pajarito

That's terrible what happened to you and your brother growing up. I grew up around alchoholism but my experience doen't compare to yours. Not even close. I think that would have made me very bitter towards lots of things.

The Parable of the Weeds Jesus told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from? An enemy did this, he replied. The servants asked him, do you want us to go and pull them up? No, he answered, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn. Matthew 13:24-29 Explained Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said; explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field. He answered; the one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He, who has ears, let him hear. Matthew 13:36-43

You're right about you guys getting the "better Bowden." The one we had sucked! I think he looks like a little weiner on TV as a sportscaster too.

You see......that's just not productive at all...

I was sitting in and pulling tension on the harness for my Dad to pack his Para-Commander when I was about 5 years old.

I think that, to a degree, a parent needs to direct a child and sometimes force that child to do some things that he/she may not want to do with respect to religion or otherwise. That’s because the child doesn’t necessarily know what’s good for him/her yet. However, if parents push too hard, they stand the chance of rebellion. You want to direct them but not break their spirit because one day they’ll have to make those decisions for themselves and you hope that those decisions will be in line with the ones you would make. As a parent, I’ve learned that it’s tough and sometimes that line is a narrow one.

It’s not something you can force or anything you can earn by doing good things. I can see where you might feel like you were beating yourself up in trying to do so. Sincerely, I am sorry to hear about your difficulties. I do seem to find it a common thread that people who reject their faith sometimes do it as a result of having been hurt or wronged. It’s a tragedy, in my opinion, that many times that occurs withing the religious organization. I do think that trying to be a better person than the day before, trying to learn something new, and trying to be a good role model for those around you is a good start, though.

Think about Adolph Hitler. I know…I know…some here might say, “But he was a Roman Catholic.” I’d say, “But was he really a Christian?” God loves all of his children but was Adolph Hitler really a “child of God?” I know he was created by him but was his spirit, soul, sentience, or whatever you want to call it alive in Christ or dead in the human’s sinful, selfish, and prideful nature? I tend to think the latter but it’s not my place to judge. It’s not that you “can not believe”, it’s that you choose not to. You also didn’t choose to return to your old sinful nature. You never departed from it regardless of how many good “things” you do in life. My post also didn’t say that you must be Christian in order to do good things. I don’t think it’s that God created someone to be a murderer, for example. I think it’s that he simply allowed that person to continue along the path that was natural to him/her. The “free will thing” isn’t negated. People call the pre-destination/free-will thing a paradox simply because they can’t understand how they can exist together and need to make the concept understandable. I say it is rather an antinomy. Two truths, unexplainable and yet are existing together on parallel courses. Those are just my thoughts. I respect your opinion.

This is my Calvinistic view of salvation (SIMPLY MY OPINION PEOPLE): People are sinful by nature and are “dead” in their sin. What can a dead person do without intervention? Your natural inclination is to act in a selfish and prideful manner. I’m not saying that person can’t or won’t ever do good things. I’m just saying that his/her tendency is to act in self interest. Unless God places a sense of himself in your heart, you will most likely continue along the path which is natural to you. Even if he places that sense within you, however, you still have the free will to reject the new holy nature and retain the old sinful one. As a matter of fact, they are constantly in conflict with each other. I believe God uses people for different reasons. Do you really think that the Crusades and the Inquisition were Godly things?” Or could it be that, for some greater reason, God simply allowed certain people to continue along in the way in which was natural to them (i.e. Evil natured men doing evil acts)?

True conversions to Christianity have absolutely nothing to do with man. The missionaries that I’m aware of don’t carry guns and swords. God can reach people without us. He chooses to use us sometimes as tools for his purpose, though.

Apparently, about 3% in India are Christian. India There may even be more than that. We have a very large number of Indians in the US with green cards and working on Visas. I used to work with 2, who were very good friends of mine, in Augusta, GA who were both Christians.

Women with guns!

You're right. That was a generalization and wasn't very well thought out. My appologies. I hope all Catholic organizations, as I believe Billvon pointed out somwhere earlier, aren't like that.

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AUBURN TIGERS!

I'm sorry Zen. I thought you were more peaceful than Jeffrey. Out...

A chimpanzee can learn to recognize itself in a mirror, but monkeys can't.

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

BOOBIES!

Probably true. The one in Eufaula AL, however, won't.

Thanks. I don't agree with some Catholic doctrine but it's interesting to understand the beliefs of others.

If you truly believe that, then how is it possible for you to overlook alcoholism, cocaine, drunk driving, etc.? I think it's pertinent to look at when examining a Presidential candidate. Particularly, if there's a continuing pattern of behavior. The original question had to do with whether we liked or disliked the idea that we're discussing a candidate's past from that long ago. I just think it's important to consider the big picture. If you're going to run for President, you will be scrutinized.

They also won't let non-Catholics in general participate in their Eucharist ceremony. My Father-in-law was Catholic but his wife was not (Although she was married in the Catholic Church so I guess she was at one time; I don't really know how all that works). He died 2 years ago and about 1/4 of us who attended his funeral (in the Catholic Church) were Protestant of one sort or another. They all did their memorized readings and orchestrated responses to the Priest while we just sat there quietly. When it came time for Communion, the Priest asked that we not participate and to respect their different way of doing things. Of course, we did what he asked but that really left me with a bad feeling. I know it's because they believe in the literal transformation of the bread into the body of Christ and the wine into blood and all that (I guess...right?) but I don't really see as how that "damages" their ceremony in the slightest if I only believe it in figurative terms and participate. The Lord's Table is for everyone who believes and not just Catholics. Most of the non-Catholic family members on my Wife’s side are very good Christians. Not any less so than the Catholics in that church.

Dude...I want to be part of THAT group!

Those are all very important topics, however, nothing is as important as the security of our nation. That has to be first and foremost. What somebody did in wartime 30+ years ago is still very important in reference to their moral integrity, character, and trustworthiness. Those, IMO, are some of the most important characteristics that I want present in the person that I vote for President.