God or no God?

[el Guapo]

We have explored the political spectrum and we are all still friends. So let’s hang it way out there into an area that is so fundamental, yet often ignored in polite conversation. Is there a God, a deity, a Supreme Being or combination of supreme beings, a trinity, or perhaps it is just "the force?"

We are often accused of being “Godless Planners.” Are we?

 

[NHPlanner]

As the recipient of the Soviet 5-Year Planning Award, it may surprise you to know that I'm a life-long Roman Catholic...though one that doesn't always agree with the church.

In my days in college, there was a surge in "faith-based" community development initiatives (this was in Indiana)...several of my classmates now work for such organizations. God is alive and well in neighborhood level planning.

 

[Tranplanner]

I wouldn't say He is for chumps and losers, but I don't think there is a supreme being. That being said, I put "I really don't know" just to cover my ass in case...

My fiancee is catholic, so we're going to church on a regular basis so we can get married there (can't wait for the marriage classes to start!). I don't mind going that much, and since the service is in French, I get to work on my language skills.

Tabernac!

 

[NHPlanner]

Tranplanner wrote:

Tabernac!

WOW...flashback to my days as a camp counselor where all the Quebequois kids would say that among other things...



French Canadian cursing....if nothing else it's creative....

 

[el Guapo]

Steve Martin's line:

While standing in front of the Pearly Gates: "They told me in college all of this was bullshit."

I'll admit too much Ayn Rand as an undergraduate, too much exposure to other religions which are fundamentally incompatable with each other's story, and too much cosmolgy/physics readings have put a mojo on my head.

I' don't know. But I know the question is very important.

I was hoping one of you had the answer.

 

[muccapazza]

Guapo, if any of us had the answer, do you think we'd all become planners?

 

[Downtown]

I was in the "I don't know" category, but I could really get behind the idea of reincarnation and kharma.

Tranplanner - why don't you just go for the One Day Super Cana? Granted, it is a really sucky way to spend a whole Saturday, but at least it gets it out of the way. God bless the Unitarians - where we got married, I think they would have been supportive had we elected to sacrifice live chickens as a part of our ceremony.

 

[Chet]

Well....

I thought I was a good - albeit not practicing - Roman Catholic until the other day when a friend mentioned the Apostles Creed, and I replied, "What's that?".

Seriously, I left the Church in 1988 when my niece was born and my sister wanted me to be the Godfather. The priest refused because I was not practicing (i.e. DONATING). After a hissy fit by my sister followed up with her $75 donation they agreed to let me be the Godfather.

I would have respected the religion if they wouldn't have caved in to the cash. It's bad enought they're all pedophiles, but now I think they're whores too.

 

[muccapazza]

How do you REALLY feel, bturk?

 

[NHPlanner]

KMateja wrote:
Tranplanner - why don't you just go for the One Day Super Cana? Granted, it is a really sucky way to spend a whole Saturday, but at least it gets it out of the way.

Did that a couple of months ago...except it was from Friday night until Sunday afternoon (I almost missed the Patriots beat the Steelers in the AFC Championship game!)

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be...but a lot of the stuff was old news for my fiance and I...since we've been "living in sin" for a little bit more than a year now....see....I told you I don't agree with all that is catholic.

 

[Tranplanner]

We're living in sin too. We're signed up for the weekend course (I think it's two Saturdays in a row or something). I couldn't do the 6 week evening course as it fell on my hockey night!

NHPlanner - I'm impressed! How do you abstain while living in sin?!

 

[NHPlanner]

Tranplanner wrote:
We're living in sin too. We're signed up for the weekend course (I think it's two Saturdays in a row or something). I couldn't do the 6 week evening course as it fell on my hockey night!

NHPlanner - I'm impressed! How do you abstain while living in sin?!

Two words: Jack Daniels

 

[el Guapo]

Living in sin?

My Hindu wife and I (both in our 30's) took Catholic Boot Camp on a Friday through Sunday Afternoon. The priest looked 13 and kept telling us how natural everything was. Father Opie was our spiritual guide into the sacrament of marriage.

I just loved the vaginal mucus lectures and the crying "examples of natural family planning" couples that were to be our role models. Just about the worst weekend of my life. I did learn that as a couple we could gut out misery together. Instead of filling out the emotopages I drew pictures of machine guns. I especially liked being hit up for more money before it was over. As if we did not give up enough of our souls to the church.

Bturk this punch line is for you: "Well now son, why didn't you mention the dog was Catholic!"

 

[Cardinal]

I'm a practicing Deist. I gave up religion many years ago. Personally, I have no opinion on it. Let the free market decide.

Michael Stumpf - winner of the "Leave me alone to make a profit" Award

 

[Chet]

No God would let THIS happen!

I guess Jesus was late for Mass, speeding in his bitchin Camaro, and didn't see the little guy...

 

[Richi]

Beturk- It had to be Kali 'cause Jesus would never drive a Camaro. He a Ford man.

 

[Habanero]

I guess

Easter is cancelled? SWEET! NO CHURCH! Who wants to go drinking on Saturday night and sleep in?

 

[Dan]

WWJD -- What Would Jesus Drive? He's not involved in that Ford versus Chevrolet feud, for He loves all vehicles. However, He has to pick one ... a vehicle that won't label Him as a Pharisee, a vehicle that is unpretentious, basic ...

 

[Chet]

Would God let this happen?

I think someone snuck this in when he wasn't looking....

 

[Dan]

Not the God I know. I think He (or She, or whatever the deity may consider itself) is too great, too ... well, the only way I can explain it is that God is to humans as we are to ants. Ants see the work of humans, and experience evidene of its presence, but it's on a level that they can't comprehend. They don't see us and think "look ... a human!" Likewise, an ant can't speak for a human, can't even begin to explain what's on our mind. Same thing with humans and God, and I've given up on attempting to second-guess the deity. God just is, and someday we may understand.

In the meantime, the folks in Topeka who speak for God with regards to the sexual preferences of some people are as foolish as the ants that understand humanity.

Incidentally, I'm Lutheran on paper, but when I attend church it's usually a Unitarian-Universalist or United Church of Christ service.

 

[gkmo62u]

who said planners weren't godless communists?

isn't there some country song that goes "you gotta believe in somthing or you'll fall for anything?"

I am Roman Catholic, by the way. Catholic School, Jesuit--College, the whole nine yards. I try to separate their social teachings from the liturgical.

I will chime in on the pre-marriage stuff.

Wife is episcopal and we attended a weekend long "Engaged Encounter" where we were asked to be "life-givers" instead of "life-takers." Oh yeah, I remember now, we did write in notebooks all weekend.

Truely bizarre.

We ended up actually having a cool marriage ceremony with BOTH a Catholic Priest and Episcopal Priest. Worked out, pleased both families.

Religion talk makes me uncomfortable, lets get back to politics or Baseball or whatever.

George

 

[biha]

I just KNOW there's something else out there. I once saw the complete and total explanation of the Universe while I was under the influence of excessive amounts of whippets (Nitrous Oxide for you believers). Problem was, I kept on coming down from the whippet high and losing this thread of alternative reality. Perhaps it was the brain cells I lost along the way that caused me to lose the vision . . .

 

[Jen]

I believe in sword wielding angels of mercy

Im not an atheist or agnostic. Maybe a secular humanist that believes in miracles? You want religious Confessions? Grew up in a large catholic family, friends were mostly other catholics or jews. My SO grew up in a very conservative Dutch Christian Reformed Church in Chicago. No dancing, ever, no picnics on Sunday. We married finally with the blessing of our parents. In a oak grove in a Broward Co Park. Pastor Dan, an evangelical preacher with an Elvis pomade did the nuptials. His daughter was a good friend , too bad she missed the wedding, was in rehab out of state.

We've never gone to church as a couple, He refuses to kneel and I will not have nosy churchy people inspecting my house. SO my kids have been blessed and prayed over a thousand times by me, but no ordained ministetress has sprinkled vinegar on them. Are they going to hell? - That makes me feel guilt sometimes.

 

[Chet]

The Catholic Church & Sex Offender Notifications

This is a great article from an outstanding website:


www.satirewire.com/news/march02/egan.shtml

 

[petrushka]

I steadfastly refuse to give my entire reason for being over to a supposed entity that refuses to present itself to me, for questioning, in a guise or form that I recognize and am comfortable with. I believe in the power of the collective subconscious as it is governed by the laws of the natural world as a whole. I belive that we are guided by the collective to meet certain people at certain times of our lives, and guided to both experience and do certain things when the time has come for us to experience or do those things. I believe that our decisions, as we stand at crossroads, govern the outcome of our lives. The existence of "God" ,as it has been given to us in scripture and otherwise, is incorrect. "God" refers to the capacity to follow one's course. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[boiker]

Re: I guess

TexasPlanner wrote:
Easter is cancelled? SWEET! NO CHURCH! Who wants to go drinking on Saturday night and sleep in?

I'll drink to that.

are all planners alcoholics?

are all alcoholics planners?

 

[Downtown]

boiker - i think that it would be fair to say that most planners have or have had "a bit of a tippler's way" at some point. at least all the ones I know, anyway.

 

[giff57]

My City Admin, refers to us as "drunken planners" after he saw the pub crawl on the agenda for the Upper Midwest APA conference in Madison a couple of years ago.

 

[Chet]

SO what about APA Chicago?

giff57 wrote:
My City Admin, refers to us as "drunken planners" after he saw the pub crawl on the agenda for the Upper Midwest APA conference in Madison a couple of years ago.

--Anyone doing the Blues Pub Crawl on Monday?

 

[NHPlanner]

Of course....must uphold the stereotypes!

 

[Chet]

NH Planner...

... first we have Sunday's Inaugural Cyburbia Night at House of Blues, then we have Monday's Pub Crawl... If I'm alive on Tuesday I will be cursing this damned forum!

 

[NHPlanner]

Re: NH Planner...

bturk wrote:
... first we have Sunday's Inaugural Cyburbia Night at House of Blues, then we have Monday's Pub Crawl... If I'm alive on Tuesday I will be cursing this damned forum!

Isn't your session w/ Prudence on Tuesday?

:x

 

[Chet]

Re: Re: NH Planner...

NHPlanner wrote:


Isn't your session w/ Prudence on Tuesday?

:x

Yes, provided we are out of detox

 

[NHPlanner]

Tuesday APA Session

bturk wrote:


Yes, provided we are out of detox

Come on...your session isn't until 2:30PM...plenty of time to sober up.

 

[giff57]

Re: SO what about APA Chicago?

bturk wrote:


--Anyone doing the Blues Pub Crawl on Monday?

Not me, I'm not paying $35 for that...the one in Madison was free. Rest assured that I will be drinking somewhere though.

 

[adaptor]

dead thread?

Just wanted to pass this opinion along.