Might I gently remind you all that we have a religion thread so that those of us who find religion irrelevant and faintly ludicrous dont have to get puffed up and reply to such threads as this.....
Having said that....It was only the delusional last chance effort by Emperor Constantine to preserve the future of the "mighty" Roman Empire that enabled Christians to achieve such a status.
Cheers from an angry Aussie [/]
Hi David E
I'm not at all sure how one does cheers when one is angry
I've tried, but I cant manage it
But I'm entirely sympathetic to your perspective on religion.
I've just finished reading Albert Schweitzers last book, written
when he was 75, after a lifetime of repairing sick Africans in Africa and restoring old organs in Europe
He considered first 300 years of Christianity to be ridden with factionalism, politics and downright
murder ..and that it strayed well away from the teachings of its founder....
Hence the atheists prayer:
" Lord protect me from your followers"
So how does this relate to my lovely chinese bride, and those who converse here on the net??
Well, I have found that if I set aside (momentarily) my notions of how it all is. and just look
afresh, I discover that Yan is far quicker to let go of any grievance that I am, and far slower
to enter into judgements.
"forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us"
"judge not lest you be judged"
So somehow she knows this stuff without having to have formal beliefs.
This led me to a study of LaoTze, and his appreciation that formal beliefs
get in the way of experiencing Tao.
So these days, if it springs from kindliness, whatever that means, I'm open to it.
If its a belief that must be followed, or a theology that must be adopted
I'm just ahead of that cloud of dust and small stones on the horizon.
So I see lots of kindliness here - and I've said as much, probably to the embarrassment
of those like Willy, you, Jerry, Shaun and others that I've talked to.
But most of all, its from my lovely wife.
We've been together every night for over 3 years, and I will often wake up trying to figure
how I ended up next to this absolute Goddess for over 1000 nights.
She brings laughter, grace, commitment and adoration to the relationship,
and awakes those same qualities, long dormant, in me.
I've been richly blessed...with miracles, you might say..
So when someone invites me to to join in a belief system based on suffering
and guilt and loss, I can understand that that is where they are and not "nail them to the cross"...
But I walk on, and try to see kindness behind the evident insanity...
For me, there is no turning back
If you want more detail, PM me :-)