Without evil there'd be no good ...

[LaMont Cranston]

piscator, I didn't invite you to anything, and that was not preaching, although I can see how you might see it that way. If you've been following this thread, both Surendra and I have rather strange senses of humor. I think he's a bit more sarcastic and uses more puns than I do, but, basically, we are coming from different points of view. You advertised yourself as a fisherman, and it can be difficult for a functional psychopath such as myself to resist making Biblical references. If you think I'm trying to recruit you for some purpose, you vastly over-estimate the value I put on anonymous internet relationships.

For the record, I've known quite a few fishers of fish and fishers of men. There was a time I lived in Astoria, Oregon and worked on a friend's salmon fishing boat out of the mouth of the Columbia River. It's very hard work, it can be extremely dangerous and I respect you for doing it. By the way, the marketplace for men, if anything, is greater than it ever was. A rational thinker who is paying attention should be able to recognize that.

That paradox exists for you, not me. I believe that Surendra and I agreed it's a "dead issue." Or, to quote Walt Whitman
"Do I contradict myself?
Very well then,
I contradict myself.
I am large.
I contain multitudes."

One of the things you don't seem to get is that, for me, it's not about what God's obligation might or might not be. It's about my obligation to myself to be true to my own ethical and moral standards, to live a good life on my terms. That's a very human problem for all of us; it's a description of the state of existence whether God does or does not exist. To some, particularly rigid thinkers, it's the same bony pile of moral bycatch; for other of the guppies, it makes a great deal of sense, and much of it can be put to the moral yardstick to determine those thoughts, words and deeds that enhance our lives.

It is not on me to forgive you for anything. So far, in our cyber-relationship, I cannot see anything that requires forgiveness. If, from your point of view, there are things for which you want to forgive yourself, it is on you to bite on that hook.

PS: Good luck with your inspection.

[Surendra Darathy]

That paradox exists for you, not me. I believe that Surendra and I agreed it's a "dead issue." Or, to quote Walt Whitman
"Do I contradict myself?
Very well then,
I contradict myself.
I am large.
I contain multitudes."

You let yourself off the hook so easily? Very well, then! You are no fish, officially, and there's no weigh for you to scale. You will net nothing here. Weave had enough of you. Pound your flesh elsewhere, or meat with disapproval. Dorsal lot more I could say, but it would gill me to persist. Fin.

[LaMont Cranston]

Tigger, Let me add my name to the list of folks who like the party atmosphere, the hot babes, the cold beer and the other ammenities on the Ratz! There is a rich tradition of humor and a lot of laughs to be had from the ongoing discussions between believers and non-believers, and laughter is good for the soul. Of course, that's assuming the soul exists. There really is an uptightness and a tendency to take things much too serious on some other sites I could name...

[LaMont Cranston]

Surendra, Can't we just do this for the halibut? Or are you singing a different tuna? Ma, he keeps carping at me. Cod knows, he mast feel gill-ty. I hear when he fished, he was skilled in a very specific area, he was a master baiter. Roe is me. When it comes to this thread, we are floundering, and we may capsize. However, if you believe in the existence of the sole, we need not fear sinking to the depths...

[piscator]

i think i sea now LaMont...when the questions get too hard, pull the anchor and jog in place
who needs rationality when faith is so much easier?











"'Cod' is the sound a man makes when he gets tired of thinking" -- E. Abbey (parap.)

[LaMont Cranston]

piscator, Oh, shun that negativity. If it's a medical problem, you might want to go see a neuro-sturgeon.

Back to the subject, it's possible to appreciate both rationality and faith for what they are. Rigid thinkers often think they must make "either/or" choices where none are required. Self-proclaimed rational thinkers (i.e. The Dawk) are more often wishful thinkers who, when put the test, reveal themselves to be thin-skinned, emotionally-driven, irrational, arrogant, pompous, disloyal fit-throwers. That fact that some people like to tout the wonders of rationality doesn't necessarily make those people rational thinkers.

Often, they are adrift on a sea of self-predicated troubles. Perhaps they should consider casting their bread upon different waters...

[LaMont Cranston]

Surendra, Walleye dunno. Some minnow, some don't. They get it bass ackwards. I once sardine Martin in Vegas. Ahi was was good...

Are you familiar with "Fishin' Blues" by Taj Mahal, a very catchy tune?

[JimC]

Surendra, Walleye dunno. Some minnow, some don't. They get it bass ackwards. I once sardine Martin in Vegas. Ahi was was good...

Are you familiar with "Fishin' Blues" by Taj Mahal, a very catchy tune?

Taj Mahal - there's a blast from the past, in a very good way...

[LaMont Cranston]

JimC, Yes, Taj Mahal does the kind of music that if you're listening to his songs when you're out in your car, you immediately get in a better mood and start singing along. He's even done a couple of very good albums with some Hawaii-based musicians, including a great version of "All Along The Watchtower." Take a giant step...