Martin54, how can we help?
ChastMastr
Shipmate
in All Saints
Hosts, I hope this is an okay thread.
This is like the opposite of a Hell call. @Martin54, I know you’re going through a lot of stuff right now, and I’m not talking about your beliefs about religious matters. I don’t know the details and I’m not asking (if you want to share them, that’s up to you and I won’t pry). But is there anything Shipmates distant or local (wherever you are in the UK) might be able to do to help, whether practical or just to bring a smile to your face?
Sending love and hugs.
❤️🫂
This is like the opposite of a Hell call. @Martin54, I know you’re going through a lot of stuff right now, and I’m not talking about your beliefs about religious matters. I don’t know the details and I’m not asking (if you want to share them, that’s up to you and I won’t pry). But is there anything Shipmates distant or local (wherever you are in the UK) might be able to do to help, whether practical or just to bring a smile to your face?
Sending love and hugs.
❤️🫂
Comments
You just did @ChastMastr.
He is. As are you to say so. In all you've suffered. Which moves me.
Oh bugger. With tears. You're an awesome lot. All elevated by an idea I've lost.
Hugs you.
((((((((((((((((Martin54))))))))))))))))
It's not about ideas.
It's life, and we do care.
((hugs))
I know you do. God. Caught me out again. If I may, you are all decent, loving people, trying harder in the name of Love. The idea of Love. Having that idea appears to enable you. It's a very powerful idea. I seek the same level of effectiveness, kindness without it, not through choice, and with a secular equivalent. Epitomized by Carl Roger's (Christianity informed) unconditional positive regard expanding on Stanley Standal's of my vintage. I'm also a child of Lord of the Flies...
I can't imagine another environment where the analogy of a born again atheist would be embraced by the analogy of Christians.
Enough to give all but the flintiest of atheists pause...
: ) thanks Caissa.
I can.
People are good and kind, by and large. Especially in a community where they've got to know each other.
My U3A group are all atheists, some ardent and some not. All are just as caring as folk on here.
Like I said - it's life.
I'm not denying the awful side of human nature, just saying it's not all there is. 🙂
I feel sure that whatever else has been abandoned, Jesus hasn’t been.
Every protestation that this is not your doing reinforces the fact to me, that it is. That human nature is as broad and as deep as this and just as we can fall into the the Nietzschean crater of despair typified by Golding in his early nuclear bleak midwinter of the mind, we can climb out. Naturally. By making up, projecting our own helping hand. A sky hook. The fact that I can just about stand on my own two aching feet, under an empty but still beautiful sky is in no small part due to lifelines from others - including yourselves. Over all the years here. Through all enforced changes of mind, with a lot more to come over the next six months. A huge pruning and uprooting. Inevitably inevitably incidentally losing you all will be a wrench.
I had a lovely conversation with a woman of the Kenyan Indian generation in the shadow of St. Mary de Castro on the way home upriver yesterday evening. One naturally avoids such interactions for a multiplicity of appropriate reasons, but we were mutually beguiled by all the young rats and importuning squirrels. I stood a body length away at right angles to her facing me, of course. I do love Leicester!
And you all. You are part of my support network after all.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ and 🕯
I just hope you aren't (in your mind) relating "the awful side of human nature" and the line between theists and atheists.
If I may, I know that Boogie isn't. That dividing line is wavering in us all.
Goodness, no! How did you that from what I wrote?
But you specified that there were two. Which were the two failures to communicate?
Well, I don't think the worst-case scenario neccessarily has to be realized there, but it's not really in my hands, so...
Let's hope things continue in this vein.
Strangely appropriate that, it occurs to me that there are parallels with faith in God.
I speak to spiders. 😂
Defining the Problem
I can't forgive you. Even if I could,
You wouldn't pardon me for seeing through you.
And yet I cannot cure myself of love
For what I thought you were before I knew you.
So there you have it. Cheers,
T_R
Martin, nothing is making you use up those final two strikes.
The rules have been laid out saying what you need to avoid doing. (I don't know where they are currently, myself--I thought they were in the Styx. Is there a link? Regardless, I'm sure Martin has been given a copy.)
Please just... you know, don't use them up.
Please.
From the above link: "This is an extension of the existing practice of ruling anything you post about other Shipmates as personal attacks unless clearly not."
Doublethink, Admin
Well, people can be offended even if taking offense is not fair, though. And Martin has only had one strike, so he can act in a way that does not bring strikes on... conflicts or even experiencing Hell calls aren't the same thing as crossing that line.
I actually think these threads that are ABOUT Martin kinda work out well for everyone. Martin gets to talk about his favorite topic(*) without derailing other threads, and speaking as a mostly-reader and occasional contributor, the discussions aren't entirely devoid of insight or entertainment.
Not that I'm demanding the Ship allow threads for the sole purpose of posters to debate the pros and cons of @Martin54's presence. Though since this one remains open, and was launched in a friendly and compassionate spirit, perhaps it can keep going for those who wish to participate.
(*) No negative judgement implied in that diagnosis. I think we're all pretty narcissistic on the internet, but Martin does seem to have a bit more of a challenge in managing it.
How do you infer I did any such thing? Such a conclusion is, however, one of the possible.
Not one he'd accept.
I don't blame him. Too many are easily offended
Not even Headlines of utter weirdness???