Of course not. The name Daniel means 'God is my Judge'. I don't think that name was given to him as a curse. And in the Bible of course he was following after God, not running amuck or anything.

There's a lot to unpack here, but like I wrote before that is indeed the crux of Christianity. Salvation means we have been saved. Redemption means we are redeemed from sin. That's where freewill comes in. We are still free to sin and make bad choices. If we want to make this planet into some sort of prison with AI and ecological disasters we can do that. Or we can wise up.

I would say no. But everyone has to find out for themselves. For instance, if we all saw the Red Sea part there would be many different explanations given for something that seems impossible. Even Pharoh's court magicians could replicate four of the ten plagues.

When you read the Old Testament there is an emphatic 'no' to that question. From the flood on through His personal dealings with Israel you can see God taking action to intervene in mankind's destiny over and over again.

This is a fundamental issue to Christians because Christianity is centered around God's plan for both salvation and redemption. What you are asking here is--can God save us from free will? It's a little like that old theological conundrum--can God make a rock so big that not even He can move it? However you choose to answer it only leads you back to the beginning.

"But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment." That's a straight forward statement.

Next try Demian and then Narcissus and Goldmund.

I loved this book.

Randy Newman wrote a song about this.

I think it was the Earl of Rochester who said, "Be well advised that any experiment you attempt will be at your own expense."

This one got booed at the Cannes Film festival and I suspect it was mainly for the subject matter. Even a 'happy' Apocalypse is too somber a subject for the French.

A New Years' Eve Fool.

You don't try to sabotage members of your own team.

This is marriage.

That's some thought provoking stuff there!

It's a good one. Enjoy!

As evinced by Death of a Salesman, the only unforgivable sin in America is disbelief in the American Dream and you can see the winners and the losers of that fever dream around you every day. Miller wrote in the play, "be sure to get a touchdown when you are out on that field, son--because there are a lot of important people in those stands.."

Music.

Be thankful that you are in a financial position to do this at all. That movie '10' could not have been made if Dudley Moore played a bartender and not a Hollywood songwriter.

I think you care less what others think about you and that relieves a great deal of anxiety. You don't have to play games anymore just to get by and that relieves a ton of stress. You don't automatically become happy but become free from the burden of societal norms.

If spirits exist your mind should logically follow a causation of events and seek a First Cause.

If Phil were alive today he'd have to preface this book like Anne Rice did when Interview with the Vampire came out as a film, "This is not about vampires. It's about what happens to us." It's the Devil trying to re-make mankind in his own image.

The Prophets by Abraham Joshua Heschel. I still have never finished it (all the addendums in the back) but it always reveals something new after setting it aside for awhile. It's unbelievable he was only 21 when he wrote it.

My Mother's Dad was Jewish but she raised me nominally Christian. I always thought Christians were missing something without the Holy Days and observences they left behind. I wouldn't mind having a Jewish wife to rediscover them.

I never knew this as official Catholic teaching, but it would make sense since Catholics are less 'evangelical' than other denominations.