Adult 50 plus Commune Idea

What do you mean by "Sex was totally chill" ???

 

Sounds like a different incident?

 

Yes, preaching can be seen as a form of entertainment but I was pointing out the dishonest part where they extract money from people who attend to hear the word of God and think they are giving money for a good cause.

 

Oh dear God! That's a terrible affliction!

 

So I just re-read that sentence (to share with a friend who loves autocorrect snafu).
I read it slowly. All by itself. Then almost wet myself, I laughed so hard. Talk about "crazy cat lady." LOL

 

When I lived with M.... her cats used to climb up on the dresser and then jump on to our bed … like very early in the morning. They never let me sleep in even when I wanted. So, I say that I am a Dog person. If we do get a place in the country where there are field mice then I can see a barn cat. Also, M... had a red rash on her face and forehead sometimes and I think it was from small gnats or mites from the cats. I couldn't see the damn things but at night I could feel them on my face. The good thing was we always had a reason to shower together!

 

What's the "dishonest part"?

 

Donations in a church are intended for good things like helping less fortunate in the community, getting the word of God out to new visitors and invite them to come and listen to the word of God. In some cases churches have a fund to help poor members meet bills like rent, house payment, car repair, and medical bills. The dishonest part is when the preacher like say Ted Haggerty of Colorado Springs takes the cash and spends it on a male massage therapist a.k.a. prostitute, and on meth or coke.

 

I get your drift, and I'd say those preachers are less than one in ten thousand, or less. They are in fact false prophets, and God's people are warned of them. Those activities you mentioned are already illegal so what would your intended law prevent?

As for luxuries, preachers have an equal right to them. Don't they? The question is are they stealing from the offering plate or are they spending part of their salary? If stealing that too is against the laws, both God's and man's.

 

"And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

 

OK thank you again for your opinion about church money and crooked preachers … and entitled preachers. This thread is about OLD Hippies who wish to live together. I have explained several times that during my last decade of living in America I met several homeless Hippies, Hippies living in government housing, Hippies dependent on others, Hippies living on Social Security, and others. I decided to put together a commune for people who fit these descriptions. After I was refused help by churches and preachers, I decided to pursue the idea. Consequently, this is about OLD Hippies who wish to cohabitate … and make split pea soup with biscuits … just like me.

 

I think it's a wonderful idea and I wish you the best success in finding a working combination of folks to make it happen in harmony. May the force be with you!

But let's not forget, you initiated the off topic discussion with:

I was simply suggesting that entertainers getting "rich" because people love them and throw money at them is a universal situation applicable across the board. Preachers and comedians are pretty similar in this regard, as are all entertainers such as musicians, movie stars, sports stars, etc. They do their thing and people voluntarily donate to support them. They get no more than how much people cough up for them.

And I asked you to clarify what specific restrictions these proposed laws would introduce in addition to existing laws. I think it's fair to be specific if suggesting adding additional laws to the already oversized books. No?

 

OK Trudgin, I did say that and it was a response to Highlander. My comment was just that … a comment … a passing conversation comment. I never said that I had a legal agenda. I do believe that preachers and churches should be monitored and regulated by the federal government. Jim Bakker was put in prison for his crimes. I don't recall the exact statutory language and will not waste time with legal citations. I think we need laws to control them, because so many churches today are just front for White Supremacist political action organizations. The church has become an arm of the Republican party and is used often for hate … of Mexicans, Muslims, and Negros. Now, again I will say I don't want this to be a runaway discussion about the rights of rich preachers. I do not have a bill to present to Congress. It is just my personal opinion.

 

Personally I don't know how you could stand that. Those cats needed to live outside. Nasty! Like my landlord's relationship with her cats. Shudder....

 

Yikes! That sounds out of control!
I don't know how people would put up with churches like that wherever you've experienced that.

I've been to three dozen or so churches and never seen anything close to that. Every one I've been to is openly welcoming of all races and in fact do have members which you'd label Mexicans (but really Hispanics from all over Latinoamérica), Blacks, Indians, christian middle easterners and Asians, etc. Of course you don't see Muslims in Christian churches because they are incompatible by their religious laws.

There's no "arm of the republican party" evident anywhere I've been but it's true however that some congregations do lean right while just as many, if not more, lean left. You don't hear about who to vote for in church, but the leanings are evident based on the members' positions on certain social issues.

If we believe in separation of church and state then the churches don't tell people how to govern and the government doesn't tell churches how to preach.

I've never witnessed a Christian Church "used for hate". Can't claim it doesn't exist just that I've never seen it and I've had a pretty wide exposure. Unless it's hate of the devil but I digress. The doctrine is very clearly and openly one of love. Love the Lord, and your neighbor as much as yourself. Not something any of us can truly live up to, but that's the ideal taught to strive for. If you stop and think deeply about it, that's truly the way to a harmonious society. If you start a commune and everybody involved truly believes and practices those two simple tenets then it will be a very happy and fruitful place.

 

You just said Muslims wouldn't be seen in a Christian Church because their belief is incompatible! That's exactly what the Alt-Right says! The Muslim Koran is the first five books of the old testament with the story of Joseph in Egypt and the story of Jesus. Every Muslim believes Jesus was sent by God, born of a virgin, and gave his life on the cross to wipe away your sins. In their language his name is Yesua El Messeeh … The Messiah in English. And yes there are Arms of the Republican Party all over. I know of many Christian Churches which do sell and disseminate hate to garner votes for Republican candidates. Now again, I don't wish to get sucked into a side issue. The Irish would call this a Red Herring incident. We can discuss religion and Republican ideology on some other thread. Right here and now I wish to talk about OLD Hippies living together in a home made commune.

 

In Colorado we a had a full blooded McKenzie River wolf. She was about ten times smarter than any dog and tougher. She used to live in the house with us and would sleep at my feet in the living room. I used to walk her everyday in town and on weekends we would go up in the hills. She never bothered that damn cat, like she accepted that cat as a part of the family, even when the cat vomited the damn hairball. I would rather have a wolf than a cat any day. One woman I had relations with here in Indiana had two hairless cats, I think Greek. They were creepy. Their skin was almost like human skin. They never left the house. They obviously did not have hair ball issues. But keep in mind, dogs and wolves know to go out to use the bathroom, so the odor in the house is much more acceptable.

 

Gotcha, no need to hash this out any further here. I'll gladly move on if you will but first will have to point out your knowledge of Muslim faith needs growing. Their prophet pulled an interesting move to divide the people by telling them the Bible was false, that Ishmael was the son blessed by Abraham not Israel as the Bible says. That makes them incompatible with Christianity. They "believe in Jesus" but that he was a great prophet, not the son of God as the new testament proclaims. That makes them incompatible with Christians. And the scary part, their holy book commands them to convert all non-Muslims by the sword - that means strike us dead if we do not adhere to their holy book commands. That makes them incompatible with Christians. That's why you don't see either one in the churches of the other. They are incompatible by design of the originating prophet of Islam. It's actually dangerous to promote false beliefs about the differences. Coexisting is as likely as the lion laying down with the lamb - in other words, not. And it has nothing to do with right/left, it's truth.

Hope that helps. Best wishes.

 

I pull a lot of weeds when I've got something on my mind that I need to sort out.
When I make MAJOR decisions I make two lists. One of Pros and one of Cons. Then I compare said lists and ponder. I won't bore you guys with my lists.
But needless to say lately I was really struggling with "all of this." Shed some tears over Dex.

I went out on a job with my ex-husband today. He's an arborist and I've worked for him in the past. While we were working side by side I laid out everything about this group, and asked him what he thought. (we had made a pact when we split, to be decent...for the kids...and eventually became friends) So I laid it all out. I told him I'd said my therapy pet was not a deal breaker.
Anyway... What he said to me was this... (I'm using CAPS where his voice rose.)

"Jesus CHRIST Jane! If you want to live where you have ZERO voice, and your WORK doesn't apparently HAVE enough VALUE to EARN you a VOICE, you might as well just move back in with me!" He walked away muttering about pie, and how communes without votes are NOT communes... I drove home and pulled more weeds. Thought of his words. And my lists.

With great regret I realize I cannot do this. No.
I would become resentful. And I want peace. And we all deserve that.
I think you guys are pretty cool (and hilarious!) and wish you the biggest success.
I feel like I've wasted your time and that pisses me off. For that I'm sorry.
Good luck.