Pick a topic.
Tell a story.
Share an idea.
Teach something.
Post a video.
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This section of the SBNR.org site is about you! Each week we select someone from the SBNR community that has something unique and interesting to share with world.
(more about All You soon.)
Zym Soljourn is a name i cam up with back in 95 when the internet was young still… have not seen a reason to stop using it.
I like what i have seen so far on the fledgling site it will be interesting to see what it becomes.
I have an Idea brought out by the comments and constant question of Bill Maher, What is Spiritual, he asked that question every time some one says they are Spiritual not religious.
I have my personal take on it and would love to hear yours.
this is mine:
The conscience awareness of a Divine presence dynamically involved in our lives, Fostering the best in us and aiding in our journey to become more.
A Spiritual person is one the is becoming more aware of the evidence and experience that “God” The first Cause and Center or what ever you want to call “IT” is a constant in our lives and helping change our perspectives on the world around us, so much so that we can not act as if we are alone and not connected to every thing and one else.
“Stay True to The journey”
I did not see an option to edit my first post so I am re-writing it here with correction..plz forgive.
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Zym Soljourn is a name i came up with back in 95 when the internet was young. I have not seen a reason to stop using it.
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I like what i have seen so far on this fledgling site, it will be interesting to see what it becomes.
I have an Idea brought out by the comments and constant question of Bill Maher, “What is Spiritual”, he asked that question every time some one says they are Spiritual not religious.
I have my personal take on it and would love to hear yours.
this is mine:
The conscience awareness of a Divine presence dynamically involved in our lives, Fostering the best in us, and aiding in our journey to become more.
A Spiritual person is one that is becoming more aware of the evidence and experience which “God” The first Cause and Center, or what ever you want to call “IT”… is a constant in our lives and helping change our perspectives on the world around us, so much so, that we can not act as if we are alone and not connected to every thing and everyone around us.
“Stay True to The journey”
I must ask a question: Toward what do we progress? A better community? A better… what?
The slogan for SBNR is, “Love is the answer. You are the question.” First: What is LOVE? Is it sex? Is it being nice? Is it… what? Please define. Second: If I am the question how do I become the answer? By agreeing with or to the things with which I am at odds? Since I do not agree with leftist ideas I am wrong? And I’m “unaccepting”? I simply, and humbly, do not agree; and that is a far cry from hate.
I once spoke with an atheist who defined morals as somthing intrinsic to our genetic coding – and then what on to attack Chritianity on the idea that the Nazis were Christians. (A silly guise for his hatred of the Bible.) If they thought it was moral to kill based on the “enemy’s” ethic background, and morals are defined by our DNA, how do we attack the Nazi’s actions? Or for that matter call racism wrong? Are not racists “born that way”? (And no, I do not agree any of those disgusting acts of hate, Nazism or racism, I am simply asking a question.)If that is the case, NOTHING is right or wrong, it simply is. We therefore cannot call murder wrong or love right. Everything breaks down into despair, hopelessness.
If the atheist with whom I spoke is correct then I must change that which I could never change: My DNA; If I can only become the “answer” by changing my position on this idea or that idea, how am I the one who is unaccepting? I know people cannot change themselves (Jer 13:23), and I love them just the same! (But my love for them compels me to warn them of the Abyss – Hell – toward which they “progress”. Forgive me if that is mistaken for hate.)
Truth is, there was a time when I did agree with homosexuality, abortion, spiritual “oneness”, etc., but in the blink of an eye – and only when my whole life was coming to a hault – did I cry out to God, the true God, for forgiveness and all of those ideas changed, and changed instantly (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). God did the changing, not me.
When a man or woman is staring death in the eyes it should become clear that they are not a god: for they are not eternal and can do nothing to change that axiom. When you search an empty vessel you find nothing: such is the “spiritual walk” of those without Jesus (John 3:16-18).
In any case, I shared my thoughts and left a comment. Thank you for your ear and this forum.
Hello “Dry Bones”
The questions you ask are asked often by traditional Christians. In the future we will be adding pages to this site that address these questions in depth…as they come up again and again.
For now, I’ll honor your post by giving a little of my personal perspective. Remember however that I only speak for myself. SBNR people have varying beliefs. There are as many SBNR perspectives as there are SBNR people.
I find that many Christians can’t comprehend morality that is not dictated from the Bible. And yet, belief in the Bible is a form or morality. Where does that belief come from? It comes from inside you just as my morality comes from inside me.
We all live subjectively. We all must ask ourselves if we are contributing to a positive outcome for ourselves, families, communities and world, or are our actions destructive. Life is complicated and so is morality. Many issues vary based on specific context.
You ask what Love is? To me, Love is the animating creative force that gives life to me and the Universe.
You ask, “How do I become the answer?” In my perspective you, nor I, will never be the answer. We each must do the best we can. We can choose to spread Love, or not. We can act with compassion and kindness, or not. The answer to all questions is to create and spread Love.
Steve Fraze
Executive Director, SBNR.org
forgive me “Bones” if I have read you wrong, but I don’t think your so-called questions are sincere…it seems to me that you are more or less wanting to throw eggs
Zym,
Hello. I think my screen name may need some clarification: “dry bones” comes from the Bible in Ezekiel 37:1-2. The Hebrew word we translate as “dry” means “dried up” or “away”. (Your response to my screen name seemed, to me, to be some what… umm, not nice.) I suppose I did not expect a regular to agree with me, but how was I “throwing eggs” as you put it? And at whom did I throw these eggs?
If we are defined by our DNA, how can we condemn anyone for what they think, say or do? So passing a law to prohibit or allow ANYTHING is unjust to someone. So if we push personal ideas which have as thier support… umm, our personal ideas and justify them by saying, “this is good for all people, this is progress,” our action belies our intent (that is on the assumption that there is no God – or we just don’t care who He really is).
Any person can have an opinion or an idea about you, Zym, but that “idea” is only TRUE if it lines up with who YOU ARE. Truth is not what we think it is; truth is what truth is. How do you get home after work? You know where you live! If truth was relative, as so many say, any Jim, Joe, John or Jane could say, “Yep, that is my house!” …when your name is on the the title! Truth is immutable. Just ’cause the kids thew a party in the house dosen’t mean Mom and Dad said they could before leaving! And they will have to pay the consequenses for thier disobedience.
I have no doubt you are a loving person, but does that mean you love everything? Would you love the honest affection of some one close to you? I’m sure you would. So, to the other extreme, would you love it if that same person directed toward you homocidal tendencies! No way! (And in no way do I imply that that is true or that I would for one second want such a thing.) If God loves righteousness how can He love the opposite? He can’t. He loves us, but hates the sin that divides us. God is not us; God is not an emotion; God is not our conscience with whom we must reconnect. God is a sovereign being who loves you and wants to reconnect… on His terms.
My questions are sincere, trust me. Take care my friend.
First let me say that using Bones to refer to you, is only a habit with me, as all my friends will tell, I shorten every ones name when I talk to them, no harm intended.
As to your questions not sounding sincere if I was mistaken I apologize.
For me when I came across this site, I perceived it to be a place for people that have found there personal spiritual lives not reflected in the so called norm of Religious society, I am one of those people, thus I have wanted to engage here. Mostly looking for like minded persons.
I read your post and did not see that vain of thought in it, I perceived it as one coming from a traditional Religious back ground feeling like he wanted to confront any one that did not see it his way..that being through the eyes of the Church.
And you do seem to make references as such, thus referring to DNA as our all be all make up would not be consistent with a Religious back ground.
Posing that Love may be equated as sex by this site seemed very insincere as no logical assumption would go there unless it was meant to draw out controversy.
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And you said
Second: If I am the question how do I become the answer? By agreeing with or to the things with which I am at odds? Since I do not agree with leftist ideas I am wrong? And I’m “unaccepting”? I simply, and humbly, do not agree; and that is a far cry from hate.
Where does that come from.. it sound as if you are being attacked and defining your self.
It is a common philosophical question that we humans have with in us so much potential, and if we live up to even half of it, we can do amazing thing.
As Christ said ..” If you have as much faith as a mustard seed you could move a mountain”, he also said “ All that I have done you can do as well”
Sounds to me that each and every person has a grand question in side them, What will you become and do with your life?
As for Love..it has been said “He how dwells in Love God dwells in him” and “Love is a universal tendency and when present in ones actions is evidence that they are a child of God”
Being that we obviously are more that the physical form we see all the time, it holds that DNA is not the complete picture.
I have yet seen any thing about this site that aligns it’s self with Atheist. So why did you bring it up? Or use it as a reference?
And no one has said they are God, but I will support the Teaching of Christ that God is within us.
I faced death and had my life turned upside down and yes I had a Spiritual awakening, but it did not move me to church, it did move me to understand and become more as a Man, and Child of a loving Divine Presence that connects every thing.
Zym,
I fear this is becoming to long a conversation and I thank Mr. Frazee for his accommodations, so this will be my last post concerning this topic; but I thank you for for intelligent response and civil tone. (However, if you do wish to converse further on this subject with me, I welcome a dialogue via e-mail – that is if Mr. Steve Frazee is willing to the third party we exchange e-mail addresses through, as I do not wish to have my e-mail open to the public; I’m sure you understand.)
I like to read thoughts & opinions & ideas that not only line up with mine but differ from my own, that is why I’m here. If you were to see my bookself, you might take me for a conservitive, liberal, atheist, Christian, Free-Market loving capitalist, socialist/communist, American-hating, American-loving patriot. This is a free forum, is it not? On this particular page I can “pick a topic” and go from there. My topic was SBNR itself and some stories I have seen during my visit. I hope that is fair.
You were wondering where my question concerning SBNR’S slogan came from. Everything I see on this site says to “look within yourself” in one form or another. One book excerpt I saw here said, and I paraphrase (I think), “You don’t need to change yourself, you just need to be yourself.” That is a nice sounding platitude but what does it mean? People are themselves all the time! This is a wicked place to live – because of us. So my question is a valid one.
Next, to support an idea, you took some off the Lord’s words out of context. I must assume that you want people to quote you in context, so let us be fair and look at what He did say: We find this in Matthew 17:17-20; in v. 17 Jesus asked how long He should suffer a faithless and perverse generation. Who was the one doing the suffering? Jesus is the one being patient, with us, with all people… but for how long? Then HIS DISCIPLES, true disciples, came to him (v.19) and wanted to know why they could not do same (cast out a demon). Then (v.20) he answered, and part of the answer was what you quoted. It has nothing to do with us or our own “power”, because we have none (John 15:15; Job 40:8-14). (Please look-up and read the Biblical references: http://www.biblegateway.com).
You said: “Posing that Love may be equated as sex by this site seemed very insincere as no logical assumption would go there unless it was meant to draw out controversy.” No, you must be mistaken. Simply do a search on the word “Love” and you will see were I was coming from. Mr. Frazee said: “You ask what Love is? To me, Love is the animating creative force that gives life to me and the Universe.” This was his answer for which I am thankful; but I stand in disagreement. A “force” must have been set in motion… but by whom? A synonym is impetus; thus, with no catalyst this no impetus: if love is a “force” what got the ball rolling? So, by a simple process of elimination, love is not a force and cannot “animate” or create as it feels the need.
Lastly, you said: “Sounds to me that each and every person has a grand question in side them, What will you become and do with your life?”
Here is the “question”: “You will die; so what are you going to do about it?” As for me, I recognize I have no life or power in and of myself; this world will end (this is proven by science), so making this world a “better place” is a failed endeavor (although I do help and agree with the helping of all people; the more important matter is the soul and not the body). You have been cut-off from the only source of life: God. The only bridge back to God (the giver of life) is Jesus, The Christ (as explained in the Bible and not by human philosophies). I challenge you to read – or reread, as the case may be – the Gospel of John and the First epistle of John (1 John).
Thank you my friend and I look forward to further talks. Take care.
Just read some of my postings… opps! Think I should go back to “proofing before posting.” Errors aside, I think my thoughts are easily understood. Sorry.
You may be right, we may be high jacking this discussion board. it seems all point were covered and only redundancy could accure from here.