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Mm . . . perhaps some agreed-upon definitions of terms are in order here. My understanding is that the original post was asking if God condemns--as in sending to hell--babies. I find the very idea repugnant and an insult to all persons of good will. Such an idea makes a mockery of the concept of...

Even when I was a fundamentalist Christian, Dave, I believed, and deeply, that any God who could not tolerate His followers asking questions, expressing curiosity, or using their God-given brains was a very, very small god indeed. I continue to believe that today.

I believe that Jesus's injunction that "such as these will inherit the kingdom of heaven" speaks of the believer's attitude and belief. Luke 18:17 adds to this statement: "Verily I say unto you, Whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God like a little child shall in no way enter it." This...

Ah, and a quick p.s. Brian is quite right that such behavior would not be tolerated here. I have been VERY pleased and gratified to see his vision here realized--of a forum where people of different religious or spiritual persuasions can meet and discuss diverse opinions, beliefs, and topics...

I am dismayed, WiccanWade, to hear of your treatment on that other board. As Siege (another frequent poster to this forum and the friend who introduced me to this group) would tell you, the horrific treatment of gays on a CHRISTIAN board she recently posted on was part of what led her to leave...

Yup. One of my favorite fringe-science topics. The idea is way outside the mainstream scientific/historical view right now, but there is a LOT of evidence of Celtic, pre-Celtic, Iberian, Carthaginian, Roman, and other contact with North America, going back as far as 2000 BCE. As it happens, I...

Hi, Brian! I'm of two minds, here. I like the relative simplicity of the forum as it stands. On the other hand, there are lots of things that would now fall under "Alternative Spirituality" that fit therein only with difficulty, if at all. Past topics have included mentions of ideas such as...

As usual, I have about six going at the moment. Bathroom, bedside, research books for my current writing, etc. etc. My main personal interest book at the moment, though, is "Hermetic Magic: the Postmodern Magical Papyrus of Abarus," edited by Stephen Flowers. I've long been somewhat divided...

Namaste! Actually, there already is a Science and Nature forum on this board. Brian's got some cool articles there. Check it out!

Yeah, tracing family lineages back can be fun. Sorry to admit it Brian, Seige, and the rest of you Brits out there . . . but the earliest ancestor I can find led the Bruce's cavalry at Bannockburn in 1314. Which makes MY ancestors those disgusting creatures who kept crossing Hadrian's Wall to...

I must join Brian on this one. "Bloodline" was what I was referring to when I made some disparaging comments in an earlier post about recent books and Merovingian bloodlines. This guy is the Eric van Daaniken of pseudohistory. He's also a good example of what I was talking about in that...

Ah, yes. The infamous Mensa Regional Gathering, or RG, where the leading O and trailing Y are silent. Poor Bruce! Kidnapped! Held against your will in a car with a baeutiful, brilliant, and vivacious woman! For HOURS! Oh, the horror! The HORROR! . . . I feel for you, Bruce. I really do. Even...

Man, this’s gonna be fun. I wonder, though, WiccanWade, if we shouldn’t move this over to the Alternative Spirituality board. Having a couple of Wiccans debate and discuss their religion on the Christian board isn’t exactly kosher. Ah . . . my mistake. This is Religion Central. I guess that’s...

Thanks, Seige. It's good to be back. A former friend? Do you mean Bruce? Nothing former about HIM! He and his wife are dear, dear friends and fellow witchcamp alumni. How did you happen to run into him? And what wiles did you use to lure him hence? [I KNOW how you are!]

Hi, WiccanWade! Blessed be, and great to meet you! I am also Wiccan, and also an author. I also used to be, in my misspent youth, a born-again fundamentalist Christian, so I know something of that world as well. We may have some things to share with one another. I’m afraid both the names Satan...

I agree with the statement that Pauline theology tends to take control of the Christian wagon, especially in fundamentalist circles. It’s always interesting to observe the tension between Paul’s letters—emphasis on salvation by grace, faith not works, salvation to the gentiles—and the letter...

Thanks Brian! Let's see if this works. I think I actually had it right before, but the image was too large. I've scaled it down. This is me last Fall when we were about to buy our new house. Shows me on the huge boulder in our back woods--great ritual and meditation space.

I can relate to that, Poolking. I became a Bible-toting fundamentalist Christian when I was 20, and remained so for the next ten years. After that time—and a move away from the church my wife and I thought of as home—Nina and I both gradually fell away into, first, a comfortably nostalgic...

I think the idea of trying out various religions is a good one. In my opinion, the most importrant aspect of finding a new religion is that you THINK about it, and not simply go with the crowd, or with whatever you were indoctrinated with as a child. Any god who can't stand to have his followers...