MT,

I'm really tired so will likely make a mess of my response but I'll give it a shot.  I will post again in a bit with my responses to your questions/comments/statements in CAPS inside your quote.  Plus whatever else I can do with my  tired mind. 

... Mountaineer

Sure, but can you explain exactly why are there foreign troops occupying those cities? How do you or I, or your community for that matter, benefit from that? As I have said before, it's a make-work program for poor people and defense contractors.  It benefits us by making us feel like our thirst fo...

What would any of you say to the following statement: I love Jesus.  It's obvious as I read the New Testament that others loved him as well.  As writers of that era were wont to do, they translated their love for him into embellishments of what he actually did during his life.  According to the com...

Premise: Humans own themselves so no one has a right to force them Bonus conclusion: I'm fine with the Christian worldview or any world view as long as you don't violate the top premise. I'm not sure if I agree with your premise.  Something tells me it is not correct but I can't put my finger on it...

There are grey areas like babies but I've gone over and over why a baby can't be disposed of like an animal but it never sticks or the claim is made I haven't addressed it. The above statement seems to be more premise than fact.  It appears to be stated as fact (self-evident).  I do not agree that ...

Premise: Humans own themselves so no one has a right to force them Bonus conclusion: I'm fine with the Christian worldview or any world view as long as you don't violate the top premise. I'm not sure if I agree with your premise.  Something tells me it is not correct but I can't put my finger on it...

A3. The "rapture" is a relatively recent idea (circa 1830, Darby) and is not really Scriptural.  It is based on one verse - 1 Thes 4:17 - that does not have support from other Scripture.  So, as one who follows the "Scripture interprets Scripture" method of Bible interpretation, I don't buy the rap...

There are grey areas like babies but I've gone over and over why a baby can't be disposed of like an animal but it never sticks or the claim is made I haven't addressed it. The above statement seems to be more premise than fact.  It appears to be stated as fact (self-evident).  I do not agree that ...

We really are not Neanderthals incapable of relating to your insightful knowledge of all.  I appreciate it Mountaineer. I really do know exactly what you're saying. My writing style is more for me than anyone else. I sometimes work it out as I'm writing and make definative statements rather than wi...

Serious question: I currently have this dog . He is the sweetest creature I have ever encountered, human or otherwise. He is now about 9.5 years old. It saddens me to think that he only has a few years left, and that at some point I will be without him. I consider myself an agnostic/atheist. Now, i...

Gosso,

Thanks for the suggestion.  I ordered "The Great Divorce".  Sounds interesting.

... Mountaineer

Consider the following scenario: A group of Christian missionaries have the Bible translated into the language of a tribe in an isolated area of the highlands of New Guinea and fly over that area and drop hundreds of these translated Bibles. Ten years later the missionaries finally make ground cont...