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Forrest Curo
Forrest Curo
  • San Diego, CA
  • United States
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before tradition...
14 Replies

Started this discussion. Last reply by Karen Mercer 1st month 17.

from a Letter to Ministry & Oversight of...
1 Reply

Started this discussion. Last reply by Stephanie Stuckwisch 12th month 10, 2011.

The Real Four-Letter Word

Started 11th month 28, 2011

 

Forrest Curo's Page

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Forrest Curo replied to Joseph Stalnaker's discussion 'Not My Religion' in the group Christianity
Faith in God-- and faith in the "teachings of men" (as Jesus characterized certain doctrines of his own Jewish tradition)-- are different. The various belief systems which followers of followers have mistakenly claimed to be…
yesterday
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Forrest Curo replied to Joseph Stalnaker's discussion 'Not My Religion' in the group Christianity
This makes it seem as if 'faith' meant the same as 'credulity'. If our faith is in God-- not necessarily in some detail we think God wants us to "believe in"-- then we can trust God to lead our minds toward the truth…
5th day (Thu)
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Forrest Curo commented on Patricia Barber's blog post 'This Life or the Afterlife'
On my brief excursions I've been uncomfortably overwhelmed with the oddity of me being one place, my body another... but yeah, aside from that I felt like 'me'. Another person's observation of someone else's dying...…
2nd month 4
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Forrest Curo commented on Patricia Barber's blog post 'This Life or the Afterlife'
Really it's all just one duringlife... If/as you see what your 'soul' is, it's quite impossible to imagine that coming to an end. But this observation, of course, doesn't necessarily tell you what kind of experience…
2nd month 3
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Forrest Curo replied to Aaron J Levitt's discussion 'Language as Idolatry'
The central point which that Name hints at, to anyone attuned to seeing it this way, is that God is (among other things) what you might call 'raw existence': "That which knows/says 'I am' in every sentient being." The…
1st month 31
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Forrest Curo commented on Cathy Barney's blog post 'Synchronicity of simplicity'
God works that way. I'm not sure what calling it "synchronicity" adds, except to make the idea sound plausible to people who haven't noticed it happening or don't want to be caught "believing in" God. A query from…
1st month 25
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Forrest Curo updated their profile 1st month 24
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Forrest Curo commented on Irene Lape's blog post 'Daily Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 7 and Matthew 25'
"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in Heaven-- for He makes the sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust." I would say the two passages are…
1st month 23
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Material Possibly Useful for Other Meetings

Blog post by Forrest Curo 1st month 23
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Forrest Curo commented on Cotswold Quaker's blog post 'Why this atheist is a Quaker'
"Breath" & "Wind" were among the earliest metaphors for it-- because you couldn't literally "see" them; but there they were. "Breath" & "spirit" aren't literally the same thing,…
1st month 22
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Forrest Curo replied to Aaron Clark's discussion 'Do Some Christians Even Understand Quakers'
For the record (I am no longer trying to address Karen Mercer): The difficulty that most Christians have in understanding the ethical message of Jesus: is that it cuts across people's most strongly-held "common sense" cultural…
1st month 20
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Forrest Curo replied to Aaron Clark's discussion 'Do Some Christians Even Understand Quakers'
Do you understand someone's meaning better by seeking the best ways to attack what he says? When I catch myself falling into any such mode, I find it pretty embarrassing, myself. Seems to defeat the purpose of talking with other people, at…
1st month 19
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Karen Mercer replied to Forrest Curo's discussion 'before tradition...'
What a strange belief system....abuse is wrong merely because it undermines honest perceptions? How about, it is wrong because it has been shown to make permanent changes in the structure and function of the developing brain. And, regardless of what…
1st month 17
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Forrest Curo commented on Cotswold Quaker's blog post 'Why this atheist is a Quaker'
As usual, I have a really difficult time understanding what sort of "unity" you're talking about, how it operates, whether it might (or might not be) what I mean by the G-word, and if it might, why you aren't calling it…
1st month 16
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Forrest Curo replied to Forrest Curo's discussion 'before tradition...'
There are four and twenty ways, of inflicting covert psychological violence against children, and every single one of them is wrong. I don't even consider that the sexual forms of this are intrinsically worse than the others (though…
1st month 16
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Forrest Curo replied to Aaron Clark's discussion 'Do Some Christians Even Understand Quakers'
First off, the very first Quakers were frequently accused of being somehow unorthodox-- jailed, tried, sometimes convicted of blasphemy, largely (I would say) because of being misunderstood, & largely (so far as their opponents did understand)…
1st month 16

Profile Information

About Me
Attended one Quaker Meeting ~1961, invited by my best friend in high school. Returned a few times over the decades -> 1991, when I got roped into some pro-homeless activism & felt nostalgic for what I remembered of Friends. Attended regularly awhile, admitted I was a Quaker & therefore had to make it official in 1996. One school year (2002-3) at Pendle Hill, whee! Still knowing God, still being led, still wondering how this all comes out...
Website/Blog
http://sneezingflower.blogspot.com

"You don't do it through intellectual processes. What you do is you telepathically tap in to the one great world religion,
which is only one,
which has no name,
and all of the other religions are merely maps of that."

Stephen Gaskin

Forrest Curo's Blog

Forrest Curo

This Site Needs...

Less politeness.

Less hostility.

Less defensiveness.

Less reverence for everyone's poor silly gospels.

More attention to what that other silly fool actually means.

More faith in the One who leads us.

More sense of proportion.

More time than I have to waste, lately.

If I've recently failed to hold up my end in Friendly games of Mudinyourface, it may be because I'd much…

Continue

Posted on 12th mo. 20, 2011 at 10:15am — 2 Comments

Forrest Curo

Writing an Occupy Minute

Several of us at my Meeting would like us to pass a minute in support of the Occupy movement... and our Clerk thought when we next meet for business... "Would you write it?"

 

I could see right away there will be difficulties. The Meeting is dominated by academic types of the Phd persuasion, and as John Ralston Saul pointed out in Voltaire's Bastards, specialization and a comfortable life are not unmitigated blessings. Many of us…

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Posted on 11th mo. 11, 2011 at 11:00am — 8 Comments

Forrest Curo

Signs of These Times

Make your signs beautiful, for God to see.

They are prayers, not to be wasted

on that gang of lying brats who swindle us of power;

they're for that starved angel they keep

chained in the national basement.



Make your signs bright, for the blind to read

and don't expect victory, just miracles.



Don't demand peace or call loudly for justice.

Beg mercy. Our nation's trial

is now in the sentencing phase.…

Continue

Posted on 10th mo. 2, 2011 at 8:54pm

Comment Wall (20 comments)

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At 10:59pm on 1st mo. 1, 2012, Forrest CuroForrest Curo said…

...

"Difficulty arises... because we are afraid to let go of what we think we know and be what's left. We're reluctant to ease up on the tight sense of control we exercise over ourselves because life is hard enough as it is. We don't want it any harder. "If I stop controlling myself to be one way rather than another, who knows what might happen? If I let go of every pretense and instead be genuine, things might get worse. Who knows what devil might be lurking in my depths?" But it's also beginning to dawn on us that we have blindly believed false and inaccurate concepts about who we are, and have been ignorant of our true nature until now simply because we've been taught otherwise, and that maybe we're different from what we've thought ourselves to be..."

[Erich Schiffmann, in Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness]

At 11:48am on 9th mo. 2, 2011, Angela KurkiewiczAngela Kurkiewicz said…

Thanks for the request!

At 12:31am on 8th mo. 25, 2011, marv ostbergmarv ostberg said…
What did I make up?   I used the word rationalization because everyone knows there are risks in helping people so to say something bad could happen is very, very obvious.  So much so that I do not know what else to say, except that I was shocked your father would instruct you that way.  Did he go on to say you should try to help after a reasoned assessment??  You really did not answer my questions about middle ground.  These are not debate points as you suggest.  Life and problems are not  the game you imply.  What exactly do you mean??
At 12:15am on 8th mo. 25, 2011, marv ostbergmarv ostberg said…
If the comment about "unnecessary roughness" is meant for me I think you misread me.   For starters what do you mean by that?  I have never been a violent person except for one time a bigger guy knocked me down for no good reason I could see and he was a lot bigger than me.  I got up and punched him in the nose and he quit at that point.  Other than that I merely discuss things.  Yes, I think it in effect catatonic if one will not or cannot act in an emergency because something could go wrong.   Also I think that can be too convenient an excuse to stand by and do nothing.  Yes, I think justifying that inaction because you imply to do otherwise is merely an excuse for violence is making a mighty leap.  That is not what I think at all.   Middle ground is everywhere, but I am not seeing your middle ground - just dichotomies.   Do I misread you? If so clarify by showing me the middle ground you see.   My way of discussing is challenging, but  not mean spirited.   "Rough" maybe, but situations are rough out there and we must find solutions.   If you feel inadequate or fearful I can accept that, but do please clarify.
At 10:37pm on 8th mo. 24, 2011, marv ostbergmarv ostberg said…

Forrest I would have loved to discuss that particular rationalization with your father.   Based on that logic most people would never take a chance on helping someone in distress or dying.  Yes, you have to try to size up a situation before you take action.  Common sense tells us that, but if you were t0 say publically, and you more or less are here, that this is the standard that Quakers believe in you would have very, very few supporters.   In fact sometimes you just have to act boldly when the situation is critical even when you have thought it out and are still less than 100% sure.  As of now though, if I would like to have a lively discussion I would call on you; if I were in a desperate situation of life and death I would look way elsewhere.   As for how to help you do this thing of using extremes - discussion or "shoot your way in".   There is certainly middle ground and you need to find it.   Otherwise you are saying that in a desperate situation like present day Somalia, you would be in a catatonic state.  Right now even bringing in  food, water and other necessities is dangerous, more so getting it distributed , and even more so making sure it gets to people who need it.   You need to be good at finding a way to make it happen.  Otherwise I guess we become like those, other than the good Samaritan, who walked on the other side.  Actually the decision to help now is far more desparate and complex than it was in the seemingly straightforward situation the Samaritan found on the side of the road.   In Somalia we are looking at many thousand like the battered man on the side of the rode and many are children and women.   And in Somalia the thieves and batterers are still there to be deal with while we try to help.   Got any thoughts on that.  I do, but will wait to hear a couple thoughts of yours on solution.  This is real life right now close by in time and space where our "neighbor" and brothers and sisters may be half way around the World. 

At 12:11am on 8th mo. 24, 2011, marv ostbergmarv ostberg said…
It has been my thought for some time that if people cannot even be peaceful about minor disagreements how in the world can they ever get together on major issues.  Where I do feel strongly is that if innocents are dying in large numbers anywhere we have to be concerned and find some way to help.  Of course we cannot focus on everything at once.   Msybe we divide up our concerns to share the load.   Nowadays I have very little patience though with very cerebral discussions unless they at some point lead to visible and productive action.   Otherwise we seem to be sitting safe and secure in some ivory tower.   Jesus, for example, was right out there with the action as were most of the apostles.  They put their lives on the line almost daily for what they believed.  Beliefs lead to action so they fair point is how best to start action that leads to helping others - best still if we help others to help themselves so they in turn can do the same for others.   People in that mode seldom have in mind to hurt others as a goal.  Would not that be working toward peace - with justice?   By the way, peace without attaching  justice can be pretty empty.   The problem as we wrestle helping though  is defining what we mean by peace and justice in each instance.
At 11:38pm on 8th mo. 22, 2011, marv ostbergmarv ostberg said…
Tis true that likely when someone agrees with everything we say likely they are being dishonest and really not very helpful in the long run.  But the same goes for totally disagreeing  with someone.  Somewhere along the way we are missing something very important they are saying.   To think otherwise would require us to conclude that person is totally evil or totally a saint.   I know none of either.
At 6:12pm on 7th mo. 9, 2011, DeborahDeborah said…

Dear Forrest,

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog and read today's rather long post lol.

My blog is a personal journey blog as you will note at the bottom of the About Me column to the left.

Also at the start of my post I began with
..."In my reading this morning..."

Now, I will never claim to be leader in bible teaching. I am simply another one of His children sharing my experiences and maybe some days others may be encouraged by something I have written.

The three things which I have gained from my time with the Lord this morning are,

--Praising Him for fresh revelation on some things I need to work on with His help.

--Thankfulness to Him, that He helps me to grow stronger as I yield to Him.

--And a glad heart, that He will be here for me every step of my journey through life providing all I have need of both temporal and spiritual.

All mentioned in the various paragraphs.

And that's good enough fruit for me to eat on all day brother!

I am sorry if anything was clumsily written as sometimes happens on the web.

I hope you will come back again and follow along.

Bless you brother!

 

Deborah

At 3:29pm on 6th mo. 16, 2011, Sel StollSel Stoll said…
Hello there, Forrest.  Nice to meet a new Friend!
At 10:16am on 12th mo. 16, 2010, ChristineChristine said…

Thank you for your book suggestions.

 
 
 

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Called Out, Called In: Maggie Harrison's Loving Challenge

There is a prophet in our midst, and her name is Maggie Harrison. Rousing many like fire, making my skin itch at being possibly excluded from this club that I don't even belong to, really (when asked if I am a Quaker, I always respond, 'Not yet.'), but want to think I can put on and off like so much-- clothing?And, nakedness. Taking off the mantle of Religious Identity, making space for the un-knowingness of living INTO something, removing armor and scaffold and hard won (or not so hard won)…See More
Blog post by Victoria Pearson 7 hours ago
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Caroline Gulian replied to Elin Hagberg's discussion 'Plain babies and children' in the group Plainness & Simplicity
First of all, Mazel Tov!  Prayers to your pregnancy, may it be a healthy, happy event in your life. With my children, I have raised them with my beliefs, explained why I dress Plain for worship, and leave them with what I have taught in hopes…
10 hours ago
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Paula Roberts replied to Elin Hagberg's discussion 'Plain babies and children' in the group Plainness & Simplicity
Congratulations Elin!  I don't have children so I'm going to speculate, but I don't think raising your kids differently from other people is going to injure them at all. Of course I am surrounded by people who are doing that very…
12 hours ago
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Barbara Smith replied to Elin Hagberg's discussion 'Plain babies and children' in the group Plainness & Simplicity
Elin - Congratulations! The bigger question you are raising is how to bring up spiritually healthy children in an unhealthy world! We have nine children and homeschooled all of them right from the start. They are amazing people and I know for a fact…
12 hours ago
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Mackenzie replied to Lauren Smith's discussion 'Parenting as a Friend'
I'm not a parent, so grain of salt ;) I maintain the opinion that setting a good example from the earliest age is what's important. Consistent rules probably have the best chance of being followed. That's not to say "when…
12 hours ago
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Zaley Warkentin replied to Elin Hagberg's discussion 'Plain babies and children' in the group Plainness & Simplicity
My thought would be to provide your child with both options and let them choose day to day... When I was much younger I was dressed both plain and modern, but as I grew older my parents encouraged me to dress mainstream. In my case, I became more…
12 hours ago
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Plain babies and children

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I am expecting a baby if everything goes well this summer. I just want to hear if there are any thoughts about teaching and showing the plain way to children. The table is open and I just want to hear what you think about this, is it even possible in today's society to raise children like that?As both me and my partner wear mainly clothes of a modern make we will buy 'normal' clothes for our children but try buy a lot of things second hand or try to swap them with others. When our child is a…See More
Elin Hagberg added a discussion to the group Plainness & Simplicity 13 hours ago
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Daily Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 32 and 1 Corinthians 5

Deuteronomy 32 – The Song of Moses [the number of verses equals the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet – 23 - times 3. It concludes the teaching books of the Old Testament: “my teaching will fall like drops of rain and form on the earth like dew. My words will fall like showers on young plants, like gentle rain on tender grass” (32:2). From the beginning, the Judeo-Christian vision has been that we humans are here on earth as creations of a “mighty,” “just” and “perfect” God, who seeks…See More
Blog post by Irene Lape 21 hours ago

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