(October 21, 2016 at 4:59 pm)Alasdair Ham Wrote: By the way, Whatev, I've always been meaning to say this:

It's really cool how you have an Alan Watts quote in your sig. Not one of my favorite of his quotes, but nevertheless, the Wisdom of Insecurity is his best.

Thanks.  My favorite of his books, and my favorite quote from the book.

Hence your username right? [emoji2]

This one is pretty damn nice though:

"There is no formula for generating the authentic warmth of love. It cannot be copied. You cannot talk yourself into it or rouse it by straining at the emotions or by dedicating yourself solemnly to the service of mankind. Everyone has love, but it can only come out when he is convinced of the impossibility and the frustration of trying to love himself. This conviction will not come through condemnations, through hating oneself, through calling self love bad names in the universe. It comes only in the awareness that one has no self to love."
― Alan Watts

And this kicks ass too

"The greater part of human activity is designed to make permanent those experiences and joys which are only lovable because they are changing."
― Alan Watts

(October 21, 2016 at 5:11 pm)Alasdair Ham Wrote: Hence your username right? [emoji2]

Yep.

You're an awesome AF member [emoji2]

(October 21, 2016 at 5:16 pm)Alasdair Ham Wrote: And this kicks ass too

"The greater part of human activity is designed to make permanent those experiences and joys which are only lovable because they are changing."
― Alan Watt

Have you read Tom Robbins' "Still-life with Woodpecker"?  Pretty much on exactly that topic.  "How do you make love stay?"  You don't of course.  You didn't put it there to begin with and you don't have the power to make it do anything else either.  Of the many responses he gives in the book, my favorite:

“When the mystery of the connection goes, love goes. It's that simple. This suggests that it isn't love that is so important to us but the mystery itself. The love connection may be merely a device to put us in contact with the mystery, and we long for love to last so that the ecstacy of being near the mystery will last. It is contrary to the nature of mystery to stand still. Yet it's always there, somewhere, a world on the other side of the mirror (or the Camel pack), a promise in the next pair of eyes that smile at us. We glimpse it when we stand still.
The romance of new love, the romance of solitude, the romance of objecthood, the romance of ancient pyramids and distant stars are means of making contact with the mystery. When it comes to perpetuating it, however, I got no advice. But I can and will remind you of two of the most important facts I know:
1. Everything is part of it.
2. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.” 
― Tom Robbins, 

No I haven't read it... but I shall bookmark the Wikipedia of it to remind myself to buy it when I can afford it!!!

Holy crap Whatev, seriously, that is all very beautiful and illuminating.

(October 21, 2016 at 2:37 pm)Rhythm Wrote: Christianity, based on peace and understanding?  Well now you're just blowing smoke up somebody's hole Kernel. Are you really treating a person with respect or understanding by pandering?

 It's based on vicarious redemption through blood sacrifice.  I'm sure plenty of christians find peace or understanding in it (after all, they;re good at seeing things that aren't there), or are..themselves, peaceful and understanding people (like most of us, some of the time)...but that doesn't change the core concept of the religion, the nature of the narrative and title of Christ from which the faith and term "Christianity" is derived. You;re not honestly addressing their faith if you have to whitewash it, and in doing so you are not respecting or accepting it for what it is, but rather what you wish for it to be. It's difficult to find the integrity in -that-.

It's not jesus-ism...it's not peace and understanding-ism.

Allow me to present a demonstration.

-Soldat (or any other christian who wishes to answer). Did Christ die on the cross for your sins, and is there any way to salvation apart from him? Would being a peaceful and understanding person...for example, atone for my sins and grant me salvation?

God and the kingdom of heaven is perfect. Just like oil and water cannot mix, the same as it is in heaven. What if it's a microscopic drop of oil? Still won't mix. Jesus did not die on the cross for everyone. Jesus died so that all COULD be saved. It is a free gift. Accept or reject him it's up to you.