What I am:
(under construction.)
What I believe:
Here are a few things that I’ve worked out about life so far…
- You get back from life in the same measure as you put into it.
- All life is sacred and valuable.
- Nobody has the right to end another person’s life.
- Life can be viewed as a test to prove to ourselves how we handle the unique talents we’ve each been given.
- Each person has incredible potential, which is often under-estimated.
- Maintaining a positive attitude adds to the enjoyment of life.
- Working hard and playing hard adds excitement to life.
- There are very few restrictive rules for living, and a lot of self-disciplined responsibility.
- Barring foul play, I will live a long and full life.
- I will not opt-out of life by “getting old”.
- The process of learning is a great way to keep my mind active. I want to learn at the very least least ten new things each day.
- Every heartbeat is a gift.
I thought I’d mention what I think is important in life. I wrote this list a while back, and most of it has stayed the same. So this, in the order shown, is what I think is important to me…
- Life (pretty vital, really)
- Love (more on this some other time)
- Family and their needs
- Friends and their concerns
- Health and Fitness
- Hard Work
- Accomplishment (especially accomplishment of pre-defined goals)
- Creative Innovation
- Compassion
- Sharing
- Maintaining a giving attitude
In a community:
…I have Quaker tendencies too. What’s that about? There’s a bit here creditted to the Freedom Friends in Oregon which might be a starting-point…
“Is it Possible that you might be a Quaker and not know it?”
You might be a Quaker if…
You think listening is at least as important as talking. You think justice means more than just locking up criminals. You are more interested in being like Christ than in being like most Christians. You want to read the Bible but you don’t want to be beaten with it. You think the contents of a person’s heart is more important than the contents of their house. You are more worried about the Hell that people live in here and now than any Hell they might occupy after death. You think war makes more problems than it solves. You suspect that nobody was ever saved by a ritual. You think mandatory creeds and dogma fit like a strait-jacket. You think the best ministers are often found sitting in the pews. You think investing great leaders with great power is dangerous. You think equality is not so much a goal to be sought, but a fact that is often ignored. You think honesty is not just the best policy, but that it ought to be the only policy. You think that church business should not look like “business as usual”. You think that good relationships are more important than good arguments.
Pete- I’ve read more about you now – should have done that first. Well- sounds like we have SIMA, Quaker influence and Auckland in common. Parker Palmer is a great source of information on the soul for me. I am in the middle of A Hidden Wholeness again. My son attended George Fox University in Oregon AND we lived in Glendowie for 4 years – 1990-94.
I wouldn’t say I am Quaker, just intrigued by their beliefs about community and the role of church leadership.
Would be interesting to talk more. I am at work presently, so am rather cryptic in my sharing. We live in Bellingham, WA now, just 30 minutes south of the Canadian border on the coast. Looks a lot like Auckland Harbor.
BlankPete-
From your info about yourself you sound like a good and decent person. I agree with the part about being like Christ rather than most Christians. That’s because some of them are not truly Christians and the ones who are – well – we’re still human. Too many people would rather attack people with their faith than do what Christ did – share it in love and apply it to their lives.
The part about hell – I am definitely concerned with the hell that children live in today where they are beaten, neglected, abused and worse. There are many other “hells” in the world today that we should try to change and rescue people from. However, these hells – although they seem eternal – are only temporary. I do concern myself with sharing with others about the eternal hell that Christ died to save them from. Talk about hell on earth – whipped 39 times with a 9 strap, leather whip that had bones and stones stitched into it so His flesh peeled off his body and then hung on a cross for us. Yeah – that wasn’t for nothing. It was for us all. So that’s where I differ on the Quaker stuff. I am more concerned with someone’s eternity than their here and now – although I am still concerned with the here and now; and so is God.
“Business as Usual” – I like that. Too many churches do the same things over and over. I’m not saying to change the truth but to find a different way to reach people. OR – just go back to the way Christ reached people – with compassion. If I have Christ’s spirit but have no compassion or love – then do I REALLY have His spirit? I think it would be impossible.
“Nobody was saved by a ritual” – True. Even Christ addressed the Pharisees about that stuff. True salvation comes from faith in Him alone – not what you eat or how you dress, etc.
“Good relationships are more important than good arguments.” – No doubt. I am tired of seeing people fight for the sake of being right. We can have different ideas and still have a relationship. Why does everyone we hang out with have to share the same beliefs? I’m not saying we should change our beliefs but wouldn’t I make a bigger impact on someone if I had a relationship rather than and argument with them? Even Jesus focused on the fact that without a personal relationship with Him we could not enter into Heaven. Yep – I agree with you on the relationship thing.
Just sharing some of my thoughts on your thoughts. God bless ya, man.