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Those of us who left in the Geer expulsion came to the conclusion that loyalty was no virtue 35 years ago. I guess what I was hinting at was that no one who is on the board now would consider his/her history of loyalty to be a personal attack on their character. They think their loyalty is a good thing, and why wouldn't it be? As opposed to calling someone a sex predator or a con artist or intellectual property thief. You know, what we say about the current BOD is practically non-existent compared to what has been disclosed on this board and its predecessor of VPW, LCM and the people who served with them. Now, if we made it all up, if it was all lies by disgruntled ex-members, where are the lies against the current BOD? Where are the ex-members accusing them of playing fast and loose with marriage vows and purse strings? Are we no longer disgruntled? I don't know about you, but I still feel gruntled. Not enough to make stuff up against people we don't know, though. Interesting to me.

59th Street Bridge Song "When the sun beats down and burns the tar upon the roof," George

"Age of Aquarius" "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day" "Hello lamppost, what'cha knowin'? I've come to watch your flowers growin'

Thanks Rocky. Your post falls in line with another thought I've been having - have I been too judgmental and/or opinionated with my posts. Each of our realities about God and the bible is uniquely personal although we might connect with the thoughts and feelings of others. I've reviewed what the Socratic Dialog Method is and how it's used which has been helpful. The trip I mentioned earlier will not happen for at least two more months so there's time to think on the reality of living life without relying on a non-existent god for his protection. I've ordered the two books I referred to in my previous post and am now reading the available sample of "The Illusion of God's Presence" on Amazon. The author begins by giving a few interesting anecdotes to explain where he's going with the contents of his book, and so far I find it pretty relatable. I've posted it below if you or anyone else is curious about this topic. https://www.amazon.ca/Illusion-Gods-Presence-Biological-Spiritual/dp/1633880745 https://www.amazon.ca/Illusion-Gods-Presence-Biological-Spiritual/dp/1633880745 Hopefully, one of the two above will bring up the site.

It went off the air and came back.

It (changing one's thinking or values or understanding of spiritual matters) requires time and patience. It doesn't (and can't) happen overnight. What should one do when they lose trust and become disillusioned? 1) realize they aren't proving anything either wrong or right. Rather, they are coming to grips with reality. 2) realize the narrative on which they have built their "relationship with God" is all about stories. The stories, it appears, are not holding true under the challenges of contemporary life.

This post relates to my previous one about God's protection. I'm calling this one "easier said than done." I’ve been thinking about the next time I take the 5-hour drive to visit my son and his family, this time without the comforting thought of having God’s protection while driving on very busy highways most of the way. I’m trying to think rationally to get over the nervousness, but it continues to persist. This morning I happened to listen to the YouTube video called “Belief and the Brain: a Psychiatrist and a Neuroscientist on Evolution and Religion.” Seth Andrews had two guests on his podcast: - Dr. Andy Thomson, a psychiatrist and author of "Why We Believe in God(s): A Concise Guide to the Science of Faith," and - Dr. John Wathey, a computational biologist, neuroscientist, and author of "The Illusion of God's Presence: The Biological Origins of Spiritual Longing." They discussed, among many other things, why the concept of God being a heavenly father can become such a compelling desire and need for bible-believing people. It concerns the neural circuitry which evolved to “program the infant brain to expect the presence of a loving being who responds to the child's needs.” That innate feeling is triggered again in adulthood through religion because of the Father-son relationship that is fundamental to biblical teachings. The strength of these adult feelings is quite similar to the strength one had as an infant. IOW, there’s not just a psychological reason for a believer connecting with an all-loving and ever-present Father but a strong biological one as well. This explains why Christians are so unwilling to let go of this concept, and why it can also be difficult for one who has deconverted to let go in certain scenarios even though they know it's just wishful thinking. Replacing illogical thinking with rational thinking requires some concentrated work to be done.

Not a SCRIPTED TV show Correct. From Wikipedia: Number of seasons Series Network First air date Last air date Number of episodes 35 The Simpsons Fox December 17, 1989 present 768 25 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit NBC September 20, 1999 present 551 23 Law & Order NBC September 13, 1990 present 501 22 Family Guy Fox January 31, 1999 present 424[1] 21 NCIS CBS September 23, 2003 present 467 20 Gunsmoke CBS September 10, 1955 March 31, 1975 635 20 American Dad! Fox (2005–2014) TBS (2014–present)[2] February 6, 2005 present 366 20 Grey's Anatomy ABC March 27, 2005 present 429 I'm a bit confused. I don't watch the L&O shows, but was original L&O off for a few seasons and then came back? How did it start 9 years before SVU but have two fewer seasons? (Or is "present" for the last air date incorrect?) George

I would have to guess The Simpsons, with Law & Order SVU in second.

Meet the Press?

More than likely it says they don't let themselves be consciously aware of all the bad stuff that WE couldn't overlook. It reminds me of when, as a young adult, hearing in some church (probably a military base chapel somewhere) people justifying their loyalties to the Baptist Church or some other such group that was also highly flawed. I understand you being aware of the evil in twi. Denial is a very powerful emotional defense mechanism.

"And in other news today, Mrs. Stinkweed's mischievous little kitty, Poopsy, was rescued from the clutches of a mean old sycamore tree by the brave firemen of Company B." "Back to you, Cletus."

Regarding your 2. In my view, loyalty to TWI is such that it very much warrants grave concern to anyone who understands what loyalty to TWI involves at this stage of its game. To still be loyal to TWI, from my viewpoint after 17 years experience of it up close, includes turning a blind eye to (or denying or making excuses for) the abuse of people and Scripture by its founder, VPW, who they continue to laud as their great man of God who taught "the accuracy of The Word." There's been more than enough evidence shown that he plagiarized-- stole -- a great deal of those teachings. So if you're loyal to TWI, in my view that's the stuff you're loyal to. What does that say about such people?

Yes. Specifically, the 1975 version. The second and fourth quotes involved Stepford wives' brains misfiring and getting caught in a loop. You're up. George

Don't. Even. THINK. About. It. A billion websites are having this conversation. This will not be one of them.

Yes, though the word love does not appear in the title. George

Oh for the love of hate The Stepford Wives

Is this by any chance a love song?

Ooh love to hold ya, ooh love to kiss ya Ooh love I love it so Ooh love you're sweeter, sweeter than sugar Ooh love, I won't let you go Love, you're such a sweet thing, good enough to eat thing And it's just a-what I'm gonna do The lovin' that you're giving is what keeps me livin' And your love is like peaches and cream George

Mourning Becomes Electra The Walls of Jericho Champion The Glass Menagerie Along the Great Divide Detective Story George

WW is up. George

"If I am wrong, I'm insane... but if I'm right, it's even worse than if I was wrong." "I'll just die if I don't get this recipe. I'll just die if I don't get this recipe. I'll just die if I don't get this recipe." "I can't just call him up and say, 'Hi! I used be Joanna Ingalls. You deflowered me twelve years ago. Would you check my water?'" "I don't think that, uh, Ed ever loved me. I mean, uh, he married me because I looked right and it made a big impression on the other TV executives for his wife to look like I look. God knows he's given me things, I... I'm not complaining on that score, but... uh... he never loved me." "Joanna! How could you do a thing like that? How could you do a thing like that? How could you do a thing like that? When I was just going to give you coffee. When I was just going to give you coffee! When I was just going to give you coffee! I thought we were friends! I thought we were friends! I was just going to give you coffee! I was just going to give you coffee! I thought we were friends... I thought we were friends... I thought we were friends. How could you *do* a thing like that? I thought we were friends." "I like to watch women doing little domestic chores." "You came to the right town." "I can't figure out this burg. It's like maids have been declared illegal, and the housewife with the neatest place gets Robert Redford for Christmas. And believe me, if that's the prize, I'd enter, but nobody'll tell what the contest rules are. Cheers!" George

Human? George

My Adventures with Superman is now in Season 2. Otherwise, pretty quiet on the super-hero front. George

Gunsmoke is tied for 6th place (20 seasons) with Grey's Anatomy and American Dad! The longest-running show beats #2 by ten seasons. George