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a_theist
"Thy will be done."

Date Joined Dec 2002
Total Posts : 286

Posted 1/19/2003 12:02 PM (GMT -6)

I have recently grown really annoyed with SeanG and the thread "Are Fossils Proof of Evolution." Everytime he posts I get angry; so I would like to ask any of you who are willing to pray for me to stay away from that thread and read nothing else of what he has to say. I know the Lord woulnd't want me to feel this way, and I don't want to, so I ask any of you to pray that I will stay focused on God and his love for me and love for others. For what it is worth, I dont' want anything that might sound like lecturing, just prayer to God that I can step past this.

Blessings,
Paul

"The Creator's power (by which I mean the capacity to influence the world) is made manifest paradoxically in the vulnerable defenselessness of crucified man."
-John F. Haught

Springs
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 636

Posted 1/19/2003 5:58 PM (GMT -6)

We noticed!

and I for one already prayed. ha

but yeah, I hear ya, and will lift you up.

I can relate. The other night in class the prof. passed out 6 different metaphors for looking at life. The market place perspective, the body view, etc.

Our group got the one entitled "Life is a gift" We spent some time in discussion about how that perspective would color our response to the world and then the prof. asked us to answer yes or no to some questions. For instance, Are all gifts wanted? (No) Are they still a gift? (Yes) Can suffering be a gift? (Yes)

Then he said, How about slavery? I said, "NO, slavery devastated the slaves and destroyed the slave holders." He said remember this is from the "life is a gift" perspective. I said I remember that. I don't have to believe that evil is a gift just because life is! He said good comes out of evil. I said, good doesn't create evil it works to bring good into the after effects! He said this is my metaphor exercise and the correct answer is YES! Ha! We all started laughing. He and I actually argued longer than I have recorded here. But it really was funny. I wasn't angry, but I wanted to define his metaphor!

Truth matters, but we are not it's embodiment.

Springs

"When all was over, and the last key turned, I sought my pillow, thankful that God had appointed a season of rest for the weary." Harriet Jacobs

a_theist
"Thy will be done."

Date Joined Dec 2002
Total Posts : 286

Posted 1/19/2003 6:04 PM (GMT -6)

Thanks, Mrs. Springer! I don't know if you recognize me, but I am faithfullservant under a new name. I hope everything is going well in your neck of the woods. Thanks for the prayer--although I went there and read his latest post.

I just need to read more and leave fruitless debates alone.

Thanks for the prayer!

Blessings,
Paul

"The Creator's power (by which I mean the capacity to influence the world) is made manifest paradoxically in the vulnerable defenselessness of crucified man."
-John F. Haught

Springs
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 636

Posted 1/19/2003 6:40 PM (GMT -6)

You bet Faithful. Yeah, I knew it was you. I laughed when I read that you had gone back in and read some more on the thread. ha. Not to disregard your pain, but, it's just so human.

I don't know enough about the debate you were involved in to make any comments, except to say...oh that's right no lecturing allowed, ha.

Well, grace is best when we can pull it up under pressure. This is a good place to work on our communication skills. In NLP they say the meaning of your communcation is the response you get. Or as Icon says, the feedback you receive. There's some truth to that. (the rest of it is bunk!)

bless you bro, and Sean G too,
Springs

"When all was over, and the last key turned, I sought my pillow, thankful that God had appointed a season of rest for the weary." Harriet Jacobs

a_theist
"Thy will be done."

Date Joined Dec 2002
Total Posts : 286

Posted 1/19/2003 6:52 PM (GMT -6)

quote:
but, it's just so human.

It sure is

Blessings,
Paul

P.S. I don't think I would've to worry about you lecturing; I just felt that I was going to get dumped on because of my ignorant approach toward seans "arguments" against evolution.

Have a good night!

"The Creator's power (by which I mean the capacity to influence the world) is made manifest paradoxically in the vulnerable defenselessness of crucified man."
-John F. Haught

Starkman
Registered Member

Date Joined Oct 2001
Total Posts : 1747

Posted 1/20/2003 5:35 AM (GMT -6)

There for ya, A_Theist!

Ain't being a human being a pain in the butt sometimes!

Praying for you,

Starkman

GregBoyd
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 1818

Posted 1/20/2003 3:34 PM (GMT -6)

Brother or sister A Theist. I can and will pray that you remain focused on God and his love for you and others, absolutely. But I dont' feel comfortable praying that you stay away from dialoguing with Sean. For all I know, that may in fact be necessary for a time. But, for all I know, it may be God's will that you eventually continue dialoguing with Sean and learn how to retain your focus even when dialoguing with someone who agitates you. Indeed, for all I know -- and perhaps for all you know -- God may actually want to teach you something THROUGH Sean!!!

The seasons of my life in which I learned the most were the one's I most intensely wanted to avoid!

Blessings

Greg

Blessings,
Paul

"The Creator's power (by which I mean the capacity to influence the world) is made manifest paradoxically in the vulnerable defenselessness of crucified man."
-John F. Haught

"In Christ...the ONLY THING that matters is faith energized by love." Galatians 5:6

trosie
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 550

Posted 1/20/2003 4:59 PM (GMT -6)

Paul, I have an idea of something you might want to try the next time you find yourself getting angry inside toward Sean or anyone else for that matter.

Say to yourself "STOP". Remind yourself that you do not want to feel this anger toward this person or what they post...

Then say "The Serenity Prayer" out loud

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.

This might help to realize that we are powerless over what other people do/say but we are NOT powerless over how we react.

Blessings,
trosie

a_theist
"Thy will be done."

Date Joined Dec 2002
Total Posts : 286

Posted 1/20/2003 5:24 PM (GMT -6)

Thank You, Trosie!

Blessings,
Paul

"The Creator's power (by which I mean the capacity to influence the world) is made manifest paradoxically in the vulnerable defenselessness of crucified man."
-John F. Haught

ReasonableDoubt
Registered Member

Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 655

Posted 1/23/2003 9:50 AM (GMT -6)

I, for one, don't want you to stop the interaction, because it is very entertaining. I've actually been laughing out loud. But I do understand the frustration, and I myself am getting very frustrated at some of the posters' replies to my posts, so I am trying to step back and let it slide....and, also realize, like in email , it is really hard to gather one's tone from posts. And that sometimes makes a lot of difference.

"I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of
doubt. I shouldn't wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not
even mine."
Bertrand Russell

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