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Eckhart Tolle actually taught a Buddhist way without addressing specific theological issues. Focus on the Power of the NOW. His Power of the NOW is basically nothing new, it is Zen.

Good post! I actually debate in an advocacy manner, and I do not necessarily believe what I believe is the 'only answer.' Nonetheless agendas do tend to cloud the dialogue. Ultimately no, there is not really AN answer, especially when your advocating a metaphysical belief.

The worst Eckhart did was rake the Roman Church over the coals for exclusive truth claims and contributing to violence and dysfunctional problems of the world. He actually was an equal opportunity critic of all churches, religions and sects which made similar claims. His theology concerning the...

As far as the Deism of our forefathers like Thomas Jefferson were more open about the rejection of traditional views of God in private letters than their public statements and Ethan Allen was clearly totally antagonistic toward the Christian concept of God and Theism. I realize there is some...

The broader school does include Ehrman, Crossan, Spong, Jesus Seminar et al, without refuting one nor another. The broadly anecdotal differences make any effort refute one nor the other an illusion. You have not demonstrated it as poor. Your assertions only demonstrate the obvious that they...

I would consider the Pantheism (Deism) of Pliny the Elder and Lucretius to be similar, and God(s) in their view is so impotent and powerless, here likely is no God in terms of a God who Creates like Thomas Jefferson supposedly publicly believed, and Pantheism is basically the physical universe...

The influence of Greek philosophy of the time, for example Platonism, and Aristotle's view of the cosmos influenced scripture and the interpretation. For the accuracy and relevance of the scripture of the time did not make the scripture irrelevant at the time, but for today ancient scripture is...

The influence of Platonism on Christianity:

The main stream you are referring to, 'good scholarship,' is a narrow view of apologetic believers. They will of course, dismiss his claims, because he does not tow the establishment line. There is no reason to dismiss his scholarship for this reason. The same is true for the scholarship of the...

My ony specific disagreement w The views you seem to support represent more a strong agnostic atheist and not deism, which would acknowledge a Creator God, though detached from Creation. My only specific disagreement with Thomas was his use of 'side show,' which I objected to. I have not...

The post you responded to was specific and to the point. It was Thomas who made the statement to pull out. Thomas is also the one trashing scholars, because he does not agree with them. He needs to calm down and address the arguments of the scholars, and not personally attack them for what they...

There is There is a difference in religious culture between the British Isles and Western and Northern Europe, and the United States and much of the third world evangelized by Conservative Christians. The British Isles and much or Western Europe, but not all, are moderate to liberal Roman and...

I am still having numerous Database errors and blank screens. Often I cannot get access to the the threads.

This is a problem of well accepted academic scholar I know personally and lives in my area. I have most of his books, and I have read them and listened to some of his public lectures. No he has not 'been strenuously rebutted.' There are, of course, disagreements between scholars, but is...

Good post! When the more liberal Protestant churches and the Roman Church propose a science friendly interpretation of Genesis and some other issues, they are unconditionally rejected. There is no middle ground regardless who draws the line in the sand.

American English has a very different meaning. 'Sideshows' are where the freaks are, and accusing someone as in it is not how you describe it. I will mark this one up to a difference in the cultural use of English. Based on the polls cited the conservative fundamentalist Creationist is not a...

If you can demonstrate a middle ground I am willing to listen, the fundamentalist literal interpretation is as much a no compromise position as much as the conservative Tea Party position in Congress and they are related in belief. Other churches like the Seventh Day Adventists offer no...

Disagree, I believe it is the consensus of apologetic scholars ONLY. Scholars like Bart D. Ehrman do not share your view. I most definitely consider critical scholarship to be beyond apologist traditional scholarship, which I do nt consider unbiased and critical as it should be. First there is...

Not all scholars. If you consider the apologetic scholars as believers, than your statement would probably be true. The anecdotal claim here is what is good scholarship. I would go far beyond the apologist scholarship of traditional Christianity in consideration as to what is 'good'...