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Post by spaniard on Aug 25, 2006 12:57:09 GMT -5
The Inquisition chased lefties for being devilish...poor VDO.
You start with small demands because 'you are a star' and you end up wearing a mask.
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Post by madger on Aug 25, 2006 13:05:34 GMT -5
A fun and irreverent movie for catholics to watch is Dogma, George Carlin as a Cardinal, need I say more?
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Post by spaniard on Aug 25, 2006 13:11:55 GMT -5
Life of Brian, I love it.
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Duet
Silver Shield Investigator
Bing.... Reality.
Posts: 129
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Post by Duet on Aug 25, 2006 14:17:15 GMT -5
I must be stranger than my freinds give me credit for. I have never thought Tom's couch jumping strange. Feeling and allowing emotion to me is the most human thing in the world. Failure to express it is what is not 'normal'. Tom's hopping and expressing of his emotions and love for the lady I found to be sweet and 'ahhhh'....so cute.
His flip out on Laurer however a different pile of ..... it was a bad choice and I fail to comprehend why a group of 'educated' people can not comprehend that the brain is an organ and like all other organs is just as prone to injury or organic desease. If a heart can have a chemical or eletrical imbalance why can't the brain? If one is allowed to take medication for the chemical imbalance of the heart, why not the brain?.... Duh.
But I tell ya....when those kids grow up I will be one of the first to by the tell all book if they put one out. I'd bet it will be one of the best pieces of work that man ever collaberates on. With or without his permission.
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barb
Silver Shield Investigator
Posts: 159
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Post by barb on Aug 26, 2006 11:23:35 GMT -5
Yes how did religion come on this thread i thought it was about the ending of Tom Cruise days as a actor which i am glad because i think since seeing him the first time in Top Gun he was pretty good and the last i saw of him is when he played in A Few Good Men it was a bit of a comedy to me to some of bits he played anyway thats my view ;D
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Post by caseyswife on Aug 26, 2006 23:23:57 GMT -5
Did anyone hear about the newest little twist to this? Evidently, Freak Boy actually got in to see former Asst. Sec. of State Dick Armitage when he was in the White House. He wanted to talk to him about Scientologists being treated badly in Germany. Now, that is truly a sign of the Apocolypse. We are at war, have terrorists and illegal immigrants running hither and yon, and the economy is heading for the crapper. But, by George (Bush) we'd better make time for Tom Cruise!! We might need that Scientology vote!!
Ridiculous...
caseyswife
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Post by Metella on Aug 28, 2006 7:59:44 GMT -5
as Trisha pointed out - Tom's religion and how he expresses it was the MAIN reason he was severed from his backer. That is how religion got here - is one of the main points of this thread.
I have read some on scientology and it is NOT a religion - it is a community manifesto and they call it a religion. It is cultish, demanding, insane and frightening - as from all I can tell, it started out as a joke! Nut cases with too much time and money on their hands and too little self esteam.
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Post by Techguy on Aug 28, 2006 11:33:41 GMT -5
A cautionary tale to be learned from fanatical cults masquerading as religions is they sometimes go so far extreme they result in Jim Jones Jonestown, David Koresh's Branch Davidians, and Marshall Applegate's Heaven's Gate disasters.
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Post by sarahlee on Aug 28, 2006 11:39:01 GMT -5
The founder of scientology wrote some really bad science fiction, and his manifesto is even worse. Pull it up sometime when you want to get a little dizzy.
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Post by spaniard on Aug 28, 2006 17:40:37 GMT -5
We were thrown to the lions, we weren´t movie stars ;D
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Post by janetcatbird on Aug 28, 2006 18:08:25 GMT -5
Don't know, don't care about Tom Cruise. I got hacked at reading his comments about post-partum depression, but never even a big fan of his movies.
As to religion...I grew up United Methodist in the Bible Belt, although in a large, fairly liberal/laid-back church. (More along the lines of don't step on anybody's toes and mission work/outreach than saving souls.) I'm not quite sure what I feel/believe at this point, all the religion classes and the various histories make you rethink. I'm not saying that's bad, or that academics destroyed my faith, I'm just in a period of trying to decide. But I'm pretty sure there's something, even if I feel fuzzy on the details. And I don't think there's only one way to get to whatever it is.
I have to admit, though, even having grown up in a community of believers I've never been comfortable coming down firmly on "I believe this" or "That's wrong!" Evangelism has, shall we say, never been my spiritual gift. I'm much more likely to listen, and go with the wimpy scholar approach of "Well, look at the context" or "So-and-so had an interesting writing on that..."
I enjoyed "Dogma", although the language got a little unnecessary, and need to see "Life of Brian" again. "Last Temptation of Christ" is also a very interesting film, as is the novel by Kazantzakis. For novels, I highly reccomend Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. Great funny moments, but also some that make you think and can be powerful.
I was never interested in seeing "The Passion of the Christ". I personally was jumping up and clapping when I heard Carlos Mencia's take on "The Passion of the Christ": I don't need a lot of actors and fake blood to know why I go to church!--sometimes. I was in the theater, and these two ladies were crying, and they got all pissed at me, like "Why aren't you crying?" "Cause I read the book, B***h! You keep bothering me, I'm gonna tell you how it ends!" "Your life hasn't been touched by Jesus!" He then goes into a rather long rant that basically amounts to "Don't you dare tell me whether or not Jesus has come into my life, you don't know me or my circumstances so don't judge." Amen, preach it.
What I grew up with the blood and gore wasn't nearly as important as morality, living a good life and trying to take care of your fellow man. And I don't like the hellfire/terror approach to conversion, to me that's bullying and insincere. (Mama grew up Southern Baptist, so I've heard stories...never mind.)
But then, I'm also skeptical of "feel-good conversions", where you cry a little and say a prayer and think so much more highly of yourself without doing anything to try and take care of stuff. My aunt "gave her life to Christ" at least three times in the two months she stayed with us and it didn't do her a damn bit of good. She thought that it made her all good and holy and everyone would fall all over themselves to make her life wonderful, but didn't do anything to keep from screwing up in the same old ways. Last I heard she did make some progress, and through a faith-based center (which seems to be doing some religious bullying of its own), but we'll see.
Wow, I've babbled. I'll hold off on the issue of communion--which, trust me, is a whole new set of complications.
--Catbird
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Post by trisha on Aug 28, 2006 19:21:15 GMT -5
I love communion! It's the most ridiculously idiotic thing Christians do. Really, when you think about it, it's cannibalism. And I don't know about you, but I think that if you're going to cannibalize your savior, it should be done in at least 5 courses in a classy, sit-down type dinner. Otherwise you have fools like me going up for seconds and asking the priest if there's a drumstick or a thigh in the dish.
Hey, where am I going, and why am I in this hand basket?
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Post by janetcatbird on Aug 28, 2006 20:21:27 GMT -5
Well, but I'm one of those Prostitutes, it's all symbolic for us! Not that it's ever been especially meaningful for me, just part of the service that I really don't put much value on. (I guess when you're the bread-runner making sure the pastors don't run out you lose the distant awe. That's actually why I liked helping, it was easy to slip back to my seat and not have to receive. I'm awful, aren't I?)
Actually my roommate last year--a wonderful sweet girl--has some fundamentalist friends. A few of us were talking when communion came up, and one of the friends made the comment that basically amounted to you shouldn't even consider communion unless your soul was in good standing and right with the lord. I simply shrugged and made the comment that in my church communion was open to all; our position was that we were all sinners, nobody could ever be truly deserving, and God's grace was freely given to all. The friend's lips pursed and she made a sort of "Yeah, well, I know nobody's perfect, but..." Ever since then when the friend saw me she had a strangely sympathetic smile on her face and gave the impression of trying to be especially nice.
Not that she ever said anything, but yeah, apparently I'm goin' to hell. Got room for one more in that handbasket, Trisha?
As to an earlier topic, I'm sure God has a sense of humor. How could God not, when dealing with humans? Hee.
--Catbird
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Post by spaniard on Aug 28, 2006 20:42:39 GMT -5
I consider myself a good person and that is more important for God than is you don't eat meat on fridays during Lent. I never hurt people on purpose, I try to be nice and I'm even careful with any living being, including ants (I know, I know but I'm nuts and cruelty free). I live my life without getting into anybody's business, I respect the ideas of the rest if they respect mine.
Even with all that, some people around me think I'm bad because I stopped going to church when the priests of my school let other students harass me because their parents were richer and more generous with them. They knew and still did nothing.
I'm still a fully convinced christian but because I've learned through experiences, not because I was told when I was a kid too young to understand.
My definition of a good religion, cult, belief, morals, etc: don't hurt people in any way, be honest, be good with your beloved ones, respectful with the strangers that respect you, keep your religion at home and don't force others to follow your belief and don't insult or hurt those who don't think like you.
My problem with famous people and their religion is that they never just inform, they give lessons like if what I think wasn't good enough and they usually hide their true acts so they give fake lessons.
After 14 years at a catholic school I know about religious movies so no need for another one, I prefer Gibson when he plays crazy cops with partners that feel too old for their job.
I know I'm not perfect, sometimes I give fake lessons myself because I make mistakes, big ones, but at least I don't do it in front of the whole world.
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Post by janetcatbird on Aug 28, 2006 23:14:30 GMT -5
Aww, Spaniard, I'm sorry you had a rough time. I don't think I ever had quite your amount of trouble, but middle school was rough. Part of that is just that preteens and teenagers are at the sub-human stage, but the same kids who teased me and insulted me in school were the ones who fought desperately to get me on their side for the Sunday School trivia games...because I knew Bible stories and the winning team got first dibs on candy.
Anyway, I got mad one day and finally walked out, only to have the Youth Pastor tell me that God was sending me these problems so that he (the pastor) would have experience for when he had a church of his own. I don't believe God plays favorites, or that any one person merits the suffering of anyone else. God--or at least the basic concept of God--I'm fine with; it's the humans that make me wary.
I think I'm pretty much in agreement with you over morality versus dogma/praxis. C.S. Lewis may have been a bit too blatantly Christian for some, but in The Last Battle I have to agree with his view of the noble Calormene, Emeth. (Leave aside the anti-Islam overtones for one second.) The Calormene is confused to be in Aslan's paradise because he devoted his whole life and worship to Tash. I don't have the book with me for an exact quote, but basically it didn't matter what name you used, anything good and noble and true went to Aslan. (If anybody can find the exact text I'd be much obliged, otherwise it'll have to wait til I'm home for Labor Day.) I don't have any well-crafted, articulate arguments or conclusions at this point, but to go by gut feelings and emotions that strikes truest for me.
--Catbird
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