CHURCH

There is a whole section of my family that used to be in eastern Europe that is no more. I think the Church had something to do with it. Didn't Stalin go to the seminary to become a priest? Then there is Easter when they used to beat up members of my family and destroy stuff that we had during Good Friday after a Passion Play was put on. McCain is a winner. He lets us know what a good Christian he is and also that he supports the trillion dollar senseless war in Iraq which he wants to keep going for the next century. You ever notice that Jews was attacked for geing greedy like they were supposed to like being poor and yet fundy Christianity seems to be about money. Hand your money over and de Lahwd will give you more back. How come Gahhhhwd or Jaahzuz does not just let the preachers know what the next powerball 100 million dollar lotto is. I do believe that Jayzooz invented rap so we could learn to love disco. Love to love you babe!

Either the Bible is the word of God or it isn't might be true, but to say it must be literally true or it is a fairy tale is not the case.

The Bible is open to translation and interpetation, and uless you understand that you are a long way from understanding the Bible. I would have thought a Bible schloar would understand that. I am not saying the Bible is right, only that there is more than one point of view.

It should not bother you what other people believe and how they worship. If they believe it that should be ebough. So long as they don't try and force you to believe it as well. But those who believe thank it is so good they want to share it with others.Abd there s nothing wrong with that.

The reason the Pilgim Fathers came to what became the United States was so they could practice reliious frredom. It is also the reaon why millions of others have come too.

The problem is that the fundamentalist are trying to force it on all of us. They are getting a toe hold in the right wing political camps all round the world. In islamic countries the fundamentalists are winning and it's going the same way in the west. Don't sleepwalk into a fundamentalist war.

When the tolerant government in Israel worked out a peace agreement with Palestinians, a fundamentalist killed the Prime Minister and another one caused a violent confrontation with the arabs in Jerusalem and got elected Prime Minister by the Jewish fundamentalists.

The fundamentalist christians run the USA. GWB invaded Iraq because god told him to - he said so, don't take my word for it he said it on TV worldwide in front of billions of people. His use of the phrase crusade was exactly what the islamic countries took it to be - a christian war on the heathen.

Britain isn't in the same mess but Tony Blair admitted on TV (again seen worldwide) that he agreed to involve Britain in the war because of his religious beliefs - not because there were or weren't weapons of mass destruction, not because Sadaam was a naughty boy, but because his god told him to.

AND now he's supposed to be trying to factor a peace in the Middle East. What kind of moron does that? Put a christian zealot in charge of trying to get islamists and Jews to reach a peace agreement that accommodates both sides beliefs (i.e. that Israel must be wioped off the face of the earth versus Palestine must be wiped off the face of the earth).

I agree that "The reason the Pilgim Fathers came to what became the United States was so they could practice religious frredom. It is also the reason why millions of others have come too." I don't deny that and I just wish the same could be said now but it can't. Wake up, smell the coffee, act for religious tolerance before it's too late. Act against the fundamentalist, new earth creationist loonies before they completely take over your country and turn it into the least tolerant place on earth.

I'd like to think that the tolerant religious people could turn things round but i fear it is too late.

Already your choices are being eroded. Abortion should be a decision taken by the individual most affected - the mother - not a zealot who believes that only a shameless harlot would even consider abortion. I don't particularly agree with abortion but it's not my right to force my views on millions of people. I certainly wouldn't kill doctors because of my belief.

It really doesn't bother me what people think or what they worship until it allows vile people to take over governments. I don't mind happy clappy Hari Krishnas dancing in the street and giving me leaflets. Nothing wrong with that. I'll take a tract from a christian as long as his T Shirt doesn't say "Kill a queer today" It has happened. I am happy with muslims worshiping any way they like as long as they don't murder a girl because she likes a boy who is a christian, or even a different islamist sect.

The majority of christians, Jews, muslims, buddhists, wiccans, mormons, whatever are nice sweet well balanced people. It's the loonie minority that are the problem. They exist and grow because of your tolerance. They thrive in your tolerant silence. They take advantage of those who will not speak out for fear of offending. Protect your faith because it's being corrupted by vile beings who want to use it for their own ends and they are welcomed by the right wing politicians for the votes they bring and because of the prejudices they share. BUT you'd better do something soon.

There's another problem with what you say about not taking the bible literally and it being open to interpretation.

That means I can decide which bits I want to believe literally, which bits can interpret to fit my own purposes and which bits I can ignore. This is supposed to be an unambiguous message from your god. Why would your god go to the trouble of sending a message which you could pick and choose bits from and either twist or ignore others. Is that the work of a sensible being or a moron? I go for the latter. You might disagree but you really have got to explain why!!!!!