Raf

Yes

“Men should be explorers, no matter how old they are. I don't know about anybody else, but I'm going.” *** "With the way nature's been cheating us, I don't mind cheating her a little."

It's older than Twilight.

https://www.cnn.com/2016/01/26/entertainment/abe-vigoda-dead-obit-feat/index.html

Cast a wide net! I get it, because that's how you ... clever! Funny story how I ended up in the guy's obit, seeing as I never met him. They quoted me even though my connection to him was nothing personal.

The rug matches the curtains. So I guess that means they're telling the truth. But I still can't process it. So no. I feel better if they're lying, so I'm gonna stick with that.

I think if you look deep down, truth be told, the curtains weren't that red. I can't process it. Therefore it cannot be true. The curtains weren't red. They were lying. But that's my opinion.

By the way, nice to see you posting again, Oakspear!

"I don't want to live forever if you're not going to be with me." *** "But I promise you, you will all lead productive lives." "Forever?" "We don't know what forever is." *** "If this is foreplay, I'm a dead man."

Paul and his acolytes were never big on the intellectual legitimacy of [anything, really, but especially] dissent, were they? "Now the Spirit, being completely devoid of confidence and unable to hold its own in a rational discussion weighing the merits of its premises against observable facts, expressly states than in later times people who approach its claims honestly will scrutinize those claims and have legitimate reasons to conclude that they are, indeed, false, but unable to counter with facts we will demonize reason (and rationalists) as deceitful spirits, demons, influenced by the hypocrisy of liars and having a conscience seared with a hot iron. Because nothing like namecalling when you're almighty and STILL can't back up your claims with the facts." Fixed the verse for Paul. He can thank me at the Bema.

As a practicing moderator, I immediately reported myself and requested mod review. That should be the M.O. in doctrinal threads, a standard I have tried to uphold in various conversations. Comparing a doctrine to scripture should not require that a person believes in either the doctrine or the scripture. I can compare Marvel's Spider-Man characters with the MCU's Spider-Man characters and be able to say the MCU's Aunt May is considerably more attractive than its comic inspiration without a belief that Spider-Man and Aunt May actually exist. One can actually accept a "Law of Believing" in one way or another without believing the Bible! (At least, according to Victor Paul "But I Do Not Believe In Your Jesus" Wierwille). All views are ripe for consideration and exploration. And we can all agree there is no need to get cynical about other people's beliefs in a thread in which that is not the topic of conversation.

I don't know about TBone, but it's an open invite to TLC to ask honest questions.

Can a true believer truly change his mind and truly become an unbeliever. Irrefutably, the answer is yes. But a lot of folks think it's more complicated than that. I am automatically suspicious of anyone who says "I was an atheist, but the evidence changed my mind." Reason being, a lot of believers like to claim they were atheist when they really weren't. They were believers all along. But some people really were. And some people really were Christians, baptized speaking in tongues hallelujah singing crying at the right times, praying in private not to show off genuinely Christians, only to later change their minds. I'm sure you suspect they weren't really, but no, really, we were. So for those of us having trouble coming to grips with either change, what are your questions? How can believers and unbelievers help you understand that real change is possible, and it's not your place to deny us our journey?

Well, some are very different. But Rocky II was more a remake of Rocky than a sequel. The chicken gives away that it's II

This guy was my running joke for years. I'm even quoted in his CNN Obit.

Thanks for that perspective, OS. I'll just add that one cannot be respectful while rewriting someone else's past to conform with one's own preconceptions. You don't get to tell people who spent 40 years caring about little more than getting God right, who spent their lives in prayer and pursuit of the things of God, that their faith was simply not genuine, and then write that off as a plainly stated opinion. And then accuse ME of arrogance when I hold a mirror up to YOUR actions? [Not you, OS]. Horse hit. You don't get to rewrite my history and call it your opinion.

Anytime, bro. Let me know if there are any other uncomfortable truths you can't handle. Be more than happy to serve you a little more of what you're dishing out, just to see your shocked SHOCKED reaction.

This one was for me. I'm dead. Oh my this is funny Wait, am I dead? Yet? Yet? Yet? Ok, for real...

Oh come on, people. Not one of these clues is smooth! Reminds me of a movie that was very much like it.

By the way, I say the above as someone who has done more than most to explore the change-of-heart issues that led me from faith to "seeing the dark." People change their minds. And it's a long, often painful process. To dismiss it, just because you lack the depth of perception to understand it, says more about you than about us. I wonder if it's a defense mechanism. The last thing you want to do is admit that a reasonable explanation could lead you down the same path, so you just deny that we were ever people of faith. That way you don't have to come to grips with the fact that people of genuine faith could genuinely reconsider and genuinely realize a worldview without a deity at the center of it actually makes a good deal of sense. In any event, I was a believer. So was Oakspear. So was Sudo and so many others. And you do not get to come along decades later and rewrite our journeys just because you're uncomfortable with where we began. Get your edit-pen out of my past. It is not yours to rewrite.

Politics. If you'd like to discuss and debate the merits of Islam, take it to doctrinal.

TLC I don't think you have any idea how unbelievably condescending that sounds to those of us who spent a lifetime pursuing God and the things of God and leading people to Christ, only to have some self-appointed authenticity cop come along and say "You know I bet if you look deep down he didn't REALLY believe." $#%! you, if the truth be known. Because your inability to process a genuine change of heart doesn't invalidate it. Try again,

Definitely doctrinal. Will move it later, but keeping it here for the moment for visibility's sake.

You know who you are.

I can name that tune in 1. I think. (those are not clues).