I see you are still caught up in the false left-right paradigm.

And you in the false conspiracy paradigm.  That won't even buy a cup of coffee anymore.

Soon the unbelievers will outnumber the mainstream Protestants, or the Catholics.  The Catholics especially, if Pope Ratzi keeps his current course.

The left-right paradigm is an analytical tool that has transhistorical usefulness.

Like all such tools, it has its limitations.

But I don't think replacing it with a wet blanket like "they're all like that" is useful.

man enough with the stupid "conspiracy theory " insult. The religion debate is a distraction. Coffee? I drink coffee often. I know you can't stand me random. So what.....

I don't think  you completely understood what I meant by 'false left-right paradigm'.

Well I don't have time at the moment to "debate"...I am off to my parents basement to conjure up more conspiracy theories.

infowar: if I've misunderstood, I would genuinely like to know, with my apologies. What did you mean?

btw, parent's basement line brought real smiles. funny.

Gospel of Matthew: A Biblical History
The Gospel of Matthew is one of four gospels in the http://www.AllAboutTruth.or...>Holy Bible and the first book in chronological order presented in the New Testament of the Bible. Matthew was one of the 12 apostles that were with http://www.AllAboutJesusChr...>Jesus Christ throughout His public ministry on earth. The consensus among scholars is that this book in the Bible was written between 50 and 70 A.D. Matthew was a Jewish tax collector that left his profession to follow the Lord. Matthew gives a personal witness account of many miracles that Jesus performed prior to being http://www.AllAboutJesusChr...>crucified on a Roman cross. The purpose of this book is to prove to readers that Jesus is the true http://www.AllAboutTruth.or...>Messiah that was prophesized in the Old Testament of the Bible. It is an artistically written book and proves to be consistent with the other three gospels in the Bible; Mark, Luke and John regarding the historical events that occurred during the life of Jesus on earth. With 28 chapters, it is the longest Gospel of the four.

Gospel of Matthew: The Outline and Structure
This Gospel of Matthew is divided into eight sections that describe different parts of Jesus' life. It begins with the Genealogy of Jesus that establishes and proves that He was a descendant of King David. This fact is important because it is consistent with the Old Testament description of the Messiah. The first section also describes the miracle birth story of Jesus. The second section of the Gospel records the beginning of Jesus' ministry. It also describes in detail the baptism of Jesus and His temptation by Satan in the desert. After 40 days and nights of fasting Jesus resisted all temptation. The next section beginning in the middle of chapter 4 through the middle of chapter 14 covers accounts of the ministry of Jesus while in Galilee. During this time, He commissions the 12 Apostles, preaches The Beatitudes, performs miracles and teaches many lessons on very important subjects including; adultery, divorce, giving, prayer, judging, worry, treasures in Heaven and warnings to people. Also, in chapter 13, Jesus begins teaching in parables to provide examples to His lessons. Jesus withdraws from Galilee in section four and performs the miracle of feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14:17). He also walks on water (Matthew 14:25). Chapter 17 describes the transfiguration that was witnessed by three disciples, John, Peter and James (Matthew 17:1). Section six indicates the return of Jesus to Galilee and the prediction of His death. The seventh section beginning in chapter 21 marks the triumphal entry by Jesus into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and ends in the trial and crucifixion of Jesus on the cross as a sacrifice for all the sin in the world. The eighth and last section, describes the events of http://www.AllAboutJesusChr...>the resurrection and Jesus defeating death.

Gospel of Matthew: What is the Significance?
The Gospel of Matthew presents many important facts and significant lessons. First, it clearly establishes that Jesus Christ is the Messiah that was prophesized throughout the Old Testament. Second, it proves that Jesus was the Son of God, whom He claimed to be through living a sinless and perfect life. Third, the Gospel records Jesus performing miracles over nature (calming the storm; Mat. 8:23-27), healing people (curing the servant; Mat. 8:5-13) and raising the dead (Jairus's daughter; Mat. 9:18-19). Fourth, Jesus personally gives over 200 real and practical lessons of how God desires people to live, respond through challenging circumstances, and make choices regarding their future for eternity. A few examples of these include: having faith (9:29), dealing with fear (8:26), God answering prayers (8:2), the promise of salvation (10:22), obeying God (15:19), loving your neighbor (19:19), sacrificing (20:22), resolving legal issues (5:25), how to give to others (6:2), forgiving others that sin against you (6:14), resisting temptation (4:2), being a hypocrite (23:28), acknowledging Christ (10:32), and the image of Heaven and Hell (13:49,50). Every word spoken and written in this Gospel can be applied to life in a practical manner. Of course, a summary of this extremely important book of the Bible can only provide highlights, and is not a replacement for reading the actual text.

Gospel of Matthew: The Final Chapter & Great Commission
The last chapter of the Gospel of Matthew specifies the calling of all disciples of Christ: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20). This is the http://www.AllAboutReligion...>mission of all Christians that have a faithful commitment to Jesus Christ. It is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world and teach the lessons that He commands.

Gospel of St. Thomas - What Is It?
The "Gospel of St. Thomas" is a collection of teachings that some attribute to Jesus of Nazareth. Portions of Greek versions of the text were found at Oxyrhynchus, Egypt in the late 1800's. A complete version in Coptic (an Egyptian language derived from the Greek alphabet) was found at Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. The complete text has been dated to about 340 AD, while some of the Greek fragments have been dated as far back as 140 AD.

Gospel of St. Thomas - Who Wrote It?
Scholars aren't sure who wrote the Gospel of St. Thomas. The first lines of the text refer to "didymos Judas thomas" as the author. The word "didymos" is Greek for twin and the word "thomas" is Aramaic for twin. It appears the author's name was Judas, and his nickname was "the twin" (set forth in two languages). The canonical Gospels of the Holy Bible mention a man named Thomas, who John called "didymos thomas." There are also several people named Judas mentioned in the New Testament other than the well-known Judas Iscariot. There is no mention of a Judas in the New Testament who was also nicknamed Thomas, "the twin."

Gospel of St. Thomas - What Does It Say?
The Gospel of St. Thomas declares that the Kingdom of God exists upon the earth today if people just open their eyes. There is "divine light" within all of us, which allows us to see the Kingdom of God in our physical surroundings. The Image of God at the beginning of creation (Genesis 1) still exists today. We can assume that Image still, which is different than the image of fallen man (Adam) in Genesis 2. The Gospel of St. Thomas reveals that mankind can and should restore their identities to the image of God now, and see the Kingdom of God on earth now. This text treats the first two chapters of Genesis in a non-traditional way. It holds that there were two separate creations of mankind -- the first was perfect and the second was flawed. Rather than wait for a future end-time Kingdom to come, the writer of this book exhorts people to return to the perfect Kingdom conditions of Genesis 1 now.

Gospel of St. Thomas - Why isn't it in the Bible?
The Gospel of St. Thomas is considered "Gnostic" in origin and viewpoint by many fundamental Christians, and is possibly the reason why the book was kept from the original canon of the http://www.AllAboutTruth.or... ">Holy Bible (if the text was even known by early Christian followers at all). Generally, Gnostics hold that salvation of the soul comes from a quasi-intuitive knowledge of the mysteries of the universe and of secret formulae indicative of that knowledge. Since Christians view the Bible as a supernaturally-inspired collection of God's word to humans, which is totally integrated in thought and doctrine, there is no such thing as a "lost book" of the Bible with special secrets for the wise. Even from a non-supernatural perspective, if the Bible that we have read for the past 2,000 years reflects the beliefs of original Christianity, then any texts that were originally rejected, discarded or "lost" are not books of the Christian Bible, by definition. A church that adds the Gospel of St. Thomas to its scriptures would move outside the simple lines of fundamental http://www.AllAboutGod.com/... ">Christianity, and we know of no established denomination that has any notion of doing so... nor should they.

Gospel of St. Thomas - What Is It?
The "Gospel of St. Thomas" is a collection of teachings that some attribute to Jesus of Nazareth. Portions of Greek versions of the text were found at Oxyrhynchus, Egypt in the late 1800's. A complete version in Coptic (an Egyptian language derived from the Greek alphabet) was found at Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. The complete text has been dated to about 340 AD, while some of the Greek fragments have been dated as far back as 140 AD.

Gospel of St. Thomas - Who Wrote It?
Scholars aren't sure who wrote the Gospel of St. Thomas. The first lines of the text refer to "didymos Judas thomas" as the author. The word "didymos" is Greek for twin and the word "thomas" is Aramaic for twin. It appears the author's name was Judas, and his nickname was "the twin" (set forth in two languages). The canonical Gospels of the Holy Bible mention a man named Thomas, who John called "didymos thomas." There are also several people named Judas mentioned in the New Testament other than the well-known Judas Iscariot. There is no mention of a Judas in the New Testament who was also nicknamed Thomas, "the twin."

Gospel of St. Thomas - What Does It Say?
The Gospel of St. Thomas declares that the Kingdom of God exists upon the earth today if people just open their eyes. There is "divine light" within all of us, which allows us to see the Kingdom of God in our physical surroundings. The Image of God at the beginning of creation (Genesis 1) still exists today. We can assume that Image still, which is different than the image of fallen man (Adam) in Genesis 2. The Gospel of St. Thomas reveals that mankind can and should restore their identities to the image of God now, and see the Kingdom of God on earth now. This text treats the first two chapters of Genesis in a non-traditional way. It holds that there were two separate creations of mankind -- the first was perfect and the second was flawed. Rather than wait for a future end-time Kingdom to come, the writer of this book exhorts people to return to the perfect Kingdom conditions of Genesis 1 now.

Gospel of St. Thomas - Why isn't it in the Bible?
The Gospel of St. Thomas is considered "Gnostic" in origin and viewpoint by many fundamental Christians, and is possibly the reason why the book was kept from the original canon of the http://www.AllAboutTruth.or... ">Holy Bible (if the text was even known by early Christian followers at all). Generally, Gnostics hold that salvation of the soul comes from a quasi-intuitive knowledge of the mysteries of the universe and of secret formulae indicative of that knowledge. Since Christians view the Bible as a supernaturally-inspired collection of God's word to humans, which is totally integrated in thought and doctrine, there is no such thing as a "lost book" of the Bible with special secrets for the wise. Even from a non-supernatural perspective, if the Bible that we have read for the past 2,000 years reflects the beliefs of original Christianity, then any texts that were originally rejected, discarded or "lost" are not books of the Christian Bible, by definition. A church that adds the Gospel of St. Thomas to its scriptures would move outside the simple lines of fundamental http://www.AllAboutGod.com/... ">Christianity, and we know of no established denomination that has any notion of doing so... nor should they.

http://www.AllAboutTruth.or... ">Learn More Now!

Gospel of St. Thomas - What Is It?
The "Gospel of St. Thomas" is a collection of teachings that some attribute to Jesus of Nazareth. Portions of Greek versions of the text were found at Oxyrhynchus, Egypt in the late 1800's. A complete version in Coptic (an Egyptian language derived from the Greek alphabet) was found at Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. The complete text has been dated to about 340 AD, while some of the Greek fragments have been dated as far back as 140 AD.

Gospel of St. Thomas - Who Wrote It?
Scholars aren't sure who wrote the Gospel of St. Thomas. The first lines of the text refer to "didymos Judas thomas" as the author. The word "didymos" is Greek for twin and the word "thomas" is Aramaic for twin. It appears the author's name was Judas, and his nickname was "the twin" (set forth in two languages). The canonical Gospels of the Holy Bible mention a man named Thomas, who John called "didymos thomas." There are also several people named Judas mentioned in the New Testament other than the well-known Judas Iscariot. There is no mention of a Judas in the New Testament who was also nicknamed Thomas, "the twin."

Gospel of St. Thomas - What Does It Say?
The Gospel of St. Thomas declares that the Kingdom of God exists upon the earth today if people just open their eyes. There is "divine light" within all of us, which allows us to see the Kingdom of God in our physical surroundings. The Image of God at the beginning of creation (Genesis 1) still exists today. We can assume that Image still, which is different than the image of fallen man (Adam) in Genesis 2. The Gospel of St. Thomas reveals that mankind can and should restore their identities to the image of God now, and see the Kingdom of God on earth now. This text treats the first two chapters of Genesis in a non-traditional way. It holds that there were two separate creations of mankind -- the first was perfect and the second was flawed. Rather than wait for a future end-time Kingdom to come, the writer of this book exhorts people to return to the perfect Kingdom conditions of Genesis 1 now.

Gospel of St. Thomas - Why isn't it in the Bible?
The Gospel of St. Thomas is considered "Gnostic" in origin and viewpoint by many fundamental Christians, and is possibly the reason why the book was kept from the original canon of the http://www.AllAboutTruth.or... ">Holy Bible (if the text was even known by early Christian followers at all). Generally, Gnostics hold that salvation of the soul comes from a quasi-intuitive knowledge of the mysteries of the universe and of secret formulae indicative of that knowledge. Since Christians view the Bible as a supernaturally-inspired collection of God's word to humans, which is totally integrated in thought and doctrine, there is no such thing as a "lost book" of the Bible with special secrets for the wise. Even from a non-supernatural perspective, if the Bible that we have read for the past 2,000 years reflects the beliefs of original Christianity, then any texts that were originally rejected, discarded or "lost" are not books of the Christian Bible, by definition. A church that adds the Gospel of St. Thomas to its scriptures would move outside the simple lines of fundamental http://www.AllAboutGod.com/... ">Christianity, and we know of no established denomination that has any notion of doing so... nor should they.

http://www.AllAboutTruth.or... ">Learn More Now!

Gospel of Mark: A Biblical History
The Gospel of Mark is one of four gospels in the http://www.AllAboutTruth.or... ">Holy Bible and is the second book in chronological order presented in the New Testament. Mark (John Mark was his full name) was an associate with Simon Peter, one of the 12 apostles that followed http://www.AllAboutJesusChr... ">Jesus Christ throughout His public ministry on earth. Peter was the name given to Simon by Jesus Christ personally (Mark 3:16). He was very close to Jesus and after the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, Peter was one of the founders of the early http://www.AllAboutReligion... ">Christian church. Although the book was written by Mark, the facts contained in it are thought to be the accounts of Peter during his ministry with Jesus. The consensus among scholars is that the book of Mark was written between 50 and 60 A.D. The author is referenced several times in the New Testament starting in the book of Acts, chapters 12 and 13, in Colossians 4:10, and finally in 2 Timothy 4:11. The book of Mark was probably written in Italy, and perhaps even Rome. This book has 16 chapters and is the shortest book of the four gospels. However, the details of the events and miracles of Jesus in this book are consistent with the other three gospels; http://www.AllAboutJesusChr... ">Matthew, Luke and John.

Gospel of Mark: The Outline and Structure
The Gospel of Mark is organized into seven sections that describe the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The first chapter begins with a quotation from Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, and John the Baptist, who prophesized the coming of the Messiah. This chapter also details the baptism and the temptation of Jesus. The beginning of the second section of the book describes when Jesus calls Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to follow Him for ministry along with the other ten disciples (Mark 1:14-20). Jesus starts performing miracles during this section of the book (See Mark 1:21) known as His Galilean Ministry through verse 6:29. Section three depicts the with drawl from Galilee by Jesus and His disciples and the miracle of feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish (Mark 6:37-44). This chapter also describes the miracle of Jesus walking on water (Mark 6:49), Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah (Mark 8:29), and the transfiguration (Mark 9:2-5). In the last portion of this section Jesus predicts His death and resurrection (Mark 9:32). Section four, beginning with verse 9:33, covers the period when Jesus goes to Capernaum and preaches to His disciples about who is the greatest (Mark 9:36) and other subjects. Jesus then goes to Judea in section five, starting in Chapter 10. There, He teaches on many subjects, performs the miracle of restoring sight to a blind man that shows faith (Mark 10:52) and again predicts His death and resurrection to His disciples (Mark 10:33, 34). Chapters 11 through 15 start with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the back of a colt (Mark 11:1-11:11). In Jerusalem, Jesus teaches many lessons through answering questions, telling parables and gives warnings to people. The Lord's Supper is recounted in verses 14:17-26. Jesus is then arrested, tried and http://www.AllAboutJesusChr... ">crucified on the cross. The last section of Mark details the account of the http://www.AllAboutJesusChr... ">resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb.

Gospel of Mark: What is the Significance?
The Gospel of Mark presents many important facts and significant lessons. First, it clearly establishes that Jesus Christ is the http://www.AllAboutTruth.or... ">Messiah that was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Second, it proves that Jesus was the Son of God, whom He claimed to be by living a sinless and perfect life. Third, the Gospel records Jesus' miracles over nature (calming the storm; 4:37-41, walking on water; 6:48-51, and withering the fig tree; 11:12-14). His miracles also include healing many people, including Peter's mother-in-law (1:30-31), the paralyzed man (2:3-12), the woman with bleeding (5:25-29), and the deaf mute (7:31-37). Jesus also displayed miracle powers over death by raising Jairus's daughter from the dead (5:37-39). The most important fact in the Gospel of Mark is the evidence that Jesus Christ overcame the power of death through His resurrection from the tomb. He proved that there is no power that can overcome Him, that He is the authority to forgive the sins of people, and that He is the One and only Son of God. Lastly, Jesus gives people perfect instructions for how God desires people to live, respond through challenging circumstances, and make choices regarding their future for eternity. A few examples of these include having faith (Mark 2:5), replacing fear with trust (Mark 4:40), believing in the power of God (Mark 5:36), following Christ (Mark 8:35), understanding God's will (Mark 9:35), and sacrifices (Mark 10:21). Every word spoken and written in this Gospel can be applied to life in a practical manner. Of course, a summary of this Gospel can only provide highlights to the actual text and cannot replace it. You are encouraged to read the Gospel to learn more about Jesus Christ.

http://www.AllAboutJesusChr... ">Grow More Now!

You are here: Jesus Christ >> Gospel Of Mark

Gospel of Mark: A Biblical History
The Gospel of Mark is one of four gospels in the http://www.AllAboutTruth.or... ">Holy Bible and is the second book in chronological order presented in the New Testament. Mark (John Mark was his full name) was an associate with Simon Peter, one of the 12 apostles that followed http://www.AllAboutJesusChr... ">Jesus Christ throughout His public ministry on earth. Peter was the name given to Simon by Jesus Christ personally (Mark 3:16). He was very close to Jesus and after the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, Peter was one of the founders of the early http://www.AllAboutReligion... ">Christian church. Although the book was written by Mark, the facts contained in it are thought to be the accounts of Peter during his ministry with Jesus. The consensus among scholars is that the book of Mark was written between 50 and 60 A.D. The author is referenced several times in the New Testament starting in the book of Acts, chapters 12 and 13, in Colossians 4:10, and finally in 2 Timothy 4:11. The book of Mark was probably written in Italy, and perhaps even Rome. This book has 16 chapters and is the shortest book of the four gospels. However, the details of the events and miracles of Jesus in this book are consistent with the other three gospels; http://www.AllAboutJesusChr... ">Matthew, Luke and John.

Gospel of Mark: The Outline and Structure
The Gospel of Mark is organized into seven sections that describe the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The first chapter begins with a quotation from Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, and John the Baptist, who prophesized the coming of the Messiah. This chapter also details the baptism and the temptation of Jesus. The beginning of the second section of the book describes when Jesus calls Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to follow Him for ministry along with the other ten disciples (Mark 1:14-20). Jesus starts performing miracles during this section of the book (See Mark 1:21) known as His Galilean Ministry through verse 6:29. Section three depicts the with drawl from Galilee by Jesus and His disciples and the miracle of feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish (Mark 6:37-44). This chapter also describes the miracle of Jesus walking on water (Mark 6:49), Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah (Mark 8:29), and the transfiguration (Mark 9:2-5). In the last portion of this section Jesus predicts His death and resurrection (Mark 9:32). Section four, beginning with verse 9:33, covers the period when Jesus goes to Capernaum and preaches to His disciples about who is the greatest (Mark 9:36) and other subjects. Jesus then goes to Judea in section five, starting in Chapter 10. There, He teaches on many subjects, performs the miracle of restoring sight to a blind man that shows faith (Mark 10:52) and again predicts His death and resurrection to His disciples (Mark 10:33, 34). Chapters 11 through 15 start with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the back of a colt (Mark 11:1-11:11). In Jerusalem, Jesus teaches many lessons through answering questions, telling parables and gives warnings to people. The Lord's Supper is recounted in verses 14:17-26. Jesus is then arrested, tried and http://www.AllAboutJesusChr... ">crucified on the cross. The last section of Mark details the account of the http://www.AllAboutJesusChr... ">resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb.

Gospel of Mark: What is the Significance?
The Gospel of Mark presents many important facts and significant lessons. First, it clearly establishes that Jesus Christ is the http://www.AllAboutTruth.or... ">Messiah that was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Second, it proves that Jesus was the Son of God, whom He claimed to be by living a sinless and perfect life. Third, the Gospel records Jesus' miracles over nature (calming the storm; 4:37-41, walking on water; 6:48-51, and withering the fig tree; 11:12-14). His miracles also include healing many people, including Peter's mother-in-law (1:30-31), the paralyzed man (2:3-12), the woman with bleeding (5:25-29), and the deaf mute (7:31-37). Jesus also displayed miracle powers over death by raising Jairus's daughter from the dead (5:37-39). The most important fact in the Gospel of Mark is the evidence that Jesus Christ overcame the power of death through His resurrection from the tomb. He proved that there is no power that can overcome Him, that He is the authority to forgive the sins of people, and that He is the One and only Son of God. Lastly, Jesus gives people perfect instructions for how God desires people to live, respond through challenging circumstances, and make choices regarding their future for eternity. A few examples of these include having faith (Mark 2:5), replacing fear with trust (Mark 4:40), believing in the power of God (Mark 5:36), following Christ (Mark 8:35), understanding God's will (Mark 9:35), and sacrifices (Mark 10:21). Every word spoken and written in this Gospel can be applied to life in a practical manner. Of course, a summary of this Gospel can only provide highlights to the actual text and cannot replace it. You are encouraged to read the Gospel to learn more about Jesus Christ.

http://www.AllAboutJesusChr... ">Grow More Now!

Interesting survey~ I noticed the "spiritual" but not religious option was not really mentioned. Funny but I loved the "Gospel of Saint Thomas"~ some rather striking phrases there.

Fewer Americans identify with religion? Hooray! Its about time. Best news I've heard so far this year. I hope the percentage keeps going up. It's about time we moved out of make believe land and into the real world. Now we just have to work on our "clothing" dependency...

I would really appreciate an explanation of regiguy's post.

Good luck with that~ but I would imagine that "go get some Jesus" is behind it all. :-)

"I would really appreciate an explanation of regiguy's post."

The shotgun  rebuttal ...

--virgil

dirtyshirt, that looks like some good ol' fashioned spamming to me. Another blogger used to do that quite often. 

For myself, I transmogrified from "spiritual" to completely atheist about 2000. Before then, I still had no identity with religion.

 I was raised Catholic and stopped attending mass at age 14, when my parents no longer made me go.

My atheism continues to "solidify" and I'm more active in it's pursuit than I was with "spiritualiy". I found what works, at least for me. Science rules.

How would you folks define "spiritual" as in "spiritual but not religious"? 

.

Scholars aren't sure who wrote the Gospel of St. Thomas.

Or any other "gospel."  None was written by eyewitnesses or even contemporaries.

 How would you folks define "spiritual" as in "spiritual but not religious"? 

I typed a long answer to that, and the stupid site swallowed it.

Everyone's loss.

Apparently, god thoughts and social thoughts involve the same kind of brain activity:

http://www.npr.org/template...

It's rather exciting.

--virgil

Many hallucinations seem quite real to those experiencing them.

Sioux,

do you have a pic. for Bergman's Seventh Seal?

More appropriate, in my opinion.

--virgil

Here's a wiki. of it ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

--virgil

Many hallucinations seem quite real to those experiencing them.

They are real - Absolutely!

The difference between a good hallucination and a bad one, though, can be measured only in the behavior that may happen as a result of the  hallucination experience. 

"you know them by their fruits"

--virgil

That's what the unicorns told me.  But their stock market tips never pan out.

Too bad for you.

You might have shared your privileged knowledge with family and friends. They could have helped in  seeing the end results of your ideas about the stock market,  measuring the potential profits of the unicorn's notions.

--virgil

Sioux,

A trailer for Seventh Seal - great movie!

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

--virgil

Organized religions are not a democracy. Yet, religious spokesmen assert themselves as knowing what a democratic government should be. I am astounded that they don't see the obvious conflict of interest.

Organized religions are not a democracy.

Sure they are.  People vote with their feet.  And that's why organized Christianity is dwindling, in particular the most dogmatic sects:  they *DON'T* know what is needed to run a successful organization.

How would you folks define "spiritual" as in "spiritual but not religious"? 

There is the first point of divergence, which purports that organized religion is seperate from feelings of spirituality. There are others, which point out that feelings of connectedness, superstition, ancestor or nature worship or simply self conversation and knowing, or acknowledgement of the weightiness of existence and our part in it, including that the collected weight of all of us past and present may amount to something more than the sum of the parts and other ideas are separable from the belief in a distinct and unique intelligence that controls everything.

The problem with spirituality and religion in our society is that the big faiths (Christian, Jewish and Muslim primarily) have co-opted spirituality so completely that we don't 'give credit' for the spirtitual feelings of people outside any of these institutions. Despite the fact that I am a Catholic, I don't think we should kick the non-religious folks off the bus.

DS~ I have my beliefs for quite sometime and after both of my boys died so close together I did a reexamination of them,in depth.

 I know I do not "know",I know I could never presume to tell another the "right' path or the wrong path. My "goddess/god" concept is so huge that no human mind can conceive it,contain or constrain "it".Mostly it boils down to being the best person I can possibly be,for most of my time here.It is love and laughter,not spite.It is being joyous and thankful. It is to be living for today,this moment~ which is it's own reward,the only one I "expect".

The spiritual warriors battle is always and only with the self,to bring forth the Self.

What is to come~ or not come~ is the Great Mystery. Beyond our knowing and rightfully so.

IMO, religion in and of itself is an outside faction that some feel the need for in order to "connect" with God or whomever they choose to believe in.

Spirituality is within ones own self. For instance, I "see" wonderful things in the flowers, trees, animals, sunsets, sunrise, even storms. I personally do not need to go to a building (church) to know there is something greater then myself that is "managing" things. There are reasons we may not understand for the horrific disasters, the melt down of country's/nations, the illnesses, the suffering. There are also reasons for the reversal of those situations to something good.

Look what this is happening in this country right now. Yes, there are those who are evil who are taking advantage of the helpless, however, there are equally those who are stepping up to the plate with the goodness within them to help those who are lost. Restaurants offering food that you pay what you can; neighbors once again helping neighbors, especially the elderly; others offering to care for children so the parent can look for a job; dry cleaners offering free cleaning service for someone looking for a job; medical people who are donating their time for little ones..............the list goes on and on how this country, in spite of or because of "O" and his "O"thers trying to smack us down.

"in spite of or because of "O" and his "O"thers trying to smack us down."

The point of this post reflects my thinking on Obama's administration, religion and LIberalism vs. Conservatism generally. I believe that the good men do comes from their Liberal leanings.

If one believes that goodness comes from market forces, and one can force oneself to hold on to that belief even in the face of our current mortgage crisis, then I suppose a little data that suggests that humantarian politics leads to humantarian acts need not be addressed.

DS: In your opinion  :-)

witters ~I guess I am a "o"thers and believe me,smacking you down is not on my list...check your e-mail BTW. OT but you'll like it.

Great post!  My thoughts:

In, looking at my own life, I would tend to believe that the parity of the NFL, is the major factor for these findings.

Seriously though, I am not surprised by the results of this study.  I look around this country, and see that the vast majority of 'TV watchers' this week, tuned into the likes of; American Idol Tuesday, American Idol Wednesday, CSI, American Idol Thur, Bachelor (after final rose(s)??), The Bachelor, Two and a Half Men, and number 8 was Desperate Housewives.

Someone, once told me that, 'you can learn a lot about the people in a town by, looking at the movie section of the local newspaper.  I think the same can be said of the television habits of a nation.

On the political side, the Republican Megachurch's  (and the Catholic Church) throughout the land preach that we must defeat any one who takes a pro-choice position.  Case-closed.  So, to have voted for Obama; the church member had to thoughtfully choose to deny his churches leadership. 

I would think that would make such a member, reconsider the teaching of his church.  Leaving said member with the options of continuing to worship in such a place, find a church which provides a more liberal teaching approach, or lastly, to just give up and watch some TV.

The key is that there is a true left and a true right in American religion and culture, but that these opposing doctrinal camps are not where the real action is these days. For better and for worse, the heartbeat of America is found in the mushy middle — even on a topic like abortion. 

Looking at the extremes, the survey asked if abortion should be “illegal in all circumstances” or “legal for any reason at any time during pregnancy.” But in between, participants could say that abortion should remain legal to “save the life of the mother” or legal in cases involving rape or incest. They could also say that abortion should be legal “for any reason” during the first three months or the first six months” of pregnancy.

When the like's of U.S. Congressmen Kevin McCarthy is thought to be that of 'a fine Christian young man.'  I answer that he may or may not be that, but Kevin McCarthy's voting record is that, he is not.  Here is a congressmen who voted to cast the poorest among us out into the streets, and take possession of their homes; rather than allow a bankruptcy court to adjust the terms of their mortgages.  Judges already have had the authority to reduce the principal on loans backed by almost all forms of property -- including second homes, cars and boats -- but not on primary residences, and before that can even happen, homeowners would have to seek a voluntary modification from their lender and agree to share any profits if they sell the house within five years.

"This is the same opportunity that owners of vacation homes, investment properties, private jets [and] luxury yachts have long enjoyed," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose). "I think it's only fair that we offer it now to average families as well."

Claiming to be a Christian is easy, attending church every week or so is not difficult, but being a slave (or as Jesus calls them 'friends' -John 15.14) is not easy, in fact, it is impossible, but we can strive for that.

Or not.

montfred:

Thanks for a thoughtful response. I agree, especially with your insights on Kevin McCarthy. No surprise, even to Conservatives, that a person might claim a Christian foundation and behave in an entirely different fashion.

If we could move past the divisiveness of abortion, perhaps by concentrating on results rather than stances, then we might have a chance at rooting out such hypocrisy.