Questions for Callaway

[Callaway]

ok. so what makes Renaeden an enigma?

She is an enigma to me, anyway.  She makes me want to be a better person.

[Callaway]

Do you feel that your morals are intrinsic,
or is your faith essential to them? I'm
not asking whether the source is God,
but rather if you would maintain them
in some hypothetical situation, if you didn't
believe. I'm not even sure that's an answerable
question though.

That is a difficult question. 

I think that my morals are partially intrinsic and are partially because of the way my parents raised me.  For example, when I was a little kid, one time I took two toys at the dentist instead of just one after my appointment.  I hid the second toy, but when my mother saw it after I got into the car, she sent me right back into the dentist's office, alone, to return both toys.  That was tough for me, but it was the right thing to do.  I think that most moral values exist independently of a belief in a deity.

[Eclair]

Do you feel that your morals are intrinsic,
or is your faith essential to them? I'm
not asking whether the source is God,
but rather if you would maintain them
in some hypothetical situation, if you didn't
believe. I'm not even sure that's an answerable
question though.

That is a difficult question. 

I think that my morals are partially intrinsic and are partially because of the way my parents raised me.  For example, when I was a little kid, one time I took two toys at the dentist instead of just one after my appointment.  I hid the second toy, but when my mother saw it after I got into the car, she sent me right back into the dentist's office, alone, to return both toys.  That was tough for me, but it was the right thing to do.  I think that most moral values exist independently of a belief in a deity.

Interesting concept.  I was bought up with similar values.  I just rebelled on some things as I got older....not that I was a problem for my parents, but generally being a naughty girl appeals to my need to revolt against always being told I had to be a good girl and do the right thing.

[El]

Since religion was brought up-  How do you interpret the Judeo-Christian prohibition on "taking the Lord's name in vain" from the ten commandments?  I know there are different interpretations on it, even different sets of commandments, between Catholics and Protestants; I wonder if you have a unique take on it.

[McGiver]

can i answer:
i think that you are not supposed to use gods name in the same breath as works of the devil.

[Callaway]

Since religion was brought up-  How do you interpret the Judeo-Christian prohibition on "taking the Lord's name in vain" from the ten commandments?  I know there are different interpretations on it, even different sets of commandments, between Catholics and Protestants; I wonder if you have a unique take on it.

I was never completely clear about this.

I know that Jewish people never use God's name at all.  If they write it they leave out the o, so they write G_d.

What's your point-of-view concerning it?

[Litigious]

"Thou shalt not misuse the name of God, your Lord, because the Lord won't let the one stay unpunished that misuses His name."

That's an almost literal translation from the Swedish Bible.

You shouldn't say "Oh, my God", but I also think that you shouldn't say his name, which isn't "God" but "Jehova" or "Jahve".

[duncvis]

*tries very hard not to be gleefully blasphemous* 

[Callaway]

"Thou shalt not misuse the name of God, your Lord, because the Lord won't let the one stay unpunished that misuses His name."

That's an almost literal translation from the Swedish Bible.

You shouldn't say "Oh, my God", but I also think that you shouldn't say his name, which isn't "God" but "Jehova" or "Jahve".

In that case, I blaspheme regularly.

[El]

Since religion was brought up-  How do you interpret the Judeo-Christian prohibition on "taking the Lord's name in vain" from the ten commandments?  I know there are different interpretations on it, even different sets of commandments, between Catholics and Protestants; I wonder if you have a unique take on it.

I was never completely clear about this.

I know that Jewish people never use God's name at all.  If they write it they leave out the o, so they write G_d.

What's your point-of-view concerning it?

I'm not 100% sure, but I think that the ten commandments are by and large pretty sensical, but a prohibition on something as simple as a linguistic fuckup seems too nitpicky to be one of the Big Ten.  However, if you take it a different way- "taking in vain" meaning a vow rather than something you say when you stub your toe- it makes more sense.  Certainly, it's unethical to make an extremely solemn vow and not intend to keep it, like saying "I swear to God I will do this" but lyring about it.  Further, I think most people would agree (although differently interpret) the fact that it's a bad thing to commit atrocities in the name of your god.

I don't know the nuances of the original Hebrew, but according to Wikipedia (which is sometimes useful), there are some people who do go by an interpretation along that line.

[McGiver]

Callaway,
what should i know about refinancing my home.

all i am looking for is the best and least expensive way of lowering my interest rate to a fixed loan.

[Callaway]

Callaway,
what should i know about refinancing my home.

all i am looking for is the best and least expensive way of lowering my interest rate to a fixed loan.

Do you currently have an adjustable rate loan?

Do you have good credit?

What term do you want to pay the loan back?  30, 20, or 15 years?

The important things to look for are the effective interest rates, which will be given as APR's and also the company you will be doing business with.

[McGiver]

Callaway,
what should i know about refinancing my home.

all i am looking for is the best and least expensive way of lowering my interest rate to a fixed loan.

Do you currently have an adjustable rate loan?

Do you have good credit?

What term do you want to pay the loan back?  30, 20, or 15 years?

The important things to look for are the effective interest rates, which will be given as APR's and also the company you will be doing business with.

yeah, ours is adjustable.  it was fixed at 5 1/2 but when i got very ill two years ago we needed money quick, so we refinanced.  it isn't a horrible loan, but i am worried about it's future.


my credit is so so.  i have this one credit card that i stopped paying.  when i got sick we put all credit on a ardship case.  citi-bank (used to be sears) termes were that we would pay zero interest and zero late fees if we wrote them six checks for a certain dollar amount.  then they would take that amount deposit each check each month.
funny, they kept dipositing the checks, but they were still charging us interest and late fees, and even at the end of the six months they were charging us over the limit fees as well, thatnks to all these other charges.

i kept trying to work it out with them, and they kept telling me it was fixed.  but each month i would have to call them again.
anyways, at the end of the six months, i told them that i was not going to pay them one more cent until they fixed all the eroneous charges and they sent me a breakdown of all charges against the card for twelve months.
needless to say they never did.

so i quit paying them.  now they sold it to someone else, and i still refuse to pay because i feel that citi bank defrauded me, and they sold a bogus debt to a collection agency.

sorry about that long story.


30 years would be fine.  i feel that we can plop down an extra couple of payments per year, in about two years.  which would probably cut the term down by about a third, anyways.

[McGiver]

i bit the inside of my cheek last week and it still hasn't healed.
it seems to be even more inflamed when i wake up each morning.
it is driving me nuts.
what can i do to speed up the healing process?

[Litigious]

Gargle with 1.5% hydrogen peroxide or 1-2% chlorohexidine solution.