The point of my post is that talk is cheap, and so is typing. One of the most humbling and beautiful experiences that I engage in is being a Eucharistic Minister. I visit people who are home bound or in nursing homes to bring them the Body and Blood. These people give something to me that I could never experience in one of these pointless debates. Through these encounters, God shows me dignity and humility that helps me to stay grounded and focused. There is beauty in this that transcends description and walking out from behind a computer screen and moving within humanity gives me the opportunity to serve as God would have me do.

I know about the industry of wholesale religion, and it's despicable. People who are lost and frightened make the stupid choice to trust these snake oil salesmen and send portions of their meager incomes to their clubs and missions with the empty belief that those donations are going to help someone, as well as themselves. It only helped Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker to build an air conditioned $100K kennel for their dogs and to pay for their dogs' wedding. Those funds helped Pat Robertson buy up prime real estate in Suffolk, VA, Virginia Beach, and other places when the people who were sending their membership fees for the PTL Club were facing homelessness and destitution. And, no, it is not a sin to be successful, but when someone like Joel Olsteen rakes in millions and tells his followers that God will endow them with wealth if they just believe it, there is something dreadfully wrong. Christ walked with the poor and lived as a poor man. I should feel some discomfort when it comes to altruism because it would just be an empty act if it didn't inconvenience me to give some of what I have.

God exists within all things, and the words that Christ brought were pretty simple. Attempting to put our own spin on those words is pretty egotistical, and I haven't seen anyone respond as to whether or not they are ordained. Theologians spend years and years learning the Scriptures, the OT and NT, and applying all that they learn to ancient History and cultures of those times. They learn the words, and they learn the meaning of those words. Much of the translation was loosely interpreted to fit into context because some of the script characters could not be accurately translated into English.

To the individual that started this thread I can only say that announcing that a message is not open for debate invites debate and it seems that inflammatory words like that are designed to generate discord. I also want to convey that sending private messages and emails to alert someone to what a bad person they think another member is goes directly against the grain of Christian doctrines. Gossip is a sickness and addiction. I don't give one solid sh*t about who thinks what about whom. I am a grown adult and I can make my own decisions, thank you very much. You know who you are - do not contact me again. I am not interested in becoming your ally and I will forward every message that you send me to Webmaster and ask that you be solidly banned from this site.

edit add - If Rainy has a message to send, why doesn't Rainy post it themselves?  Acting as someone's minion doesn't win anyone any prizes.  Let people do their own typing and posting and let readers determine what they will and will not choose to believe.