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Ohayo Gozaimasu!

Vengeful Ronin said:
Hiya! My name is Stephen, my last name sounds stupid so i will not say it. I love Japan, and, well, lookit my profile to see everything i like about it (especially the sushi). Um, I need friends too, since I dont' exactly have an active social life. :( Anyway, yeah, hi! If anyone wants to talk to me, I'm open.

At first I was thrilled to see a reference in a reply to your being from Tennessee (I'm from Humboldt), but a glance at your personal info absolutely broke my heart. Tennessee, in case nobody bothered to tell you, is where God lives. Learn to love Tennessee, it is your home and heritage, though you may be too young to appreciate it right now.

Still, with the paucity of Southerners in general and Tennesseans in particular in Japan, beggars can't be choosers. I would be glad to see you over here, should you ever actually make it.

Your lack of love for our shared native soil notwithstanding, as a fellow Tennessean you can count on me for whatever help I may be able to provide you with.
 
Well, I have quite a bit of doubt about "god living in tenneessee." I go to a great church (PCA Presbyterian), but there are tons of southern baptist churches out there that are totally whack. The "christian" school I went to for the past 4 years was owned by an "independent southern baptist" that was right across the parking lot. Every tuesday and thursday we would go down to the church for "chapel." That church was like the gathering place for hypocrites. Lot of them would preach against something then turn around and do it, all would scream at the top of their lungs while preaching (which shows how stupid you are if the only way to get people's attention is by screaming). One guy was preaching against rock (they all believed every kind of music was bad except for classical and hymns), and he was saying something about how there's no such thing as Christian rock (which is total bull, a Christian rock song got me out of a 2-year depression, the song was a prayer), and all of a sudden the dude screams as loud as he can "I DON'T CARE" and starts shaking his fists and stomping his feet. It was like watching a little kid having a temper tantrum.
Tons of false churches out there, and Tennessee is just as corrupt as any other state (except maybe Cali). Also the rednecks scare me.
I'm not putting you down though, if you can live in this state and not hate it you're probably a better person than me.
 
Goodness gracious! Do you get all your exercise from vigorous jumping to conclusions? I hope you wear Air Jordans or use a trampoline or something.

Lesseee.....I made no mention of organized religion or denominations, yet you assume that I said God is a Southern Baptist and that everyone in Tennessee is a Southern Baptist.

The really strange thing, though, is that even though I am an Atheist I display the common courtesty toward Christians to capitalize "God"......while one of his devout followers can't be bothered to reach for the shift key.

Vengeful Ronin said:
I'm not putting you down though, if you can live in this state and not hate it you're probably a better person than me.

Help me out by clarifying something, please.

Are you a native of Tennessee? Or just passing through?
 
if I were a hippie I'd probably complain and say Mike gives off bad "vibes".. but since i'm not i just sorta laugh at people that end up in the cone of his flamethrower and take it too hard ^^

I'm kinda starting to like him.. he may be a compulsive flamer and a pessimist of high rank.. but atleast he's not a fool...

<opinion voiced for no reason but boredom>
 
TwistedMac said:
if I were a hippie I'd probably complain and say Mike gives off bad "vibes".. but since i'm not i just sorta laugh at people that end up in the cone of his flamethrower and take it too hard ^^

Paul has seen me online in at least three other places, and Glenn in at least one. I leave it to them to verify that on JREF my behavior has been (comparatively, anyway) restrained, civil, and helpful.

I'm kinda starting to like him.. he may be a compulsive flamer and a pessimist of high rank.. but atleast he's not a fool...

Not a pessimist. A pragmatist. This is best illustrated by my personal motto, one developed while I was in the Navy....."Enjoy the bad times while you can. Things will get worse."

I gotta get an avatar.....
 
hehehehe.. I'd say that motto is about as pessimistic as they get.. not only is it crap now, it's gonna get worse XD

being a pragmatist doesn't really exclude being a pessimist.. even if you're a realist you can still choose to take the optimistic view of things or the pessimistic.
 
mikecash said:
The really strange thing, though, is that even though I am an Atheist I display the common courtesty toward Christians to capitalize "God"......while one of his devout followers can't be bothered to reach for the shift key.

Ha. Me too. I've often thought that to myself.

I live in Virginia, but was raised in North Carolina. There are many Southern Baptists around here, but I don't let it bother me. I wouldn't be anywhere else. ;-)
 
I'd say it is both pragmatic and something even better than optimistic.

An optimist hopes that things will turn out for the better, and even believes they will. But that doesn't necessarily mean he will try to enjoy the present moment. My motto exhorts people to enjoy the present, even if the present looks bad. I'd rather have a pessimist next to me having a good time than an optimist trying to gloss the present unpleasantness over by telling me things will get better.
 
Vengeful Ronin said:
Well, I have quite a bit of doubt about "god living in tenneessee." I go to a great church (PCA Presbyterian), but there are tons of southern baptist churches out there that are totally whack. The "christian" school I went to for the past 4 years was owned by an "independent southern baptist" that was right across the parking lot. Every tuesday and thursday we would go down to the church for "chapel." That church was like the gathering place for hypocrites. Lot of them would preach against something then turn around and do it, all would scream at the top of their lungs while preaching (which shows how stupid you are if the only way to get people's attention is by screaming). One guy was preaching against rock (they all believed every kind of music was bad except for classical and hymns), and he was saying something about how there's no such thing as Christian rock (which is total bull, a Christian rock song got me out of a 2-year depression, the song was a prayer), and all of a sudden the dude screams as loud as he can "I DON'T CARE" and starts shaking his fists and stomping his feet. It was like watching a little kid having a temper tantrum.
Tons of false churches out there, and Tennessee is just as corrupt as any other state (except maybe Cali). Also the rednecks scare me.
I'm not putting you down though, if you can live in this state and not hate it you're probably a better person than me.
Oh my, these Southern Baptist guys sound really freaky 😌
So you say the PCA is that much better? Well, I kinda doubt that, but it's your choice.

:devilish: :D Me is proud to be an Atheist :D :devilish:
 
mikecash said:
Goodness gracious! Do you get all your exercise from vigorous jumping to conclusions? I hope you wear Air Jordans or use a trampoline or something.

Hahahahahaha I like that line, never heard it before..

Anyway... Irasshai Ronin..
 
mikecash said:
I'd say it is both pragmatic and something even better than optimistic.

An optimist hopes that things will turn out for the better, and even believes they will. But that doesn't necessarily mean he will try to enjoy the present moment.

good point.

mikecash said:
My motto exhorts people to enjoy the present, even if the present looks bad. I'd rather have a pessimist next to me having a good time than an optimist trying to gloss the present unpleasantness over by telling me things will get better.

yeah, well most of the time an optimist will be the one enjoying.. the pessimist will think of ways it could be worse instead... atleast that's what i've experienced =P
 
Well, Mike, I didn't say everyone in TN is a southern baptist (obviously, cuz I'm presbyterian). It's just the predominant denomination. And I am a Tennessee native, by the way.
And I am enjoying the forum, Sinspawn. And Lina, some Southern Baptist churches are okay, but most are just on the extreme side of conservatism. As for PCA, it's quite different. The doctrine and general style are different, still a bit conservative but nowhere near southern baptists. For instance, PCA doesn't preach rock is evil. PCA also believes you can baptize infants, where southern baptist is highly against infant baptism.
 
mikecash said:
Paul has seen me online in at least three other places, and Glenn in at least one. I leave it to them to verify that on JREF my behavior has been (comparatively, anyway) restrained, civil, and helpful.

LOL. Actually, you're exactly as I remember you from those three years ago (I guess it was about that). I remember you being helpful at times, and pretty hard on people at times, and I don't see that as having changed at all. ;-)




mikecash said:
I gotta get an avatar.....

Oh yeah? Next thing you know you'll be using smilies! :D
 
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