quote:

Originally posted by Nard Kordell:
Douglas ~
Can you pick out the Bishop in this photo?

He's the one behind the camera.

("Feed my sheep.")

This Bishop Spong does not feed the sheep that Christ spoke of. He feeds the sheep that he, Bishop Spong, speaks of.

Doug Spaulding, your posting elsewhere, noting that Christ likely walked on water via a patch of ice, is now bordering on stupidity. No, it's crossed it.

Bradbury expresses from the same discontent with miracles. Bradbury's alternate ending to the motion picture, King of Kings, spoke of when Christ assumed into heaven, he didn't really, according to Bradbury, he just simply looked like he did by, who knows, mirages or glistenings of water vapor creating the illusion.

The more I read of Bradbury I realize how dangerous a philosphy he procures and dispenses. We are all drawn in by his mystical prose, but some are lost in an abysmal maze with outlets to grandious self proclamations of immortality.

If this ain't what the popular culture is expounding, I don't know what.

quote:

Originally posted by Phil Knox:

If this ain't what the popular culture is expounding, I don't know what.

If Bradbury's philosophy was the worst thing popular culture's expounding these days, we'd be damn lucky.

quote:

Originally posted by Phil Knox:
Doug Spaulding, your posting elsewhere, noting that Christ likely walked on water via a patch of ice, is now bordering on stupidity. No, it's crossed it.

Bradbury expresses from the same discontent with miracles. Bradbury's alternate ending to the motion picture, King of Kings, spoke of when Christ assumed into heaven, he didn't really, according to Bradbury, he just simply looked like he did by, who knows, mirages or glistenings of water vapor creating the illusion.

The more I read of Bradbury I realize how dangerous a philosphy he procures and dispenses. We are all drawn in by his mystical prose, but some are lost in an abysmal maze with outlets to grandious self proclamations of immortality.

If this ain't what the popular culture is expounding, I don't know what.

That clanging sound you just heard was the sound of a mind closing and the final lock of religious rightiousness securing it forever against the light of Truth, Human Compassion and Love of Fellow Man. All who enter here, be afraid, be very afraid.

Bradbury has been the most positive force in my life that continually lifts me up by showing the Good in people and the reason for Mankind to keep asking questions about who we are and why we are here to question. Look to the stars, he says. I say take me with you.

Here you go patrask

A collision and destruction of galaxies.
I'm not saying he does not lift people up and show so much good, it's that his philosophy of life is about self containment and self glorification. That's our culture today.

Hubble1_25422g.jpg (18 Kb, 6 downloads)

quote:

Originally posted by Phil Knox:
Here you go patrask

A collision and destruction of galaxies.
I'm not saying he does not lift people up and show so much good, it's that his philosophy of life is about self containment and self glorification. That's our culture today.

I understand what you mean, and in part I agree with you. Our culture today instructs individuals that they, themselves, must be their own ultimate priority, and that their own happiness is paramount. This has obvious negative results, and is against what Yeshua taught and what I believe.

However, Bradbury's philosophy need not be taken to mean hedonistic self-worship, but can be taken to mean a "name the beasts" type of happy wonder at our universe and everything in it. It goes along with that whole "impartial love" thing.

Bradbury fought against what I believe is the most important issue we have to address in our culture, and that is the growing amount of people wasting their lives in cheap, unimaginative escapist activities. Bradbury's anti-escapist philosophy is one of his philosophies I wholeheartedly get behind.

quote:

Originally posted by Phil Knox:
Doug Spaulding, your posting elsewhere, noting that Christ likely walked on water via a patch of ice, is now bordering on stupidity. No, it's crossed it.

You're probably right - I think it was more likely some sort of natural jetty.

quote:

Bradbury expresses from the same discontent with miracles. Bradbury's alternate ending to the motion picture, King of Kings, spoke of when Christ assumed into heaven, he didn't really, according to Bradbury, he just simply looked like he did by, who knows, mirages or glistenings of water vapor creating the illusion.

Bradbury's interpretation is probably more accurate than yours.

quote:

The more I read of Bradbury I realize how dangerous a philosphy he procures and dispenses.

Then why are you a fan? My apologies if this sounds harsh, but your statement does not seem like something a fan of someone would say about them.

quote:

Then why are you a fan? My apologies if this sounds harsh, but your statement does not seem like something a fan of someone would say about them.

Spongster, you mean one of these?

chinese_fan_HE03_l.jpg (128 Kb, 5 downloads)

quote:

Originally posted by Phil Knox:
Spongster, you mean one of these?

No.

We, each of us, must become more aware of the fact that we are on our own here on this tiny blue ball of water that spins through space-time. Viewed from far out in space-time, it is so obvious that there is only one suitable place for Mankind to be, Earth.
For now.

To protect ourselves against the almost certain possibility of astronomical calamity at some point in the future, as it has happened many times in the distant past, we must take out insurance against elimination of our species by moving off of this paradise and relocating to a less habitable ball somewhere else. That was Carl Sagan's message and it is echoed by Bradbury's "Reach for the Stars". In order to do this we must become more intelligent, more knowledgeable about our universe and how we fit into it. That is akin to becoming more "God Like" in that we can do things that would only have been attributed to the "Gods" in the past.

Religion, all of them, are holding us back because they tell us that the answers are predetermined, are known to the members of each group, and there is no reason to look any further for the solution to happiness ON THIS PLANET. We have just left the cave, as Ray has stated, and now we gaze out into the most frightening night of all, and because we are Mankind, we love that fear of the unknown, and our spirits are uplifted by the challenge of mastering another set of problems. Why, because we have been genetically programmed to be explorers, and have such a hunger for Truth that we will put our very lives at risk to gain more knowledge. There is no risk in Religion, other than the giving up of free choice to trust in the answers that it provides. It has served some purpose on this planet, to control us until we have matured enough to realize that we must make our own answers and move out into the scary night and establish ourselves there as new citizens of the ever expanding universe. Who knows what we will find or who we may meet. Love will guide us as we venture forth from our secure cave into that night. We will learn to trust each other, not fear each other because of our superficial differences, but learn to support each other and marvel at our capabilities to adapt to new information.

I want to be in that number that moves out and tempts the unknown with the spirit of adventure.

To those who cling to a set of rules that give you peace and contentment, we will miss you, as we give ourselves to the chance to learn and to reach out to the Great Mystery of the Universe. Wish us well and do not hinder us in our quest. Take that solace that you find in your religious beliefs and use that to be our friends and not our enemies. That new information that will surely come back to you will likely be troubling in many ways. Just trust in the ultimate goodness of the Truth which as the Bible says, will set you free.

Ray began that quest through his writing and we will continue until we cannot go any further. We will always hold a soft spot in our memories for that cave, while we trust each other and venture forth into the unknown.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: patrask,

patrask, I agree with less than 8% percent of what you say. And you, I am sure, agree with less than that with what I have to say.
And so there are different political beliefs, agendas, different societies. And the list is endless.

Somewhere along the way, you try to find a common denominator. The common denominator is the common value and dignity of a person, any person, tho I heartily disagree with what they say. I can still accept you as a person and treat you accordingly.

"The more I read of Bradbury I realize how dangerous a philosphy he procures and dispenses." Phil Knox


So why do you loiter here?!

quote:

Originally posted by Phil Knox:
patrask, I agree with less than 8% percent of what you say.

You actually counted all his words?

quote:

Originally posted by The Lake:
So why do you loiter here?!

I think it's because he's a fan of his style of writing, although, when I asked him that, he showed me a photo of an Asian breeze-maker.

Loiter is a good word.