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    marye
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    In one of the other topics, one of the folks seemed not to be so sure of the reception he'd get for saying he was a youth minister at his church. In my experience, Deadheads span the full spectrum from Agnostic to Zoroastrian. I've met atheist Deadheads, Muslim Deadheads, Buddhist Deadheads, Catholic Deadheads, Jewish Deadheads, and Wiccan Deadheads. My Deadhead friends are all over the map on this stuff, and as far as I'm concerned one of the real richnesses of the scene is the ability to see how things look to other folks and, sometimes, experience it from their world. Believe it if you need it, if you don't, just pass it on. But talk about it here, and please maintain a safe respectful place to do so.

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  • alligator
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    do/think
    Yup I have to agree richard. "those who don't care for their needy have denied the faith..." paraphrase of verses in timothy I think. Although how we think/believe will determin how we act.pax.
  • richard
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    Saying vs Doing
    Hackster,I agree that what we do carries more weight than what we say or think. James 1:19-27
  • hackster
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    "I think"
    ...people who believe in Christ, and "think" that their way is OK- Matt. 7:21-23
  • KJ7XJ
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    Baptist
    The whole Baptist thing went down when I was elementry age so I cant remember much more than getting up,singing, sitting down, etc... They got into it (dancin) more than us Methodists... lol.. BTW...I did get stoned in the parking lot...of the shows that is...hehe...
  • johnnyg
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    I keep it simple
    Baptized a Christian, and I believe in the holy trinity, however:Church is just as boring now as a 40 year old as it was as a 14 year old. So I found that my soul and spirit received energy through my Other experiences. From The Warfield Theatre to Three Rivers Stadium and all points in between....that was church for me. I live my life in the most basics of principles....an honest and soulful life where kindness dominates and tolerance is a continual process. As Garcia said, "Uncluttered", if you will. “The Omnipotent Grateful Dead!”
  • Jodester
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    Alright!!
    Are you kind? Some great stuff there! Stoned me to my soul! Yep, I agree with Richard on that point, well, that whole post really! The thing is, religions ARE man made. As are political parties. There not so different really. Sure, maybe there are religions around that mean well but I believe most are out to confuse the people in an effort to gain power and wealth. That is the way of the world, like it or not. You see it in any kind of organization. Not many people who have really examined a political parties manifesto would claim they agree 100% with every policy. I'm sure it's the same with religion. Why bother going through other mortals (which can't be possible)? Connect with God directly! Who needs an intermediary? I think a lot of folks just like the company they get from a crowd and like someone to just tell them what to believe. People don't want to make an effort, it's the way it is these days, everything is pre-packaged!
  • richard
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    Dancing in a Baptist Church?
    Obviously NOT Southern Baptist. They would have stoned you in the parking lot. heehee
  • KJ7XJ
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    Religion is....
    Here is a "snip-it" of a article I wrote and read for my congragation. God and Gratitude I have always been a musical person. The earliest time I can remember that this was part of my life was right after the Beatles broke up. I had an older Sears or Montgomery Wards record player and my dad owned copies of Abbey Road and The White Album. I played them until they had scratches on them. When you’re 5 years old record care is right up there with making your bed and cleaning your room. My parents, seeing that I was hooked on Lennon/McCartney, gave me my first guitar around this time. I learned how to play most of The Beatles repertoire and moved onto listening to the radio for more stuff to soak up. I remember realizing that there was a spiritual side of music early on. I was adopted as a baby, and grew up in a home that was filled with artistic opportunities. My mom was raised in the Jewish faith, and her side of the family did all the holidays, and we attended many. My best friend from 3rd grade on was also of the Jewish faith, and I was allowed to go to temple with him on many occasions. So before I was 10, I had the chance to dance and sing under Gods roof. I couldn’t understand Hebrew, but dancing and singing was alright with me. I also had friends in school who were Baptist. I can vividly remember getting up, singing and dancing at church with them. This time I could understand the words too. My dad and his side of the family was protestant, but there was tension between my folks in this area, and I was never really sure which path was for me…. As it goes, I hit the teens and the troubled youth stage. God’s grace would have to wait. I kept playing guitar during these times…. however now that I look back, it kept me out of some serious trouble. As one decade ended and another began, I found The Grateful Dead. (or they found me) This was my first experience of “church” in some ways….it was through the people I met at the concerts (and the lyrics) that I found acceptance and the freedom to be whoever I was. There was something deeply spiritual about this for me, and I think there always will be. I was free to be me….apart from my family, apart from expectations….in this community I was able to figure who I was as an individual. Music brought us together across different backgrounds and life experiences….music unified us all. Life is filled with ironies, and my life is no exception to this….after working for AT & T for many years and being transferred from state to state, I happened to move to Oregon. During this time, something strange happened. I met a woman who was a United Methodist Minister….what a trip! As things unfolded, we began a relationship and things continued to become interesting in a way I never imagined. At first, I was curious about church, but mainly on the sidelines. I attended church events when necessary, but wasn’t into participating on a regular basis. I believed in God, but I wasn’t sure how all that worked out when it came to “religion”. It goes on into some other personal tidbits, but in all I have been married to Denise for 7 years, we have 2 wonderful children, and I look forward to playing guitar on sundays for all..... Eric PS I would love Hunter write something about this....lol...
  • richard
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    God and Religion
    I think a lot of people confuse God with religion. Or, to put it another way, they look to religion to define God. I know I did for a long time. I was unwilling to believe in God until I could find a religion that I thought adequately defined God. I never found one.I now think I know why. God did not invent religion, as we know it. Man did. When I stopped trying to tell God who he ought to be and asked him to show me who he IS, he did. I believe the word Christian comes closest to describing my beliefs about who God is. But I have lots of debates/discussions with my christian friends about what that means. As for religion, the apostle James said "The only religion that is true and pleasing to God is to care for orphans and widows (in other words, people who really need our help) and to keep ourselves from being polluted by this world." Now that is a religion I can get with. Peace, Richard
  • alligator
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    Transcendence.
    I am a Christian and a deadhead. For me the beauty of the Grateful Dead at it's best is that it points away from itself to something transcendent, just like seeing a sunset or forest or the night sky. Just like recieving a letter from someone you love, the paper and the ink are not the end in themselves but it's the person, the mind behind the letter the love in the relationship that really counts. For me when I hear songs like Dark Star and the way Jerry plays guitar, it points to the goodness of the creator. Love to Y'all p.s great forum topic.
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In one of the other topics, one of the folks seemed not to be so sure of the reception he'd get for saying he was a youth minister at his church. In my experience, Deadheads span the full spectrum from Agnostic to Zoroastrian. I've met atheist Deadheads, Muslim Deadheads, Buddhist Deadheads, Catholic Deadheads, Jewish Deadheads, and Wiccan Deadheads. My Deadhead friends are all over the map on this stuff, and as far as I'm concerned one of the real richnesses of the scene is the ability to see how things look to other folks and, sometimes, experience it from their world. Believe it if you need it, if you don't, just pass it on. But talk about it here, and please maintain a safe respectful place to do so.
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I just think that everyone should respect and accept everyone else's opinion and just be kind and gentle with eachother and listen to the Grateful Dead.
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lemme know if you want the new topic started and what you want it called if so...
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could my suggestions be appropriate?....just a little joshing, that's all!!!
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yer scarin' me...
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I'll second Mr. Pid's proposal: "General philosophy...for those who have no use for Religion and don't mind saying so...all points of view are fair game, discussion encouraged, but flaming, hate speech and ad hominem attacks, no." My suggestion for a name is Imagine There's No Heaven.
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means that we accept the concept that there IS one, thus STILL based in Christianity, so personally I vote no to that one for a non-religious philosophy thread. How about: Deep Philosophical Thoughts
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'Life, the Universe and Everything'
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Mark 7:15 "There is nothing that enters a man from outside that can defile him, but the things that come out of him, those are the things that defile him" For example if a guy drinks whiskey and gets sleepy, and another drinks milk and gets mean, which one is sinning?
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for Badger's title! Works for me!
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yeah, i'll go with that too. first post should be why he feels the need to upset people so.........ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!
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I agree because everybody has the right to have any opinion about anything so long as it is kynde and nice.
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badger's gonna go all honeybadger on you one day! :D
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ha ha!!does that mean he "just doesn't give a shit...Cosmic Badger's crazy...he's a bad ass...he just doesn't give a shit"!!!!!!! or does it mean he's going to smother me in sticky nectar and use that long moist tongue of his......
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I think we should be kind and thoughtful and not smother the space set aside for our believing brethren and sistren.
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bland or sulking?!!!!
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Is fine by me. Though we could then just cut to the chase and post "42" and end the discussion right there. I have been staying away from commenting on this thread, as I'm concerned about hijacking it away from its "mission statement" and its intended audience...though it seems the topic seems a bit underutilized lately. I had started working on what was intended as a letter to the editor of my local paper on the subject of government-sponsored prayer, a very hot hot-button issue on the local level these days in my neck of the Bible belt. But the letter turned into a much-too-long essay that I'm guessing wouldn't be accepted as a "guest column." Nearly posted on Facebook, and like the jonaPancake guy here, had second thoughts after I read it over. Still pondering it... Regardless, thanks for all the fish!
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don't you mean ONE fish, singular, gratefaldean? there's enough for 5000 there, surely?........!!!get a loaf of bread off a boy while you're at it! by the way, a spanking new series on the BBC of Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently detective is starting soon. Stephen Mangan is a great actor (all too sadly under-written for since the glorious and must-see Green Wing). and by the way, here would be the perfect place for that letter!! come come deano old bean, reveal all! sounds mighty intriguing to these ears. the words "government sponsored prayer" should NEVER be used in that formation and order, and, if they ever are, a shudder should rattle the spine like an ill-advised stage dive at Black Flag concert. or a Suicidal Tendencies soirée. you're quite right that this topic is "underutilized"; no other fucker seems to post much here, so hijack like a Somali pirate, i say.
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Further thread hijacking-but that TOTALLY excites me! Loved Dirk Gently Holistic Detective sooooooooo much! Thanks for that important info, and will be watching for it
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But then again, maybe we did. Guilty as charged. As for a title, I actually liked "A closer look reveals the human race" because it keeps the Dead lyric topic naming thing going, but it is a bit homo sapiens-centric so I'm good with Brother Badger's suggestion as well. A safe place for us to discuss perspectives on life that aren't deity dependent. Thanks for the props to Mike Edwards as well. At first blush, I liked your title suggestion as well, but there can be no denying that TigerLilly's observation and concerns have merit. As for apologies for past acts of bad faith jonapi, I'm not quite sure I see what the point is. No matter what Mr. Orwell might have suspected, you can't change the past, you can only change the future. I would only hope that those guilty would henceforth moderate their behavior and public posture to at least acknowledge that they and their adherents represent merely one of myriad possible perspectives and proceed accordingly. How is it that they put that thought? Oh yeah. Go, and sin no more.
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> Imagining there's no heaven means that we accept the concept that there IS one Not necessarily, it's easy to imagine a scenario in which heaven was imagined in the first place, but I can see how some people might read the line that way, TigerLilly. I'm not hung up on the name though; I'm a writer, which means I usually get things wrong before I get them right. Plus, it's hard not to like a Douglas Adams line, and especially an inclusive one like Life, the Universe and Everything.
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i'm beginning to doubt my own british humour now! (or else i'm tired, having just learnt of a sad death in the extended family, and have become a victim of my own dry approach to comedy!).i'm not sure what you meant by "past acts of bad faith..." etc., Mr. Pid; were you talking about my comments to CB about "upsetting people"? if so, i was pulling his english leg a little and joking with him!! or am i missing something else? that 5000 thing was because gratefaldean signed off with "thanks for all the fish" so i took a cheap shot and made fun of the feeding of the masses with one fish and a loaf of bread. all of my recent posts have been tongue in cheek and an excuse to be a tad cheeky; a pesky little scamp, nothing more. please don't take anything i say too seriously. i'm usually guilty of being too obtuse; i'm just being a wee prick that's all!! and definitely (or he better be!!), the badger is reveling in maintaining a "bland" stance as a facetious nod to my poor grammar (or grandad!!) in a post i made to his earlier reply!! i got confused and made some schoolboy punctuation-al errors that he's intent on highlighting in a most uncharitable fashion ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! good on 'im!!! that's what i'd do too ha ha!!!
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where the huskies go and don't you eat that yellowcake. The apology reference was (surprisingly on topic!) regarding your apparent and Mr. Hitchen's clear request that the Roman Catholic Church should set about apologizing everywhere to everyone about everything that they'd gotten wrong all these centuries. Really, what exactly is the point of that? Sorry, but that's baggage that they can't have some airline conveniently lose in transit in some far-flung corner of the world. It seems to me that it would be in their best interests to just stop collecting more items from that particular line of cheap Vuitton luggage. Perhaps I'm also guilty of being somewhat obtuse in my references as well, so continuing with that notion, since you raised the spectre of self-flagellation, I like the approach taken by the monks in The Grail. "Blow to the head or boot in the groin? I'll take the blow to the head, please."
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Is about 1100 words at this point. And most of it is just a schoolboy memory of mine. It may see the light of day, but I need to let it ferment a bit, I think, let it stew while I forget about it and then come back to it with fresh eyes. And read what says -- right now I'm reading what I THINK that I wrote, which I often find is not always the same as what I really did write. And the fish line cracked me up...I was still hanging in Douglas Adams-land, and you, Nakanopi, were actually on-topic.
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I was going to make a suggestion that everyone should have a big group hug and a nice cup of tea, but then I decided not to as it might be taken wrongly as a case of the bland leading the partially slighted. By the way, both Douglas Adams and Christopher Hitchens have published instructions for making a perfect cup of tea.
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you really are sulking aren't you, CB?!!!!! Lama-badgo?...... and love the fact that Mary started a new topic and no one has posted there yet for 2 days!! good work everyone!!
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yes, it was a beautiful blue sky day; the hint of hay in the air across the fields, sweet in the nose. spring entering the soul and radiating warmth. basking more appropriate than questioning, no? we must all think alike after all.....
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investigation into the human condition.connection to suffering. introspection and inward peace. science may learn, interact, join and explore.
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moving, thought provoking film featuring the fantastic Anthony Scher, Eddie Marsan and others. in Auschitz, jewish prisoners put God on trial in absentia for abandoning the Jewish people. the question is if God has broken his covenant with the Jeweish people by allowing the Nazis to commit genocide.
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...the so-called "Deadheads for Obama" have zero criticism of their hero for sending drones to Pakistan to kill "brown skin people" when they were so anxious to attack W, and me for supporting him on the old DNC MB, for his war against Islamofascists... J/K, we all know the answer to that question now don't we?
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let's not bother then, eh?!!!!
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see what I said to Pid in the "what would be the answer" thread. :)
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Please confine your trolling to the relevant topics. This is not one of them. Current events might be. Any further such posts here will be deleted.
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Testing, testing, this is just a test. The last post made on this forum on July 4, 2007?Or, am I being foolish on April Fool's? Post #1 on April 1st...Hmm.
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Just wanted to say thank you. I grew a lot from being here. I'm truly sorry for the bad things I've said in the past, but I hope I made people smle too. You sure made me laugh, thank you. So may God bless Bobby, Phil, Mickey, and Bill and all of you with love and peace. - trailbird brian
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I believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I try very hard not to judge others and respect all persons beliefs. That's all, thank you very much Marye and deadnet for the opportunity to express that belief. ...when we make it to the Promised Laaanddd...
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Although Buddhist cultures all over the world celebrate the historical Buddha's milestones in different ways, it is the Tibetans who roll his birth, death and enlightenment into four weeks of celebration in a multifaceted event. On this day the merit from particularly moral acts supposedly increases by a factor of ten million. If you are a believer, as I am, then just tossing a beggar sitting on a city street corner a dollar bill could result in your future rebirth into a particularly wealthy family who would endow you with wealth worth more than $10 million dollars. But, of course, as with most religions, getting rich is not the point. Rather, remembering the historical figure who created massive amounts of good will and good, charitable acts is the real point. As is often said, accomplishing the good of others is providing provision for one's own future life. Shakyamuni Buddha was born over 2500 years ago in Lumbini, Nepal. He grew up a prince in a royal family who married and had a family. Becoming dissatisfied with every material thing and seeing sickness,old age and death convinced him to embark on a spiritual journey that eventually brought him to sit under the Bodhi Tree, unmoving, for seven years by the river Narayan in Bodh Gaya, India until he saw the morning star and became enlightened. He died not far away (relatively) in Kushinigar, India at the age of 82. His last words were: "All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation." Unlike many other religious figures who proclaimed themselves Gods or Sons of God, Shakamuni Buddha simply said for those who were curious it would be best to test his theories and if they worked perhaps they could be put into practice.
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I'm just starting to poke around this forum, not sure how active anyone still is
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Through an unlikely series of events, my sister had a handful of Sunday night tickets to distribute on very short notice. She was pleased to discover that Deadheads really are everywhere. Not knowing how people would respond, she began asking various contacts about their possible interest in tickets, and was surprised at those who immediately replied, "Yes, I will meet you any place at any hour to receive tickets". No one here would be surprised that she would find this response, but she did not who in her range of acquaintances would be those folks. Only on a hunch did she contact her former downstairs neighbor, a person she thought she knew well after many years sharing a building. Or the fellow doing work on her house. Or the friend of our brother, who only found out that our brother was going to the show when did not show up to play guitar with him at church on Sunday morning. Some inquiries and quick calls by the guitar player, just hours before the show, ended up with him learning that, miracle of miracles, Yes, there was one more ticket available. This gets me to thinking that every town in America ought to have an event when Deadheads can come out and get acquainted. I expect that there will be many more Dead nights at pubs and such, but we surely need a way to find each other.
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I love the steal your face with the cross! I am a Catholic deadhead, which seems to stump everyone i know... everyone who isn't a deadhead, that is... i think most people who listen to the music realize that the notes played, pointed onward and outward... towards a bit of the transcendent. Anyways... it's good to see evidence that i'm not alone in loving God and loving the music of the dead:) Seeing the last show in Chicago a few weeks ago brought be back home. Peace and love to you all.