While waiting to pick up a delivery yesterday, I meditated a bit on some things I had recently read. I have a thought fragment that I'll attempt to reproduce here and one that I've already put into the Philosophy sub-forum. That religion (esp. x-ian, e.g. RCath) is full of blatant contradictions can actually be useful as an exercise of faith. Similar to meditation on a Zen koan, reflection upon seeming contradictions can induce mental acrobatics like no other thoughts. The easy things to...

Creator of All, As we gather here today in respectful celebration of the Corps of the Noncommissioned Officer, we ask that You watch over us and grant us the insight to keep in mind: * that service is a higher calling, and we are all service members; * that we serve not only those appointed over us, but we serve also the soldiers in our charge, the people of the nation and even all the peoples of the world, and You, our highest commander; * that we prepare for the possibility of war i...

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Seventh Level of Hell! Here is how you matched up against all the levels: Level Score Purgatory (Repenting Believers) High Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) Very Low Level 2 (Lustful) High Level 3 (Gluttonous) Moderate Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) Low Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) High Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) Very Low Level 7 (Vio...

While having just passed the Feast of Our Holy Father, Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the Wonder-worker , the Sixth of December, and being hounded by my family for my yearly Christmas gift wish list, I began to wonder... Is Saint Nicholas really the one who I'd ask to intercede for the things that I want? I came across a most wonderful site Link , which says a lot of things, most of which I'm not taking the time to corroborate before regurgitating them here, so take the info...

In what position do you like to pray in? Is it necessary to be in any sort of specific position at all? A conversation: A: Do you feel you have to kneel to pray? M: It's not that I have to. It's that it helps me focus my prayers... keeps my mind on them. By kneeling, I feel like I'm really talking to a higher power. Why? How do you pray? A: Where ever and when ever... in the car, in bed, what ever. end I didn't explain it adequately. I've thought about it sin...

Philippians 4:6-9 Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things....

From 2 Corinthians 6:14 - "Do not be mismated with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?" (Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition) "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (Memorial Edition, Holy Bible, Concordance) Based on Deuteronomy 22:10 and Leviticus 19:19, which seem to be straigh...

Link And, in other news, the sky is blue. Alright, allow me to expound on the ramifications (or possibilities thereof). This is really the first overt unfriendly diplomatic move we've made towards the Kingdom since Bush took office. (If there was another major move, I encourage people to let me know in the comments.) Will this harm our relationship with Saudi Arabia, who has been a fairly staunch supporter of ours in our "war on terror"? It's worthwhile to point out that while we ...

Link I've been much too lazy about this (no, not the blog, but yes, that too). I heard about this contest many months ago, and had intended on making an entry. I just haven't set aside the time. My plan was to do some Arabic handwriting, but didn't have any specific ideas for what I should write about, or what handwriting style would be appropriate for the 17th century. I had mostly settled upon the idea of reverse-engineering some verses from the Koran, but I'm still not sure. ...