36 posts shown.
Joshua Carter97 said:Does anyone happen to know how frequently one can safely practice Yoga Nidra?
jademarlin26 said:I am unsure how to respond to your "respect" for a stance that doesn't actually exist. But, since I refuse to let this go: when you suppress and hide things from yourself for long enough, they eventually manifest as fate. Feel free to apply that logic wherever you see fit.
jademarlin26 said:Because they can. Otherwise, they wouldn't. 🙂 There is no point in trying to sell oneself on some elaborate cause-and-effect theory when that isn't how the world works.
jademarlin26 said:Transformation is simply a reaction to understanding—or as you put it, "deep insight." How can one dive into the process when you are the very subject being transformed? You can only dive deeply into the essence of the "problem," the understanding of which will ultimately change you.
placidjackal36 said:^So, are you actually suggesting we should just dodge or completely ditch metaphors like "my heart yearns" altogether?
placidjackal36 said:Calm down in terms of stopping the mess we're making. Like, cutting back on the pollution. Just give the planet a fighting chance to heal itself without us constantly messing with the thermostat.
Angela Newman33 said:Knowledge without heart is dangerous
But passion without actual skill? That’s just hard to make work in the real world
When you finally marry the two, you get wisdom—and that’s really the only way you actually start hitting your stride and reaching your full potential
Let's be real: just hoarding a massive pile of data in your head without truly grasping how it all fits together—you know, seeing the big picture, understanding the "why" behind the "what," and spotting those cause-and-effect links—is pretty much useless. It’s just a collection of facts that doesn't hold much weight (other than maybe giving your ego a little boost), and honestly, it just creates this fake illusion of being smart
placidjackal36;13324381.
So, the big question is how we actually save the planet. strong> says:
just calm down and focus on local action. All this global stuff is just noise.
placidjackal36 said:Actually, he's nowhere near that. What you just described is the most basic essence of pantheism, and honestly, that way of thinking doesn't even square with what humanity knows about the cosmos. Einstein thought along similar lines. Sort of.
But what Simon is getting at is way beyond that.
Well, in a way, it's just a search for meaning. If you look at it as a branch of philosophy—once you strip away all those other branches dealing with world structures, ethics, or politics—it's almost like a philosophically inclined faith.
But a lot of the stuff being churned out on this forum isn't even that; it's just plain old superstition, or sometimes even straight-up scams.
placidjackal36 said:Oh, if that were anyone else saying it... but it was placidjackal36, that "dogmatic scientific fossil" you aren't supposed to trust. 😉
Maybe the sheer hatred they have for me—and believe me, I know it exists, judging by the hate mail I get—will actually force them to read to the end, maybe giving their brains a much-needed workout. It might hit that 2%, 5%, or 10% margin of people who aren't complete idiots, though honestly, I wouldn't bet much on it. 😁
placidjackal36 said:Sometimes I’m agnostic, sometimes I’m an atheist, and sometimes I’m a believer. For certain things, I believe simply because they can't be proven. When it comes to nonsense that flies in the face of hard facts, I'm a staunch atheist—or even an antitheist, if we're using your definition of the term, which seems more concerned with supernatural entities than what I'm actually talking about.Life is created by energy-rich chemical compounds? Everyone laughed. 😂😂😂
If you aren't interested in what I'm writing, then stop replying to my posts.
Yes, life is driven by energy-rich compounds. You honestly think this is just my little invention?
What about the massive teams of researchers who have dedicated their lives to this? What about the millions of people every day who validate these discoveries?
Have you ever actually looked into physiology? People have spent lifetimes studying how a human being functions. They’ve run experiments. They’ve measured the intake and output of mass, calculated how much energy a single unit of a nutrient provides through complete oxidation versus what's actually utilized when someone eats, and then mapped out the metabolic utility of specific parts: muscle, brain, and so on. They’ve tracked oxygen intake and expiration during rest, during study, or while running.
They’ve analyzed bodily fluids using every method under the sun, put subjects through X-rays and NMR, and monitored brain activity via EEG and heart rhythms via EKG.
We know exactly why a person lives and why they die. We understand our own structure down to the histological details. We know what powers a cell—the breakdown of substances and their fusion with oxygen in the mitochondria to produce the ATP that drives everything else.
We know how the kidneys filter waste and exactly how much energy that process requires.
We know why a heart can keep beating even when the brain is effectively dead. We know where emotions reside and where memories are stored.
We know where the center of balance is, and why a person panics when their airway is obstructed.
We know why it hurts when you get hit. We know why the smell of smoke or the sound of a firecracker can trigger a panic attack. We know why a mother's breast produces milk the moment a newborn latches.
We know what reflexes are.
A human being is such a beautifully complex organism that you’re essentially dragging its incredible sophistication through the mud by denying it. You deny it in almost every single post you make. Honestly, it gets under my skin.I guess it would be best if I just started reading books on physics, chemistry, and stuff like that. Apparently, that's the only way to be considered smart. Everything else is worthless. Maybe I should just toss all other books onto a bonfire. They probably just serve to make people stupid anyway. The most important thing is knowing which chemical substance my brain or some gland is secreting in a given situation. Bravo. You've solved many of life's essential mysteries with that one statement.😁
Look, you really ought to start reading more. You need to take a closer look at the very things you’re dismissing just because you refuse to acknowledge how complex they actually are. I never said things like the meaning of life were "stupid." But you know what is stupid? Denying the actual facts of life, which is exactly what you're doing right now.
Where on earth did you get the notion that I think nothing else has value? Is *Anna Karenina* garbage just because it isn't chemistry? Is Bach’s Third Suite worthless simply because it isn't physics?
Where are you even pulling these delusions from?
And where does this idea come from—that explaining a phenomenon somehow strips away its beauty? According to your logic, something is only beautiful if you’re too ignorant to understand how it works?
Is a night sky outside a major US city suddenly trash and stripped of its wonder just because we know it isn't some mystical shell of dots controlling our behavior, but rather a massive expanse of gas and plasma fusing elements?
Why would it be?
By your reasoning, does understanding how sound waves propagate through metal and air somehow degrade the raw, visceral terror felt when someone strikes a memorial bell in a quiet town square?
Man, what is wrong with you? Seriously, what is actually going on in your head?
Ryan Wilson2 said:Look out that same window and you will see that death is ever-present. Every single life form eventually ends, or survives by ending another. Death is the true universal constant that binds us all together. Does that necessarily mean we are obligated to celebrate Death?
Michael Perez5 said:I really wanted to believe it, I truly did.
I don't really have much of a relationship with priests—though I definitely have one with God. I suppose if you asked the representatives of the church, they might label me an atheist. For them, maybe that’s true... but their opinion doesn't really change my faith. To me, they're just ordinary people. They don't have the power to "forgive someone's sins." That is something only God can do, and I assume that only happens after a sinner truly repents from the heart. But let me clarify.
Here’s how things stand:
I was baptized in Indianapolis, over in the Rutherford neighborhood.
I wasn't complaining, really. It's just that back when I was actually supposed to be getting confirmed, I wasn't even allowed to attend religious education classes... but that’s a whole other story, I guess.
She was baptized over in Indianapolis, specifically in the South II neighborhood, and had her confirmation up in Long Valley. She lives in a town just outside of Indy, and I actually live in a different town nearby. 🙂
We had our hearts set on getting married at St. Michael's Church over in Rutherford, near Indianapolis.
We headed over to the parish office in Rutherford today, but the priest wasn't around when we arrived. I noticed this massive apartment right there in the courtyard with a really beautiful yard. We sat in the car for a little bit, just waiting, until he finally showed up. As soon as we were Going Out, he pulled his new Golf right into his own driveway. He actually saw us approaching, but instead of saying hello, he just shut those heavy, solid doors. We went inside and gave him a proper greeting, letting him know we needed a moment of his time. But as he was heading up the stairs, he just muttered, "What is it you need?"
The vibe was just... awkward, like we were totally inconveniencing her. We walked into this space that felt exactly like some corporate office. We mentioned how much we’d love to get married at St. Michael's Church, so we went in to ask if that might actually be an option... we were being really humble and polite about it.
That was when the IRS really started acting up!
The priest: Which parish are you all in?
I guess I should probably mention that... In that spot and that one.
Priest: Why don't you just handle that back home? I mean, come on... if I absolutely have to marry you, fine, but you can't just show up like this! (shouting)
I just wanted to ask you—we have this real heartfelt desire to get married at St. Michael's Church, mostly because we have such deep sentimental ties to the place.
The priest: Oh, please, don't even start with me! (He’s pacing around his office like he’s expecting me to throw a punch at him.) Seriously though, how are you actually going to get your kids baptized? What kind of relationship do you even have with your local parishes?
Me: Oh, nothing in particular, I guess.
Priest: So, you’re actually asking me to offici your wedding? (He starts shouting—it gets awkward fast, and I honestly can't believe this is happening.) Look, if I absolutely have to perform the ceremony, fine, but don't you dare lecture me. I know how this works. If your own church isn't exactly drawing a crowd, you'd probably rather just do it here instead... You really need to build a better relationship with your local parishes first. You should probably go ask your fellow clergy what they think about this kind of thing; you can't just act like this... (He keeps yelling, and he seems incredibly on edge.)
Well, obviously we’re going to ask them... we just wanted to check in and see where you all stand on this first, since we don't really know anything about it ourselves. We were under the impression that they told us we needed to prepare the registration forms through our own local parishes?
The priest was basically like, "...Are you kidding me? Why are you even here?" He went on to say that if he actually agreed to marry us, we’d just head back to our home parishes and tell everyone, "Oh, all we need is the release paperwork because the priest said he'd do it!"
Look, I'm not lying... I just really wanted to see where you guys stand on this.
A priest? Honestly... if you're that determined, maybe just have your own local pastor marry you then.
....
...
Thank you so much... goodbye.
Going Out... we step onto the street and see a couple just standing Outside... "Is the priest inside?" Yeah, he is... "How's the weather looking today?"?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????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That’s about all I have to say on the matter.
I’m honestly in complete shock right now. I'll be the first to admit that I’ve always had a pretty negative view of priests—I’ve always felt like they don't really have any connection to God at all. But after what happened today... I’m just speechless. I don't even know what to say.
As if it isn't enough that they lack any sense of humility, or that they have no concept of what poverty or true contrition actually look like... as if it isn't bad enough that they lack basic decency and actively turn people away from their faith... as if being arrogant and rude wasn't plenty... then you add the fact that they draw a salary, snatch money right out of people's pockets, and claim a Christian is only "good" based on how much cash they leave at the altar. It’s just wrong. They live in these massive estates, obsessed with nothing but hedonism—money, luxury cars, gambling, huge mansions, and having staff that act like they're part of some holy order, all funded by the donations from the parishioners. Honestly, it’s just a total disgrace.
And finally... my dear says she doesn't want to see him anymore, nor does she want anything to do with "his church."
His? Seriously? Since when do priests own property and churches personally??? I swear, I’ll take this all the way to the Vatican if I have to, but I won't let this slide. I am just so fed up with these scammers. (And look, major respect to the exceptions who truly serve God and people and actually live out their faith) but unfortunately, either I have terrible luck or I just keep running into these absolute crooks. And today... today was just too much.
I think I might actually start a blog just to expose priests like this—documenting exactly who did what and when.
I'm pretty worked up right now... but you have to agree, this isn't how someone should act. A man in that position is supposed to be a role model for how people should live, representing himself and his calling with integrity...
It's just awful.