RonD1120

I have been serving the Lord for 28 years and have been straight, clean and sober for 26. The first two years were devoted to cleaning up and dealing with the value system I learned and internalized from hanging out on the DZ and being a skydiver. Most of my professional career has been as a counselor in substance abuse treatment programs. One thing I have learned from observing druggies and politicians. I know with 98% certainty when they are lying. The telltale sign is that their lips move.

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www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gkzL-yKLwhNjJeXBMCZODK0KbQnAD98SNLKO1

For much of his public career, Sen. John Ensign has appeared a model of the religious right. By this week, he had become just another politician diminished by scandal. Rattled, humbled and alone at the podium, Ensign acknowledged to reporters an extramarital affair, the sort of moral failing he's criticized in the past.

The Nevada Republican once called on President Bill Clinton to resign, declaring "the truth must come out." In October 2007, he was sharply critical of former Sen. Larry Craig, of Idaho, calling the Republican's arrest in an airport bathroom sex sting "embarrassing for the Senate."

Hypocrite!

God will not be mocked. If you play, you will pay. Every opportunity carries an implied risk. Is the payoff worth the risk? The concept is sin, not politics.

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Better quit, starting to get a flashback; 26 years straight, clean and sober.

Nothin's changed Ron. You ain't missing a thing FOB.

jon

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It's very sweet by itself. You might heat it up a bit with some good brandy or cognac.

jon

I tried a couple times, neat, back in the day. I placed in the category of after dinner desert drinks, like Amaretto. Is that called a cordial? Anyway, my favorite in that mindset was Green Chartreuse. The Indians in Taos NM called "green fire."

Better quit, starting to get a flashback; 26 years straight, clean and sober.

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What airshow?

The annual "Golden West Airshow" in Marysville, Ca.


Neat little show...there was Me, Chuck Yeager....couple other guys...Me...

Hey Twardo - Was this an official Liberty Parachute Team demo or just you? Do you still rag on Mr. Yeager for the wheels up landing?

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You lack the discernment between religion and relationship. To understand Christian faith you must know accept the difference. Religion tends to center on behavior. Relationship is an attitude of the heart. The greatest distance for a non-believer to travel to become a believer is the distance from his mind to his heart.

fixed that for you - and this is only your opinion. which you are entitled to. i do not adhere to it, nor do I agree with it.

Fair enough. However, you did not FIX anything. You are clear that you do not understand the difference between a religion and a relationship. I'm OK with that.

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The collection may be unique but the stories contained are, for the most part, not. Have you ever read "The Hero With a Thousand Faces"?

No I have not. What is the "Hero's" plan for eternal life?

Sorry, but I had to chuckle at the irony of your reply. The book is a non-fiction work dealing with cultural stories and legends that is shared by virtually all human societies. The stories in the Bible are no exception and the story of Jesus follows the theme very well.

I'm glad I gave you a laugh. Laughter is the best medicine.

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I see you did not investigate the Scriptural reference but responded from emotion and intellect.

First, you incorrectly assumed that the scales were like fish scales. Secondly, you assumed that the reference is not verifiable because it was only recorded after many years of verbal declaration.

The Bible is not a book but a collection of sixty-six books written by approximately forty authors, Holy Spirit inspired, over a period of approximately one thousand five hundred years and is used to support itself. That is a unique collection.

There is one argument that cannot be defended against, that is, contempt prior to investigation.

Used to support itself? So the book is right because the book says it is right? Wow, that is some solid evidence.

And we are not in a shell of ignorance. We ask "WHY?" and we expect an answer. We do not 'assume' anything.

It appears that you are responding rapidly without fully considering what you are reading. Your emotions are guiding you. Slow down and concentrate on SDC business. I'll be here tomorrow.

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Religion is ritualized behavior and in that sense I would say you are a religious skydiver.

And I would disagree with you. I am not 'religious', but I would use other words to describe what you are trying to describe.

The thread is not about 'skydiving religion' it is about CHRISTIAN religion (and how fucked up it is in my opinion)

I love it when religious people try to tell us non-religious people that we are still religious. How dare you speak of my own personal belief structure like you know me or something......

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Main Entry:
re·li·gion
Pronunciation:
\ri-ˈli-jən\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English religioun, from Anglo-French religiun, Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back — more at rely
Date:
13th century
1 a: the state of a religious b (1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

Seems to me that 2, 3 and 4 fit well. Number one could be argued but I am not going to take the time. The concept being there are many gods but only one creator - God.

You lack the discernment between religion and relationship. To understand Christian faith you must know the difference. Religion tends to center on behavior. Relationship is an attitude of the heart. The greatest distance for a non-believer to travel to become a believer is the distance from his mind to his heart.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

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The Bible is not a book but a collection of sixty-six books written by approximately forty authors, Holy Spirit inspired, over a period of approximately one thousand five hundred years and is used to support itself. That is a unique collection.

The collection may be unique but the stories contained are, for the most part, not. Have you ever read "The Hero With a Thousand Faces"?

No I have not. What is the "Hero's" plan for eternal life?

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Fish Scales are small and sharp objects. We call these FB's ( Foreign Bodies). FB's are first assessed to determine the depth of penetration ( Catholic orphanage pun here) and then usually removed by the use of a topical anaesthetic such as lignocaine and tweezers. The cornea then heals rapidly over 24-48 hours. I reckon a fish scale would be a nasty one though, and require antibiotic and possible steroid treatment also. I have never seen a fish scale in a eyeball.

I doubt the holy book is referring to an actual event anyway, as most events portrayed in it are likely to simply be stories told over many years and eventually written down.

Dude if it aint on camera it didnt happen.

I see you did not investigate the Scriptural reference but responded from emotion and intellect.

First, you incorrectly assumed that the scales were like fish scales. Secondly, you assumed that the reference is not verifiable because it was only recorded after many years of verbal declaration.

The Bible is not a book but a collection of sixty-six books written by approximately forty authors, Holy Spirit inspired, over a period of approximately one thousand five hundred years and is used to support itself. That is a unique collection.

The Book of Acts was recorded by a physician named Luke, an original disciple, and follows his gospel. The authenticity of his work is not disputed.

You are obviously a very intelligent person. You know many facts and details within your sphere of consciousness. What I am discussing exists outside your sphere of consciousness. It will not make any sense what so ever until you are willing to allow your shell of ignorance to be broken. Until then you will see through the glass darkly.

There is one argument that cannot be defended against, that is, contempt prior to investigation.

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"The shame is that all those who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour"........

HA HA HA . he aint my saviour dude. i dont need one because i am not in fear of burning in the fires of hell for all time just because i dont accept your silly and very damaging invisible friend. The god of the desert is a horrible , vengeful, angry, nasty prick who is obviously the product of the minds of the bronze age people who lived in this desert at that time. Its not that we are made in HIS image, Its that HE is made in our image ( paranoid, frightened of change, quick to stone to death or crucify) These Baptist idiots are just as bad as the Islamist holy warriors. A real stain on humanity.

I do however support free speech and he is welcome to say these things. all he is doing is making all you God botherers look even more insane than usual.

Jesus Saves!

Your post naturally caught my attention. As an optometrist, how do you remove the scales from one's eyes as happened to Paul, see Acts 9:18.

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Every Christian grounded in Scripture recognizes the folly of this preacher's foolishness.

EXCEPT for that 'Christian preacher' who is also apparently grounded in Scripture.....and probably some or many of his followers.

Even preachers get people to hate other people for their own 'valid reasons' http://www.godhatesfags.com/

I have no time for it.

And you are right - you should be apologizing for your religion. It discredits the entire Christian philosophy - as it should.

Now go away and keep your friggin' religion out of my society - at the very least, out of my government, my schools, my military......

One does not have to be grounded in Scripture to start a church and become a preacher. I do not believe this Baptist preacher to be grounded as evidenced by his foolish statements, much the same as the "God hates fags" preacher. Another example is the supposedly Christian basis for white supremacy and the Holocaust. The Scriptures say, that we will be known by our love and by our fruit. If someone is not sharing the love of God and doing something good with it I'd stay away from them. As you say you are and rightfully so. As I stated in another post above, don't confuse the message with the messenger.

For the record, I am not a "religious" person in the sense that you mean it. I have a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and I follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit to the best of my ability. Sometimes, I really screw up.

Religion is ritualized behavior and in that sense I would say you are a religious skydiver. Religion does not lead to eternal peace.

The Christian Skydivers Association has been around since April 1987. It is likely to endure long after you and I are long gone.

Aren't you a Canadian? I think Christ has been removed from your government, schools and military. Be assured however, covert Christians exist and function everywhere. Although tenuous, this is still the United States of America and not Mexamaricana.

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Why should a nonbeliever take your opinion as any more valid than that of the Baptist Preacher of Death? He IS a spokesman for Christianity, as was the pope who authorized the Inquisition.

A nonbeliever does not have to take my opinion. I was merely stating that the Baptist preacher is a poor spokesman and is not following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Being one of the founders of the Christian Skydivers Association, I feel a necessity to interject my opinion when someone who claims to know Jesus Christ is making a fool of himself. These people make others confuse the message with the messenger.

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Please, I need your help.

I have read your reply to me multiple times and I am having a hard time figuring out what you are trying to say. ( I think you and I agree)

Please?

We do agree. I think the Baptist preacher was way out of line and will suffer consequences for his transgression.

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National Geographic did a really good and very in-depth 6-hour series on USAF Pararescue training/ops a while back. Those guys are hardcore! Navy SEAL BUDS seems to get all the attention, so this was eye-opening. Anyone else seen it? I'm watching hour 4 right now...

Series is available on Piratebay - just do a search for "documentary" (under "video"), and then check the first few resulting pages.

There is another side to USAF Special Tactics, Combat Control Teams. PJ's and CCT's are assigned to the same squadrons. CCT's are the air traffic controllers for assaults, air strikes, infiltrations, exfiltrations, etc. Their motto is "First In - Last Out." A past CCT commander at Hurlburt AFB, FL described his men as, "The interface between the most awesome firepower on earth and the poor bastard who has to receive it." The last US military person to leave Vietnam was CCT member Larry Brabham on 15 Apr 75. As the NVA were advancing on Ton Son Nhut air base, Larry was working the evacuation aircraft. It is reported that his last transmission was, "They've crossed the wire. I'm blowing the radios and I'm outa here."

I am honored by my association with these quiet professionals. They taught me to jump in 1963 and have allowed me to be a member of the Combat Control Association.

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I just met a guy.... we've only gone on a few dates, but he seems super neat and I like him. Well, last night he confessed to me that he has herpes. I'm not quite sure what to think. He asked me to research it and gave me some links to some sites. He stressed that it's really not that bad of a thing and that the worst part of having it is the stigma. And from what I read, that's true. But the stigma IS really bad and what if I get it and things don't work out?

Has anyone here ever dated someone with herpes? Anyone here have it and have some input for me? Please PM me if you're not comfortable posting. How common is this? I have heard 1 in 4, I have heard more than that, but this is the first time I've ever met someone who actually has it.

Would love some advice, guidance, etc. Help!

My first thought is the guy is thinking about getting married and wants to know if you can love him with his affliction. My advice is to evaluate the relationship from that perspective. If you are not interested in marriage tell him goodbye. He may be disappointed but he will respect your honesty. Do not give him a pity lay and then drop him. That is cruel.

Remember STD's and unwanted pregnancies are the risks of promiscuity just like malfunctions are the risks of skydiving. If you are going to play the game you better consider the risks and deal with them in a mature manner. There is only one choice that is a 100% guarantee of safety in either activity.

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Christians are fucking nutty.

No, people in all areas can BE nutty. To what extent is based on your views and beliefs.

In all cases, a very few are really dangerous.

I hate it when I feel a need to apologize for some vocal, predominant, Christian spokesperson that makes these absurd statements. Every Christian grounded in Scripture recognizes the folly of this preacher's foolishness. The shame is that all those who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour jump on these comments with the attitude of the top quote. It is sad. Not because there is no substance to the preacher's position but, sad because it conjures a fantasy in the mind of the nonbeliever that if he becomes a believer he must identify with the aforementioned nut. No you do not. I have been an active Christian minister, counselor, teacher and servant of our Lord for 28 years and I in no way think or believe that position has any merit what so ever.

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Gotta a hell of a track record picking them

We need to focus on regaining control in 2010. I heard Glenn Beck state that Independent is now the largest voter registration designation. Don't know if that is true, but, I am one of them. Professional politicians are doing serious damage. We need leadership.

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So I was wondering - who's had a random encounter with a celebrity lately, and where? I don't think people coming to do tandem jumps count. These have to be chance sightings.

Golly, over the years: Jeb and George Bush when Jeb was governor and George was starting his presidential campaign. Nancy Pelosi at a Memorial Day observance. Pat Robertson, on the Capital steps in 1987. Col. David Hackworth, when he was hawking his first book, About Face. Joe Galloway, co-author We Were Soldiers Once and Young. Chuck Yeager, Patty Wagstaff, Bob Hoover, et. al. at the Sun 'n Fun Air Show. R.C Gorman, Dennis Hopper, Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Murphy, and Robert Taylor, Elizabeth's brother, when I lived in Taos, NM. Also during that time I spent some time with the legendary Jim Arender, D 13. He was famous to me. Sri Darwin Gross, the Eck Master at the time. Johnny Vandermeer, Cincinnati Reds pitcher who pitched two consecutive no hit no run games. That's not random, I knew him all my life. My dad played with the Reds also.

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cause he needs new wheels...

For Sale

He may have preferred a Ford but the disciples used a Honda.

See...Acts 1:14
King James Version (KJV)
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren

I live in the Tampa Bay area of FL. Glenn Beck got his big break while working for News Radio 970 in Tampa. My first awareness of his style was his attack on a local home owners association for suing a resident member for a tree house in the back yard. As I recall, he garnered enough public support to make the HOA back down to at least some sort of compromise.

I like him because he is entertaining, his number one job; he is a recovering alcoholic, so if feel a kinship; he discusses his bipolar disorder, providing hope for others; he gives recognition to God's grace. Finally, he took himself from the depths of a bad situation and climbed the ladder of success. He is a good role model to many that are in chemical dependency programs. His diagnoses are common; his good fortune is inspiring.

Oh, and I believe his is on target.

Chew the meat and spit out the bones.

The Ol' Freefall Philosopher sez...

"Skydiving does not inevitably lead to death but, it is possible. Therefore, try to make as many jumps as you can before the event happens."

I was a charter member of the first US Air Force supported sport parachute club in the Continental U.S., 1963. It was the Commando Sport Parachute Club at Hurlburt Field, FL. The AF considered it an approved Line Of Duty activity because the CSPC followed the Basic Safety Regulations, later Recommendations, of the Parachute Club of America, later United States Parachute Association. US Army and Navy and Air Force overseas were already approving sport parachuting activities so the precedent was established. It would seem to me that current regulations in all branches of service would have sport parachuting activities clearly defined and clearly LOD activities.

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To hell in a hand basket huh??

If you die, there are only two things to worry about, if you’re going to Heaven or Hell. If you go to Heaven, there’s nothing to worry about. If you go to Hell, you’ll be too busy shaking hands with all the skydivers to worry!

A Scriptural description of hell.

Isaiah 66:23 And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the LORD.
24 “ And they shall go forth and look
Upon the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm does not die,
And their fire is not quenched.
They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”