Why Did Jesus Have To Die?

[BarbTherese]

Oh dear! What can I do - I can only leave it as is with my sincere apologies.

[Mark of the Cross]

[quote name='BarbaraTherese' timestamp='1350439548' post='2494152']
It did it again and I got a duplicate post - sorry!
Between this computer, Phatmass and dear reby, I need a shot of brandy and ........ a triple valium.
It's only on Phatmass that this happens - that the page times out before it looks as if I have posted. Or it takes me ages to actually access Phatmass at all with the page continually timing out. I have no problems whatsoever on Catholic Answers for some reason, nor any problems with any other site on the net. If I were superstitious I would be thinking I was getting messages.

To any who have sent me a friendship request. I can't find out how to send to you a friendship request of my own - when I can actually access my profile that is. As soon as things settle down, if they do, I will be sending out friendship requests of my own; meanwhile, if anyone knows how to actually send out a friendship request, how to access the link - a step by step guide either into this thread or via PM would be much appreciated.
[/quote]
When I get a time out I have found it is best to save the post (good idea during long ones in any event) Going in later and checking I often find it has been successful. Don't know what teh problem is. Congestion maybe! It's not so bad in the mornings worse in the evenings (Oz time)

Friendship - All you have to do is go to their profile by clicking their avatar. Add them as friend button. If you are already their friend you will only see a remove button. They don't need to respond unless they have set friend request to approval. (automatically allowed by default) I used to get a notification when someone added me, but this doesn't seem to be the case anymore. So you are probably unaware that I have already added you. Someone who opens their home to street kids has got to be a real saint. As Mr Spock would say "I have been and always shall be your friend."

BTW I love this phorum for it's seriousness and humour. Most other forums are too restrictive in staying on topic. Does take a bit of getting used to though. Often the humour gets misinterpreted as personal attack. If someone does upset you though just let me know and I will pwn them for a week.

Edited October 17, 2012 by Mark of the Cross

[BarbTherese]

Hi again Mark
I am taking your advice and writing this in Word and then I will cut and paste, if I can! What is happening is anything I post seems to time out and then if I can get back into Phatmass I post again (by copying the original post at the time of the original posting). Then, and if I can get into Phatmass sometimes it is a duplicate post that appears, sometimes I have lost the post altogether.

I too find that in the evenings it is much harder to get into Phatmass without timing out. But it is usually in the evenings that I have the time to post – although, reby, truly had me ‘hooked’! – and to some degree still has. I am not only spontaneous to a true overboard fault, but tend to be obsessive and compulsive once I am ‘hooked’. A psychiatrist long ago mused. She asked me if it was important to me to be on time? If it was important that I am always neat and tidy and well presented? If cleanliness is important to me and she said that she would put money on the tidiness of my abode – and that I was always very well organized, extremely so? I replied to all her individual questions in the affirmative. “Mmmmm “ she mused “I think you are bit obsessive compulsive”
I thought for a moment or two and then replied “Well, I don’t think you are swearing at me” (all my faults and failings in the OCD department serve me extremely well insofar as I am concerned).
I have a Carmelite prioress who is a great pal, and repeating the anecdote above to her, she started to laugh “Oh, OCD are the initial for the Carmelite Communities of St Teresa of Avila”. I knew this, but it hadn’t clicked. Then she added “Come to think of it, I reckon some of us are OCD OCD, if you get my meaning. I did. laughing.

Thank you very much for the instructions on how to do a Friendship Request and yes, I received yours and tried to work out how to respond back, but other than accepting, it defeated me. Do I know you from somewhere, Mark? No matter, we know each other now as fellow Phatmassers and I am absolutely delighted to have your friendship and you sure have mine and eternally. You have been most affirming and stand in the ranks of a gentleman in whom chivalry is well and truly alive and well “Everday as long as this day lasts, keep encouraging one another” (Introduction to the Divine Office).
For our beloved male of the species, you are a very warm personality. Very warm - and a man of great Faith., humble, loving and tolerant – to my eye. Or is it, I am wondering, that I have mixed too much with male celibates (and you may well be one, I don’t know). I am convinced that in the Seminary and male noviciates they have classes in how not to relate to women. However, there are outstanding exceptions to that rule among male celibates, outstanding. They are r e a l l y improving, however, I am delighted to state. I wont go on on that subject, I shall spare you. I write an awful lot and thanks to my education and career am a fairly fast and rather accurate typist in the main, and tend to think as I am writing or “on my feet: as it were - although it must get painful when I post and I have great compassion and awe for those who actually do read my posts. LOL My first spiritual director encouraged me to write to him (he was a Vincentian priest and theologian – and a highly intelligent, holy man with a wondrous sense of humour and of the absurd in life). I said to him one day, “Re my last letter…..”
“Letter?..........Letter?” he replied “What jolly letter? All I ever get from you, Girl, are epistles!”
One day, and I will spare you the funny circumstances, he said to me: “I have finally worked out, Girl. what you are good for!”
What’s that, Father?”
“You are good for absolutely nothing!” And he roared laughing at his joke
I had been reading Thomas Merton, and I replied in all innocence and wonder: “Oh Father, Thomas Merton wrote that God is no thing. Ya no nothing, no thing” Now there is a whole sound theology behind that that is actually the essence of simplicity and for anyone reading who is shocked, it simply means that indeed is not a thing, an object.
Father looked at me frowning. We were sitting in his office at the time. Then he banged his fist on the desk and gave me one heck of a fright. “Don’t you quote Thomas Merton to [b][u]ME[/u][/b], Girl!’
In all the years Father D was my director and confessor, he never called me anything but "Girl" though I was a woman in my twenties when we first met.


[b][i]BTW I love this phorum for it's seriousness and humour. Most other forums are too restrictive in staying on topic. Does take a bit of getting used to though. Often the humour gets misinterpreted as personal attack. If someone does upset you though just let me know and I will pwn them for a week.[/i][/b]
Mark, you truly warm the cockles of my heart, truly! You are a delight! Ummm…….errr……….what does pwn mean?
Here is another anecdote. I had just got through telling one of those blokes on motor bikes off. Turned out later he was the president of a large group of those OMCG- ers. He looked at me and said “When you get going, you would make a bikkie blush”. Another guy on bike used to just look at me and shake his head and say "Simplicity Complexity" I have been known to drop into Aussie lingo colloquial now and then and if I really blow all cool. In fact on Catholic Answers, somebody posting called me “potty mouth” which gave me a real giggle, I had never heard that term before.
Jesus swore. Brood of Vipers, Whited Sepulchres were akin to swear words in His culture. And He had a sense of humour "Go tell that Old Fox" he tells those Herod had sent to enquire after Him. Herod was concerned, he had had John (cousin of Jesus) murdered and it had got back to him that the people were saying that Jesus was John reinarnated, or perhaps Elijah and other identities too. Herod was a afraid. Jesus was John's cousin and was known to be just as critical of Jewish leadership as John had been and Herod knew he was acting against Jewish Law in his marriage and for having John beheaded. A fox is cunning and Herod had sent messengers to Jesus with messages - with covert ulterior motives, and Jesus knew it. Hence, "Old Fox"
[size="3"] [/size]
As for my street kids, and when I think of it, they were street kids if most not on a full time basis thankfully – they gave me insight into why Jesus loved children (that is all they were then) and why he mixed with outcasts and sinners, the rejects of His society - the fringe dwellers and untouchables. My babies (as I used to call them) were just a dream and a joy, a true delight……………..little problem makers that they were! I loved em to pieces despite all the headaches and heartaches. Mark, they gave far far more to me, than I ever gave them, which was not mine to give in the first place. Nor did I.
For a while a house of disrepute had been set up in our street. Clients very late at night would sometimes knock on my door looking for this house – and also on the door of a young woman living alone (and not only her door either) and she was then a single mother of a baby, living on her own. It had really frightened her. So off I go to this house of disrepute and asked the person in charge to ensure that their clients do not knock on their neighbour’s doosr as it is frightening. As I walked out the drive, some of the ladies were following me shouting at me. At this moment some of my street babies were walking down the street. So they started to yell at the ladies yelling at me that if they hit me they would have to deal with them. They were a true delight to the heart and a beautiful Gift from God to me.
Here’s another funny anecdote. I was inside and some of the kids were inside and others out the front. One of the rules was absolutely no bad language. Next think I hear the most appalling language being shouted on top note from out the front. I dropped everything and raced to the front door and as I opened it I was telling them off for swearing in my own top note. Then as the scene registered, there was a car in the drive. The man driving turned out to be the father of one of the boys out the front – and the local top drug dealer. He had been yelling at his son in truly gutter language that makes ‘potty mouth’ sound so very mild mild. He looked at me, at the shock in my face, laughed and said "Sorry Barb!"
I miss my old area so much still and three years down the line now. But The Lord has me here for some reason or other, even if I dont know it until I am eventually in Heaven. I am confident of that.


God bless, Mark – and thank you so much for very many kindnesses delivered so very humbly – Barb

_________________________________________________

Reby – I am writing this here so I wont have to post again and risk being timed out of Phatmass
. You have made a truly correct statement. Jesus is indeed The Wisdom that comes from God. How could He miss out, in fact. He is truly man and Truly God. The Second Person of The Blessed Trinity, One God. We Catholics all know this, nothing new whatsoever in it at all. We affirm our beliefs quite publicly at every Mass. Your ‘Catholic petticoat’ is showing. Don’t be upset please, I am not at all calling you a woman and there is no such thing as a third sex or gender. Rather, if anything, I am paying you quite a compliment, quite a compliment - seems your Catholic Faith is still there somewhere. Once baptized Catholic, always baptized Catholic. God bless.

[BarbTherese]

Mark, did I read you right. If someone sends me a Friend Request and I accept, I am automatically a friend of theirs? If someone has not sent me a Friend Request but I would like to send them my Friend Request, asking them for their friendship. How do I go about it? I got into Phatmass again and tried to work it out, but it defeats me.
Mark, truly I am definitely not a saint (I saw the reference to it on one of your posts in addressing me as historial Barb) - trust me and do not be deceived for a moment. My past life is truly and absolutely appalling, outstandingly so - and it is NOT a pious platitude. Of course, being Catholic I would love to be holy and a saint. So I decided one day chatting away with The Lord as one can at times - one sidedly Ithink at times it is, that I wanted to be the patron saint of laughter and all holy pictures would have my halo hanging over one of my eyes, a lopsided halo. Then I started to reflect on my past and wondered how such a person as me could ever be a saint - and decided that God can do absolutely anything that He chooses. So back I go to Jesus, reflecting and giving Him instructions in a one sided conversation - and He is a great listener (have you ever read "The Man Who LIstens" by Taylor Caldwell - great read). What I had decided is that the devil's advocate (the one who looks into the dark side of any proposed saint) would be reading my life story and have a heart attack in shock on Vatican steps as he was reading. Then when my whole life story was read by distinguished Vatican officials (its on this computer up to this date more or less and without edit and locked with a tricky password), it would be unanimously decided that this person was absolutely no saint, it was totally impossible, unrealistic, appalling, shocking - scandolous to The Church - not fit to be ever be read about by anyone at all. But a woman, oh my gosh and goodness - St Augustine paled in comparison completely. And this was a female, at least Augustine was male and one can understand a slip here and there. Ahhhh but then, I advised Jesus, You can step in for You are God and all things are possible to You. This is our plan, Dear Lord : Suddenly in the skies a sentence is to be seen, Dear Lord, and by all, you understand: "Canonize Barbara" - try as Rome may, it would not disappear despite many days of ardent prayer. So finally they thought if they canonized me would that jolly sign vanishand give The Church a bit of sleep and Peace at last? They canonize me and it vanished. But what they do is roll out real canons to try to shoot me out the skies before I do any more damage to their reputations and thoughts.

When I was a child, the nuns at school told us that martyr's went straight to Heaven and absolutely no Purgatory whatsoever, which had rather bothered me, this Purgatory stuff. I was no angel for sure - even back then you see. (Although my 'art' was refined as I grew older and no longer childish mischief. Far far far more serious and terribly so and for many years, in fact mortaly so). So I do a bit of thinking and come up with an answer. Back I go to Jesus for one of those one sided chats again. "Dear Jesus, I want to be a martyr and so - the deal is this: I will be a martyr and when I die I will then go immediately to Heaven without Purgatory no matter what I have done (an amazing thought for such as I). But I am no good at all that suffering that martyrs must do. So here's our plan. I will be shot in the back of the head by a Communist". My reasoning was, if I was shot in the back of the head, I wouldn't see it coming. A shot in the back of the head would kill me instantly - and we all knew back in those days that Communists were the scourage of Catholicism. Voila! I would be a martyr! Done deal!
It took me a long time and dear old Thomas Merton before I woke up - Tom just would have to appear my the scene, woe to me. He wrote that one cannot make superstitious deals with God ................ and all my plans and dreams - all of them - just shot out the window and never to return. Good ol' Tom, I really luvya, mate!

But then in researching theology ont the net, I read some time ago, that when God forgives He also completely forgets and returns one to that state before the sins confessed were committed. This is amazing stuff truly! Trouble is I still have problems with that Purgatory business since our theology states that although all this is so, there may be still some temporal debt to be paid, purification of the soul.............in Purgatory. So, I know I am going to be there for a dreadful long time, but the Joy is, I will know that when it is all over, I will be headed to Heaven. That is the best I can come up with in my case. Ahhhh but then I started to think about Joan of Arc. We burn her at the stake as a heratic and witch..............and then some 400 years later shout "Glory Glory Glory, our Joan is a saint!". Oh dear, I wonder, did that make the flames hurt any less 400 years ago. I haven't figured out as yet about how one goes about getting burnt to death without being in pure agony. But a psychiatrist once told me that if I had been born in the 13th century, I think it was, I would have been burnt at the stake as a heretic and witch. Ahhhh I though, ah so...........mmm problem is I am in the 21st century.

Then I came up with something that astounded me! God can indeed do anything at all! And if the likes of me was ever canonized, then people would be amazed, stunned, awed, at what God's Grace can do, what it can effect - even in the most miserable of creatures. He would be the absolute hero of the story! He would shine! Mark, do you think He just might buy that little manipulation by any remote chance whatsoever?

Ahhhhh the bipolar mind! A true gift, a scourge, a stumbling block, a persecutor - and a rescuer in the most dire of situations............when it is not plunking one right into the middle of dire situation.

[BarbTherese]

[size=5][color=#000000][font=Calibri]I have truly wonderful news to me. I have someone coming in tomorrow to help me in the house and garden for a while. Problem is, I have a load of ironing to do which will take me near on most of the day. Ahhh well, today's problems are sure enough for today - tackle all that tomorrow. My crucifix arrived too from Ark Religious Supplies in Australia today. I was stunned that something so artistically beautiful (33cm) could arrive at my doorstep for $AU29.00 delivery included (I think it was $21.00 or so before delivery cost). It is a wooden crucifix with a resin corpus. I had been looking for a while for one for my prayer space.[/font][/color] Here it is, on Ark Religious Supplies (Australia) website [url="http://www.arksupplies.com.au/products/Wall-Crucifix%3A-Wood-with-Resin-Corpus-33cm.html"]http://www.arksuppli...orpus-33cm.html[/url]

[color=#000000][font=Calibri]Reby – you have made another spot on statement. I can be very suspicious, and I did suspect that your questions just might be ‘trick’ questions – traps – I wasn’t very far wrong I dont think. No sooner someone answered you, I further suspected, that you would be ready with the ‘appropriate table’ in your mind to turn that table on them using their response against them. This just might be able to place a seed of doubt in the other. You are very intelligent, to my mind, very........in fact, very. Your problem, one of them, is that you do have trouble expressing yourself in the English language at times. Although you do manage extremely well indeed often IMO. Since you are not of an English speaking country in the main, at least I don’t think it is largely English speaking, I do really admire your courage for taking on an English speaking Catholic i(n the main) discussion site and to be very challenging, confronting, in what you do contribute. As a Benedictine Prioress once wrote – we are all saints, we are all sinners. I may not be sinful in this, but then I am sinful in that. And this applies to the absolute whole of humanity. We all have our good points, our virtues – and we all have our not good points, our failures.[/font][/color]
[color=#000000][font=Calibri]I have often thought that when Jesus said “Why do you call Me good? Only God is Good?” it seemed a bit strange since He is God and Jesus sure had a grip on His Identity from the time He was 12years old at least that to our knowledge, perhaps earlier and when I think about it, it obviously must have been earlier than 12yrs. Then I thought, perhaps He was fishing around to find out just how far His Father had led the person who has led a very good life for all his life (Gift of God’s Grace). For when Peter affirms the identity of Jesus as The Christ after Jesus asks His apostles what the people are saying about Him, Jesus replies that man had not revealed His Identity to Peter, it was not human knowledge, but His Father who is in Heaven – the knowledge came to Peter from God The Father, or Grace. We can talk about it, but never actually describe it adequately, anywhere close to adquate. It was not only what Peter said, to my mind again, but the Faith with which He KNEW (not believed - knowledge is a step beyond believing) that Jesus was the promised messiah. This indicated to Jesus that The Father had chosen Peter, which Jesus later takes up and affirms making Peter the Head of His Church. Now Catholics may comprise a very large number in human society, but Faith per se cannot be passed from one person to another. It is totally impossible! That is simply human knowledge passed from person to person, human reasoning, logic (one hopes), human thinking and reflections passed on between persons. It does have an important function in human soceity (and a religion is a social group of common belief as a loose definition and a sweeping one) for absolutely sure and for many reasons it seems to me. Faith per se, Faith itself, is a Gift of God, a Grace from God and only God can grant it to whomsoever He May and whenever He May - and take the person beyond belief to knowledge through Faith per se. This knowledge is not a whole heap of words strung together making sense or some sense - although this has its rightful place in the scheme of things, or the overall big picture. It is not reflection on someone else's words either spoken or written. It is that and beyond that. It is Faith - a Gift of God.[/font][/color]

[color=#000000][font=Calibri]I think I just might be somewhat starting to insight where you just might be coming from perhaps - and I don’t mean evil in any way whatsoever – in fact it strikes me that you have not got all that terribly far to go to re-embrace your Catholic Faith, Grace of God permitting. Keep ticking over, reyb! (“ticking over” means, “keep thinking”), keep reading Scripture and reflecting and as a person of prayer – just keep ticking over prayerfully and I do hope thinking independantly, or thinking for your self and in personal interior honesty, integrity. It was some philosopher or other who said "think wrongly if you will, but on all occasions think for yourself" ..........and listen to others and what they are saying - including between their lines.[/font][/color]

[font=Calibri][color=#000000]You have my permission to do so, reyb, which of course you do not need one iota, not at all, never, ludicrous – but there you go, you got my permission anyway. [/color][/font]

[font=Calibri][color=#000000]But then I can be wrong. And that is my 'out' when I am indeed wrong[/color][/font]

[font=Calibri][color=#000000]God bless..........Barb[/color][/font][/size]

[reyb]

BarbaraTherese,

Thank you and I am really sorry for being rude. I wish I can hold myself a little longer and let you speak because you are too eager to make your stories heard. Thank you again and I am sorry.

Edited October 17, 2012 by reyb

[Mark of the Cross]

Phatmass is behaving very badly today. Can't get in and things are not working. If I can get this to post I will say that i will respond at a later date.
I don't find you rude Rey. Quite the opposite you are very polite. No matter what you do in Jesus name with sincerity and honesty much good will come of it and your threads have helped a lot. I have learned many things from people here by their responses to you and made new friends. KofC, Groo, Papist, Barb and even some non Catholics to name a few.

[BarbTherese]

[quote name='reyb' timestamp='1350486515' post='2494202']
BarbaraTherese,

Thank you and I am really sorry for being rude. I wish I can hold myself a little longer and let you speak because you are too eager to make your stories heard. Thank you again and I am sorry.
[/quote]


I have no idea why Reyb's whole post did not appear above. I used the "Quote" icon on his post.

Reyb - you were not rude at all, rather quite assertive in what you believe and what you do not believe and at times I found some things offensive, and simply because what you were stating was quite contrary to my beliefs. That's my problem, not yours. Because a person finds what you have said offensive, does not mean at all that you were actually intending to be offensive, not at all and you probably did not have had this intention at all. "Man judges appearances, but The Lord knows the heart". We may have a culture clash going. Women here in Australia can be quite outspoken, very outspoken - and this nowadays is just taken for granted here - a part of normal everyday life.

Not only Phatmass behaved badly, but I did too. I reacted to the stress I was feeling and not all related to this thread, and let my hair down and some 'steam' out, throwing all prudence, caution and reserve, common sense, to the winds. I dont handle stress well at all and my problem again and this can be a burden to others I know. And indeed, you are spot on in that I can be far too eager to make my stories heard once I get going. Spot on! And I knew this myself and groaned inwardly at my foolishness as it was all totally irrelevant to this thread, totally. I tried to get back into Phatmass rather late last night, but failed despite several attempts.

If I said anything to be offensive, including any preaching, reyb, then I sincerely apologize. Not only to you but to Mark and others who may be reading or posting or both.

No veil here, for sure, reyb. Just a mop of totally grey hair - in fact, near on white hair.

[quote][b]Quoting Mark of The Crss[/b]: "No matter what you do in Jesus name with sincerity and honesty much good will come of it " [/quote]

Well said.

[BarbTherese]

This may be the last time I post at least for a few days as I will be focused on my visitors - as things look at this point. I am sufficiently ashamed of myself, I am thankful that I probably wont be able to post. I need a day or two to try to stop kicking myself, if I can. But it is a lesson learnt, not that it has ever been learnt before as it should have been, despite attempts by others. Perhaps this time I will learn not to take stress and frustrations out on others.............I hope.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='BarbaraTherese' timestamp='1350548807' post='2494379']
This may be the last time I post at least for a few days as I will be focused on my visitors - as things look at this point. I am sufficiently ashamed of myself, I am thankful that I probably wont be able to post. I need a day or two to try to stop kicking myself, if I can. But it is a lesson learnt, not that it has ever been learnt before as it should have been, despite attempts by others. Perhaps this time I will learn not to take stress and frustrations out on others.............I hope.
[/quote]
I would not worry too much; I do not think anybody else is actually reading this thread. I know I am not.

Edited October 18, 2012 by Nihil Obstat

[Mark of the Cross]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1350549988' post='2494380']
I would not worry too much; I do not think anybody else is actually reading this thread. I know I am not.
[/quote]
You're so amesome Nihil. Able to respond to a thread without having read it.


I hope we're not putting you to sleep.


[quote name='reyb' timestamp='1350486515' post='2494202']
BarbaraTherese,

Thank you and I am really sorry for being rude. I wish I can hold myself a little longer and let you speak because you are too eager to make your stories heard. Thank you again and I am sorry.
[/quote]
I'm at a loss here. To express that you were offended at Reys comments is your right. It is only natural for people to be hurt when someone says things that they believe are untrue about what they hold so near and dear. At no time have you been anything but very patient and helpful. I refuse to engage in religious discussion anymore in my off line life because it always inevitably ends up pear shaped for me. I keep it for the web. That way if someone hates me I don't have to face them down the street or in the Church. I like PM because there is a lot of good that can come from it and so the bad experiences are far outweighed by the good. When i first started on PM I was on the recovery side of a total nervous break down thanks to the medication making things much worse. I wrote very badly and often wanted to stop because I was such a fail. But kind people like Nihil and people such as yourself kept me going and now I get quite a lot of pleasure out of discussing religion. I still annoy [s] some[/s] many people but the luls and the friendship makes it all good. No ones perfect! Please don't worry about perceived mistakes we all make em and by bulk.

[Mark of the Cross]

[quote] A psychiatrist long ago mused. She asked me if it was important to me to be on time? If it was important that I am always neat and tidy and well presented? If cleanliness is important to me and she said that she would put money on the tidiness of my abode – and that I was always very well organized, extremely so? I replied to all her individual questions in the affirmative. “Mmmmm “ she mused “I think you are bit obsessive compulsive”[/quote]
A psychiatrist once told me I was the worst case of anxiety and phobia he had ever come across and he was an older experienced psychiatrist. I used to think I was the odd one at PM but then discovered that many people on PM are mentally interesting. It would be nice to have a support sub phorum for our ailments but PM seems to be having enough overload issues as is.

[quote] I write an awful lot and thanks to my education and career am a fairly fast and rather accurate typist in the main, and tend to think as I am writing or “on my feet: as it were [/quote]
Not me! I'm a painstaking two finger typist that takes hrs to write even short posts. Attention deficit too I think that's why I like forums rather than books.


[quote][i][b]Pwn[/b][/i] is a [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leetspeak"]leetspeak[/url] slang term derived from the verb [i][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owned"]own[/url][/i],[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pwn#cite_note-0"][1][/url][/sup][sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pwn#cite_note-1"][2][/url][/sup][sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pwn#cite_note-2"][3][/url][/sup] as meaning to appropriate or to conquer to gain ownership. The term implies domination or humiliation of a rival,[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pwn#cite_note-Naone-3"][4][/url][/sup] used primarily in the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet"]Internet[/url]-based [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_culture"]video game culture[/url] to taunt an opponent who has just been soundly defeated (e.g., "You just got pwned!").[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pwn#cite_note-4"][5][/url][/sup][/quote]
I was using it tongue in cheek so to speak.

[quote]Jesus swore. Brood of Vipers, Whited Sepulchres were akin to swear words in His culture. And He had a sense of humour [/quote]
Definitely! There are a few scriptures where Jesus seems to be teasing people! Jesus had a sense of humour? Of course God made us in his image including our sense of humour. And as human Jesus showed us humanity by becoming impatient with those who did not listen (wink wink)


[quote] My babies (as I used to call them) were just a dream and a joy, a true delight……………..little problem makers that they were! I loved em to pieces despite all the headaches and heartaches. Mark, they gave far far more to me, than I ever gave them, which was not mine to give in the first place. Nor did I.[/quote]
Apart from my own children I have never done anything truly awsome like you. And even my children were mostly my wife's blessing.
And you're very kind with your remarks to me, but no! I'm a long way from being a saint. That's why I put my location as purgatory because my life has been a long struggle trying to turn from very sinful beginnings into something acceptable to God. I hang on the words "The forgiveness of sins." and "He that believe in me shall never die but have eternal life."

Edited October 18, 2012 by Mark of the Cross

[BarbTherese]

[quote name='Mark of the Cross' timestamp='1350597052' post='2494520']
You're so amesome Nihil. Able to respond to a thread without having read it.


I hope we're not putting you to sleep.



I'm at a loss here. To express that you were offended at Reys comments is your right. It is only natural for people to be hurt when someone says things that they believe are untrue about what they hold so near and dear. At no time have you been anything but very patient and helpful. I refuse to engage in religious discussion anymore in my off line life because it always inevitably ends up pear shaped for me. I keep it for the web. That way if someone hates me I don't have to face them down the street or in the Church. I like PM because there is a lot of good that can come from it and so the bad experiences are far outweighed by the good. When i first started on PM I was on the recovery side of a total nervous break down thanks to the medication making things much worse. I wrote very badly and often wanted to stop because I was such a fail. But kind people like Nihil and people such as yourself kept me going and now I get quite a lot of pleasure out of discussing religion. I still annoy [s] some[/s] many people but the luls and the friendship makes it all good. No ones perfect! Please don't worry about perceived mistakes we all make em and by bulk.
[/quote]

Mark, you are a gem - a beautiful person indeed. Thank you for your very kind words and I am hoping that your headache etc. which you previously mentioned has settled right down for you. My visitors have gone out and my son has given me a brand new laptop which I am still finding out all about mainly through trial and error. It is as fast as my computer at work - what once took me an hour to complete is now done in probably 10mins and that's not much of an exaggeration either.

Must admit, I had a smile that N could reply to a post, or part of a post, I can't remember which - and without reading the thread. God bless him! And I thank him that his assessment is that no one is reading the thread. Ohhh what a relief! Thank you, Nihil! I am hoping you are absolutely spot on! Between you and Mark, I think I am starting, just starting to forgive myself and move on.

I never raise the subject of religion face to face unless the other person invites it or raises the subject themselves. In Australia, football, politics and religion can be subjects that people can get very emotional and heated, passionate, about. What I like about Catholic discussion sites is that in the main we are all on the same wavelength and I have learnt heaps and heaps too - and especially from really beautiful people who set a vary high benchmark for charity, understanding, tolerance, thoughtfulness, humilty and gentleness and often humour too. Thanks Mark- and even reybs in some things and probably all things at different times when I think about it .
Reybs just has the knack of pushing my buttons well and truly! This is quite a skill - its not very often at all nowadays that I drop my bundle completely and go a little beserk and up a creek and round a bend. Thank goodness!
But I deeply and warmly thank you, Mark. You have made my complete loss of control, insight etc. etc. far easier to bear and my lapse to overcomel - through your thoughtfulness and kind, gentle words.

[BarbTherese]

[quote name='Mark of the Cross' timestamp='1350598520' post='2494532']
A psychiatrist once told me I was the worst case of anxiety and phobia he had ever come across and he was an older experienced psychiatrist. I used to think I was the odd one at PM but then discovered that many people on PM are mentally interesting. It would be nice to have a support sub phorum for our ailments but PM seems to be having enough overload issues as is.


Not me! I'm a painstaking two finger typist that takes hrs to write even short posts. Attention deficit too I think that's why I like forums rather than books.



I was using it tongue in cheek so to speak.


Definitely! There are a few scriptures where Jesus seems to be teasing people! Jesus had a sense of humour? Of course God made us in his image including our sense of humour. And as human Jesus showed us humanity by becoming impatient with those who did not listen (wink wink)



Apart from my own children I have never done anything truly awsome like you. And even my children were mostly my wife's blessing.
And you're very kind with your remarks to me, but no! I'm a long way from being a saint. That's why I put my location as purgatory because my life has been a long struggle trying to turn from very sinful beginnings into something acceptable to God. I hang on the words "The forgiveness of sins." and "He that believe in me shall never die but have eternal life."
[/quote]

Mark, I am still learning about this laptop and various matters. I started to reply to the above and then inadvertently touched some key or other related to this jolly mouse pad, which I detest, and lost what I had typed. I will return to your post above later. It's 9.56pm here and way past my bed time and I have another big day tomorrow with visitors here. Doesn't go easy on the old psyche when one is used for many years to living alone. But I will live, Mark - I will live! And in the great scheme of things cannot be considered even a little slight blimp! As for my little problems with this incredible laptop, I only need list them and my son will address them when he can.
Edit - What I have to learn to do I know is to answer posts in word and then copy and paste. My memory is about as poverty struck as everything else, everything, in this mind, body and soul.
Thank you again.......and again..........for your gentle insight, kindnesses and many thoughtful considerate comments, born of concern for the other,
And, indeed, Nihil too............man oh man, Nihil, I hope your assessment is spot on! and entirely selfish and self centred I know - no shock to moi at all. But then, I have gone researching for something or other on the net and came across an old thread, very old at times, on some Cath. Discussion Site - and voila what I was looking for was found. God is not at all wasteful, even with His Least. He has some good and positive, contributing, use for absolutely everything or the simplicity of the matter to me is, it simply would not exist at all.
A doctor once said to me "You have an answer for everything, dont you?" "Goodness, doctor, I surely do hope so! And f you were me, you would understand why!"

Edited October 20, 2012 by BarbaraTherese

[Groo the Wanderer]

y'all are leaving out the bacon factor and have barely mentioned the influence of llamas