Still waiting to hear frm “our party”. Helllllllooooooo??? Hill???? Bill??? Kill(ers)???

Are you really the real MSM?

…just curious.

Here’s the Talk To Action site section devoted to the game:

http://www.talk2action.org/section/religious_war

Here’s the first installment of Jonathan Hutson’s expose series on the game that has been viewed by about 1/2 million site visitors :

http://www.talk2action.org/sto…..195855/959

Christy Hardin Smith @
2

You know, I must have missed that “mow down the blasphemers with a machine gun” part of the Bible in Sunday School. Ahem.

(And yes, I am now home safely. All is right with the world…)

Welcome back. You’ll have to tell us about the conference, I hope?

Re the Bible, there are lots of gory scenes, especially in the Old Testament. Our Revs et al can weigh in. No machine guns, for sure, but a pretty murderous use of the Red Sea, a monster species threatening flood, a plague of locusts, spirits killing all the first born in Egypt,then slaughtering the Jews, crucifixions, and so on. That was a pretty angry God, back then.

Hell yes he was angry. Didn’t he claim that the Israelites were “a stiff necked people?”

Pretty hard to pull off all those thingies with little apparent gratitude.

Peterr –

I should add this point –

While I’m not inclined either toward superficial reading OR vengeance, what I HAVE always thought about this particular psalm and other similar passages is that there has been a serious evolution in the people of God over the CENTURIES and MILLENIA regarding their understanding about violence and peace and tolerance.

This is a very good thing, this evolution in spiritual growth. But I think I’ve been dealing with priests and ministers (and in earlier days, nuns) who were not inclined to admit too much that there’s been a BIG evolution in spiritual understanding.

(Of course there are also many ministers, priests, and nuns who DO understand this evolution and understand its significance, as well).

Clergy who don’t like to admit to the evolution of understanding are always so afraid it’ll mean either an anything-goes relativity, or that God somehow will be seen as evolving, too. But that’s just my understanding of these folks — they never come right out and say so to me.

So instead, they seem to just wish I never brought up elements of cognitive dissonance for discussion.

Amen to your description of the evolution of understanding, and also clergy with a serious fear of said evolution. There are also clergy who are afraid of not having all the answers. Combine the two, and you get clergy who absolutely hate tough questions.

Me, I’m more of a “let’s wrestle with the question” kind of guy than a “here’s exactly what it says and exactly what it means” type when it comes to interpreting scripture, especially when we’re talking about poetry and narrative. These are so filled with multiple layers of meaning that to “boil them down” to one little thing robs them of their power.

But back to evolution for a minute . . . One of my favorites for irritating the “nothing ever changes” fundies is to point out to them that Isaiah sets aside part of the law of Moses when it comes to the acceptability of eunuchs within the community of God’s people. Moses says no, but centuries later Isaiah says yes. There’s evolution for you, and it takes place inside the floppy leather covers of the Bible.

“But . . . but . . . “

Well, I suppose there would be a sort of “shakedown cruise” for topics, and those that didn’t generate much “buzz” might be weekly or monthly or something. The initial start-up process will probably be a bit chaotic but I trust the folks here. (After all, if we’re not happy we bitch about it, right?!!)

The good part about a blog like this one is that it can quickly correct itself if the hosts feel it’s getting away from its goals. I don’t know if a forum fits in with those goals, but they have pluses and minuses. They’re good for discussing technical problems, where months later someone might need to see the discussion, and less good at things that are very current or topical. Or, as we say in the computer world, YMMV (your mileage may vary).

I’d guess it would be a good way of supporting projects that FDL is working on, and, as you suggest, topics that are popular over the long term could be added, as well.

I should add this point –

While I’m not inclined either toward superficial reading OR vengeance, what I HAVE always thought about this particular psalm and other similar passages is that there has been a serious evolution in the people of God over the CENTURIES and MILLENIA regarding their understanding about violence and peace and tolerance.

This is a very good thing, this evolution in spiritual growth. But I think I’ve been dealing with priests and ministers (and in earlier days, nuns) who were not inclined to admit too much that there’s been a BIG evolution in spiritual understanding.

(Of course there are also many ministers, priests, and nuns who DO understand this evolution and understand its significance, as well).

Clergy who don’t like to admit to the evolution of understanding are always so afraid it’ll mean either an anything-goes relativity, or that God somehow will be seen as evolving, too. But that’s just my understanding of these folks — they never come right out and say so to me.

So instead, they seem to just wish I never brought up elements of cognitive dissonance for discussion.

I’ve suggested setting up a bulletin board or forum for ongoing subjects here. It does have some advantages, including that topics in which people continue to have an interest can continue. The bad part is that you inevitably end up with topics that haven’t been added to in weeks, and at some point you have to make a decision to archive that topic, which of course requires someone who will do that. It would also require moderation. IOW, more work.

Well, I suppose there would be a sort of “shakedown cruise” for topics, and those that didn’t generate much “buzz” might be weekly or monthly or something. The initial start-up process will probably be a bit chaotic but I trust the folks here. (After all, if we’re not happy we bitch about it, right?!!)