Comments on: Over Indulgence: My Confession http://www.iamjoshbrown.com/blog/2008/02/23/over-indulgence-my-confession/ irregularities and other absurdities Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:23:50 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: yoda http://www.iamjoshbrown.com/blog/2008/02/23/over-indulgence-my-confession/comment-page-2/#comment-78512 yoda Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:40:59 +0000 http://www.iamjoshbrown.com/blog/2008/02/23/over-indulgence-my-confession/#comment-78512 Yo apple freak! wild life! like you said you are down like four flat tires. Or two vespas. Yo apple freak! wild life! like you said you are down like four flat tires. Or two vespas.

]]> By: Amber http://www.iamjoshbrown.com/blog/2008/02/23/over-indulgence-my-confession/comment-page-2/#comment-78082 Amber Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:23:40 +0000 http://www.iamjoshbrown.com/blog/2008/02/23/over-indulgence-my-confession/#comment-78082 You are so right on about the paradoxes we live with every day! As someone who is also trying to live a life in harmony with inner values, I really value where you are coming from here. I also *love* the way Matt Scott put it up above. That God reveals the next steps to us along the way. Its so awesome to think of it that way. That there isn't a final destination of perfection that we never quite get to, but that God gradually enlightens us, and once we take one step the next becomes clearer. Here's to the journey! You are so right on about the paradoxes we live with every day! As someone who is also trying to live a life in harmony with inner values, I really value where you are coming from here.

I also *love* the way Matt Scott put it up above. That God reveals the next steps to us along the way.

Its so awesome to think of it that way. That there isn’t a final destination of perfection that we never quite get to, but that God gradually enlightens us, and once we take one step the next becomes clearer.

Here’s to the journey!

]]> By: Jason cook http://www.iamjoshbrown.com/blog/2008/02/23/over-indulgence-my-confession/comment-page-2/#comment-76910 Jason cook Tue, 27 May 2008 17:19:59 +0000 http://www.iamjoshbrown.com/blog/2008/02/23/over-indulgence-my-confession/#comment-76910 At least you are not trying to atone for the sins you committed while employed by a government on foreign soil. Try wearing that hat. We're Catholic and I went to confession for the first time in six years. I had a tremendous amount to get off my chest. It took a little while, but when it was over...very cathartic. Maybe you should convert. You seem like one of the desert saints. I read "The Way of a Pilgrim" not so long ago, and he struggles with some of what you bring up. We just celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi at mass on Saturday, and Fr. Paul spoke about it. But still the questions remain: What am I going to do about it. The "IT" is the item in question. Is "IT" a theology? A purpose? You should have heard the homily. It made it all very clear. What I do with "IT" is something entirely different. Michelle is all fired up about being an aunt. I'm looking forward to being the uncle (I have an entire agenda of completely useless Christmas/birthday/whatever presents I plan to give, most involving UGA or fart noises). At least you are not trying to atone for the sins you committed while employed by a government on foreign soil. Try wearing that hat. We’re Catholic and I went to confession for the first time in six years. I had a tremendous amount to get off my chest. It took a little while, but when it was over…very cathartic. Maybe you should convert. You seem like one of the desert saints. I read “The Way of a Pilgrim” not so long ago, and he struggles with some of what you bring up. We just celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi at mass on Saturday, and Fr. Paul spoke about it. But still the questions remain: What am I going to do about it. The “IT” is the item in question. Is “IT” a theology? A purpose? You should have heard the homily. It made it all very clear. What I do with “IT” is something entirely different. Michelle is all fired up about being an aunt. I’m looking forward to being the uncle (I have an entire agenda of completely useless Christmas/birthday/whatever presents I plan to give, most involving UGA or fart noises).

]]> By: Justin http://www.iamjoshbrown.com/blog/2008/02/23/over-indulgence-my-confession/comment-page-1/#comment-76902 Justin Tue, 27 May 2008 14:13:46 +0000 http://www.iamjoshbrown.com/blog/2008/02/23/over-indulgence-my-confession/#comment-76902 It seems like "green" is being equated with "saintly". Even without the expensive dog food and electronic equipment, it seems there's more to living a holy life than some kind of environmental austereness; even if a person can go no farther in his "downward mobility", he still isn't really doing anything holy. If a person wants to simplify his life because certain worldly pursuits are making him a slave, that sounds like a saintly thing to do. But it's just too easy to worry about carbon footprints and poor people in China than to love coworkers or the Mormons knocking on our doors during dinner. It's probably never useful to judge one's sainthood in comparison to others, but if we're going to do it, I think it should at least be on things which are more meaningful than our insignificant individual impact on "sustainability". So I guess my point is, if any of us wants to do some self-flagellation, the mere fact that we live physically comfortable lives is a bad place to start. I am happy to have access to ice cream and highways and the internet and clean water. I enjoy and am thankful for them. We must care for those around us - the "people [who] sleep under boxes on the cold streets" - but I don't know if that necessarily means we must live in abject poverty as well. It just seems like loving your neighbor and worrying about the environment are being conflated, to the detriment of the more important former. Just because Al Gore grew a beard doesn't make him Jesus. It seems like “green” is being equated with “saintly”. Even without the expensive dog food and electronic equipment, it seems there’s more to living a holy life than some kind of environmental austereness; even if a person can go no farther in his “downward mobility”, he still isn’t really doing anything holy. If a person wants to simplify his life because certain worldly pursuits are making him a slave, that sounds like a saintly thing to do. But it’s just too easy to worry about carbon footprints and poor people in China than to love coworkers or the Mormons knocking on our doors during dinner. It’s probably never useful to judge one’s sainthood in comparison to others, but if we’re going to do it, I think it should at least be on things which are more meaningful than our insignificant individual impact on “sustainability”. So I guess my point is, if any of us wants to do some self-flagellation, the mere fact that we live physically comfortable lives is a bad place to start. I am happy to have access to ice cream and highways and the internet and clean water. I enjoy and am thankful for them. We must care for those around us – the “people [who] sleep under boxes on the cold streets” – but I don’t know if that necessarily means we must live in abject poverty as well. It just seems like loving your neighbor and worrying about the environment are being conflated, to the detriment of the more important former. Just because Al Gore grew a beard doesn’t make him Jesus.

]]> By: Tony Arens http://www.iamjoshbrown.com/blog/2008/02/23/over-indulgence-my-confession/comment-page-1/#comment-75408 Tony Arens Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:52:44 +0000 http://www.iamjoshbrown.com/blog/2008/02/23/over-indulgence-my-confession/#comment-75408 Good post - bold. I share many of the same struggles. Good post – bold. I share many of the same struggles.

]]>