A Real Christian.

[Mr. P]

Gem, I think there has been a misunderstanding. We all knew another Gem, and when you first came on and some said they were glad to see you, they were talking about the other Gem. You probably thought they were talking about you. It seems like an honest mistake by all.

So, anyway,

Hello Gem2, and welcome!

Right you are, Abbey..A mistake on my part for sure, I was just looking at the screen name.

[Gem]

Why is that?

It was just a gut feeling that I had! It's a stage four thing- it's broader in scope, if you know what I mean!

Gem

[Gem]

Gem, I think there has been a misunderstanding. We all knew another Gem, and when you first came on and some said they were glad to see you, they were talking about the other Gem. You probably thought they were talking about you. It seems like an honest mistake by all.

So, anyway,

Hello Gem2, and welcome!

Thank you for clearing up the misunderstanding, Abbey, and for the welcome.
If it would help I could change my moniker to 'gem2" if that would help, though I'd prefer to keep it as "Gem" since I'm a member of several forums from here to Russia and I use the same moniker in every forum.

Gem

[Abbey Marie]

Thank you for clearing up the misunderstanding, Abbey, and for the welcome.
If it would help I could change my moniker to 'gem2" if that would help, though I'd prefer to keep it as "Gem" since I'm a member of several forums from here to Russia and I use the same moniker in every forum.

Gem

IMO, it should be OK to keep your name, since Gem "1" has not joined thus far, and we are all clear now.

Btw, I'm sorry for being dense, but I'm not sure what you mean by stage 4.

[Gem]

IMO, it should be OK to keep your name, since Gem "1" has not joined thus far, and we are all clear now.

Btw, I'm sorry for being dense, but I'm not sure what you man by stage 4.

Nah, you're not dense as far as 'stage four' is concerned. Unless you've read and are familiar with Deepak Chopras' book "How to Know God" you'd have no idea what it is I'm talking about. Get the book, it is an interesting read for sure.
It's kinda expensive- about thirty bucks- but I found it well worth the money.

Gem

[Abbey Marie]

Nah, you're not dense as far as 'stage four' is concerned. Unless you've read and are familiar with Deepak Chopras' book "How to Know God" you'd have no idea what it is I'm talking about. Get the book, it is an interesting read for sure.
It's kinda expensive- about thirty bucks- but I found it well worth the money.

Gem

Thanks for explaining. I'm was so afraid it was some awful stage of cancer!

[Gem]

Thanks for explaining. I'm was so afraid it was some awful stage of cancer!

Not yet, Abbey- though I do love my Marlboros and have for 47 years! Started when I was 10, was a pack-a-day smoker by age 12! Hiked to the top of a 10,500ft peak last summer. Got a couple of hilarious photos of me leaning up against a sign denoting one of the ski runs named "Breathless"! I guess that's just what happens when you come from a long line of long-lived body abusers! They found my great-grandmother, who drank at least quart of a wine every day and smoked ciggies til age 50, switched to cigars until her 70's when she took up the pipe dead in her rocking chair, pipe in her lap and a jug of wine on the floor next to her at age 106! I just got good survival genes, I guess!

Gem

[Abbey Marie]

Not yet, Abbey- though I do love my Marlboros and have for 47 years! Started when I was 10, was a pack-a-day smoker by age 12! Hiked to the top of a 10,500ft peak last summer. Got a couple of hilarious photos of me leaning up against a sign denoting one of the ski runs named "Breathless"! I guess that's just what happens when you come from a long line of long-lived body abusers! They found my great-grandmother, who drank at least quart of a wine every day and smoked ciggies til age 50, switched to cigars until her 70's when she took up the pipe dead in her rocking chair, pipe in her lap and a jug of wine on the floor next to her at age 106! I just got good survival genes, I guess!

Gem

Great-granny was livin' large! I'm impressed that you did that hike.

[TheStripey1]

You really think that? Politicians take from those that work and make the poor dependent on them to get more votes. If people were actually taught how to work for themselves and govern themselves, politicians wouldn't have issues.

Stealing from others in the name of a noble cause is still stealing.

Taught? why you're beginning to sound like a liberal, Ava...

[TheStripey1]

So the government should force people to be charitable? Isn't that oxymoronic?

no, the government is charitable because people aren't...

[TheStripey1]

I don't know whether it's oxymoronic, Jeff, but I do know that looking out for your neighbor is the Christian thing to do. I also know that being a citizen of a nation entails certain responsibilities, just like being a member of a club does. You need to be willing to pay your dues if you want to be a member in good standing, and paying part of your taxes to help those less fortunate than yourself is part of paying those dues.

Your Favorite Leftist

Gem

good point...

[TheStripey1]

Those LESS fortunate? I am willing that there should be a few government aid programs. However, many programs give aid to those who simply refuse to do for themselves. If a good Christian is supposed to look out for his neighbor, then HE should do that, not the government, claiming his name.

why just HE? Shouldn't all the SHE's also be good Christians?

[TheStripey1]

Not necessarily true, Nienna. I worked for two years at a homeless shelter, and I agree there were those that simply, out of laziness, wanted and expected the world to take care of them. I agree those individuals need a good kick-start in the ass to get them moving. But I also know, from that experience, that they really are in the minority. Most of those that came through the shelter were those who had serious mental and addiction problems- and those who were working full-time for wages that would barely cover their rent. In the crowd I run with we recognize that these people are indeed mentally and spiritually ill and we recognize that these people do need help. But we also realize that a sane and caring person does not hurt sick people either, or cast them out into the cold and/or let them die.

And, yes, when I was working (I'm on disability now) I did- willingly- give the government my permission to use part of my taxes to help others less fortunate than myself. If I knew for certain that all Americans would be willing to give up ten or fifteen percent of their income to help others I would certainly support that. Unfortunately, my experience is that, mostly due to the self-centeredness of human nature, we cannot depend on that happening. Because of that we do need to enforce, at the government level, some level of basic human responsibility in that regard.

Gem

very well said...

as an ex-republican, I never really looked at Government charity in that light before you wrote this... gonna have to ponder this for a bit.

[TheStripey1]

Many of us do give 10-15% to our churches, which in turn do much charitable work with the money. And that way we at least know that our $$ won't go to funding abortions, for example.

That's good, but how many other americans do? I'd wager that you and yours are in the minority, not the majority.

[TheStripey1]

Interesting!
What is the "Gem" that you know and love like, since I'm apparently not the Gem you know and love?

Gem

obviously not a lefty...