Hello my fellow Talossans, following from Talossans Brothers and Sisters in Christ Church from the now, old, Witt, i thought id slightly rebrand and create the Talossans in Christ Church here, for sermons, worship, religious writings (poetryetc), musings, discussions and is open to all believers and not, as long as you are respectful of each others beliefs and keep things civil.
I hope people will appreciate this space in Talossa once again :)
Yours in Christ
Antaglha
Here is a poem i wrote this evening i thought you might appreciate :-
Faith Through Darkness
Even in darkness, beauty can be found,
In the depths of darkness, light can shine,
The grace of God, brings how when there is none,
Through faith, you can push onwards,
Until God brings you into the light.
Darkness still surrounds me,
Yet my hope in God,
My Hope in light,
Has not been extinguished,
I refuse, Refuse to let,
Let the darkness defeat me.
The love of God sustains,
Sustains and strengthens me.
Often I do not notice, but,
Looking back, into the depths of despair,
I know that without God,
Here I would not be.
The fight it far, far from over,
Years could pass before peace finally,
Finally comes, but,
With my faith in God,
I know, in the end,
My faith in God will see me through,
Through the darkness and into the light
Let me know what you think
Antaglha
Thank you and bless you for creating this unique space! I saw the link to the thread in your signature and decided to revisit it.
So here's a poem I wrote in November 2019. It has to do with faith and hope, similar I think to your wonderful poem :D
Converts
All ye converts, stop your hearts!
Let my humble church alone!
We are called to be christlike, not to be Christ.
When you speak of setting your own heart on fire
What you are really speaking of is vanity,
And fantasy of falling upon crusade sword.
My motto is tenderness—
Be concerned only with your own heart and sin!
If you look to science for gnosis
You will come up empty-handed every time.
As if you look to Christ in false search of worldly peace
Your own uncertainty will chastise you thus:
Christ is unconcerned with the iniquities of your neighbour;
Indeed He cares only for the sanctity of your own heart,
For to Him all men are but one body, one single spirit—
Your concern at the rightness of your neighbour is only pride.
You have nothing to prove to Christ but your own charity.
All else will be judged in its own right, and not by you—
If there is a court, it will be a court from which you are absent.
And if there is a prison, it will not be a prison that is shared.
No—love is charity, and instruction is pride.
Therefore love and pray for those who disgust and disturb you.
After your pride subsides—and it will subside—
Remind yourself that only you will be judged.
Then learn to love others even as you love yourself,
And lastly learn to love yourself,
For in that love you will find the truth:
That for all the worldly folly that might give you misery,
There is still beauty.
Scramble to discover it. Scale the mountain of pain.
Find purchase. Find vantage.
Be as a flowering weed that sticks up between two slabs of concrete.
It is that beauty—whatever is worthwhile—
That is the presence of Christ in your life, not the other thing:
The compulsion to judge is the devil's work.
It is Satan who raises you up above the masses
And hands you a golden rod and says you power.
Cast down the rod that we have each taken in hand at one time or another,
For none of us is innocent, and I have stumbled as you have stumbled.
When the rod shatters upon the ground you will see its worthlessness.
Recall the words of St Paul:
If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord—
Whether we live or die we are the Lord's.
For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again,
That he might be the Lord both of the dead and living.
Each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this,
Not to put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in our brother's way.
Love will give you no prestige, no riches. It is its own reward.
And by grace and charity it comes to those who seek it earnestly.
If you can find the presence of Christ in a flower,
Or in a milk crate, or a parking lot, or in a friend,
Then you have found the presence of Christ in the world.
Let it remind you that each of us will be forgiven.
Then you will be comforted and your instinct to judge will disappear.
Knowing love, you will have peace.
(© :P )
I hope that a lost heretic like myself might intrude (my wife is a lay minister in the Anglican Church and our daughter is being raised as a Christian), but I've been reading some of the quasi-apologetic literature by the Inklings, such as Lewis' The Great Divorce and Williams' Descent into Hell, and it seems... right to me, theologically. Any comments from the parishioners here?
I didn't realize this thread existed. I'm Catholic by religion and have always felt there was more out there than we know. I'm interested to see where this goes.
I was raised Catholic, but even progressive Pope Francis thinks people like me shouldn't exist, so meh
Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on August 23, 2020, 07:21:21 PM
I hope that a lost heretic like myself might intrude (my wife is a lay minister in the Anglican Church and our daughter is being raised as a Christian), but I've been reading some of the quasi-apologetic literature by the Inklings, such as Lewis' The Great Divorce and Williams' Descent into Hell, and it seems... right to me, theologically. Any comments from the parishioners here?
As long as you are respectful (and I have no reason to see that you wouldnt be) i have no objections to Theological discussions happening in here, as long as people are open minded, tolerant and respectful of eachother, then all are welcome to share, discuss, ask questions etc. This is a predominatly Christian Thread, and for Talossan worship and discussion, however, I strongly believe that open and healthy discussions is an essential part of faith.
Disclaimer, this is a more personal post, and shres deails from events from my past. Which i do not mind sharing, but might not be easy to read. But i thought what i wrote here, is a good fit to be shared here, as a kind of testimony about my faith, and what it means to me, and why.
So I just wrote this, it isn't an easy read, and is brief as possible, and might be all over the place at times, but I thought, I would share as it is an honest reflection and my Faith in God.
For many years, and still to this day, I have and continue to struggle with my connection, my belief, my faith in God, yet, every time I take the time, and search, or sometimes just spend time in reflective worship, I always find it, it isn't as big as it once was, as I have not had the energy to invest into the relationship, but it is still there, and I strongly believe my faith will be with me until I pass from this world.
Thinking on this, I found myself asking, why, why is my faith still there, I know I haven't had the worst life, but I also know I do have deep seated issues from past traumatic events, and then fighting for over a decade now, with depression and anxiety, then finally admitting to myself I'm a Transgender Woman (which has caused me to lose a few friendships, and a relationship with my Dad) then deciding to come out to the world and start the process of transition, which many of my faith would condemn, and as with progress on my mental health, this too has been slow to get anywhere, but is not now, nor has it ever been s decision I have regretted.
After all of this, with increasingly less time spent on my relationship with God, I still am shocked that my faith has survived.
I openly admit that there are many logical issues when it comes to the Bible, and that's just about how it came together, I do believe that it was at least inspired by God in some way, yet being deeply flawed.
So, I know my faith doesn't solely come from the bible. But the bible does have some weight, and had, and will continue to guide my faith.
So where does my faith come from?
Honestly, I think I cling to my faith as much as I do, is because without my faith, I have no idea where I would be in life, as it has immeasurably helped and guided me through situations where I would not have had the strength to go through otherwise, and that's as recently as March this year, as just before the UK went into lockdown, I went to Finland for a week to visit a friend, and just how everything went so well, and lifted me enough out of a massive slump with my mental health I had been suffering with before it just came together pretty last minute, especially with it being my first flights etc alone. I honestly wasn't sure about going until everything just falling into place last minute, and a prompting I know too well, that just told me I needed to do this (a prompting I believe comes from God) and the trip went amazingly.
Then I think 3 days later the UK went into lockdown. And without that trip, I'm honestly scared where I would be mental health wise right now. And what the implications of that could be.
There are many examples of this I can point to in my life, and times of immense connection with God in the past (the biggest blessing I had was the opportunity to come to Wales, where I still live 16 years later, and that decision, guided by God, has given me a lot of experiences I would not have had otherwise (both good and bad)), especially in certain times of worship and prayer. It has become something I cling to, Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit and my faith in them, is what has given me the strength to move forward, and the greatest example of this was when in Jan 2001 (I was 7/8ish?), when I was abandoned to Social Services, one Friday evening after school, that night I spent hours crying, and for hours, I refused to speak to anyone, apart from a short visit with my Dad (though since that Evening, despite trying multiple times, I have no relationship with him, especially since he rejected who I am, which is a different story) after which, more crying, and then from seemingly nowhere a weird peace and strength came over me.
Part of which, I imagine, is myself subconsciously deciding to push away emotions, for my younger siblings sake, but also something else I couldn't identify at the time, but looking back I strongly believe that was God, giving me the strength to make it through that evening, and subsequent days since (I also note I have never been raised as a Christian, I first heard of it at a catholic primary school, but grew into it once I read more when I was older).
So, although my Views on faith has and will continue to evolve over time, I owe my life to my faith, and that is why I think it is still there, my belief, my faith in God, stems from the Love, Grace, Compassion and Strength I got from God, often times when there was none to be found around me. I can honestly say that my faith has never been something I have Regretted, and despite wanting certain things to have worked out differently (like being born in the right body, and the pain of abandonment, and going through a couple of foster carers relationships falling apart, and one foster carers death (on holiday), and other things), I honestly don't regret going through any of it, as it has made me into the person I am today, which is far from perfect, but I know could have gone much worse, especially without my faith in God over the years, and that's just in my ability to cope with the (admittedly still somewhat suppressed), emotions from everything.
I admit I need to work on my faith, but it has been the only constant I've had through my life and has seen me through so much, and I hope that one day I can serve God in a meaningful way.
Ill end this post with a prayer.
Father,
I thank you for the Love, Grace, Compassion and Strength and all other things you have helped me with over the years, and I pray you draw me ever close to you in years to come.
I pray that this introspective look into my faith, as least, shows people, why my faith is as important to myself, and the numerous Christians around the world,
Your word, through Christ, is based on Love, Compassion, Grace and Forgiveness, and so much more, and I hope and I pray, that shine your love through all those who follow you.
I pray for Hope for those suffering,
Comfort for those in pain,
And peace to all who need it.
You are why I'm still here today Lord, which I thank you for,
And I pray that you will continue to be there in times to come
In Jesus Name I Pray,
Amen.
If you have any questions or comments or things you want to share yourselves then please, feel free, this should be an open, safe and supportive space for all who seek it here.
Antaglha
God bless you, Antalgha, that took a lot of guts to talk about. You're in my prayers.
As for denominations, since we seem to be enumerating them, I'm also Roman Catholic. (Damn papists are everywhere these days! ) :P
Quote from: Éovart Andrinescù on August 24, 2020, 12:54:29 AM
God bless you, Antalgha, that took a lot of guts to talk about. You're in my prayers.
As for denominations, since we seem to be enumerating them, I'm also Roman Catholic. (Damn papists are everywhere these days! ) :P
Thank you. And fair enough. I personally have spent most of my Church life in the Anglican denomination. I dont particularly subscribe to any denomination myself, and would happily worship in most, although not all. I would definatly not call myself a Roman Catholic, and personally have big theological differences with the Denomination.But i do respect those in all denominations, as we all share in our core beliefs.
Quote from: Éovart Andrinescù on August 24, 2020, 12:54:29 AM
As for denominations, since we seem to be enumerating them, I'm also Roman Catholic. (Damn papists are everywhere these days! ) :P
My Irish friends assure me that you can tell the Protestants because they keep their toasters in the cupboard when not in use.
... no, I don't understand it either.
Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on August 24, 2020, 02:10:01 AM
My Irish friends assure me that you can tell the Protestants because they keep their toasters in the cupboard when not in use.
... no, I don't understand it either.
I cannot claim to understand that one. This is a stab in the absolute dark, but is it maybe something about Catholics looking for miraculous Marian images in the burnt toast? I'm at a loss.
My best guess is that Protestants were traditionally the ruling class in Ireland, and thus have big kitchens with lots of cupboards in which there is space to put a toaster
I was raised Catholic in an area of the US which is well known as a center for African American Catholicism so I do have affinity for the institutions of the Roman Catholic Church. I recently visited the Vatican last October and was very moved.
But I have found comfort and invitation in the writings of the Gnostics and the reformist writings of John Shelby Spong and Mathew Fox. So I have found a home in the semi-syncretist community known as Unitarian-Universalists (origins in separate Unitarian and Universalist denominational traditions). My love for Jesus remains after a long spiritual journey of searching so I would say I consider myself a Christian but many Christians may not consider me a Christian.
Breneir
Quote from: Breneir Itravilatx on August 24, 2020, 02:52:45 PM
I was raised Catholic in an area of the US which is well known as a center for African American Catholicism so I do have affinity for the institutions of the Roman Catholic Church. I recently visited the Vatican last October and was very moved.
I had a trip to Italy in the works before the pandemic came along and wiped that out :(
But speaking of the See of Rome, we should reach out and ask that a papal nuncio be assigned to us. What kind of a nation are we if we don't have a nuncio? :P
A thought on social traditions.
I am, as many of you know, an initiate of a Sufi order (http://nimatullahi.org/), and for a while I lived at the order's local meeting house (khaniqah). The leader of the local order asked me to respect the feelings of visitors they might have who had conservative social mores - eg. 'not wander around in a bikini'.
My reply is: "I don't wander around in a bikini at the best of times. But surely what would offend such people more is my relationship with my woman partner?"
He thought for a moment, then replied: "Well, it doesn't matter whether you're from Saudi Arabia, Iran or wherever - it's rude to pry into someone's personal life." In other words, then my personal relationships were no problem.
That's what I feel every time I see queer or trans people of faith negotiate whether they have a place in their community. My wife could go into great details about who in the local Anglican Communion thinks they have the right or duty to pry into their fellow parishoners' private lives.
Sufism is much more widespread than I initially realised. There's even a Sufi bookstore way out in Broken Hill—from which I bought a collection of Rumi's very beautiful and profound poems.
Quote from: Éovart Andrinescù on August 24, 2020, 06:20:28 PM
Quote from: Breneir Itravilatx on August 24, 2020, 02:52:45 PM
I was raised Catholic in an area of the US which is well known as a center for African American Catholicism so I do have affinity for the institutions of the Roman Catholic Church. I recently visited the Vatican last October and was very moved.
I had a trip to Italy in the works before the pandemic came along and wiped that out :(
But speaking of the See of Rome, we should reach out and ask that a papal nuncio be assigned to us. What kind of a nation are we if we don't have a nuncio? :P
The appointment of a papal nuncio for Talossa would be quite a breakthrough for our Foreign Ministry, for sure. Sorry to hear your trip to Italy was delayed by the pandemic.
Quote from: Éovart Andrinescù on August 25, 2020, 03:44:10 AM
Sufism is much more widespread than I initially realised. There's even a Sufi bookstore way out in Broken Hill—
I don't know much about the order
(tariqa) that these brothers belong to, but that's a pretty styly shirt he's wearing. (http://www.almirajsuficentre.org.au/about_us.php)
Quote
from which I bought a collection of Rumi's very beautiful and profound poems.
Ha ha, I hope it wasn't the awful, inaccurate, bowlderized Coleman Barks translation which is so popular among New Age types. :D
My motivation in beginning to learn Persian was to be able to read the poetry of our late master, Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh (https://www.amazon.com/Divan-Nurbakhsh-Poems-Sufi-Master/dp/0933546882), in the original - and by extension, if God wills it, that of Mawlana Rumi, since the literary Persian language has changed surprisingly little over the intervening 800 years.
It was the Barks version, only one they had on offer. Doesn't strike me as bowdlerised since all the original fornication, drunkenness and animal genitalia is still in there. I also can't be arsed learning Persian just to read the Mawlana in his original language. But, horses for courses.
Theres a Twitter thread about the low quality of the Barks version:
clichetz aicì (https://twitter.com/persianpoetics/status/1261745279860080641?lang=en)
Quote from: Éovart Andrinescù on August 25, 2020, 09:52:24 AM
It was the Barks version, only one they had on offer. Doesn't strike me as bowdlerised since all the original fornication, drunkenness and animal genitalia is still in there.
... and none of the Islam (https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-erasure-of-islam-from-the-poetry-of-rumi).
Anyway, I hope the parishoners of this Church can forgive the Rumiposting, I'll take this elsewhere.
Would you like to hear some Sufi stories about Christ, though? They're very respectful, and funny :D
so many catholics :) i was baptised in catholic church when like one or two years old, but not by my non-practising catholic parents, but by the lady who took care of me when my both parents had to work 12-h shifts in factory / hospital (interesting infoid: bolshevik government thought in 70ies here, that early parenting is over-rated and children had to be put asap to infant day nursery since almost one year of age; my parents tried to avoid it, with me they succeeded, with my bro they did not. yes, you are right, it was a plan for early indoctrination and forming of homo sovieticus).
then, when i was 17, i tried to find a way out of the baptism, since i fell it is as an obligation i do not want to keep. i tried any formal act of defection, i tried to get excommunicated... then i resigned and became just apostatic atheist (i prefer slightly sarcastic term by alex rosenberg - nice nihilist, meaning being humanistic but not religious). in a broad sense, i am pantheist, a physicalistic monist, if to specify it. i am very sceptical towards organised monotheisms and duotheisms, less worried about the polytheistic religions. i am quite in a favour of theravāda (not surprisingly, my wife is a theravāda buddhist), which i find to be not a religion, but rather life-style, much less to mahāyāna and vajrayāna, who copy too much of the theistic stuff.
scientifically, i am fascinated by religions (as anything related to mind). i am not in the subject per se, but i am close to it with my cognitive linguistic research.
Quote from: Ián S.G. Txaglh on August 26, 2020, 02:55:41 AMthen, when i was 17, i tried to find a way out of the baptism, since i fell it is as an obligation i do not want to keep. i tried any formal act of defection, i tried to get excommunicated...
Ha - but apostasy is already punished with excommunication
latae sententiae by Canon Law 1634, §1. Make of that what you wish.
Apparently the most tangible act you can make is to get your parish to make an annotation on the register that you wish to leave the Church. You can't have your entry actually struck from it, though.
Quote from: Ián S.G. Txaglh on August 26, 2020, 02:55:41 AM
then, when i was 17, i tried to find a way out of the baptism, since i fell it is as an obligation i do not want to keep. i tried any formal act of defection, i tried to get excommunicated... then i resigned and became just apostatic atheist—
I had a similar experience when I was a little younger—everyone has their edgy atheist phase, after all—but I eventually came to the conclusion that rebelling against the Church would imply that I recognised its authority. All the same, I'm glad I was raised Catholic. I think it balanced my view on religion. Gave me the chance to make a more informed decision about whether it was going to be important in my life, because I knew what I was signing up for if I stayed with the Church. I've known people who were raised without religion and as soon as they left home, especially for university, got suckered in by evangelicals and made a bigger commitment than they were prepared to make, and then crashed really hard out of Christianity afterwards.
Quote from: Ián S.G. Txaglh on August 26, 2020, 02:55:41 AM
i am very sceptical towards organised monotheisms and duotheisms, less worried about the polytheistic religions.
I'd be interested to hear you elaborate on this. I'm not aware of any duotheistic religions. What makes polytheism less suspect than monotheism in your view? :)
Quote from: Lüc on August 26, 2020, 03:37:48 AM
Quote from: Ián S.G. Txaglh on August 26, 2020, 02:55:41 AMthen, when i was 17, i tried to find a way out of the baptism, since i fell it is as an obligation i do not want to keep. i tried any formal act of defection, i tried to get excommunicated...
Ha - but apostasy is already punished with excommunication latae sententiae by Canon Law 1634, §1. Make of that what you wish.
Apparently the most tangible act you can make is to get your parish to make an annotation on the register that you wish to leave the Church. You can't have your entry actually struck from it, though.
ha, the canon law 1634, §1, here you are!
in fact, the annotation on the register was the only thing i managed through the parson of the church, where i was baptised. when i was of legal age (18 here) they let me do that. he was really unhappy and trying to convince me not to do that, but when we talked, he accepted my decision.
Quote from: Éovart Andrinescù on August 26, 2020, 06:15:32 AM
Quote from: Ián S.G. Txaglh on August 26, 2020, 02:55:41 AM
i am very sceptical towards organised monotheisms and duotheisms, less worried about the polytheistic religions.
I'd be interested to hear you elaborate on this. I'm not aware of any duotheistic religions. What makes polytheism less suspect than monotheism in your view? :)
manichaeism and zoroastrism seems to be duotheistic religions, at least the most prominent ones, since their cosmology/teaching is based on a struggle of two opposing deities. christianity is not the true duotheistic one, cos the then evil was a good in the beginning, it is not based on eternal struggle of those. there are also similar religions, e.g. later usirev/set cosmology of egyptians.
monotheists are more often claiming "we only have got the TRUTH" and polytheists often do not bother with such worldview. yes, they are also often intolerant or aggressive toward other religions, but more often as a response than conceptually. polytheisms tend to blend with less blood spilled, monotheisms also pick this-and-that from other religions, but often feel the need to glue it with blood. honestly, i have damn difficulties to imagine a personal god to exist, so it is hard for me imagine how that influences someone's worldview, but as far as i am able to, it makes lot of stuff about the world pretty exclusive and incompatible with other's views.
i prefer this metaphor about different worldviews / religions / philosophies - there is just one hill (of life / universe) and we climb it from different sides. your side, my side, all good, what i would really not like, it is to be told that my side is the wrong one only because it is some other side.
does this make it? :)
A Sufi Story about the Prophet Jesus (source (https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Eyes-Sufis-Javad-Nurbakhsh/dp/0933546874))
It is narrated that the Prophet Jesus, upon whom be peace, was being followed around by a man who kept bothering him. "Show me a miracle!" this man would repeat. "Raise the dead!"
Eventually Jesus tired of this and said to the man: "Here is a pile of bones. If this pile of bones rises from the dead, will you then leave me alone?" The man eagerly assented.
So Jesus prayed, and by the grace of Allah the bones rose, and formed themselves into a mighty lion, which - with one swipe of its paw - beheaded the man who had been annoying Jesus.
Quote from: Ián S.G. Txaglh on August 26, 2020, 11:38:47 AM
i prefer this metaphor about different worldviews / religions / philosophies - there is just one hill (of life / universe) and we climb it from different sides. your side, my side, all good, what i would really not like, it is to be told that my side is the wrong one only because it is some other side.
I strongly agree with this. I think all religion involves striving after something transcendent. An education in world religions is necessary for all people. Ecumenism and understanding are very valuable.
Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on August 26, 2020, 05:15:28 PM
So Jesus prayed, and by the grace of Allah the bones rose, and formed themselves into a mighty lion, which - with one swipe of its paw - beheaded the man who had been annoying Jesus.
Is this view of Jesus in line with the mainstream Sunni and Shia views of Jesus? It certainly cuts against the grain of the Christian view. Unless it's just a joke and I'm reading too much into it. Some Muslim pamphlets I've read appealed to the (presumed white and Christian) reader on the basis that Jesus is revered in Islam as a prophet, but given that Islam holds that Jesus was not crucified—in other words, that a very well documented and well attested historical event did not occur—leads me to suspect that the Jesus of Christianity and the Isa of Islam are not necessarily one and the same.
The stories told about Mulla Nasreddin [transliterations differ] are a mixture of jokes, and dangerous choices, and sharp perceptions of different parts of our experiences and our potentials: they are certainly not intended as historical record, but they are teaching. Similarly the (supposedly mystic) approaches to the deeper world use seemingly non-sensical images like "the sound of one hand clapping" or the question "When is Now?". These things may not "make sense" in either the scientific or historical way, but they point in the way that poetry points.
The Islamic view of Jesus (and please forgive me and correct me if I am wrong) is one of great respect. The story of the pile of bones and the lion is not told to make a point about the anger of Jesus, but partly as an image of the fact that the troublesome man had chosen to walk into his own destruction: if you already have the knowledge but you choose to ignore, or you choose to disrespect, then you have chosen. And it is you that has chosen. [I do not mean you personally, the reader - but every person]. The troublesome man was clearly asked whether that was what he wanted, and he chose his path: it was not the path he expected, but it was the one he had chosen. Jesus here was not being Angry, but being Just. To see Jesus angry we only have to read the story of the money-lenders in the temple [Lk. 19:45, Matt. 21:12] to see that he really could be angry, when it was necessary.
One side of all spiritual teachings is the warning "beware: these are loaded guns".
As much as i enjoy having discussions and different views etc being shared here, i feel it is dominating the thread at the moment, so i would ask you to continue having discussions in the following thread :- http://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=457.0
I only ask this, as although i stand by wanting this to be a place of discussion and open mindedness, tolerance etc, i do feel that the discussions should be more Christanity focused on thos thread, espeically as this is a place intended for Christians in Talossa to come together in fellowship. Of course hose who arent Chirstians can come and ask quesions of us and our beliefs (and those who believe are also free to ask questions too) but its not the place for general religious discussion hence the foudning of the religious debate society, which is found in the link above.
I hope you all appreciate why im asking this. And please dont feel your not welcome here, its just that some boundries must be in place and respected. I hope that everyone is ok with this?
Antaglha
Hear, hear! We might equally need a Talossa Mosque thread given the wide interest in Islam :)
Quote from: Éovart Andrinescù on August 28, 2020, 07:44:09 PM
Hear, hear! We might equally need a Talossa Mosque thread given the wide interest in Islam :)
I support this Talossan Mosque thread idea (until Miestra tells me my Muhammed Maraduke Picthall Quran is bowdlerized! 😁)
Quote from: Iason Taiwos on August 28, 2020, 07:52:09 PM
I support this Talossan Mosque thread idea (until Miestra tells me my Muhammed Maraduke Picthall Quran is bowdlerized! 😁)
LOL, I've got no issues with brother Pickthall's rendering of the sacred text. My own personal favourite translation is the the Muhammad Asad version (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Message_of_The_Qur%27an), because it's scrupulously academic and modernist; and Edip Yüksel' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edip_Y%C3%BCksel)s oddball, numerologically-structured "Reformist Translation" (https://www.academia.edu/2523850/Quran_A_Reformist_Translation) is a guilty pleasure.
Anyway, given my bad habits and total slackness, any "Talossan Islamic Centre" which I set up would end up an online version of the house from
The Taqwacores (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt36AzQ6INU), and my brothers and sisters who practice normative, mainstream Islam would rightly be scandalized.
Felt like sharing that I had my first confession in 12 years yesterday (1 Nov, All Saints' Day)—the last time I confessed was for my first reconciliation, I must have been 11 or 12 at the time. So I feel very full of kháris at the moment. God bless you all and God bless Talossa.
Azul à vaes fratreux es sorors in Iesu C'hríost,
Just thought I'd stick my head through the door of our little chapel and see what's going on. How are you all? What's going on in your lives? Belated greetings for Christmastide. :)
I posted about Talossan translations of prayers like the Lord's Prayer in the language forum, but I thought I'd repeat the question here. Is there a document containing that stuff, like in the archives? Is there a Talossan translation of the Bible?
God be praised. You are all miraculous creatures of God and I love you dearly.
☧
Christ is Risen! Alleluia!
I hope everyone has a Happy, Blessed, and Safe Easter!
Things again are not easy or usual this year, as was Easter last year. It has been a hard year, for everyone, and although I do miss Chruch services as they used to be (and have struggled to keep up with online services) I know that the Change has, and continues to be needed. But through this, my love for God, and my faith, although maybe dwindled a bit, has not gone.
I still strongly believe that God is with us, through this, and I pray on this Easter Sunday, that God brings comfort, strength, love, grace and peace to those who need it, and that God gives us all the strength, hope and faith to get to the other side of this pandemic, so we can worship together in person once again, until then, I hope any pray that you all stay safe and continue to show through faith, the love that God has granted in sending Jesus, to die, and be ressurected for our sins, (and so much more that we have not seen), helps to carry you through this.
Thanks to all my friends who have been there for me, and sparks of hope and light in these time, and I pray for them, and all that those who might feel alone etc can find some comfort and companionship in some (safe) way today.
I might write another longer post for here soon depending on mental health, but i posted this on fb earlier and thought it would be fitting for here too :)
And once again,
Chirst is Risen, Alleluia!
Happy, Blessed, and Safe Easter to you all!
He is risen indeed!
It has been a while since i've come to this thread, thought id come back to it, and try to be a bit more active with it.
For now, i will post a prayer, and will think about future things to post soon.
Father,
First of all, I pray that a peaceful, and the best possible solution to Russia - Ukraine war is found, and that, your peace, love, grace and strength are with those in Ukraine and those who have fled, in these most awful of times for them, I pray that you help them in whatever ways they need, and inspire others, both individuals and Governments, to do everything they can to help those in Ukraine.
I lift up my thoughts and prayers on this to you now.
Next, i pray for all those struggling around the world, for whatever reason, and that your love, grace, hope and strength are with them as they make their way through the day, and that you help them realise that they are loved, and that they have worth, and despite the struggles they might have, that people love and care for them.
Finally i pray for Talossa, we are a small country, but a rich and fascinating one, but of recent years has become lethargic and has been a slog. So lord, i pray that new vitality, options and ideas are breathed into Talossa to help it grow once again, and become energised once more. This community of people, this nation, draws from people across the globe, and unites different people, cultures and ideals from around the world, to make Talossa into the great place that it is. And i pray that this country grows stronger, and more populous, over the coming months and years.
I also pray for all of my fellow Talossans, that you will be with them, guide them, help, and bring them love and peace.
In Jesus name.
Amen
Quote from: Éovart Andrinescù on August 23, 2020, 07:11:52 PM
...If you look to science for gnosis
You will come up empty-handed every time.
As if you look to Christ in false search of worldly peace
Your own uncertainty will chastise you...
I am a Christian, and I am a scientist. And I do not understand Christianity, and I do not understand science - but for two very different reasons.
Science gives information about science, though it is used to try to find (some) truths about the real world. Science keeps changing, science asks questions impossible to answer, science talks about the visible universe, but cannot change that universe. The one central thing that science shows us is how ignorant we are. And science cannot, in the long term, remove all of that ignorance.
Christianity gives us information about God, and central truths about the real world - the world we can see and hear - and about the private world that each one of us has. Christianity tells us that God knows
everything - the whole universe - and He knows
you personally. For God there are no questions that are impossible to answer. Christianity partially shows us how ignorant we, mankind, are - but promises us the wiping away of that ignorance. Science changes: God does not change.
On earth we also are God's hands. If there are things we have the power to do, those things will not happen magically by themselves -
we have to do them. We can - and should - ask for guidance, through prayer, so that it is God's work we are doing. The "easy" bit about prayer is us speaking words to God: the "hard" bit about prayer is being silent, giving space for God to answer us - and to listen to his answers.
Father God, I pray patience so that I may hear Your words. I pray that all of us here may listen. And I pray that all those in authority or influence - large or small - will also hear Your words, and act by them,
Amen