I love the intro. I think Prince was spot on about man decision to further separate from GOD. If you look at how we started (Life) and how it's going (Life), GOD is like a second cousin to most nowadays. | |
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Prince was heavy into metaphysics during this stage, and continued to be until the end. This song is a reflection of many metaphysical concepts. Personally I love the song. "You always get the dream that you deserve, from what you value the most" -Prince 2013 | |
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Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
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* You are correct that people calling themselves "Christians" travelled the earth destroying other cultures in the name of "Christianity." However, in the actual text, Jesus states that "everyone who calls my name will not be of me," which is why he later continues to separate the "goats from the sheep," showing that those who love others will be "of him" and those who harm others "will not be of him." What I'm referencing is found in Matthew 25. * This first point of mine leads to my larger second point that in most cases there are people who call themselves Christians who are actually practicing Christendom, which is a cultural perversion of Christianity. Understanding that Christianity started in the Middle-East and spread West, unfortunately, many Europeans began infusing Christianity with white supremacy to justify the enslavement and murder of people of color. As such, the act of enslaving anyone in the name of Jesus is an act of Christendom not Christianity. As an African American, one of my favorite quotes is from an African poet who states, "Let me define Christianity: rape, murder, colonization, and enslavement." And, while I understand that sentiment, I also understand that there is a difference between what the actual texts, especially the original Hebrew and Greek texts, teach and what men have done to pervert those texts to justify their mistreatment of others. * Finally, yes, you and I more than likely have different beliefs of what's right and what's wrong. Though, I would bet, after teaching comparative lit for so long, that I can find more similarities to our beliefs than differences. Yet, based on the actual texts, Jesus didn't teach anyone to kill, jail, enslave, or deny someone's political rights because they choose not to follow Him. Jesus taught that there are two commandments. One, love God above all else. Two, love your neighbor as you love yourself. We might not believe the same things, but the Jesus that I've studied has never taught me to harm or oppress anyone because that person has a different belief. So, those people of whom you speak are not Christians because none of their words or actions reflects Jesus. Of course, the real problem is having more informed Christians to refute these practitioners of Christendom so that the world can know what Christian texts actually teach. Unfortunately, most people don't want to read and think for themselves; they just want to be led and feel safe in the bowels of a crowd, which allows practitioners of Christendom to convince the world that they are Christians. | |
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* Yes, I agree, which is why, when I can, I try to raise the notion of the difference between Christianity and Christendom. Of course, as I stated later to Pete, I also think that folks like me and you have somewhat of a responsibility to engage those practitioners of Christendom in a way that forces them to question if they are living by the original text or by what they've only heard. I tell my church members all the time that the greatest enemy of Christianity are people who claim to be Christian and then do everything that Jesus asks us not to do, especially when it comes to loving our fellowman. | |
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Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
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* Yes, and what's funny/sad is that they don't even see how oppressive they are and how similar they are to the very people they try to denounce. I'm still amazed how many people can hurt others "in the name of Jesus." I guess that fundamentalist don't realize that reading thoroughly is fundamental. :^) | |
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Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
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* Paul said we should be "wise and gentle" when engaging them fools...err I mean our fellow brothers and sisters. As you can see, I'm still working on that myself. :^) Take care. | |
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Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
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Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
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It's not that far out there at all. Think about what we encounter every single day. News reports about murders, rapes, police brutality. Road rage, over traffic or a parking spot. Porn on our mobile devices. Even seemingly "innocent" stuff like violence on TV and flirting with a coworker. All of these things, one by one, chip away at our sense of right or wrong and take us away from God's plan. Now, Prince talking about earthquakes and natural disasters, nothing we can do about those! | |
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This statement and the song are filled with truth. . I love finding songs that lead to other songs, too. This opening, in which he states, "God being centrifugal in nature, Freedom was the CAUSE and choice was the EFFECT," led me to this song: . "If had the chance to do it all again | |
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At the time I thought it sounded like a bunch of crap that would come from Larry G. JW thrive on confusion and that only certain people can understand the true meaning of scripture. | |
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Prince was correct about the influence of the things going in your senses. It goes way past tv, it goes to the people you allow around you. Some people bring you up, some bring you down. You do have a choice about those things. | |
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. While I agree about the JW thing, for me it was more political and social, not religious (despite the references). It was an ideology, and a way of thinking that, frankly, Prince never strayed far from. For the last 15 years, he's stuck to a lot of that stuff. And hey, if it works for him, kudos. . One part that sticks out for me: "In the name of democracy, supreme power is vested un2 the people in this insane state instead of God. A future re-created, 2 b ruled by man, is one of isolation and despair." - The government rules by fear and intimidation, and people (without any questioning) adhere to that fear. It's an insane state to live in - of constant fear. People are compartmentalized in their lives - almost a colonized mind. How many times have you heard someone say they don't drink and drive because they "don't want to be arrested for a DUI", opposed to their own moral code taking over and saying, "I don't want to possibly hurt anyone"? ' "The human is now a reflection of their choice. They could have simply chose not 2 choose." - People are reflective of that fear factor. All over NY I see "If you see something, say something", or "click it or you'll get a ticket". It's a fucking constant state of paranoia that the state is creating. It's insane. I live by something similar to the sentiment of not choosing - I choose to not be part of the violent government process that locks people up, fines them (steals their money), and taxes them to pay for wars (taxation is theft). Freedom of choice doesn't mean you have to choose something. You can choose nothing. I live my life, as best I can, so that the government is rendered as useless as possible. I think Prince did that too. He was happy, and had no involvement in government, yet understood the social impact of government interference in humanity. I could go on, but I won't. . In short, I like a lot of the things he said in "The One". But it took me a while to appreciate it. Sorry, it's the Hodgkin's talking. | |
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I'm on the same page with you, just trying to be autonomous as possible. I really don't know if you can do that in this society. I know you certainly can do so much living inside of a society but even if you veer way off and live out in the middle of nowhere it's no guarantee that you'll be left alone. I've thought about it a lot, this government is subtly oppressive and controlling as hell. People actually think we're free. So, do i live on an Indian Reservation? Buy a plot of land or just leave the country. No one gets away from the misery of our culture, we think because we have tons of cool toys and a little bit of money and ain't starving that all is good. Well, if that were the case, people would be nicer to each other, in traffic, with their families and friends and they wouldn't pill pop, drink, smoke themselves to an early death. gotta be a better place on the planet. Never will understand why certain segments of our country even stay here really. | |
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It's not just the U.S. The whole world is a shitshow. Humanity is a shitshow. "Drop that stereo before I blow your Goddamn nuts off, asshole!"
-Eugene Tackleberry | |
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ya, the older I get the more this race breaks ol pete's heart. But gotta be somewhere you can go. gotta be. | |
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The only bonkers thing I see is the lack of paragraphs! RIP | |
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PeteSilas said:
ya, the older I get the more this race breaks ol pete's heart. But gotta be somewhere you can go. gotta be. Still trying to find your way back home? Me too... | |
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A Prince fan can only follow the music. Not his mental plane. Which was full of broken bottles and hypocrisy. This is someone who started to break up words and act according to their component parts. Who believed in fairy tales and chemtrails. Watch that shameful Tavis Smiley 2009 interview. Ignore if you can how good he looks and how well he speaks. He might be as far in appearance from the last decade of Bobby Fischer, but his mindless, racist ranting is just as bad. And Smiley is horrifyingly complicit in the whole thing. The moment he ignores a plethora of barking mad and offensive BS to say *his* fans need to know why the man espousing theocratic order isn't a supporter of Obama truly beggars belief. The tragedy for Prince is he had too many Tavis Smileys in his life and not enough Kevin Smiths. | |
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Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
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Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
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I've always thought this was and is a beautiful song. . After 16/17 years, I don't see what the problem is and why raise it now. .
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Didnt read what you said. Just know that all Geniuses think differently than the rest of us. With all greatness there is oddity. (Insert something clever here) | |
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Racist? The wooh is on the one! | |
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Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
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U forgot the War. All you others say Hell Yea!! | |
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Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
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