Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[celtic]

I remember years ago having a conversation about death.

Is it fate, or is it that your time is up?

Thoughts?

Also, how strongly do you believe in karma? Ever had a good example of good karma in your life?

I don't believe in fate.

If you are standing at the kerb waiting to cross a busy road and you decide to step in frond of a bus, you will die, not because of fate, and not because your time is up, but because you decided to step in front of a bus.


 

Agreed, but that's a pretty poor example of one or the other. What about the example above of the guy missing his bus, to do good, then dying through no fault of his own?

[celtic]

I have examples for both good Karma & Bad Karma but can’t answer with Tal loose on the forum

I am a man of faith. Strong faith. You are completely safe with me. I try on the whole to avoid debates about religion and politics, save for the odd bits and bobs here and there. But I owe a lot to my faith.

A very good friend of mine is essentially Christian but believes in reincarnation.

All a chat for another day. At least from my end.

God bless.

I too usually avoid debates about religion, but my original question was genuine. When I found out that religious education was compulsory, I really was curious to know if it was taught as fact.

Wasn't a dig at you, sir. Was just responding to what I gathered to be feedback from BangBang about how he thought I would react to a point on religion.

Jesus didn't say "you must follow me else"; he said 'I am the way to Heaven and you can choose after seeing what you have seen, reading what you have read and hearing what you have heard whether you want to follow me'

Again, a debate for another time

I know it wasn't a dig at me. I never thought it was.

Text is such a difficult medium.

The other day, I was in the process of writing a PM to someone because I was worried he might have taken one if my comments the wrong way when I received one from him hoping I hadn't done the same with one of his.

Still waiting for PM apologising for calling me a load of red snooker balls...

[RED-DOG]

I remember years ago having a conversation about death.

Is it fate, or is it that your time is up?

Thoughts?

Also, how strongly do you believe in karma? Ever had a good example of good karma in your life?

I don't believe in fate.

If you are standing at the kerb waiting to cross a busy road and you decide to step in frond of a bus, you will die, not because of fate, and not because your time is up, but because you decided to step in front of a bus.


 

Agreed, but that's a pretty poor example of one or the other. What about the example above of the guy missing his bus, to do good, then dying through no fault of his own?

I know this might sound flippant, but the most profound explanation I've ever heard is, "Shit Happens".

[RED-DOG]

I have examples for both good Karma & Bad Karma but can’t answer with Tal loose on the forum

I am a man of faith. Strong faith. You are completely safe with me. I try on the whole to avoid debates about religion and politics, save for the odd bits and bobs here and there. But I owe a lot to my faith.

A very good friend of mine is essentially Christian but believes in reincarnation.

All a chat for another day. At least from my end.

God bless.

I too usually avoid debates about religion, but my original question was genuine. When I found out that religious education was compulsory, I really was curious to know if it was taught as fact.

Wasn't a dig at you, sir. Was just responding to what I gathered to be feedback from BangBang about how he thought I would react to a point on religion.

Jesus didn't say "you must follow me else"; he said 'I am the way to Heaven and you can choose after seeing what you have seen, reading what you have read and hearing what you have heard whether you want to follow me'

Again, a debate for another time

I know it wasn't a dig at me. I never thought it was.

Text is such a difficult medium.

The other day, I was in the process of writing a PM to someone because I was worried he might have taken one if my comments the wrong way when I received one from him hoping I hadn't done the same with one of his.

Still waiting for PM apologising for calling me a load of red snooker balls...

Yeah....

I should have said white. That way, you would be easier to swerve.

[tikay]

I have examples for both good Karma & Bad Karma but can’t answer with Tal loose on the forum

I am a man of faith. Strong faith. You are completely safe with me. I try on the whole to avoid debates about religion and politics, save for the odd bits and bobs here and there. But I owe a lot to my faith.

A very good friend of mine is essentially Christian but believes in reincarnation.

All a chat for another day. At least from my end.

God bless.

I too usually avoid debates about religion, but my original question was genuine. When I found out that religious education was compulsory, I really was curious to know if it was taught as fact.

Wasn't a dig at you, sir. Was just responding to what I gathered to be feedback from BangBang about how he thought I would react to a point on religion.

Jesus didn't say "you must follow me else"; he said 'I am the way to Heaven and you can choose after seeing what you have seen, reading what you have read and hearing what you have heard whether you want to follow me'

Again, a debate for another time

I know it wasn't a dig at me. I never thought it was.

Text is such a difficult medium.

The other day, I was in the process of writing a PM to someone because I was worried he might have taken one if my comments the wrong way when I received one from him hoping I hadn't done the same with one of his.

Still waiting for PM apologising for calling me a load of red snooker balls...

Yeah....

I should have said white. That way, you would be easier to swerve.

FFS, give it a rest.

[tikay]

I remember years ago having a conversation about death.

Is it fate, or is it that your time is up?

Thoughts?

Also, how strongly do you believe in karma? Ever had a good example of good karma in your life?

Don't really have any thoughts about death.  Just happens I suppose.

As for karma, I see some belters on facebook from my time at school.

I gather it happens with quite a degree of reliability.

[RED-DOG]

I have examples for both good Karma & Bad Karma but can’t answer with Tal loose on the forum

I am a man of faith. Strong faith. You are completely safe with me. I try on the whole to avoid debates about religion and politics, save for the odd bits and bobs here and there. But I owe a lot to my faith.

A very good friend of mine is essentially Christian but believes in reincarnation.

All a chat for another day. At least from my end.

God bless.

I too usually avoid debates about religion, but my original question was genuine. When I found out that religious education was compulsory, I really was curious to know if it was taught as fact.

Wasn't a dig at you, sir. Was just responding to what I gathered to be feedback from BangBang about how he thought I would react to a point on religion.

Jesus didn't say "you must follow me else"; he said 'I am the way to Heaven and you can choose after seeing what you have seen, reading what you have read and hearing what you have heard whether you want to follow me'

Again, a debate for another time

I know it wasn't a dig at me. I never thought it was.

Text is such a difficult medium.

The other day, I was in the process of writing a PM to someone because I was worried he might have taken one if my comments the wrong way when I received one from him hoping I hadn't done the same with one of his.

Still waiting for PM apologising for calling me a load of red snooker balls...

Yeah....

I should have said white. That way, you would be easier to swerve.

FFS, give it a rest.

I knew you would baulk at me slating him.

[tikay]

I remember years ago having a conversation about death.

Is it fate, or is it that your time is up?

Thoughts?

Also, how strongly do you believe in karma? Ever had a good example of good karma in your life?

Don't really have any thoughts about death.  Just happens I suppose.

As for karma, I see some belters on facebook from my time at school.

The reason you don't have any thoughts about death is because you're like, 12 or something, and that's how it should be.

In another 50 years or so, when you begin to occasionally notice the rattle of time's winged chariot above the ambient noise, it will be a whole nother ball game.

Wow, that is so good.

And there was me merrily thinking it was just tinnitus.

Click to see full-size image.

[Tal]

Andrew Marvell ITT!

[tikay]

Andrew Marvell ITT!

He was shite, with his Coy Mistress & all that bollox. 

[Tal]

Andrew Marvell ITT!

He was shite, with his Coy Mistress & all that bollox. 

Vegetable love is overrated

[AndrewT]

I remember years ago having a conversation about death.

Is it fate, or is it that your time is up?

Thoughts?

Also, how strongly do you believe in karma? Ever had a good example of good karma in your life?

I don't believe in fate.

If you are standing at the kerb waiting to cross a busy road and you decide to step in frond of a bus, you will die, not because of fate, and not because your time is up, but because you decided to step in front of a bus.


 

Agreed, but that's a pretty poor example of one or the other. What about the example above of the guy missing his bus, to do good, then dying through no fault of his own?

I know this might sound flippant, but the most profound explanation I've ever heard is, "Shit Happens".

LOL - I was scrolling down this thread and was just about to post the 'Shit Happens' hypothesis.

Shit does 'just happen'. It's not fate/karma/other bollocks - things do just happen for no reason. We, as humans, are arrogant enough to think that we somehow matter in some big way, therefore if someone dies suddenly, we come up with all kinds of bullshit to explain it (fate/karma) or alleviate it (heaven/reincarnation).

[celtic]

Andrew wins IMO.

[Rod Paradise]

I have examples for both good Karma & Bad Karma but can’t answer with Tal loose on the forum

I am a man of faith. Strong faith. You are completely safe with me. I try on the whole to avoid debates about religion and politics, save for the odd bits and bobs here and there. But I owe a lot to my faith.

A very good friend of mine is essentially Christian but believes in reincarnation.

All a chat for another day. At least from my end.

God bless.

I too usually avoid debates about religion, but my original question was genuine. When I found out that religious education was compulsory, I really was curious to know if it was taught as fact.

Wasn't a dig at you, sir. Was just responding to what I gathered to be feedback from BangBang about how he thought I would react to a point on religion.

Jesus didn't say "you must follow me else"; he said 'I am the way to Heaven and you can choose after seeing what you have seen, reading what you have read and hearing what you have heard whether you want to follow me'

Again, a debate for another time

Was interested to hear the Pope has declared that atheists can get to heaven. 

This has undermined one of my favourite arguments against evangelistic Christians. 

Still - seems we've a progressive, more open minded leader for one of the biggest religions, which should be a good thing.

In comments likely to enhance his progressive reputation, Pope Francis has written a long, open letter to the founder of La Repubblica newspaper, Eugenio Scalfari, stating that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed their consciences.

Responding to a list of questions published in the paper by Mr Scalfari, who is not a Roman Catholic, Francis wrote: “You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience.

“Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.”

Robert Mickens, the Vatican correspondent for the Catholic journal The Tablet, said the pontiff’s comments were further evidence of his attempts to shake off the Catholic Church’s fusty image, reinforced by his extremely conservative predecessor Benedict XVI. “Francis is a still a conservative,” said Mr Mickens. “But what this is all about is him seeking to have a more meaningful dialogue with the world.”

In a welcoming response to the letter, Mr Scalfari said the Pope’s comments were “further evidence of his ability and desire to overcome barriers in dialogue with all”.

In July, Francis signalled a more progressive attitude on sexuality, asking: “If someone is gay and is looking for the Lord, who am I to judge him?”

[AndrewT]

Was interested to hear the Pope has declared that atheists can get to heaven. 

Cool - me and Kinboshi are going to reserve a VIP table.