Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Comments & Feedback

Recycled Hope: After reading the quality of your comments, and noticing your intersts and concerns, I must say that you have got to be one of the most angelic beings to ever grace the earth.

Thanks for inviting me as a friend, (I'm trying to figure out if I accepted correctly?); but even moreso, thanks for adding your much needed insight and voice against the rampaging insanity that's still so much a part of this good 'ole USA.

— Mrperryrice

Thank God for freedom of the press.

—

"there shall be no peace until..."
wonderfully strong phrase for the purposefulness of peace

—

Recycled Hope

"Israel is an apartheid theocracy hell bent on "racial purity" and seizing all the land between the Nile River and The Euphrates"
I am Jewish and wish I could disagree with you, but unfortunately until Israel becomes a secular state and NOT run by the 20% Orthodox fundamentalists, there will never be peace or rationality or responsibility by the Israeli government.
Ironically, because of that Fundamentalism, Orthodox Jews are not Real Jews. Real Jews since the time of Abraham are required to ask "Why?" which seems to be an anathema to any Orthodoxy.

— Jym Allyn

"There shall be no peace on earth until there is no religion to kill for in God's name."

Yes!

— Donna Carbone

I've just read all the comments posted since yesterday & want to commend you for initiating the current insightful dialogue . I probably fit into the category of Deist myself , though I've often wondered if I'm among a small minority of folks who share my concept of our Creator & how things work ...I'll fill you in at a later date perhaps on my personal journey , but for now please allow me to offer a wonderful book for your consideration ... I bought it at a flea market ten years ago for $ 4 dollars & I wouldn't take a hundred for it now ... The title is WISDOM from WORLD RELIGIONS ( pathways toward Heaven ON EARTH , by Sir John Templeton . I love this book & all it contains , principally because it offers the opinions ,writings , messages , and insights from all the great intellectuals & religions of our world , especially those we call AVATARS , including Buddha , Christ , Ramakrishna ,Tagore , Jalalu'ddin Rumi , and many others ... I keep it by my bedside & often refer to it for guidance & encouragement when my spirit is in need of support . I have always seemed to struggle with the rather limited concepts & views of a Divine Creator as espoused by our traditional North American Christian-based religious sector ( I was born & raised a Roman Catholic )..somewhere along the way , at an early age , I came to believe that everything in existence must have originated & been a part of whatever the Founding Consciousness WAS/IS ...how could it be otherwise ? To this idea I've attached my belief that a Perfect Creator/God in bringing Mankind into Being , with all our seeming complexities , has to have had a specific PURPOSE for this action ... my mind visualizes each living entity as a tiny aspect of our Creator's desire to understand IT'S OWN PERFECTION .
I believe this Godliness built into each of us human-beings is why we strive so hard to understand the universe that surrounds us & of which we are a part .
At any rate - that's enough for now ...I'm sure you get the picture ; it is good to just know that I am not completely alone in my questioning & refining efforts to allow my spiritual SELF to surface on a more regular basis !
Thanks for stimulating me this morning ... Winston

— northwind-2853705

I read your article with interest today & must say it rang true for the most part based on my own experience of working for many years with Young Offenders in the Canadian Justice System . Social histories are vital to understanding the nature of individuals such as young mister Loughner ... thanks for helping us all to better understand how he might have arrived at the place he did on Saturday .
As a Canadian who has many friends in the U.S. & someone who has always admired the U.S. Constitution & it's form of Government , I must admit that the political rhetoric over the last decade has disturbed me greatly ! Perhaps it's my age ( now 69 ) and my penchant for civility in exchanges of ideas or ideologies . Whatever the truth , it is apparent that the concept of " civilization " and all that it represents is being eroded at a rapid rate ... in this country I see daily examples of shoddy journalism passing as news ; sensationalized newscasts that care little for contextual explanations or depth of conversation ; radical & inflammatory positions allowed to dominate the airwaves or in cyber-space as Bill Clinton noted after the Oklahoma City bombing ..." we send out our comments & statements into the vast echo-chamber of radio & T.V. ( internet) to the serious & delerious alike , and to both the connected & the un-hinged ..." my experience has taught me that it is better to hold people accountable for their verbalizations & language BEFORE having to hold them responsible for their ACTIONS at a later time .
My thoughts & prayers go out to all my American friends & to the American people who are struggling with the current tragedy ; it is my fervent hope that all political & other influential leaders will recognize the warning signs that are emanating from Tucson's sad situation . All the best from Canada ... Winston

— northwind-2853705

Excellent commentary on Deism.
As I have traveled through this world and life, I find myself trending back to a form of Deism that I grew up in. Leaving a group that was strictly Old Testament, and searching everything from the Occult to Born Again Non Denominational (really not a lot of difference there), and most things in between, I find myself much more interested in the laws of the Old Testament and agree that the powers who desired serfs and/or slaves corrupted the belief of Deism.
I started some thoughts on this on my Blogger. I do intend on writing more about my reflections on religion there.
Again thanks for this commentary and all of the astute comments you have made.

— CrankyOldGoat

I have been meaning to let you know, for a long time now, how highly I regard your comments. They are well planned, researched, and expressed. Thank you for lifting the bar a little higher on the vine.

— Al-316

I enjoyed reading your comments which were well articulated, well done!

— A. Smith-1451820

"(55 yrs this week)"

Happy Birthday, this week. May the next 55 go slower and be as inspiring or educational as the first. Cheers! -%--(@

— Cather

Very impressive writing. I want to know more. I'm a newbie to this, so if I ask stupid questions, please be kind. I'll be checking back!

— Dan McMillen

well done on deism. as a trained lutheran minister, i see myself more and more in deistic light. indeed, i love many of Buddhisms tenants. they make more sense than the god/man theories.

— citizen of the world

And after he stripped it of the supernatural what was left is the core values of chrisitan philosophy which I adhere to fervently. Thanks Recycled Hope, top of the morning to you.

— Steve C-526943

Excellent comments. Thanks for the invite.....I gladly accept!

— G-MAN65

Thank you for your deeply intelligent and educating posts. I look forward to reading and having more insights gleaned, Hope!

Peace!

— notsojingo

you guys make me wish i had pursued my interest in writing some 30 years ago. obviously you are way our of my league. just an angry, grieving dad here who feels like the country and religion he once loved has betrayed him, but i seldon turn down the opportunity to make new friends

— madMarinedad

Thanks for the FR, Hope. Your posts are well-thought and clear, and I'm happy to be on your list.

— James Essayist

You're a great writer and thinker Hope.
I think you will enjoy the power shift as much as I.
Blogs are OUR turf. Stick with the popular ones.
The most dangerous thing about them I am sure that you have found is that they are addictive. Bloggers bum is just one symptom.
I work from home, so I can rant all night!
I have put up a good cartoon link for all on the thread.
I post sporadically. Better we stay anonymous at the moment, many people will be a bit upset about being debased.

— Radguy

We have NEVER been a christian nation ... our founding fathers were diests with the exception of one, Reverend John Winthrop, who believed in "American Exceptionalism" based upon christianity. We have always had Freedom of Religion because our founding forefathers knew of the tryanny of religion, especially christianity, upon the masses.

The currency did not have "In God We Trust" on it until the early 1900s when bible thumping southerners finally got it on our currency. Neither did the Pledge of Allegience have "Under God" until it was shoved in by bible thumpers. In fact, southern bible thumpering founders begrudgedly agreed to "all mean are created equal" since they were outvoted. They wanted to create serfdoms since they no longer existed in Europe. Having slaves wasnt enough for them, they wanted serfdoms.

This great nation has ALWAYS guaranteed Freedom of Religion through our First Amendment, a holy grail based upon why the colonies were originally founded - to escape religious persecution both in England and in Europe.

Since before we even had a constitution, southern bible thumpers have fought Freedom of Religion. They didnt win, they havent won and they will NEVER win in removing Freedom of Religion as 1 of America's founding principals.

Just remember, freedom of christian religions ISNT freedom of religion and any one who doesnt like our country as it stands NOW can get the hell out. Just remember one thing, dont let that exit door hit you on the way out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

Deism (pronounced /ˈdiːɪzəm/, us dict: dē′·ĭzm)[1][2] is a religious and philosophical belief that a supreme being created the universe, and that this (and religious truth in general) can be determined using reason and observation of the natural world alone, without the need for either faith or organized religion. Many Deists reject the notion that God intervenes in human affairs, for example through miracles and revelations.

Deism became prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries during the Age of Enlightenment, especially in what is now the United Kingdom, France, United States and Ireland, mostly among those raised as Christians who found they could not believe in either a triune God, the divinity of Jesus, miracles, or the inerrancy of scriptures, but who did believe in one god.

Individual deists varied in the set of critical and constructive elements for which they argued. Some deists rejected miracles and prophecies but still considered themselves Christians because they believed in what they felt to be the pure, original form of Christianity – that is, Christianity as it existed before it was corrupted by additions of such superstitions as miracles, prophecies, and the doctrine of the Trinity. Some deists rejected the claim of Jesus' divinity but continued to hold him in high regard as a moral teacher (see, e.g., Thomas Jefferson's famous Jefferson Bible and Matthew Tindal's 'Christianity as Old as the Creation'). Other, more radical deists rejected Christianity altogether and expressed hostility toward Christianity, which they regarded as pure superstition. In return, Christian writers often charged radical deists with atheism.

Defining the essence of English Deism is a formidable task. Like priestcraft, atheism, and freethinking, Deism was one of the dirty words of the age. Deists were stigmatized – often as atheists – by their Christian opponents. Yet some Deists claimed to be Christian, and as Leslie Stephen argued in retrospect, the Deists shared so many fundamental rational suppositions with their orthodox opponents... that it is practically impossible to distinguish between them. But the term Deism is nevertheless a meaningful one.... Too many men of letters of the time agree about the essential nature of English Deism for modern scholars to ignore the simple fact that what sets the Deists apart from even their most latitudinarian Christian contemporaries is their desire to lay aside scriptural revelation as rationally incomprehensible, and thus useless, or even detrimental, to human society and to religion. While there may possibly be exceptions, ... most Deists, especially as the eighteenth century wears on, agree that revealed Scripture is nothing but a joke or "well-invented flam." About mid-century, John Leland, in his historical and analytical account of the movement [View of the Principal Deistical Writers], squarely states that the rejection of revealed Scripture is the characteristic element of Deism, a view further codified by such authorities as Ephraim Chambers and Samuel Johnson. ... "DEISM," writes Stephens bluntly, "is a denial of all reveal'd Religion."
— James E. Force, Introduction (1990) to An Account of the Growth of Deism in England (1696) by William Stephens'

In the United States, Enlightenment philosophy (which itself was heavily inspired by deist ideals) played a major role in creating the principle of religious freedom, expressed in Thomas Jefferson's letters, and the principle of religious freedom expressed in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. American Founding Fathers, or Framers of the Constitution, who were especially noted for being influenced by such philosophy include Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Cornelius Harnett, Gouverneur Morris, and Hugh Williamson. Their political speeches show distinct deistic influence. Other notable Founding Fathers may have been more directly deist. These include James Madison, John Adams, possibly Alexander Hamilton, Ethan Allen [38] and Thomas Paine (who published The Age of Reason, a treatise that helped to popularize deism throughout America and Europe). Elihu Palmer (1764–1806) wrote the "Bible" of American deism in his Principles of Nature (1801) and attempted to organize deism by forming the "Deistical Society of New York."
Benjamin Franklin wrote in his autobiography, "Some books against Deism fell into my hands; they were said to be the substance of sermons preached at Boyle's lectures. It happened that they wrought an effect on me quite contrary to what was intended by them; for the arguments of the Deists, which were quoted to be refuted, appeared to me much stronger than the refutations; in short, I soon became a thorough Deist.

For his part, Thomas Jefferson is perhaps one of the Founding Fathers with the most outspoken of Deist tendencies ... In particular, his treatment of the Biblical gospels which he titled The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, but which subsequently became more commonly known as the Jefferson Bible, exhibits a strong deist tendency of stripping away all supernatural and dogmatic references from the Christ story

— Recycled Hope

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