I have an idea for a new thread...

[TNT1]

http://mytechroom.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/space_jam_bill.jpg

[TNT1]

The point of our church is not to offend, but understand it is bound to happen. Most of us in the Church of FSM are not anti-religion, and we have many Pastafarians who are active members of mainstream religions. Part of what we’re doing here is questioning ideas considered rude to question. Or, knocking down religion a peg – however you want to look at it. We think it’s a dangerous situation for institutions and ideas to be above scrutiny.

 

At the risk of spoiling the “Save Your Heathen Soul” joke, I’ll explain it. You see, Christians often threaten nonbelievers with THEIR hell-place for various sins or sinful lifestyles – either explicitly, or indirectly, or in a judging veiled-friendliness sort of way. But nonbelievers DON’T BELIEVE IN YOUR HELL. Aside from the fact that we find it offensive the idea that we need a rulebook to define our morality, it is a strange proposition to be invited to believe in scripture in order to be saved from a consequence of it. The “Save Your Heathen Soul” joke is a nod to other nonbelievers who have experienced this phenomenon.

 

But, I honestly like Christians, the majority of those I know – and my experience in running the Church of the FSM has only increased my opinion of Christians (really). I believe that the majority of Christians are thoughtful and open-minded, and that most are members of churches partly because of a belief in God, and partly because of the social benefits and community that being part of a church allows. I get a ton of emails from thoughtful Christians who understand what we’re doing here at the Church of FSM – people like you who don’t approve of the abuses perpetrated in the Name of God.

 

So, understand that around here there is an effort not to offend people, but at the same take a hard look at the strange business of religion. And in this way we give Glory to The Almighty Flying Spaghetti Monster, the one and only True God, who someday I hope Touches you with His Noodly Appendage so that you may know His Loving Embrace.

 

(FSM= Flying Spaghetti Monster)

Edited May 12, 2011 by TNT1

[TNT1]

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:

1. Respect for self

2. Respect for others

3. Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

[TNT1]

Imagine that you are a 4-year old and you have just been given a choice:

 

- you can have one marshmallow immediately

 

- OR you can have two marshmallows if you wait 15 minutes.

 

Those children who at age 4 did not delay gratification --- they grabbed a marshmallow immediately --- were followed up at age 16, and now during adolescence they were:

 

- less able to deal with the frustrations of life

 

- more apt to back down from challenges and difficulties

 

- less self-reliant and assertive

 

- less socially confident and effective

 

- less dependable and trustworthy.

 

Imagine that you are an 8th grader and you have just been given a choice:

 

- you can have $1.00 right now

 

- OR you can have $2.00 if you wait until next week to get it.

 

The inability to delay gratification --- to wait until next week to get $2.00 --- is a far better predictor of poor academic performance than is IQ.

 

As a nation, we scoff at delayed gratification --- our (USA's) current financial deficit stands at $13,683,993,569,372! (And it has increased an average of $4.14 billion per day for the past 3 years.) Spending cuts? --- that would mean someone would have to do without – someone would have to sacrifice.

 

In a Newsweek listing released this fall of the 100 most successful nations in the world, the U.S. did not even make the top 10.

 

A recent report has identified the U.S. as having the weakest families in the western world.

 

I recently scanned the dozen or so top marriage and family textbooks, and only 2 of them discussed the role of sacrifice in love relationships --- and only 1 of these 2 talked about sacrifice as having a positive role in love. [The other 1 emphasized that if you sacrifice, you are apt to become a martyr and to be taken advantage of by your partner.]

 

Let me make it clear --- sacrifice is vital if you want love to thrive.

 

Watching-out-for-yourselfism doesn’t work.

 

Something-for-nothingism may apply in the world of in-loveness [Love? Or Being In Love?], but not in love.

 

How often are the love marshmallows waiting for us to simply reach out and grab one?

 

- In those moments when you can respond to the one you love with kindness or with nastiness

 

- At those times when the coy come-ons of a co-worker display a blatant disregard for the fact that you are already in a committed relationship

 

- When you have to choose how you will respond to your partner's need to talk --- with interest or with indifference

 

- When your former lover flirtatiously befriends you on Facebook, even though they know you are attached

 

Like the 4-year old, we can reach out and grab a marshmallow anytime we want.

 

But not without a price.

 

Something-for-nothingism does not work in love.

 

Hah, you think it's America's problem? Wake up.

Edited May 12, 2011 by TNT1

[ThePubSA]

[ThePubSA]

[ThePubSA]

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[Slowbee]

Guys...this thread has been great with all its twists and turns and a few edits.

 

Please do not make it into a flesh thread. It will be closed.

[sampie]

TNT, you know there was a guy in the bible also trying his best to do harm to Christians, he then became one of the biggest Christians.This is your way of seeking attention and help, so yes, there is still hope for you.

[ThePubSA]

[Scooterza]

TNT, you know there was a guy in the bible also trying his best to do harm to Christians, he then became one of the biggest Christians.This is your way of seeking attention and help, so yes, there is still hope for you.

 

If you read TNT's posts, you will see that he has repeatedly said he is NOT trying to harm christians or christianity - just trying to make the point that NOTHING should be above question. This includes your religion or your neighbours or the any other religion.

 

This doesn't mean that one should be able to be intentionally insulting but many religious people (not only Christians) seem to think that you cannot ask them hard questions about their faith without it being insulting. Why is this? Perhaps their "faith" is not as rock solid as they would like to have you believe and as such, when you start to poke it, you reveal it to be the facade it always was?

[intern]

TNT, you know there was a guy in the bible also trying his best to do harm to Christians, he then became one of the biggest Christians.This is your way of seeking attention and help, so yes, there is still hope for you.

 

That's awfully condescending and seems to indicate that TNT is not the one for whom we should have hope. After all, if we assume his Pastafarianism is trivial rather than devout, he appears to have left fairy tales in childhood. Something that many others have failed to do, persistently believing in the most fantastic nonsense.

[TNT1]

Guys...this thread has been great with all its twists and turns and a few edits.

 

Please do not make it into a flesh thread. It will be closed.

 

Yeah, what slowone said.

[Tumbleweed]

 

This is me out on a ride…

[Tumbleweed]

My friend snapped this pic of me on the dunes…

 

 

[Tumbleweed]

I'd lost a bit of weight by the time I got to the sea…