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    marye
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    In one of the other topics, one of the folks seemed not to be so sure of the reception he'd get for saying he was a youth minister at his church. In my experience, Deadheads span the full spectrum from Agnostic to Zoroastrian. I've met atheist Deadheads, Muslim Deadheads, Buddhist Deadheads, Catholic Deadheads, Jewish Deadheads, and Wiccan Deadheads. My Deadhead friends are all over the map on this stuff, and as far as I'm concerned one of the real richnesses of the scene is the ability to see how things look to other folks and, sometimes, experience it from their world. Believe it if you need it, if you don't, just pass it on. But talk about it here, and please maintain a safe respectful place to do so.

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  • That Nice Hippy Guy
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    also
    I would really suggest that everyone listen to Willie Nelson's song "The Trouble Maker" As the quote from Willie says on the album cover - "The message in the song "The Trouble Maker" is even more important today than it was 2000 years ago" "You know the one thing we need is a left handed monkey wrench....."
  • That Nice Hippy Guy
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    First Time Here
    Havent ever looked at this section before. I totally agree with with Hal R(a page back) about how Christians tend to have a lack of respect and tolerance for others. I am a self proclaimed "Liberal Chirstian" and have respect for all other religions, cultures, opinions, etc. I think that alot of times Christians forget about the way that Jesus would want us to act and spend most of their time judging and hating others and some how talk themselves into beliving that all that hatred is someday going to get them into heaven. I was a hardcore athiest for a few years of my life because of this. It was all I had seen of Christianity so I thought thats all there was to it. Jesus is about love, understanding, tolerance, and respect people!!! and if he was alive today he would totally be digging long hair, tye-die, and the Grateful Dead. Just what I belive anyway. Peace and Love to you all, Trevor "You know the one thing we need is a left handed monkey wrench....."
  • marye
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    nice thread, folks
    well done...
  • Oroboros
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    Thanks BobbaLee
    for assisting me with that history. I need all the help I can get! As Mark Twain said "It ain't what I don't know that gets me into trouble. It's what I know for sure that ain't so." Take care all.
  • pkpotter
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    Excellent words Hal R. That
    Excellent words Hal R. That kind of insight comes straight from the heart. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. May you enjoy peace in your garden.peace and love,pk
  • grdaed73
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    always an exciting and DEEP pool here!
    dressed myself in greenI went down unto the sea. Try to see what's goin' down, try to read between the lines . I had a feelin' I was fallin', fallin', fallin', I turned around to see, 40,000 headmen hit the ground, Forty thousand headmen couldn't make me change my mind If I had to take the choice between the deafman and the blind I know just where my feet should go and that's enough for me I turned around and knocked them down and walked across the sea Comes a time when the blind man takes your hand Says "don't you see?" Gotta make it somehow just living in yesterdays tomorrow peace2all
  • BobbaLee
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    I wish every person would
    I wish every person would live their belief system so that their minds and hearts were empty of hate. From a historical and myth busting standpoint I would like to correct a common misconception. The Pharisees did not persecute Christians. In fact they were in ancient times more like our present day ACLU. They actually defended Stephen ( the early Christian who was later stoned to death). Around 50 CE the followers of Saul (later Paul) turned the the religion from one about Jesus teachings to one about Jesus. This disturbed his original followers, the Nazareen's so much they left Jerusalem. Passages in the Christian new testament were added much later after the followers of Saul (Paul) had completed their domination of the Christian religion. The Saducees and Pharisees were not friendly towards each other. Saul was a Sadducee which were the enforcers of the temple priests, like a Temple of Jerusalem police force. He was a gentile convert. He was raised by a gentile father and mother in a city dominated by Greek philosophies. The infamous conversion scene during Saul's journey to Damascus was a metaphor and did not actually happen .The Saducees had little or no jurisdiction outside of Jerusalem. Damascas was a Gentile city where there were few Christians and a weak local rabbi. If you want to read more read "the Historical Jesus" and 'The Myth Maker" There are many Also read the book of Thomas it is the earliest known Christian book and is a collection of the sayings of Jesus. Like I said there is good and bad in the interpretations of all philosophies. And the road goes on forever.... BobbaLee
  • Hal R
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    Well said Oroboros
    What a nice way to start my Sunday morning. Words of wisdom from a friend. I think that is how we can often grow the most; through discussion and the thoughts of our peers, is often more meaningful than that of a learned spiritual authority. And thanks for your response Tigerlilly and grdaed73, I was kind of dreading coming and checking this topic, but instead am moved by your words of encouragement. What joy! OK, time to go out and work in the garden, which is actually more like play. Work and play at the same time. There is this amazing band there that sings to me every day, the songbirds . If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. William Blake
  • TigerLilly
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    Ditto for Oroboros!!!!!!!!!!
    Very well put intelligent post!!!!!!********************************** Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you will still exist, but you have ceased to live. Samuel Clemens
  • Oroboros
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    Sage-like response, Hal.
    And one of the hallmarks of an individual's struggle with their own convictions is manifested in lashing out against others. (Pharaisees toward Jesus and in modern times the Chinese towards the Dali Lama. If you percieve someone as your enemy, that is what they become for you. Even if your judgement of them is wrong.) To be able to tolerate and then move to appreciation other's beliefs is a goal to strive for. Conviction of oneself's absolute knowledge of infinite wisdom smacks of arrogance. And arrogance is so self limiting. None of us are in possesion of all the answers, and the trap of narcassism, the 'I have arrived' is a trap and stops growth. Does one maintain their rearch when they are convinced that they have arrived? Great philosophers, artists, musicisans push those boundaries and are not content to remain static. Did Garcia stop with bluegrass? Blues? Reggae? R & B? He saw the beauty and value of all the hues of the color wheel. Humility and appreciation for and of others that enrich our lives is a goal I strive for. And I continually fall short. Practice, practice, practice. So I continue on the path, recognize that we are all much more alike than different, but stop to smell the wonderful fragrance of each flower in the garden, admire the play of the contrast of the striking colors, watch as the wind, water, and sun affect the myriad of delights and do what I can to encourage the growth there. And with myself.
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In one of the other topics, one of the folks seemed not to be so sure of the reception he'd get for saying he was a youth minister at his church. In my experience, Deadheads span the full spectrum from Agnostic to Zoroastrian. I've met atheist Deadheads, Muslim Deadheads, Buddhist Deadheads, Catholic Deadheads, Jewish Deadheads, and Wiccan Deadheads. My Deadhead friends are all over the map on this stuff, and as far as I'm concerned one of the real richnesses of the scene is the ability to see how things look to other folks and, sometimes, experience it from their world. Believe it if you need it, if you don't, just pass it on. But talk about it here, and please maintain a safe respectful place to do so.
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Hey, great name there brother-sister.I hope that one of the enduring legacies of Fare Thee Well is that no one has to treat being a Deadhead as a contradiction to any other aspect of their life. When more non-Heads realize how many Head have been living in their midst all these years, they might start to recognize the common traits in them.
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The blue moon this weekend makes me look back.: 5 young adults in my extended family went to FTW there with their Deadhead parents (not exactly dragged there). Each came away ready to confess: There is NOTHING like a Grateful Dead concert. The full sensory immersion, plus the overflowing love, peace and harmony shown by everyone there, did much more than would any amount of listening to recordings. But full credit to the band, to continue to experiment and innovate, to improvise new music in front of a massive crowd which did have its skeptics. Morgan40, I read the article you link below. There is unquestionably a message of hope and redemption running through the Dead music, but it would be too much to say that it is only draws on Biblical influences (which I know you did not). In the same way, I would not want anyone to think that my avatar implies I see a unique link between my faith and Dead-ism. That’s not any more true of my stealie than someone who inserts their favorite team logo on the Face.
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what`s your religion. Music takes your spirit and gives you wings so you can soar upt to heaven if you want to.I`m very grateful to the spirits that my baby-grandson , born July 31 - two days ago - is healthy and so beautiful........
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amen, amen. Thanks for your note, Graceful Dead. I feel very blessed by the Fare Thee Well event. I was fortunate enough to fly into the states and attend the last night. It was a bit sad to say good-bye, but really i feel like the music means as much to us now, and can lead us to shine our love lights into the future. Know our love will not fade away. Hey, btw... did you happen to see the following article??? http://www.patheos.com/blogs/religionnow/2015/07/once-in-a-while-you-ge… Peace be with you and yours, a sister down under
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Turn around and I'll be there like a road leading home.We are everywhere⚡️
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Heard Phil yell that after Box of Rain encore 12-18-93 Oakland col. Great show!!
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I'm In Adelaide. I was lucky enough to see both Santa Clara shows. It was bittersweet saying goodbye to the guys as a group, but we can't say goodbye to the Music. What they started 50 years ago is still evolving, and will continue to as the legitimate genre it has become. Thanks, Guys! See you at Bluesfest, loveandpeace (Sat Tedesci Trucks, Lucas Nelson and Promise of the Real, and Joe Bonnamassa)
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I'm in Melbourne. We're an American family with three children, who came here four years ago. I was blessed to attend the last night in Chicago... my original hometown. It was a beautiful night, spent with folks from tour 20+ years ago. I have to admit that i felt both inspired and sad after the shows. The spirit of the shows lingered for weeks and i was completely blown away by how the music and the vibe of a show was just as relevant and important for me now, as it was back then. In fact, it felt like it had just been too, too long. We need that music, and i think you are right... it's so important, that it will evolve and stay alive. anyways... i'll have the check out bluesfest. Any music suggestions are welcome, as i haven't got a clue down here. Peace be with you and yours, jennifer
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Three observations about the infectious lilt that is the pace of Grateful Dead music (and that gives Deadheads their characteristic walk while listening to Jehovah's favorite choir). John Mayer said that the pace of Dead music made him notice how different it was from "everything ..processed and quantized and gridded out – to hear 'Tennessee Jed' played with that lope.." And in Kreutzman's recent interviews he stated that one of the main lessons he learned from Garcia about music was to play "a really full four beats. Don't rush to the end of the bar". Finally, learning that the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds have joined the Giants in planning Grateful Dead nights (thanks for the tip from Holly Hiker), makes me speculate that a steady, measured pace of things might make for more overlap between Dead fans and baseball fans than there is with football fans. I'm runnin', but I take my time.
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You know who I mean. For their unrivaled track record of creativity and innovation, continuing even today, in light and sound. For the highest level of musicianship, sustained over many decades. For the breadth and durability of their own songbook. For their lively and invigorating interpretation of the traditional American songbook. And of course the testimony of the fan base, who the word "loyal" does not begin to describe. No other band has ever had anything like that following, neither in their heyday nor continuing so long, long after.
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A mighty giant had laid down to join his ancestors. But he fell across the trail in the Pacific rain forest that we were hiking on. The forest service cut the tree to re-open the path, and left the fresh face of the trunk at about eye level, leaning up the hill side where it fell. The outer edge of the bark was a deep rust color, and the color had been seeping down in the month or so since it fell. In successive rings, though, the inner core had brighter and brighter tones, until the central core was virtually white. And centered there was a pattern that resembled a tree in outline, with a great canopy spread above the center point, and a vast root system below. At the well spring of life for that large creature was the very idea of Tree, the Form of what each tree of its kind should be. Though this particular embodiment of that concept was now to begin its very prolonged decay, it is succeeded by many, many others which sprang from the same source. Or maybe I am projecting my feelings about my father in his decline.
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Sounds like compassion ,pouring out of the pores. Very Beautiful, THANK YOU ,GOD BLESS .
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PEACE ,TOO AWL,KEEP ON TRUCKIN. YEAH, LOV LIFE !
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GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WAIT,THEY REALLY DO ,EASIER SAID THEN DONE I KNOW ,BEING AS ONE WITH IN IS A GOAL,YOU CAN ALWAYS UP,WERE EVER YOU GET YOUR ENERGY FROM ,BE GRATEFUL!
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Going thought some hard times ,same as everybody else ,just looking around,man its a different world,been sleepin,lol lol ,wake up tomarrow ,[spellings bad]lol.PEACE.
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English!LOL
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I do hope that what sounded like a very good night for you did not turn in to a bad day come morning.
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All is Good,All is Well,opened up a couple more doors, Thanks for Asking, Hows things on your end?
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Thanks for asking, 1973. My Dad died two weeks ago; myself and my siblings were at his side, trying to comfort his passage. We can always wish that the inevitable will be put off a little longer, but his very long, very fruitful life had finally run its course. All of his 15 young adult grandchildren participated in his funeral (and two great-grandchildren delighted the very large crowd that gathered). One grandson did him proud, and moved everyone in attendance, by reading a passage from Saul of Tarsus: "Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you." What more could you want?
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Very sorry for your loss.....it is never easy.....it sounds like your dads memory was honored and will continue to be.
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I'm sorry. May God's peace be with you and your family. What God did in Saul's life, renaming him Paul, is amazing. HE can change us all one person at a time.
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Im truly sorry for your loss,Saul to Paul,WoW, Strenth,Love,God Bless...
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Prayers With You ...
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All!!!
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It is my impression that a high percentage of Dead Heads are 5-for-5 on the beliefs that William James lists in his 1902 book "The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature" as the "characteristics of religious life": 1. That the visible world is part of a more spiritual universe from which it draws its chief significance; 2. That union or harmonious relation with that higher universe is our true end; 3. That prayer or inner communion with the spirit thereof—be that spirit 'God' or 'law'—is a process wherein work is really done, and spiritual energy flows in and produces effects, psychological or material, within the phenomenal world. 4. A new zest which adds itself like a gift to life, and takes the form either of lyrical enchantment or of appeal to earnestness and heroism. 5. An assurance of safety and a temper of peace, and, in relation to others, a preponderance of loving affections.
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Tom you hit the nail on the head, those words ring true here. glad that you are enjoying your new musical stash.... please pay it forward...