Countries evolve .. if you think that, living in a monarchy while everyone around you becomes a republic is patriotism.
Well, is your concept
I honestly think that only after the departure of D. Pedro II, is that Brazil has begun to create their own patriotism..
People began to disbelieve in Brazil in 1980.
But truth be told, I liked him.
Why would anyone want to change that? It's a beautiful piece.
We've had some anthem talk in Finland too, and to be honest I think our anthem could be better.
I mean, its a copy of a German drinking song (not that it woldn't be fitting considering how much we drink).
We have better all-finnish songs - such as Finlandia-hymn - that we could use.
But still I feel quite attached to our crappy little sing-along piece thats exactly the same as the Estonian national anthem.
It's our song, for crying out loud.
.
.
.
And Estonias but you know what I mean.
I want to confess that… I miss a certain someone from the forum~ :<
I think we all miss him… :(
definitely. i could look past the bad stuff quite easily because of the very very very good stuff he brought here.
this is actually a big loss in the long run.
here's my confession: I honestly, un-ironically enjoy the Star Wars prequel trilogy. If I had my druthers, I'd skip the dialogue and go from action scene to action scene, but if they announced they were playing Episode 1 in theatres again, I would definitely go see it.
also, I like the cleaned-up editions of the original trilogy more than the grainy originals, partly because the new ones have more scenes in them. It doesn't matter that Han shot a split second after Greedo, the point is that he tried to talk his way out of it and then stone-cold shot the guy and left like a boss. It is one scene that is barely noticeable, and doesn't affect the rest of his characterization at all.
I didn't mind the ewoks. I thought General Grievous was badass as hell. I liked seeing Yoda kick ass. I don't give a shit that the old fart who was supposedly anakin got replaced by hayden christianson at the end of RotJ. I enjoyed seeing Han talk shit to Jabba. The CG aliens seem much more alive than the anamatronic puppets. I likes the podrace. I do not hate Jar-jar Binks.
keep in mind that I frigging grew up with star wars. It was my principle interest until I discovered video games. I watched the original trilogy when I was like 3, and saw the re-release of Empire and RotJ in theatres. I collected so many toys, and I still have three large bins full of them. I enjoyed the hell out of Phantom Menace when it first came out, and then subscribed to some Starwars Insider magazine to hype myself for Attack of the Clones, which I also thought was the best thing ever. This was in 4th grade. I did a biographical book report on George Lucas, because he was pretty much my hero. I loved Attack of the Clones when it came out in early middle school. Me and my friends couldn't stop talking about it. Now that the orginal trilogy is gonna be re-released again in 3D, I am so gonna see them.
Do I consider the original trilogy better films? hell yes. Do I enjoy the action scenes and imagery of the prequel trilogy? hell yes. Do I think Anakin is a whiny little bitch? hell yes. Do I think Mace Windu is a badass beyond belief? Hell yes.
so, there it is. Does this mean I have to forfeit my nerd cred now?
The prequels were definetely not the worst movies of all time but they don't live up to its originals.
They are good movies among today's standards (fucking 3d) but bad movies among the good ones.
The darth maul fight was amazing but there was no story or development a bit like the prequels. It is obviously under the standard of the originals.
However, I disagree to change actors like objects. I don't think anybody would like to be replaced in a movie, that's just disgusting especially if you are replaced by an actor who did a terrible job.
If I shut 70 percent of my brain I can enjoy the prequels.
The "han shot first" totally ruins one of the last scenes of RTOJ where Leia uses the same trick.
This is kind of a double confession, bear with me.
I was arguing with a friend on Facebook about roughly a week or so ago and it just occurred to me that I was being a pretty big jackass. When I asked another friend about the whole thing (a mutual friend of both of us) he did tell me I was being a jerk. I asked him why he didn't mention it to me is because he was trying to be polite.
Which leads to my confessions: 1) I usually don't realize when I'm being annoying or a jerk until long after the fact. 2) I hate it when people are not upfront with me about this. I am definitely not an intimidating person. If I'm being rude or obnoxious or annoying I want my friends to call me out on it because I generally am not aware of it. The worse possible thing that you could do is not tell me.
So yeah. If any of my AP friends are listening, if I start getting obnoxious or annoying or am being a jackass, PLEASE tell me.
This is kind of a double confession, bear with me.
I was arguing with a friend on Facebook about roughly a week or so ago and it just occurred to me that I was being a pretty big jackass. When I asked another friend about the whole thing (a mutual friend of both of us) he did tell me I was being a jerk. I asked him why he didn't mention it to me is because he was trying to be polite.
Which leads to my confessions: 1) I usually don't realize when I'm being annoying or a jerk until long after the fact. 2) I hate it when people are not upfront with me about this. I am definitely not an intimidating person. If I'm being rude or obnoxious or annoying I want my friends to call me out on it because I generally am not aware of it. The worse possible thing that you could do is not tell me.
So yeah. If any of my AP friends are listening, if I start getting obnoxious or annoying or am being a jackass, PLEASE tell me.
Pretty much this. I try to be a bit of a joker and test boundaries, but if I start stepping on toes, I'd appreciate if you let me know as well. :)
If I ever come off as a bitch, my dear friends, please know that it's because…
I meant to be.
DOHOHOHOHO
Jabba and Yoda are objectively more lifelike as puppets than as CGI.
Also about National Anthems…
http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view?list_id=228240&show=25&start=0
. Do I enjoy the action scenes and imagery of the prequel trilogy? hell yes. Do I think Anakin is a whiny little bitch? hell yes. Do I think Mace Windu is a badass beyond belief? Hell yes.
Mace Windu a badass? He was literally one of the most boring characters in Star Wars IMO. In fact…
The prequels were definetely not the worst movies of all time but they don't live up to its originals.
They are good movies among today's standards (fucking 3d) but bad movies among the good ones.
Funny thing is Darth's origin could have been covered in like a mini flashback in Return of the Jedi. Instead of fucking three whole films
The prequels ruins Bobba Fett by giving him a backstory, where he should just be mysterious character who's origin is left for viewer to decide.
@Monkey:
Jabba and Yoda are objectively more lifelike as puppets than as CGI.
Also about National Anthems…
http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view?list_id=228240&show=25&start=0
LOL at the Vietnam one.
In fact we have called for a change of national anthem for years. Another lyric version of the anthem was made, more fitting with the age than the old bloody one , but the government has not used it.
I've never been a big fan of the U.S.A's national anthem. Mostly because I don't really enjoy the lyrics.
So I got a part in a very short play a few students at my school are producing. At first, I was really excited about doing it, but as I've started getting into the role, I've become more and more disturbed by it. The play is about a youth suffering from schizophrenia, and I was cast as one of the voices in his head. It's an extremely demanding role, and it's been haunting me constantly. There's still a month before the play is actually performed, and I don't know if I can fully stomach having to embody a persona like that for so long. It shows inexperience, I know, but I haven't really been feeling well lately.
Mace Windu a badass? He was literally one of the most boring characters in Star Wars IMO. In fact…
Funny thing is Darth's origin could have been covered in like a mini flashback in Return of the Jedi. Instead of fucking three whole films
The prequels ruins Bobba Fett by giving him a backstory, where he should just be mysterious character who's origin is left for viewer to decide.
you are probably right. There isn't much I can say in defense, besides the fact that the "this party's over" line brings me inordinate amounts of happiness, so I won't even bother. But I just can't muster up much hate for the prequel trilogy at all, for some reason.
I don't want to go as far as to say they're my guilty pleasure, because it's not like I particularly like them. Watching the entire movie, they would be like 5/10 for me. Just watching the action scenes, 7/10. So either way, not horrible.
I feel like confessing some things, so I'm just going to jump in and do it here, mainly because I don't feel like there's anyone in my life I canactually talk to. (There's number one.)
I am terrified of the future. I am can't sleep at night because I'm always worried that I've screwed everything up and that I'll never amount to anything. I'm terrified I won't achieve my dreams. So, I'm terrified of the future and I don't want it to come.
Which leads into: I used to be suicidal. Very suicidal. That's something that only 3 people in my life know. And now I've told a bunch of strangers on the internet. Fancy that.
Which also ties into: I've been losing my religion for a long time now.In fact, the only reason I still grasp to anything is because I'm terrified of that slight possibility that Hell might exist, and I don't want to end up there for all eternity. But what point is there in believing something if you only believe it out of fear? I'm so confused, and honestly, I'm absolutely terrified.
Now for a less serious side.
I think the two party system is absolutely moronic. We have people who will never stand a chance in elections because they don't have the funding the republican and democrat candidates do, yet they have better ideas. Also, the two party system encourages partisan voting, which only hurts a country, I know a bunch of people who will only vote for a certain party, never even considering the other candidate. It's ridiculous and I hate it. I hate politics. And I hate the fact that no one in this country seems to care enough to fix it. All the time everyone is just fighting. It;s a miracle anything can get done here when the citizens can;t even get along for the sake of helping the country they live in. No, we have Glenn Beck and all the people like him, causing citizens to not have faith in the president by spouting lies. The staunch defenders of Obama aren;t helpful either. Is he a perfect president? No! Has he made some bad decisions? Yes! Both sides just need to calm the hell down and try to work together.
Now is that rant nonsensical? Yes. But did it feel damn good to get it off my chest? Hell yes.
Finally, I can't decide if I should post this or not. If you're seeing it I guess I did.
Ok, ok ok. Why do you have to believe in something out of fear? Believe in something out of, well… faith. Do you agree with what your religion teaches? And I am not talking about all the Hell stuff. I am talking about the ideology and ethical rules it's supposed to be passing on to the next generations (and also the fun customs). If you believe in something out of fear then.. well.. it loses the point of believing because that is supposed to be based on the faith and love you have in your God, no the fear you have for divine punishment. And it seems to me that you lost that faith and love so dunno why you are still hanging on to your religion. If you don't even consider your religion's God anymore, then why consider its Hell? I suggest grabbing your Bible or your Scripts or whatever, reading them and start finding the points you disagree or you agree with and also the points you WANT to believe in. If you see that you are pretty much doubting most of it or don't feel like placing even a shred of faith in what your religion says then... well... you don't belong to that religion anymore I guess. Stop fretting about it. In my opinion as an Orthodox Christian God wants your love, not to fear Him. And as a fellow human being, I am telling you that if what you believe in causes you so much stress, then I think it's time to review and change your views.
Anyway. The future part now.
Why be scared of what's to come? And why fret thinking that you've screwed it up? If you do that, you are kinda wasting time on making your future a better one. Because what you do NOW, what you do TODAY, will make your tomorrow a much better one. The past doesn't matter. Well, it does for all the experience it gave you but it doesn't mean you have to let it shape your future. That's a bad idea. Think of and cherish all the crap you did in the past because that's what gave you the experience you need to survive today and to work on making your tomorrow better. I think the more mistakes you made yesterday and today will lead you in making less mistakes tomorrow. So don't be afraid to slip and fall. That will make you go slower for one and for two it will make you avoid things that could teach you a thing or two to avoid or do again to turn your future into a brighter one.
I hope I make sense. I can't always express my thoughts well 
I feel like confessing some things, so I'm just going to jump in and do it here, mainly because I don't feel like there's anyone in my life I canactually talk to. (There's number one.)
I am terrified of the future. I am can't sleep at night because I'm always worried that I've screwed everything up and that I'll never amount to anything. I'm terrified I won't achieve my dreams. So, I'm terrified of the future and I don't want it to come.
Which leads into: I used to be suicidal. Very suicidal. That's something that only 3 people in my life know. And now I've told a bunch of strangers on the internet. Fancy that.
Which also ties into: I've been losing my religion for a long time now.In fact, the only reason I still grasp to anything is because I'm terrified of that slight possibility that Hell might exist, and I don't want to end up there for all eternity. But what point is there in believing something if you only believe it out of fear? I'm so confused, and honestly, I'm absolutely terrified.
Now for a less serious side.
I think the two party system is absolutely moronic. We have people who will never stand a chance in elections because they don't have the funding the republican and democrat candidates do, yet they have better ideas. Also, the two party system encourages partisan voting, which only hurts a country, I know a bunch of people who will only vote for a certain party, never even considering the other candidate. It's ridiculous and I hate it. I hate politics. And I hate the fact that no one in this country seems to care enough to fix it. All the time everyone is just fighting. It;s a miracle anything can get done here when the citizens can;t even get along for the sake of helping the country they live in. No, we have Glenn Beck and all the people like him, causing citizens to not have faith in the president by spouting lies. The staunch defenders of Obama aren;t helpful either. Is he a perfect president? No! Has he made some bad decisions? Yes! Both sides just need to calm the hell down and try to work together.Now is that rant nonsensical? Yes. But did it feel damn good to get it off my chest? Hell yes.
Finally, I can't decide if I should post this or not. If you're seeing it I guess I did.
First off, what I want to say is that nothing here you're experiencing is unusual. It's hard to lose a belief system you counted so much on (I went through something similar before becoming an atheist). All I can say is that if something needs your fear in order to hang on, then maybe you need to sit down and reconsider if that thing is good for you.
As for worrying about not succeeding, a lot of people feel that way, especially younger people for some reason. You, however, are still young and are just beginning your life. You only need to put out your best effort and take what comes to you.
And I'm with you on the politics thing pretty much 100%.
I hope this helped, and I wish you the best Akumu.
Oh. And politics suck.
My love for Chrissie is deeper than the seas, bluer than the sky & flashier than her Avys. Why did you change your avy, chrissie… My heart used to beat in your ever flashing avy. Now I'm dead.... all thanks to you!!
I am terrified of the future. I am can't sleep at night because I'm always worried that I've screwed everything up and that I'll never amount to anything. I'm terrified I won't achieve my dreams. So, I'm terrified of the future and I don't want it to come.
How old are you? I'm a recent grad myself, everyone has these thoughts around that time. It's a scary open ended part of life, very tough. But it's a normal part of life too, ain't nobody doesn't go through this. So don't worry too much about it.
I already gave up what I thought were my dreams, and I'm finding just living is a noble cause~ (Billy Joel)
Not saying to give up, saying you might find it's not as horrible or bad as you think.
Enjoy the simple things in life anyway, the nights out, the friends, the family, the landscape whatever.
Which also ties into: I've been losing my religion for a long time now.In fact, the only reason I still grasp to anything is because I'm terrified of that slight possibility that Hell might exist, and I don't want to end up there for all eternity. But what point is there in believing something if you only believe it out of fear? I'm so confused, and honestly, I'm absolutely terrified.
Oh now that's straight nothing to even worry about.
Maybe you want someone to reassure your faith but like…
...like I dunno. I hate seeing people so scared about something like this. Faith should be a beautiful thing, but it shouldn't inspire this if it just so happens to leave.
I say this like because I've never had ANYTHING religious going on. Not out of choice or nothing, but because I was raised neutrally. So I never had faith. It's not terrifying. It's...everyday lol.
Sea might have some interesting perspectives on this what with being a lapsed Buddhist but also because he grew up in a part of the world that lacks the whole dogmatic BELIEVE OR BURN AND BE LEFT TO A COLD BARREN WORLD thing going on.
I feel good when I can't sleep. I am always afraid if I sleep too much or too soon. I like the feeling of lying in the bed for all night without sleeping and hate falling asleep.
And I hate eating. Especially when I am in the middle of doing something.
Sleeping and eating are rarely pleasure to me. And most of the time I do them out of fear for my health. I always wish to have body that can functions perfectly without eating or sleeping.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
I feel like confessing some things, so I'm just going to jump in and do it here, mainly because I don't feel like there's anyone in my life I canactually talk to. (There's number one.)
I am terrified of the future. I am can't sleep at night because I'm always worried that I've screwed everything up and that I'll never amount to anything. I'm terrified I won't achieve my dreams. So, I'm terrified of the future and I don't want it to come.
Which leads into: I used to be suicidal. Very suicidal. That's something that only 3 people in my life know. And now I've told a bunch of strangers on the internet. Fancy that.
Which also ties into: I've been losing my religion for a long time now.In fact, the only reason I still grasp to anything is because I'm terrified of that slight possibility that Hell might exist, and I don't want to end up there for all eternity. But what point is there in believing something if you only believe it out of fear? I'm so confused, and honestly, I'm absolutely terrified.
I think about dying sometime but it is not because I am tired of living, but because I am interested in knowing whether afterlife exists and what it is like. But I love living so I have to wait until death calls me.
Religions aim to create perfectly moral humans, and the concept of Hell and Heaven contradict this purpose, so I don't believe in them at all. A perfectly moral humans don't do good things out of desire for heaven, and don't avoid doing bad thing out of fear for hell.
I think Buddhism is cool. I gave up being a Buddhist to view and study it more rationally and not blindedly with faith (and of course I have some disagreement with its philosophy). I understand the teachings of Buddha better than I did before because I approach them with skepticism. In Buddhism a harmful intention is a more severe crime than harmful action, so if you have sinful thought (like being suicidal) you will be punished anyway. To Buddhism's belief life itself is a hell, a sea of suffering. What is the point for hell to exist if you cannot appreciate life more than hell? Reincarnation is a better concept. As a atheist Buddhist I never believed in hell, or at least, didn't believe anyone would be kept in hell for eternity, just pass into the next life at some point. It is obviously unfair if you are punished or rewarded eternally for a decision of a moment.
Like many people, I was afraid of hell and had fear for invisible force. I questioned and challenged them, like doing something equivalent to wearing a T-shirt with number 13 to conquer my irrational fear, and I soft of succeeded.
I feel like confessing some things, so I'm just going to jump in and do it here, mainly because I don't feel like there's anyone in my life I canactually talk to. (There's number one.)
I am terrified of the future. I am can't sleep at night because I'm always worried that I've screwed everything up and that I'll never amount to anything. I'm terrified I won't achieve my dreams. So, I'm terrified of the future and I don't want it to come.
Which leads into: I used to be suicidal. Very suicidal. That's something that only 3 people in my life know. And now I've told a bunch of strangers on the internet. Fancy that.
Let me answer this by saying that I was the same way not but two years ago. Life is a roller coaster and immediately after graduating from high school, I plummeted into a virtually hermetic state, to the point I went about… six months without even leaving my house. Why? Because I thought I ruined everything. I foolishly didn't take a full-ride to college and threw everything away. I wanted to just keel over and disappear, whatever it takes.
Which also ties into: I've been losing my religion for a long time now.In fact, the only reason I still grasp to anything is because I'm terrified of that slight possibility that Hell might exist, and I don't want to end up there for all eternity. But what point is there in believing something if you only believe it out of fear? I'm so confused, and honestly, I'm absolutely terrified.
Religion is a difficult topic to justify, but without it, I would probably still be in that same hermetic state. I'm not devout or necessarily certain of what, but I have faith in something. Something's influencing us, and I'll take an old Christian saying and apply it here: "The Lord works in mysterious ways." Basic philosophy I've come to adopt: You drive off the side of the road into a ditch. You have three options: back up and get back on track, or just sit in the ditch and fester. OR you can just keep on driving through the muddy ditch and beyond it. Who knows? You may find a road that gets you where you are going faster, or even make take you someplace you'd never thought to go. The point is, it may seem bad, but sometimes you have to persevere and have a little faith that whatever deity or concept you follow has some bigger plans in store for you. I'd like to think I'm living proof of that, though I won't know until I get my acceptance letters.~
Now for a less serious side.
I think the two party system is absolutely moronic. We have people who will never stand a chance in elections because they don't have the funding the republican and democrat candidates do, yet they have better ideas. Also, the two party system encourages partisan voting, which only hurts a country, I know a bunch of people who will only vote for a certain party, never even considering the other candidate. It's ridiculous and I hate it. I hate politics. And I hate the fact that no one in this country seems to care enough to fix it. All the time everyone is just fighting. It;s a miracle anything can get done here when the citizens can;t even get along for the sake of helping the country they live in. No, we have Glenn Beck and all the people like him, causing citizens to not have faith in the president by spouting lies. The staunch defenders of Obama aren;t helpful either. Is he a perfect president? No! Has he made some bad decisions? Yes! Both sides just need to calm the hell down and try to work together.
Vote for me in 2028. I'm even half serious here. :P I could argue for days about American (hell, even worldwide) politics.
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[[Concerto di Ali: The Battle of Solocima]](showthread.php?t=33896 "Arlong Park Forums - Thread 33896") - [[Spirit Wolf]](showthread.php?t=33362 "Arlong Park Forums - Thread 33362")
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I've developed a crush on an actor and what he looked three decades ago. The actor is currently 60 years old.
Yes, I'm afraid of myself too.
Giving up would be the quitter's way.
Build a time machine.
A surgery to restore youth seems more possible.
@Uncle:
Giving up would be the quitter's way.
Build a time machine.
GENIUS!
But if anything, I'm just becoming a fan of the guy. Haven't seen everything he's been in, but he's really nice guy, it seems.
Like I didn't become a Chris Evans fan without totally crushing on him.
@THE:
A surgery to restore youth seems more possible.
Which ever comes first…
Reading over my post, I see I kind of skewed the message a bit.
The point I was trying to make, Akumu, is that we go through times of uncertainty and fear, and we may think we've lost it all, but things do have a tendency of working themselves out. Sometimes, you'll find that you may end up better off now than you would have been had you not "screwed everything up". Again, it all comes down to whether you're just going to accept that you won't amount to anything, or you'll find an alternative you never knew you had. :)
Again, I'm not sure if I've got the right point across, but I hope this is marginally helpful.
First things first, I want to thank everyone who responded.
@Monkey:
How old are you? I'm a recent grad myself, everyone has these thoughts around that time. It's a scary open ended part of life, very tough. But it's a normal part of life too, ain't nobody doesn't go through this. So don't worry too much about it.
I'm an 18 year old junior in college.
I already gave up what I thought were my dreams, and I'm finding just living is a noble cause~ (Billy Joel)
Not saying to give up, saying you might find it's not as horrible or bad as you think.
Enjoy the simple things in life anyway, the nights out, the friends, the family, the landscape whatever.
All of my dreams are rather simple with the main goal of being happy.
I do have one insane dream of writing an unbiased textbook, and that can be kind of stressful, but I can not see myself relinquishing it in anyway. I've already accepted the impossibility of it. But it's still one of the things that drives my passion for learning history.
Oh now that's straight nothing to even worry about.
Maybe you want someone to reassure your faith but like…
...like I dunno. I hate seeing people so scared about something like this. Faith should be a beautiful thing, but it shouldn't inspire this if it just so happens to leave.I say this like because I've never had ANYTHING religious going on. Not out of choice or nothing, but because I was raised neutrally. So I never had faith. It's not terrifying. It's...everyday lol.
This following part is in response to everybody who responded with advice on religion. Saying that is just so much simpler than quoting everyone. 
Hidden because it is incredibly long.
[hide]The problem is I wasn't even introduced until I was about eight and my dad married my step mother. And then it wasn't ever really something I wanted to do, it was something I had to do. I read the Bible cover to cover, went to church every Sunday, and attended Sunday school, but not once did I ever feel any sort of connection to God. As of now I haven't even been to church in four or five years. I can't even remember the last time I went. My friends are all Christian and have encouraged me to come with them to their services, but I can't even get near one without feeling incredibly uncomfortable. The one time I stepped into one this past year I felt so out of place and I almost got the sense that I didn't belong there, and all I was doing was watching Hitch with my girlfriend and her Sunday school group. I don't think I;ve ever felt more out of place in my entire life.
I know I'm just rambling, but I can't really get down what I want to say.
One of the things that aggravates me that I was taught that my whole life was already planned, that I God knew exactly what I was going to do.
I was also taught that if I sinned I was going to Hell.
Once when I was about 10 I asked my dad why God would let people go to Hell if they had no choice with where their life went. If everything we are doing is already planned by a higher power why should we have to suffer for it? He had no answer for me.
I still ask that question today, and I have never gotten a straight answer out of anyone.
I guess that's my biggest problem with Christianity.
Wait no, this is: it has also been said to me that it doesn't matter how much you've sinned, for if you beg for forgiveness and truly mean it, then you can get into heaven. That just seems a little odd to me. It was my girlfriend who told me this when I first brought this up with her, the response I wanted to have was "So if Hitler was truly regretful for what he had done and begged forgiveness from God would he have gone to heaven?"
I didn't ask her because she has such fantastic faith and I would never do anything to challenge it. It already hurts her enough that she hasn't been able to help me.
The last problem I have is the belief in missions to convert people to Christianity. Just as Christians believe their religion to be right, so does everyone else who has some form of Faith. Yet the last church I went to had the belief that it was our Christian duty to convert everyone who worshiped a different religion because theirs was wrong. That infuriated me to no end, and it still does.
I guess what I'm looking for is some way to let go of my fear of hell and just be able to live life without the fear of eternal damnation. Realistically, where I am right now, I see no way of being able to restore the faith I sort of had. Maybe later in my life but not right now. And I know I will be happier if I can relinquish that fear of eternal damnation.
So how can I do that?
I know it's sort of foolish asking for answer like this on the internet but the only person I trust enough to ask is my girlfriend, and well, that would be awkward all things considered…[/hide]
It is not that terrible to live without faith you know. I used to have absolute faith in Buddha until I grew up enough to doubt. But I understand your feeling since it took me many years staying up late at night thinking about my religion. I almost forgot that feeling.
I just thought that: Why do I have to tie myself into one religion, one philosophy? Why do I have to believe in this religion just because I was born into a family who believe in it? So if I was born in random place I would have to believe in random religion? Why don't I free my view and study religions and philosophy before choosing for myself a belief, a philosophy?
Yes, that is how I gave up being a Buddhist and felt completely comfortable about it. I question life, I thirst for knowledge and truth and don't want to limit myself to any established point of view. If I ever be a Buddhist again, it is by choice. Or I could be a Nietzsche's follower, or establish a school of philosophy of my own.
That sums up my beef with Christianity for the most part. If our life is predetermined by God, what's the point in living it? I do believe in a higher power though, but I don't believe that we're tied down by said higher power to live to his/her/their/its exact specifications. I do believe we receive some guidance from a higher power, but never are we completely controlled. It's a difficult concept to explain, but I think your best option if you want to keep your faith is to believe in God or whatever other higher being you choose the way YOU want to, not the way the church wants you to. I personally teeter on the boundary of Non-Denominational Christian/Agnostic, so it's not all bad.
And let's be honest, if you're trying to live an honest life, you've done nothing that merits eternal damnation. I'd only reserve that for remorseless murderers and their ilk.
Damn, is it possible to be so ashamed of your own stupidity that you start shaking non-stop? I've never actually felt something like this before which is why I'm confessing about it. I feel like I've been prodding my nose into an area where it wasn't desired for a long time now and I feel stupid for ever thinking it's what the other party wanted. For so many reasons I'm ashamed right now. Thinking I could have been a desirable friend, thinking I could emulate a mutual friend to promote that desire, thinking my stupid shit is funny. But then just all at once I realized I was being nothing more than a stupid dumbass.
sigh
I haven't shaked that much in a long time. It caught me by surprise and I don't even know what it means.
@Uncle:
Damn, is it possible to be so ashamed of your own stupidity that you start shaking non-stop? I've never actually felt something like this before which is why I'm confessing about it. I feel like I've been prodding my nose into an area where it wasn't desired for a long time now and I feel stupid for ever thinking it's what the other party wanted. For so many reasons I'm ashamed right now. Thinking I could have been a desirable friend, thinking I could emulate a mutual friend to promote that desire, thinking my stupid shit is funny. But then just all at once I realized I was being nothing more than a stupid dumbass.
sigh
I haven't shaked that much in a long time. It caught me by surprise and I don't even know what it means.
I feel like that dozens of times before. Even now I still have to deal with my tremendous immaturity and stupidity. So don't worry. No, let worry but don't be too depressed. I don't really know your situation but you are a good man with good will. People will realize that and that is all you need. Well, not all but it is the major factor to judge a person. People can forgive and forget a mistake. Or they will learn to.
And we smart up with time. When we stop being dumbasses, people can realize it. The more they remember our stupid action in the past, the more they are impressed with how we improved. Well, if we were truly dumbasses and desire to improve, of course.
The more I think about it, and read my responses in here, the more I come to realize how incapable I am of being a worthwhile friend. Reading over my posts and conversations with people here, I've deduced that I'm a self-centered jerk. How many times, in conversation that doesn't pertain to me, have I ever given anything more than a stock response? And how many times have I tried to flip a conversation into a conversation about me? It's uncalled for and I've been nothing but a douchebad for being that way. Hell, even now, I feel that way, as I type this post, but I really want some advice about how to… I dunno, connect with people without trying to make the topic about me? I really care, guys, I do, but I'm awful at showing it, and I let myself get in the way of getting to know you, too. :\
Akumu, I'm so sorry. I decided to post about my stupid crush on Bruce Boxleitner during an actual, legitimate discussion about your faith and fears. I'll give some of my input.
A little background: I'm agnostic. I don't believe that I, of all people, have the right to say whether God does or does not exist. It's a bit of a submissive mindset, but I've always felt like I've never been the sharpest tool in the shed. At the same time, majority of my family is agnostic or atheist. My mother being the strongest atheist of the family, who's had pretty harsh blows in her life that have killed any faith. My mother didn't enforce how she felt into me, though.
But if I could sum up how I felt about the afterlife…
@THE:
But I love living so I have to wait until death calls me.
That's pretty much it. We don't know. We probably never will know until we kick the bucket. And when I was a child, that mortified me. The mere thought of me suddenly not being here would keep me up at night. Now? I have so much on my plate, in work or leisure, I have a hard time even stopping to think about the afterlife.
Is this bad? Maybe. Such arrogance may be foolish, but at the same time, who's to say that Christianity isn't a mark of arrogance in itself.
I don't know how I can make you stop fearing the thought of going to Hell. To an extent, that is a matter of your decision and strife. But something has always bothered me about Hell. Why would God abandon so many? Obviously, there was a human race before Christ. Why weren't they informed about Christianity? Since they didn't know and didn't celebrate Christ's teachings, did they go to Hell? Did every last child, man, or woman of pure innocence die and burn in Hell because God created them and didn't give them a message until Christ was born?
Maybe I'm speaking out of ignorance. Either way, I don't really have much of chance of saving. I'm a bisexual who has lusted over countless men, taken enjoyment out of the fictional butchering of digital creations, and am the child of a major atheist. I don't have much of a shot, forgiveness or not. Granted, I haven't killed or raped anyone, but I have no intentions of turning the other cheek in terms of who I am.
One thing I will say, which might frighten you…I'm not afraid of Hell. I've always joked with my sister that I'd end up sitting right next to Satan when my days were done. If the only way I can go to Heaven, regardless of my benevolence or misdeeds, is to attribute myself to His beliefs, regardless of mine... If God is truly that unjust and arrogant, then Hell is my only sanctuary, no matter how twisted that may sound.
One thing I will say, which might frighten you…I'm not afraid of Hell. I've always joked with my sister that I'd end up sitting right next to Satan when my days were done. If the only way I can go to Heaven, regardless of my benevolence or misdeeds, is to attribute myself to His beliefs, regardless of mine... If God is truly that unjust and arrogant, then Hell is my only sanctuary, no matter how twisted that may sound.
I would say though, if you want to rebel against God, then go to Heaven, gain power, become an archangel or something, like Lucifer, then start a rebel. In Hell you can do nothing.
You should read Go Nagai's manga. The man is a legend that stands next to giants like Miyazaki. One of the major themes in his works is Anti-christ. He constantly portrayed God as a villain. And the main protagonists are tragic devils.
I love his spin on Dante's Divine Comedy.
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I would say though, if you want to rebel against God, then go to Heaven, gain power, become an archangel or something, like Lucifer, then start a rebel.
@THE:
I would say though, if you want to rebel against God, then go to Heaven, gain power, become an archangel or something, like Lucifer, then start a rebel. In Hell you can do nothing.
You should read Go Nagai's manga. The man is a legend that stands next to giants like Miyazaki. One of the major themes in his works is Anti-christ. He constantly portrayed God as a villain. And the main protagonists are tragic devil.
I love his spin on Dante's Divine Comedy.
Good point. Too late now though.
And that manga looks good. How much flack did the mangaka get for it?
The worst Go Nagai ever got flack for was "vulgarity", which was swept away pretty fast.
Once when I was about 10 I asked my dad why God would let people go to Hell if they had no choice with where their life went. If everything we are doing is already planned by a higher power why should we have to suffer for it? He had no answer for me.
Just quoting this to answer because this is part annoyed me a bit y'know. That ain't true. What I've been taught is: God gives you full freedom of your actions. You chose and pave your path on your own. Where you end up mostly consists of your choices and other people's reactions to them (i.e you ask for a job and the person shoots you down or accepts you). What God gives you is, well, courage and spiritual strength to keep going on and that is also up to you to ask for through prayer.
I am also against the whole 'If you don't belong in this religion then you are going to Hell' thing. The solution to everything imo is to just be a good human being. By being good to others and yourself, you simply feel great. Helping others who need help, is something that makes you feel proud of yourself and useful to the society that surrounds you. Heck even simple things like giving up your seat at the bus, cheer not only you up but the person you gave your seat to as well. It's a double reward! Just enjoy your life and help your friends or even the strangers around you enjoy it as well. Do things that you know won't leave you feeling shitty as hell and when you do one of those things, apologize one way or another, through actions or simple words. And do all those things not with the intention of avoiding divine punishment but with the intention of creating your own little Heaven on earth. With the intention of simply having fun while you are still around!
He said, "When I was Christian, I felt like we had no relationship with God. We never asked God directly, we asked through a priest, or through someone else."
Eh. I'll have to disagree with your dad there. I ask and talk to God directly about everything.
My 3DS Friend Code: 1091 - 8457 - 8212
~Goronyanya~
Yep, yep~! :D
The solution to everything imo is to just be a good human being.
I am sorry but that's a naive point of view. Life would be so simple if we can live like that.
My solution is to live beyond good and evil. Or at least, the Christian definition of good and evil. Speaking in a Nietzsche's manner.
Would you kill many people to save one good person? Would you kill one good persons to save many good people? Would you do holocaust upon another mankind to save this mankind? Would you kill your family to prevent them from harming the people of your country? Would you commit adultery for love? And the people who are fighting in Libya right now, brothers and sisters are killing each other, people who speak the same language, worship the same god are raising their guns against each other, who are the sinners? We deal with hard choices in real life all the time, who are to judge us when we make a wrong decision?
And even the situation above are pretty simple when we use the word good and bad.
http://apforums.net/showthread.php?t=30772&p=2206350&viewfull=1#post2206350
@THE:
I am sorry but that's a naive point of view. Life would be so simple if we can live like that.
My solution is to live beyond good and evil. Or at least, the Christian definition of good and evil. Speaking in a Nietzsche's manner.
Would you kill many bad people to save one good person? Would you kill one good persons to save many good people? Would you do holocaust upon another mankind to save this mankind? Would you kill your family to prevent them from harming the people of your country? Would you commit adultery for love? And the people who are fighting in Libya right now, brothers and sisters are killing each other, people who speak the same language, worship the same god are raising their guns against each other, who are the sinners? We deal with hard choices in real life all the time, who are to judge us when we make a wrong decision?
Well, the general idea is 'intention over action'.
As Chrissie mentioned, what good is a saint who performs good deeds because it allows them to go to Heaven? Why can't people do good deeds out of their own integrity and feeling of value in yourself and other people?
Same concept in reverse. We'll frown the person who kills out of cold blood, of course. But the person who killed a single GOOD soul to save several others, he is judged by his intentions and reasons for his actions.
The most horrific experience in my life was when I stormed through a guro manga site, especially reading Uziga Waita's works. What I felt after that was basically this:
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–- Update From New Post Merge ---
Well, the general idea is 'intention over action'.
As Chrissie mentioned, what good is a saint who performs good deeds because it allows them to go to Heaven? Why can't people do good deeds out of their own integrity and feeling of value in yourself and other people?
Same concept in reverse. We'll frown the person who kills out of cold blood, of course. But the person who killed a single GOOD soul to save several others, he is judged by his intentions and reasons for his actions.
Well, so what if I kill many good people to save one person that I love? What if I free evils from Impel Down who will do harm to civilians to save a single brother? What if I wage war against the world for a single woman? What if I eliminate the whole human race with prejudice to save one single just person?
What is done out of love is beyond good and evil.
The people we deal with are obviously not to be described with only "good" and "bad". Evil-doers don't think they are evil. Well, they do, sometime.
@THE:
What is done out of love is beyond good and evil.
Not quite. Those were done out of selfish whim. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I wouldn't say all of those are sins, but all of those are wrong. Maybe you won't go to Hell for some of them (that last one, you probably would), but they won't exactly make Heaven a cake walk either.
And before you ask, yes, I have a feeling I'd commit the first and third of those if I had to.
EDIT: Again, I'm agnostic. I'm pulling this out of my ass and general background knowledge here.
