My way of "forwarding"... In memory of my father...

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These are the colors that represent the different cancers.

All you are asked to do is keep this circulating. Even if it's to one more person. In memory of victims and in honor of survivors and families.

A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle.
Please Keep The Candle Going!

It has been one of the most interesting years of my life. I've had regular theological discussions for most of my adult life, but never with such variety, and certainly never from this side of the fence.

One of the things I've tried to do is not make assumptions about what people believe. The labels we give ourselves and each other are so very inadequate at expressing what we really believe. There is so much variety of belief, even within each of the nearly infinite denominations within Christianity, that pigeonholing is not advisable. It's easy to label someone a fundy or a new ager and essentially write them off. It's much more interesting, challenging, and sometimes exhausting to try to dig deeper and see what they really believe and why.

I have constantly run into the certainty brick wall. We are all certain of many things, but I refuse to be certain about the invisible. The problem with many of the God arguments that are made, is that they depend on experiences. I'm glad that you are happy and that you've had experiences you identify as God, but that does not mean I will have those same experiences or even if I do, choose to identify them as God. I try to be kind, but there are times where something appears so ludicrous to me that I laugh. Really, none of us is perfect, we could all be wrong.

It's been a good year, no disasters have befallen me, no local floods or fires, God hasn't tried to smite me yet. Of course the year hasn't been perfect, I experienced the same sorts of events that happened when I was a professing Christian. Work related stress from time to time, family medical issues, etc, etc. Then again, a big book I once read said something like "The rain falls on the wicked and the just.".

Let's see how the next year goes.

This was crossposted at atheistsandchristians.com and merelyadequate.net

This CD is a wonderful combination of great musicianship, terrific song writing, wonderful vocals, and oh yeah, lots of hand raising, foot stomping worship music! There's something for everyone on this CD. Fast, slow, loud, soft, it's all here. The arrangements are lush and really put one into a contemplative mood. Benjamin has been one of my best friends for many years, so you might think I'm biased, but ask any of my friends if I'm afraid to criticize their music. I'm not. One thing about Benjamin, he means every word on this CD. He completely gives his all to God, and this CD shares a little bit of that dedication with all of us, even those of us that don't share Benjamin's faith.

Benjamin Payne - The Way of Truth
It can also be found at digstation.com
I posted this review at cdbaby.com, digstation.com, merelyadequate.net, and atheistsandchristians.com

Some guessed there would be one. Jack Black was exceptionally funny and there were some other good trailers, but the one I cared about wasn't there. Team Ico made Ico and Shadow of The Colossus, two of the best video games of all time, and some guess that they will release a game in 2009. since they are always on a 4 year cycle and Shadow of The Colossus came out in 2005.

Image by Andrea_R via Flickr

Thanks to all who helped and to all who have been excited for me and Robyn. We're totally moved in, I hope to have the whole house set up by the time Robyn leaves on the 9th of November.

I got the server and my laptop set up and am still trying to pair up all the power adapters with my main computer's equipment. The three TVs are hooked up as are the Tivo and DVD Player. Still have tons of boxes to go through. Mom, Dad, and Laurie have been working feverishly to help me set everything up, and when Robyn arrived, she jumped right in. We've been having lots of fun! Laurie is the queen of furniture assembly! She rocks! Mom has been so wonderful at cleaning and organizing. Dad has been Mr. Handyman! He's been installing and repairing and of course helping with the heavy lifting too!

I'll post some pics later. I woke up at 3 a.m. on Sunday morning feeling awful, with my head all congested. I hope I feel better tomorrow for work or I may be using my first sick day. :-(

Moving is exhausting! I sure don't miss the stairs of death at the old apartment though!

Here are some pictures:

Extreme, fanatical, fundamentalist belief in their version of a god led those men to commit those deeds that day. Was John Lennon right? Would it have been different if those men hadn't been religious fanatics? What if there were no countries or possessions? Would they have found another reason to attack? We'll never know. All we can do is live our lives and try to be a positive influence in the world. We need to educate people, but how does one educate religious fanatics? How does one educate people that refuse to listen? How does one speak to a group so extreme that they see human life as worth no more than bricks and mortar used to wall themselves off from the world?

I don't know, but I will never forget that day.

Overall, I would say life is good. :-)

Tyrone Fitzpatrick - 7:31 AM on July 25, 2008 ONLY IN CANTON,LOL.HOW RETARTED ! !

Really, if you're going to call something retarded you should at least spell it correctly. ;-)

From Cectic.com

It's odd to me that I do not attack their character and yet they attack mine, that somehow does not seem very Christian to me. I have some wonderful Christian friends and family. I have also made new Christian friends who I have met through various web sites.

I began this post yesterday and am continuing it today. Today I asked Dan a simple question. "Do you think I'm telling the truth when I say I don't believe God exists" his response: "In a word...No." I've given Dan no reason to call me a liar so I told him so and then unsubscribed from his blogs and comments from his blog.

I don't call Christians liars for believing in God, yet some of them are so sure of their belief that they would call unbelievers liars for saying they don't believe in the Christian God. I guess I understand this because I felt the same way when I was a Christian, though I never accused anyone of lying. I felt they had fooled themselves, not that they were flat out lying.

I understand this anger against atheists, I was pissed off when atheists attacked Jesus too, when I was a Christian, but I was pissed off at individuals not all atheists. Even then I knew that not all atheists made their business attacking Christ.

I loved being a Christian, I didn't have any negative experiences, I just began to look at other things in the world, and wondering how if so many others believed so sincerely then how could I think their sincerity was somehow less than mine? I began to really look for evidence of God in my life, I began to really listen to see if I was truly hearing God's voice or if it was just my own. To this day I still pray from time to time: "God, if you are real, please let me know."

I never wanted to be an atheist. I just had to be honest about no longer believing.

Westboro Baptist Church (WBC Chronicles - Since 1955) 3701 SW 12th St. Topeka, Kansas 66604 785-273-0325 GodHatesFags.com Religious Opinion and Bible Commentary on Current Events Tuesday, June 24, 2008 NEWS RELEASE GOD KILLED POTTY-MOUTH COMEDIAN GEORGE CARLIN, AND CAST HIM FORTHWITH INTO HELL. George Carlin is now in Hell, and it is irrelevant that George Carlin boasted that he did not believe in Hell when he lived on earth. Be assured, Carlin believes in Hell now. Like the rich man the Lord Jesus told about in Luke 16, who died; "and in Hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus (the beggar on earth), that he may dip the tip ofhis finger in water, and cool mytongue; for I am tormented in this flame." Lk. 16:23,24. When told that he could not have a drop ofwater, for ever, though tormented in flames, he begged for somebody to rise from the dead and preach to his kinfolk, lest they also die and come to this place of torment. George Carlin - the filthy blasphemer - the obscene potty-mouth skeptic, agnostic, and profane atheist - who had nothing but disdain for God and the Bible all the days of his tragic life - is now, at this minute and for ever writhing and screaming in exquisite pain - pleading for mercy from that God he flipped off while performing for HBO for lucre. Carlin made lots of money making fun ofGod; now he must deal with God - face to face - for ever. "The Lord thy God repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them; he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face." Deut. 7:10. When Carlin died yesterday (June 22) he split Hell wide open at once; as it is written: "Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? The worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee." Isa. 14:9,10. Two fellow perverts scrambled to report the news, both of whom will no doubt in due time join Carlin and his buddies in Hell; to wit: Lying Propagandist Keith Olbermann; and fellow filth-monger Jerry Seinfeld. All these and more are typical, antichristic American loud mouths and spindoctors. Westboro Baptist Church exists to publish Gospel Truth, and to thereby expose Satanic lies. George Carlin is in Hell. Deal with it. You will soon join him. America is Doomed. We will picket George Carlin's funeral. Amen.

I don' t think the folks at the Westboro Babptist Church realize that they are the goats in the parable of the sheep and the goats, and that if there is a hell, they are surely going there. IN case you don't know them by name, these are the "God Hates Fags" folks that picket the funerals of gays, soldiers killed in the war, and celebrities.

Matthew 25:31-46

25:31 "But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
25:32 Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
25:33 He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
25:34 Then the King will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
25:35 for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in.
25:36 I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.'
25:37 "Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?
25:38 When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?
25:39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?'
25:40 "The King will answer them, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers{The word for "brothers" here may be also correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."}, you did it to me.'
25:41 Then he will say also to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;
25:42 for I was hungry, and you didn't give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;
25:43 I was a stranger, and you didn't take me in; naked, and you didn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'
25:44 "Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn't help you?'
25:45 "Then he will answer them, saying, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of the least of these, you didn't do it to me.'
25:46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Now I should explain: on my left and right rear back seat windows I have stickers that say Never Forget September 11th! I put them in the car I was driving back in 2001 and put them in this car when I bought it in 2004. On the rear window I have two stickers, the first is this one:

The second says: "If religious groups want to be part of the government they should pay taxes" or something similar, my apologies for not running out to the car to check. ;-)

I'm guessing their objection was to the End This War sticker.

My first thought was "If they are so firm in their belief why didn't they sign it?" My second thought was, "Oh! They're a coward!, Silly me. ;-) "

The scariest thing I didn't notice till I scanned it in: it was written on a seating chart! This ignorant person is probably a teacher! Now, I have no problem with people who support the war in Iraq, obviously Saddam Hussein was a bad guy and someone needed to to do something about him, but what I do have a problem with is any attempt to tie Iraq to 9-11, that is just sheer ignorance. I fully support U.S. activities in Afghanistan, if they can bring in Osama Bin Laden and string him up I will dance on his grave, the war in Afghanistan is not the one I oppose. The Iraq war, on the other hand, has brought nothing but sorrow to everyone involved. I'm glad the surge seems to be working, because anything that can stop the killings of American soldiers and innocent Iraqi's is a good thing, but using 9-11 or imaginary WMDs as an excuse to be there is just plain wrong. Al-Qaeda wasn't even a blip on Iraq's radar before Bush's attack and subsequent result:

With Iraq's infrastructure destroyed the terrorists could run free and wreak havoc killing thousands of US troops and Iraqi civilians.

War on terrorism in Afghanistan is good, creating a terrorist breeding ground in Iraq is bad. As of this posting there are still 209 days until this murdering, useless, bastard of a president is out of office, and it can't come too soon as far as I'm concerned.

Thank you, good night, and good luck.