[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Facing The Challenge Web Site

[Andrew MacIan]

Greetings from Andrew!

Still sittin' on the Group W bench, waitin' for it to
come around on the guitar again....

--- moongirlk <moongirlk at yahoo.com> wrote:
> As a more-or-less outspoken Christian, I am
> approaching this, 
> although with great trepidation and a quick prayer
> that I don't make 
> things worse.

One should not approach things in life without some
regard to the outcome, unless you take the same view
Dick Feynman did:  What do *you* care what other
people think?

In this portion of what has been a surprisingly long
life, I've come to agree with him.  For me, being
honest to and about myself are the most important
things in this multiverse.

> 
> I have avoided for awhile now reading anything new
> about 
> Christians/Christianity and HP because most of it
> makes me very 
> uncomfortable. 

Professionally nosy question:  Why so?

> I don't even know who this
> Abanes-who-must-not-be-
> named is, and don't really want to (animosity and
> combativeness make 
> me queasy).  
> 

Stand fast and stay true to yourself; all else is both
transitory and not worth worrying about, says I.


> What I would like to ask is that we try to avoid the
> queasy-making 
> (hence the reason for my speaking up) animosity that
> seems to be 
> seeping into the discussion.  I know that John has
> been around for a 
> long time and I have read and enjoyed his posts.  I
> do not know the 
> other posters involved as well, but am inclined to
> respect them as 
> well.  I think there is a degree of intolerance in
> both directions, 
> however.  I hope that we can disagree and even
> explain our reasons 
> for disagreeing without attacking each other's
> beliefs.z

De facto, I cannot argue against the statement 'I
believe X', no matter what 'X' is. I might find it
silly/ludicrous/whatever, but those reactions are
based on my POV.  Certainly, others might, and
doubtless do, feel the same way about what I believe. 
Fine.  However, when someone says that I *must*
believe X or 'burn' in 'hell' eternally (or that
religion's equivalent), that is when I both laugh
openly and require them to prove it.  Not tell me
what/why they belive, but to offer objective, rational
proof as to why *I* *must* adopt that particular Path.

> 
> I almost went off on a little tangent about how on
> an individual (and 
> not institutional) level tolerance is not
> necessarily a great virtue 
> (with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back
> of each one 
> explaining in detail that I didn't mean that people
> should be allowed 
> to enforce their lifestyles or opinions on other
> people, but that 
> they should be allowed to try to *convince* the
> other person if they 
> want to and if the other person is willing to enter
> into the 
> discussion and especially if the other person is
> already trying to 
> convince them of their own point of view, which is
> completely 
> different and actually not intolerance at all, but
> simply deebate, 
> even if it is often called intolerance and therefore
> maybe tolerance 
> is a great virtue after all but that it's really
> naughty to call on 
> it when somebody's not actually *being* intolerant
> and...), but I 
> didn't.  Dodged that bullet, huh?

it would have been an interesting, instructive, and
from my position, flame-free discussion, I'm sure. 
Care to take it whack at it?  My own knowledge of your
faith is based on my own former affiliation with the
Eastern Orthodox Church...to the point that, prior to
an occurance in Nam, I was actively thinking of
entering the priesthood.

> 
> kimberly
> who tries mediation, supplication and humor to avoid
> conflict and 
> wonders if anyone knows what the circles and arrows
> reference is about

{laughter}  Some of us sang the original in recruit
formation waiting to take the oath....

Cheers,

Drieux

=====
ICQ # 76184391

'Each game of chess means there's one less
      Variation left to be played;
 Each day got through means one or two less
      Mistakes remain to be made.'
      --'Chess' by Sir Tim Rice

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