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that article, Marye is realy good. I forwarded it to all my Jewish GD freaks ....now it's Sunday again....back to the ole naked praying......

as someone who was raised jewish i couldn't agree more...... peace and hugs to all

on why Jews are into jambands: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/current/articles/winter2008/cohen.html. Thanks to Barbara Saunders for the pointer!

Glad to hear that I'm not the only Dawkins fan on the site (maybe also not the only one with a Darwin fish and a Stealie on my bumper?)Interesting how very difficult it is to maintain objectivity and mutual respect on a subject that is so fundamental to the core of our beings. I've gotten a tiny bit better at it as I've gotten older. I'm corresponding with a beloved first cousin in another state who is having major health issues, and is querying me about my beliefs - worried that we won't be meeting in heaven (and we won't!) I think the big thing I've learned is to take it in the spirit in which it was offered. I believe this dialogue with my cousin was opened by her in the spirit of love and caring (although I do know her beliefs require her to witness, while mine only require that I not assault you while you are doing so). So I take a deep breath, and reach down into the biggest and best part of myself before answering. I used to get quite angry while being witnessed to by this branch of my family, but I think I may have gotten beyond that now. At least I hope so. I certainly plan to keep me and my Darwin fish away from the North Carolina folks though :) Have any of the Dawkins folks read The Salmon of Doubt by Doug Adams?

enjoy the fest!

I love this forum. It's great to hear all the different opinions and to engage in the exchange of ideas. However, at the most basic level the experience of God, the Absolute, the Other, the universe or what ever we choose to call it is not an intellectual excercise (and believe me, no one is more prone to try to intellectualize it than me)! My son and I had a first hand experience of God that was beyond description this weekend. We were at Delfest in Cumberland, MD. On Saturday we heard some really good music. We were enjoying a particularly hot set by Sam Bush when it suddenly began to rain. The rain was most refreshing as it had been a very hot day. Then the rain got harder and they stopped the show due to lightning. We dashed for our tent to ride out the storm. The rain kept coming down harder and suddenly the tent started being pelted with marble sized hail. Then the wind seemed to be coming from everywhere and sheets of rain were coming right through the rainfly. Our tent was becoming a lake! When the hail finally seemed to stop I decided to run for our car that was about 50 yards away. We made it okay and road out the rest of the storm in the car. Sheets of rain were coming down so hard we could not see anything around us. I popped in a CD and listened to Weather Report Suite as it seemed remarkably appropriate. As the music ended the storm subsided. All around us there were tents flattened (including ours) and everyone's belongings were scattered everywhere. The awesomeness of God had just been shown in the power of the storm, but the display of God at work was just beginning. Everyone was asking "Are you alright?" Thankfully everyone was. All around people were lending a hand to put things somewhat back together. Those of us who were staying pitched in to help those who had decided to leave gather up their belongings and get packed up. Everyone was united in helping each other. This was the ultimate display of God at work! This festival will certainly be an experience we will both always remember. "Listen to the thunder shout, I am, I am, I AM"

fuckin' A

I like Johnman's example of how to "spread the word", living by example. My problem with someone attempting to enlightening me with the "Word of Jesus" is that organized religions have had almost two thousand years to tweak the "Word". For me, this does not take from the truths being offered, but leads me to question why it is so important to believe that Jesus literally spoke these exact words. Please enlighten me as to how we can have so many different Christian sects, all proclaiming that theirs is the true path. Explain why "the Word of God" has been edited by mere mortals so often. For me, it boils down to one very important principal, Love. The Church controlled science itself for hundreds of years, and science has succeded in blinding us to many truths that were evident to archaic religions, many of which used entheogens as their sacrament. Science has all but taken enchantment from our lives, but asks us to accept just one unexplainable miracle on faith, the big bang. From there it attempts to explain everything. Entheogens can open up the mind to other realities, the existence of Gaia and other answers, very different from what we are force-fed from birth. What was the Church's reaction to their use? Not exploration and understanding in search of truth, but denial and destruction in the name of control ("the fruit of Satan"). How can it be that knowledge of sacred plants, which were used for thousands and thousands of years, is only now, in the last sixty years or so, being revealed to the rest of the world? I am not refering to synthetics such as LSD, but to the natural entheogens, which allow for a connection to the "whole" of existence. I am not suggesting that everyone trip on the entheogen of their choice. I do not believe that this is our purpose here on Earth. I am suggesting that life is much more complex than what most of us have been brought up to believe, and is becoming ever more complex ever more quickly. It is important that we do not close our minds to what is possible just because it does not fit in the Judeo-Christian mindset. I cannot question the existence of Jesus, whom I do believe exists, or of the power of prayer, which I fully believe in. But neither can I question the existence of the buddha or Muhammad, or of other realms beyond normal understanding. The message is the same. Ultimately, Love really is the answer. Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor.

The other night, i was listening to Terrapin Station... and i found a new perspective to it.... its really amazing finding new meaning to songs that are over 30 years old...!!! I had imagined the song was set in a Christian-based theme.. And the Lady of course would be GOD, and the Sailor would be the Believer, and the Soldier would be the non-believer... and the lyric says "I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance" Pretty powerful stuff...makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck!

To answer Johnman from a few days ago. Yes its hard to spread the word of Jesus cause people don't want to usually hear it There is a great quote which I believe is Franciscan and it states " to preach the gospel and sometimes use words" Sometimes actions speak louder than words in this case My best example for this is to follow the 7 Corporal Works of Mercy Going back to the commandments that were previously posted here Love yourself as you would your neighbor Yes there are a lot of people out there that do not "love themself" but all relationships between people are really based on this. The reason why some peole waiver in this notion is becuse they are lacking faith Faith in something whether it be a God or a belief or a set of values As a former youth minister I gave a talk to my 9th and 10th grade students on the topic of realtionships and I told them they first have to have one with themselves,. Any other relationship would not be valid without believing in that. I explained to them that their destiny has already been predetermined by God and the "bad choices" they make lead them way from that plan thus changing their realtionship with themselves Just my 2 cents Keep on writing or posting I'll be back The CAT