where is smash??

[TheStew 0]

Your cult isn't the only cult to attempt to "spread their religion." This statement is a clear indicator of your uninformed position.The reason buddhists don't try to "spread their religion"' date=' is that' date=' unlike your cult, they don't have some Godhead that will visit violence upon your unborn children or send you to hell for not believing in him.Christians generally try to '"share their religion" because, in their delusional vanity, they think the are the chosen one's who know the true gawd and the true nature of reality and the afterlife.[b'']My dragon doesn't believe you, and says in his little, gravel, smoke-filled voice, "Go to hell.[/b]"

OK, first of all, no one is trying to be disrespectful here. Just having a genuine conversation. I'm not really grasping youre rebuttal about the buddhists not having a Godhead. The difference between Christianity and every other religion is very simple...Christians believe in a living God. No other religion can make that claim. And your comment about the violence against unborn children is "inacurate" as you would say. Man brought sin and suffering into earth. We had the option, jsut like you do now. I'm sorry you guys have let some people with "vague views" ruin your interpretation of Christianity...but a day will come when you realize life is NOT about just you and personal satisfaction and that there is more to life than poker, and what kind of fast food you will eat next. I just hope when that day comes you will remember the sincerity of what I have to say and for once, brush away what you think you know about God. And smash, please tell me youre capable of posting without being obscene. You make good arguments but it's impossible to get the true point when youre always talking about killing babies.

[TheStew 0]

My dragon doesn't believe you, and says in his little, gravel, smoke-filled voice, "Go to hell."To be fair, I'm not going to believe in your dragon untill someone nails you to a tree for you saying you can turn water into wine and raise the dead and then when they ask you to demonstrate saying "well, I COULD do it, but I'm not going to!"Consistency and all.

Who are you to test God? He's given you all you need to see Him. And he did do it after he was nailed to the cross...death couldnt hold him. Smash, have you ever been humbled by anything?

[CJHunt 0]

My dragon doesn't believe you, and says in his little, gravel, smoke-filled voice, "Go to hell."To be fair, I'm not going to believe in your dragon untill someone nails you to a tree for you saying you can turn water into wine and raise the dead and then when they ask you to demonstrate saying "well, I COULD do it, but I'm not going to!"Consistency and all.

Who are you to test God? He's given you all you need to see Him. And he did do it after he was nailed to the cross...death couldnt hold him. Smash, have you ever been humbled by anything?

Wow I read that story too. CRAZY!

[Spademan 94]

OK, first of all, no one is trying to be disrespectful here. Just having a genuine conversation. I'm not really grasping youre rebuttal about the buddhists not having a Godhead. The difference between Christianity and every other religion is very simple...Christians believe in a living God. No other religion can make that claim. And your comment about the violence against unborn children is "inacurate" as you would say. Man brought sin and suffering into earth. We had the option, jsut like you do now. I'm sorry you guys have let some people with "vague views" ruin your interpretation of Christianity...but a day will come when you realize life is NOT about just you and personal satisfaction and that there is more to life than poker, and what kind of fast food you will eat next. I just hope when that day comes you will remember the sincerity of what I have to say and for once, brush away what you think you know about God. And smash, please tell me youre capable of posting without being obscene. You make good arguments but it's impossible to get the true point when youre always talking about killing babies.

Enter is your friend.Break up your rambling thoughts please, not really a flame just a spot of general advice to help you communicate your points a little better.The reason you aren't "grasping my rebuttal about buddhists not having a Godhead" is because it is glaringly obvious you know very little about any religion, cult, or philosophical systems other than your own. Buddha isn't a god, in buddism. He was a dude with a method of instrospection that he claimed lead to self-enlightenment. For you to claim anyone other than you or your fellow cultists are living for "personal satisfaction" is absurdly vain and self deluded.For you to entreat me to "remember the sincerity of what you have to say" reeks of self-rightousness. Which isn't surprising.Listen carefully, I do not respect your intellect, your views or opinions, your ability to put together an argument or your indoctrinated cult ramblings.So don't cast your pearls before this swine, because their milky smoothness frightens my dragon.

[InsanityCubed 0]

Okay, assume there is a god. He created us, gave us "free will", and then sent his teachings down through a system that is roughly akin to a game of broken telephone. Then, if we use our free will that he gave us to deny his existence, or go against his teachings, we're condemned to a life of eternal suffering. Seems like a pretty fucked up guy to me. People are different, some derive a purpose or some kind of satisfaction from blindly following an indescribable parent figure, some get these feelings from other things. Why would a god that made us all so different and gave us the ability to deny his existence then punish us for being as he made us?

[TheStew 0]

Enter is your friend.Break up your rambling thoughts please' date=' not really a flame just a spot of general advice to help you communicate your points a little better.The reason you aren't "grasping my rebuttal about buddhists not having a Godhead" is because it is glaringly obvious you know very little about any religion' date=' cult, or philosophical systems other than your own.  Buddha isn't a god, in buddism.  He was a dude with a methoc of instrospection that he claimed lead to self-enlightenment.  [b'']For you to claim anyone other than you or your fellow cultists are living for "personal satisfaction" is absurdly vain and self deluded.[/b]For you to entreat me to "remember the sincerity of what you have to say"   reeks of self-rightousness.  Which isn't surprising.Listen carefully, I do not respect your intellect, your views or opinions, your ability to put together an argument or your indoctrinated cult ramblings.So don't cast your pearls before this swine, because their milkly smoothness frightens my dragon.

Point well taken. That's not my intention at all. I dont want you to think back and say "oh, he was right" I just want you to remember what I suggested and explore it for yourself.And as far as you being a swine or whatever you compared yourself to, dont get the wrong impression...i guarantee Ive lead a worse life than you. Im in no way saying Im better than you. Im saying we're equals in eternity. My statement about remembering my sincerity was meant for you to just understand that this discussion is not about me thinking Im righteous and youre not. Im just talking from the heart man, flame or no flame.

[TheStew 0]

Okay, assume there is a god. He created us, gave us "free will", and then sent his teachings down through a system that is roughly akin to a game of broken telephone. Then, if we use our free will that he gave us to deny his existence, or go against his teachings, we're condemned to a life of eternal suffering. Seems like a pretty fucked up guy to me. People are different, some derive a purpose or some kind of satisfaction from blindly following an indescribable parent figure, some get these feelings from other things. Why would a god that made us all so different and gave us the ability to deny his existence then punish us for being as he made us?

I dont think its a game of broken telephone. I'm not a biblical scholar but if Im not mistaken the dead sea scrolls proved that the translation of the bible has not changed since the time of Christ. As for your question, it's a great question. One I cant answer. I can tell you this...there is Jesus Christ and the "do no wrong image" people have of Him and there is His father in heaven who is a "just and righteous God." These are great questions...and theres no way I'm able to answer them all...but I do appreciate the conversation and not turning it into an argument between each other. This isnt a personal attack, its a discussion.

[InsanityCubed 0]

Here's another question, it's a little complicated, and may take a while but bear with me. Religions, all of them, are essentially theories. Theories about how the world works, how it came to be, and where we place in the world that we know. All theories, mathematical, scientific, or philosophical need to be tested in order to be proven true. While spirituality certainly counts for something, if you're basing the way you live your life around a belief system, it's probably a good idea to test it. The problem with testing these theories is that they are constantly changing. Adding or subtracting aspects of what makes up the theory. This is called adding an ad hoc hypothesis to the theory. When you add such hypotheses, the theory then becomes untestable, because once you find a hole in something assumed by the theory, it can simply be changed to allow for that discrepancy. If ad hoc hypotheses were allowed in science, it would be impossible to prove much of what we know now.To give an example of an ad hoc hypothesis in terms of religion, Christianity (AFAIK) has this to say about sex, marriage, etc;-Men and women should not have sex outside of marriage-Marriage is a lifetime commitment-Protection is a no-noHowever, divorce is now recognized by many churches. Why is that? Because the theory didn't work without divorce, too many problems. Protection is now encouraged among most people, because of the influx of STDs, especially AIDS. This is all changing parts of the hypothesis concerning marriage, sex, and the like. When a theory is untestable, it must be assumed that there is a possibility that it is false.This is not merely reserved for the Christian religions, Hinduism has had different figures and teachings introduced over thousands of years, even though they all revolve around the original scrolls (can't remember the name, that class was a long time and many many beers ago).If you're going to live your life according to a theory (not something I would recommend in the first place, but that's another story), shouldn't it at least be proven as a viable theory?There is the argument to be made that beliefs and theories are very different, but I would argue that they are very much the same. When you believe something, you are basing it on several arguments (or hypotheses), to create the whole belief. In poker terms "He raised preflop, indicating strength, I hit my set, and he's a smart, aggresive player, so I'll bet into him and I believe he'll raise me."

[teneight 1]

im too lazy to read all of this. come watch me play a MTT on UB right nowteneight

[pockets 0]

Wait, I'm confused.When you say "draw cheaply to the nut flush", what exactly does that mean?

[Spademan 94]

Here's another question...

It is even more fundamental than all of that.Religions are based on faith.That is to say, they are, by necessity, untestable.An untestable premise is not even really a premise, in terms of truth.You cannot dispell a religion based on truth, because, tricky as they are, they give you no opportunity, by founding them on an untestable (read imaginary) base.Fret not, tho', because logic, which does not deal with truth but only validity, is quite capable of showing the folly of most religions, based on their own claims and texts.Personally, whenever a cultist throws out a claim or two in my presence, I just whip out a permanent marker and draw a Venn diagram on their forehead.

[InsanityCubed 0]

Here's another question...

It is even more fundamental than all of that.Religions are based on faith.That is to say, they are, by necessity, untestable.An untestable premise is not even really a premise, in terms of truth.You cannot dispell a religion based on truth, because, tricky as they are, they give you no opportunity, by founding them on an untestable (read imaginary) base.Fret not, tho', because logic, which does not deal with truth but only validity, is quite capable of showing the folly of most religions, based on their own claims and texts.Personally, whenever a cultist throws out a claim or two in my presence, I just whip out a permanent marker and draw a Venn diagram on their forehead.

Indeed, nothing quite like completely shattering someone's entire view on the world. Of course most will just dismiss logic and tell me I'm going to hell, which, if there is a god, I already know.

[Spademan 94]

Of course most will just dismiss logic and tell me I'm going to hell, which, if there is a god, I already know.

I've probably already used this Twain quote here, but it's one of my favorites so I'll risk repeating myself, Go to Heaven for the weather, to Hell for the company.

[TheStew 0]

Here's another question, it's a little complicated, and may take a while but bear with me.  Religions, all of them, are essentially theories. Theories about how the world works, how it came to be, and where we place in the world that we know. All theories, mathematical, scientific, or philosophical need to be tested in order to be proven true. While spirituality certainly counts for something, if you're basing the way you live your life around a belief system, it's probably a good idea to test it.  The problem with testing these theories is that they are constantly changing. Adding or subtracting aspects of what makes up the theory. This is called adding an ad hoc hypothesis to the theory. When you add such hypotheses, the theory then becomes untestable, because once you find a hole in something assumed by the theory, it can simply be changed to allow for that discrepancy. If ad hoc hypotheses were allowed in science, it would be impossible to prove much of what we know now.To give an example of an ad hoc hypothesis in terms of religion, Christianity (AFAIK) has this to say about sex, marriage, etc;-Men and women should not have sex outside of marriage-Marriage is a lifetime commitment-Protection is a no-noHowever, divorce is now recognized by many churches. Why is that? Because the theory didn't work without divorce, too many problems. Protection is now encouraged among most people, because of the influx of STDs, especially AIDS. This is all changing parts of the hypothesis concerning marriage, sex, and the like. When a theory is untestable, it must be assumed that there is a possibility that it is false.This is not merely reserved for the Christian religions, Hinduism has had different figures and teachings introduced over thousands of years, even though they all revolve around the original scrolls (can't remember the name, that class was a long time and many many beers ago).If you're going to live your life according to a theory (not something I would recommend in the first place, but that's another story), shouldn't it at least be proven as a viable theory?There is the argument to be made that beliefs and theories are very different, but I would argue that they are very much the same. When you believe something, you are basing it on several arguments (or hypotheses), to create the whole belief.  In poker terms "He raised preflop, indicating strength, I hit my set, and he's a smart, aggresive player, so I'll bet into him and I believe he'll raise me."

Wow, lots of thought went into that one. I love it. To address the post as a whole I would say this; Christianity is not a theory. It's based on historical facts that occurred not very long ago. Now, religion may be argued as being a theory. I dont want to take this into the whole denomination/protestant argument but the lifestyles encouraged by certain denominations are strictly man made.I personally do not believe that a priest has the authority nor the God given right to tell me what to wear or how many hail mary's to say. So in that sense, I agree with your theory argument. However, when you take it past the religion aspect and view Christianity as a personal relationship then I believe the theory has been proven. As for your example, I'm not aware of a single bible following church that has began to support divorce. If a church is truly a bible following institution then they will only accept one reason for divorce: adultery. Thats the only reason given in the bible for divorce. To sum up, I think we're thinking of two seperate views of Christianity. I view it as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that is often shared in fellowship with others who support one another in what we call a church. I dont view it as I'm taking it you do, which is an institutional theory based group of people with a pages and pages of rules. Youre argument was very interesting though, I just dont believe my relationship is a theory.

[TheStew 0]

Here's another question, it's a little complicated, and may take a while but bear with me.  Religions, all of them, are essentially theories. Theories about how the world works, how it came to be, and where we place in the world that we know. All theories, mathematical, scientific, or philosophical need to be tested in order to be proven true. While spirituality certainly counts for something, if you're basing the way you live your life around a belief system, it's probably a good idea to test it.  The problem with testing these theories is that they are constantly changing. Adding or subtracting aspects of what makes up the theory. This is called adding an ad hoc hypothesis to the theory. When you add such hypotheses, the theory then becomes untestable, because once you find a hole in something assumed by the theory, it can simply be changed to allow for that discrepancy. If ad hoc hypotheses were allowed in science, it would be impossible to prove much of what we know now.To give an example of an ad hoc hypothesis in terms of religion, Christianity (AFAIK) has this to say about sex, marriage, etc;-Men and women should not have sex outside of marriage-Marriage is a lifetime commitment-Protection is a no-noHowever, divorce is now recognized by many churches. Why is that? Because the theory didn't work without divorce, too many problems. Protection is now encouraged among most people, because of the influx of STDs, especially AIDS. This is all changing parts of the hypothesis concerning marriage, sex, and the like. When a theory is untestable, it must be assumed that there is a possibility that it is false.This is not merely reserved for the Christian religions, Hinduism has had different figures and teachings introduced over thousands of years, even though they all revolve around the original scrolls (can't remember the name, that class was a long time and many many beers ago).If you're going to live your life according to a theory (not something I would recommend in the first place, but that's another story), shouldn't it at least be proven as a viable theory?There is the argument to be made that beliefs and theories are very different, but I would argue that they are very much the same. When you believe something, you are basing it on several arguments (or hypotheses), to create the whole belief.  In poker terms "He raised preflop, indicating strength, I hit my set, and he's a smart, aggresive player, so I'll bet into him and I believe he'll raise me."

Wow, lots of thought went into that one. I love it. To address the post as a whole I would say this; Christianity is not a theory. It's based on historical facts that occurred not very long ago. Now, religion may be argued as being a theory. I dont want to take this into the whole denomination/protestant argument but the lifestyles encouraged by certain denominations are strictly man made.I personally do not believe that a priest has the authority nor the God given right to tell me what to wear or how many hail mary's to say. So in that sense, I agree with your theory argument. However, when you take it past the religion aspect and view Christianity as a personal relationship then I believe the theory has been proven. As for your example, I'm not aware of a single bible following church that has began to support divorce. If a church is truly a bible following institution then they will only accept one reason for divorce: adultery. Thats the only reason given in the bible for divorce. To sum up, I think we're thinking of two seperate views of Christianity. I view it as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that is often shared in fellowship with others who support one another in what we call a church. I dont view it as I'm taking it you do, which is an institutional theory based group of people with a pages and pages of rules. Youre argument was very interesting though, I just dont believe my relationship is a theory.

[Loismustdie 0]

its not about stories and its not about me believing everything I hear like the next guy saidNo, it's about doing whatever you want and taking the stories that justify your actions from a book of nearly infinate *contradictory* stories.This is the reason Christanity works.  It's so censored VAGUE that you can justify absolutely anything you want with it.  If it turns you were wrong, though, it's all good.  You can chop babbies up into bloddy chunks and then fuck the chunks, but if you feel badly about it afterward, you're all good to go to heaven while the Dali Lama rots in hell for not being saved.Great belief system.good luck.

No, that is not true at all. Jesus taught to turn the other cheek, he was against violence even if it meant harm coming to you. True christianity is not vague, it is in fact precise- it is just a matter of different religions washing it down to where truth can be unrecognizable to some. Like you. Which is alright, you're not the only one. Christianity is about doing whatever you want? LOLOLOL. That is about as blind a statement as I have ever heard. The point of christianity is to be as christlike as you possibly can- that is it, plain and simple. Good luck finding a spot in Jesus life where he just did whatever his flesh pleased him to do- it never happened. The thing about true christianity is either you can do it or you can't- some people can and some can't, and that is just the way it goes. God would have you to obey and meet him one day- but it is up to you. He will not go out of his way to force you- what for? In the big scheme of things you and me are nothing, just dirt.

[Smasharoo 0]

Smash, have you ever been humbled by anything?Sure.Never by someone making up a story about a guy getting nailed to a tree, dying, coming back to life, and the vanishing. To save me.I mean really, think about the whole Christ fairy tale for a minute, and tell me how it's distinct from oh say David Koresh *at all*. Lunatic convinces suckers he can perform miracles, lunatic runs into trouble with the law, lunatic dies, suckers make up all sorts of crazy shit.I guess getting nailed to a tree makes you the saviour of all mankind and getting burned up in your compound just makes you dead. Sucks for Dave.good luck.

[Loismustdie 0]

Smash, have you ever been humbled by anything?Sure.Never by someone making up a story about a guy getting nailed to a tree, dying, coming back to life, and the vanishing.  To save me.I mean really, think about the whole Christ fairy tale for a minute, and tell me how it's distinct from oh say David Koresh *at all*.  Lunatic convinces suckers he can perform miracles, lunatic runs into trouble with the law, lunatic dies, suckers make up all sorts of crazy shit.I guess getting nailed to a tree makes you the saviour of all mankind and getting burned up in your compound just makes you dead.  Sucks for Dave.good luck.

The crucifixion is just a part of the story- his life was so much more than that. That's like just focusing on Tupac getting shot- does not even tell one percent of the story.

[Smasharoo 0]

No, that is not true at all. Jesus taught to turn the other cheek, he was against violence even if it meant harm coming to you. True christianity is not vague, it is in fact precise- it is just a matter of different religions washing it down to where truth can be unrecognizable to some. Like you. Which is alright, you're not the only one.Hi you're an idiot. Here's why: You are doing presicely what I posted about in the text you quoted. Do you see? "True" Christanity is the version that fits whatever you feel like having it fit as a belief system. Other people who practice diffrent versions than yours are confused.Do you get it yet, Sparky?Christianity is about doing whatever you want? LOLOLOL. That is about as blind a statement as I have ever heard.The blind part is not seeing how clearly this is the case. Blind faith. Sound fammiliar? The point of christianity is to be as christlike as you possibly can- that is it, plain and simple. Good luck finding a spot in Jesus life where he just did whatever his flesh pleased him to do- it never happened.Hi. He never existed. He's a fictional character. Not debatable. Even as a fictional character there's absolutely no backstory for the guy from the puberty to 35. I guess "and then Christ turned goats milk into cocaine and nailed a couple of dozen whores on his 16th Birthday" didn't make the cut into Mark.The thing about true christianity is either you can do it or you can't- some people can and some can't, and that is just the way it goes. God would have you to obey and meet him one day- but it is up to you. He will not go out of his way to force you- what for? In the big scheme of things you and me are nothing, just dirt.The thing about "true Christanity" is that *anyone* can do it. It requires absolutely nothing but picking what you feel like believing from a metphysical shmorgasboard and adhering to rules when you feel like it and being sorry when you don't.Yet again, this is the appealing thing about it. It's like Islam for people without enough faith to pray so often.good luck.

[Spademan 94]

Smash, have you ever been humbled by anything?Sure.Never by someone making up a story about a guy getting nailed to a tree, dying, coming back to life, and the vanishing.  To save me.I mean really, think about the whole Christ fairy tale for a minute, and tell me how it's distinct from oh say David Koresh *at all*.  Lunatic convinces suckers he can perform miracles, lunatic runs into trouble with the law, lunatic dies, suckers make up all sorts of crazy shit.I guess getting nailed to a tree makes you the saviour of all mankind and getting burned up in your compound just makes you dead.  Sucks for Dave.good luck.

The sole difference is...one (and many others) takes place thousands of years ago, when people were, amazingly, MORE prone to superstition.Frankly, even taken at face value the story isn't all that inspiring.I mean, if someone knows they are the son of "god", knowsthey can never truly die.... where is the "sacrafice" in their "death"?The abusrity of humanity in modern times is either humorous or distrubing depending on what time I think about it.I'm quite certain that, long in the future, people will look upon us as we look upon past generations who would toss a virgin into a fire to apease (sp) their god.An igorant, magic believing people, unadvanced and in some ways pitiable.I'll be lumped in.

[InsanityCubed 0]

Not going to quote in order to avoid another uber-post, but here goes...If you think you have a personal relationship with Jesus or god, then have fun, whatever floats your boat. Do not, however, try to argue that Christianity (and several other religions) are not institutions. There is a large monetary interest in the promotion and proliferation of Christianity. Faith has become a business, whether you like it or not, and many people feed this business. That, and the fact that most believers are brainwashed before they are properly able to reason and make informed decisions on what they believe, make at least some religions institutions.

[Spademan 94]

It's like Islam for people without enough faith to pray so often.

Oh shiz.I'm certainly no jock rider,I think I have even more wit, brilliance and cynisim than you,and I know I'm better looking,but I'm going to steal this.

[Loismustdie 0]

No, that is not true at all. Jesus taught to turn the other cheek, he was against violence even if it meant harm coming to you. True christianity is not vague, it is in fact precise- it is just a matter of different religions washing it down to where truth can be unrecognizable to some. Like you. Which is alright, you're not the only one.Hi you're an idiot.  Here's why:  You are doing presicely what I posted about in the text you quoted.  Do you see?  "True" Christanity is the version that fits whatever you feel like having it fit as a belief system.  Other people who practice diffrent versions than yours are confused.Do you get it yet, Sparky?Christianity is about doing whatever you want? LOLOLOL. That is about as blind a statement as I have ever heard.The blind part is not seeing how clearly this is the case.  Blind faith.  Sound fammiliar? The point of christianity is to be as christlike as you possibly can- that is it, plain and simple. Good luck finding a spot in Jesus life where he just did whatever his flesh pleased him to do- it never happened.Hi.  He never existed.  He's a fictional character.  Not debatable.  Even as a fictional character there's absolutely no backstory for the guy from the puberty to 35.  I guess "and then Christ turned goats milk into cocaine and nailed a couple of dozen censored on his 16th Birthday" didn't make the cut into Mark.The thing about true christianity is either you can do it or you can't- some people can and some can't, and that is just the way it goes. God would have you to obey and meet him one day- but it is up to you. He will not go out of his way to force you- what for? In the big scheme of things you and me are nothing, just dirt.The thing about "true Christanity" is that *anyone* can do it.  It requires absolutely nothing but picking what you feel like believing from a metphysical shmorgasboard and adhering to rules when you feel like it and being sorry when you don't.Yet again, this is the appealing thing about it.  It's like Islam for people without enough faith to pray so often.good luck.

Wrong, but that your reply was pretty much what I expected. Like a true by the book poker player, very predictable. Newsflash- no one has ever proved the bible to be wrong. Newsflash- despite being written by various men, no contradictions, and many scientific facts as well, written before men could have known what they were writing, like scriptures describing the stars singing, the fact that all nations are of one blood, that the world is supported by nothing, that the world is round- if you want scripture I will look them up for you. You want eduacated? Try 25 years of biblical study. You want truth? Bible is only place where it is at- and here is the truth. It is hard to be as good as god wants us to be. You want homogenized christianity, try catholic, methodist, mormonism, baptist, lutheran, L.D.S., give me a name and I will poke holes in there teachings- all men breaking down the bible to how they would like it to be and what they think will sell, which I cannot stand. I am not a blind follower, I have never followed anything blind in my life, and certainly not so weak minded that I would actually be bested by such crude and blatantly ignorant remarks. Good luck.

[TheStew 0]

Not going to quote in order to avoid another uber-post, but here goes...If you think you have a personal relationship with Jesus or god, then have fun, whatever floats your boat. Do not, however, try to argue that Christianity (and several other religions) are not institutions. There is a large monetary interest in the promotion and proliferation of Christianity. Faith has become a business, whether you like it or not, and many people feed this business. That, and the fact that most believers are brainwashed before they are properly able to reason and make informed decisions on what they believe, make at least some religions institutions.

Christianity is not an institution, some people abuse it and turn it into an institution. It's the sad truth that some people worship money before anything else. As for your statement on believers being brainwashed...I see where youre coming from in that many people are brought up performing rituals or taking bread and wine without even exploring the significance behind any of it. Theres a difference between being brainwashed and uninformed while conforming to practices. It's about being smart enough to avoid being brainwashed and seeking out an explanation for yourself.

[Smasharoo 0]

Newsflash- no one has ever proved the bible to be wrong. Newsflash- despite being written by various men, no contradictions, and many scientific facts as well, written before men could have known what they were writing, like scriptures describing the stars singing, the fact that all nations are of one blood, that the world is supported by nothing, that the world is round- if you want scripture I will look them up for you.DANGER DANGER LUNATIC FRINGE CHRISTIAN!!!This warning has been a service of the Religous Fanatic Warning System. Your state and local Atheists have devloped this system to warn you when a Religous Fanatic goes *completely* off the reservation and breaks with any coherent sense of reality. This was not a test.You want eduacated? Try 25 years of biblical study. You want truth? Bible is only place where it is at- and here is the truth. It is hard to be as good as god wants us to be. You want homogenized christianity, try catholic, methodist, mormonism, baptist, lutheran, L.D.S., give me a name and I will poke holes in there teachings- all men breaking down the bible to how they would like it to be and what they think will sell, which I cannot stand.Of course not. You want to break it down to how YOU want it to be, nutbag.I am not a blind follower, I have never followed anything blind in my life, and certainly not so weak minded that I would actually be bested by such crude and blatantly ignorant remarks. Good luck.Um, yeah. Hey, if you want let me know what your Netteller adress is and I'll transfer you a few bucks so that next time you can have your clothes washed while you're out having your brain done.good luck.