Jack’s Winning Words 7/17/14
“To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.”  (Tom Paine)  The family of a nuclear physicist attended church, but he did not.  He finally “went inside” when the pastor said, “You don’t have to park your brain with your car when you come to church.”  When God created people, he gave them a brain, which was meant to be used.  Religion can be reason-able.       ;-)  Jack

FROM MICHIZONA RAY:  Am====RAY:  I was using my brain!en!!!!!====JACK:  Your atypical "short" answer indicates to me that you really agree with Tom.====RAY:  I was using my brain!====JACK:  Then Tom would like communicating with you.

FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  Very good, Jack..started the day with a smile!====JACK:  Comedian Jimmy Durante used to sing, after (or was it, before) telling a joke...
You gotta start off each day with a song
 Now even when things go wrong
 You'll feel better, you'll even look better
 I'm here to tell you that you'll be a go-getter
 Now the way that you shake my hand
 Will tell me how I stand
 Now isn't it better to go through life
 With a smile and a song
 Than walking around with a face 11 miles long
 Now you know that you can't go wrong
 If you start off each day with a song

FROM HONEST JOHN:  I actually judged a debate once where the Affirmative team renounced the use of reason and relied on anecdotes....====JACK:  In formal debate, do you get penalized for straying from the norm?  Are sermon presentation judged with regard to a "norm"?  I remember a pastor who kept an alarm clock in the pulpit, set to a specific number of minutes.  When the alarm sounded, he stopped the sermon, even if he was in mid-sentence.

FROM IKE AT THE MIC:  It could also be said that: "Religion is "able" to make many people more reason-able"...Just thinkin..====JACK:  When we get to know people as friends, we can begin to better understand their religious views.

FROM TARMART REV:  Never was much of an advocate for the Moral Majority and the like...I've always appreciated our government recognizing God and His Sovereignty over our Nation...haven't heard much of that in recent years, and more of abandonment of such...reminds me of the church's concern for the role of the women amongst it ... If they just became quiet and set back, how sad our church would be.  May God continue to bless America and it's churches, even though. 0:-) ====JACK:  Our country continues to evolve.  It is hard to equate America today America of 1776.  The role of women...the merging of colors...the multiplicity of religious beliefs...the acceptance of homosexuality...the influence of technology...on and on.  Could we forego "today" in order to go back and live in "yesterday"?

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:   Like..====JACK:  Two days in a row of LIKES.  Like.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  LOVE THIS QUOTE! TOO TRUE1 YOU CAN AND SHOULD USE YOUR BRAIN TO EXAMINE SCRIPTURES, AND ISSUES OF FAITH, BUT FOR SOME THINGS YOU JUST PLAIN HAVE TO HAVE "FAITH"...THE BELIEF OF THINGS HOPED FOR...AS EVEN A NUCLEAR PHYSICIST PROBABLY DISCOVERED IN HIS CHURCH EXPERIENCE.  CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS (GOD IS NOT GREAT, AUTHOR) OPINED "TIME SPENT ARGUING IS, ODDLY ENOUGH, IS RARELY WASTED"...HE CERTAINLY KNEW THE ART OF ARGUING AND DEBATE; BUT NOT FOR RELIGION!! DID HE RENOUNCE REASON??  HE DIED QUITE YOUNG (52) SO GUESS THE POINT IS MOOT...====JACK:  Rationalism is not always welcomed in the Church.  Pope Francis is finding that out.  Some conservative Catholics see him as Satan coming in disguise.  Protestants see Satan in other disguises.  BTW, that "physicist" eventually became an ELCA pastor and bishop.====OAKS:  INTERESTING ABOUT THE PHYSICIST!  YES, THE POPE  IS VERY COURAGEOUS, IN HIS SITUATION, GOD BLESS HIM! HE DESERVES OUR PRAYER SUPPORT!