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Brian Dewey wrote:
I can't believe I am partaking in thread necromancy (6 years old)...but here goes:
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Some subjects qualify as "once and future threads" ...
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Brian Dewey wrote:
This subject has/is also of interest for me, but for entirely different reasons. I come from the perspective of someone who spent several years in the seminary preparing for the Roman Catholic priesthood. In the end, I chose not to pursue that path as it ultimately was not a suitable lifestyle for me (i.e. that whole celibacy thing...I admit that I enjoy the company of women too much ).
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Samuel Johnson, whom I reacquainted myself with recently, once said that while marriage has many pains, celibacy has no pleasures.
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Brian Dewey wrote:
From my experience, Catholics (even devout ones such as myself) usually don't have a problem with Aikido...even with it's most traditional and overtly Shinto aspects. Why? I think it is because Catholicism is very symbolical in its essence: sacraments, liturgy, saints, hierarchical clergy, etc. I can easily find several parallels between Catholicism and Aikido...far too much and too detailed to write here. They all compliment one another quite well and Aikido has become a devotional for me, with bokken and jo as rosaries.
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Embrace your enemy while "turning the other cheek," and genuflect = Kokyunage, ... so pretty much, yeah ...
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Brian Dewey wrote:
Evangelicals regard Aikido as an "eastern religion." Bowing is considered an idolatrous act, as is the presence of the shomen...which is regarded as a pagan shrine of false gods (Shinto kami) and a false messiah (O'Sensei).
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Veneration and due homage in appreciation does not equal worship. Why do they not get that?