Fear of God, Fear of Witches

Vinnie,

Witches, as a general rule, believe that what goes 'round comes 'round. Thus, they wouldn't want to do anything harmful to others knowing that it will come right back around to themselves. That belief prevents a lot of mischief!

It is my own personal preference that I live in a world inhabited by those who have respect for all life and who show kindness to, or at least tolerance for, others. I'm pretty certain that I am in the majority in this regard. If you can live your life this way as a Christian, Pagan, Witch, Buddhist, Hindu, Moslem, Atheist, whatever - I'm okay with it. Again, I believe I am in the majority here.

But one thing that Christians do that other religions don't do is proselytize. That drives non-Christians up the wall - for the simple fact that it is extremely annoying to have someone shoving their religion down your throat, insisting all the while theirs is the One True Religion, and the God they worship is the One True God, and that if you don't believe this too, you are going to Hell. This shows a lack of respect for others, and I, for one, feel like a victim when someone does this to me. Christians don't know what this feels like because no one else ever does it to them!!

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TS,

I'm sorry if I offended you with any of my comments. I realized after I posted one of my comments (the one about avoiding the question), that it might come across as offensive, even though that wasn't really my intent. It was really my feeling that you were avoiding giving a concise and direct answer, and I was asking you not to do that, albeit in a less-than-tactful manner. For that I apologize. But I rarely edit my messages once I've posted them - it leaves the readers guessing what was originally there, especially when someone sees the post before it is edited and responds to something you said before you edited it. To me, it's kind of like changing an answer on a quiz after you already turned in the quiz and found out your original answer was incorrect.

In any case, I'll make an effort to be nicer in the future.

By the way, you're not the only one with feelings. I was truly offended at some of your comments as well.



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Searcher,

Although I appreciate and accept your apology, given the actual history... Sorry, but I don't buy your justifications. I might have bought it if you had explained your first comment or respected my request after I had first asked you to please knock it off. Rather, you continued in what I perceived to be an immature and intentionally antagonistic manner. My feelings were not hurt but I did find your asides to be annoying in that they distracted from the discussion. They have gotten to be so distracting, in fact, that you completely avoided my last response on topic. I am truly sorry if my pointing such things out to you hurts your feelings. That is not my intention. My intention here is to join in the sharing of our lives and experiences in a meaningful discussion.

As for editing posts, if you notice, like many others, I edit many of my posts. You must be a better writer than me because I rarely get it right the first time.

I have always been one to write, review and re-write. So, I might go back in to a post to correct a spelling error, to change a word or to add clarifying language. However, I always check to see that noone has posted a response BEFORE I edit. I am sorry if there has been an occasion where you were responding as I was editing. Once I see that someone has responsed to one of my posts, however, although I might go ahead and correct a spelling error, I do not edit the content at that point. If needed, I clarify my position in another post.

In conclusion, I hope it is understood that, although I might not have time to get to every question which is asked of me (it seems that none of us do), I have no problem clarifying my position for someone if they simply ask.

I will not, however, respond to questions which the asker continues to ask based on what I have already explained to them to be erroneous assumptions.

It would be "nice" if we could get along with each other in an honest and respectful manner, regardless of our differences.

Peace be with all of us!

 

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TS,
I do not mean to jump in on this conversation between Searcher and you...
I just wanted to say that I agree with you to a point. Well, the fact that it would be nice that everyone here get along regardless
of views. Sometimes that is hard to do though. I do not think it is so much that we
(well speaking for myself here) are trying to lash out at individuals... sometimes statements provoke certain emotions..like..say..ummm anger. For me..doesn't mean I want to attack this person... just simply expressing how I feel.

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ok, I'm going to end this reply ..I am talking in circles
Have a good day TS!!!!

 

Flash,

Hey, jump in anytime, even if it's to talk about ummmm... anger... Anger?! Anger, you say?!

Well, just thank God we're not a bunch of penguins!!! Yes, I said "penguins"! Can you imaging what they're feeling, standing up at the North Pole and looking up at the sky around this time of year? This is what one penguin is saying to another:

Oh, now, isn't this just GREAT!

We're birds and we CAN'T FLY, but...

Eight deer and a chubby guy with a load of toys...

NOOOOO PROBLEM!!!!

(Of course, this is said in a sarcastic and angry tone. They are not angry with or lashing out at each other because they have something in common. Should they be angry with or lash out personally at the reindeer or the chubby guy with the bag of toys even if the chubby guy were to explain, in a peaceful way, that although we might have different physical abilities, God created us all equal in spirit?)


[This message has been edited by truestory (edited December 26, 1999).]

 

TS,

Now I am truly confused! I don't know what you're looking for here. If I have interpreted your answer correctly, you are saying that there are some circumstances (albeit very few) in which you would be willing to allow a Witch/Pagan to babysit your child. If the person was a long time friend or family member, and has been practicing his/her religion for a long time, and you were aware of this person's religious beliefs and you had no problems with this person otherwise, then you would be okay with leaving your child with him/her - right? If that is what you are saying, then my response to your response would be, "okay". I didn't mean to avoid your response, TS.

Apparently you're still angry that I had displayed some frustration at having to "fish" the answers out of your responses. Perhaps displaying frustration is immature - okay, you're right. But do you realize that you are displaying your own frustration with me as well? Maybe we should both grow up?

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Peace, TS.

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Searcher,

Believe me, I'm not angry. Although there are certain behaviors which I feel it is always best to address immediately, as a matter of fact, I also happen to be the most patient person that many people have ever met.

I am also confused... about your "fishing" comment. My responses originally went to Skye. Perhaps she understood my answers to her questions, perhaps not. What is apparent to me is that you did not, but rather than just asking clarifying questions, for some reason, you felt the need to pepper your posts to me with negative and sarcastic comments and to ascribed what some would consider to be more "juicy" ulterior motives to my thinking before asking your additional clarifying questions. Why this is happening, only you can answer yourself honestly.

Based on some of your questions, I thought that you were truly trying to understand where I was coming from, that is why I took the time to answer you, despite the interference. I thought, perhaps, that you might have taken the time to acknowledge that you now understood my perspective instead of focusing on the other "stuff". Thanks for doing that, eventually. Yes, witch or not, as I stated a number of times previously, I require much in the way of babysitters.

We do not know each other very well, Searcher. Asking questions, without preconceived notions about the response, and truly listening is a way of learning more about each other.

Do you have any children, Searcher?

[This message has been edited by truestory (edited December 26, 1999).]

 

TS,

Okay, at the risk of posting a message that, in my own estimation, is way too long for others to have to suffer through - maybe I should explain a little more about where I'm coming from. Hopefully, it will help to ease the tensions, if it accomplishes nothing else.

Part of it has to do with my own personal limitations, and therefore, my own frustrations with myself - I am an extraordinarily slow reader. Perhaps if they had done testing for learning disabilities when I was going to school, they would have found that I'm dyslexic, or some other such label. Whether or not that would have been of benefit to me - who knows?

But there is nothing more frustrating to me than to have to read through some of the horrendously long posts I see on this board, only to find the "answers" to questions, whether posed by me or others, either hopelessly buried or missing altogether.

Skye is a very fast reader, and what might take her 2 minutes to read through, might take me 10 minutes. Some posts are so hopelessly long, that I must skip them altogether if I ever hope to get anything else accomplished that day.

Given these limitations, I appreciate nothing more than seeing a clear and concise answer to a question, because it eliminates so much of the "work" of divining the author's intent.

TS, it is my perception (which I admit may be erroneous), that you sometimes have a very roundabout way of answering questions, which might be seen as an effort to avoid giving a direct answer to a question that causes you discomfort in some way. It may not be your intent to cause me or anyone else frustration, but that is the effect, nonetheless. (I might add, though, that you're far from being the worst on this board - it's just that some of the others don't really have answers worth divining, anyway. Whether you realize it or not, I feel that you do - hence my frustration in having to take the time to figure out what you are really saying!)

To answer your last question, yes - I have two grown sons, ages 21 and 18. My 21 year old will be a father in February - so that makes me a soon-to-be grandmother, as well!

I know you've mentioned in other threads that you have a daughter, but perhaps you would tell us about your family in this thread as well?



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TS,

Not to criticize you, TS, but I'm pretty certain this paragraph wasn't in your original post to which I was responding. At least, I don't remember seeing it the first time. This illustrates my point about editing messages once they are posted. Of course, in light of my reading limitations, I may be wrong, but how can I be sure?

That's the reason I try to avoid editing my own messages - to avoid that doubt. You see, I had almost edited the original message that caused all the bad feelings to begin with, but then I decided that you had probably already read it anyway, and it was better to just take my lumps since I had already committed the "sin", than to make you look like a crazy person responding to a statement that didn't exist. That might have made me look better, but then you and I would still know the truth.

Anyway, that's just my personal opinion...

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TS,

Oh, and here's one other thing that might help you to put it in perspective. I am really grumpy every year just before Christmas. What I might normally overlook most of the time, really annoys me when I have the pre-Christmas blues. This has to do with some of my own personal demons I have lived with for many years, and nothing to do with you or anyone else on this board. I'm sorry that I took it out on you. Okay?

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Searcher,

I am truly sorry about your limitations which you believe are causing you frustrations.

For the record, a quick count on my screen reveals approximately 171 lines posted by you to me and 132 lines posted by me to you (plus this post).

Your posts averaged 21 lines per (including the 2-liner with the picture) - mine average 26 lines per. Sorry, me thinks there is more to this than meets the eye.

 

Searcher,

Congratulations on your upcoming "Grand-parenthood!!!" My turn arrives in April.

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Five children grew up, or finished growing up in our home... our daughter, our son, and three orphaned brothers who were 15, 13 and 5 yrs old when they joined our family. My husband and I inherited the boys when our daughter was 3 and our son was 8 weeks old. They are now 39, 37, 29, 27 and 24 years old.

 

Searcher,

Honestly, I do not remember what the edit was in that post... but it really seems to bother you, Sooooo...

Although it goes COMPLETELY against my grain (like fingernails on a chalkboard), here is what I will do, just for YOU!!! I will not edit posts which are addressed to YOU and I will take my lumps. No laughing at my spelling errors, duplicate words, etc... allowed.

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TS,

Including this post, I have posted 300 messages since I registered on October 3, 1999. You have posted 509 times since you registered September 14, 1999, 19 days before me. I don't know your trick for counting lines - if that is a choice, I missed it. It would appear on the surface of it that you are a much more prolific poster than I am. Perhaps you could count the total lines you have posted vs. the total lines I have posted?

By the way, I don't read all that much faster than I can type. You don't need to feel sorry for me - I make do. I'm just trying to explain part of the reason why I get frustrated. And it's not just in your posts to me - many times it's messages you've posted in response to others.

TS, you're not the only one I get frustrated with on this count - so don't feel like the Lone Stranger! I have also hinted to ISDAMan that his posts are a bit long-winded. He didn't take the hint at all! Although I have found much in his posts worth reading as well, it is my feeling that he could say the same things with a lot fewer words! His posts are some of the ones that I am forced to skip over due to the length.

Again, I'm stating a personal preference that others may not necessarily agree with, so please don't take offense!

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Dear Searcher,

Pre-Christmas blues and demons... That's got to be "the pits" for sure!!!

You might hate me for saying this but, I have to tell you that there is no room for the blues and demons with Jesus Christ in my heart!!!

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Peace be with you!

 

TS,

Oops! You managed to get in 3 more posts since I began posting my 300th message!

No, I won't laugh at your typos - I'm sure I've made a few too! The only time I edit them is if the typo changes or obscures the intent of my message.

By the way, congratulations on your upcoming grandparenthood as well!

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TS,

No, I certainly don't hate you! I'm glad you've found something that comforts you in troubled times.

December 23 is the anniversary of an event in my life that I would rather forget. It's unfortunate that it coincides with a time of year that should be a happy one for Christians and Pagans alike! About 3 years ago the annual visit from those demons of Christmas Past nearly cost me a marriage and a job! I managed to pull through that one with both job and marriage intact, but had to make some serious changes.

It's kind of odd, because the event happened in 1973, and I don't even conciously think of it each year. Yet it always finds a way to rear it's ugly head every year, and sometimes it takes me awhile to even recognize it for what it is.

Anyway, I think the danger is past for this year. I'm looking forward now to bigger and better things ahead!

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Dear Searcher,

I am glad that the incident which comes back to trouble you seems to be over for now and I pray that it will not come back to haunt you again.

I personally know a few people who suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome, which sounds similar to what you are experiencing... some for years, others for decades... resulting from violent rape, torture, sustained physical and emotional abuse, horrific accidents and the untimely and traumatic deaths of children and other loved ones... some of them went through years of counseling with no improvement in their conditions... once these people accepted Jesus Christ into their lives, however, they no longer suffered the affects of these afflictions.

Peace be with you!

 

Thanks, TS. I believe you're right about it being PTSS. And about counseling being pretty much worthless. I'll forgo comment on the rest...

Peace be with you as well.

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Searcher,

A lot of time traditional consouling does not work for suffers of PTSD, but thier have been some amazing devlopments in the treatment of PTSD. The name and exact particulars slip my mind at the moment, but give me a couple of days and I will see if I can dig up my paper work on it. It's not for everyone becuase it is a very intense process. You must be willing to rember and feel everything, but patients thend to show a great deal of improvment with in 6-8 months. It's bassed off of REM, (no not the band) Rapid eye movements, and the fact that the brain stops processing information and the the traumatic event at hand and geting you to process these events in order to help not make it such a controlling factor in one's life.

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My life could have been black and white, but I had to color it.