what is the meaning of life?

I wouldn't mind having a zen-monk around to slap me on the head and laugh every now and then. That'd be fun.

NNY, if one suspects they are going insane, they probably are not. If an outside observer suspects a friend is going insane, there may be cause to worry.

Did you hear the funny one about the existentialist, the anarchist and the nihilist?









Yeah, me neither . . .

I heard that one Set, but nobody cared.

God, I don't remember the middle part of the joke, but doesn't the nihilist have to wash his biological imperative in the holy water?

What did the Zen Budhist say to the hot dog vendor?








Make me one with everything!

Dear Cavalier,
Yes I know, that's why I put the "mere curiosity" part, if you don't cover every sentence you type, a hellacious retort is bound to come up. Upon a second reading of your post I realized it was only trying to answer my question, not Persecute me of some unknown crime. I really should figure this out before replying. Thank you.

The definition of sane is to be of sound mind, will someone give me their opinion of sane? When I think of it, it opens a door that leads to a dark room that opens a door that leads to a dark room that opens a door that leads to a dark room that opens a door that leads to a dark room that opens a door that leads to a dark room that opens a door that leads to a dark room that well, you get it.

NNY, thanks for making a sound judgement regarding my post. No persecution was intended. Sanity to me is really just being comfortable with who you are, whatever others may think. I believe sanity is not something that can be defined beyond whether you are a danger to yourself or to others. We all have our own sanity, and if you are not breaking the law, your sanity is as right as anyone else's.

I think we are here to be slapped around and **** on by life and Satan so that God can eventually kick Satans ass and say "I told you I'm the man".

We are incidental to a Celestial playground fight.

Dear Bi-Antartic Bear,

Your location, Somewhere South Of Sanity, intrigued me enough to ask you of my current question, what is sanity in your opinion?

Sanity is fooling the general public into believing you give a **** about the difference between right and wrong.

Fooling the general public yes. But I think of idiosyncrasies more than your ethics (though I do agree). Your wording made me curious.... are you an Existentialist or an anti-Existentialist? Existentialists care about ethics so to speak. But as you seemingly quoted from Shakespeare, "you give a **** about the difference between right and wrong. "

BPBear: your tagline is the best I've seen yet. Ain't it the truth? It reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw: "God save me from your followers."

Thanks. Oh how I wish it wasn't so. I am an entertainer and do karaoke shows.

I have a good friend who is a psychology major from Carolina and
a Bob Jones University graduate who his own very successful church, Baptist of course. Needless to say many of our conversations were very interesting.

The last time I was making a real concerted effort to be practicing my faith in the straight ahead conventional way I was attending his church regularly and really trying to connect and be involved. I am a trained singer and when I told him I was going to join the choir he replied that people in service roles in the church have to be above reproach in their behavior and because I made a living in places that served alcohol i.e. bars and nightclubs, I couldn't be allowed to join the choir. I asked him what about people who work in convinience stores and grocery stores but that got glossed over. He also made the automatic assumption that I would want to introduce "Christian Rock" into the services, and apparently that was a no no for him as well.

It was an incredibly hurtful rebuff and made me feel that even among "Christians" it doesn't matter if you're sincere, only if you conform to a certain narrow view which in my opinion is an EXTREMELY Un-Christ like attitude.

I believe in God and Christ to this day, but I no longer have a clear vision of how the whole operation works, and find that I'm not willing to make myself vulnerable to any further derision or judgement by these people. I believe God will judge me soon enough.

This guy is still my friend, but will not broach the subject of how badly he hurt my feelings and how that watershed moment began leading me away from the church once again without becoming angry and defensive.

Having said that, it ultimately is up to me to maintain my relationship with God, so if I'm not there's no one to blame but myself, but these pedantic Christians aren't helpful, that's for sure.

just an opinion here, for NNY;

Sanity is "realizing that there is no such thing"!

Bear --

I hear you loud and clear. And you're right. Always remember your faith is in God, not in members of his church.

For what it's worth, I find no conflict with your workplace and your faith. And I don't believe Jesus, whose first miracle was making wine out of water for a party, would either.

--"Viz"

actually BiP;

I have no conflict with anything about you, and always find your presence here of value; however I suggest putting your faith first and foremost in yourself, and the respect of any requisite dieties will follow where applicable.

Of course, there is always the alternative to "faith" of simply acknowledging the truth -- that apparently none of us knows the nature of reality. There may be a God; there may be gods; there may be no gods; we may be gods; the universe may be just one -- and is a god unto itself -- or any of an almost endless variety of other possibilities.

All of morality may be human-made -- with no part of it coming from any God or gods.

APPRENTLY NONE OF US KNOWS FOR SURE.

I suggest that alternative as the best of all possible choices.

I agree Frank...no one knows for sure....some choose to believe others don't....maybe we'll find out....maybe we'll just sleep. Maybe we're in the matrix. If so, I'd like to speak to the programmer about this thinning hair.....

No problem bear -- but stay outta my liquor cabinet.