NOM

No offense intended to anyone here who still has strong religious beliefs, but I think this thread points out so many of the problems that religion causes in society. There are enough social problems with bigotry, religion seems to add to it and justify it. The other issue I have with religion is i...

My husband (who is still TBM) ordered some 100% Kona coffee for me for Christmas. It didn't make it before we had to leave to go be with family, and we just got back home. All he told me was there was a Christmas present in the mail that could not be delivered before we left home. So, today he hands...

Yes, this is really part of it. He is trying to fix it, but as we know, it's a trickle down system. I think he's been well trained to be a fixer -- as the responsible presiding authority, he has to keep his family happy. Understanding that the church is ultimately out of his control is hard. But ag...

So, my wife just found out that I have not paid any tithing this year. She alternates between stoicism and crying. She won't talk to me. I don't know why this bothers me so much. She told me years ago that she does not love me and probably never will. She has not touched me on purpose in years, eit...

Most people really don't understand or recognize the patriarchal issues that surround them. This is particularly true of people who benefit from the arrangements. Or who are otherwise emotionally invested. People who grow up in the Church or are otherwise deeply converted develop a deep connection ...

There was a book that I read several years ago, which analyzed culture in respect to what something did to help the culture survive. One example is that eating pork is just not practical in a desert climate, however on a tropical island, where the pigs thrived a bit too well it was necessary to have...

... in the beginning, I had to overcome the idea that it was somehow connected to the devil. :) It is basically an unfounded rumor that coffee was in league with the devil. In reality, this stigma arose due to the coffee and tea plants growing in the demilitarized zone during the Heaven War. Becaus...

Some of this would indicate that the idea of virgin birth was just a mistranslation, but I think that there is more to it. The Zoroastrian version of the Savior myth was that the virgin would bath in the Lake (some specific lake in their home country) and that God would rain down his sperm, which w...

Man, I have tried folgers from the pot at work. Thats about the worst thing I have put in my mouth, aside from the sugar free chocolate someone left in the break room just now. Do you push past the nasty taste, or does it really not taste all that bad for you? There is an appreciation for subtle bi...

One bible criticism book I read listed evidence that the Jews had no concept of a Messiah until they were in captivity in Babalon. The Zoroastrians had a belief in a Savior being born to a virgin, and he claimed their belief predates any Jewish belief. I can't remember the name of the book or autho...

I am puzzeled by the connection between meditation, DMT, both being very calming ways of inducing OOBE, compared to trauma induced OOBE, being stress and anything but calming. So, why are OOBE produced by the two extremes of emotion? For the first time in years I want to dig into my old psychology t...

Yeah, there's a lot about power in that article. Do members see themselves as being more powerless? Or do the leaders who commissioned the curriculum? I love the false dichotomy: To improve our councils, we avoid worldly concepts of leadership. In the Lord’s kingdom, the leader is “servant of all” ...

Was anyone taught,by their bishop, that masterbation and things about that level were sins next to murder? When I was growing up, the horrible sins were associated with breaking the Word of Wisdom. Those coffee drinkers are GOING TO HELL!!!!! You must be about my age. I also grew up with a lot of e...

One bible criticism book I read listed evidence that the Jews had no concept of a Messiah until they were in captivity in Babalon. The Zoroastrians had a belief in a Savior being born to a virgin, and he claimed their belief predates any Jewish belief. I can't remember the name of the book or author...

I think, overall, the best coffee beans are Peaberry types - Kona, Kauai, and Tanzanian. I find it very sweet, smooth, and rich and can drink it without additives. Kona & Kauai are a little harder to find but I've had good luck finding Kona at World Market. Tanzanian is available at Winco in their ...

Medium roast to avoid it tasting like somebody burned the chili. Is medium better than a light roast? No, it is just easier to find and comes in more flavors. I have found that some stores do not even carry a light roast. Military commissary for one. I can only find the hazelnut flavor in medium ro...

None of the NDEs that I mentioned were ever reported anywhere. The ones who experienced them are all kind of personal about them and very careful not to tell anyone who might mock them. I felt very honored that they were willing to tell me, which is kind of why I hesitate to share them even somewhe...

I think I have come up with a formula: The cheaper it is or the easier it is to make, the worse it tastes. For me, two creams and no sugar. But to be honest I can rarely get through an entire cup. I just give up early. I can drink a couple cups of tea a day however. I started trying coffee as a way...

None of the NDEs that I mentioned were ever reported anywhere. The ones who experienced them are all kind of personal about them and very careful not to tell anyone who might mock them. I felt very honored that they were willing to tell me, which is kind of why I hesitate to share them even somewher...

AND THEN the thought occurred to me...what about those older men doing the same thing!? A hand on the back of a young woman and being laid down backwards in the water while hands are clinging to your arm? I'm not trying to be offensive here. But this DOES strike me as potentially abusive and wrong....