sgallan

I'm no learned scientist, and I've not seen the movie in question. Further, I'm well aware that I.D. folk are very good at debating in front of general audiences, but have gained little traction in the scientific community, thus far. First, any good debater can debate pretty much anything..... either side of an issue. Second, if you want an insight as to why it isn't good science, read what the Judge in Pennsylvania had to write in his decision. It is over 100 pages long (start on pg 28 to get past the legalize stuff at the beginning). The Judge who wrote that decision was a Bush appointee, a Christian, and a conservative. Yet he shredded the whole ID concept in a science venue. It was brutal. http://www.pamd.uscourts.gov/kitzmiller/kitzmiller_342.pdf

I was heartened that the responses to this piece were/are overwhelmingly positive.

My view is that 80% or more of the sisters seemed to always feel unworthy On a more practical note, I can tell you for a fact that my then convert wife NEVER felt "worthy". It is a non-issue now, she is bi-polar and brain damaged due to drug abuse, but that was her experience then. Given she already had "issues" going back a lifetime, this phenomina - while not the causation for later problems - obviously didn't help much either.

All men have them. In my experience more than just a couple of women have them as well.

That depends on how you quote them and what manner you use to attack those who don't believe in your interpetation of what they quoted, because it sounds to me like you are setting yourself up as their "one true" spokesperson, and interpeter.

The government of France commissioned an agency to study and investigate cult activity in the country. Apparently Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Scientologists, Transcendental Meditation, the Church of Christ, Pentecostals, and Evangelicals all qualify! I knew that!

You know when you do the "hero worship - they are basically God" thing ,with regards to past Apostles, it comes off as a little odd. Your not really meaning to come off this way are you?

So when does all this lusting I am supposed to be enjoying start?

On this earth they were carefree, live for the moment, could care less about Jesus Christ, and all they wanted to do was party and have fun. In short irresponsible. That is the usual stereotype of somebody who doesn't believe as you do - since they don't they are somehow "bad". The more interesting senario is somebody who was carefree but still responsible, could care less about Jesus Christ,and didn't really party all that much, but had a heck of a good time, by doing a lot of really good things. What about that senario?

There is no such thing as a second chance to gain salvation. This life is the time and the day of our probation. After this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. This is why I would want nothing to do with this particular version of God. Any diety that would punish eternally, for an unbelievably short period of time when compared to 'forever', given all the contradictorial evidences, and religions, in the World; not to mention those born in cultures where finding this version of Gods true religion is all but impossible, is a God I am not interested in even meeting much less spending an eternity with.

See, now here is the thing with this statement..... "There are those who believe that the doctrine of salvation for the dead offers men a second chance for salvation. I knew a man, now deceased, not a member of the Church, who was a degenerate old reprobate who found pleasure, as he supposed, in living after the manner of the world. A cigarette dangled from his lips, alcohol stenched his breath, and profane and bawdy stories defiled his lips. His moral status left much to be desired. So as his example he uses a person - who is not of the faith - and puts them in a terrible light. Sort of like; if you are not with us this is how you will turn out. Excuse me, I will gladly do a compare and contrast exercise in the manner I am living my life with the average devout member of any faith. He basically set up a strawman.

Judging by your posts on the evolution thread you've already taken some of those course so I guess there is room for one more Heathen...... welcome to the club.

Excuse me...... I am the resident Godless heathen thank you!

How do you define works? I define it as the evidence of my obedience to God's commandments. (Baptism, loving my neighbor, paying tithing, etc) It is the "ect" where we probably differ the most. My 'works' are being a hands on father, a teacher, a coach, a mentor, a good citizen, and to try to give more to society than I take. Given that, I figure that any God, or community of that God, that doesn't want me around is also one I don't want to be around either.

Yeah, well I think we define "works" a little differently, and thank goodness for the other part.