Reflecting on my dad, the minister

In response to my last post, my dad offered some of his perspective to me on Facebook. We hold very different views about which we each feel strongly. Although he has had a general sense of this division for some time, I imagine that my recent boldness causes him a deep sadness about my spiritual status. I don’t wish for this, as I know his concern is genuine. He should know that my opposing beliefs do not make him seem an idiot or unintellectual to me. He has chosen his beliefs for his own personal reasons. I also hope he does not despair that he somehow messed up as a father and teacher to me. I see an overall goodness in him, and I thank him for using his sense of human compassion.

I fully honor the decisions he must have made at some point NOT to follow the highly immoral role-models in Christian and Jewish scriptures. He doesn’t act on thoughts of child sacrifice that might pop into his head. He doesn’t murder his neighbors when a voice from above said that their land is now his. He doesn’t own concubines. He doesn’t own slaves. He doesn’t offer to burn his children so that God will do him a favor. He doesn’t offer his daughters to be raped by the locals in order to protect visiting male strangers from being homosexually defiled. He has never slaughtered entire races because they were simply not God’s chosen people. He doesn’t kill the first-born of an entire nation to make a point. He didn’t sacrifice his son to save the world he made…. from himself. My dad is not an egotistical, greedy faith healer or a womans health clinic bomber or a suicide-cult leader, Muslim jihadist, child-molesting priest, or a religious-fundamentalism-guided lawmaker. He shows real love and care for his family and appreciates the natural world. All these things are true because he accepts a common human ethic while rejecting the moral extremities that are often demanded by religion. Through his initial example, I have also learned these same standards, and although someone in his position is required accept these real and tangible actions as an undeniable part of God’s perfect and holy plan for our existence, his actions do not add to this list of atrocities. He is a decent human. For this, he has my respect.

Sorry to use you in my sermon, dad.

Related:
http://notetoself.net/2010/03/04/so-what-prompted-the-change-to-atheism/
http://notetoself.net/2010/03/08/a-personal-introspection-for-my-christian-friends/

An attempt at Flying Spaghetti Monsterism conversion

P050809PS-0297, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

.. but we all know our Pres is a Reformed Pastafarian and knows the true way is that of the ninja.

- Touched by His Noodly Appendage

mr. wind was always misunderstood

i’m trying to cut back on the reposting, but this is good enough.

Learn stuff in plain English

I found this site through a tekzilla tip. This couple makes simple introductory video guides to concepts like RSS, Wikis, and Zombies. I like their style. They win.

• RSS

• Wikis

• Zombies

recognizing patterns – what do i want now?

i’m sitting at my desk at work, going through my OS. it occurred to me that i continually go through “waves” of refreshing my computers with a clean start … to building my options with tools and interesting applications … and trying out new file management methods … until, eventually, i have an annoyingly cluttered mess, and i need to refresh again.

looks just like what happens in my room.

i imagine that it possibly happened in some of my past relationships too. (ponder ponder)

so, my thought branched to something i consciously decided several years ago when considering my personal state and what i wanted in life. i determined that i lacked one thing i needed more than anything else, confidence. my personality was “nice” but lame without confidence, and that disabled my interactions with others. i wanted to be recognized with more respect, to have the attitude that could get me whatever else i wanted. ……. fast forward, and i have it, and it’s good for me even if i may occasionally come across as an asshole.

then, now what? … what’s the next step that i choose and begin to build? i looked through my files again and my cluttered room and my hobbies and my many unpolished skills, and i instantly knew i needed focus. i know a little about alot, and i’m all for that, but i’m deciding to shift now towards fewer, more concentrated paths. what are these going to be? i have an idea, and i’m watching with all of this in mind. this will be the end of this cycle of the wave. clean out and refresh.

::EDIT::
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