Satyr6406
Posts: 820
Joined: 3/27/2006 From: New Brunswick, N.J. Status: offline
|
Ya know, Level. I read that first story, as I was "doing my morning routine" in front of the computer monitor. I was going to post it. I copied all the text and I had the links, etc. but, I realized that I was exceedingly angry and I needed to wait until I added my thoughts. I am, relatively, composed, now and you folks may still be in for a helluva ride. As many of you may know; I identify myself as a Christian. There are many "Christian" sects that would not accept me because of the beliefs that I do hold but, I have always felt like someone who tries to follow the words in red (in most bibles). Because of my other, (supposedly) non-Christian beliefs ( I hold a good deal of Gnosticism dear, also), I have been "given the cold shoulder" in a few places. Also, for those of you who don't know; I served my country, honorably for 11 years. I spilled my blood for my country and, under certain conditions, I would do it, again. When my step-dad (a Korean War vet) died in FEB '97, the U.S. Military refused to give him any military honors, at his funeral. This was one of the things he was promised, before he enlisted. We were told by the V.A.: "We just don't do that, anymore." I was livid! So, as you can well imagine, this is a subject that is near and dear to my heart for a lot of reasons. I do like what ECL said about consistency. If you're going to claim that book is "the end all/be all" then, you have to go by that. Agreed. However ... I have always believed that the Almighty imprints their name on our heart before we're born. I believe that we are all born knowing who and what "God" is; that we are all born with a conscience (most of us) and that, if something doesn't offend our conscience, it probably doesn't offend "God". (These are my beliefs. I'm not looking to start an argument.) I also believe that while homosexuality isn't as prevailant as some of the activists might have us believe that it is "natural" in that, it occurs, just as what scientists would call a "natural deviation" in almost every species about which we are aware. So, in that light, homosexuality is natural. What is un-natural is a human being volunteering for the horrors of war so that a good number of their neighbors don't have to interrupt their mundane lives. The church/pastor in question is so wrong beyond my ability to lay out the case that it saddens me to call myself "Christian". I am getting upset again so, I shall close but, I want to add a little excerpt, if I may ... "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain inalienable rights; that amongst these rights are LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PERSUIT of HAPPINESS." This person did what made them happy. They did what they were endowed by their Creator to do. How dare ANYBODY try to besmirch that! Damn them! Peace and comfort, Michael
_____________________________
Peace and comfort, Michael Former Vice-President Gore didn't invent the internet but, he DID make up global warming!
|