Never ask god for s surprise

Is that all you got out of that?

Never take a wired mic into water after asking god for a surprise?

I bet he wasn't just suprised... I bet he was shocked!

Depending on your definition of god or God, Juro...

By my definition, that is exactly what killed him.
I, however, hold an unusual definition of deity that most would find a hard time arguing with, regardless of religious persuasion. The only thing most people would argue is whether or not they could see this definition as deity.
But my question was not about the nature of deity...

Rather, it was that I thought it rather sad that the only thing that the OP came away with from this incident and the story about it is that you shouldn't ask God for surprises.

Perhaps a better thing to come away with is that God (However you perceive god/God/Ghod/IPU/GFSM) does grant requests. Also, that we should live each day as if it was our last, and to have the mettle of character to stand tall and embrace each day with joy, even though it may be our last.

You cannot die if you never lived, but your animated undead hulk can cease to function...

get out into the world, embrace it with open arms...

FEEL LIFE!
Participate!
and LIVE the GENUINE ARTICLE!

Second life is, for some, an escape from Life...
That is possibly the saddest thing I have ever known.

For some of us, SL is simply an extension of RL... another facet of it instead of a substitute.

Now we're getting to the perverse humor of the situation. Ask whoever your deity may be for a surprise then do something guaranteed to send you straight to that deity. SURPRISE!

Your disbelief in God as a NOUN in no way invalidates or threatens my belief in God as a VERB.

And you are wrong. It is not his stupidity that killed him. If stupidity was lethal, we would be a much more intelligent species by now.

His actions killed him. His inattentiveness about what he was DOING killed him. The passivity and inattentiveness of his congregation is what killed him... it all wound together, as the Verb that is God often does.

Stupidity was a needed catalyst for that particular series of events to occur, but so was blind faith and stuporous passivity on the part of the congregation.

From: someone

Live. And live well. Breathe. Breathe in and breathe deeply. Be present. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now. On a crystal clear, breezy 70-degree day, roll down the windows and feel the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun. ... Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of life. Because it is most definitely a gift.

^^^ From the guy's last sermon. Sounds like a hate-filled Christian to me.

Juro, he didn't wade into the water with the mic, if you would have actually taken the time to read the article.

I'm disappointed in this thread, but then again, I am never surprised how unaccepting most people in Second Life are of Christians, when the world religions and ideals they hold to say "accept everyone."

Aaron, though I am not a Christian, I hold no hostility toward Christianity as a whole.
This pastor's message was similar to the philosophy I hold.

My issue with him is that he was inattentive. He should know better than to grab an electrical device while half submerged. His congregation was not apying attention either, or they would have been aghast at the moment he reached for the mic, perhaps alerting him that he was abou to do something stupid. We all do stupid stuff from time to time. This was his time.

I just think it a damned shame that THIS pastor get's "called home" when hatemongers like Pat Robertson and Fred Phelps run around freely propagating more hate. Can you see why some people have a hard time believing that the Christian God even CARES what happens here anymore. Some have even given up believing in Him for just that reason.

My personal definition (if GOD can be contained in a definition) holds that GOD is in every one of us and our actions that impact the world in significant and insignificant ways are part of the great "Process" that is GOD.

I do not hold with a Vengeful image of GOD, except where Mankind is vengeful.
Nor do I hold with a merciful image of GOD, except where Mankind is merciful.
I do not believe in an apathetic GOD, nor an interested GOD, save that Mankind is both of these as well.

This is not to say that Mankind is GOD. But, according to the Abrahamic faiths (Christianity is one of those) Mankind was made in the image of GOD, and as such holds all His traits. We were also given free will to choose which of those traits to express.

It is my hope that we would choose wisely, for we have been made as the Hand of GOD.

But WHY do people think that these one or two people represent the billions of Christians in the world? Do I think every homosexual is like Ru Paul, because he happens to be on TV a lot?

Because, just like billions of people think that President Bush represents the entire American population, they have the lion's share of the press time, and the majority of Christians are not taking a stand against them and saying "I never knew ye." In this case, as often is the case with public figures, silence from the majority signifies assent.


And there ARE still some people that think that REAL homosexuals are JUST LIKE Ru Paul... that anyone who isn't like that isn't really a homosexual... just confused and in need of reparative therapy.

And BTW, the weary, besieged and beleaguered Christian thing is a bit tiring. You, personally, seem to run around and LOOK for things to interpret as an attack on your religion. Your people are running the show now, and you STILL think you're being attacked.

Try having your children taken away from you for having a religion that isn't mainstream.
This happened in the USA in THIS (The 21st) century. BOTH parents were Wiccan and getting a divorce. The judge ruled that their child would be taken into protective custody and would attend Sunday schooling at the local church. Although the boy has since been returned to his parents and the religious education ruling overturned, you cannot tell me that this man was not a Christian attack on a differing faith.

Or perhaps you would be interested in losing your home to a trio of molotov cocktails because your car bears a bumper sticker that says "Clergy" and has a pentagram on it?
Maybe you would like to have bible verses scratched into said car with the quote "Thou shall not suffer a witch to live"?
Police were called, reports were made and not a DAMNED thing was ever done about the fire or the damage to the car.... nobody ever saw nuthin'! Was this also not an attack? Granted, considering the verse, the attackers MIGHT have been Jewish. Unlikely.

So when it comes to being besieged and standing strong in your faith, I will support your right to whatever religion speaks to your heart.
But don't get all weepy on me and tell me that the majority of Christians are full of love and that it's only the two or three vocal bad apples that destroy your good name for everyone.
Inactivity on the part of the majority allows the rest to make that name bad.

Alain, how in one post can you say



And in the next say



So what is it? Do you have no hostility towards Christianity AS A WHOLE (i.e., everyone else BUT the two or three vocal bad apples), or do you, since you said not to tell you that that majority of Christians are full of love, because you obviously believe they are not, despite your claims to not have hostility towards them as a whole.

You're talking outta both sides of your mouth.

I have a complete agreement with the teachings of the Christ.
I loathe the twistings that His followers have wreaked upon those teachings.
That a little clearer?

Don't you mean some his followers?

You are correct...
I mean SOME of his followers...
My apologies.
The majority of the rest I am pissed at because they cop the "I'm not my brother's keeper" thing.

What do YOU actively do, as a fellow Christian, to discredit Fred Phelps and his ilk?
What do YOU actively do, as a Christian, to show the people of other faiths who supposedly are attacking Christianity for the wrongs of the few bad apples, that the majority of Christendom does not agree with those bad apples?
Do you speak out against the bad apples?
Or do you speak out against people speaking out against them, because they are "Attacking Christianity"?

Um, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' with this, Alain. If you want to think his inattentiveness is what killed him, kudos to you. I wouldn't call standing in water and reaching for a corded microphone being inattentive - I'd call it an unfortunate and stupid mistake.

I did read the article. Yes, you're right - he didn't wade into the water with the microphone, he was already standing in the water and then reached for the microphone. Does the sequence of the events change anything? No.

I do feel for this man and his family/friends - it was unfortunate but I cannot understand why he thought standing in water and handling a microphone would be safe.

Juro, I didn't mean to sound so harsh when I said "if you had taken the time to read the article"... don't know why it I used those words.

I think the reason he thought it was okay to have the mic in the water is because he was under the false impression that mics dont have electricity running through them. I used to work at a pro sound shop and there are a lot of misconceptions about mics; one of the main one is that people think they aren't powered. Most mics, especially plugged into a sound system, have lethal power in them -- which is obvious from this sad story.

That being said, good high-quality mics can be used in wet situations, bad weather, even in the water -- if they are made that way. But most aren't, and this particular church being a campus church comprised of almost all college students, I doubt they could afford the water-safe mics.

You have no idea how many times I've seen pastors use a mic in a baptism service. Holy crap, I'm surprises this doesn't happen more often, but because it doesn't that helps build the false idea that you can take any old mic and use it while submerged.

Many companies that sell church sound systems do stress that only wireless mics should be used near water, for this very reason. The shop I worked at did.

As I understand it, god only protects against snakebite and poison. Testing him with electricity is ill-advised. Especially if you taunt him right before you do it. (And yes, this is a sad and tragic thing that happened, but the irony of it is also very funny. Deal with it.)

Honestly, in my opinion this is a tragedy. I'd hate to be the person baptized in the arms of a dying man. I feel sorry for the congregation and the family. It must of been a horrible thing to witness. I suppose the man died doing what he considered to be good. Still sad though, I don't think I would want to witness this to happen to someone I knew well.

Wow, God answered his prayer for a suprise? He must have been absolutely shocked

Jessica

Well Chip, that did it, you are going to Hell. You did not capitalize "god" nor did you capitalize "him".

Guess I will see you in Hell too.

Briana Dawson