steveorino

I suppose anyone can be anything if they are motivated. Trying to follow Christ's teachings made me a better person. I sense a presence (warm fuzzy to you) that I did not have before. That presence has been both comforting and inspiring. I'm typically very narcissitic and self-centered. In other words I'd kick your butt if you crossed me. All of that changed when I met JC. I'll stick with him. steveOrino

So what you are saying is I should reject the belief system that has turned my life around and given iut purpose and made me a better person. One who is now more concerned about others rather than myself. I should do this because if I treat my belief system like a science experiement I cannot prove it true without faith. Faith, which is the key ingrediant for religous experience. Yeah, that makes good sense. You are right we don't live in a vacuum. People having a faith system that encourages them to better people make our society as a whole better. So do you still believe I should give up my faith and return to my narcisstic ways? steveOrino

Here is a more poignant question. Why would I want to change my religous experience? Today my life has meaning and purpose. Today I sense a presence in my life bigger than me or my agenda. IMHO I haven't lost anything because of my Christian worldview. Before I had a real narcisstic lifestyle that left me feeling empty. I'm confident those who knew me before Christ would echo my sentiments that I'm a better person now. As Buber implied in his book ... every relationship I had before was an "I-it" relationship. Now I have a lot of "I-thou" relationships with people and with God. steveOrino

I looked at most of your post in the past. They don't change. Wow! I never read that Jefferson quote before. steveOrino

Not going to criticise the guy for being averse to killing, but I wonder why he joined the Marines to begin with. Tha is my point. What did he think the Marines do??? steveOrino

What a good example of you have nothing to offer of substance to the debate ... post a plethora of redundant links. steveOrino

It is hard to say with 100% accuracy anything happened in the first century. Our records are simply incomplete. We must depend on circumstantial evidence for the most part. Such as while there are no original copies of anything written by Ceaser or his historians available today, we can say with some certainty he existed. This is partially based on "circumstantial" evidence such as coins with his likeness do exist, just as writings on the catacombs of 1st century Christians do exist. First century historians whom you accept as true, but have no written record available, record brief acts of the followers of Jesus Christ, whom they deemed an insignificant blip in history. This all boils down to trying to define God/Christianity by the same guidelines that we use to define science. As I said before I think that it is an impossibility to define one who is outside of creation and scientific laws with natural and scientific laws. The author I appreciate so much is the Hasidic Jew, Martin Buber. In his book, Ich-Du (I and Thou) he states the critics of religion have shown correctly that God (the ultimate Thou) cannot be defined by being an object of study. That is, he recognizes that science and reason alone can never get us to God, because "it is not as if God could be inferred from anything." Now I realize his writings are no more verifiably true than any other philosophical writer, but truth is truth no matter who wrote it. It is the job of each of us to find that truth. I have found what believe to be true. I do not take it as my sole responsibility to to make you see it as I see it. In fact, based on what I believe that the "I-Thou" relationship is an encounter not an experience I would only impede your "encountering" Him if helped you treat Him merely like an experience. steveOrino

Don't sleep on the jungle floor. Get you a hammock and mosquito neeting. Eat garlic. Skydive Cancun (is really in Playa DeCarma) is a tandem mill, but if you can get on a load it is worth the effort. It is a Cessna DZ. I went a few years back and the owner jumped with me for two jumps while two tandems went up. The view was spectacular. You better have your own rig as I'm not sure they have ones to rent. The cost was $30USD and worth every penny. Although you pack on a sandy floor. You land on the beach right by the dock for the ferry from Cozumel. steveOrino

I can't imagine what he was expecting when he joined, but personally, I'd rather have him out of my unit. What I don't understand is why they can't assign him rear duty. Hey, the only thing you have to kill if you are a cook is a chicken!! steveOrino

I meant 500 of any one group. Say half of a small town, which included medical doctors, teachers, mayors along with the farmer and the guy living in the double wide. steveOrino

If 500 of them including people of the ruling councils all had basically the same abduction story, we would listen. steveOrino

As far as followers today, nothing. Both would be dying for a belief. The "first" disciples of JC were willing to experience martydom because they saw a risen JC. The first disciples of Mohummed were willing to die because they believed in his teachings of monotheism which was contrary to the polytheism of the day. They in essence were dying for a belief in a teaching not anything supernatural. The mainstream Islamic belief is that Mohammed is buried in The Mosque of the Prophet in Medina. steveOrino

That is true. However, the disciple must have had some evidence that convinced them something happened. The Jesus Seminar people are not known to be conservative in their theology. In fact many including one of their past leaders and spokesman, John Domonique, believe JC was merely a man. But their intense study of scripture and historical record led them to believe "something" happened to change the disciples from scared men to men willing to die. It is hard to attribute their willingness to a "belief" they made up. Most likely they were the eyewitnesses to something that changed their way of thinking. While Jesus Seminar people will not go so far as to say they saw the resurrected Christ, they know something extraordinary happened. So while it takes faith for anyone outside the 500 who personally saw the resurrected Christ to believe in His resurrection, those eyewitnesses had more substantial evidence. Their testimony and lives are good affirmations for our own questions of faith. steveOrino

That's quite a good argument. However there is a big difference between history and any religion. The historians do not push their theories over everyone. They do not tell you how to live, or that you could change your life because some historic figure said so. [emphasis mine] Actually they do. While you may be from Russia, your info says you live in TX now. I grew up there. I had TX history throughout my schooling in the 60s & 70s. What is taught now is different than then. Why would that be? Could it be the Texans had an agenda then as much as the Tex-Mexs that are gaining influence in the politics and education of Texas do now? Most historians have an agenda, or at least their work fits in the agenda of those in power. Who was in power in the first & second cenetury of the common era? It sure wasn't Christians. steveOrino

Chew on??? Really?? (JC the grandson of Herod??) As my moma would say, "Pushaw!" Move over HairyJuan, you have competition for the most absurd links. If you have the assumption JC is not divine then anything else makes sense but what is written in the NT. If you have faith that he is who he said he was, then the NT record of his life is easy to believe. It is a matter of faith in the deity of JC. steveOrino

Of the 273 USPA DZs listed on dropzone.com, the majority of them are smaller Cessna DZs. IAD and static line instruction are a staple in them. The world of skydiving does exist outside the turbine DZs of CA, AZ, and FL. steveOrino

I have never seen a bat hang by his feet AND wings. Does it count. no... steveOrino

Taking a roll in the back of a pick up truck ... What was the matter, where they locked out of the double wide? steveOrino

So do you not believe anything the history books tell you about the 1st century as true? After all there are no original manuscripts of such work, and the copies are very few and quite old. Nothing like the thousands of copies within the first generation or two of the NT. steveOrino

OW! My wife got hit two weeks after buying her new car. I hope you fair well in the settlement. steveOrino

here are SDA guys I have done coach jumps for in 2006. Phil Ashley Jeff Mohr Tony Muller steveOrino

Way to go John! I started and stopped college for years! Finally at age 40 I decided to finish it. I did and then went and earned a Mssters and now I'm less than a year away from my second Mssters. I may go on and earn a PhD. Of course I will be 53 when I get this latest Masters and probably close to 60 when/if I earn a PhD, but hey, I'd be that age then even if I didn't go back for more school! John I know it wasn't easy -- it seldom is for adults to do, but you are obviously a man who gets the job done! Way to go, man! Now get an MBA. steveOrino

What type of wide angle can you put on that thing? Anything bigger than .3 doesn't get enough of the student IMHO. steveOrino

I use a Sony HC40 with a .3 Dimond wide angle. Check out the hand cam video here: http://www.steveorino.com/videos/handcam.wmv steveOrino

I didn't "officially" join, but I started about the same time as y'all. I'm down 17 lbs. From 243 to 226. My goal is 199. I haven't been below 200 lbs since I was 35. steveOrino