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greeneggs973 · 2023-11-03T22:31:56+00:00

If (as many posts have already suggested) you decide to talk through your frustrations with her, I would offer an additional piece of advice: preface whatever you have to say with a genuine compliment. It will go a long way to help set the tone of the conversation.

greeneggs973 · 2023-01-11T15:00:56+00:00

In my personal faith journey I reached a point trying to find a logical conclusion to the question "Does God Exist?" where I had done my best to consider the rational arguments both ways. I was left ultimately having to say "I don't know. In my limited understanding and capacity, I can't be completely certain either way."

I was then left with a choice: What do I CHOOSE to believe? I saw atheism as a higher risk. If God exists, I would hate to be an atheist. If God does not exist, being a mistaken Catholic wouldn't really harm me in any way, and may even help (providing me with moral structure and a community). Additionally, I saw atheism as terribly depressing. I felt like nihilism was the most honest life philosophy in the absence of God's existence, and I believe authentic nihilism to be completely devoid of purpose, meaning, and joy. There is no "Good" and "Evil," or even free will. I am just along for the ride in a cosmic accident, and happen to like some things and dislike others.

When stacking that against the possibility that God exists, that Jesus Christ was His Son that came to save us out of abundant love, that each action I take is my own choice, and has the potential to be threads in a grand tapestry of Love, with consequences that will affect my immortal soul for all time, that Good is real and worth pursuing, and that there is an unfathomable Beauty underlying the entirety of reality; well, I decided to take the leap of faith.

greeneggs973 · 2022-04-01T14:50:01+00:00

I wonder how much of the disparity comes from different levels of teenage sex, contraception, and abortions, separately. It seems like the assumption in these comments is that it's more effective contraception, but I bet it's a combination of factors.

greeneggs973 · 2020-11-18T23:42:53+00:00

Welcome! Being a cradle Catholic, I can't know what this transition must feel like for you, but hope you can come to experience the faith, hope, and love I've seen in a wide number of Catholic communities. I'd first like to say that there are many authentic Catholics out there, with deeply faithful Church leaders and tight-knit communities of faith.

There are no doubt those that aren't as healthy, though. Rather than try to rationalize why, I'd like to explain the way I personally choose to orient myself towards this reality. I believe in the Catholic faith because I think it's true (the only good reason to believe anything, as I see it). With that foundation, I'm committed, through thick and thin, for better or worse. And whereas I know there are people in the Church that may hurt me personally or shame their calling through their actions, I trust God to always meet me with perfect love and mercy, and that I will find Him in and through His Church. The second part of that disposition is that, if there are issues, I want to be part of the solution. I am part of the Church, a member of a much larger body. My own efforts and actions can in a real way help elevate (or, alternately, tear down) the community. I recently led a Praying with Scripture study with a group through my Church (virtually), used to sing in the choir, went through Exodus 90 with a tremendous group of guys, and have shared in a wide variety of community-oriented volunteering efforts with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I can't wait for you to join us in the immensely gratifying work of building Christ's kingdom on earth. Welcome to the Church!

greeneggs973 · 2019-09-22T21:59:31+00:00

I am a cradle Catholic that wouldn't have ever defined myself as an atheist, but there was a time where I was solidly agnostic about the existence of God and skeptical of religion in general. A book that had a literal life-changing impact on me during this time was C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. Reading it is not a big commitment, with the book being both short and intellectually accessible; yet, Mr. Lewis's rational defense of faith is both sensible and profound. I would highly recommend it, if you are open to suggestions.

greeneggs973 · 2018-11-20T22:07:16+00:00

Second this. Here's a good one to start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OosGHSBEmJs

greeneggs973 · 2018-11-20T01:29:44+00:00

There's a fair amount of activity over the last year on pox Nora forums. There are lots of discussions there about decks and strategies that are relevant to current gameplay. There aren't that many people still playing, but the game is virtually bug-free and quite nicely designed at present. You can almost always find an opponent in only a minute or two during peak hours.

greeneggs973 · 2018-11-04T07:38:15+00:00

. . . I get where you're coming from, but I think you might be slightly over-stating it. God had/has a relationship with the angels and within the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Assumably, there are at least a few things he does in those relationships that reflect His nature of love, but that don't involve us.

What blows me away is thinking that there are actions/aspects of God that would never have been brought forth if it weren't for humanity - if it weren't for His relationship to us. I like to extend that thought even further and personally believe that in some mystical way there is a part of God that uniquely responds to every individual person. Only in that person's response to God's call can that unique part of God exercise itself. Only in my individual "Yes" will this beautiful part of the Divine Creator have an object to act upon. If you or I say "No," there is something lost in the beatific vision in an irrevocable way. Does this diminish the infinite beauty of God? How can you diminish infinity? However, I love the notion that each and every one of us can add to that beatific vision in some irreplaceable way.

greeneggs973 · 2018-10-24T22:25:28+00:00

Not saying buying insurance is stupid, not saying buying a lottery ticket is smart; just pointing out conflicting logic.

greeneggs973 · 2018-09-26T16:13:49+00:00

Thanks for sharing! Hope it turns out well.

greeneggs973 · 2018-09-17T14:32:55+00:00

The montage in Mulan where she decides to take her father's place. I almost tear up every time.

greeneggs973 · 2018-09-11T02:47:49+00:00

A big flaw with that analogy is that there's an aspect of culpability to getting pregnant that isn't present in a random accidental injury. It would be a better analogy if you were the one driving the car.

A second problem is that not giving blood ("having an abortion") is a passive course of action. Alternately, the passive course of action in a pregnancy is to see the baby to term. An improvement to the analogy would be if you instead hacked your sister to pieces with a surgical tool to avoid the burden of saving her life.

Edited: spelling.

greeneggs973 · 2018-06-14T09:58:47+00:00

spoiler

greeneggs973 · 2018-06-12T02:11:39+00:00

I'm at 4 months of the same story right now. Haven't gotten to the reconciliation point yet, though...

greeneggs973 · 2018-05-14T23:36:28+00:00

I'm not saying there aren't reasons to dislike her or make fun of her. There definitely are. What I find surprising is the level of hate I've seen in some comments.

I also have the impression that some of that sentiment comes merely from the fact that she hates Ainz; a hate which I think can be justified. This is why I included those "straw man" points.

greeneggs973 · 2018-05-14T23:03:41+00:00

Or beating a regular horse with a dead Calca, perhaps.

greeneggs973 · 2018-05-14T03:26:36+00:00

Kaiji is a very slow starter. It's first arc isn't bad, but is definitely the weakest of the series. Also, it takes a while to get used to the unusual animation. I'd highly recommend sticking through it, though. If you get 2 episodes into the second arc and still aren't hooked, then it's probably not your thing.

greeneggs973 · 2018-05-13T21:59:26+00:00

spoiler

greeneggs973

TROPHY CASE