City Kicks God Out Of Meetings

[Piney]

YAY!!!!

http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2018/03/in_bid_to_become_more_inclusive_city_scraps_invoca.html#incart_most_shared-south

This was supported by the Quakers of the Salem Quarter. One of them a former councilman and a friend of mine.

[aztek]

City kicks God out of its meetings to be more inclusive. Now, believers are offended

lol

[BorizBadinov]

Now people just need to realize there doesn't need to be a moment of silence either. Get the business done and then head to church or Netflix or whatever after. You can adhere to your own moral values without any scripture quote precursor. If you really need to pray get there 5 mins early. 

[+Not A Rockstar]

Believers need to carry God Within, and live it, and worry less about outward trappings, IMO. 

[+and-then]

1 hour ago, Not A Rockstar said:

Believers need to carry God Within, and live it, and worry less about outward trappings, IMO. 

Carrying God within is certainly important but I think the outward expression of faith through works and community is critical to our society as well.  Whether people like it or not, there is a clear correspondence between the loosening of public morals and the decay of our culture and institutions.  Attribute that degradation to whatever you like but the correlation is clearly supported.  One need not believe in the same God to respect others but in this particular nation, we DID begin with faith in God and it shaped our path for many decades.  Now that a very loud, active minority has pressed to have any mention of the Christian God removed from public discourse, the results are undeniable, IMO.  The thing is, God doesn't even have to be real for this effect to be real.  It is the sense of shared morality that such belief endowed that is now missing.  Those who say that they don't need God to be moral, I applaud them.  I also ask, if this is the case, generally, why have things become so coarse, ugly, and violent in the past few decades?

[GoldenWolf]

21 minutes ago, and then said:

Carrying God within is certainly important but I think the outward expression of faith through works and community is critical to our society as well.  Whether people like it or not, there is a clear correspondence between the loosening of public morals and the decay of our culture and institutions.  Attribute that degradation to whatever you like but the correlation is clearly supported.  One need not believe in the same God to respect others but in this particular nation, we DID begin with faith in God and it shaped our path for many decades.  Now that a very loud, active minority has pressed to have any mention of the Christian God removed from public discourse, the results are undeniable, IMO.  The thing is, God doesn't even have to be real for this effect to be real.  It is the sense of shared morality that such belief endowed that is now missing.  Those who say that they don't need God to be moral, I applaud them.  I also ask, if this is the case, generally, why have things become so coarse, ugly, and violent in the past few decades?

Believers account for 85% of the world's population.

[+Not A Rockstar]

If you are living it, then works and community takes care of itself, I think. If you live it, the joy and peace becomes its own beacon to others. 

As for the gyrations of society, I see it as the symptoms of change, and I am expecting a better future as we all wake up to the need to be working together for the common good simply because it is our choice and the sane option, not for fear of a hell or whatever other bad things other religions threaten. The upheavals are a discourse, at long last, and the final, sane, agreement will be to work together. That is what I believe as a person who loves my Creator and is no way an atheist. I am alright with the PUBLIC arena staying open to all of the public. 

My future is hope, not doom and damnation.

[+Liquid Gardens]

3 hours ago, and then said:

Whether people like it or not, there is a clear correspondence between the loosening of public morals and the decay of our culture and institutions.  Attribute that degradation to whatever you like but the correlation is clearly supported.  

I wouldn't call it 'decay', I think it's more like the correlation to people not wanting to live by some Christians' specific ideas of morals and culture is undeniable, that's all.  Some things are better now and some things are worse now, just like it's been forever.  The 'loosening of public morals/abandonment of some very outdated social norms that originated pre- 2 millenia ago' has clearly resulted in increased equality for women and gay people, and I'm pretty sure the world's starvation rate is lower than it has been.  Most people consider that a good thing, especially the latter since Jesus specifically mentioned feeding people; not sure what 'institutions' other than the church that Jesus ever encouraged Christians to fight the degradation of, or even care much about for that matter.

[toast]

3 hours ago, MysticWolf said:

Believers account for 85% of the world's population.

And thats the World`s biggest problem.

Edited March 26, 2018 by toast

[Grandpa Greenman]

Good, the Christians did it to themselves, by being intolerant of.other beliefs. 

[XenoFish]

5 hours ago, Not A Rockstar said:

Believers need to carry God Within, and live it, and worry less about outward trappings, IMO. 

I always felt that if there was a god and it did pass judgement on people. That it would look at the life that was lived rather than the spiritual/religious beliefs. Kindness, compassion, and understanding, those things can be done by anyone regardless of beliefs.

[+Not A Rockstar]

6 minutes ago, XenoFish said:

I always felt that if there was a god and it did pass judgement on people. That it would look at the life that was lived rather than the spiritual/religious beliefs. Kindness, compassion, and understanding, those things can be done by anyone regardless of beliefs.

Me too, Xeno. If it cannot change your life and how you are and if living that change does not make a difference in the world, for the better, it is not all that. 

A good religion is like good dope. If you really are that happy, people gonna ask and want it, too. JMO.

[XenoFish]

1 minute ago, Not A Rockstar said:

Me too, Xeno. If it cannot change your life and how you are and if living that change does not make a difference in the world, for the better, it is not all that. 

A good religion is like good dope. If you really are that happy, people gonna ask and want it, too. JMO.

I think it was Ben Franklin that asked himself two important questions each day.

What good shall I do today?

What good have I done today?

[XenoFish]

Old Ben had a very basic schedule. 

[+Not A Rockstar]

LMAO. Was this before or after his alleged b****** kids were birthed

[+Not A Rockstar]

ok per the University of Delaware he only sired one kid out of wedlock before his marriage. 

http://www1.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2005/mar/franklin061605.html

[XenoFish]

5 minutes ago, Not A Rockstar said:

LMAO. Was this before or after his alleged b****** kids were birthed

Never said I admired him. But the routine was interesting. Though I'm probably one of the few people who do have a daily routine. 

[+Not A Rockstar]

Just messing with you Xeno  

He really didn't seem your type anyway.

[Farmer77]

7 minutes ago, Not A Rockstar said:

LMAO. Was this before or after his alleged b****** kids were birthed

Well you'll notice his schedule did not say "pray to gawd" but "address powerful goodness" ....despite the mythology our founders didn't walk in lockstep when it came to religion - which I'm sure you probably know but considering the increased hyperbole about America "turning from god" its worth mentioning 

 

 

[XenoFish]

Just now, Not A Rockstar said:

Just messing with you Xeno  

He really didn't seem your type anyway.

Currently not in the mood for joking around. No offense to you. Just a tad grr at the moment.

[+Not A Rockstar]

1 minute ago, XenoFish said:

Currently not in the mood for joking around. No offense to you. Just a tad grr at the moment.

sorry. I will move along then. We don't get to interact much.

[XenoFish]

Just now, Not A Rockstar said:

sorry. I will move along then. We don't get to interact much.

You've done nothing wrong. Just having one of those days.

[+and-then]

3 hours ago, Not A Rockstar said:

My future is hope, not doom and damnation.

So is mine but I also recognize that history proves one thing in an endless, repetitive loop.  We are unable to work together for more than short periods of time before some element decides to crush, subjugate and control the "others" who just won't "cooperate" with a better plan.  It is who and what we ARE and until we finally prove this to ourselves by coming right up to the edge of annihilation, we won't be willing to change as a species.  That's not my hope, that's just the reality as I see it.  Frankly, I prefer yours.

[SHaYap]

3 minutes ago, XenoFish said:

Currently not in the mood for joking around. No offense to you. Just a tad grr at the moment.

Oh go fly that kite like old Ben ...

~

Title	Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky
Object type	Painting
Date	circa 1816

~

• wiki link

[+Not A Rockstar]

4 minutes ago, Farmer77 said:

Well you'll notice his schedule did not say "pray to gawd" but "address powerful goodness" ....despite the mythology our founders didn't walk in lockstep when it came to religion - which I'm sure you probably know but considering the increased hyperbole about America "turning from god" its worth mentioning 

 

 

I don't like lockstepping and back then they believed in education and personal accountability a bit more than we do today it seems to me. They were all of them immersed in personal interests away from DC. I admire that about them, that they were so diverse in interests. They were also fallible and human. It is a good history. JMO.