apparently this would raise little revenue, and prayer is not the only answer.

Is law intellectual then? Seems to me that law is all about following a few rules, a bit like simple maths


I would have thought that theology is way more intellectual than law, but I have yet few "religious" types that are anywhere near being able to call themselves "theologians".

There's a true religion if there ever was one!

Point me out a scientist, musician, theologian, artist, teacher, parent, policeman, politician or candlestiock maker that isn't.

Does that make art, music etc., hypocritical?

The gift is to know that one is a hypocrite and do something about it.
I would think you would find more religious people trying hard not to be hypocritcal than politicians.

Oh, what would that be then?

Triumphguy,

I am an atheist and have great trouble understanding the religious, particularly the educated, intelligent religious.

Can I ask a question of you?

I assume that as a Christian you believe in the one true God (your god) who made the world in 7 days and on and on and on. So what do you think of the Hindus? Are they just a bunch of a near billion whack-jobs who, not believing in your God/Jesus, are destined through their idolatry etc to head to hell?

I find it hard to understand that there are a billion or so christians who KNOW that their God is the one and Jesus was him/his son (etc) and then there are a billion or so Muslims who dig the same God but a different scene after that and KNOW that they are correct, then a billion or so Hindus who are mad for elephants, 4-armed guys and stuff who KNOW..., plus the Bhudists who give respect to the fat guy, Jews, Sikhs, and so on. I mean, you guys don't just think you are correct with your religious belief, you really know it.

It seems then, that if any particular religion is correct and their God (etc) is the man, then there are another circa 5 billion whack jobs around the globe who are totally deluded in their beliefs?

How does this work as a Christian - do you believe that all the others are deluded fools who are completely and utterly wrong with their convictions. Do they think the same of you?

I ahould contribute more to the debate than this, but it really does sum up my feelings on the subject:

Thanks for that. Hilarious, and so very true.

So apt, and so true

If you read his post correctly instead of jumping on his faith, he was talking about HIS relationship with HIS creator. That's different than saying "I worship the son of the one true god, Jesus of Nazareth". I'm sure if he was born in India to a hindu family he would be a perfectly reasonable hindu worshipper

If you read my post correctly instead of jumping on it, you'd have realised I asked a perfectly reasonable question in a polite fashion, indicating that triumphguy seems an educated and intelligent person.

As he used to be a catholic priest I assumed that his creator was God/Jesus and my (albeit limited) understanding of the Bible was that God only wanted his believers to worship him/Jesus and belive in no one else.

The same question begs if he were a Hindu (and I know even less about their multitude of deities) - if you belive that your God/prophet (of whatever flavor) is THE one, then are all the other religions full of people who are wrong and therefore heading to hell (or its equivalent)?

Don't you think though that the majority of the Sunday morning sermon is full of hypocrites

Very very few of a congregation really follows on a daily basis, most simply believe that turning up well dressed on a Sunday is enough

Maybe he's coverting to atheism as we speak?

btw...the tone of your post was hard to get without emoticons...emoticons are there for a good reason; they show your intentions more clearly

I may be a deluded fool...

I think of religion like a language. Other people's languages work well for them, but I can't understand them. My religion is the language I use to express my spiritual side in a community I understand and whoi speak the same language as me.

They are just as human as any atheist or hiindu however, but they are a strong vital community with a presence that has contributed to the great river of history. Just as langauge can be used to abuse so can religion. But I would rather learn a language than not, because with langaue I also have access to the greatest that the human mind can create: and in the same way I would rather teach my children the language of Catholicism than not.

See, if I believe that Christ is the Word made flesh then all words spoken in truth point to The Word.

Actually I was never priest - I was a bad monk, who studied for the priesthood and left to get married and have kids! Celibacy wasn't my particular "gift."

Befoire people jump on celibacy - it kinda helps if you live in an all male monastic community