Posted by MG on July 30, 2011 at 04:34:04
In Reply to: Re: PS. In the end I can only conclude that ... posted by Farmer on July 29, 2011 at 15:39:21:
The word “accept”: in the link you posted one of the definitions is “to tolerate or to accommodate oneself to”. I’ve been using the word in this context.
It's not really a question about me wanting to be left "in peace", neither do I have a problem with your feelings because they are yours. You said I “harp” on how well I'm doing: I hope I don’t really sound didn’t sound like I’m harping, I didn't intend to harp, I just wrote a gratitude list because you used a great deal of negative phraseology to describe your feelings about my journey, which included the dog returning to his vomit reference. So I thought a personal gratitude list would be the best way for me to try to show you and anyone else who’s been reading the thread that my life today and where I’m at today is far from the way you describe it to be. I agree that in past discussions I’ve tried to do the same thing, but if I repeat things I said in the past I think it’s good to remember that discussions here are public, they’re not a two-way private communications, there is an audience as well who may or may not join the discussions at any given time, and who knows if they've read what I've posted in the past.
What I have tried to do is simply communicate my feelings, stating facts about my journey, and in the process I’ve hoped that maybe I can change some of your thoughts, not that I can change your feelings.
I have a declaration to make: Heretofore and from henceforth I formally declare that I accept, I tolerate, and I accommodate myself to the fact that: I argue that there are other ways to Rome, and that you argue that there is only one way back to the Father...Jesus. (rephrased a bit from your post)
The result of this will be that if we have any further discussion on the difference between Bible-based fundamental Christianity and other kinds of spirituality I will qualify that I’m stating my point of view not to try to influence your point of view, but that it’s for the benefit of other readers. I won’t try or hope to get you to think about the possibility that there are other ways.
I respect your determined convictions and I apologize if in any way I have used words that demean or degrade what you believe or how you believe.
On the subject of feelings, I think that people can get to a place where they can get most of their feelings under control. I say most of the time because we’re human, no one can be perfect and do it all the time. I’ve come a long way in getting control over my feelings and for me the key is in knowing that I have no control over how other people feel, the only feelings that I can control are my own, and I with this, fully understanding that I have no control over how someone else feel s, I make sure that I don’t let their feelings have an effect on my own, which to do so would mean that I’m giving someone else control over me.