Allegedly Steve Jobs wouldn't let his kids have an iPad / iPhone. Says it all really. I got off Twitter a few years ago, too toxic. And I was only on for the investment banter !
Thanks, I greatly appreciate your perspective and your writing is top notch.
My only pushback on this article is the call to be more Olympian than Titan, which is good advice as far as it goes. But the Olympians weren't so great either.
If you ever find time, give a listen to the Lord of Spirits podcast. It's by two Orthodox Christian priests who delve deeply into conversations about the gods and goddesses of the Ancient Near Eastern cultures (which includes Ancient Greece, which was the last of that line) and how they intersect with our lives and our faith.
It's very interesting to see these gods and goddesses rearing their ugly heads again in our day, but they are, so the more we know about them the better able we are to deal with their shenanigans.
I love Lord of Spirits. I discovered them about 1.5 months ago. I've been devouring their back catalogue, along with Jonathan Pageau at the same time. Total heroes. Absolutely agree Charles. I'm not condoning the paganism. Just trying to baptise the good bits. What's true is true. There was one early podcast they did where a modern day pagan worshipper of Odin (or similar Norse deity, I could be wrong), was told by the pagan God to worship the true God that we all should worship. Essentially admitting that oir God is the true Lord.
As though our definition of monotheism is not to worship the only God there is, but to worship the only one who is worthy of worship. The highest of the high. I'm pretty new to taking all of this so seriously, so I appreciate all your push back, Charles (& anyone else). If there is one thing I've learned at sea, there is no limit to the type, variety or magnitude of mistakes I can make in my life. Best thing to do is treat everyone and every moment as a teacher. Even evil. Even Pagan and Devil worshipers. They can teach us something to avoid, at least.
What's so interesting about the lord of spirits podcast is how neither priest denies that other Gods exist. But that only our Trinitarian God is worthy of worship. I'm married to a Jew, & I'm the son of a Catholic and a Protestant (who later converted to Islam for his 2nd marriage). I find the most refreshing perspectives in Orthodox Christian practice at the moment, as well as Orthodox Jewish practice (compared to the reformed temples I attended in US). But I'm not ready to start kissing icons either. :)
But my fate is to integrate these things. God made me spend my first 37 years of life reading instruction manuals of one kind or another. It's only now I've started reading scripture for myself. What I'm realising now is that this blog has become a way for me to serve the integration that is my life and family. Atheist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Jew, Muslim, American, Scottish, etc. It doesn't matter which faction gains control for me. If any one becomes too dominant, I'm dead. Discovering the root system that connects us seems to be my mission now.
Does any of that make sense matey? :)
I truly appreciate your comments and support. I can't even list the other ways in which I'm a failure as a person. I'm just trying to do what I can. But for the record, I like pushback.
Like, for example, when one of my best friends who is ex-catholic (post Vatican 2.0) challenged me - 'How can you be married to someone who is going to hell'?
[He meant, for being a Jew]
I'm still working on an articulated way to th8nk about that.
Would love to learn more what "I’m dealing with it by drinking deeply from the culture and traditions that are true, good and beautiful" means. Books, music, I would love to get a list of recommendations from you.
Fine article, if not a bit disturbing.
Allegedly Steve Jobs wouldn't let his kids have an iPad / iPhone. Says it all really. I got off Twitter a few years ago, too toxic. And I was only on for the investment banter !
Thanks, I greatly appreciate your perspective and your writing is top notch.
My only pushback on this article is the call to be more Olympian than Titan, which is good advice as far as it goes. But the Olympians weren't so great either.
If you ever find time, give a listen to the Lord of Spirits podcast. It's by two Orthodox Christian priests who delve deeply into conversations about the gods and goddesses of the Ancient Near Eastern cultures (which includes Ancient Greece, which was the last of that line) and how they intersect with our lives and our faith.
It's very interesting to see these gods and goddesses rearing their ugly heads again in our day, but they are, so the more we know about them the better able we are to deal with their shenanigans.
I love Lord of Spirits. I discovered them about 1.5 months ago. I've been devouring their back catalogue, along with Jonathan Pageau at the same time. Total heroes. Absolutely agree Charles. I'm not condoning the paganism. Just trying to baptise the good bits. What's true is true. There was one early podcast they did where a modern day pagan worshipper of Odin (or similar Norse deity, I could be wrong), was told by the pagan God to worship the true God that we all should worship. Essentially admitting that oir God is the true Lord.
As though our definition of monotheism is not to worship the only God there is, but to worship the only one who is worthy of worship. The highest of the high. I'm pretty new to taking all of this so seriously, so I appreciate all your push back, Charles (& anyone else). If there is one thing I've learned at sea, there is no limit to the type, variety or magnitude of mistakes I can make in my life. Best thing to do is treat everyone and every moment as a teacher. Even evil. Even Pagan and Devil worshipers. They can teach us something to avoid, at least.
What's so interesting about the lord of spirits podcast is how neither priest denies that other Gods exist. But that only our Trinitarian God is worthy of worship. I'm married to a Jew, & I'm the son of a Catholic and a Protestant (who later converted to Islam for his 2nd marriage). I find the most refreshing perspectives in Orthodox Christian practice at the moment, as well as Orthodox Jewish practice (compared to the reformed temples I attended in US). But I'm not ready to start kissing icons either. :)
But my fate is to integrate these things. God made me spend my first 37 years of life reading instruction manuals of one kind or another. It's only now I've started reading scripture for myself. What I'm realising now is that this blog has become a way for me to serve the integration that is my life and family. Atheist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Jew, Muslim, American, Scottish, etc. It doesn't matter which faction gains control for me. If any one becomes too dominant, I'm dead. Discovering the root system that connects us seems to be my mission now.
Does any of that make sense matey? :)
I truly appreciate your comments and support. I can't even list the other ways in which I'm a failure as a person. I'm just trying to do what I can. But for the record, I like pushback.
Like, for example, when one of my best friends who is ex-catholic (post Vatican 2.0) challenged me - 'How can you be married to someone who is going to hell'?
[He meant, for being a Jew]
I'm still working on an articulated way to th8nk about that.
Would love to learn more what "I’m dealing with it by drinking deeply from the culture and traditions that are true, good and beautiful" means. Books, music, I would love to get a list of recommendations from you.