Just an Average Old "Born-Again-Agnostic-Polymath- Epicurian" with a whole lot of hard life experience. I am still an ordained Minister and a Master of Clerical Hypnosis (MH), but I find my beliefs not in keeping with orthodox and organized religion so, for the most part, I keep them to myself.
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Now that we have photos of a black hole exploding, it would seem that there has always been a cycling of black holes and bangs. It opens the possibility of thinking in terms of infinity and eternity where there is no beginning and no end. (With all due respect to Professor Stephen Hawking, I think he is missing this one.)
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Since all things possible will occur when given enough time, and obviously life IS possible... It would now seem that the odds of spontaneous life in eternity = 100% (Now the numbers DO work.)
THAT DOES NOT CONFIRM, NOR RULE OUT, "GOD" but it does add another piece of evidence to the puzzle of life.
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Notwithstanding the initiates and true believers, religion is, of course, a business, and there is nothing unusual or inherantly wrong with that, and false advertising has almost become the norm. However, fleecing the public is one thing, but when people establish ridiculous rules and customs, and then use guilt, fear, and shame to punish and prey on those who break their arbitrary guidelines, I resent it. Whether this is done for profit, power, or just a desire to hurt people, it is despicable, and I will not condone it. Too many people are oppressed and hurt by these unconscionable tactics.
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Fortunately, most Clergymen are kind and sincere and not really very well-trained in indoctrination techniques.(Their income and congregation size is an indication of their training.) A Congregation really has no idea of what they are going up against when they are repeatedly subjected to a highly-trained Professional Clergyman. They are literally putting their lives in his hands! Thousands of years of cumulative experience in the art of hypnotic indoctrination puts them at his mercy. When this kind of absolute power is given to a man, some cannot resist the temptation to almost enslave their flock, and that is when abuse takes place. (Power CAN corrupt.)
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If anyone believes they can think clearly after surreptitious church indoctrination, they should consider what caused ALL of Jimmy Jone's followers to commit suicide. The Coolaid killed them, but WHY did they drink it and feed it to their children while they could see people all around them dying from it. They were not all stupid... They had been robbed of their ability to think for themselves. Given the proper indoctrination, they would have all died for the Easter Bunny if they were told to.
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"Morality is doing right, no matter what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, no matter what is right." ......Mencken
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ONCE SOMEONE IS REPEATEDLY EXPOSED TO A HIGHLY TRAINED CLERICAL HYPNOTIST, THEY ARE NO LONGER CAPABLE OF OBJECTVE THINKING IN REGARD TO THEIR FAITH, AND MAY NEVER BE.

IT IS UNKIND TO TRY TO BULLY THESE PEOPLE INTO ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW. - THE CLERICAL HYONOTIST THAT INDOCTRINATED THEM MAY BE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN ALTER THEIR BASIS OF BELIEF. - SINCE IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT HE HAS ALSO BEEN INDOCTRINATED, IT PROBABLY WILL NEVER HAPPEN. - SO IF THEY ARE NOT BEING ABUSED, AND NOT BEING ABUSIVE, IT MAY BE BEST TO JUST IGNORE IT.

THERE IS ALWAYS A RISK IN TRYING TO HELP A DEEPLY INDOCTRINATED INDIVIDUAL.- EVEN WHEN PEOPLE ARE BROUGHT OUT OF ABUSIVE RELIGIOUS PRACTICES CONSCIOUSLY, THEY SOMETIMES CARRY A SUBCONSCIOUS ANXIETY CAUSED BY FEAR OR GUILT THAT MAY REMAIN INDEFINITLY.- THIS MAY CAUSE THEM TO PUNISH THEMSELVES BY GRAVITATING TOWARD NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES, AND BLIND THEM TO POSITIVE THINGS IN THEIR LIFE. - THIS IS A FORM OF UNCONSCIOUS SELF-PUNISHMENT CAUSED BY RESIDUAL GUILT AND FEAR.- THEY WILL OFTEN ATRIBUTE IT TO "GOD'S PUNISHMENT" FOR QUESTIONING THEIR FAITH.

ALWAYS USE CONSIDERATION AND DO NOT HAMMER THEM WITH LOGIC. - IT ONLY CAUSES CONFUSION, AND SOMETIMES LEADS TO DESPONDENCY.

ABOVE ALL, BE KIND AND UNDERSTANDING...
IT COULD VERY WELL HAVE BEEN YOU!!!
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"Logic is Powerful, but
Faith is Comfortable." --- Condero
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I am an Outdoorsman at heart, and as a Man of the Earth, I love to work with it, so my motto and my love is "Working WITH the Earth". That is when I feel good about what I'm doing.