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I've read your latest post, and will have to wait a bit to compose my own reply. Very thought provoking. -djm

Well that's a first.;) I can't claim to have really given my conjecture(s) any rigorous consideration, but since you have, here goes: To me it seems that matter has the property of impeding the flow of time, thus forming a "low" spot in spacetime. Given two spatially separate bits of matter...

/*mocking tone I LOVE Sagan's writing. He opened up my mind. Contact was such a blessing of a film: in affirmed my faith. There is no such thing as an invisible dragon! That's stoopid! I dare to you to prove that there is! mocking tone*/ Sagan, as an atheist, was diplomatic to a fault...

Imagine an asymptotic function shown on a graph. (e.g. http://www.math.lsu.edu/~neal/TI_89/graphing/windows/examples/rational/rational.html) If the present is t=0, once time 'reaches' t=inifinity (in the future), it returns toward the present from the past (t= negative-infinity). [At least in...

That makes my ramble appear cogent!:p

As I said, I regret having given offense. However, realize that you have been deliberately baited to drive my point. You'll correct me, I'm sure, but it seems you believe that Jewish oral law as it regards 'tolerance' follows entirely from grand theological truths, and not from political...

Brian: I do not feel that my citation of Bertrand Russell-- twice cited by our friend Bannanabrain-- rises above the level of personal assault perpetrated against me in this discussion. Further, it explicitly addresses the argument against my assertions regarding the motivations behind...

"There is something feeble and a little contemptible about a man who cannot face the perils of life without the help of comfortable myths. Almost inevitably some part of him is aware that they are myths and that he believes them only because they are comforting. But he dare not face this...

Lest it be forgotten, the core of the discussion in which Banannabrain & I are engaged began: We have discovered an agreement, contrary to my previous assumption: so now a historical discussion follows. The assertion that jewish tolerance of christians evolved from self-preservation is...

The narrow definition of ‘judaic’ used above rests upon a false dichotomy; it asserts that any deviation from one creates an unrelated second. The fact that Christianity is no longer Judaism is unavoidably true, but it ignores mutability and does not demonstrate a lack of ‘influence.’ Christians...

We agree here: the historicity of Jesus’ existence and teachings has been obscured. Much of the Gospel can be interpreted as afterthoughts in justification of deviations from the jewish faith of the time. However, the discussion was one of cultural influence not biblical inerrancy. The...

Bittersweet and uplifting that your family has found healing. There are crucial truths in all religions: the most redemptive is forgiveness.

The tone of the discussion to follow is one of dispassionate, reasoned debate. It presents neither belligerence nor accusatory language, nor apologies for external projections of such thereupon. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Three examples follow...

No argument can be supported by an ad hominem assault. I may currently be painted blue; it is immaterial. In my foregoing comments, “those who waited,” clearly refers to those who followed Jesus. If they did not expect the return of Christ, then they are excluded from the class as defined...

A very interesting question. Were your parents Christian? If so, you must consider that nurture played a role in your "acceptance." If not, how were you so influenced? A simple answer to the original question is that faith is paramount. However, it would be difficult not to have some...

I imply nothing. Jesus of Nazareth claimed followers largely of hebrew descent. These people considered themselves jewish. The would become 'christians' only in later generations. If the primitive judaism known in the first Roman empire still exists, I am unaware of it. During the 17th century...

[/color][/color][/color][/color][/color] During his life, Jesus clearly had primarily Jewish followers. Importantly, if the gospels are supported by any grain of fact, two out of twelve apostles (the Iscariot and Didymous) at minimum believed that the Christ heralded the end of Roman rule in...

That Man created god (in the beginning...) is the simplest reasonable explanation. This discussion has been fulfilling, thank you Quahom, and I am tempted to leave your final point intact out of gratitude. Obstinate to last, however, I must leave you with these final words: 'strong nucular force'

The above assertion is yet another example of what is known as "begging the question." This means an idea has been proposed that rests on an unstated assumption. This assumption must be expounded to validate the original idea. You submit that life must have been created, but then assume that...

Q, Allow me to restructure your argument, and develop a picture of the paradigm to which you subscribe. Please forgive my ad-hoc logical symbology. "Natural order” is defined in (1) above. We agree here; in common parlance it is said that bodies tend towards the simplest...