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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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  • marye
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    Trifecta...
    It may just be a matter of clashing styles. But I question that the general tone (to say nothing of length) of some of your posts is conducive to people who are religious believers being able to post their viewpoints freely, or to open respectful dialogue. Nobody has to agree with anybody here. But they have to behave as if everyone else here is just as important or valid as they are. The culture is an evolving work in progress, but I think there's a pretty broad consensus that good-natured goofing (however profane) is one thing (even though it startles the more tender souls) and abuse is another. So if people are sending you threats, that's out of line and if it persists please send me a PM with the details so I can deal with it. But enough with the finding fault with people for the content of their posts, their beliefs, their nationality, etc. By anybody. And, to make it absolutely clear, it is okay to say in this topic that one does not hold with religion, but it is not okay to go on and on about the evils of religion and those who believe therein when you know full well that the company here includes many such. That's not "dialogue," that's polemic. And calling existing conversations with which people seem perfectly happy "childish uneducated bull shit" is not helpful. I hope this clarifies it somewhat. If you're so unhappy with the prevailing tone of discourse here, maybe this isn't the place for you. It would be a drag to lose you, but the place isn't going to change for you, and only you can decide if it feels like home. Thank you.
  • 00
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    Ask himself if it's him or them that's really insane
    Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're tryin' to be so quiet ? We sit here stranded, though we're all doin our best to deny it And Louise holds a handfull of rain, tempting you to defy it Lights flicker from the opposite loft In this room the heat pipes just cough The country music station plays soft But there's nothing really nothing to turn off Just Louise and her lover so entwined And these visions of Johanna that conquer my mind. In the empty lot where the ladies play blindman's bluff with the key chain And the all-night girls they whisper of escapades out on the D-train We can hear the night watcman click his flashlight Ask himself if it's him or them that's really insane Louise she's all right she's just near She's delicate and seems like veneer But she just makes it all too concise and too clear That Johanna's not here The ghost of electricity howls in the bones of her face Where these visions of Johanna have now taken my place. Now, little boy lost, he takes himself so seriously He brags of his misery, he likes to live dangerously And when bringing her name up He speaks of a farewell kiss to me He's sure got a lotta gall to be so useless and all Muttering small talk at the wall while I'm in the hall Oh, how can I explain ? It's so hard to get on And these visions of Johanna they kept me up past the dawn. Inside the museums, Infinity goes up on trial Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while But Mona Lisa musta had the highway blues You can tell by the way she smiles See the primitive wallflower frieze When the jelly-faced women all sneeze Hear the one with the mustache say, "Jeeze I can't find my knees" Oh, jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule But these visions of Johanna, they make it all seem so cruel. The peddler now speaks to the countess who's pretending to care for him Saying, "Name me someone that's not a parasite and I'll go out and say a prayer for him" But like Louise always says "Ya can't look at much, can ya man " As she, herself prepares for him And Madonna, she still has not showed We see this empty cage now corrode Where her cape of the stage once had flowed The fiddler, he now steps to the road He writes ev'rything's been returned which was owed On the back of the fish truck that loads While my conscience explodes The harmonicas play the skeleton key's in the rain And these visions of Johanna are now all that remain.
  • 00
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    Old School
    Ok please explain.
  • 00
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    Ok
    Ok Gals and Guys i understand your view, but when buttons are pushed the brains of others tend to veer from the norm. I am not saying I am not serious, but I am not going to fight over it. This is what I mean. I have seen threats, from Socks and other bull shit, but have never sent any negative threats. Where actually do you come from because you have not told us? I was born I Westchester and lived there for a while and went to high school in upstate. Hung out on Canal for a bit. Sock, come on. This is what I mean. Sorry i have heard some pretty vulgar language here and complete absurd childish behavior completely on the lines of pungent childish squander. I have read some of the most childish shit that has been posted with complete disregard for what others are viewing and in fact at one point I thought to myself, that this is language of a kitchen hand in a third rate restaurant!!! But I dealt with it. I would never think about calling my wife or any women “my old lady” sorry that is absurd. This is bullshit. Sorry, I have to say that i have been misrepresented. In an effort to back up what i said the other night, i had many conversations with Brits, Scots, French , Aficans, etc and they all agreed that the Irish are !@#$. If you only travel once a year or once every 10 years outside the US, (sorry the TJtaj mahal is like going to any other tourist trap around the world. Every one has been there and it is so worn out and nothing to really brag about.) Then you have some other way to understand, but when your passport is thicker than a brick and your experiences thicker than anything you ever expected, then you tend to know to proclaim where you are from and where your feet are planted and in turn what is on the tip of your t.........etc . 7years ago i said i was Canadian but learned that Yanks travel everywhere and more than anyone else, and if today I said i was not, then i would cause trouble for the next enlightened yank who was following in my footsteps. I am an American and I am proud!! I shed light, as I am an ambassador for all the rest. A Deadhead American who grew up in a middle class family and hating my government but loving my country!! Hey that’s me. I guess CCJ has no problem with saying he is not an American, but i do. I want to leave a positive trail and saying I am not, is leavening only the meatheads to translate who Americans are. As I have seen the American flag on amps and other equipment on the Wall, I would not say that this means nothing. Only in the States my friend, could I live a life style that I did... Excuse me. You need to start reading in between the lines. Buttons were pushed and we now have questions and dialog. If they are not, then there is just this bull shit gloss over of what is acutely going on and we would have to return to the childish uneducated bull shit that we were seeing earlier with the movies and the Japanese girls etc... Please you need to get out more often. Marye, you have misrepresented me and i am not sure what you mean by the word “inconsistent.” I want your interpretation. This has completely made me want to ask many questions. I have deleted four sentences from here because I thought I may have been asking too much from you. I hope you can share such answers before the questions are asked. My god I have seen so much ungrateful and uneducated garbage here and you point me out. Ok please I look for your response. Now I feel like this is FOX news.
  • c_c
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    thanks
    thanks for the clarification, marye AND, may I say, thank God, Buddha, Allah, Jehova, Varuna, Atua I Kafika, Bo Hsian, etc. et al that we have such a cool Mod as marye.
  • marye
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    TOS=Terms of Service
    The fine link at the bottom of the page...
  • c_c
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    TOS??
    TOS? marye, sorry, can't figure that one out.
  • Hal R
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    today as the spirit moves, whatever and wherever it is
    Religion, Spirituality and Deadheads A photo of a spotted owl looks down at me from the top shelf of my bookshelf, the sky is pure blue, the leaves are bright spring green, flowers blossoming everywhere, someone just showed me a funny cartoon, I was just joking and laughing with some children and the sound of Dickey Betts guitar is coming out of my speakers. If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. William Blake
  • littlebri
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    Couldn't have...
    marye, I couldn't have said it better myself. It's so easy and understandable to wander into other issues regarding the topic of spirituality, but that is no excuse. "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." ~littlebri
  • marye
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    it could be reasonably argued
    that pushing people's buttons and saying the first thing that pops into your head is disrespectful behavior and inconsistent with the goals of having a safe and civil place to hang out. There are plenty of places on the net that thrive on that stuff. This is not one of them. Particularly the spirituality topic. It could more than reasonably be argued that bashing other people's beliefs while insisting on the correctness and Truth of one's own views in the matter is on even thinner Ice. Some recent posts in these parts have not only been out of sync with the stated goals and groundrules of this topic, but with the TOS as well. I mention this in passing. Please chill. Thank you. Taking off mod hat now.
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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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I always thought of Hunter's lyrics as this:when a person reckons something they are essentially assuming. You can make all the assumptions that you want, but in the end what do you really know? As the saying goes you should never assume because it makes an ASS out of U and ME. The only other reasoning that I saw fit is when you think of the definition of reckoning - to account for something - mostly this is used with regard to physical items, but can also be used in a non tangible way, ie: to be accountable for yourself. Due to the personal nature of the song I always held these to be more evident. Again, I think that Barlow's version of reckoning is being used more in the intangible sense. He speeks of a reckoning that we bring upon ourselves. I think his lyrics are based more around the concept of karma otherwise we can expect to bring a reckoning upon ourselves... definitely more apocolyptic: I'm dumpin' my trash in your back yard Makin' certain you don't notice really isn't so hard You're so busy with your guns and all of your excuses to use them. Well, it's oil for the rich and babies for the poor, We got everyone believin' that more is more, If a reckoning comes, maybe we will know what to do then This is the great thing about music though, is that everyone interprets it differently. ~littlebri
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there is a well established method of navigation called dead reckoning, which basically means using maps/charts and a compass and the occasional application of a parallel rule and a pair of dividers. Of course, if your compass always points to Terrapin... Conversation is always more interesting than recitation, so speak your mind and not someone else's.
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Thanks for the thoughtful words. Maybe I was not looking for the obvious!However, it does seem that "The Reckoning" is like this primal turning point when all is laid bare. These days, after I (rarely) indulge in a lungful of ~kind~, I always get a dose of reckoning. I mean, no joke! All I can say is I should shut my mouth and just be kind. You're right though, everybody does interpret in a different way.
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If you have an intact Reckoning LP, look at photo on the sleeve, you'll see.Now that Jerry has passed early, this takes on a different, very Christian kind of meaning. I mean, you could go there if predisposed. But, I believe it is just Jerry's humorous antic on some boring afternoon. A little deeper? Maybe a comment on the middle class suburbia he is dragging the cross through, I mean look at all those little pink houses for you and me. A little deeper? (Here is the middle road) This is Jerry's way of saying "I'm the leader of the hippie tribe of psychedelia and I have no choice about my job!" A little deeper? He died for everybody's hedonistic excess. He took our hedonism upon himself, day-to-day, just lettin' it ride, for a lot of years. Don't like these? What say ye? You know I'm ready to give everything for anything I take
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Can anyone scan a photo of the inside LP art you were talking about? Lost all my cd/tapes to the ex. Thanks ____________________________________________________ Will you come with me? Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right!
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I agree when you said "The Reckoning" is like this primal turning point when all is laid bare." No matter how we interpret "reckoning" it is when we are in our most vulnerable state, everything really is laid bare. There are so many things that picture could be. I always looked at it and believed that we are the only thing that stands in the way of what we want. Everything comes back to your attitude and the way you perceive things. Once you sort of have this realization and practice it, the bones no longer stand in your way and your mind and your heart are syncronized with each other creating this sort of "enlightened" view of life. I think that was the artist's interpretation of life, and it's a lot easier to get through when you have joy. Then it really is a ride. ~littlebri
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nice avatar. I love Jesus too. check out: greateststoryevertold.org Jesus Loves You The Best! greateststoryevertold.org
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I had experienced some pretty bad trauma in a "new religious movement" at the end of my teens. Most of you would know these groups as "cults". Several of you likely have had positive experiences with this particular group known as the Hare Krishna movement. I spent four years involved with that group. Met some really nice people, met others that were "not so nice". I split and moved to the Haight Ashbury after that and became immersed in the culture of the neighborhood. I started to go to shows and found myself deeply moved by the music and the community. Going to shows was/is like going to church for me (but not as a rabid convert). The shows really helped me re-create my self. The shows were the only place that I could legitimately re-integrate with not just a sub-culture, but with the greater society, in the ways that are acceptable to me. I have a strong aversion to religion. Hopefully, the summer tour of 2009 will help me relax, enjoy the moment, and see what we can create... Peace, Jim
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i'm sorry you had such a bad experience....when dealing with zealots things can be very unpleasant......but i DO know........it's about faith.......and i don't insist that others feel the same, just accept that i do...... i need some shows too!!
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absolutely Amazing!!! love and peace.
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What a great Amazing Grace, don't think I've heard it before. Make me wish even more an album of Jerry Gospel could be put out and the proceeds donated to charity.
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I'd buy it!
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I joined this site to see if i could find any information from Robert Hunter concerning a song he crafted (but have loved Grateful Dead since my 18th summer, that of '72). It was a wonderful tune; i was astonished that he was the author, as i had not been aware of any connection between him and the subject -- although i knew he was a Piper, from a tune/word poem from his album, Tales of the Great Rum Runners. That too was a fine piece, i still recall snippets of the words -- accompanied by a lone piper, himself -- the words concerned the birth of a child: be sure you cut it [umbilical cord] with a sharp blade; and, in that moment "all eternity comes clear." I played the tune for me father, an accomplished piper, and i still recall the growing wonder [i mean, who could blame him?] on his face, til he beamed: "This is Excellent Piping!" I happened to do a word search on youtube: grateful dead chieftains, because i knew jerry had actually interviewed their main guy on the radio in SF back when. The only search result was "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew." The opening verse: Here's to the Ronnie, the voice we adore Like coals from a coal bucket scraping the floor Sing out his praises in music and malt And if you're not Irish, that isn't your fault ___________________ (in your case it is!) _________________ The song is a beautiful tribute to a man of worth, sung by a whole bunch of UNSELFCONSCIOUSLY good people. Hoping to find some information from Mr. Hunter [grandson of Scottish Presbyterian Minister, I hear] how he came to know Mr. Drew, what was his involvement in the project, i entered "irish" as a search term. What is the hit? fuck the irish. this was a post by the moderator? fucking bloody hell. you enlightened self-consciously positive ditzes are really dumb.
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is Children's Lament on Rum Runners. Googling it will get you the full lyrics, and there is indeed much comment on this being a rare example of Hunter's bagpipe playing. As to the abuse in your last sentence, I am the moderator, I did not make that post (for one thing, my sainted grandmother Bessie Callaghan would return from the grave and smite me upside the head), and it is the nature of the search tool to bring up whatever uses of the word exist on this system regardless of who posted them. I will therefore attribute your name-calling apparently directed at the folks hereabouts as a mistake born of misunderstanding and let it go, but we don't do that here. Thank you.
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inner hebridean you may find these words written by Hunter interesting: Willy Morris Lyrics: Robert Hunter Music: Robert Hunter I'm a vagabond evangelist with a mighty healing touch I'm one-half fighting Irish and one-half double Dutch My name is Willy Morris I preach the revalation I'm a rough-and-ready rider in the service of the Kingdom When I call the power down short men stand up taller the lame and halt kick up their heels, the dumb begin to holler Upon the stage I strut my stuff with sanctifying grace Righteousness within my soul and rapture on my face Don't turn away Step up and see what I can do when you believe I was born a Jersey boy My folks had wealth and pull One thing about good people they do get dreadful dull When I took up testifying they said: Don't bring us shame If you work this country, son be sure and change your name The Lord wants you to dress in style and drive the very best Long as you take care of me, I'll take care of the rest One thing about the Kingdom since it always Kingdom Come I get by on glory be plus tambourine and drum Don't turn away Step up and see what I can do when you believe I'm honest as the people who admit to being saved yet grow as mean as any weed on any beggar's grave Squirm, you sinners, howl and moan The devil is your due But if you will take care of me I will take care of you I'm a vagabond evangelist with a mighty healing touch I'm one-half fighting Irish and one-half double Dutch My name is Willy Morris I preach the revalation I'm a rough-and-ready rider in the service of the Kingdom Don't turn away Step up and see what I can do when you believe when you believe when you believe actually, quite suitable for this, religious space. and, innerhebrideadn, please, no more name calling or abuse toward anybody, let alone to our darling marye.
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Don't worry MaryE ! I'll be more than happy to take care of this rude rude person. And the road goes on forever.... BobbaLee
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Hey Now All Just wanted to wish a Happy Holy Week to all my brothers in sisters in Christ For those traveling and attending shows in the next few weeks may you be safe The Cat
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easter week is the celebration of the basis of the christian religion. the rebirth of Christ! i wanna wish a happy easter to all, everyone, here and the world over...whether you believe or not, peace be with you!!
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And when the chief Shepard shall appear, ye shall recieve a crown of glory that FADETH NOT AWAY. 1Peter,5:4 Thank you Jesus Peace to all Have a great tour
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As I felt the Earth reach up to grab me my heart nearly leaped out of my shirt. Turning my gaze Heavenward I listened , straining my soul to hear the spoken word. No word came. Loosing my grip on what my foundation seemed to be was never an option before. I had not prepared myself for what I did not know was possible. No forethought came to my rescue in that moment which was held together only by the dry rotted chords of my broken expectations and past experiences stored together in a messy heap. What was I thinking? Was I able to see what my mind had never perceived with the clarity of already always knowing? What we do not know about others is what shaped their experience. Which thought connected with which event at which point in their own circular existence? Unless we knew this miraculous bit of information, which even the individual experiencing it can not locate in their own string of synapses, we would not be able to assist them. That is why it is important to remember to have Tolerance. We might not be as evolved as we think we are. Deity is in between Realities we all are experiencing just waiting for us to let go of what we think we know so we can start learning. Our own perception is what gives it a name so we can access the file at a later date and relive the experience of contact. Dropping the definitions we cling to and accepting the value of the experience is essential if we are to develop tolerance for what others outside of our selves are experiencing. Please love each other as individuals not equals, better than, or lesser. These are the definitions that divide and give rise to subconscious prejudice based living. Love is the Key to Tolerance. Be good to each other. Blessings to you all.
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I am a christian and a deadhead. I believe that Jesus died for all of us and that he was a real person. He WAS God in the human flesh. Whether you understand it or not it is the truth. The grateful dead scene is a way (if you understand "the dead".... which requires a certain open mindness that many have) that people can experience what god wanted for all of us. At a show ( sadly these places are not the same any more) you can understand.... IF YOU HAVE THE DESIRE TOO. YOU HAVE TO WANT TRUE WISDOME. I have studied many religions and they all make "sense" in a certain light. If you have ever had that certian grateful dead/JERRY experience you know what I mean. Yes, Phish and other jambands can take you to "that" certian place. But it is NOT EVEN CLOSE the hights that can be reached when the Grateful dead are on top of YOUR game. Phish and other jambands can provide psychadelic bliss....no doubt. But it is that psychadelic happiness and certain "place" that no other band can create. It is through this "place" that you can (and many of us do) see "the light". IF YOU DON"T BELIEVE IN GOD YOU ARE NOT A TRUE DEADHEAD! I know so many people that love the dead and don't believe in GOD. If you don't see the beauty of god when you listen to the dead....YOU ARE JUST A DEADHEAD!. You are simply a person that listens to amazing music. I know Jerry would not back me on this point, but he knows now. Let the dead point you toward the truth. It's amazing what they can do when you have "been there" and continue listening....clean. Jerry had no idea how great of a spiritual leader really was. He pointed strait towards God... whether you like it or not. You all are wonderful! Listen!
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sigh........ oh well there's yet another reason why I am not a true deadhead.... thanks Woodruff for helping me and my fellow lesser beings understand our place in the world. Maybe I should say that if you make bullying judgemental divisive pronouncements about people you don't know then you are not a true Christian....but I won't.
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CB. And will bite back a whole bunch of other comments, cuz I can see that woodruff means to be peaceful with that post-though I do take offense at the way some things are written.********************************** It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine
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Some time back I was working in the Middle East. My local counterpart was a really nice young guy, and a very devout and serious Muslim. We got on well because we both liked the work we were doing and did not let our different backgrounds get in the way of that. Sometimes he did get a bit preachy though, and often told me that he felt sorry for me, because of the hellish torments that awaited non believers like me in the next world. One day he was driving along the highway far too fast, lecturing me about saving my soul and not paying attention to the road, when a truck up ahead slammed on its brakes. I noticed what had happened and yelled at him to stop; he looked up and braked very late, we went into a long, heartstopping, scary skid and stopped inches short of the back of the truck. He pulled over, as we were both shaken up. If I had not shouted we would have slammed into the truck for sure. I was quite angry and told him this: “ It’s alright for you buddy, if we get mashed up on the highway you get to go to paradise, but, as you keep telling me, I am bound for the eternal pains of hell. So how about being a friend, driving more carefully and letting me stay around to enjoy this world a little longer?” He thought about it, laughed, apologised, drove a lot more carefully from then on and eased up a bit on the preaching too.
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wonderful post friend badger, and i sincerely admire the restraint you and pal tigerlily are displaying. as you both know i struggle with my faith on a daily basis. each morning i remind myself "the lord will provide" and he always does, and each time it surprises me in it's simple truth. i'm sure god has pointed me to my fellow deadheads as people of understanding the same as he gives me the strength to attend mass. i can agree with woodruff480's post, but only because we all look at god in a different way, and we may not even call "it" "god". it's all part of the "one" i guess. i won't try to force jesus on you but i know he is my savior. i feel his presence now as i type this and i feel his presence in my fellow deadheads because of their kindness. after all, he was just sent here to give us all some really good advice.....love each other......please!!...........i know i hadda cookie here someplace......
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The way you look at God and religion is A. OK!!!!!!!! YOU never said things like "IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD; YOU'RE NOT A TRUE DEADHEAD"! When you talk about Mass, and your belief, is about what YOU believe, without slandering others. More Power to ya, brother johnman! And cake too!********************************** It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine
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My connection to organized religion is a Christian one. I'm an active member of a Christian community (just came home from church and a deacons meeting). I am also an avid follower of the music of the Dead and find the experience to be a deeply spiritual one. I am generally comfortable with using Christian language to describe my experience of God. However, I have found insights into understanding God in Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and countless other places, including a Dead show! Most Deadheads I talk with experience something bigger than themselves at a show. I am comfortable with calling that God, but I' ve met atheists and agnostics who have experiences similar to mine but would not call it God. This is cool with me! The important thing is that we all understand we are sisters and brothers that are part of something bigger than ourselves. One of the most important aspects of God for Christians is that God is merciful and compassionate. Jesus said "Judge not, that ye be not judged". If God does exist (which I personally believe) is it possible that God is big enough to not be concerned with our indivdual belief systems as long as we get the big picture, that we are all connected in a bigger way? Peace to you all. Treat your sisters and brothers with repect and "I know it'll come out right".
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stated more eloquently then i........and pal tiger...i do not believe woodruff was intending to be judgmental or offensive, as tphokie said have we not all found something "higher" at a show? pardon me for speaking out.....i love you all
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That woodruff had no malicious intent, thus was censoring myself quite a bit in how I responded :-)********************************** It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine
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I can accept that Woodruff had no malicious intent. For me what matters is whether or not you are a righteous, kind person who tries to do the right thing and not to harm others. I have met such people of all faiths and no faiths (and likewise scary and evil people). For me goodness and kindness and transcendental experiences are related to our basic humanity, they are not the province of any one faith; there are an infinity of routes to those places. If folks find their way to there through their faith (or by any other way) then that is great, if they want to tell people about that then I have no problem. But if they want to tell me that their way is the right and only way to goodness (or to appreciating the Grateful Dead), then I get a bit antsy. That’s all. :-)
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Badger-get antsy too bout 1 way is the ONLY way'ers********************************** It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine
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I would like mine baked broiled or sizzledjohnman, badger, and tiger lily style thanking you very much. Thanks you guys for ............making sense. Making sense.....helps.
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...and if you choose to believe in Love you are a Deadhead. If you choose to do evil, and go ripping people off in the parking lot for example, you are not a Deadhead and what goes around will come around. We are all unique and life and self-consciousness are true miracles and everybody has to find their own truth for themselves and it can't be forced on anybody. I believe in Jesus and all I ask is that you respect my choice and try not to hate me for it. Peace to all lovers of Love. All good things in all good time
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Toward the end of Sunday service, the Minister asked, "How many of you have forgiven your enemies?" 80% held up their hands! The Minister then repeated his question. All responded this time, except one small elderly lady. Mrs. Neely? Are you not willing to forgive your enemies? " I don't have any" she replied, smiling sweetly. Mrs. Neely that is very unusual. How old are you? "Ninety-eight" she replied. "Oh, Mrs. Neely would you please come down in front and tell us all how a person can live ninety-eight years and not have an enemy in the world? The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the congregation, and said, "I outlived the bitches."
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heeheehee......i'm not sure how to respond to that hahaa....
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good one wildstrings
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in this particular forum, and i can't find it.......but it basically said that christians are supposed to spread the word of jesus....now, HOW they do it is what i think pisses off most people. i think i said that right.....(i hope)....heehee hee
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...everybody, it's the best medicine. I think you said it right too johnman.
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Ben Stein's "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed". In it he allows the top "evolutionary fundamentalists" of the day tell us in their own words that when it comes to the origin of life they don't have a clue as to how it happened. He also shows us that if you are an accredited scientist in America today and you so much as mention the possibility of "intelligent design", you will be fired, blacklisted, denied tenure, and labelled an "intellectual terrorist" by our government. It shows that the chance of life arising on it's own seems virtually impossible.Ben's main point is that if scientists wish to explore the idea of intelligent design they should be allowed to do so without the fear of having their careers ruined in an un-American way. Why is it that such intelligent beings as ourselves are so afraid that their might be an "intelligence" greater than us?
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and I guess that's why I'm also not ready to pretend that I know. Life arising on it's own seems more likely to me than resulting from some grand design. Since there is no compelling, empirically testable evidence either way, I guess people will continue to do what they have always done: Believe whatever they want to. That seems to me to be just about right. Conversation is always more interesting than recitation, so speak your mind and not someone else's.
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and why deny the search? The sit back, no can do approach won't get us anywhere and I have faith that there are a lot more things to be learned out there and our scientists need the freedom to search for them. But I guess nobody gives a darn. Let it be known There is a fountain That was not made By the hands of man
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One man came out in the morning, looked up in the sky and said "The sun is the servant of the Lord, like a champion he runs his course from one end of the sky to the other" Overhearing this his neighbour replied "Don't be ridiculous, the sun is a ball of gas." The first man turned to his neighbour, smiled and said "Yup, no argument there."