Back in the late 70s I heard that the schedule was pretty much all work or services, I dismissed it as a rumor though, like everything else I heard, it had to be just a rumor started by some malcontent.

The thing about that schedule, it might not look all that bad, as there is only about 8 hours of work a day on there, but just consider how, when you follow a schedule like that, even at meal time, you are right there with peer pressure whereby everything you say is subject to somebody's scrutiny, there is not one minute for yourself all day long, not a second in there where you are by yourself unless you get somewhere to a bath room. The church services certainly didn't offer any peace.

I meant, only about 10 hours work, except on Mondays. sorry

Continuing on through the Thanksgiving weekend . . .

We had the occasion, as many of us do, to spend time with the relatives during the holidays. I had the great fortune to become involved in a conversation with one of my nephews and his girlfriend, who had just returned from an impromptu camping trip to the Angeles National Forest. This segwayed into a conversation regarding all things camping and backpacking. Black Friday found me, not at the mall, but digging through piles of pictures chronicling camping and backpacking trips taken over a 15 year period all over the great southwest.

One of the many advantages of being involved in a ‘kingdom facility’ was strength in numbers, manifesting in opportunities one might not have had as either a lone individual or single family. For us, during the years when many had young families, it meant lots of camping, both as church functions, as well as offshoots of school trips. Although camping always involved a lot of work, it was at least not your typical ‘facility work day’.

These days, a vacation rental is to be much preferred over a sleeping bag on the ground, but we are THANKFUL for the wonderful memories our camping exploits afforded us while being affiliated with TLW, all misguided doctrine and practices aside.

A term for which I was blissfully unaware (Xtianity) along with its apparent ‘definition’ from Illogicopedia (for entertainment purposes only):

Xtianity is also known as American Evangelical Christianity. Most of America's current political leaders are Xtians. They currently control the executive, legislative and judicial branches of federal political institutions in the US.

The major tenets of Xtianity are set forth in 10 commandments:

1. God created the universe and mankind, and there is a holy book documenting these events called the Bibble that is literally, word-for-word true. Facts, science, and logic are irrelevant; and plain old wrong to the extent that they conflict with the Bibble, except for all those parts that in the past were used to justify slavery, polygamy and other stuff deemed bad by today's standards.
2. Jeebus is the son of God. He is also known as Jay-sus. He is apparently a bit of spendthrift, because he always needs Xtians to send him their money. (This despite the common saying "Jeebus Saves." Obviously, he doesn't and needs to start thinking about his long term financial goals.)
3. God loves guns more than people. The right to own them is sacred.
4. All taxes are evil, except to the extent that they directly benefit Xtians.
5. Sex is bad and sinful, except when white men and women do it in the dark and don't enjoy it. However, it is generally deemed OK for Xtian clergy to buttf*ck their parishioners. There is also a subset of Xtianity that is remarkably tolerant of boy f*cking. The high priests that do this are moved from parish to parish to spread the cheeks of God's' love among as many of those delectable 10 year olds as possible.
6. Only Xtians have Jeebus' cell phone number, and he calls them on it all the time while he is cruising around in his sweeeeet chariot.
7. The Xtian church is the voting booth. Their sacrament is the campaign contribution. Their promised land is the rapture [not the Blondie song].
8. When Jeebus calls Xtians on his cell phone, he tells them what political candidates and policies he wants the United States to have.
9. Xtians then legislate their religious beliefs as the law of the land.
10. If non-Xtians complain about being forced to believe things they don't want to, Xtians bitterly and vociferously whine about being persecuted, despite the fact that they own this joint.

(No reason to stop learning while on holiday.)

(I was unable to access the forum on Sunday, hence, this late Thanksgiving post.)


This last day of Thanksgiving
and all through the house,
not a creature was stirring
except me with my mouse.


I apologize in advance to any who may take offense at what follows.

The development for which I am most THANKFUL is not just being delivered from TLW, but from the clutches of Christianity altogether. As in the days of Jesus, who repeatedly pointed out that Judaism did not accurately reflect the heart of GOD, neither does Christianity reflect what Jesus taught. The same issues he had back then, he would have today.

As reflected in my previous post, and apologize for its offending nature, it does illustrate some of the extremes done in the name of GOD, much of which is just American’s own particular distortion of a distortion. On a worldwide scale over the last 2000 years, Christianity has much to be embarrassed about, including the almost complete genocide and subjugation of indigenous populations on multiple continents. This is a track record I am THANKFUL to be no longer associated with.

I realize this particular forum deals with the damaging effects of TLW, but the apple does not fall far from the tree. All of the offenses committed within the fellowship reflect the same within Christianity as a whole at any given time or place. When doctrine is allowed to trump LOVE, there is trouble in River City.

It has always been the tendency of man to make a religion of someone else’s experience. As has been stated many times, Buddha was not a Buddhist, Jesus was not a Christian, etc. The unfortunate consequence has always resulted in a ‘thus vs. them’ mentality, the very thing Jesus preached against. When one can LOVE and FORGIVE those responsible for one’s own death, how can we interpret a teaching in any other way than as a guide on how to conduct one’s own life.

I will be forever THANKFUL for being led out of Christianity and back to the GOSPEL of LOVE. And thus, we end, our THANKSGIVING weekend.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2015 09:29PM by kBOY.

kBOY wrote in part: "On a worldwide scale over the last 2000 years, Christianity has much to be embarrassed about, including the almost complete genocide and subjugation of indigenous populations on multiple continents. This is a track record I am THANKFUL to be no longer associated with.

I realize this particular forum deals with the damaging effects of TLW, but the apple does not fall far from the tree. All of the offenses committed within the fellowship reflect the same within Christianity as a whole at any given time or place. When doctrine is allowed to trump LOVE, there is trouble in River City."
-------------------

So true.

I like the following:

Wikipedia --- "The Great Spirit, called Wakan Tanka among the Sioux and Gitche Manitou in Algonquian, is a conception of universal spiritual force, or supreme being prevalent among some Native American and First Nation cultures. According to Lakota activist Russell Means a better translation of Wakan Tanka is the Great Mystery."

Duke University --- "The Great Spirit (Wakan Tanka, Gitchi Manitou of Native American cultures) is a beautiful example of a non-theistic belief in an active, personal, non-anthropomorphic Deity that is intertwined with the fabric of the Universe itself on the large scale and yet is personally engaged with the web of living things and the world on an earthly scale."



(Personally engaged in a love relationship, not subjugation.)

It's been so long since I read the Bible, I'm no longer even certain if it was Jesus who said: 'Sit down, shut up and listen. When you are done listening, get back to work."
I've really lapsed.

OK then. It's time for my wheatgrass enema.

FCSLC:
LOVE requires no theology.


CHANGEDAGAIN:
The chapter and verse for that quote is found only in the TLW edition.


PALEFACE:
Big fan of those enemas, except they would always stain the entry & exit point.

I am amazed at the government letting all these churches run businesses, such as the sawmill at Shiloh and all the rest of the "kingdom" businesses. All that tax exempt of course, and using slave, I mean volunteer labor. That's all over the place. I know of another church, not affiliated with the Walk, where the pastor had two fish restaurants, completely manned by volunteers from his church. It's pretty common.

To me, that is something that should not be tax exempt, when a church is offering goods and services for profit. I don't even think religious organizations should be selling their books and tapes to the public with the profits tax free.