartiledge in my right knee I will probably need knee replacement eventually. The over the counter osteo herbal remedies don't seem to help me much, but advil helps. It does slow me down, especially on any type of incline or rough surface, since things go best if there is no twisting or jarring. Not quick on my feet--slow and careful works much better. Normal, everyday activity is fine as long as I don't stay in one position too long( stretch! stand up and walk around etc), and I watch for swelling and use the braces etc to help remove swelling. Ice is good, too. Once something happens that aggravates it, it takes a while to get back to normal. Cortizone has been really helpful for pain and swelling when necessary. Oh--really good shoes all the time, and ones that fit when your feet are swollen, and good ergonomecs on chairs etc at a desk help too.

I don't consider myself an athiest but many of those topics sound very interesting, Seth. I read the Agnostic Table thread faithfully back when it was going, and learned alot during that time.

Are you sure this family is still IN TWI? The reason I ask--how many upstanding TWI parents would let their daughter have a serious boyfriend who is an unbeliever(which, in their eyes, you are) because being unequally yoked is BAD!--especially if you are not flirting with taking the class etc? Do her parents know about you? What classes has she had? In TWI kids that age are expected to get into the Advanced Class. And they are expected to obey their parents, who obey their leadership etc. If these are old grads, who revere Dr Weirwille's doctrine but are not actually IN TWI, it all might be much easier. Perhaps they are not living in a culture of micromanagement by leader ship.

#2 - This is a mixture of total non-religious peoples to semi-religious and then includes what the bible refers to as the Epicureans. #3 - This is merely a continuation of #2 into modern times Christian, Abrahamic, or Epicurian?? No modern neo pagan/pagans have discipline? Really? Care to back that up? They are individuals, hmmm, just like Christians. A rather judgemental sweep, there. But then there are those Christians who believe all outside their "fold" are evil. Shrug. But even I'm smart enough to know that all Christians are not that way.

The Age of Aquarius/Nibiru/2012...some believe it brings a new consciousness or a new and higher spiritual evolution of the human race, so the world really won't end, just the world as we know it, and that the 'transition' has been working through humankinjd for a long time. Others believe it is the time when the tide of human history will begin to turn toward peace and cooperation, somewhat like the nonChristian version of the hope(or a nontraditional version of the hope). The Oprah bookclub A New Earth is somewhat along those lines. Still others believe it will be a time of great danger because the Nephilim giants will again attack Earth from their home on Nibiru.

OH SAVE ME. My sister has subscriptions to People mag. EEk.

Ummm, doubt the Nick and Jessica desert island will happen anytime soon since Nick has had the same girl friend for quite awhile and lives with her. Seems to have moved on.

*Shrug* We were taught a lot of 'truth' concerning obeying of leadership, keeping silent, not speaking a negative lest the ministry be blamed, reproof, correction, changing yourself on some one's whim(oops, I mean renewed mind)not being a conduit of the adversary...all tied up in tidy Bible teachings. All those hours of studying TWi doctrine in the bible ...what good did they do? Plus all the 'you'll be outside of the Hedge of Protection' teachings if you balked at the other stuff.

Non Christians once posted here more frequently than lately--pagans, Jews, athiests, agnostics etc, and Bible scripture or Christian beliefs has never been a requirement to posting. Pawtucket has made it clear this is an x way forum, not a Christian forum, though mostposters here are Christian. At one time there were posters who were horribly offended by non Christian posters--or even not-like-them Christians posting, it has become more civil here. Most of the nonChristians have been posting less frequently, so it would be easy to think this is a Christian only forum.

Hmmm, I'd read( my sisiter loves magazines) that Jessica was quite insecure and needy, surrounded herself with an entourage of those who would flatter her, was quite a diva, and that her father was very very involved in her life. Might those issues have something to do with a young marriage breaking up? Quote: Sexual purity is always enough to keep a marriage strong or at least together, throughout both the good and bad times. Now, that statement I question ALOT. Plenty of mariages break up over things other than adultery! Finances, raising kids, addictions...Isn't finacial pressure the #1 reason for divorce? Shucks, I was considering leaving my hubby and fleeing with the kids far far away, because of this cult we got involved in. Sexual purity wasn't even a blip on the radar of my unhappiness! We were TWI grunts--no free time to go out looking for that kind of trouble.

I'm sure most exways can find their way around a Bible!