START A RANT
SIGN UP / SIGN IN
GET PAID TO POST
FOLLOW ON TWITTER
START A RAVE
MY PROFILE
CONTACT US
ABOUT US
Culture & Lifestyle

Rave

Consider What You MAY Be Missing

Posted 26 months ago|48 comments|947 views
Written by
(Boy Howdie. I've been wrestling with this rave. I have been unable to make up my mind about it so, understanding if it's received poorly, it will fade away to rantrave.com Hades, and it wouldn't be my first to do so.)

Consider what you're missing.

Mark, Al, HeyNoni and several of you rantrave.com com padres seem to doubt that Jesus Christ was the son of G-d and that he was sent here to help us, every last one of us, ultimately receive everlasting life.

You speak of us looking foolish and suggest we are blindly chasing a pipe dream and wasting our lives as a result.

For what it is worth, here's what we consider you are missing.

First, there are some things in this life you are missing out on.

For instance, Christians believe there are only certain ways to really become happy in this life. And while here, these beliefs provide a mechanism for happiness in your life here. Actually, these beliefs provide the only mechanism for happiness in your life here.

These beliefs provide an understanding of what this life is all about and an understanding that will grow and become more and more enlightened as you learn more and more.

Secondly, there will be some things after this life you will miss out on.

For instance, everlasting life wherein you are completely surrounded by love is waiting, and that love is unconditional. Looking into your long, lost mom's eyes again. Or sitting in your dad's lap again, or hugging your grandparents or your favorite uncle. Or telling your husband, wife, daughter or cousin you love them. Or seeing your best friend who drowned in the river when the boat turned over.

There is a place where the pain and suffering of this world is lost forever, and actually may become a crown for you.

This place has the prettiest music you've ever heard.

This place is absent of hatred, anger, jealousy, envy, etc. and other "uncomfortable" emotions.

It's a place where you have all the good feelings, like riding home late one evening in the back seat where you know everything is all right.

And lastly, the person in charge of this place is someone who loves you more than anyone else could ever love you. And that someone cuts you some slack despite your many, many faults and loves you unconditionally anyway.

We Christians believe it's at your fingertips.
EMAIL|FLAG THIS POST
COMMENTS
Content Removed by RantRave
26 months ago: Wait, are you serious? Because I defend gay marriage, I'm gay now? Happily -- and heterosexually -- married, thank you very much.
26 months ago: Red, this is definitely the most well thought out post I've seen from you, bar none. And, might I add, congratulations on learning to use spell-check. ;)

In all seriousness, let me see if I can give you a response that's up to the caliber of this post.

I can't imagine what it's like, believing as you do, because I wasn't raised Christian. My grandparents and beyond are and were Jewish, but in my house we were non-religious. The most common answer to the question "what happens when we die" back at Chez Noni was "Nobody knows."

That doesn't mean we didn't talk about the beliefs of the most common religion around, Christianity. But because we were looking at it from the outside instead of the inside, we could look at it critically. My parents never taught me to believe the Bible was the infallible word of God, so when I read it out of curiosity (cover to cover, thank you), I didn't have anyone around to tell me which parts to take literally, which parts are meant figuratively, and which parts to ignore. So my take on the Bible is that it's a hodgepodge of tribal history, laws, and unrelated stories.

There are many things in the New Testament that are abhorrent to our modern sensibilities, and they horrified me as I read them. For instance, Paul instructed escaped slaves to return to their masters: "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him." (Ephesians 6:5-9) Not being Christian, I don't have any non-Biblical context for that; in other words, it just looks to me like Paul is pro-slavery.

Having read it with this perspective, I regard it as a fascinating work, but could no more believe it to be divinely inspired than I could the manual that shipped with my computer.

I know you won't believe this, since you profess to believe that the only way to happiness is through your religious beliefs, but I'm happy being non-religious. I've never felt any particular draw to any belief system, and in fact find it offensive when someone tries to push their own beliefs on me. I certainly don't want any of the primitive laws of any religion involved in the operation of the apparatus of government, and am content with the notion that I don't know what will happen to me when I die, aside from my body becoming part of the Earth again.

This universe is unthinkably huge. To me, the idea that the primitive beliefs and laws of tribe of nomads applies to the entire universe and every being in it is silly. If something does happen after we die, I doubt the myths and legends of Earth have anything to do with it. If there is a God, he's a lot bigger than that.
26 months ago: I may be wrong, but I believe the Bible is falible. Parts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts) are more reliable than other books.

Some Baptists will think that is blasphemy. (and it may be. I don't know for sure.)

Nobody really does know, including Christians.

Again, I may be wrong, but I believe you will never truly be happy otherwise.

Who knows? Either we all will never know, or we Christians will know for sure.
26 months ago: That's actually a very liberal religious view, red. A fallible Bible? Acceptance that parts of it may be wrong or in conflict with other parts? Discarding the books and chapters that seem to have been improperly included? I'm honestly beginning to wonder if you're at all as conservative as you think you are. I would never have expected you to say, "Nobody really does know, including Christians." But I commend you for the intellectual honesty that required.

As for the rest, it's funny how we can both look at happiness from such different perspectives. I look at religion largely as a waste of precious time and joy on Earth, in favor of a fantasy of joy after death. I regard increasing the amount of joy in the world *here* and *now* to be the most noble of human endeavors. And while I know I could never convince you of it, I'm a very happy person.
26 months ago: Yeah RED, didn't you know that! Just hold your Bible to the same standards as the CRU and the IPCC reports. God know those are infallible.
26 months ago: Yeah well... so were a lot of others... that was/are married.
26 months ago: I assume you're talking about Republican politicians, right? You don't get many closeted Democrats who end up leaving straight marriages after coming to terms with their sexuality.
Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
26 months ago: Now that's just a crazy generalization. Obviously an easy one to slip in, as I doubt there have been any comprehensive studies done.
26 months ago: I don't think so, OOTB. Please point me to *any* married Democratic politicians in the last 20 years who got caught in gay sex scandals.
Gregoire
Gregoire
Content Removed by Gregoire
Gregoire
Gregoire
26 months ago: Noni, you are joking, right?
I don't want to go into sordidly naming names...but there are...and quite high profile, quite well covered in the press.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
26 months ago: How about Rep. Eric Massa?
26 months ago: Not joking at all. I can name you all sorts of Republicans caught in gay sex scandals, but they're only *scandals* because the modern Republican party has a lousy record on gay rights. Democrats being gay isn't a scandal.
Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
26 months ago: Sooooo, a married Democrat, who is cheating on his wife with his gay lover is not a scandal, simply by virtue that he is a Democrat, and not a Republican. Irregardless of (you here them nales on the chalkboard?) the individual persons stance on gay rights. (incomplete sentence).
26 months ago: "Sooooo, a married Democrat, who is cheating on his wife with his gay lover is not a scandal, simply by virtue that he is a Democrat, and not a Republican."

Oh no, that would be a scandal. Just not a *gay* scandal. No one would care that he was gay. What people would care about is the cheating and lying. It's only a *gay* scandal if the homosexuality is hypocritical (i.e., railing against how evil homosexuality is, while taking men home from gay bars).

@Mark: I'd forgotten about that guy, but what's scandalous about him isn't the homosexuality, it's the sexual harassment, and the lying and cheating.

Irregardless of (you here them nales on the chalkboard?) the individual persons stance on gay rights. (incomplete sentence).
26 months ago: Huh. Not sure how I ended up splitting your comment like that.
Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
26 months ago: Well, if your going to keep adding adjectives and descriptors to back up your original statement, you might as well go all the way and say "republican anti-gay rights scandal". You are completely correct. Not many Democrats would fall into that category.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
26 months ago: I think the key is whether or not the particular politico is harping on the social-religious conservative platform and family values, and lo and behold, they flame out as hypocrites. Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't recall any fallen Dem politcos who had Bibles jammed up their grill while pandering to the religion right and sanctimoniously spouting off about family values and being anti-gay. That to me is the definition of a Republican or more precisely, a Rebiblican.

Of course if a Democrat like Massa is caught, it's still a scandal but he didn't preach one thing and do another. His crime is harrassing or assaulting his staff members. If he hadn't done that and simply come out and say, "hey I'm gay, yada, yada", it might adversely affect his marriage but he wouldn't have to face the withering barrage of deserved criticism that somebody like Ashburn did.
Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
26 months ago: That's where you and I are different. To me, a lie is a lie, and whether you are lying to one person and hurting only one person, or if you are lying to the entire country, it's the same lie.

Undoubtedly many of those Democrats who got caught in gay scan...err, compromising situations, took their vows before God and man, and swore to be faithful to their wives.
26 months ago: So far, I'm counting 1 Democrat, not "many," and the scandal isn't that he's gay, it's that he's an adulterer and assaulted his staff.

Let me put it this way, OOTB: Being gay is not considered scandalous in the Democratic party. There are quite a few openly gay Democrats in government right now. Being gay is only scandalous if your party and political base consider it abhorrent. That only describes one major political party right now.
Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
26 months ago: Ok, you've managed to take a very broad statement that you made in response to TCG's:
" Yeah well... so were a lot of others... that was/are married."
NONI
"I assume you're talking about Republican politicians, right? You don't get many closeted Democrats who end up leaving straight marriages after coming to terms with their sexuality."

...and make it about public figures and politicians. I thought TCG was ribbing on you, not the Democratic Congress. I honestly don't think you are qualified to make a statement such as "You don't get many closeted Democrats who end up leaving straight marriages after coming to terms with their sexuality."
Nice hoop jumping, though.
Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
26 months ago: And again, I consider being gay scandalous if the gay person is married, living a heterosexual lifestyle in public, and cheating with his gay whatever on the sly. But that's just me talking, you know. I think it's just as scandalous for a man to be cheating with another woman. It's all the same lie, no matter how you try to justify it.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
26 months ago: ...took their vows before God and man, and swore to be faithful to their wives...

How do you know they took their vows "before God" and swore to be faithful - maybe they have an open marriage. As Reagan said, "here we go again" - you're imposing your religious standard on everybody else.

Unlike you, I'm not playing imaginary 'god' and I don't care about who the politico is legally having sex with and/or managing their private life UNLESS they are playing a religious demagogue and trying to manage everybody's private life by using the blunt instrument of government. In that case, they are fair game to be analyzed, criticized, bent over, and examined with a double sized colonoscopy scope.
Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
26 months ago: My exact statement was "Undoubtedly many of those Democrats who got caught in gay scan...err, compromising situations, took their vows before God and man, and swore to be faithful to their wives."

I didn't say all, and if they have an open marriage, then they aren't cheating on their wife. Unlike you, I do care if the politician is a liar, and if he can lie to his own wife, and breaking a trust and a vow with her that concerns their whole life, what the heck would he care about lying to me?
Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
26 months ago: Adults identifying with a specific faith group are almost evenly split among Republicans, Democrats and Independents. But those who do not identify with a religion are 43% Independent, 39% Democrat, and 17% Republican.

59% of Assemblies of God followers prefer the Republican party; only 13% of religious Jews and 9% of Buddhists agree. 56% of Jews prefer the Democratic party; only 14% of Mormons and 12% of those who identify themselves simply a Evangelical or Born-again agree.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_pr...
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
26 months ago: So you want the government to have an inquisition as to whether or not the politico took a vow "before God" or promised fidelity? Like a politician doesn't lie or engage in deception as a matter of professional competency? What world do you live on where politicos are pristine icons of perfection and unerring honesty? In fact, show me anybody that is.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
26 months ago: What are we suppose to gather from these stats? Assembles of God are just one sect; what about Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterian, etc?
Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
26 months ago: Huh? You lost me there. What does a government inquisition have to do with anything we have discussed here?

"Like a politician doesn't lie or engage in deception as a matter of professional competency?"

That's a sad, sad testimony. I wish I could come up with something deep and meaningful to reply with, but suddenly I'm very tired, and I have nothing to say.
Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
26 months ago: The main point is that there are just as many Christian Democrats as there are Christian Republicans and Christian Independents. I would say that the amounts of people who had religious weddings, and religious voes would pretty closely mirror those percentages.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
26 months ago: Of course but that doesn't mean they have anything in common with the religious right other than perhaps how to spell Jesus.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
26 months ago: ...That's a sad, sad testimony...

You're right - my cynicism has got the better of me and I'm going to offset it right now by watching this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od4DPR3ly...
26 months ago: What'd I miss?
26 months ago: Read your mail when it comes in. A less than hetero call out.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
26 months ago: RSG, this heavenly Shangri-La sounds so wonderful but I'm worried about the company - will i have to share a palace with the guy in the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40xeRKdI4...
26 months ago: I can only listen so long.

But, I am rather confident I will not end up in the same place that guy ends up. Rather certain I am.
26 months ago: Hey Red? I have a question with all of this PC. Isn't is funny that when someone says to another person your gay it is deleted. All the while those people can call others idiots, bigots, racists and worse... and get away with it.

Did I miss something in the translation of "offending"?
26 months ago: It ain't exactly a 2 way street, is it?
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
26 months ago: If I'm going to subscribe to a comforting afterlife fantasies, I prefer Omega Point as developed by professor of physics and mathematics Frank J. Tipler

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_Point...%29

"The implication of this theory for present-day humans is that this ultimate cosmic computer will be able to run computer emulations which are perfectly accurate down to the quantum level of all intelligent life which has ever lived, by recreating simulations of all possible quantum brain states within the emulation. This would manifest as a simulated reality. From the perspective of the recreated inhabitant, the states near the Omega Point would represent their resurrection in an infinite-duration afterlife, which could take any imaginable form due to its virtual nature."
26 months ago: Mark.

I think you're making my point.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
26 months ago: RSG, I'll be serious for a second.

Do you really expect us to take this post seriously? You can't slop around in the muck and mire of temporal earthly politics, and than turn around and offer up your political opponents this spiritually pristine vision of eternity. If you seriously believe in the latter and expect people to take you seriously, why do you froth and foam, and muddy yourself up in temporal political matters as though that's what really matters to you?

As such, it seems to me that you're just trying to convert us to being conservative religious right fundamentalists. Is that not the case?
26 months ago: First, I honestly belief every huff and puff I make. Every. Honestly.

Second, my existence is in the muck and mire of temporal earthly politics. I see socialists who absolutely love themselves stealing my and my children's freedoms and way of life away. I'm unhappy that they are ruining the country in which I live and prosper.

Lastly, Jesus said render unto Caesar what is Caesars. Pay taxes, fight in the armed forces and kill somebody before they kill your family, vote, try to make a better life for your children, pass our freedoms on to the next generation, post on rantrave.com, etc.

I'm doing that. At the same time, I'm trying to be that shining village on the hill that cannot be hidden from everyone to see.

Your opinion is of no consequence. You're not going anywhere. It's the spineless moderates I am hoping to sway.
26 months ago: Ahh, nothing sways a "spineless moderate" like being insulted.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
26 months ago: ...It's the spineless moderates I am hoping to sway.

I imagine the only people you can sway are those with no spines.

RSG: Hello Spineless Moderate, don't you realize Obama is a Socialist?

Spineless Moderate: Well, umm, maybe, I don't really know, and I'm not sure if I like how you're calling me spineless.

RSG: Of course he is, and you have all the spine of a bowl of Jello - don't you know Castro supported the Health Care Bill and he's a die-hard communist?! If that's not evidence, I don't know what it is. So are you convinced?

Spineless Moderate: Well yes, well maybe. You do make a point and it's hard to argue. I guess. I don't know though - well, I think you might be right but you might be wrong too - it's hard to know for sure. Umm, hmm, gee, okay, if you say so, at least for now.

RSG: WIN!
26 months ago: Nothing like a cold, slap in the face to knock some sense into some people. It takes that with some of them.
Altruist
Altruist
Eugene, OR
26 months ago: A good post Red. Normally I would mount a defense of my agnosticism, but during this week that Christians hold dear, suffice it to say that I do not begrudge you whatever brings you solace. Happy Easter!

I know that you are concerned for my happiness and for my immortal soul, but you should know that the happiness comes from being a good person and doing good works, and that I sleep well at night knowing that if there is a good and just god, and if there is an afterlife, than I will deserve my place there.
26 months ago: I cannot argue with you this time Al.
26 months ago: Al, wouldn't it be great if RSG and all those on his side of the question could say the same thing (change a few words of course) and mean it? (your 1st para)

Like you said in the second para, I'm with you on that 100%!

RSG, key word in your rave, "belief". Without belief (faith) you have nothing but a book of stories that offer some good lessons on how to do what Al said in his second para posted 6 hours ago. Many of those lessons are and have been good for all ages and all peoples for all of time, who or what or why they are included in a book does not matter, they will always be lessons we should all try to emulate no matter what our personal beliefs might be.

Enjoy your holiday/religious observance and always remember this and other things people have said:

The best that we can do is to be kindly and helpful toward our friends and fellow passengers who are clinging to the same speck of dirt while we are drifting side by side to our common doom. -- Clarence Darrow

HNN, I could pretty much repeat your first full post above and feel good about it, well said.
26 months ago: 6

I mean it.
26 months ago: RSG, you do not begrudge me what makes me happy? Really? You will cease to attempt to pass laws to take away my freedom to be free of your religion? To be free of your beliefs? To be free of restrictions placed upon me because those who believe as your do think they are "sinful" and passed laws to make them unlawful? You will work to remove laws already on the books that were passed by religious fanatics who massed together to deny those who do not follow those beliefs? You Really mean it?

I won't hold you to it, but it would be nice.

Post a Comment
Sign in or sign up to post a comment.
All Categories | Arts & Entertainment  |  Culture & Lifestyle  |  Economy  |  Food  |  Health  |  News & Politics  |  Offbeat  |  People  |  Products  |  Science & Technology  |  Sports  |  Travel

Frequently Asked Questions  |  Community Guidelines  |  Editorial Reviews  |  Get Paid to Post  |  Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use  |  Contact Us  |  Sitemap  |  Report Spam/Abuse

©2012 RantRave