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This is what we have to overcome. It is unrealistic to talk about "why they shouldn't believe." We are talking about reality. We don't have a choice in what is real and what isn't. This is what we have to move beyond. Just putting out propositions won't get us anywhere. We have to deal with...

Excellent point, Chris. I am so glad to see at least one person thinking rationally about reality. Science is about factual reality. If I am asked to believe something, I DON'T think about how many people believe it or who said it. I ask whether it is factually possible. It goes without saying...

I need more evidence than you provided to say one way or another. No, this is not cut and dried. There's a way of proving how people were in the habit of writing and telling stories at that time. Maybe you don't know it but each culture has its own way of telling stories, unspoken rules that...

Hey Mason, I see it was a while ago that you posted this. Are you still here? How would you vote? I voted Christianity. Protestant. No specific denomination. I see Christianity more as a culture, a way of thinking and organizing one's thought regarding time and space, than as a set of beliefs.

Paladin: Two problems here: How do you propose that the genetic code is projected onto and reflected by the environment? You say we inherit our religion in genetic code. And suddenly we respond to violent behaviour or smiling faces as though genetics and outer behaviour were one and the same...

In what mythology or system of symbols would that be? It's not part of my inherited background so I know it's not a universal symbol for infinity. Also, why would infinity be considered sacred? This is not a challenge to your statement. It's just my curiosity getting the best of me. Or, put...

So I guess in your thoughts it is also a fact that Peregrinus resurrected or rose from the dead?

The following grew out of two distinct sources: It's the summary of an insight I acquired a few years ago when researching a paper on the Greco-Roman Mystery Religions. I posted it on another board as an outgrowth of a conversation with a fundamentalist.Interestingly enough, even though I...

Have you ever checked out the definition for universalism? I'm not sure what it is myself but I came across the term in sociology of religion and I got the idea it is the kind of religion where you believe all religions are good. I did have the impression that it meant Christians who accept all...

I like how you pin-point the exact problem with fundamentalists. It's not just a lack of respect; it's outright fear. They cannot trust anyone outside their own trusted circles. They believe the devil is out to get them in whatever shape or form. So long as I remained a member in good standing...

I very often use the term "I think" and for very good reason. It is quite normal that what I think is not the commonly-held belief. Yet it IS my experience and my conviction. Rather than stating it as an objective truth that everyone must accept or reject, I prefer to say things like I think, I...

Dondi, I would say all of the above. You might get some insight on this thread in Liberal Christianity: Alternative Christian Awakenings.

I think I understand your concern. I am not convinced that your concern is justified. Like Q said, there is one Christian for every two non-Christians. The chances that a non-Christian will pass the whole of life without any exposure whatsoever to the Bible are very slim. Compare this with the...

Q, I really like the position you take on this thread. I'm not sure how to say it but some of you insist that faith comes alone through hearing. Maybe it works this way for some people but not for everyone. Many of us grow up in church and never believe because it makes no sense. This is not...

This sounds like the most logical "official" definition to me. I realize that those of you who have a lot of emotional baggage around cults will want a definition with more "substance" or whatever. But for an objective definition I'll go with this one.

None come to mind at the moment but I've read some really beautiful ones from Native American Wise Men and Women. Also from ancient China.

What a laugh! My excuses no longer work. I've been meaning to read the DaVinci Code for some time but haven't gotten gotten around to it yet. Maybe I will have to fit it in before classes start again in the fall. I'll have to see if the public library still has a waiting list for it. I wanted to...

Okay now I understand. I thought you were talking about cultures or races. I had no idea you were talking about the level of physiology. I guess it is not without reason that I am preoccupied with cultural differences. I live with it every day of the week. I have never been exposed to the news...

If you're serious about the meaning of the word "cult," the Religious Tolerance website provides an indepth study of the word here. You have to scroll way down the page to get the "recommended definition." Their definition agrees with what Lorne L. Dawson says who specializes in the topic...

So I guess you don't want me to know what you're talking about and your call for comments was a joke.