Thought for the day - October 23rd

Subject: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 04:30 AM

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who endowed us the sense, reason, and intellect, had intended us to forgo their use.
- Galileo -

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: Neil Lowe
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 11:17 AM

....yeah, what he said. Thanks, kat.

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: kendall
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 11:26 AM

kinda makes you wonder why so many do...

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 11:43 AM

Good quote Kat. Quentin Crisp on the subject of prayer, said: "It's too improbable for me to think that the Power who keeps the planets spinning would care whether I got a 3 speed bicycle for Christmas."
Hard also to picture Him getting involved in NFL football every week, but the born-again coaches and players sure try.

Rick

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: Pete peterson
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 12:35 PM

Just treated myself to Stilliman Drake's "scientific biography" of Galileo, which I'm going to read BEFORE I try to read G's Daughter. . . We seem to have some of the same heroes!

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: Peter T.
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 12:39 PM

Put this on the other version. There is a great new book out called "Galileo's Daughter" with her letters to him, and it all woven into his life. Amazing how one man hunting out the truth can be more imposing than the vast church moronic. But I suppose Gandhi and Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks keep proving that too. I have misplaced the reference to the book.... (love the quote, kat).

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: kendall
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 12:48 PM

here is a quote from a Maine author, John Gould...I played baseball for the local Methodist church. On the day we were to play the Unitarians, we all prayed to beat them. Then we took the field, where we were soundly beated by the Unitarians, who hadn't prayed at all. This led me to believe that God is on the side of the team that has the best pitcher..

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 12:52 PM

On the subject of one person vs the church moronic, as oyu say PeterT, one of my favs from Northern Sun is a t-shirt with this quote:

The Church says the Earth is flat;
But I know it is round
For I have seen the Shadow on the Moon,
And, I have more faith in a Shadow
Than in the Church.

- Magellan -

And, another they have says in large print:

Heretic
in good company

then goes on to list many, many names (some with whom I am not familiar) including Galileo, St. Joan de Arc; Mathew Fox; The Vatican 24; Call to Action Nebraska; Copernicus; the Franciscans; jesus of Nazareth, St. Zephyrinus; Hans Kung; IHM Sisters of Los Angeles; John Courtney Murray; John McNeil; Ebion; Menno Simons and more.

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 01:28 PM

Kendall, that a GOOD one! LOL!

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: sophocleese
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 04:07 PM

Liam Callaghan and the Water of Life play a song called Johnny All-American. The chorus has a line something like "But if God's taking time out to win people ball games, .." And my mind just went blank on the rest of it. Anybody have the rest of the words?

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: wildlone
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 04:56 PM

they say God helps them that help themselves,if so.
Heavens full of kleptomaniacs.

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: Freddie Fox
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 06:31 PM

OK, I'm a Christian. And I still haven't quite got this one worked out. But try this; God is a being who is capable of listening to everyone at the same time, so he must hear all prayers. What does he do when two groups of people are praying for diametrically opposite things simultaneously?

I believe that he has a basic policy of non-interference in these matters. He created us / allowed us to evolve [I'm not going to get controversial here] with free will, because the last thing he wanted were mindless puppets. he wants us to choose Him as a result of a rational decision, and that means, if we pray for things that are basically trivial, He is not going to let us off the hook by helping us out miraculously when we're ill prepared through our own fault. So yes - God helps the team with best pitcher!!!

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 06:38 PM

Well said, Freddie. Free will it is. Though I am not a Christian, I also believe that a prayer is best when ended thusly, "I give thanks for this or something better, for the highest good of all concerned." It has always worked out for me, even if it didn't seem like it at the time.:-) Kinda balances out or supplants the free will with what I call the Cosmic's will, or you would call God's will.

BTW, thanks for the recipe. Sounds deliciouso!

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: Freddie Fox
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 06:43 PM

Good point. God is not there to make evreything work for us in this life, but to support us when things go wrong. You don't automatically expect your friends to put your problems right - just to be there with a shoulder and a cup of coffee - God works along the same lines.

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: Bill Cameron
Date: 23 Oct 99 - 09:47 PM

I ain't a Christian--but I am a lapsed Unitarian (if this is possible)--thanks Kendall! And Freddie--your viewpoint is right too! Minds me of the old Scotsman who every night got down on his knees and prayed to win the Irish Sweepstakes. Finally one night there was thunder and a bolt of lightning outside, and God answered him:

"Hamish, you've got to meet me halfway on this--at least buy a friggin ticket!"

But that wasn't my thought for the day. The one I like is from somewhere in Mary Stewarts trilogy about Merlin, wherein Merlin remarks (paraphrased cause I can't find it):

"I have never understood why any skilled tradesman, standing in his workshop surrounded by the tools of his trade, should be in awe of a wizard."

Bill

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Oct 99 - 12:16 AM

Bill, I am LOL! That is a great quote I'd forgotten! Have you read Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mist of Avalon? Also good reading.

And, I love the Scotsman and God! My dad will, too! BTW, what does a Unitarian have to lapse from?**Big grin**

kattongueincheek

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - October 23rd
From: Hamish
Date: 25 Mar 14 - 04:40 PM

Sophocleese:

Johnny All-American – Liam Callaghan

Here in the end zone, after the touch down
I go to my knee with my football in hand
And I thank God almighty for being a good sport
And taking the time out to learn the game plan

Chorus:
All of the suffering, the sickness and sorrow
All of the poverty, pathos and pain
I'm glad God took time out from his busy schedule
To help Johnny All-American win the big game

Here on the podium of the country academy
I stand in the spotlight my statuette in hand
And I thank God almighty for having a good year
And taking time out now to play in my band

Here in my living room in front of the TV
I sit with my lottery ticket and gin
And I hope God is listening to my little prayer
And will take some time out now to help me to win

Well there's seven billion of us inhabit this planet
And most live in hunger and squalor as well
And if God's taking time out to win people ball games
Then I'll buy my ticket and I'll go straight to hell.