Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site hao.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!teddy!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!hao!woods
From: woods@hao.UUCP (Greg Woods)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: extra spur
Message-ID: <1325@hao.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 7-Jan-85 20:35:04 EST
Article-I.D.: hao.1325
Posted: Mon Jan  7 20:35:04 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 11-Jan-85 04:56:21 EST
References: <28@azure.UUCP> <1619@pucc-h>
Organization: High Altitude Obs./NCAR, Boulder CO
Lines: 37


  Well, Jeff, this one is important enough for the whole net to read.

> When I decide to be myself, I find that myself is
> just about nothing.  I lack most of the qualities that ought to be displayed
> by a Christian.  

   And what qualities are those, Jeff? As far as I knew, the only requirement
to be a Christian is to believe that Jesus is the son of God, and to have
faith that He will save you from your sins. You have demonstrated this faith
on the net many times. I'm not a Christian, but I thought God sent his only
begotten son (or whatever the exact words are) precisely because human
beings are inherently sinful.
  Clearly, you have formed a set of beliefs about how you *should* act. Why not
just be good old imperfect, sometimes sinful you? Doesn't it occur to you that 
being a Christian doesn't mean being Jesus? You have set standards for yourself 
that no human being could possibly live up to. Reality is sinful. Wake up and 
smell the coffee.

> If I am myself, I'm likely to mess up relationships.  I did,
> royally, this fall; though that was partially because I was not fully honest
> in the earlier stages

  Perhaps so, but as your last sentence here demonstrates, you will *certainly*
mess them up if you are *not* yourself. The only thing that stands a chance of
working is to be yourself, and particularly to be honest about what you are
looking for in the relationship. Lies are always found out sooner or later, and
the later they are found out, the more it hurts. Failure to say something is
a "lie" by this definition.

--Greg
-- 
{ucbvax!hplabs | allegra!nbires | decvax!stcvax | harpo!seismo | ihnp4!stcvax}
       		        !hao!woods
   
     "...once in a while you can get shown the light
         in the strangest of places if you look at it right..."