Greetings -

[MHanson]

Hello - I will be looking around to see what there is to see, and eventually post a few things. I imagine I would spend most time in Religion and Ethics, but I will also visit some other rooms as well, of course.

I am living in California at the moment, and my favorite job designation is "temporarily retired." I worked in operations at a mutual fund company and made databases in Microsoft Access and spreadsheets in Excel.

Recently I decided to join the Unitarian Universalist Association, and I am still an Ordained Clergy Person with the Church of Spiritual Humanism. The latter is no big deal; anyone can fill out a form and for a few dollars get documentation that you are ordained, then in some states you are authorized to marry people. Check with your own state laws though, there have been issues in other states.

Thank you for having me.

 

[Mr. H.]

Welcome.

I've baptized scores of babbys over the years, without having any form of ordination.

Are they going to hell? Am I going to hell?

 

[Jeremy]

Howdy.

 

[MHanson]

My favorite answer to "Do you know where you're going when you die?" is "Yes, in an urn or a box, unless it happens in an isolated rural area in which case I'll be supplying nutrition for various species."

The state doesn't regulate baptisms, and as long as you had the parents' permissions I wouldn't think there would be an issue. Marriages are regulated though, and being married by an unauthorized person can cause quite a ruckus.

You know your concept of hell better than I do, making you a much better authority than me on that question.

 

[Ozmar]

Bonjour.

 

[Zoom-boing]

No salutations?

Welcome anyway I guess.

 

[uscitizen]

Greetings and felicitations.

 

[Ozmar]

Greetings and salivations.

 

[MHanson]

No salutations?

Welcome anyway I guess.

I tried to put "greetings" in the "Tags" box, but it complained that it was too common a word. I'm glad it was the only stuck-up box I have seen on the site so far.

 

[MHanson]

Greetings and salivations.

(gets rag from kitchen)

 

[MHanson]

Greetings and felicitations.

Ah, it's been a while since I saw that word, felicitations. Sounds very musical.

 

[Linnie]

IMHO...We need more religion in this world, right now especially....moral decay has set in and I blame the libs...welcome aboard...

 

[MHanson]

IMHO...We need more religion in this world, right now especially....moral decay has set in and I blame the libs...welcome aboard...

Hello -

I see religion as a personal journey that I wouldn't want to prescribe to any adult. And not every religion is the same; some practicing peace, some practicing hate, many practicing somewhere in between.

If by 'libs' you mean those who are for a more fair tax for all classes, including the rich, for more enforced regulations to prevent any further bank failures and subsequent bailouts, and regulations that will help prevent massive oil spills, for permission for our service people to serve and not have to hide their orientation, for civil marriage being available to all consenting adults no matter each others' gender or sexual identity, then I'm guilty. Just how am I contributing to moral decay, I look forward to reading in the forums.

 

[Intense]

Welcome!

 

[Linnie]

Not you personally, silly....just two wee answers..Gay marriage and abortion as birth control..Ok one more..Laws against prayer in school and the removal of all Christian symbols from public property...
Oh well one more thing..ENFORCED BANK BAILOUTS?....

 

[Ozmar]

Not you personally, silly....just two wee answers..Gay marriage and abortion as birth control..Ok one more..Laws against prayer in school and the removal of all Christian symbols from public property...
Oh well one more thing..ENFORCED BANK BAILOUTS?....

Huh? Recruit don't know, suh.

 

[Sallow]

Welcome.

 

[MHanson]

No, I'd rather be responsible for the views/values/beliefs that I have, and be accountable, especially if it is causing moral decay. Maybe that's a big problem right now, people thinking they just can believe anything without thinking or being made accountable.

I already communicated my position on gay marriage.

Personally I think birth control by abortion is very low taste, but I don't feel I have the right to enforce that on any other person.

I'm for prayer in schools under any one of two conditions:

• That small rooms be made available for private prayer (perhaps monitored to make sure they are not being used for unauthorized activity.)
• That any public prayer take turns with other religions. For example, Christian one day, Jew another, Muslim another, etc. or at least for each of the religions of the students attending that school.

Add symbols of other religions on public property, according to the religions of all the people in that community, and I will have no problem with Christian symbols there as well.

If "enforced bank bailouts" means what I think it means, that is one item we agree on. I was apprehensive when Bush gave it to the banks and when he gave it to automakers I was livid. When Obama didn't do anything to stop it I was very glad I never supported either party. Except for 2004 when I tried to get a certain person out of the White House. Everyone knows how successful that was.

Dang - I should have left ten minutes ago. I'll be back later.

 

[AllieBaba]

Welcome..and I suggest you jump in, starting with this thread:

http://www.usmessageboard.com/the-flame-zone/113818-share-your-projectile-vomiting-story-here.html

Baptism by fire, so to speak. Easily the most disgusting thread I've ever seen, just for pure barf factor.

At least since we lost Shogun.

 

[DiveCon]

welcome