I think I count as a former christian, although the abusive environment in which I was raised is not what I now understand to be mainstream christianity.
My problem with atonement from a specifically evangelical/fundamentalist christian viewpoint is first that it's substitutionary. Jesus died...
I would think that chronology is essential if you want to get any real idea of the bigger picture. Christianity and Islam have evolved to such an extent as to be in many ways unrecognizable as descendants of Judaism, yet that's where the roots are. If you want to understand the whys and...
What Shyanekh said. We use language because we're attempting to communicate; if everyone has his or her own definition of words and concepts, language is bereft of meaning and we can't understand each other. This includes religious language.
It's a very convenient way for people to back-pedal...
Well, I'd yell at someone else to call 911, start CPR, if there was any way to do so, and leave the praying to someone else.
Honestly I'm not sure what the idea behind the OP is, unless it's to purposely irritate religious people with a large helping of condescension before lunch; but I...
Not surprisingly, given my choice of spirituality, I believe dogma always does harm when it is set forth as the Truth to the exclusion of all else. Dogma etymologically just means an opinion or a tenet, what someone thinks is true; in that sense, we all have dogma about everything.
I believe...
My son got me to play WoW once a few years ago, and it was pretty intriguing. Since I'm actually a Druid, though, when and if I play RPGs I don't play Druids; I generally play a character nothing like myself IRL. :)
:confused: What the hell is this even about? I have no idea why you quoted me in order to say this. My only remark on this entire thread has been to clarify that I believe bisexuality is just as natural - meaning based on the scientific laws of nature - as hetero or homosexuality.
Bisexuality is no different from hetero- or homosexuality; you still do not choose to whom you're attracted, because it is still a matter of hormonal interaction within the endocrine system. No one has control over that. The only difference is the potential for attraction is universal instead of...
...:areyoucra great bleeding grief, is that her wedding picture? I can't really tell where her face actually is, but I can see enough to know she's full of crap about simply wanting to break a record. She went for some ostentatious jewelry; and unless the blue skin is copper poisoning, she also...
First, let me say I advocate the right of choice for the mother in every situation, out of sheer pragmatism. Women who are determined to have an abortion will find a way to do so, one way or another; it is far preferable to have this done in a clean, health-promoting environment.
As to the OP...
Friday night, I saw last year's 'Dorian Grey' with Colin Firth as Harry (who is admittedly the main reason I wanted to see it). It was surprisingly well-done, with the glaring exception of the *cough* 'special effects'. The subtlety of the picture's horror is part of the whole atmosphere of...
Agreed insofar as it is healthiest for us as social animals to engage in both group and solitary activities - spiritual or otherwise.
But I disagree that one 'cannot' worship alone; it is possible that I disagree because I define worship differently than you do. For me the connections are...
Oh, agreed. :yes: But the fact that humans have always engaged in a certain behavior so far does not mean we must always continue to engage in it. We have a relatively short history on the planet, and all in all I think we can be moderately enthusiastic about our ability to change our behavior...
I was in the midst of replying to this half an hour ago, and then my computer restarted itself because of a(NOTHER) frikkin Windows update. It's been doing this every day for a few days now. Arrrghhh! :computer:
OK, on topic: I agree with what others have said thus far. Both religion and...