Danospano's Cliff Notes on Life

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Danospano

Refugee
Joined
Jun 24, 2000
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1,415
Location
Oklahoma
Since I became a member of interference.com I?ve posted over 600 opinions, questions, and theories. I?ve never had a chance, nor the time to compile my universal opinion on life, so tonight, as I sit here awake at 2:24am, I will attempt to express my inner-workings.
I?m not what you would call a ?smart man?. I don?t acclaim to be better than most people. I don?t claim to be wise, old mind. What I do profess to is the idea that I?m better than I give myself credit for. I see things differently than most people, yet I feel confident in my assumption that my opinions are often in line with the silent majority; those people that simply don?t care about life (politics, spirituality, etc) and never feel compelled to express their opinions. This apathy is most likely due to a preconceived notion that their opinions are useless and worthless in a world full of backdoor dealings, and an insurmountable amount of greed and corruption. How else could you explain Americans (to be as general as possible) attitude toward their very lives that are going nowhere fast.
I want to bring forth my opinions on the following areas of life: Religion, politics, love, sports, entertainment, and the realities of living, which basically fits everything else into one, concise category.
Religion: This topic is perhaps the most controversial of all life?s mysteries. There?s Christianity, the Nation of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Agnosticism, and the list could go on and on forever. We all know that the best way to cover this category is to simply say, ?to each his/her own?. My theory is that nobody knows what will happen after each of us dies and enters the ?second phase of life?, so the discussion is moot. That?s it. You don?t know what the true faith is, and neither do I. Got it? It?s that simple. We can argue ?til the cows come home, but the fact will always remain that nobody knows what God is, or what God wants. Each religion, which I might add was created by a group of MEN, not women (which should eliminate most, if not all credibility) is based on a human interpretation, and nothing else. God did not write one word of any of these religion?s doctrines. Doesn?t it seem that God would actually write his word. Isn?t ?he? all-knowing? Doesn?t he have the ability to tell his creation how to live? Why haven?t these question been put to rest. The answer is obvious: It can?t be answer.
Everything dealing with the concept of religion revolves around control. It?s mind-control. It?s telling people what to do to be absolved from sin. It tells you what you can and can?t say, what you can and can?t do. It?s the purest form of human manipulation, and ignoring this will lead you to a life of denial. This is true. This is the gospel of Danospano. You don?t think my gospel has merit? Well, guess what? God came before me last night, and told me to write this bullshit. How do like them apples? You don?t like those thoughts? You?re going to hell. Why? Because you?re not following the ?TRUE? gospel.
Get my point? I couldn?t make it anymore simple.
Main Point: Believe in yourself. Believe in living in peace and harmony with your fellow man and woman. Not because you?re ?Bible? tells you to, but because that?s the only way to exist without constant fear of war and murder. Do it because for all we know you might only have one life to live, and deploring your barbaric tendencies will make you stronger and create relaxation and tranquility within your community.
Politics: This is a topic that by definition deals with the study of power struggles. That?s all you need to know. The power of who?s fucking who, and how. (Don?t you love how I use those dirty words? Those words that make small children giggle, and make Christian fundamentalists gasp). I used to think that politics was just the word people used to describe their President?s party, his policies, his beliefs, etc. I thought the word referred to the way things were in Washington. The way things got done. Today, however, I think of the word negatively. I think of illegal, smarmy, corruption, under-the-table dealings and smooching. Basically, how can we spin a story so that the mass collection of constituents won?t get too angry and overthrown our system of screwing the people out of their money and livelihood.
Politics in American, to be more specific, but could be applied to pretty much any worldly power, is in the hands of few puppets who do the bidding for the ruling class, the bourgeois, the upper-crust, the Bill Gates, the Kenneth Lays?, the top 1%. These elitist puppet masters control every government in every country. These men and women who have sold their soul or have compromised their beliefs in the name of power determine every decision that affects your social life. (Remember the mentioning of power struggles earlier in this post).
If you want justice. If you want freedom. Brothers and sisters, it?s too late, and if you think you?ll ever get it, you?re kidding yourself. No matter how we look at any government, the rich will always take control of its direction. Money talks, it will always talk. So the only way to change things is to live in another world. A world where GOD deems man to an elevated state of mind, where money isn?t the end-all, where love conquers all, and where greed isn?t a word or concept.
I have learned these things, the hard way. I used to think there was hope for humanity, but it?s too late. There never was and there never will be an escape from their destination. We?re all living on a dead end street, where we hope there will be an answer, a positive answer.
This lack of knowledge can be seen if our politically correct language. We hope that if we simply ignore the truth, we?ll prosper and achieve levity and greater understanding and civility. If we change the way we talk, we?ll change the way we think. We?ll I must admit that it?s a valiant effort, but human nature hasn?t changed in 5000 years, and it?s changin? now.
Main Point: Politics has taught us to turn off our minds. We all know that government can?t change things for the better. Criminals will always find a way to cheat millions of stockholders out of their pension plans and retirement funds, Congressmen will always find a way to take brides, no matter how many Trafficant?s get caught. The sooner we face these facts, the sooner we can focus on the important, valuable aspects of life. U2 would call these the thing you can?t leave behind.
Love: This changes for everyone. We all hope to find true love. We all hope to make love and not war, but how often do we control our emotions? I happen to have found a women that defines love. She?s always there for me when I need her, and would like to think that I?ve been there when she needed me. It?s a beautiful thing, and I think that within the last year I?ve discovered what love truly is. The fact remains that I see, much to often, the antithesis of love plaguing our streets.
Love isn?t banging a hottie from the local bar. It?s not settling for the only person that will tolerate us. It?s not being with someone because they have the perfect body, or the perfect job, or the perfect life. Love is just like the old film said, ?Love is never having to say you?re sorry?. It?s devotion. It?s looking, or even thinking about that special someone and being completely vulnerable at all times. If you think you?ve found that feeling, you might be on the right track. Otherwise, keep looking.

(to be continued)
 
this is too long to be cliff's notes

Danospano said:
Religion: This topic is perhaps the most controversial of all life?s mysteries. There?s Christianity, the Nation of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Agnosticism, and the list could go on and on forever. We all know that the best way to cover this category is to simply say, ?to each his/her own?. My theory is that nobody knows what will happen after each of us dies and enters the ?second phase of life?, so the discussion is moot. That?s it. You don?t know what the true faith is, and neither do I. Got it? It?s that simple. We can argue ?til the cows come home, but the fact will always remain that nobody knows what God is, or what God wants. Each religion, which I might add was created by a group of MEN, not women (which should eliminate most, if not all credibility) is based on a human interpretation, and nothing else. God did not write one word of any of these religion?s doctrines. Doesn?t it seem that God would actually write his word. Isn?t ?he? all-knowing? Doesn?t he have the ability to tell his creation how to live? Why haven?t these question been put to rest. The answer is obvious: It can?t be answer.
Everything dealing with the concept of religion revolves around control. It?s mind-control. It?s telling people what to do to be absolved from sin. It tells you what you can and can?t say, what you can and can?t do. It?s the purest form of human manipulation, and ignoring this will lead you to a life of denial. This is true. This is the gospel of Danospano. You don?t think my gospel has merit? Well, guess what? God came before me last night, and told me to write this bullshit. How do like them apples? You don?t like those thoughts? You?re going to hell. Why? Because you?re not following the ?TRUE? gospel.
Get my point? I couldn?t make it anymore simple.
Main Point: Believe in yourself. Believe in living in peace and harmony with your fellow man and woman. Not because you?re ?Bible? tells you to, but because that?s the only way to exist without constant fear of war and murder. Do it because for all we know you might only have one life to live, and deploring your barbaric tendencies will make you stronger and create relaxation and tranquility within your community.


well dano, again...you're posting up a storm here in fym. you've expressed your views about religion, now i'm going to express mine. let's be cordial, ok?

i disagree with every word you said. i believe in God and it certainly isn't because anyone told me so. it's because when i was at the bottom of my pool i felt a breath of air and a hand come and save me. i felt that love that can only be felt through faith. i hold that trust that i've never held for anything before. and i don't read the bible and i don't go to church. i believe what i believe because i FEEL it. i believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. i believe He is my Lord and Savior, that He was crucified and resurrected. i believe in His preaching about love and toleration and peace. i DON'T believe in the complications around it. catholic..protestant, it's all about Jesus in the end. i believe in myself just fine, but i know that when my path drifts or when i completely fall off, there is a strong pair of hands waiting to catch me and deliver me.

:heart:
 
To anyone else considering posting your interminable manifestos in FYM, please use some carriage returns between paragraphs. It will make them much easier to read.

See how there is a space between this paragraph and the one above it? :)yes:) Look into it, mmmmmkay?
 
paxetaurora said:
To anyone else considering posting your interminable manifestos in FYM, please use some carriage returns between paragraphs. It will make them much easier to read.

See how there is a space between this paragraph and the one above it? :)yes:) Look into it, mmmmmkay?

yes DanoRambler-;)
Enjoyed your thoughts:)

However next time could you list them like this-

- Danothought 1

- Danothought 2...

ect?

It was only the love of Jesus that helped me get thru your post:)

DB9
 
Danospano said:
My theory is that nobody knows what will happen after each of us dies and enters the ?second phase of life?, so the discussion is moot. That?s it. You don?t know what the true faith is, and neither do I. Got it? It?s that simple. We can argue ?til the cows come home, but the fact will always remain that nobody knows what God is, or what God wants.

Christianity has a different theory: that we CAN know who God is and what God wants - not because of anything we have done, but because what GOD HIMSELF has done.

We believe that God became a human being, a man named Jesus.

We believe He did so because we have ruined our own existence so thoroughly that we're incapable to work our way back into a right relationship with God - that the cost of our sin is death.

We believe that Jesus then loves us so much that He chose to pay that cost for us by suffering brutal torture and execution.

We believe that, somehow, that selfless sacrifice - the execution of the truly perfect and blameless man - DEFEATED death. In other words, Jesus was raised from the dead.

Certainly, our beliefs are a matter of faith, but NOT JUST faith. Our record of the actions and beliefs of the early church show the following:

Jesus' closest personal friends and followers were SO convinced that He was raised from the dead that they taught the Resurrection despite being arrested and the threat of being executed. These followers ultimately CHOSE DEATH instead of recanting their belief.

These followers, who KNEW Jesus and walked with Him and learned from Him, were ABSOLUTELY confident that Jesus was raised from the dead. They were ABSOLUTELY confident that the Resurrection made death itself something NOT to be feared.

THEY certainly believed they knew God.

Each religion, which I might add was created by a group of MEN, not women (which should eliminate most, if not all credibility) is based on a human interpretation, and nothing else.

First, this is the most sexist statement I have heard in a long time - akin to saying the Constitution is a worthless document because it was drafted by "rich white men."

Look at the reverse of your statement.

"X was created by a group of WOMEN, not men (which should eliminate most, if not all credibility)."

See how offensive that is? The original statement is just as absurd.

Again, not every religion is solely based on a "human interpretation." Christianity is based on what it claims are human eyewitness accounts to a historical event: the death of Jesus (which most scholars concede ACTUALLY happened) and the subsequent, miraculous Resurrection (an event that the eyewitnesses were willing to die for).

Everything dealing with the concept of religion revolves around control. It?s mind-control. It?s telling people what to do to be absolved from sin. It tells you what you can and can?t say, what you can and can?t do. It?s the purest form of human manipulation, and ignoring this will lead you to a life of denial. This is true. This is the gospel of Danospano. You don?t think my gospel has merit? Well, guess what? God came before me last night, and told me to write this bullshit. How do like them apples? You don?t like those thoughts? You?re going to hell. Why? Because you?re not following the ?TRUE? gospel.

The claim that religion is mind control (and the baseless assertion that "This is true") is absurd.

One could just as easily say atheism is NOTHING but an attempt to avoid any concept of God and thus justify a life of hedonism and doing whatever you want - rather than an honest attempt to know whether there is anything greater than ourselves.

And, again, Christianity doesn't profess a gospel based on a vision of a single man, or even visions of many people. It is based on EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS:

And now I want to remind you, my friends, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm. That is the gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it?unless it was for nothing that you believed. I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures; that he appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. Then he appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died. Then he appeared to James, and afterward to all the apostles. Last of all he appeared also to me?even though I am like someone whose birth was abnormal. For I am the least of all the apostles?I do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God's church. - 1 Corinthians 15:1-9, Today's English Version

THESE appearances aren't "visions," but eye-witness accounts of the man called Jesus walking and talking AFTER He was brutally executed.

Main Point: Believe in yourself. Believe in living in peace and harmony with your fellow man and woman. Not because you?re ?Bible? tells you to, but because that?s the only way to exist without constant fear of war and murder. Do it because for all we know you might only have one life to live, and deploring your barbaric tendencies will make you stronger and create relaxation and tranquility within your community.

Let's us say, for a moment, that you personally DID live in peace and harmony as you boarded Flight 93, Newark to San Francisco, on September 11th, 2001. THIS is the flight were passengers KNEW what had happened to the World Trade Center. They KNEW their hijackers were going to ram their plane into a building, that they would not survive the day. Would their lives of peace and harmony with their fellow man kept them from THIS terrible act of murder?

What about the millions who faced bombings from and conquest by Nazi Germany and the Japanese Empire? Did the ones who lived in peace and harmony with their fellow man existed outside the fear and threat of war?

And the Jews and others who the Nazis deemed unworthy to live, those who were carted off to Auschwitz and other places of starvation and gas chambers - did those who lived in peace and harmony avoid the constant fear of death?

No, no, and no.

Ultimately, bad things still happen, and will continue to happen until the end of time. No matter how good a life I lead, the world around me could collapse into war. Or some random kid, jittery and paranoid, could try to rob me and end up killing me. Or, I could live well to the ripe old age of 80 and STILL face death, the ultimate defeat.

Certainly, living a moral life might well make the community a better place, but EVERY individual within that community will still die. Your religion says nothing about that, while mine says that God has defeated death.

My belief is that Jesus' death and resurrection has opened the door to a truly eternal relationship with God. For those that enter such a relationship, war and murder still occur, but they no longer matter. For death is no longer the end, but a continuation and consummation of a lifelong relationship with a loving, powerful Creator - a good God that loves us and wants to redeem us, a great God that has the ability to redeem us.

It is GOD who does offer, through Jesus, a way to escape the dead-end of politics. God gives freedom now - TRUE freedom that cannot be taken away. God offers perfect justice at the end of time. And God offers a peace that supasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

And it is GOD who loves us more than we can know, who loves us more fully and more perfectly than any woman you or I will ever meet.

It is our love for Him, a love that comes from a sincere gratitude for all the blessings He has given, and that love ALONE that can become the center of our being without destroying us. Every other love becomes a devil the moment it becomes a god.

Bubba
 
Re: Re: Danospano's Cliff Notes on Life

Achtung Bubba said:


My belief is that Jesus' death and resurrection has opened the door to a truly eternal relationship with God. For those that enter such a relationship, war and murder still occur, but they no longer matter. Bubba

What about Flight 93, millions of bombed civilians and the Jews? War and murder occured but... no longer mattered? Ahem.

This just to turn you on.

I don?t think the discussed sentence is sexist, btw. And it is simply not true that each religion was created by men. And we could start a discussion about what is religion what is sect what is cult...

Question Bubba: Do you think that God, or say a part of Gods energy (Holy Spirit...?) is part of your body mind and soul?

Rastafari calls this divine energy I?n?I.

Sorry Danospano, but the thread was already shreddered anyway.
 
Re: Re: Re: Danospano's Cliff Notes on Life

whenhiphopdrovethebigcars said:
What about Flight 93, millions of bombed civilians and the Jews? War and murder occured but... no longer mattered? Ahem.

This just to turn you on.

I may have overstated myself: war and murder still do matter for Christians. They are still significant acts of evil (murder) and destruction (war - even just war) that we should try to end. We should work toward a society were neither occur.

That said, war and murder are QUITE insignificant compared to an everlasting relationship with God Almighty. A Christian can (and should) be able to confront such frightening things as war and murder, the Roman arena and the Soviet prison camp, with ABSOLUTE confidence.

The reason is, we know how the story of our lives ultimately ends. Regardless of what happens in this world, our relationship with God will endure. Our enemies can rob us, destroy our good name, beat us, torture us, and kill us; but they cannot rip us away from our Father's hand.

What you got, they can't steal it
No, they can't even feel it... Walk on.


I don?t think the discussed sentence is sexist, btw. And it is simply not true that each religion was created by men. And we could start a discussion about what is religion what is sect what is cult...

I agree that not every religion was created by men.

(In fact, the first to witness to Christ's resurrection were ALL women.)

But I still think the statement, false as it may be, is OUTRAGEOUSLY sexist. Look at what Dano's saying: the fact that a religion was founded by men rather than women ROBS that religion of at least most of its credibility - possibly ALL of its credibility.

That is jaw-droppingly sexist.

Question Bubba: Do you think that God, or say a part of Gods energy (Holy Spirit...?) is part of your body mind and soul?

Rastafari calls this divine energy I?n?I.

The Holy Spirit is a difficult topic, one in which my ideas are much less concrete than other religious topics. But let me see if I can explain myself.

First, I don't think that the Holy Spirit is a part of me, the way my stomach, brain, or soul is an indivisible part of me. I believe the Holy Spirit resides, or lives, within me. It's almost a symbiotic relationship: I freely give myself as a vessel for the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit resides within me, guiding me to God (or another facet of God, God the Father).

It could almost be considered reverse parasitism, where the host organism (me) feeds off the other (the Holy Spirit). Certainly, the Holy Spirit gains nothing from residing in me, but it could also be said that God is well pleased by his creation freely accepting his gift of love.

Second, I wouldn't call the Holy Spirit God's "energy." The Holy Spirit has a personality as concrete as God the Father and God the Son. To equate the Holy Spirit with energy makes the Spirit less personal than I think the Spirit really is.

Finally, we do have, inherent in our being, attributes of God; after all, we were made in His "image." We have - in a smaller, less perfect form - His creativity, His ability to reason, His free will, and His conscience that discerns right from wrong. But I wouldn't call any of these things His "energy."

Bubba
 
Thanks.

With rare exception, I will probably limit myself within this forum to discussions about Christianity and religion in general.

The reason I'm returning IS to defend my faith from what I believe are gross misstatements about it.

The reason I'm limiting myself is that there's really not much point to the political discussions.

I'll explain in a separate thread, so as not to derail this one.

Bubba
 
Oh damnit just look around at the gross misstatements in politics everywhere and go ahead and post / reply to them too:wave:

Honestly, I have no idea why I avoid religious discussions? Oh well I shouldn't question it and be glad I do!:sexywink:
 
To all concerned:

I know how to put spaces between my paragraphs. I wrote the manifesto on Word Perfect, complete with bold print, underlined words, SPACES between paragraph after paragraph. When I copied and pasted the post it took all of those things and threw them in the crapper.

Secondly, I posted MY beliefs. I hardly ever get a chance, let alone the time to write long responses in other threads, so I took the time and space to air my opinions. You can't prove my religious opinions wrong, because I can't prove your opinions wrong. I thought I made that clear, but apparently some people won't agree that there isn't a debate, and feel it necessary to state their point of view, over and over again.
[space]
Good day.
 
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