Ryan's Journal

Seems to me that if one is dead-lifting that much weight, it can still be considered "hardcore". Jus' sayin....
 
After all the fun getting deep and meaningful in Ruthless Babe's journal last night, I left facebook with the following status post before going to bed: 'When Jesus starts answering all of life's difficult questions with "God works in mysterious ways," so will I.' First two likes came from my pastor and an anti-theist. I like the way that works.
 
The classic truth, religion is used to divide people, but take that away and most of us have a lot in common. I have been involved in theological debates with mixed intelligence on all sides, one less intelligent Jew if memory serves, declaring I should be scared because my atheism would land me in hell. I pointed out that to an atheist this was the equivalent to threatening him with being blasted by the death star, the people who laughed hardest at this were a group of mixed preachers.
I used you as an example of an intelligent Christian in a recent online forum, using your blog post about potentially negative Christian morality as proof that you have given the religion serious thought, while pointing out you are not as unusual as many atheist will make out. Likes came from all sides again and there were a few atheists saying they wished they could meet more Christians like you.

You appear to be having a joy I am familiar with, not doing things for a while then coming back to it knowing you were batter than this.
 
Religion both divides and unites. That's not something many who are inside of a religion would like to admit (at least not the division part of the equation), because it doesn't do much to endorse our comfortable middle class nice guy image. But of all people, Jesus is recorded as being very up front and transparent about this. Take, for instance, , Jesus sets himself such a high throne that a family that does not mutually make him #1 will be divided (note: this passage does not endorse the Christian seeking to make enemies, and there is vast scriptural evidence that the Christian is to seek peace with all people, but without compromising on putting God first; many, often including family members, will be hostile towards this, and here Jesus is making it clear that this is no accident).

Meanwhile, among the original twelve disciples Jesus summoned out of the crowd and raised up, we have such polar opposites as Matthew the tax collector (occupation: gather money for Rome) and Simon the zealot (occupation: usurp Rome). We got two men named Judas, one of whom even those with little more than a vague, cursory knowledge of Christianity would come to remember on the basis that one of these things is not like the others. After the resurrection we got Paul as one of the most influential apostles, who was previously involved in getting Christians stoned to death. Christianity turns brothers into enemies and enemies into brothers. Not a comfortable admission, but true nonetheless.

I'm chuffed, although I'm not sure which blog post you're referring to, Tony. I do recall us having some amount of discussion a while back in which I said that I don't think it's good for Christianity to be the state religion, because when Christianity is the cultural norm I think it dilutes Christianity amongst Christians, making a whole lot of people who are Christian by title only; and it causes those who disagree with Christianity to feel oppressed by it. Would that be the one you're referring to?

My low bar squats definitely seem a bit impotent right now. I'm pleasantly surprised with how I'm going on snatches, though, despite having not trained them as more than a one-off thing in over a year. Best snatch I ever did was 40kg, so it shouldn't take much time to work back up to old levels, and maybe beyond.
 
Was actually this one I was referring to. I didn't post a link that time as it wasn't a place where you were involved in conversation.

Was good bit of writing that I appreciated. I have always had respect for those who don't go in for blind faith. As I have pointed out to people being atheist is not following a religion but is still reliant on faith. There is no empirical proof that any deity does or doesn't exist so my declaration that I believe there never have been any is not based on absolute fact, it is my perception of the world based on my knowledge and understanding, therefore faith.
That makes me really popular with the pseudo intellectual atheists who declare they have proof then I point out holes you could drive a bus through, and declare they could be wrong. The classic response is then to say I am agnostic because I believe there could be a god, which is way off. I have very firm beliefs but am intelligent enough to accept that many things I believe in life are likely wrong and this could be one of them, it hasn't changed my belief. Faith but not blind faith.

Snatch is a weird exercise, once you get the technique you can shift some dramatic weight but getting it is really tiresome and demoralising. I did it years ago and would have to start from pretty much scratch again now.
 
My mom and her side of the family, being all half-spanish are devoted Catholics (i don't know, but in that side of the family, the race and culture has a deep connection to the religion that runs in generations). My father's are all Born Again Christians. Two of my uncles (father's brothers) are pastors. My parents are separated since i was little. So that means i had to spend time under both wings separately too. I go to the bible studies of the other church on Sunday mornings (including some Saturdays) and to the Catholic church on Sunday afternoons (i was part of the community choir). They all taught me the value of "compromise" and instilled it into my young brain. But then, both parties were not thoroughly agreeing on the setup (which confused me more). The Catholics would tell me to skip the other religion and be a devout whilst the Christians would tell me the Catholics are doing it all wrong. I guess their conflict is not only about my separated parents but also in the religion itself. I just went on with the flow (scared to defy any of them) until i turned 16 and started to question and ponder many things in life. I convinced both parties that i wanted to study in a different school (far from any of them to influence my free will) thus gaining my independence when i went to college. After that, i became a wanderer. I sometimes go to the Catholic mass on a Sunday but change church when the priest is being so political (like endorsing members of the government or criticising one) than spreading the word of God. I also sit down to listen to the preachings of other religions. I'm the stranger who sits down at the end of the row, blending in. Nobody knows my name or where i came from or who brought me to the service.

At present, i go to a church near my place which is a Catholic one and so far, i like the preaching there. It makes me feel light because i like to hear hope in words. Not throwing craps to other religions, being pretentious, and throwing faults to other people about societal problems. There are several churches around the area (of different religions) and i might visit one by one, too. With what i've went through as a kid, my friends are surprised that i didn't become a non-believer. My uncle's (the pastor) friend (who's another pastor) keep sending me biblical passages almost everyday on facebook message (which included the consequence of not going to church and hearing God's word, etc). I don't mind the messages, i still read it. I just find it really funny and amusing that they all thought i'm in a deep black hole right now since i don't go to their church or the church's chapter in this side of the world.

I still believe in God but there are days that i just prefer to sit in a quiet chapel and talk to Him in prayers without any 'interventions' or distractions. I mean, just Him and me.

I have a close friend who is a devout Muslim (i've met her a year ago, we just clicked cos we both love food and cooking lol) and despite many cultural and religious differences, we didn't see it as a hindrance. She learns some things from me and i learn some things from her. She'll tell me stories about going to Mecca and how their religion works and i will share my stories and my own faith. Though there are things that we don't agree about each other, we honour the friendship with understanding. She understands that she's never going to influence me to become a Muslim lol. And i understand that spending girly hangouts with her entails finding a "Halal" logo on places to dine out.

God, indeed, works in mysterious ways. I'm still a wanderer with faith and who knows what i'm gonna end up becoming.


After all the fun getting deep and meaningful in Ruthless Babe's journal last night, I left facebook with the following status post before going to bed: 'When Jesus starts answering all of life's difficult questions with "God works in mysterious ways," so will I.' First two likes came from my pastor and an anti-theist. I like the way that works.
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Islam is to Christianity what Christianity is to Judaism. All three use the old testament as their sole or first book, Christianity and Islam have the new testament, though it is not called that in the Quran, then Islam adds the story of Mohammed onto the end. All three religions praying to the same deity, under different names. As an atheist I have looked into many religions current and historic.
My mother is a born again ignorant Christian, which I don't understand. She decided her faith meant having to reject the idea of evolution, and would ensure those who wronged her would go to hell while she would be forgiven for wronging others and go to heaven. The sort of person any decent Christian would cringe to be associated with. Ironically I have pointed out to her that she lives only a few miles away from a site where there is definitive evidence of evolution, and that those who have wronged her could ask forgiveness and be right next to her in line for the pearly gates. Even with this she is determined to remain ignorant. The Christian part I can accept and even supported in my son when he tried it, the ignorance I cannot abide.

Regarding the evilness of not attending church part you may want to point out the sections of the bible that say the almighty doesn't dwell in houses built with hands and that churches are purely buildings built with hands, pushy priests love these parts. Your quiet contemplation, wherever this takes place, is actually the most faithful thing you can do for your religion. That and living by your faith to show others the benefit of worship. These things will get you respect from all quarters.
 
I'm not entirely sure what you two mean when you say "Born Again," but being born again is very biblical.

I find a lot of protestant ideas about the Roman Catholic Church are misleading, and some of the best theology lessons I've gotten have come from Roman Catholics; at the same time, I find the apparent stance of the RCC on what it takes to be a saint, prayer to saints, and especially the ways in which Mary is treated, to be inconsistent with the bible.

I'm gonna be honest, one of my most hated religious sentiments is that Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship the same God. I don't believe for a second that JW's and I worship the same God, for that matter, and yet we use the exact same canon (well, technically the Watchtower magazines ought to be counted as JW canon, but officially it isn't). I definitely don't believe that Mormons and I worship the same God. I think RCC, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant Churches all worship the same God, although there are some serious issues that, so long as they remain, are right to divide these groups. As for the three generic Abrahamic faiths, in their modern forms at least, they have little in common other than the presence of Abraham early on. Modern Jews believe in a God who is monopersonal, who has not yet sent His final Messiah into the world, and for whom this God dying and being resurrected is nonsense. Christians believe in a God who is tripersonal, who has sent His final Messiah into the world to die for the world, and of whom one person of His tripersonal being is that Messiah. Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, but that he did not die and was nothing more than human. These aren't just different ways of interpreting the same scriptures: these are Gods with entirely different characteristics that are not reconcilable to each other.

If I try defending my stance on this any further, I can see this rapidly degenerating into a heated ragefest (of my own doing), which isn't going to be good for anyone. So, moving along....

My legs, especially glutes and hamstrings, are really feeling it today. Quads seem alright, though. I organised a month's worth of PT with a client this morning, which is going to pay just shy of $500, although 40% goes to the studio. I love it when people are basically sold before they even speak to you.
 
Goldfish said:
My legs, especially glutes and hamstrings, are really feeling it today. Quads seem alright, though. I organised a month's worth of PT with a client this morning, which is going to pay just shy of $500, although 40% goes to the studio. I love it when people are basically sold before they even speak to you.
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Was the client sold based on your writing, reputation, or basic good looks/form in the gym? Nicely done in any case!
 
Born again in the case of my mother and if I am right yourself is someone who has gone from a position of being no religious faith to one of being part of one. Some jump to religion to find solutions to their problems, especially those who have found themselves in strife due to alcohol or substance abuse or illegal activities (mother was alcoholic) and among these there is a terrifyingly high percentage of those who go for the ignorance prevails system I hate. Others do so after a great deal of thought and consideration in the search for answers rather than a form of band aid for a damaged life, in this group there are a far higher percentage of intelligent and considered Christians, there are some in both groups, but less in the other.

I remember being asked what I thought about the nativity when my son was attending church and after trying to divert the question by complementing the performance they had done in the service I was nailed down to give a real answer. I pointed out that of the writings we have only two books about his birth, both declare Jesus as from the line of David, as in the one line prophesy from the old testament, through Joseph who by definition of immaculate conception was not his father. One states they were married before his birth the other says after. One states he was born in the reign of Herod the other during the rule of Caesar Augustus, Herod died at least 4 years before Augustus came into power, those present at the birth are different in the two books too. In conclusion the nativity as we see it in the bible cannot be true with so much contradiction, and I felt that they were the result of people seeking to enhance his rank as the messiah. In a church relying on ignorance this would have seen me escorted out and there were a few shocked faces but a number of nodding heads too. Nearly half the group I was talking too including one of the vicars was already aware of most or all of the things I said and one declared his only surprise on finding this out years before was that only 2 had felt pressure to link Jesus with the line of David and miraculous conception suggested within.
My historical knowledge was often called upon to assist the understanding of the scriptures during talks, the fact I could explain the world from the point of view of that time helped a number to understand some apparent contradictions that actually weren't when you realised what they were saying. I did find it strange that the atheist in the flock was where those needing some things clarified were sent and some of them found it strange too.

There is no way to prove you wrong on theology, you have the evidence and fact a number of the books are shared, and you draw your own conclusions from that. I haven't heard 2 religious followers declaring they worship in the same way or believe the same thing when getting into detail, so your idea of deities being very personal holds up to what I have seen.
My principal has always been present information and leave the choice to the individual. As an amateur historian I have looked at a lot of religions and their effect on the society at the time, which most assume means abuse of the people but in many cases was quite the opposite.

Protestants and any other Christian church trying to declare themselves totally separate from them are quite amusing from the outside. The Catholic church provided the bible every Christian in the world has. They can have been updated, translated etc. but the book is what they released. This will be why they are able to give such good theological teachings, they are the ultimate authority on the bible and it's contents.
Differences in perception are always interesting. As I pointed out to one person two people reading the Gruffalo could draw different conclusions so there is no way they will agree on a book as complex as the bible. The fact you seek to learn from so many sources serves you great credit.

I have undoubtedly covered this one before but I read a psychology paper years ago that showed how pointless it would be right as an atheist.
If something has a measurable effect on people and our world it's reality becomes pointless. So from that point of view any god with enough followers could easily be assumed true purely by the effect on them. Making being atheist and right is totally worthless.
It is a habit of mine to read and watch things that disagree with me as often as practical to ensure I continue to learn and don't become one of the blind faithful. This was one of many I hated at the time but enjoy keeping in mind.

The fact we can disagree on theology so completely despite having both spent a lot of time studying it shows a level of intelligence we all wish religious leaders before us had in the past. It is horrible to see the good work so many do in the name of religion disgraced by a few idiots. I am not keen on atheists declaring we are the peaceful ones either, having witnessed mental and physical bullying by some of them to theists.
Mutual respect goes a long way and requires only one caveat, the ability to remember none of us know the full truth or ever will. Keeping this in mind leaves us open to learn and that is the second most valuable thing any of us can have following love.
One of my old training partners was a heavy weight Christian too, and prayed before most sets. People would try offending him with religious jokes and were often disappointed when he laughed. His declaration was always 'I know my god has a sense of humour, he created you.' Good comeback in anyone's book.

My legs haven't started hurting properly yet, but they are going to. There is that lovely dead feeling that says 'you're gonna hurt soon' at the moment. Plan is to deadlift today, that's not really legs, it's back work. If I say that often enough it will become true.
 
I'm a bit lacking in the sideburn department right now, so we can probably scratch that from the list. And unless he's stalked my youtube videos, he hasn't seen me lift yet. He's actually a youth pastor and former crossfitter who just moved up here from Melbourne (you may know this as the one and only place in the southern hemisphere in which neighbours live next to each other). My pastor recommended me to him, and he was immediately very excited to get in touch.

I haven't studied the nativity in detail (even though I performed in it 6 weeks ago). The only historical issues I'm aware of surrounding this one are:

- Some contention over what year Jesus was born in (I watched a video on this leading up to Christmas which made a strong case for 2BC, if I recall correctly).
- December 25 is biblically an irrelevant date; historically this date celebrated a pagan festival when the direction of the sunset changed directions, and a few centuries after Christianity began, Christians found a way to turn a pagan festival into Christianese.
- If I recall correctly, four different King Herods appear throughout the New Testament, so it takes a broader and deeper knowledge history at that era than I've got to comment on which Herod is being discussed at any given time. I'm led to believe that this deals with discrepancies such as the one you mentioned, Tony, although I haven't done much digging on the matter.
- Two genealogies are cited for Jesus. One is Mary's ancestry, the other is Joseph's; both cite Joseph rather than Mary because of some tradition to the effect of women being known by association to the man of the house...or something like that. I can't remember the exact details, but we see a major change in names after David, with one line being the line of kings, and the other being the line that never got the throne. It's my understanding that the genealogy in Matthew (which displays the line of kings) is Mary's genealogy, and the genealogy in Luke displays Joseph's genealogy, all while making a jab at Joseph not being the biological father.

In other news, I did that exercise thing today. I was pretty lousy at it.
 
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