The only problem is that, in my experience, You hafta dig *real* deep to get down to the things we really have a hard time forgiving ourselves for. Especially because don't most people wanna see themselves as the hero of their own stories?
Me? I'm recovering from a cancer on my heart. Hopefully meditating will help with that. You?
And, likewise, Happy Day today as well, to You and M Jo Vee.
Hope meditating works, jt. Being a 'hero of your own story' resonates. My hero, inner confidence, waxes and wanes, and never sticks around for very long. He often turns out to be the villain, he wants to bite me, and most of the time I'm bereft of my hero - and perhaps, in the end, I'm safer without him.
I think I know what You mean there, Sir Lee. I've gone through phases of having self-confidence myself. Un-BELIEVE-ably drastic changes. And know how things can turn, sometimes really quickly.
I've got some bad news for You though. (Haha! Wrote "knews.") I "heard" this a long time ago, but only lately came to grips with it. AFAIK (As Far As I Know), as long as there's any kind-a "ups" in Your life, then there will necessarily be "downs." That's just a mathematical truth. Until You've flatlined, what goes up comes down. And vice versa. I'm sure You know that probably.
You probably know this too, from a couple thousand years ago: "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” AFAIK, people have very *little* control over what happens to them, but *total* control over how they react. Most people (not likely You, Lee) don't wanna take on that responsibility. But if You think about it, it's really an empowering statement, not a fatalistic one.
Anyhoo, like I just posted. Enjoy Your life, Sir Lee. (May as well, however the mop flops, right? :-)
Haha! If I influenced You, it was totally, completely, and ABSOLUTELY BY ACCIDENT. (Actually, that's pretty much true, come to think on it.)
Here's the thing: If You take Epictetus's statement from 2000 years ago to heart, then really the only one who *can* do anything to You is Yourself. So, yeah. You're gonna suffer a lotta self-inflicted wounds. Anyway, when I look back (sometimes decades), I find that's been true in my case.
And it's *exactly* like You "told" Jo Vee. (Are we still in that same thread?) Part-a "however the mop flops" is how one reacts, right? So You both gotta offer, and accept, redemption. Just like You said.
Or, better yet, just accept that shite happens, and You're at least *trying* to do Your best. And leave it at that. Then You don't need to go though the redemption step.
Jo - You are, of course, correct. We do tend to care what others think of us. I sounded a bit harsh in my response and for that I apologize. Not intended. I guess what I meant to say is that the second chances that mean the most are the one we afford ourselves. We can handle the canceling from the outside if we have first stopped cancelling ourselves.
Sure, it's hardwired into us to care what others think, say and do about us. Since the days on the savannah. And our place in the world is largely determined by others.
That's not to mention that we can see ourselves more objectively, at times, by seeing how others see us.
But, as always, it's a tricky balance. To paraphrase someone smarter than me, there are things You can control, but what other people think of You isn't one-a them. I mean "control" in this Way: Yeah, what You think, say and do *influences* what others think of You. Of course.
But You can *tell* people how they should regard You but, in the end, the make their own decisions and/or reactions about what they think, say and do about everything, right? You can slap them in the face, literally or figuratively, and still only influence the other.
What You *can* control is how You react to how people react to *You.* This is the balance I was referring to. I'm not "saying" You shouldn't *care* what people think about You, but You shouldn't allow that to effect who You *are.*
This may sound like a contradiction. I just said above that You can learn to see Yourself more objectively by seeing what others think of You. That's all to the good. But where it turns sour is when You allow what others think about You *determine* Your actions, rather than influence them.
For "a couple" reasons:
If You do that, You're giving people *power* over You.
And You'd be giving up Your own agency to be in control of Your life.
And, to the extent You give up control, You'd be able to pretend You're not responsible for how You react to the world, right?
And, in the reverse of what I said above, just like You *can't* control others, they really *can't* control You. Unless You allow it.
Like Sir Lee "said" above. *All*-a that comes from within You. You can act against Your own interests by tearing Yourself down, and not giving Yourself a second change. Even worse, You can *allow* someone else to tear You down, and they may not give You a second chance.
Should-a said this at the top. You're 110% correct that cancel culture is BS. *Never* giving second chances is something heathens and barbarians do. A lotta times their stupidity is plain to see, considering how minor some-a the so-called "transgressions" are. *Nobody* is pure enough to survive the super-narrow views of a lotta the cancel culture idjits. TY for Your comments.
Guess my idea of redemption is a bit different, we are all fallen and in need of redemption. Christ came to redeem each of us. To suggest some sins are beyond redemption is a tragic godless view. Christ also taught us to forgive our enemies, regardless of the hurt. One great example was Pope John Paul 2 visit in prison the man who shot him. Today we celebrate Christs birth for he came to set us free from our sins. I choose to live in the joy of his redemption not wallow in the darkness of hate and resentment. May God Bless you and Merry Christmas.
(?) The claim is that there's an identity relationship between 'Jim Comprof' and 'troll account.' You don't need to be 'woke' to know 'it' is the appropriate pronoun for 'troll account,' just conversant with English grammar.
1. There is no "Jim Comprof." If there were, Anthony should have used "He/Him/His." Makes no sense to respond to an inanimate object if you believe it there is a correct identity realtionship with a a male user of said account.
2. Troll as in an actual troll (i.e. under a bridge), "troll" as in an action/type of discourse or "troll" as in an unwanted participant in an ideological echo chamber?
3. Stop using woke-ass pronouns, Mark. You're making the the frogs gay.
Nah. Some people are a lot more "fallen" than others.
That's a common mistake/spin. That you're "wallowing in the darkness of hate and resentment.".....like THAT'S the problem.
No. Just don't forgive. You did what you did, not interested in hearing your apology, explanation giving you a second chance, etc.. That's not wallowing. That's not being a sucker.
Never said I was perfect. If people choose not to let me "redeem" myself, that's THEIR choice. Why do you have a problem with that? Who are you to lecture other people about how they feel about things that are done to them? You, and many here, seem to have a consistent habit of that.
But I do look forward to this boards discussion on redemption and forgiveness only within the context of cancel culture.
You have a point, but it isn't convincing. The early Church martyrs who spread Christianity weren't actually having their oxes gored, as far as I know. But they were having their heads hacked off, burned alive, tortured, etc., and they continued to preach redemption.
I disagree. I think *everybody* is TOLD "to offer redemption and not wallow in bitterness and resentment."
It's just that few can live up to that.
Victims of genocide is an edge case, but yeah, it'd be next to impossible. But my understanding is that it's possible. Neither of us have been in that circumstance, right Prof? So hard to say.
What I *believe* You mean is that people who don't offer You the redemption You want probably were never told to offer it. Or, more likely, You think they're hypocrites.
If what I believe is correct, then I'm not entirely disagreeing with You. But You'd hafta break out some exact examples to actually prove Your point. Generalities? Pfffft.
I've explained this to you repeatedly. When someone like you (i.e. MAGA) pretends to care about a black guy being chased with a shotgun, you have ZERO credibility. That's why this talking point didn't work in the election, either.
It means that people who have never had to deal with certain things, always love to lecture other people about how they should act, feel, respond, etc. to certain things.
Maybe we should all give it a rest for one day. As Brian Wilson said, Love and Mercy is all we have. And if you can't look through all the human failings and focus on the message and joy of Christmas maybe at least try to remember our common humanity. Sending best wishes and love to everyone here. Stay warm and peace to you and your families.
I never realized how hated Christianity is until I started reading comments on social media, which has only been 5-6 years. The word “hypocrites” is often used to reference Christians because we are sinners, and non-believers expect more from us. Christianity constantly has us looking within, and wherever we’ve seen ourselves not in line with the teachings of Jesus, asking God for forgiveness…over and over and over again! Wishing Peace and Joy for everyone…and a future filled with peace and unity in this beautiful but flawed country of ours. As we Orthodox Christians say on this day…Christ is Born! Glorify Him!
"Christianity constantly has us looking within, and wherever we’ve seen ourselves not in line with the teachings of Jesus, asking God for forgiveness"
This is the reason they hate us. We recognize that man's autonomy is not boundless. The one unforgivable sin to a modern, secular liberal: limits. The problem isn't that we do a poor job of living up to God's standards (and we do, because ALL have sinned and fallen short of God's glory). They hate us because we try to.
Matter matters. What we do with our matter (our bodies or our property) matters because it's all on loan. We don't own it. We didn't create it. And the one who did create it sets the rules for how it may be may be rightly used. That's what sin is, a misuse of something God has intended for another purpose.
There is a solution to our sinfulness though. Mary held the creator of the universe in her arms tonight. Stop and think about how radical that is; don't blow it off with an "oh, I've heard this story before." As Tolkien told Lewis: "Christianity is the myth that really happened." And it happened tonight. Tonight Christians celebrate that God became a man and that man lived and died and rose so that we might do the same. That he was born is undeniable. That he died is undeniable. And if you doubt that he rose, consider that those who knew him best all went to painful deaths simply for insisting that He did.
The world isn't our plaything. It does not exist for us. It (and we ) exist for God. And His offer has been the same since the Garden: "follow me." Tonight, of all nights, consider that offer anew, please.
The only Christians I hate are the ones who use their religion to destroy people who don't agree with them. The Westboro clan is the perfect example. But all the Christians I know personally are great people and use their religion to help, not harm.
Hate is never justified, and the only reason you've ever even heard of the abusive and ridiculous fringe extremists of Westbrook Baptist Church is because they serve as the perfect fodder for the attacks of Christophobic Christophobes who need to demonize their enemies.
Wesboro represents less than .01% of all Christians in the country, and their misguided extremist hatred serves as the perfect cannon fodder for the Christophobes who want to represent all Christendom as hatred.
This is the only reason you have ever even heard of those irrelevant, stupid, misguided, demonic idiots.
Hate is absolutely justified when the evil is real, and Westboro is profoundly evil. So is Pat Robertson for wishing Hurricane Katrina had killed everyone in New Orleans. So is Louis Farrakhan for his profound antisemitism.
You can't dismiss them as Not Christians, because they are. But I'd never blame Christians and Christianity at large for the sins of individual believers and ministries. Blaming "Christians" for the sins of some adherents is ridiculous. The overwhelming majority of your people---and those of other religions---are decent, fair-minded, and help others.
Finally, I heard of Westboro not because someone used it as fodder to bash Christianity. I heard of Westboro entirely because of its hate-ridden attacks against . . . everyone.
Also, no you are not the judge, and most Nazis were young brainwashed fools hardly different from the youth of today who obediently believe whatever they are told.
Moreover, the Nazis are only a tiny blip in the history of human evil. They are more of a mythology than a historic anomaly. The Bolsheviks were worse and so were the Maoists.
This is great stuff. Merry Christmas. You really know how to keep Christ in Christmas. The spirit of forgiveness is the Spirit of Christ. Without using the word: "forgiveness" - your writing oozes with it.
"Glory to God in the highest". God never smiles at sin. But he surely smiled at his only begotten son. We belong to Him and we forgive men their trespasses. Forgivness heals us and the world.
What an interesting but sad piece! How different from my own growing up in a traditional Christian home - one that subscribes to the traditional Christian creeds and beliefs about Jesus. The Westboro Baptist Church pickets MY CURRENT Christian church when they come to town. They are viewed as a "cult" and "fringe, heretical outlier" within traditional Christendom, but as a "Poster Boy" for Christianity by secular society and the MSM, who never miss a chance to vilify historical Christians and ridicule them for the "Straw Men" (and women) they are not (for those that you would destroy you must first disparage and debunk...).
The late Richard John Neuhaus observed “Politics is chiefly a function of culture, at the heart of culture is morality, and at the heart of morality is religion.”
Secularists and leftists recoil at the notion that they are "Religious." They like to believe that they are superior in knowledge to the "superstitious, religious deplorables," but they are in denial. We are all religious. We cannot be otherwise.
Today, "wokeism" is the new "public religion" in America, and it is supplanting and usurping traditional Judeo-Christian theism. See, e.g., "Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America" by Columbia Prof. John McWhorter. An "ism" is an ideology, which is a secular religion founded on the existential premise that "Man (or ME or SHE) is God), a so very Nietzschean notion. But what interests me is that, unlike the heralds of the Messiah "Christ Child," there are no "Good tidings of Great Joy which shall be to all people," or wishes for "Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards Men" in Wokeism. It only leaves in its wake the "Circular Firing Squad" we see today as it pits one envious, greedy, covetous, ungrateful "identity group" against the others in perpetual discord.
True Christianity celebrates the "Good News" that begins with the words "For God so loved the world..." ... and ends with "There is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female - for you are all one in Christ Jesus..." Merry Christmas...
Thank you for this comment. I completely agree that the "post-religion" culture is in thrall of many proto-religious sentiments. Unfortunately, their sentiments are not well thought out, nor have they survived the test of time nor the test of millennia of Judeo-Christian scholarship to refine and deepen their philosophies.
And neither is the new culture scientific in its philosophy. Rather it corrupts science and denies rationality. The logical fallacies codified in medieval times are routinely deployed to persuade and manipulate: appeal to authority, vilification of their opponents, shifting definitions, to name but a few. They have nothing to offer but shibboleths, that is, words that are either meaningless or false, uttered for the sole purpose of signaling group membership.
By reverting to and promoting the most primitive religious sentiments, they are awakening something truly terrible.
Terrific story! For me, it's not Christmas until I watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. To this day I still get goose bumps when Linus reads what he says is the true meaning of Christmas, Luke 2: 8-14
Awesome retelling of your experiences. I am happy you have found peace and joy in what is my favorite holiday.
Christmas even if you don’t believe is a time for peace, joy and love to be in style, regardless of your political beliefs. The excitement of kids and even adults is a joy. Of course there are the liberals who hate everything, but it’s easier to ignore them at Christmas. But then deep down they hate themselves also and relish making others miserable like themselves.
Plus it’s a time to where you can actually say remember the reason for the season. So no matter your beliefs, all of the different celebrations from Christmas and other religions or cultures are a joy. Plus it puts the belief in God forward. Even if you choose not to believe.
Thank you for your story and Merry Christmas to everyone.
"Of course there are the liberals who hate everything, but it’s easier to ignore them at Christmas. But then deep down they hate themselves also and relish making others miserable like themselves." Think comprof.
I agree and they are the people who want to say "Happy Holiday" rather than Merry Christmas. I am not a Christain but I will not shop in a store where the employees are instructed by store policy to say, "Happy Holidays".
Most of Europe and all of the US were founded upon Judeo/Christian beliefs.
Most retail employees, if prompted, will gladly retort "Merry Christmas" when you offer it as your reply to their guarded "Happy Holidays". Give them a chance; they're just trying to avoid having to apologize to scrooges who make the holiday season another excuse for politics. Also, it's not an unfair observation to note that Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year, St. Lucia Day, Dongzhi, Shab-e Yalda, Toji, Soyal, Yule, Saturnalia, Kwanzaa and many other holiday traditions all fall within days of each other. While I, too, prefer to observe and promote the holiday at the center of our own, Roman traditions, I don't think it's fair to blithely ignore all the others aligning at exactly the same time, and mostly featuring the same, recurring symbol of light shining in the darkness. The darkness does not overcome it because the Christmas date is not random. "God does not play dice."
Tell that to President Biden, who in his Christmas message talked about republicans in a negative way (and that’s putting it lightly) while talking about unity!
Explain to me why her beliefs are political arrogance. Is it because her beliefs are different than yours? Is everybody who disagrees with you arrogant?
Very interesting perspective. On the other side of your mirror, we too should reflect on what this season means. Whether you believe or not we are a blessed people and should reflect on that at least once a year.
With respect to the association of Christmas with pagan festivals of the winter solstice (usually very close to 21 December), it is quite plausibly true; but it seems to me that the pagans were on to something. After all, especially if you live in latitudes farther northern than most of the U.S. (Europe for example), noticing that the days are not getting any shorter, and might even be getting a little longer, is plenty of cause for celebration. So what the hell...
> With respect to the association of Christmas with pagan festivals of the winter solstice (usually very close to 21 December), it is quite plausibly true\
Of course it's true. And as a Jewish person, I beleive Christmas is nonsense, and could lead to harmful things like idolatry.
But what makes me (and probably us) different from the people at Westboro is I don't picket Churches, and if someone wishes me a "Merry Christmas" I say "Thank you! I wish you peace, joy, and happiness, too." I also don't believe people of other faiths will spend an eternity in "hell"
I've stopped looking, jt. Because I know that what I'm looking for cannot be found. So I lower my sights and accept what I see. It has been fun corresponding with you and hope for more..
I don't blame Ya. Accepting things as they are isn't always easy. I'm curious what You're looking for that can't be found? Me? I'd like to see Ds and Rs accept what they have in common, before they argue about how they're different. See it? In my lifetime? Hmmm.
I've been taking a break from the comments here. Because I don't like it that I've phrased some things the way I did and thought I should prioritize some other things for a bit. But I gotta say I miss the comments of You and Bruce and Lynne and Celia and the two Brians and Terrys, and a whole host of others, too numerous to mention. (I suspect I'll reappear when You guys/gals least want it. ;-)
Likewise, May You know Peace and Joy this season and the year to come. :-)
TY, Sir Bruce. I did have a nice Christmas. Got on Zoom with Sisters and nieces and nephew. Hope You did likewise. Have Kids and Grandkids with You? (If You have any.) My recollection is that Your a few years older than I am (68)?
And You're WAY too kind, Sir.
("No applause. Just money." ;-)
As I explained to M Betsy above, I'll probably read the comments, at the very least, on TGIF. May add my two cents worth from time to time. WSS. (You can send the check to Santa Jay at the North Pole. ;-)
Good morning, jt. Yes, I have you by five years. I have four kids, two girls and two boys. The girls are a bit older and have kids. Five grandkids. My younger daughter hosted Christmas dinner. Was really beautiful. For some reason am in a very pensive post-Christmas mood.
I’ve noticed your absence and missed your comments! I don’t say much because I’ve also had second thoughts sometimes, but I love reading ALL comments (except for skipping Comprof ((such a tool)). Look forward to your return!
Ah! Nice to meet Ya, M BetsyB. Thank You. You may kiss my feet in adoration, if You want. Or, better yet, I'll kiss Yours. <smooch>
If You posted before, I've forgotten. Sorry. If You posted in past week, I just missed it. Either Way, SPEAK UP! (If You wanna.) At the very least, I'll read all the comments on TGIF. May try to squeeze in a few days other than that. WSS (We Shall See).
The inherent problem I have is that I can lose a whole day of reading time, when I get heavily involved in comments. And what I have yet to learn dwarfs what I already know, so that's a problem.
Also, Substack made a change in their software that makes it real difficult (actually, impossible) to keep track of what's newly been posted. So I'd hafta go through *all* the comments, time after time, in order to be sure I didn't miss any. Ah well...
All that to say... I guess what I've decided is to go into semi-retirement from the comments here from now on. At the least on TGIF, with more as time permits.
I've noticed you've taken a break, jt. All good. But don't stay away too long. Your contributions are important, they are in a moderate tone, reflective of what I think all of us need to be..
TY Sir Lee. You appear to be in better spirits than yesterday when You said You've given up looking for what You hope for. RIght? Or not?
Anyway, like Sir Bruce, You're being WAY too kind. My comments are somewhat moderate at times. But, a lot more often, not being of much influence. And sometimes I rant and rave when it comes to Trump. (For example: Did You see Trump's "BIG ANNOUNCEMENT"? Turns out he's gone in for the NFT grift, at *$95 a pop.* Sheesh! ( Couldn't resist. ;-))
Perhaps I came on a bit strong yesterday. Unintended. But I still would say that what I once was looking for I have conceded that I will never find. Inner peace has proven too elusive - and I know I must embrace whatever interior struggles exist. Perhaps that's a form of peace in itself.
As for your comments - they are far more influential than you might think. Do not discount yourself, ever. (As I often say to myself). Your presence is appreciated. (Trump raving certainly so..)
That's nice *You* appreciate my Trump ravings! lol...
TY again, for Your kind thoughts. But, no. I understand I'll never actually *see* the influence, and there's bound to be some. But if I actually *had* influence, Ds would be as welcome here as much as the current crowd always is. You see that as "a happenin' thang" Sir Lee?
I don't wanna pester You, but would offer meditation as a method of doing the work of struggling, but in a different Way.
Likewise, enjoy Your day, Sir Lee. (And week and month and year and decade, while Yer at it. ;-)
I think the words of Ebenezer Scrooge are appropriate here, “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.”
“I hate, I despise your feast days,” God chides in one Bible passage. God hated Christmas, and so everyone else had to as well.“
————————————————————
Obviously, that sentence doesn’t mean all feasts must go. But this is the same exact way David French reads the Constitution. His interpretation of how freedom works is very Westboro Baptisty.
“Oh it says free speech? Well then we have to let guys who are sexually aroused by dressing up as women read books to children who are sitting on their lap on government property while wearing lingerie and heels. I mean it says free speech…..”
“No we believe in small government so conservatives can’t use the government to stop the government from infiltrating private companies in furtherance of fascism because that would expand the government…..”
It’s just a total lack of discernment. It’s infantile.
Cheers to the Free Press for featuring this 21st century "Christmas Carol". Megan is a remarkable person, overcoming the ghosts of childhood past, and a terrific writer as well. Dickens could not have done better. God bless us every one!
This is why cancel culture is bullshit. We need to give people a chance at redemption. I'm sure it's a fine line but I believe in second chances.
Cancel culture is the opposite of forgiveness
Real redemption, Jo? Second chances?
That comes from within. We must forgive ourselves first, for we are our own worst enemies. And once we can do that, no one can cancel us.
Happy Day..
You couldn't be more right, Sir Lee.
The only problem is that, in my experience, You hafta dig *real* deep to get down to the things we really have a hard time forgiving ourselves for. Especially because don't most people wanna see themselves as the hero of their own stories?
Me? I'm recovering from a cancer on my heart. Hopefully meditating will help with that. You?
And, likewise, Happy Day today as well, to You and M Jo Vee.
Hope meditating works, jt. Being a 'hero of your own story' resonates. My hero, inner confidence, waxes and wanes, and never sticks around for very long. He often turns out to be the villain, he wants to bite me, and most of the time I'm bereft of my hero - and perhaps, in the end, I'm safer without him.
I go through phases when it comes to meditating.
I think I know what You mean there, Sir Lee. I've gone through phases of having self-confidence myself. Un-BELIEVE-ably drastic changes. And know how things can turn, sometimes really quickly.
I've got some bad news for You though. (Haha! Wrote "knews.") I "heard" this a long time ago, but only lately came to grips with it. AFAIK (As Far As I Know), as long as there's any kind-a "ups" in Your life, then there will necessarily be "downs." That's just a mathematical truth. Until You've flatlined, what goes up comes down. And vice versa. I'm sure You know that probably.
You probably know this too, from a couple thousand years ago: "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” AFAIK, people have very *little* control over what happens to them, but *total* control over how they react. Most people (not likely You, Lee) don't wanna take on that responsibility. But if You think about it, it's really an empowering statement, not a fatalistic one.
Anyhoo, like I just posted. Enjoy Your life, Sir Lee. (May as well, however the mop flops, right? :-)
It's when what happens to you is mostly self inflicted..my personal recurring theme. But..
I think I'll use your 'however the mop flops' analogy the next time I go through the spin cycle.
See? You've influenced me..
:))
Haha! If I influenced You, it was totally, completely, and ABSOLUTELY BY ACCIDENT. (Actually, that's pretty much true, come to think on it.)
Here's the thing: If You take Epictetus's statement from 2000 years ago to heart, then really the only one who *can* do anything to You is Yourself. So, yeah. You're gonna suffer a lotta self-inflicted wounds. Anyway, when I look back (sometimes decades), I find that's been true in my case.
And it's *exactly* like You "told" Jo Vee. (Are we still in that same thread?) Part-a "however the mop flops" is how one reacts, right? So You both gotta offer, and accept, redemption. Just like You said.
Or, better yet, just accept that shite happens, and You're at least *trying* to do Your best. And leave it at that. Then You don't need to go though the redemption step.
Sure but we tend to care what others think about us so ...
Jo - You are, of course, correct. We do tend to care what others think of us. I sounded a bit harsh in my response and for that I apologize. Not intended. I guess what I meant to say is that the second chances that mean the most are the one we afford ourselves. We can handle the canceling from the outside if we have first stopped cancelling ourselves.
Thanks for responding..And enjoy the New Year..
Thank you. That helps clarify.
Pardon me for barging in, M Jo Vee.
Sure, it's hardwired into us to care what others think, say and do about us. Since the days on the savannah. And our place in the world is largely determined by others.
That's not to mention that we can see ourselves more objectively, at times, by seeing how others see us.
But, as always, it's a tricky balance. To paraphrase someone smarter than me, there are things You can control, but what other people think of You isn't one-a them. I mean "control" in this Way: Yeah, what You think, say and do *influences* what others think of You. Of course.
But You can *tell* people how they should regard You but, in the end, the make their own decisions and/or reactions about what they think, say and do about everything, right? You can slap them in the face, literally or figuratively, and still only influence the other.
What You *can* control is how You react to how people react to *You.* This is the balance I was referring to. I'm not "saying" You shouldn't *care* what people think about You, but You shouldn't allow that to effect who You *are.*
This may sound like a contradiction. I just said above that You can learn to see Yourself more objectively by seeing what others think of You. That's all to the good. But where it turns sour is when You allow what others think about You *determine* Your actions, rather than influence them.
For "a couple" reasons:
If You do that, You're giving people *power* over You.
And You'd be giving up Your own agency to be in control of Your life.
And, to the extent You give up control, You'd be able to pretend You're not responsible for how You react to the world, right?
And, in the reverse of what I said above, just like You *can't* control others, they really *can't* control You. Unless You allow it.
Like Sir Lee "said" above. *All*-a that comes from within You. You can act against Your own interests by tearing Yourself down, and not giving Yourself a second change. Even worse, You can *allow* someone else to tear You down, and they may not give You a second chance.
Should-a said this at the top. You're 110% correct that cancel culture is BS. *Never* giving second chances is something heathens and barbarians do. A lotta times their stupidity is plain to see, considering how minor some-a the so-called "transgressions" are. *Nobody* is pure enough to survive the super-narrow views of a lotta the cancel culture idjits. TY for Your comments.
I'll forgive anyone except the people who have already committed the equivalent of a murder. for example, a fake rape #metoo claim.
What if you were imprisoned for 20+ years behind a false claim?
That’s why I won’t forgive people who make false claims.
Nah. Not for everyone. Always the people whose ox is NOT getting gored that always talk about "redemption."
Guess my idea of redemption is a bit different, we are all fallen and in need of redemption. Christ came to redeem each of us. To suggest some sins are beyond redemption is a tragic godless view. Christ also taught us to forgive our enemies, regardless of the hurt. One great example was Pope John Paul 2 visit in prison the man who shot him. Today we celebrate Christs birth for he came to set us free from our sins. I choose to live in the joy of his redemption not wallow in the darkness of hate and resentment. May God Bless you and Merry Christmas.
Jim Comprof is a troll account. It does nothing but spread hate and mockery. Don't feed it, don't give it an excuse to reply.
"It?"
What kind of pronoun is that? You sound "woke," Anthony.
(?) The claim is that there's an identity relationship between 'Jim Comprof' and 'troll account.' You don't need to be 'woke' to know 'it' is the appropriate pronoun for 'troll account,' just conversant with English grammar.
1. There is no "Jim Comprof." If there were, Anthony should have used "He/Him/His." Makes no sense to respond to an inanimate object if you believe it there is a correct identity realtionship with a a male user of said account.
2. Troll as in an actual troll (i.e. under a bridge), "troll" as in an action/type of discourse or "troll" as in an unwanted participant in an ideological echo chamber?
3. Stop using woke-ass pronouns, Mark. You're making the the frogs gay.
Enjoyed being conversant with you.
Nah. Some people are a lot more "fallen" than others.
That's a common mistake/spin. That you're "wallowing in the darkness of hate and resentment.".....like THAT'S the problem.
No. Just don't forgive. You did what you did, not interested in hearing your apology, explanation giving you a second chance, etc.. That's not wallowing. That's not being a sucker.
Wow, that's exactly how I feel about Emily Oster.
What is wrong with Emily?
The silly twat. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/10/covid-response-forgiveness/671879/
Ok Mr Perfect, good for you.
Jim, don't answer this loon. He is just stirring the pot.
You have the same habit of lecturing people as to how they should feel and/or respond to things? Why is that?
Never said I was perfect. If people choose not to let me "redeem" myself, that's THEIR choice. Why do you have a problem with that? Who are you to lecture other people about how they feel about things that are done to them? You, and many here, seem to have a consistent habit of that.
But I do look forward to this boards discussion on redemption and forgiveness only within the context of cancel culture.
You have a point, but it isn't convincing. The early Church martyrs who spread Christianity weren't actually having their oxes gored, as far as I know. But they were having their heads hacked off, burned alive, tortured, etc., and they continued to preach redemption.
The continued to preach redemption after their heads were hacked off?
Nah. Only certain people are told to offer "redemption" and "not wallow in bitterness and resentment." - others, not so much.
You're right. I'm going to start telling victims of genocide to forgive their tormentors.
We are all tormented victims of your Soros-funded commentary.
Why do you keep claiming people are being paid $17/hr to post on Bari Weiss' Substack discussion board, Kevin?
*Zelenskyy accent
“Your money is not charity, Mr. Soros. It is an investment in freedom and democracy.”
😂😂
I disagree. I think *everybody* is TOLD "to offer redemption and not wallow in bitterness and resentment."
It's just that few can live up to that.
Victims of genocide is an edge case, but yeah, it'd be next to impossible. But my understanding is that it's possible. Neither of us have been in that circumstance, right Prof? So hard to say.
No. But is doesn't have to be that extreme.
No, not everyone is told that - and you know exactly what I mean.
No, I don't know what You mean.
What I *believe* You mean is that people who don't offer You the redemption You want probably were never told to offer it. Or, more likely, You think they're hypocrites.
If what I believe is correct, then I'm not entirely disagreeing with You. But You'd hafta break out some exact examples to actually prove Your point. Generalities? Pfffft.
This Christmas, I forgive you for accepting $17/hr from George Soros to post the comments you post.
Kev, you made me laugh. Great post.
😂😂🙏🙏
But that's not accurate, Kevin.
But you keep talking about this $17/hr. to post.....still seen no evidence of it. Bari Weiss' Substack is not important enough for that. Horrible ROI.
And I forgive you for being a McMichaels'/Chauvin fan club member.
I’m not a fan of McMichaels or Chauvin but if I was that would make me less of a scumbag than your average Fetterman voter.
Kevin,
I've explained this to you repeatedly. When someone like you (i.e. MAGA) pretends to care about a black guy being chased with a shotgun, you have ZERO credibility. That's why this talking point didn't work in the election, either.
I'm sorry but I don't know what that means. Could be a cultural term?
It means that people who have never had to deal with certain things, always love to lecture other people about how they should act, feel, respond, etc. to certain things.
I see. But you can't know what others have gone through. Making assumptions is dangerous and foolish.
Yes. Exactly. That's why people shouldn't lecture certain other people about how they should respond to thinks that were said/done to them.
Unless you're saying that because other people may have gone through hard times, that gives them the right to lecture/critique others?
Maybe we should all give it a rest for one day. As Brian Wilson said, Love and Mercy is all we have. And if you can't look through all the human failings and focus on the message and joy of Christmas maybe at least try to remember our common humanity. Sending best wishes and love to everyone here. Stay warm and peace to you and your families.
Dammit, Bruce, this is profound and endearing. Did you get into the egg nog? In all seriousness, a lovely sentiment that I share, and I wish you well.
Good one. You may be the only one who got the point.
I never realized how hated Christianity is until I started reading comments on social media, which has only been 5-6 years. The word “hypocrites” is often used to reference Christians because we are sinners, and non-believers expect more from us. Christianity constantly has us looking within, and wherever we’ve seen ourselves not in line with the teachings of Jesus, asking God for forgiveness…over and over and over again! Wishing Peace and Joy for everyone…and a future filled with peace and unity in this beautiful but flawed country of ours. As we Orthodox Christians say on this day…Christ is Born! Glorify Him!
"Christianity constantly has us looking within, and wherever we’ve seen ourselves not in line with the teachings of Jesus, asking God for forgiveness"
This is the reason they hate us. We recognize that man's autonomy is not boundless. The one unforgivable sin to a modern, secular liberal: limits. The problem isn't that we do a poor job of living up to God's standards (and we do, because ALL have sinned and fallen short of God's glory). They hate us because we try to.
Matter matters. What we do with our matter (our bodies or our property) matters because it's all on loan. We don't own it. We didn't create it. And the one who did create it sets the rules for how it may be may be rightly used. That's what sin is, a misuse of something God has intended for another purpose.
There is a solution to our sinfulness though. Mary held the creator of the universe in her arms tonight. Stop and think about how radical that is; don't blow it off with an "oh, I've heard this story before." As Tolkien told Lewis: "Christianity is the myth that really happened." And it happened tonight. Tonight Christians celebrate that God became a man and that man lived and died and rose so that we might do the same. That he was born is undeniable. That he died is undeniable. And if you doubt that he rose, consider that those who knew him best all went to painful deaths simply for insisting that He did.
The world isn't our plaything. It does not exist for us. It (and we ) exist for God. And His offer has been the same since the Garden: "follow me." Tonight, of all nights, consider that offer anew, please.
I love everything about this response to my comment! 💯%
Note that leftists do not acknowledge the term "Christophobia" because they will not acknowledge that bigotry and hate towards Christians exists.
It's obvious why.
The left hates all religions and tries its best to destroy them and to belittle them.
Not true. The left adores the religion of environmental doom.
You're absolutely correct.
Leftists hate Christianity with the zeal of the true religious fanatic.
Glorify Him!
The only Christians I hate are the ones who use their religion to destroy people who don't agree with them. The Westboro clan is the perfect example. But all the Christians I know personally are great people and use their religion to help, not harm.
Hate is never justified, and the only reason you've ever even heard of the abusive and ridiculous fringe extremists of Westbrook Baptist Church is because they serve as the perfect fodder for the attacks of Christophobic Christophobes who need to demonize their enemies.
Wesboro represents less than .01% of all Christians in the country, and their misguided extremist hatred serves as the perfect cannon fodder for the Christophobes who want to represent all Christendom as hatred.
This is the only reason you have ever even heard of those irrelevant, stupid, misguided, demonic idiots.
They have nothing to do with Yeshua of Nazareth.
Hate is absolutely justified when the evil is real, and Westboro is profoundly evil. So is Pat Robertson for wishing Hurricane Katrina had killed everyone in New Orleans. So is Louis Farrakhan for his profound antisemitism.
You can't dismiss them as Not Christians, because they are. But I'd never blame Christians and Christianity at large for the sins of individual believers and ministries. Blaming "Christians" for the sins of some adherents is ridiculous. The overwhelming majority of your people---and those of other religions---are decent, fair-minded, and help others.
Finally, I heard of Westboro not because someone used it as fodder to bash Christianity. I heard of Westboro entirely because of its hate-ridden attacks against . . . everyone.
Hate is never justified for any reason.
You are not the judge.
You are not better.
Hate rots your soul and your life.
Yes, I am the judge, and yes, I am better. If you think you're no better than Westboro or Nazis, I pity you.
Also, no you are not the judge, and most Nazis were young brainwashed fools hardly different from the youth of today who obediently believe whatever they are told.
Moreover, the Nazis are only a tiny blip in the history of human evil. They are more of a mythology than a historic anomaly. The Bolsheviks were worse and so were the Maoists.
I think we all equals in the eyes of the divine, and I hold your pity in the utmost contempt.
Would you describe yourself as a leftist? You don't sound like one. Liberals are not leftists.
Hi, Doug. Not a leftist, ick! I'm a liberal, non-woke division, and I appreciate that you know the difference. Too many people lump us all together.
This is great stuff. Merry Christmas. You really know how to keep Christ in Christmas. The spirit of forgiveness is the Spirit of Christ. Without using the word: "forgiveness" - your writing oozes with it.
"Glory to God in the highest". God never smiles at sin. But he surely smiled at his only begotten son. We belong to Him and we forgive men their trespasses. Forgivness heals us and the world.
What an interesting but sad piece! How different from my own growing up in a traditional Christian home - one that subscribes to the traditional Christian creeds and beliefs about Jesus. The Westboro Baptist Church pickets MY CURRENT Christian church when they come to town. They are viewed as a "cult" and "fringe, heretical outlier" within traditional Christendom, but as a "Poster Boy" for Christianity by secular society and the MSM, who never miss a chance to vilify historical Christians and ridicule them for the "Straw Men" (and women) they are not (for those that you would destroy you must first disparage and debunk...).
The late Richard John Neuhaus observed “Politics is chiefly a function of culture, at the heart of culture is morality, and at the heart of morality is religion.”
Secularists and leftists recoil at the notion that they are "Religious." They like to believe that they are superior in knowledge to the "superstitious, religious deplorables," but they are in denial. We are all religious. We cannot be otherwise.
Today, "wokeism" is the new "public religion" in America, and it is supplanting and usurping traditional Judeo-Christian theism. See, e.g., "Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America" by Columbia Prof. John McWhorter. An "ism" is an ideology, which is a secular religion founded on the existential premise that "Man (or ME or SHE) is God), a so very Nietzschean notion. But what interests me is that, unlike the heralds of the Messiah "Christ Child," there are no "Good tidings of Great Joy which shall be to all people," or wishes for "Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards Men" in Wokeism. It only leaves in its wake the "Circular Firing Squad" we see today as it pits one envious, greedy, covetous, ungrateful "identity group" against the others in perpetual discord.
True Christianity celebrates the "Good News" that begins with the words "For God so loved the world..." ... and ends with "There is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female - for you are all one in Christ Jesus..." Merry Christmas...
Thank you for this comment. I completely agree that the "post-religion" culture is in thrall of many proto-religious sentiments. Unfortunately, their sentiments are not well thought out, nor have they survived the test of time nor the test of millennia of Judeo-Christian scholarship to refine and deepen their philosophies.
And neither is the new culture scientific in its philosophy. Rather it corrupts science and denies rationality. The logical fallacies codified in medieval times are routinely deployed to persuade and manipulate: appeal to authority, vilification of their opponents, shifting definitions, to name but a few. They have nothing to offer but shibboleths, that is, words that are either meaningless or false, uttered for the sole purpose of signaling group membership.
By reverting to and promoting the most primitive religious sentiments, they are awakening something truly terrible.
“Socialism is the religion people get when they lose their religion.”
Not all people. I am neither religious nor socialist. Nor do I dislike Christmas or other celebrations.
Do you not have a morality?
Wokeism, BLM etc is just a grift - it’s a national shakedown for $$$ ‘reparations’
You nailed it!
Terrific story! For me, it's not Christmas until I watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. To this day I still get goose bumps when Linus reads what he says is the true meaning of Christmas, Luke 2: 8-14
I memorized the passages Linus speaks when I was about 8, but can only recite them using his voice!
Can’t get through it without tearing up when I read the book to my littles. They come ready with the tissue box ❤️
Thanks Bari ! Thanks for Common Sense and Free Press ! Thanks for stories like this.
Nice it started with the lights. That was your bridge.
Awesome retelling of your experiences. I am happy you have found peace and joy in what is my favorite holiday.
Christmas even if you don’t believe is a time for peace, joy and love to be in style, regardless of your political beliefs. The excitement of kids and even adults is a joy. Of course there are the liberals who hate everything, but it’s easier to ignore them at Christmas. But then deep down they hate themselves also and relish making others miserable like themselves.
Plus it’s a time to where you can actually say remember the reason for the season. So no matter your beliefs, all of the different celebrations from Christmas and other religions or cultures are a joy. Plus it puts the belief in God forward. Even if you choose not to believe.
Thank you for your story and Merry Christmas to everyone.
"Of course there are the liberals who hate everything, but it’s easier to ignore them at Christmas. But then deep down they hate themselves also and relish making others miserable like themselves." Think comprof.
I agree and they are the people who want to say "Happy Holiday" rather than Merry Christmas. I am not a Christain but I will not shop in a store where the employees are instructed by store policy to say, "Happy Holidays".
Most of Europe and all of the US were founded upon Judeo/Christian beliefs.
I'll take a "Happy Holidays," "Happy Hanukkah," OR a "Merry Christmas" over the usual indifference of many retail clerks.
You have a point but it will not change my mind. Happy Holidays is a PC construct and I despise woke/pc.
Most retail employees, if prompted, will gladly retort "Merry Christmas" when you offer it as your reply to their guarded "Happy Holidays". Give them a chance; they're just trying to avoid having to apologize to scrooges who make the holiday season another excuse for politics. Also, it's not an unfair observation to note that Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year, St. Lucia Day, Dongzhi, Shab-e Yalda, Toji, Soyal, Yule, Saturnalia, Kwanzaa and many other holiday traditions all fall within days of each other. While I, too, prefer to observe and promote the holiday at the center of our own, Roman traditions, I don't think it's fair to blithely ignore all the others aligning at exactly the same time, and mostly featuring the same, recurring symbol of light shining in the darkness. The darkness does not overcome it because the Christmas date is not random. "God does not play dice."
Your political arrogance has no place at Christmas.
Tell that to President Biden, who in his Christmas message talked about republicans in a negative way (and that’s putting it lightly) while talking about unity!
You read as you choose. I shall read as I choose. It’s called freedom. You should try it.
Explain to me why her beliefs are political arrogance. Is it because her beliefs are different than yours? Is everybody who disagrees with you arrogant?
Very interesting perspective. On the other side of your mirror, we too should reflect on what this season means. Whether you believe or not we are a blessed people and should reflect on that at least once a year.
That is so very true. As a nation, warts and all, we are blessed.
With respect to the association of Christmas with pagan festivals of the winter solstice (usually very close to 21 December), it is quite plausibly true; but it seems to me that the pagans were on to something. After all, especially if you live in latitudes farther northern than most of the U.S. (Europe for example), noticing that the days are not getting any shorter, and might even be getting a little longer, is plenty of cause for celebration. So what the hell...
> With respect to the association of Christmas with pagan festivals of the winter solstice (usually very close to 21 December), it is quite plausibly true\
Of course it's true. And as a Jewish person, I beleive Christmas is nonsense, and could lead to harmful things like idolatry.
But what makes me (and probably us) different from the people at Westboro is I don't picket Churches, and if someone wishes me a "Merry Christmas" I say "Thank you! I wish you peace, joy, and happiness, too." I also don't believe people of other faiths will spend an eternity in "hell"
Thank You. To All: May You find what You're looking for. :-)
I've stopped looking, jt. Because I know that what I'm looking for cannot be found. So I lower my sights and accept what I see. It has been fun corresponding with you and hope for more..
Have a lovely Christmas and season, sir..
Ah! Good to "see" You, Sir Lee. TY for writing.
I don't blame Ya. Accepting things as they are isn't always easy. I'm curious what You're looking for that can't be found? Me? I'd like to see Ds and Rs accept what they have in common, before they argue about how they're different. See it? In my lifetime? Hmmm.
I've been taking a break from the comments here. Because I don't like it that I've phrased some things the way I did and thought I should prioritize some other things for a bit. But I gotta say I miss the comments of You and Bruce and Lynne and Celia and the two Brians and Terrys, and a whole host of others, too numerous to mention. (I suspect I'll reappear when You guys/gals least want it. ;-)
Likewise, May You know Peace and Joy this season and the year to come. :-)
Hope you had a nice, Christmas, jt. I see it was a day for shared reflection. Just rest assured that you are valued and were missed.
TY, Sir Bruce. I did have a nice Christmas. Got on Zoom with Sisters and nieces and nephew. Hope You did likewise. Have Kids and Grandkids with You? (If You have any.) My recollection is that Your a few years older than I am (68)?
And You're WAY too kind, Sir.
("No applause. Just money." ;-)
As I explained to M Betsy above, I'll probably read the comments, at the very least, on TGIF. May add my two cents worth from time to time. WSS. (You can send the check to Santa Jay at the North Pole. ;-)
Good morning, jt. Yes, I have you by five years. I have four kids, two girls and two boys. The girls are a bit older and have kids. Five grandkids. My younger daughter hosted Christmas dinner. Was really beautiful. For some reason am in a very pensive post-Christmas mood.
Ah. You're very lucky to have, not only kids, but GRANDkids. Sounds like all-around good times.
But what d'Ya mean, pensive? World, CRAP-show that it *is,* continues to revolve around Sun. What more could You ask?
I’ve noticed your absence and missed your comments! I don’t say much because I’ve also had second thoughts sometimes, but I love reading ALL comments (except for skipping Comprof ((such a tool)). Look forward to your return!
Ah! Nice to meet Ya, M BetsyB. Thank You. You may kiss my feet in adoration, if You want. Or, better yet, I'll kiss Yours. <smooch>
If You posted before, I've forgotten. Sorry. If You posted in past week, I just missed it. Either Way, SPEAK UP! (If You wanna.) At the very least, I'll read all the comments on TGIF. May try to squeeze in a few days other than that. WSS (We Shall See).
The inherent problem I have is that I can lose a whole day of reading time, when I get heavily involved in comments. And what I have yet to learn dwarfs what I already know, so that's a problem.
Also, Substack made a change in their software that makes it real difficult (actually, impossible) to keep track of what's newly been posted. So I'd hafta go through *all* the comments, time after time, in order to be sure I didn't miss any. Ah well...
All that to say... I guess what I've decided is to go into semi-retirement from the comments here from now on. At the least on TGIF, with more as time permits.
I've noticed you've taken a break, jt. All good. But don't stay away too long. Your contributions are important, they are in a moderate tone, reflective of what I think all of us need to be..
TY Sir Lee. You appear to be in better spirits than yesterday when You said You've given up looking for what You hope for. RIght? Or not?
Anyway, like Sir Bruce, You're being WAY too kind. My comments are somewhat moderate at times. But, a lot more often, not being of much influence. And sometimes I rant and rave when it comes to Trump. (For example: Did You see Trump's "BIG ANNOUNCEMENT"? Turns out he's gone in for the NFT grift, at *$95 a pop.* Sheesh! ( Couldn't resist. ;-))
TY for Your comment. Always appreciated.
Perhaps I came on a bit strong yesterday. Unintended. But I still would say that what I once was looking for I have conceded that I will never find. Inner peace has proven too elusive - and I know I must embrace whatever interior struggles exist. Perhaps that's a form of peace in itself.
As for your comments - they are far more influential than you might think. Do not discount yourself, ever. (As I often say to myself). Your presence is appreciated. (Trump raving certainly so..)
Enjoy your day..
That's nice *You* appreciate my Trump ravings! lol...
TY again, for Your kind thoughts. But, no. I understand I'll never actually *see* the influence, and there's bound to be some. But if I actually *had* influence, Ds would be as welcome here as much as the current crowd always is. You see that as "a happenin' thang" Sir Lee?
I don't wanna pester You, but would offer meditation as a method of doing the work of struggling, but in a different Way.
Likewise, enjoy Your day, Sir Lee. (And week and month and year and decade, while Yer at it. ;-)
I think Jesus would say of Westboro followers, as He did of all of us, “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.”
Merry Christmas everyone, remembering today that love is the greatest gift of all.
I think the words of Ebenezer Scrooge are appropriate here, “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.”
“I hate, I despise your feast days,” God chides in one Bible passage. God hated Christmas, and so everyone else had to as well.“
————————————————————
Obviously, that sentence doesn’t mean all feasts must go. But this is the same exact way David French reads the Constitution. His interpretation of how freedom works is very Westboro Baptisty.
“Oh it says free speech? Well then we have to let guys who are sexually aroused by dressing up as women read books to children who are sitting on their lap on government property while wearing lingerie and heels. I mean it says free speech…..”
“No we believe in small government so conservatives can’t use the government to stop the government from infiltrating private companies in furtherance of fascism because that would expand the government…..”
It’s just a total lack of discernment. It’s infantile.
Actually Amos said:
שָׂנֵאתִי מָאַסְתִּי, חַגֵּיכֶם; וְלֹא אָרִיחַ, בְּעַצְּרֹתֵיכֶם, but I quibble.
I think Amos would appreciate my elaborate emoji sequences.
😇😇😇🥳🥳😎😎😎🤗🤗
I agree.
Cheers to the Free Press for featuring this 21st century "Christmas Carol". Megan is a remarkable person, overcoming the ghosts of childhood past, and a terrific writer as well. Dickens could not have done better. God bless us every one!