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Do you find this funny?


Monster

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A Pagan died and, much to her surprise, found herself at the Pearly Gates facing St. Peter. He walked up to her and said, "Hello, and welcome.

She stared at St. Peter in complete confusion. "Wait a minute," she said. "I was supposed to end up in the Summerlands."

He smiled. "Ah, you must be one of our Pagan sisters. Follow me, please."

Peter gestured for her to follow him down a small path which went through the gates and down a bit to the left. They walked for a short while, then he stepped back and gestured her forward. Looking past his hand, she saw the verdant fields and forests of her desired Summerlands. She saw people feasting, dancing, and making merry, exactly as she expected.

While shaking her head in wonder, the Pagan happened to glance over to one side and saw a small group of people a short way away from the edge of the Summerlands. The people in the group were watching the revelers, but not joining them. Instead, they were screaming and weeping piteously. The Pagan looked at St. Peter. "Who are those people? St. Peter replied,

"Them? They're Fundamentalists. They're a bit surprised to see you all there, so they stand there and carry on like that all day."

"Why? Don't they have better things to do?"

Peter leaned conspiratorially toward her. "They don't really have a choice. They're actually in Hell. God doesn't like being told what He thinks."

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BiblicalLiteralismcartoon.jpg

I see the humor in it , but I don't find it very funny. I don't really think the writer is being sincere here, Luke 18:18-22 is not a commandment to all but a request to the wealthy man who wanted to follow Christ.

The moral of the story is one must not love wealth more than God, it isn't saying that everyone has to sell everything they have and let there wife and kids starve to get into heaven.

This is the dangers of taking scripture out of context.

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A Pagan died and, much to her surprise, found herself at the Pearly Gates facing St. Peter. He walked up to her and said, "Hello, and welcome.

She stared at St. Peter in complete confusion. "Wait a minute," she said. "I was supposed to end up in the Summerlands."

He smiled. "Ah, you must be one of our Pagan sisters. Follow me, please."

Peter gestured for her to follow him down a small path which went through the gates and down a bit to the left. They walked for a short while, then he stepped back and gestured her forward. Looking past his hand, she saw the verdant fields and forests of her desired Summerlands. She saw people feasting, dancing, and making merry, exactly as she expected.

While shaking her head in wonder, the Pagan happened to glance over to one side and saw a small group of people a short way away from the edge of the Summerlands. The people in the group were watching the revelers, but not joining them. Instead, they were screaming and weeping piteously. The Pagan looked at St. Peter. "Who are those people? St. Peter replied,

"Them? They're Fundamentalists. They're a bit surprised to see you all there, so they stand there and carry on like that all day."

"Why? Don't they have better things to do?"

Peter leaned conspiratorially toward her. "They don't really have a choice. They're actually in Hell. God doesn't like being told what He thinks."

I must point out the ingenuous nature and the hypocritical irony of this poor joke.

One says that God sends to hell those who try and tell him what he thinks, but this entire joke is telling God what he should think about devout and fundamental followers of the faith.

As Christ said "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

This applies to the so called "fundamentalist" who judges others, as well as those who think so poorly of the "fundamentalist" and are willing to judge them.

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I must point out the ingenuous nature and the hypocritical irony of this poor joke.

One says that God sends to hell those who try and tell him what he thinks, but this entire joke is telling God what he should think about devout and fundamental followers of the faith.

As Christ said "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

This applies to the so called "fundamentalist" who judges others, as well as those who think so poorly of the "fundamentalist" and are willing to judge them.

I posted it just for you.

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This thread is hilarious!

The cartoon? Not so much.

Is that what you wanted to know?

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Hmmm, Well, this is knee jerk reaction, so I hope no one will hold it against me but, if that isn't funny.....what is?

Would G-d think that was funny? What type of sense of humor does a perfect being have? Irony? Monty Python? Don Knotts slapstick? Knock knock jokes?

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Hmmm, Well, this is knee jerk reaction, so I hope no one will hold it against me but, if that isn't funny.....what is?

Would G-d think that was funny? What type of sense of humor does a perfect being have? Irony? Monty Python? Don Knotts slapstick? Knock knock jokes?

I'm not sure God is so much funny most of the time... maybe occasionally... but maybe not. I think that he is serious and yet kind all of the time, that I think, that I do. =)

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I'm not sure God is so much funny most of the time... maybe occasionally... but maybe not. I think that he is serious and yet kind all of the time, that I think, that I do. =)

As I've presented before, to say that G-d is kind, or has a sense of humor, or can feel sorrow or anger, is assigning character traits and a personality to a perfect being. To give a perfect being a personality, is to say that they have learned or inhereted tendences and biases. To assign character traits to an entity limits them as these traits must be put on a scale. To say he's "kind" would say that he could be more kind, or less kind...in relationship to a baseline. Also, to say that a perfect being could laugh, or feel sorrow, or become angry is saying that they are slave to their emotions and not above them

I think Gene Roddenberry in creating Mr. Spock has it right in describing a perfect being. Zero emotion, zero personality, perfect logic.

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As I've presented before, to say that G-d is kind, or has a sense of humor, or can feel sorrow or anger, is assigning character traits and a personality to a perfect being. To give a perfect being a personality, is to say that they have learned or inhereted tendences and biases.

He does have tendencies and biases XD. That's called the Law =).

To assign character traits to an entity limits them as these traits must be put on a scale. To say he's "kind" would say that he could be more kind, or less kind...in relationship to a baseline. Also, to say that a perfect being could laugh, or feel sorrow, or become angry is saying that they are slave to their emotions and not above them

He is kind in my perspective. I'd suggest you get to know him, I think you'd agree with me if you did. :P

How kind he is is something you will have to experience yourself.

I think Gene Roddenberry in creating Mr. Spock has it right in describing a perfect being. Zero emotion, zero personality, perfect logic.

Nah, God has a personality... I think... one that is very special... but it is there, altogether and right, it is a wonderful personality, that it is =).

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A Pagan died and, much to her surprise, found herself at the Pearly Gates facing St. Peter. He walked up to her and said, "Hello, and welcome......

Peter leaned conspiratorially toward her. "They don't really have a choice. They're actually in Hell. God doesn't like being told what He thinks.

If you haven't read CS Lewis' the Great Divorce yet, it's a must for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Divorce

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As I've presented before, to say that G-d is kind, or has a sense of humor, or can feel sorrow or anger, is assigning character traits and a personality to a perfect being.

Yes, and the problem is?

To give a perfect being a personality, is to say that they have learned or inhereted tendences and biases.

Yes, and?

To assign character traits to an entity limits them as these traits must be put on a scale.

No they don't.

To say he's "kind" would say that he could be more kind, or less kind...in relationship to a baseline.

What baseline? Humanity? In that case he's better at everything then us.

Also, to say that a perfect being could laugh, or feel sorrow, or become angry is saying that they are slave to their emotions and not above them

No. It means that they experience emotions. It does not necessitate them being controlled by emotion. Enoch saw God cry. Moses saw Jehovah angry.

I think Gene Roddenberry in creating Mr. Spock has it right in describing a perfect being. Zero emotion, zero personality, perfect logic.

This ignores the obvious flaw never addressed in Roddenberry's Vulcan cultures. Pure logic is inactive. Logic has no drives or desires. It leads you to discover how to accomplish things but that is about it. Therefore it would never do anything. Spock found things 'fascinating' in defiance of his culture. Without emotions, desires, and all the rest God would never have created the heavens and the earth. He'd have no motive to.

This God would be less then us, not more. God transcends human experience and has a personality far more complex then ours. He knows all that we experience and more. Personality and emotions we have never experienced. Gloriously unique amongst the Gods.

I think this comes from an oddity in our culture where we imagine perfection as sterile and as one thing only. That all the gods are the same. The reality is hell is the place where all of it's inhabitants are the same. There is little difference between the Devil and his followers. Some more difference amongst the Telestial and Terrestrial worlds. Amongst the gods much, much more.

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Yes, and the problem is?

Yes, and?

No they don't.

What baseline? Humanity? In that case he's better at everything then us.

No. It means that they experience emotions. It does not necessitate them being controlled by emotion. Enoch saw God cry. Moses saw Jehovah angry.

This ignores the obvious flaw never addressed in Roddenberry's Vulcan cultures. Pure logic is inactive. Logic has no drives or desires. It leads you to discover how to accomplish things but that is about it. Therefore it would never do anything. Spock found things 'fascinating' in defiance of his culture. Without emotions, desires, and all the rest God would never have created the heavens and the earth. He'd have no motive to.

This God would be less then us, not more. God transcends human experience and has a personality far more complex then ours. He knows all that we experience and more. Personality and emotions we have never experienced. Gloriously unique amongst the Gods.

I think this comes from an oddity in our culture where we imagine perfection as sterile and as one thing only. That all the gods are the same. The reality is hell is the place where all of it's inhabitants are the same. There is little difference between the Devil and his followers. Some more difference amongst the Telestial and Terrestrial worlds. Amongst the gods much, much more.

The baseline would be the theoretical peer gods. To say that G-d is kind, or merciful or forgiving.....as opposed to what? Does one mean in comparison to his peer gods, who all have different levels of mercy and kindness?

To say that a perfect being has personality traits and biases seems to me to be contradicting.

What makes humans appear to have unique personalities? The two main things I come up with are intelligence levels and emotions. Since G-ds intelligence level can't be in question, he would make the same choice, given the same set of circumstances, every time. But to say that a perfect being can be ruled by emotion is limiting them. To say that a perfect being would make different choices, (or even different from his peer g-ds) given the same set of circumstances, based on his state of emotion at the time isn't reasonable. IMO. The emotion is wagging the G-d.

Since a theoretical perfect being must have all thought available to them at all times, for God to be surprised, snuck up on by an emotion seems unlikely. If a thought were to occur to god..."I'm sad", at the exact same moment another thought would be available to him saying "I don't want to be sad, that's no fun". I think I choose to be not sad. Same goes for angry or miffed or depressed.

It's the stuff a billion self help books have been written about ever since man first need those things. Other people don't make us angry, or sad or happy. We do. We select the option.

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What makes humans appear to have unique personalities? The two main things I come up with are intelligence levels and emotions. Since G-ds intelligence level can't be in question, he would make the same choice, given the same set of circumstances, every time. But to say that a perfect being can be ruled by emotion is limiting them. To say that a perfect being would make different choices, (or even different from his peer g-ds) given the same set of circumstances, based on his state of emotion at the time isn't reasonable. IMO. The emotion is wagging the G-d.

If God could have perfect intelligence, then why couldn't his emotions be perfect as well---perfectly appropriate to each and every situation that occurs so that along with his perfect intelligence he is using his perfect emotions to make the same choice, etc. etc.

It would seem that you believe there is something inherently inferior about emotions to intelligence rather than just being a different aspect of the internal experience? If so, why?

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There is no ex nihilo within creation (space-time). The only ex nihilo is "God" itself. Existence simply IS. Everything within creation must have that same ultimate Necessary Cause. Emotions therefore originate with the NC. To claim that "God" is emotionless and without personality is putting finite limits on your concept of "God". Anytime you settle for finite concepts to define "God" you can be certain that you are not thinking big enough....

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Yes, and the problem is?

Yes, and? ....

I think this comes from an oddity in our culture where we imagine perfection as sterile and as one thing only. That all the gods are the same. The reality is hell is the place where all of it's inhabitants are the same. There is little difference between the Devil and his followers. Some more difference amongst the Telestial and Terrestrial worlds. Amongst the gods much, much more.

:P

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If God could have perfect intelligence, then why couldn't his emotions be perfect as well---perfectly appropriate to each and every situation that occurs so that along with his perfect intelligence he is using his perfect emotions to make the same choice, etc. etc.

It would seem that you believe there is something inherently inferior about emotions to intelligence rather than just being a different aspect of the internal experience? If so, why?

What exactly would a perfect emotion feel like? I can't seem to get a handle on it.

I doesn't seem reasonable to me to think that the perfect being of the Abrahamic religions can in any way allow a decision to be influenced by an emotion, a temporary state of feeling a certain way. Or to be influenced by any sort of preference due to his personality type.

To think that a perfect being can get mad just doesn't ring true to me. I mean, that seems to be a primary premise of countless self help books. "Don't allow yourself to be ruled by your emotions". When I was a young parent I at times spanked my kids out of anger. Now, when I sense myself becoming mad, road rage, whatever....I try to move out of that place.

I'm going to do a Freud imitation now and say; can you think of very many, if any emotions that aren't somehow connected to personal insecurities, OR, personal sense of self satisfaction? I think that every emotion you can come up with has a base of self gratification or self doubt and insecurity.

I can't see how anger has any use at all. To get angry is to put yourself at the center all existence and declare that you've been wronged, you've been dealt with unfairly....poor me. It seems to me like a form of self doubt.

Yes, I do feel like emotions are inferior and only a part of this mortal experience. I believe they are all connected to ego. No matter how hard I try I can't seem to outpace my ego. As I sit here typing this note I analyse why....Apparently to prove my sense of worth to myself and others.

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There is no ex nihilo within creation (space-time). The only ex nihilo is "God" itself. Existence simply IS. Everything within creation must have that same ultimate Necessary Cause. Emotions therefore originate with the NC. To claim that "God" is emotionless and without personality is putting finite limits on your concept of "God". Anytime you settle for finite concepts to define "God" you can be certain that you are not thinking big enough....

I dissagree. I think that to assign mortal concepts of finite personality traits to an infinite being is limiting that being. How can god have an incomplete "set" of personality traits? This perfect being must have all traits (even ones we aren't aware of)....and show a preferance to none of them. Which from our perspective, it would appear that he had no traits

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Hmmm, Well, this is knee jerk reaction, so I hope no one will hold it against me but, if that isn't funny.....what is?

Would G-d think that was funny? What type of sense of humor does a perfect being have? Irony? Monty Python? Don Knotts slapstick? Knock knock jokes?

One of my first lessons in hermeticism was: If you can't laugh with your gods, you have no business practicing magic. Then, there is also the banishing of malign entities with laughter. Even C.S. Lewis recognizes that as effectiive (see the Screwtape Letters."

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