Kevin's Watch

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Avatar:
Hey, if you want crazy and in love with God, try Khalil Gibran. Very Happy I liked him so much it was         
   years before I realised he was a Christian. Wink

Linah H.:
                                           Avatar wrote:                                                     
   Hey, if you want crazy and in love with God, try Khalil Gibran. Very Happy I liked him so much it was         
                              years before I realised he was a Christian. Wink                                                                                                       
      Cool.                                                                                                      
      I totally count that as a recommendation around here.                                                      
      Tell us more about him on this thread?                                                                     
      (Because I'm lazy and like getting info about some things through social conversations?)

peter:
We posted pretty much simultaneously Linah; You betcha! Always keen to learn something new and totally        
   agree - a site like this is a much more fun way of getting ino than loads of dredging through the nets!       
   ;)

Vraith:
                                           Avatar wrote:                                                     
   Hey, if you want crazy and in love with God, try Khalil Gibran. Very Happy I liked him so much it was         
                              years before I realised he was a Christian. Wink                                   
                                                    --A                                                          
                                                                                                                 
      I've read "The Prophet" a couple times now.                                                                
      [I own an old copy that I found in a used shop...got it for a buck, I think. I don't think it is           
      valuable...but I like old books, even worthless ones. I like opening them up and I like looking at them    
      on my shelves.]                                                                                            
      Many pieces/parts I think are just spectacular. I think if you like poetry at all, you'll find at least    
   some things to like in him.                                                                                   
   [I didn't like him at all the very first time I read anything---that was like 30 years ago or something,      
   though].                                                                                                      
   But I'd be careful calling him "Christian."                                                                   
   It is true in some sense---and he was religious/spiritually oriented beyond any question.
But his poetry, and more importantly he himself, was much more syncretic/idiosyncratic.

Avatar:
I love "The Prophet." I have large chunks of it by heart, because, well, I just like poetry. Very Happy         
   And he was a Christian. Very Happy The Maronite Church is the largest Christian denomination in Lebanon, nearly 1/4 of the population, and despite being influenced by Islam, he self-identified as a Christian.       
   Hell, his mother was the daughter of a priest.                                                                
   Linah, so much easier just to give you a link. Wink He was very prolific, both in art and his writing,        
   and died in his late 40's.                                                                                    
   My introduction to him was via my mother, one of whose students gave her a copy of The Prophet in the         
   early 70's. (I still have that same copy. ) My father had an LP of The Prophet read by Richard Harris,        
   so that's sorta always how I hear it in my head.                                                              
   Written in the 20's, The Prophet was probably his best known book. Here's the Wiki entry on him:              
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kahlil_Gibran                                                                    
   And the full text of The PRophet is available here: http://leb.net/mira/works/prophet/prophet.html            
   broken into chapters. Although you should pair that with his hand drawn illustrations for it. Here are        
   some found via image search/

Vraith:
                                           Avatar wrote:                                                                                       
   And he was a Christian. Very Happy                                                                            
                  --A                                                                                            
                                                                                                                 
      I don't want this to, in any way, devolve/twist into any kind of "true Christian" discussion...            
      But---in most defined Churches, he'd be severed into pieces [literarily] for the parts they like, and      
      dismissed/labeled misguided in the other parts. More strict Churches would just call him "heretic" or      
      "blasphemer" and be done with it. [old/fanatic/empowered ones would sever him literally].                  
      But---if you read it without knowing God/Christianity is part of it, you'll obviously miss a lot.          
      OTOH---if you approach it from some Christian frame, you will miss, misinterpret, or [in extreme cases]    
      deny even more.                                                                                            
      I'm not sure he or "TP" is a fit for this thread...except for the point you already made on loving God.    
      OTOH, maybe he/it are.                                                                                     
      Pretty easy to find things on his life---and "TP" is very short, very free, and lovely.

Avatar:
There are so many differences between all the various sects of Christianity, that from an atheist             
   perspective it scarcely makes a difference. :biggrin: If somebody says "I'm a Christian" then I assume       
   they are.                                                                                                     
   Really, to my mind the only technical criteria for being Christian is believing Jesus was the son of God      
   and that he died for your sins. (Maybe that he was resurrected as well, but maybe not necessarily.)           
   Anyway, not to derail the thread too far too quickly, yes, short, free and lovely. I quite like his           
   brand of Christianity, whatever it is. (As expressed therein anyway. Very Happy )                             
   --A

peter:
Sounds like a book I have to take on board at some point. Like V. I love old books and not for their          
   value but for their 'feel'. I'll hunt a copy down and then report back.

Avatar:
Or just follow the link in my post and read it online while you look for a print copy. Wink                   
   --A

Damelon:
Avatar wrote:                                                    
   Really, to my mind the only technical criteria for being Christian is believing Jesus was the son of God      
     and that he died for your sins. (Maybe that he was resurrected as well, but maybe not necessarily.)         
                                                                                                                 
      My understanding is that the main criteria to be christian (at least to the Catholics and Orthodox) is     
      accepting the Nicene Creed.                                                                                
      To the original post, I know a little bit about Augustine and Luther. (I have a small book on Augustine    
      lying about the house somewhere) but not enough to discuss them, let alone the others, intelligently.

Fist and Faith:
Another atheist's view... :lol: I'd define Christian as a follower of Christ. And I've never heard         
   anything that makes me think anyone has the most objectively accurate or true interpretation of Christ,       
   giving them the authority to say others claiming to be Christians really aren't.

Avatar, on "The Prophet":
It's short. You can read each chapter in under 10 mins. :biggrin: But hey, however you read it, just         
   read it. :biggrin: Everybody should, at least once.                                                          
   --A

Linah Heartlistener:
Just opened up the Wikipedia page Av referenced and I am totally intrigued by this character.                 
   "Third most read poet behind Shakespeare and Laozi"?                                                          
   And I couldn't remember hearing of him?                                                                       
   My ignorance...
   <snip administrative stuff>

Avatar:
I coulda sworn there was a thread somewhere, but can't find it. Go for it. I can quote The Prophet            
   endlessly. Wink                                                                                               
   Oh, wait, found these:                                                                                        
   Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) by Lord Mhoram, last posted in in 2005 and Kahlil Gibran started by Biff and        
   last posted in in 2003. Very Happy                                                                            
   --A

peter:
OK - Got my copy of "The Prophet" [well - the one I borrowed anyway], tonight I'll read what I can [I may finish it in one sitting or mabe it'll take two] and I'll report back on my thinking. For my part, I think everybody should read "The Man Who Planted Trees" at least once ;)