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Post Info TOPIC: FYI: A story from Witchvox
RevDavcurand


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FYI: A story from Witchvox
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Author: Allan Powell   Source: Hagerstown Morning Herald (MD)

Title: FUNDAMENTALISM: A RETURN TO DARK AGES

Since the rise of the Moral Majority some 30 years ago, it has become increasingly clear that fundamentalist Christianity is a harmful social movement. Its numbers and power should be a source of alarm. This mass movement, composed of highly charged biblical literalists, represents an in-your-face, we are the only way, absolutely true, old time religion.

John Spong, an Anglican bishop, has written persuasively in his well-read book, "Rescuing The Bible From Fundamentalism," about his fears of their dominance: "My purpose in this volume is to rescue the Bible from the exclusive hands of those who demand that it be literal truth, and second to open up that sacred story to levels of insight and beauty that, in my experience, literalism has never produced."

Spong is a member of the family, so to speak. Yet he agrees with the skeptic that the claims of literalism and inerrancy in biblical texts are a distortion of literature, history and science. Can any informed, rational, modern person take seriously the claim made in Genesis 3:7 that a conversation took place between a human and a snake?


-- Edited by RevDavcurand at 17:08, 2005-02-25

-- Edited by RevDavcurand at 17:09, 2005-02-25

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Many Paths.....One Goal ......All opinions stated in my posts are just that...my opinions...and should not be held in any way as the opinions of the CEPF Board of Directors or of anyone other than myself.
RevDavcurand


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A reply to story, The Christians Ain't Alone
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by Tawaret (Austin, TX) - Email

Anybody ever see what Joe the Muslim thinks of those jerks with the C-4 vests? I once did a little web-surfing after 9-11, ran across a Muslim site, and my eyebrows are only now growing back.

How many of y'all have gotten the One True Wicca business in your religious seekings?

The funny thing is, it all comes from a *lack* of faith. If you have faith, everything else is a bunch of window dressing.

It kinda helps in my case when the Aswan High Dam stopped the annual Flood. Are the mysteries of Hathor and Sekhmet somehow reduced? No way! Faith is bigger than the stories we tell ourselves as to why we have faith.

A real Christian could give a hoot about talking donkeys. They are too busy paying attention to what they believe Jesus wants them to do. The folks worked up about creationism and all that crappola need every word of their Bible/Koran/whatever to be literally true because their faith is a house of cards. Christianity is bigger than a book. Islam is bigger than a book. Wicca is bigger than a pentacle, Buddhism is bigger than a Hindi prince, Asatru and other reconstructions are bigger than a bunch of archaeological digs.

If you have a relationship with Deity, you are too busy to be wondering and worrying about what everyone else is doing and whether they are doing it "right." Much happier, too.

If your faith is a house of cards, knock it over! Deity's been sitting across that table the whole time waiting for you to deal Her some cards and play.

Pardon the incoherence. I'm waiting to have a baby, and it's really damn hard to put into words things that go beyond words.


-- Edited by RevDavcurand at 17:10, 2005-02-25

-- Edited by RevDavcurand at 17:10, 2005-02-25

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Many Paths.....One Goal ......All opinions stated in my posts are just that...my opinions...and should not be held in any way as the opinions of the CEPF Board of Directors or of anyone other than myself.
RevDavcurand


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Another reply to story, Proselytize
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by Jeff (Hesperia - California) - Email

...so many Neo-Pagan groups don't believe in proselytizing, as I find it an offensive action too. This, however, does not mean that we should not be loud and clear while proclaiming our existence and right to it. Do good deed and let it be known that you have done them.

No seriously about this article, it makes a lot of good points. I think that it is unfortunate though, that many Christians really do not read the Bible complete from front to back. They do not understand the Torah, the Talmud, and the Kabala in whole, thus rendering their understanding of the New Testament moot. The Reverend also made some valid points, the Bible was not written as a literal guide, it was for the most part a guide to the mystical connection mankind should have with the creator.

I am not Christian, but I do study the religion and many of hits connections to other religions, I have been appalled for a long time with the lack of earnest endeavors into the study of religion by both Christians and non-Christians alike in the United States. There is so much rich history behind these religions that point to a fraction of the truth, and beyond that may lay reality.

If we do not educate ourselves, we will not prevail against the coming storm. The fundamentalists will continue to hold the upper hand and will without a doubt lead on a path that could end in a Theocracy. I truly fear that this may happen, not necessarily in my lifetime or the next. Though it may occur if we complacently sit back and watch the clock hands turn.

:) have a good day!


-- Edited by RevDavcurand at 17:16, 2005-02-25

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Many Paths.....One Goal ......All opinions stated in my posts are just that...my opinions...and should not be held in any way as the opinions of the CEPF Board of Directors or of anyone other than myself.
firephoenix


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RE: FYI: A story from Witchvox
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These are truly things to think deeply about. Thanks for sharing Dave


MP BB
Fire



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angelgold12000


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Wow! I have to say, when I first realized that I had faith in something but I was not quite sure where that faith was coming from and on top of that finding out about my spiritual self, I picked every book I could get my hands on about faith and religion. And, at first I did take every thing in these books to their word. It's easy to do when you are desperate to finding out who you are! But, I kept reading and searching and learned that these texts were to be taken in much bigger ways than for just the words.     Great story and replies!  Thank you           BB, Angel

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I hope that you will go out and let stories that is life happen to you and that you will work with these stories from your lifeyour life not someone elses life water them with your blood and tears and your laughter till they bloom Clarissa Estes,Ph.D.
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