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From: wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: one more time...
Message-ID: <1029@rti-sel.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 6-Oct-86 10:53:23 EDT
Article-I.D.: rti-sel.1029
Posted: Mon Oct  6 10:53:23 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Oct-86 09:42:51 EDT
References: <2fa71dcd.33cd@apollo.uucp> <2fa77b2f.46@apollo.uucp> <1018@rti-sel.UUCP> <232@BMS-AT.UUCP>
Reply-To: wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly)
Organization: Research Triangle Institute, NC
Lines: 48

In article <232@BMS-AT.UUCP> stuart@BMS-AT.UUCP (Stuart D. Gathman) writes:

>In article <1018@rti-sel.UUCP>, wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly) writes:
>> who denies the resurrection as a Christian. Whether that Christian
>> truly believes s/he is a Christian or not is beside the point, because
>
>I think the same mastermind must be in charge of brainwashing all 
>American students.  

I'm not a student: I'm a 40-year-old man who has been thinking about
these issues most of my life.

>Did it ever occur to anyone that something might
>be true (or false) even if no one believes it to be true (or false)?
>If your right arm gets amputated, does believing real sincerely that
>it didn't happen change the facts?  Christianity makes certain statements
>about the universe (and beyond).  These statements are either true or
>false.  If it is true that anyone outside of Christ will go to Hell, they
>are going there whether they believe it or not.  It is simple kindness
>for Christians to try and warn their neighbors before it happens.

My comment was about Christian fundamentalists who deny the
Christianity of all those who in some sense accept the truth of what
Christ said but don't buy into the whole mystical enchilada of the
Resurrection, Christ's divinity, and the literal interpretation of the
Bible. What you people don't seem to realize is that this describes A
LOT of people who describe themselves as Christian. And many of these
people resent your absolute definition of what Christianity is all
about. What arrogance.

I reject your concept of a vengeful God who would commit innocents to
eternal torment, I reject literal interpretations of the Bible, I
reject the notion that humanity is fundamentally flawed. Yes, I've
read the Bible; it contains wisdom, but so do the texts of the other
great religions of the world. I have no use for a 'God' who would damn
me for living a good and moral life outside the confines of the
Christian personality cult.
 
>	Wake up! HASA and SASA especially! You guys are supposed to be
>finding out what's really true!  I am sick and tired of relative truth.
>Let's show why Christianity is false, or why it is true.  But let's not
>have this "whatever works for you" drivel.
>
>Remember, somebody might be right!

Whatever works for you, Stuart. I mean it.

                        -- Cheers, Bill Ingogly