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[SagebrushSage]

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[SagebrushSage]

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[ZoeAbides]

I hear you Brother!  I wish I had more real life Dudeist companions and Dudeist activism in my neck of the woods (Northern Kentucky).  I dig your style, Dude, regardless where you live!

[SagebrushSage]

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[BikerDude]

...Eh.  I'm just sick of being in my hometown east of the Cascades and thought that rooming with a Dudeist in Western Oregon or Western Washington later would be a cool experience.  I can pay rent and have a means of getting reliable temp work wherever, so it's not really asking for charity.  I do agree with the Dudeist viewpoint on things.  I'm just under so much stress and have had such a strange and difficult life that it's hard for me to behave like more culturally-connected people do.

It would be nice to be around people who enjoy Pink Floyd and marijuana like I do, vs. being around people all the time who spend their days spreading hate and bigotry.  Whatever.  I'll get it together and get established on the left coast one of these days.

Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior?
You should. Or not.
I'm not a Christian but I hear they Digg this sort of thing.
Just practice this...
"I've seen the light I've seen the light
No more darkness......". Etc...

[SagebrushSage]

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[BikerDude]

I'm attending a Unitarian church these days.  They aren't quite so concerned with how, or whether, one goes about one's religious business.  It is quite a change from growing up in the Southern Baptist tradition.  I was quite the Bible-thumping firebrand back in the day.  God was probably not impressed.  I can't be worried about that shit anymore.  Whether one's communion consists of White Russians, sacramental wine, or grape juice, it all boils down to the Golden Rule in the end.

Indeed.
The Unitarians are cool.
It's good that you can "escape".
Many people raised with religion find it very difficult.
It can be like replacing the foundation of a house while keeping the rest of the structure intact.
I had no such difficulty. I was raised Catholic and I mostly remember being slightly nervous that I didn't believe any of it. I don't know why it didn't take but it didn't. I guess it was because there wasn't much " serious" religion around me. Just the typical white northern middle class hand waving go to church two or three times a year kind. But my parents would have preferred me to believe.
We had to baptise our kids as a concession to my very old mother before she passed. Both were old enough to ask why. Now that was a stumper. I told them some people say it makes you lucky. But mostly it would make grandma happy.
They were terrified and I regretted it at the time. Now they've forgotten about it.

[SagebrushSage]

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[Reverend Al]

...We had to baptise our kids as a concession to my very old mother before she passed...

When I was 13 or 14 years old I had to go through "Confirmation" in the local Lutheran church (similar to Catechism in the Catholic church) because my Dad wanted me to.  It didn't mean spit to me, but it meant a great deal to him so I did it.

Similarly, I dropped out of high school in my senior year because I got royally screwed over by my counselor (long, boring story).  One day when I was in my early-20s Mom told me Dad had expressed his displeasure over the fact that I hadn't graduated and received a diploma, so I took the General Education Development test, passed, and got my G.E.D. certificate just to make Dad happy.

Sometimes you gotta' do what you gotta' do just to keep the peace in the family.  And if your motivation is love, I think that's rather Dudely.

[SagebrushSage]

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