Given to fly - Jesus is real and I'm an Atheist

fuzzychickens

Seriously, I'm an Atheist and Jesus was real.

This is the most powerful song I have ever heard from Pearl Jam, it gets more powerful every day.

We will be saved - Religion has corrupted the wisdom of Jesus.

The money changers have wrecked this world.

Rational thought and avoiding circular logic was something Jesus would have taught.

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good"

Atheists and the religious agree on so much, but they are BOTH blind to the truth.

We will all understand soon enough. We all have much to learn, myself included.

Thank you Pearl Jam, your music has touched my life - I haven't cried so hard in a long time as when I listened to this song again yesterday with a new understanding.

We are not alone in this universe. We can be saved.

pandora

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoBPD9m8 ... re=related
hope you don't mind I thought it would be nice to listen to this wonderful inspirational song and see the beautiful people who love it!

fuzzychickens

Thank you for sharing.

I think the chains are about to be thrown off.

I love you all, I love Pearl Jam for their strength over the years.

Hope for a better life for all of us.

I will be watching the skies - this killing, pain, hate, and suffering needs to stop.

Got a hard hard head

It's great that people get such emotions from a song. There is no right or wrong intepretation, only your own personal one, and that is the beauty of Pearl Jam's music.

Personally, for me this song represents someone having a vision, an almost out-of-body experience. Is he dreaming? Is he stoned?

'He made it to the ocean, had a smoke in a tree'

Whichever, the guy in the song has certainly had a moment of pure and absolute clarity about the problems in this world. But no-one wil listen, taking what he has to say as the rantings of a lunatic / drug addict.

To me, the line "first he was stripped and then he was stabbed" is a metaphor to the way society rejects his dream of a world without prejudice, hatred and war. A few share his dream - "the love he receives is the love that is saved".

BinauralJam

Andrew James Aumann wrote:

Seriously, I'm an Atheist and Jesus was real.

This is the most powerful song I have ever heard from Pearl Jam, it gets more powerful every day.

We will be saved - Religion has corrupted the wisdom of Jesus.

The money changers have wrecked this world.

Rational thought and avoiding circular logic was something Jesus would have taught.

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good"

Atheists and the religious agree on so much, but they are BOTH blind to the truth.

We will all understand soon enough. We all have much to learn, myself included.

Thank you Pearl Jam, your music has touched my life - I haven't cried so hard in a long time as when I listened to this song again yesterday with a new understanding.

We are not alone in this universe. We can be saved.

+1

alivegirl

"Arms wide open with the sea as his floor" , this line hits hard every time i hear it.

in eds tree

for some reason "a wave came crashing like a fist to the jaw" just kills me every time. def my favorite pj song.

fuzzychickens

Another thing I've realized - you find bits of wisdom in the strangest places.

I now realize how I must let go of fear. Without it, no one can control me - and no one can twist my sense of what is right and wrong.

What an amazing transformation it would be if everyone on this planet let go of fear.

fuzzychickens

I'm not an atheist anymore.

Also, those who control us with fear - we must be able to forgive.

We can never consider ourselves truly free if we don't offer our love to them - hate will not set you free, it will only damage your spirit.

Macca.

I doubt you ever were Andrew. You're entitled to believe whatever you want though as long as Pearl Jam is rockin' you along the way.

made us stars

Given to Fly gives me chills, good chills. Especially "and sometimes you see a strange spot in the sky, a human being that was given to fly." I've always really dug this line and the song. I think it offers hope. I've always wondered if it was about Jesus, or just a symbolic (or non-symbolic) story. It's a damn good song that I can't believe wasn't written til 98ish.

fuzzychickens

edited for clarity

whispering hands

Andrew James Aumann wrote:

Another thing I've realized - you find bits of wisdom in the strangest places.

I now realize how I must let go of fear. Without it, no one can control me - and no one can twist my sense of what is right and wrong.

What an amazing transformation it would be if everyone on this planet let go of fear.

You'd be surprised how hard it is to let go of your fears, especially when you were raised in fear ( of everything from your mother to the world outside, trust me it's taken ME myself 36 years to learn to do this), but once you do it is the most free feeling in the world.. This song has helped me alot simply for the fact that I AM a Christian but the lyrics are soooo true, and it makes my angers and fears and hopes, as well as the solutions to all come alive for me; makes my emotions seem tangible for a second. Then once the song is over I feel clean like I can start anew again.. it is a constant reminder of the power of music... God Bless Pearl Jam I don't know if I'd be here without their music..

Cradles Broken Glass

Andrew James Aumann wrote:

I just realized something.

Everyone I have shaken hands with has nothing to fear. My wife, my child - even though they only know me by my birth name - they can't be touched. I've never said who I was in a previous life.

Seriously, whoever you are, come meet me, shake my hand - tell me your name and I'll say, "Hi, I'm Andrew James Aumann."

Or I could introduce myself first.

If you want, we can talk about sports or just spend the entire time walking while I introduce myself to other people. I used to be an introvert - I'd like to meet you, whoever you are.

My address is:

13111 W. Markham St. #72
Little Rock, Arkansas 72211

I enjoyed your story Andrew, it's amazing how their lyrics can touch you. No matter what you believe in, there is hope in one form or another in many of their songs. I've always been in church and I've been having the reverse struggle of you here lately, but I can listen to some PJ and no matter my thoughts or feelings I can always take something meaningful to me away from them, or at least just play the music so loud I that I feel awesome,lol. By the way, nice to meet antother Arkansas person on here.

Gern Blansten

Great song....I am also an atheist and remain one

Eddie is an atheist so I don't think I would use his songs as fodder for Jesus

pandora

Funny we all have different favorite lines of the song, I guess that must be a clue on how many hearts are touched by these beautiful lyrics
mine
"And he still gives his love he just gives it away
The love he receives is the love that is saved"
I believe when we leave this world the love we have received is all we take with us. It's not how much we love but how much we are loved by others. And the more love we show others the more we get in return.
I have a hard time believing, at this time in Ed's life, that he is a nonbeliever. I know some want to think he believes as he did as a twenty something but there has been a lifetime of experience. Loving, losing those he loved, having his little ones, making sense of his life, of any betrayal and pain and putting it to rest. He just seems so very spiritual to me to not believe in the hereafter and whatever it is that goes with that.

Cradles Broken Glass

pandora wrote:

Funny we all have different favorite lines of the song, I guess that must be a clue on how many hearts are touched by these beautiful lyrics
mine
"And he still gives his love he just gives it away
The love he receives is the love that is saved"
I believe when we leave this world the love we have received is all we take with us. It's not how much we love but how much we are loved by others. And the more love we show others the more we get in return.
I have a hard time believing, at this time in Ed's life, that he is a nonbeliever. I know some want to think he believes as he did as a twenty something but there has been a lifetime of experience. Loving, losing those he loved, having his little ones, making sense of his life, of any betrayal and pain and putting it to rest. He just seems so very spiritual to me to not believe in the hereafter and whatever it is that goes with that.

That's my thinking too, Pandora.

Gern Blansten

I won't try to quote him but based on what Eddie said the other night in Columbus I think he's still an atheist.

It isn't likely that an atheist will change their minds....once you are enlightened there is rarely a case where one goes backwards.

pandora

Gern Blansten wrote:

I won't try to quote him but based on what Eddie said the other night in Columbus I think he's still an atheist.

It isn't likely that an atheist will change their minds....once you are enlightened there is rarely a case where one goes backwards.

but he does believe wholeheartedly in "the other side" wouldn't you say? I'm planning on meeting him there how 'bout you?

Gern Blansten

No...I don't think he believes that at all...

I won't try to say I know for sure...he's obviously not here to say so but that's what I believe and whatever you believe is fine as well.

pandora

Gern Blansten wrote:

No...I don't think he believes that at all...

I won't try to say I know for sure...he's obviously not here to say so but that's what I believe and whatever you believe is fine as well.

this is why you are such a great person, I have noticed this about you. You are very fair and accepting of others, not testy or pushy
even if you are really scary looking I am glad you are here

fuzzychickens

Well, I just spent 5 days in a mental institution - I only did it to make my wife feel better after I told her everything.

Now I understand the lyrics to the song "lithium" by Nirvana. Funny, lithium did nothing to me - just like everything else. It's great, I love spicy food - I can taste it but it can't burn me.

I decided I couldn't pretend I was delusional for my wife - a better life awaits us all.

I'm just like all of you, just another human being.

I love you.

Wilds

Andrew you are a lucky man to have such a loving wife. I'm sure she gives good advice as does mine.

Keep her wishes close to you as she can help get you through life. Be there for each other above all else in tough times.

ricardofurriel

Wilds is the man. All I have to say

Gern Blansten

Andrew James Aumann wrote:

Well, I just spent 5 days in a mental institution - I only did it to make my wife feel better after I told her everything.

Now I understand the lyrics to the song "lithium" by Nirvana. Funny, lithium did nothing to me - just like everything else. It's great, I love spicy food - I can taste it but it can't burn me.

I decided I couldn't pretend I was delusional for my wife - a better life awaits us all.

I'm just like all of you, just another human being.

I love you.

you told your wife you weren't an atheist anymore and she sent you to a mental institution?

did I read that correctly?

fuzzychickens

Gern Blansten wrote:

Andrew James Aumann wrote:

Well, I just spent 5 days in a mental institution - I only did it to make my wife feel better after I told her everything.

Now I understand the lyrics to the song "lithium" by Nirvana. Funny, lithium did nothing to me - just like everything else. It's great, I love spicy food - I can taste it but it can't burn me.

I decided I couldn't pretend I was delusional for my wife - a better life awaits us all.

I'm just like all of you, just another human being.

I love you.

you told your wife you weren't an atheist anymore and she sent you to a mental institution?

did I read that correctly?

Well, it's more than just that.

I also told her that we'll all experience paradise very soon, that lucifer and Jesus are the same person, God is perfect and will never judge us, the trinity really represents a 3 way relationship (2 women and 1 man) - God has no issue with whatever sexual orientation one has, God has NEVER lost a soul (human or alien), drugs have no effect on me, 2012 will be the end of our time on earth and the clock will be reset, money will cease to have any relevance soon - it will be just a memory, aliens are all around and on earth right now, and much much more.

So with all that, you can see why she wanted me to get "help". It was a fun experience overall - I met some wonderful people at the hospital. I just reached a point where I couldn't pretend I was delusional anymore. I really believe our lives are about to change for the better.

I also believe Pearl Jam's music played a big part in my awakening.

Gern Blansten

uh...you need to go back to that institution man....seriously

Macca.

:shock:

Wow.

whispering hands

wow this took an odd turn huh?

MoonTurtle

so what is this thread about?

given to fly - great song

jesus was real - cool

you are an atheist - cool

fuzzychickens

Gern Blansten wrote:

uh...you need to go back to that institution man....seriously

Well, I can prove the drugs have no effect at least.

I've been on risperidone and lithium (1200mg/day) for 10 days now and I do not notice a thing - no side-effects and no therapeutic action I'm told it is supposed to have.

Some other things: coffee or any caffeine has not worked for me since mother's day, alcohol used to get me buzzed with one beer - now, no amount does squat.

I also seem to only take a dump if I get angry - weird.