Warning:If you are not interested in Jesus, leave this thread alone.

That was good. (and a week of dead red on the fucast, it's brutal)

 

I was going to stay out of this, but...

A lot of very strong negative thoughts, feelings, and protestations get expressed when this topic comes up. I was a bit shocked when I first saw the extent of such feelings a number of months ago on this Forum. It was as if everyone had their own horrifying personal experiences with religion - Christianity in particular.

But religions are created by man. They contain mythology and are subject to much corruption. Religions have been used through the ages to sanctimoniously justify, condemn, torture and slaughter to suit our purposes. These purposes usually involve hate, greed, power and exercising control over others.

I go to church from time to time because I draw spiritual comfort and find inspiration there, not because I agree entirely with the doctrine. It's more of a personal thing. I don't open the Bible to search, nitpick, and get upset over conflicting or hypocritical verses. I don't take it literally. The Bible is a committee-selected collection of writings or books from various times in history. Some writings were allegorical or fables, some were based on actual events, some reflected ancient beliefs, practices, and the manner in which people lived thousands of years ago.

I studied Zen a bit and found personal value there that I hadn't found in Christianity. Maybe I'm sharing too much here, but some of my most religious or spiritual moments occurred outside a church or other formal religious situations: Sitting on a Calif. beach years ago watching a sunset after a day of diving, enjoying a balmy evening breeze on Panama City Beach watching a distant lighting storm, and sitting on my board one early morning this past summer marveling at the clouds and glassy conditions. There's much that we as surfers can and should (IMO) be grateful for.

 

It's not necessarily a "negative thought" when someone disagrees with another person. I'd be careful casting that aspersion; just because more than a few of us reject the proselytizing and / or the attempts to flood a surfing forum with religious blather does not make it "negative thoughts."

If you want an example of "negative thoughts" then look no further than Wayne: posting that biblical quote that says non-believers will be punished by his gawd & all sorts of sanctimonious self-serving corrupto crap like that.

And yes, the Church in particular has made its own bed over centuries with its endemic lying, its systemic corruption, its perversions of children among others, its unmatchable greed, its out & out evil. What sort of reaction do you think an entity with that pedigree would elicit? Rejection of the doctrine of the reps of that entity would be a fine place to start.

 

DX and Yk, that was a great exchange. It would be great to see more of that

 

ask any restaurant worker about the after church crowd.

Ever been road raged by someone with a christian personalized plate or a NOTW sticker? Me too!

Graph education and religion sometime, funny trend shows up.

You are not impacting the coast, Wayne. It's a delusion. You need to impact the mental health field by making an appointment.

 

Now that dear sir is funny!!!!! Leethestud FTW!

 

Can't you just see The Virgin Mary and (poor schlep) Joseph on Jerry Springer?

"Honest Jerry, I never even touched the Girl; now she tells me she's heavy with child! Who is that babies daddy?"

While I'm at it...

"Peter Pumpkin Head came to town.
Throwing Wisdom and Cash around.
Fed the Hungry and housed the Poor.
Showed the Vatican what gold is for."

 

What Hanna said. Either that, or the white van is out of commission & Wayne has a lot more time on his hands.

 

Why revive what's dead?

And bring on the drama llama Wayne

 

I'm not interested I'm Jewish.

What bothers me about Wayne is how he's the type "Christian or die"

I'm Jewish and I don't believe in your speaking Wayne. Freedom of speech.

GTFO the surf forum.