sean wookie

Good hipster music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C66yhRwpt7s

Nanner Split said:

Anchorhead said:

You seem to be under the impression that this is some sort of secret society where your neighbors show their true selves once they give the secret password to get into a weekly gathering.

 

This might be a side effect of his background as a Jehovah's Witness. Sean, I might be mistaken, but don't they basically have a neighborhood watch going on during the week?

Well see(if I remember this correctly). The Jehovah's Witnesses usually have 2 hour gatherings at the Kingdom Hall maybe about 2 days of the week. On Wednesday they have one hour services and go out door knocking. What I went through is no different what any other indoctrinated kid went through. They just shunned my family afterwards and because just wanted to leave.

And no I don't think there is some kind of secret society. I'm just curious.

Sluggo said:

sean wookie said:

...

Do I have to dress nice? I'd imagine I shouldn't wear a Rage Against The Machine shirt.

I'd suppose you may want to dress nicer.  I'm curious to hear about your experience.

Yeah, I have some nice shirts. So that shouldn't be a problem. I want to visit the Church tomorrow to look around.

TheBoost said:

sean wookie said:

TheBoost said:

sean wookie said:

 I think it would be a nice experiment and generally try to blend in as a recent Catholic convert. I'd confess my sins, converse with other Catholics, learn what they believe and why the believe it, and attend mass like everyone else, and any other Church events as long as it doesn't conflict with work. And blog about of all this.

 As a recent convert, you won't confess. There's a rather rigorous training program for new Catholics, unless you're planning to bluff your way in as a fully confirmed Catholic. You also can attend mass, but not take communion.

Not that they check credentials at the door, but it depends on how dishonest you plan on being.

I don't want to be that dishonest. I really want to observe their culture and mingle. This is the churches web

I wish there was some email address I could like ask permission to do this with.

 Just show up.

Most Catholic churches have a little pamphlet for non Catholic visitors, as well as for new members. These'll help you.

There won't be Pope's guards with laser scans at the door to judge you. I'm not Catholic, but have never felt unwelcome at a Catholic church.

Do I have to dress nice? I'd imagine I shouldn't wear a Rage Against The Machine shirt.

TheBoost said:

sean wookie said:

 I think it would be a nice experiment and generally try to blend in as a recent Catholic convert. I'd confess my sins, converse with other Catholics, learn what they believe and why the believe it, and attend mass like everyone else, and any other Church events as long as it doesn't conflict with work. And blog about of all this.

 As a recent convert, you won't confess. There's a rather rigorous training program for new Catholics, unless you're planning to bluff your way in as a fully confirmed Catholic. You also can attend mass, but not take communion.

Not that they check credentials at the door, but it depends on how dishonest you plan on being.

I don't want to be that dishonest. I really want to observe their culture and mingle. This is the churches web site: http://www.ourladyofmountcarmel.org/

I wish there was some email address I could like ask permission to do this with.

I Never been to a Catholic Church(or any church) before and since I have all this interest in religion I think it would be a nice experiment and generally try to blend in as a recent Catholic convert. I'd confess my sins, converse with other Catholics, learn what they believe and why the believe it, and attend mass like everyone else, and any other Church events as long as it doesn't conflict with work. And blog about of all this.

I have a Catholic Church nearby called Mt. Carmel and this might be fun.

A good movie about religion is Lord Save Us From Your Followers. You might like this movie no matter what religion. It was made by an Evangelical Christian and I like it. He shares many of the same views I do. If you have any interest in religion you might like this.

Watch it here: http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi2089486617/

sorry

Gaffer Tape said:

So did he misspell Galatians on the tattoo as well or just in the description?  ^_~

Looks like he might of. The o/a is too small to make out though.

Do you like Radiohead? Neutral Milk Hotel? Animal Collective? If so you might be a hipster!

This is your test. If you can stand it you're a certified hipster!

Warbler said:

Gaffer Tape said:

Well, honestly, if you want to look at it that way, the KJV is also an SE.

yeah, I know what you mean, but to me it isn't.  It is the Bible I used all through Sunday School.  The Bible they had me memorize verses out of.  It is not an SE to me.

sean wookie said:

Warbler said:

Ziz said:

you know if made jokes like this using any other religion's holy book,  people would call you a bigot.    Can you imagine the outrage in the Islamic world if it found out there was a pic of the Quran with a label on it that said "this is a work of fiction"? If you had made this joke using the Tanakh, you'd be accused of antisemitism.   But for some reason, its socially  acceptable to do this with the Christian Bible.   nice.    

 I was going to post a nice and thoughtful comment on how Atheists seem to be mostly threatened by Christians because they are the majority. Explain that we feel they encroaching on public space and government. Then say This is why they are attacked so much.

But i'm posting this image:

 

I have no desire to oppress anyone.   My feelings on freedom of religion are well known here.  I believe strongly in freedom of religion as well as the right to not practice any religion at all.   I  also believe strongly in the separation of church and state.  Just take a look at past debates I've had in this forum(namely in the political thread.    No one should oppress anyone.  

I never said you were oppressing anyone.  I just don't think you're the kind of person that would. I was just pointing out how in America it tends to be more appropriate to make fun of the majority rather than the minority. I just think it's okay to mock religion in general, but I won't mock people because of their religion. 

C3PX said:

sean wookie said:

I purchased that Kindle Bible you recommended C3PX along with a copy of Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion (I had a copy but I can't find it).

I just bought a copy of The Greatest Show on Earth the other day, looking forward to getting the time to sit down and read it.

 

 

I have a few questions:

1. What's up with the Kings James only movement?
2. Why would people need Bible plans? I don't find it hard to read a few chapters everyday. Maybe they're too busy.

1. Fear of change. The KJV is a very old and very outdated text. There is really no reason to be using it today. Sure, it was very accurate in its day, but we have more accurate English translations today.

2. You are probably right about the too busy thing. Like I said in my other post, it seems most Christians really don't even bother to read their Bibles. A year seems like an excessively long time to read a book even as thick as the Bible (seems most reading plans I see are one year plans), but I guess a lot of people who don't read a lot can't really be bothered with more than a few verses a day. Seems silly to me. Can't imagine reading a book just a few paragraphs at a time.

The Kindle is great, but I wish it had To Kill A Mockingbird.

I purchased that Kindle Bible you recommended C3PX along with a copy of Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion (I had a copy but I can't find it). I like it so far I'm about at Genesis 30. All the notes are cool but, I find them kind of unnecessary and I find that they mess up the text-to-speech function. I find it a lot more easier to understand than the KJV due to using more modern language.

I have a few questions:

1. What's up with the Kings James only movement?
2. Why would people need Bible plans? I don't find it hard to read a few chapters everyday. Maybe they're too busy.

C3PX said:

Bingowings said:

It may also be a fun experiment to chuck out all those nasty laws against seafood, tattoos and clothes of more than one twine that sort of thing.

Then like I said, might as well toss the whole thing. That is like wanting to read the Qur'an with all the versus regarding etiquette in wife beating and the killing of infidels removed. Or reading the owner's manual for your car with all the bits about the importance of changing your oil removed. Those "nasty laws" such as not eating shrimp, pork, or other foods (which I fail to see as "nasty" in any way) and the practice of male genital mutilation (which I find particularly nasty), were an integral part of that religion.

 

Hmm, if you really want to know what is going on in what you read, Sean, the KJV isn't the way to go. How does the 3G work on that Kindle? Still has experimental web browsing, right? Then you could just load biblegateway.com and view just about any version you could want.

It has expiramental web browsing but it needs a lot of work (it sucks). The 3G is fine I really have no problem with it. The book functions wouldn't work on the web browser.

I like to get it on an EPUB or a PDF, something I can convert for the Kindle. 

I ordered a free physical bible from the Mormon Church.  I think we have a few at home plus tons of Jehovah's Witness books (my Grandmas). Though I believe it might be the JW translation.

I could not find a PDF of NRSV so I had to settle with a Project Gutenberg Kings James.

C3PX said:

Weird to hear you say this, Sean.

I recommend the New Revised Standard Version.

The Jefferson Bible is an interesting little piece of history, but really quite useless. It is basically a "fan edit" of the Gospels, an attempt to make one long narrative from pieces of each and to omit all supernatural references. Essentially, Thomas Jefferson was trying to make a Gospel compatible with Deism; which is kind of silly, because the Gospels are very contrary to philosophy of Deism. It would be kind of like an Atheist today deciding to make an Atheist Bible by removing all references to God and the supernatural. An interesting idea, but if someone feels the need to fan edit the Bible in order to find it suitable for them, I would strongly encourage them just to toss the whole thing out and forget about it. 

If you do get the Jefferson Bible, just be sure to take it for what it is. You wouldn't want to be watching The Phantom Edit while under the impression you are actually watching the theatrical cut of The Phantom Menace.

 

As for having a Kindle, how is it? I really want one of those new ones.

It just arrived today. It is a bit awkward to use at first, but I think it would be better once I got some good books to get used to controls. Rather than buy a version of the NRSV I'm just going to download a PDF. That isn't piracy isn't it? Aren't Bibles given away for free all the time?

I Never been to a Catholic Church(or any church) before and since I have all this interest in religion I think it would be a nice experiment and generally try to blend in as a recent Catholic convert. I'd confess my sins, converse with other Catholics, learn what they believe and why the believe it, and attend mass like everyone else, and any other church events as long as it doesn't conflict with work.

This: Listen to it. Its beauty will make you cry.

If you wish to make an apple pie you must first invent the universe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=zSgiXGELjbc

As a kid being a Jehova's Witness I thought they were talking a about our 16th president when they mentioned Abraham talking to god.

My favorite Simpsons scene.

Hunter 6 is ignoring me because I said something about him whining about the Star Trek movie.

Bingowings said:

No insult intended to Sean or anyone effected by the condition but every time I see the word Aspergers I keep reading it as Arse Burgers (triggering the need to giggle).

I get this too. I don't make too big of a deal about autism. I have it and it effects me but it doesn't control my life.

Gaffer Tape said:

sean wookie said:

I like guns (pretty much the result of playing video games). 

 

I don't really have any problems with guns, but, for the love of God, sean, please don't let Jack Thompson ever hear you say that!

It's no worse than someone who has an interest in guns because of John Wayne movies.