Contemporary Christian Culture

[editor]

When I was very young, my dad would take me and my brothers fishing on the Mississippi River - those are some great memories.  I used to catch Blue Gills with my bamboo pole and a red and white bobber.  I loved squishing the worms onto the hook and watching them wiggle.

Yep, good times in the Midwest.

And Brent, there's nothin' like breaded, fried catfish!

I have no problem with catfish, but one that has to be wrestled?  Do you know how much trash and filth that fish has eaten in its lifetime?  YUCK!

Give a one pounder from a clean lake, prepared by someone who knows what they're doing, and I agree, but a 40 pound filth-feeder?  No way.

Brent

[Scott McCumber]

I have no problem with catfish, but one that has to be wrestled?  Do you know how much trash and filth that fish has eaten in its lifetime?  YUCK!

Give a one pounder from a clean lake, prepared by someone who knows what they're doing, and I agree, but a 40 pound filth-feeder?  No way.

Brent

If you're talking about hogging and catching cat, it's more of a taunting thing. Some of those suckers are over 20 pounds. Mean critters but not good eatin'.

However, if you're talking about straight catfishing you're eating good from about 1 to 3 pounds.

I'd like to do some spearfishing (it's really big around here) but the first time I ever went out with a tank I blew out my ear. Took about six months to heal.

Definitely want to learn to cast a fly, though.

S

Yep, they get to be kinda like carp at that point. Little earthy!

The rivers are for playing. Getting muddy. Canoeing. Camping. Jumping off railroad trestles.

The critters in there are fun to catch but not so much to eat - turtles being the exception. Now that's good!

Lakes are for fishing. Panfish for kids, Bass and Cat for the big boys!

I'm getting homesick. I'd get out into the rivers here but there are all kinds of venomous, flesh rending creatures around every corner. Gives me the heebie-jeebies! Course, all the people that grew up here don't think twice about it, so I guess it's what you're used to.

Scott

[Mark Kisla]

You said the magic words and now I am compelled to go trout fishing this weekend.
Aint life grand?

So which one of you guys want to teach me how to trout fish?

I've got the bass, catfish, panfish, snook, shark, frog and crab down pat. Never been fly-fishing.

S

Scott,
You have my phone #, Let me know, I have plenty of extra gear

[Mark Kisla]

You said the magic words and now I am compelled to go trout fishing this weekend.
Aint life grand?

So which one of you guys want to teach me how to trout fish?

I've got the bass, catfish, panfish, snook, shark, frog and crab down pat. Never been fly-fishing.

S

I'll take you anytime.  Wild trout can be caught within an hour's drive of my house.

Anyone who has ever fished with me has caught fish.  If you use bait I will push you into poison oak!  You must use a fly.  I don't care how many you lose in the trees, but if you fish with bait, or (gasp) a bobber    I will never take you fishing again.

Now, if YOU take ME fishing, you can fish whatever tomfool way you want!  However, we all know that fly-fishing is the proper way way to fish.

Brent

Wild trout are definately a fun challenge, they spook easy if they see or even hear/feel you.and are not like stocked areas where the trout see people every day.
Trout were introduced to popular Missouri springs in the late 1800s, but we have wild trout in secluded spring fed streams.
Fly fishing is my method of choice but I also use an ultra-lite in extreemly tight areas to reach the big boys. I love it and look forward to it. It is a skill that requires doing a lot of small things right.
My daughters orthodontist is in his 70s and a old Montana farm boy, he  loves talkin trout and tying flies.

[Mark Kisla]

I have no problem with catfish, but one that has to be wrestled?  Do you know how much trash and filth that fish has eaten in its lifetime?  YUCK!

Give a one pounder from a clean lake, prepared by someone who knows what they're doing, and I agree, but a 40 pound filth-feeder?  No way.

Brent

If you're talking about hogging and catching cat, it's more of a taunting thing. Some of those suckers are over 20 pounds. Mean critters but not good eatin'.

However, if you're talking about straight catfishing you're eating good from about 1 to 3 pounds.

I'd like to do some spearfishing (it's really big around here) but the first time I ever went out with a tank I blew out my ear. Took about six months to heal.

Definitely want to learn to cast a fly, though.

S

Yep, they get to be kinda like carp at that point. Little earthy!

The rivers are for playing. Getting muddy. Canoeing. Camping. Jumping off railroad trestles.

The critters in there are fun to catch but not so much to eat - turtles being the exception. Now that's good!

Lakes are for fishing. Panfish for kids, Bass and Cat for the big boys!

I'm getting homesick. I'd get out into the rivers here but there are all kinds of venomous, flesh rending creatures around every corner. Gives me the heebie-jeebies! Course, all the people that grew up here don't think twice about it, so I guess it's what you're used to.

Scott

Seems like once every 2 years you read in the paper about some retired old lady from New York who takes her poodle for a walk in Florida and some alligator ends up eating it.

[Scott McCumber]

Seems like once every 2 years you read in the paper about some retired old lady from New York who takes her poodle for a walk in Florida and some alligator ends up eating it.

You have to watch it in the spring. They don't attack people often but it's getting more and more crowded so that's going to change - kind of like the California Cougar situation.

In the spring, the big boys push all the smaller guys out of the water and they are ALL OVER the place looking for water. I mean in the ditches at Wal-Mart and the 18th green and your pool and your backyard. Everywhere.

Kinda cool but watch your kids and your yappy little mutts.

S

[Joseph Reisinger]

hi all,
Christian music.. now here's a good discussion.  Kimberley - unless i missed some posts.. it seems yours was the only one that really began to give a more open-ended perspective on things.  I can see where you are coming from Clarence - but I can't wholly agree with you.  Certainly there is an aspect of contemporary christian business that is disturbing to the conservative minded - but I believe this is much more due to a failure on the part of the traditionalists to communicate the message which all need to hear.  With each passing generation - changes happen in the next which undoubtedly upset and disturb the previous.  
The wonderful thing about the message of Christ is that it needs no set tradition for its communication.  In many ways - we saw this truth come to bear in the questioning of the assembly ways - and its particular nod toward practical implementation of new testament tradition.  What I have heard again and again since its (the assembly) general demise, is that the message of Acts is that God does not work through one method but many.  Would not this include the present situation in Contemporary Christianity?  I agree with you that packaging Christs message solely for corporate gain is wrong - in some cases severely so.  However, the fact is that thousands and thousands of young people who were deaf to the traditional message have found saving grace even through this commercialization, and though you or others may boycott the bookstores or despise the music, it serves a purpose which other avenues have failed.
As for music excellency.  I agree that it is important for the sake of music itself...  but seems to carry no weight mixed into a spiritual argument.  I myself love to play the guitar.  I wish i was more technically and theoretically sound... but i will pick up the guitar and play - regardless of whether or not i know the designation for the notes which i produce.  I play with two other guys in a band... and our band was not assembled for the purpose of mististry, but because we enjoy playing together.  The words i write in my songs are not necessarily odes to the scriptures, but are a reflection of all those things which are real to me.  what think you of this?

[Joe Sperling]

One of my favorite Christian songs of all time is "Jesus drop-kicked me through the goal posts of life"(just kidding--but it's an actual song)

Hey--got a question though regarding the posts below. There are differences between crocodiles and alligators. Someone told me that Alligators won't attack humans, but crocodiles will--is this true, false, or the other way around?

--Joe "lefty" Sperling

[Scott McCumber]

One of my favorite Christian songs of all time is "Jesus drop-kicked me through the goal posts of life"(just kidding--but it's an actual song)

Hey--got a question though regarding the posts below. There are differences between crocodiles and alligators. Someone told me that Alligators won't attack humans, but crocodiles will--is this true, false, or the other way around?

--Joe "lefty" Sperling

Joe,

Crocodiles are more likely to attack humans but probably more due to their larger numbers in more populated areas as opposed to just being more attracted to human flesh.

Possible exception being the "muggers" that live along stretches of the Nile. Nasty crocs with a learned taste for humans.

Gators are not likely to attack humans. I think the current stats are 9 attacks in the state of Florida in this century (something like that). But gators are not nearly as prevalent worldwide than crocs.

Scott "Crocodile Hunter" McCumber

PS - Just checked. Thirteen known fatalities from alligator attacks in the documented history of the state of Florida.

[d3z]

Crocodiles are more likely to attack humans but probably more due to their larger numbers in more populated areas as opposed to just being more attracted to human flesh.

Do you think that "typical" crocodiles being significantly larger than "typical" alligators might also have something to do with that they can eat.  A 20 foot long 2000 lb Nile crocodile is truly a frightening beast.

[Scott McCumber]

Crocodiles are more likely to attack humans but probably more due to their larger numbers in more populated areas as opposed to just being more attracted to human flesh.

Do you think that "typical" crocodiles being significantly larger than "typical" alligators might also have something to do with that they can eat.  A 20 foot long 2000 lb Nile crocodile is truly a frightening beast.

Dave,

Makes sense to me!

I do know gator tastes pretty good. Especially rolled in cajun spices and deep fried! Turnabout's fair play, ya know.

S

[d3z]

And for truly pointless trivia: The term alligator was introduced by Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet (actually, he spelled it alligater).  Before then, the creature was usually refererd to by its spanish name 'legarto', without the article.  Later on, as many English words changed, the 'er' was changed to 'or' and we have our modern word alligator.

[Scott McCumber]

And for truly pointless trivia: The term alligator was introduced by Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet (actually, he spelled it alligater).  Before then, the creature was usually refererd to by its spanish name 'legarto', without the article.  Later on, as many English words changed, the 'er' was changed to 'or' and we have our modern word alligator.

OK, Dave, I know why I know about gators, but what's your story?

Also, maybe we should move this to the Critters thread on the RFTW site?

S

[d3z]

OK, Dave, I know why I know about gators, but what's your story?

When I was a child, we went on a vacation to North Dakota, and visited an alligator farm they had there.  The vague memories can then easily be researched using the internet.

Dave

[Scott McCumber]

OK, Dave, I know why I know about gators, but what's your story?

When I was a child, we went on a vacation to North Dakota, and visited an alligator farm they had there.  The vague memories can then easily be researched using the internet.

Dave

A gator farm in North Dakota? That's different.

BTW, I have a friend whose young son has AS. Fortunately, they were able to get a diagnosis in 1st grade and have made adjustments that make it easier for him to do well in school, sports, etc.

S