mitchellmckain wrote: I refute your implicit claim to psychic capacity to see my motivations by the simple fact that you are absurdly wrong.
Kestrel wrote:I think it is right to suppose that wisdom is the intelligent application of knowledge gained through experience.
I understand how you confuse the two.
After experiencing our short exchange and reading within Keep The Reasons warm and flattering welcome, KTR's experience with you, I did a bit of farming throughout the board. To gain the knowledge for myself, if there was a disconnect between just you and me or if it was you and many.
(Shake dem bones)
So. When I intelligently apply the knowledge gained by the experience of myself and others, I conclude that there is no profit in you and me continuing our "discussion", regarding my original post.
It would be easy for me to say that I was once like you. More accurately I was you.
I won't bore the reader with all the particulars that brought a change within my worldview, other than to highlight, that one of the particulars was when during a forum discussion, an atheist asked me why I felt it was so unreasonable for him to require that he see or experience the proof that God exists.
Certainly not a question in form,that I hadn't heard a thousand times before and undoubtedly answered in some way that I'm sure at the time(s) were cleverly insulting to the one asking.
Always explaining in great clever detail, why they were wrong and less, and never explaining with intellectual satisfaction why I was right, and worse, thought myself to be more.
Can't say what it was exactly. But for once, I stopped feeling and speaking and I simply listened.
It has made all the difference and I will never go back.
It has not only allowed me to retain my belief in God, but reinforced it.
So to all fair minded humanists, reasonist, atheists, keep on keeping on. I can attest, it does make a difference. Furthermore from my point of view, you may very well be doing among the most noble of Gods work. I am in your debt.
"I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. Cause sinners are much more fun." - B. Joel
mitchellmckain wrote:I simply seek all the things of life - growth, excitement, creativity, love, wonder, challenges, passion, learning and service to others - and seek them without ending.
I certainly don't speak for anyone but myself, yet I sense the agreement of others when I say;
I am behind your endeavor with full support. And very much look forward to the day you find what you are seeking and refuse to embrace the horror of the possibility that you will seek them without ending.
mitchellmckain wrote:...service to others
While our individual take on what it means to have life more abundantly are parsecs apart, I also feel that I serve others.
Initally, I was going to give a quick sarcastic, "How's that working out for ya?" line.
Right question, wrong person.
For a servant, the only question is, "How's that working out for everyone else?"
I couldn't help but notice the thread, where critique is asked for in regard to the pod casts. In an attempt to improve them.
Perfect.
What say you and me start our own threads, asking for criticism with the goal of self improvement in mind, from those we claim to serve. Not criticism of our ideas, but how we conduct ourselves. Once our initial post of the goal of the thread is established, we will voluntarily never respond within or without of the thread. If we respond at all, it will be to adjust our actions accordingly in response to the critiques of those we serve. No "praise" accepted or expected.
For example;
"Kestrel, you strike me as self absorbed and not willing to hear what I say."
"Kestrel, stop putting people down because they don't feel as you do."
"Kestrel, you always blow people off when they ask you to clarify something they don't understand."
You get the point.
Because you have a 3000 post lead on me, I'll sweeten the pot for you. You may feel free to post in my thread and I give you my word, I will never post in yours.
Sure, it's a bit dramatic, but the benefits to those whom we claim to serve are self evident. As is the benefit to we who serve.
What do you say, fellow servant. My little brother in Christ?
Or should I tap my psychic abilities and save us both the trouble?
While I await your reply....
As easy as it may be to dismiss mithcellmckain out of hand, Keep The Reason rightly points out that from time to time there is value there. For the moment I will use mitchellmckain's value in the form of a lab rat;
Kestrel wrote:For the believers who view evolution as being at odds with creationism, the very thing you believe in and preach is evolution.
Seems to me this is no small contribution to the topic of this thread. In fact it ties in rather nicely to the topics claim.
Not only does it give the contemporary christian the means of tying the idea of earthly evolution to spirituality, it gives the atheist an excellent point of debate, when dealing with creationists.
Yet all mitchellmckain can see is what he perceives to be my ego.
Very cool.
