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This is what gets me.
I present an opinion about Islam. Because it differs from Skunks, he assumes I know nothing of Islam or the Qu'ran, when the opposite was the case. My opinions were a result of my extensive research and reading for myself, the writings concerned.
Now in this thread, again, because I presented an opinion Skunk disagreed with, he presumes I needed to speak with cancer sufferes BEFORE making up my mind?
I do not present strong opinions without reason. What I have learned, the values I now hold are hard won. I am a Christian BECAUSE of difficult experiences, not because I am naive and sheltered. I have extensively tested my faith, which is why I am SO ASSURED that what I believe is true. I hold my opinions about suicide precisely because I have faced those very feelings down. I hold firm opinions on euthenasia precisely because of my experience with cancer patients. To the above post I could have added the scores of people I've known in the various churches my father was a minister of.
I've had so many dear old women and men I've loved as a child pass on. So many battle and lose to cancer. Life is so precious. As a child, one of the most pronounced experiences I had was to go to a luncheon for deaf people in my fathers area of ministry. Amongst the deaf people there was an old man who was both blind and deaf.
I was probably only 12 or so, but I had learned enough sign language to be able to speak with him, by making those signs on his palm. So he could feel the images. That was his communication.
When he was a small boy, he had a bookshelf fall on his head, which had damaged his brain so he lost his sight and hearing.
As you can imagine, his plight haunted the young and sensative me, and even as I write this, tears are welling up in my eyes.
He lived his life to an old age without sight and sound.
Thus at an early age, I gained appreciation for these faculties, but also appreciated that life could still be enjoyed even when not all is perfect in us. When things go awry. I later read Joni Ericsson-Tadas biography of a quadraplegic who came to know Jesus after a horrible diving accident, and ended up with a recording and painting career as well as touring, preaching and singing from her wheelchair. She painted by putting brushes in her mouth.
I went and saw a concert of hers. She was well known in the Christian community. An inspiring woman of God.
We had in our congregation a security guard who had been shot in the back, and lived as a paraplegic from then on. We knew him before and after. We also had couples where one would completely lose mental faculties. But we also had a man healed of cancer. I also knew a woman healed of blindness in one eye, and a friend of mine healed of chronic back damage.
But anyway....
I cannot do anything but hold strong opinions after the reality I have been shown. I value my life. I always was intent to learn from others experiences, and value what they did without having to lose those things as they did. Even so, a car accident that left me in a neck brace for months, and the numerous times in hospital, as per the above post, reinforced, and revitalised my priorities and opinions. Things like 9/11 and everything in my life I experience as I go perpetuate all this.
I love my God, I love the life he has given me. I am so so thankful to be aware, right now. To be alive right NOW. If I die as soon as this is posted I will be happy to have lived those few extra moments. [img]smile.gif[/img] It's a beautiful thing life. [img]smile.gif[/img]
[ 10-22-2003, 01:51 AM: Message edited by: Yorick ]
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