Burl

I believe insects are sentient but not conscious. The larval and pupal stages seem to rule out that possibility. I can't even imagine the evolution of metamorphosis.

When you smack a spider the last thing to go through its mind is its butthole.

Somehow the act of attempting to educate yourself on quantum physics makes it not understandable.

Christianity works pretty well if you see time as a force pulling us towards a predetermined future instead of a collection of actions and souvenirs.

No, it's not poetry. There has been extensive archeological evidence of giants uncovered since C18. Search for "giant skeletons" on google and especially google images. A good Halloween project! The existence of supernatural beings in every culture is evidence that this is not only a Judeo-Christian construct. Hindu avatars, Buddhist bodhisatvas, African loa, ghosts and the many polytheistic religions. Fallen angels are not equivalent to aliens. We have indisputable testimony from trained observers about aliens. Angels, fallen or otherwise, have not aquired that level of testimony yet.

Is accepting what accepting a literal reading? In Genesis 6:4, there are elohim on earth mating with human women and creating the giants. The term elohim may denote any supernatural being per Heiser, but not necessarily angels. The literality of Heiser's Hebrew reading is stronger than the common English translation of that verse as "Sons of God". English is a good starting place but English Bible is by definition not literal. Literality demands the original languages.

I'm not dismissing Spiritfilled's comment. There is a metric crap-ton of idiocy relating aliens and fallen angels, but there is also genuine scholarship. Mostly by Heiser, who is the most thorough and accessible. The usual Scriptural quote is centered on Genesis 6:4 and the pseudopigraphal 2 Enoch, which is only in the Coptic Canon but is referenced as Scripture in the Western bible. In any case, Scripture mentions around a dozen different spiritual beings and they occur in all ancient literature. No excuse for not keeping an open mind on the subject.

What is time to an eternal being? There is a real question.

Yes, some people hold non-scriptural beliefs about the Bible. Many people also identify quotes from Poor Richard's Almanac as Scripture. All but one of Rom's litany of verses was irrelevant to my statement, but it is always rewarding to read about Rom getting serious about Scripture so I let that slide.

October 29, 2017 Matthew 22:34-46 The Message (MSG) The Most Important Command 34-36 When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: “Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?” 37-40 Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” David’s Son and Master 41-42 As the Pharisees were regrouping, Jesus caught them off balance with his own test question: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said, “David’s son.” 43-45 Jesus replied, “Well, if the Christ is David’s son, how do you explain that David, under inspiration, named Christ his ‘Master’? God said to my Master, “Sit here at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” “Now if David calls him ‘Master,’ how can he at the same time be his son?” 46 That stumped them, literalists that they were. Unwilling to risk losing face again in one of these public verbal exchanges, they quit asking questions for good.

The Bible never claims to be the true word of God. It does claim that all of Scripture (which includes more than just the Bible) is useful in the teaching of righteousness (2 Timothy).

Spiritfilled, check into the work of bible scholar Michael Heiser, Ph.D. He sorts out these things with considerable academic rigor. Heiser is the scholar-in-residence for Logos bible software. You can find many speeches and interviews with Heiser on the YouTube channel General Han Solo. He goes into great depth on these subjects.

Welcome to our little soirée.

Thank you for sharing such intimate experiences.

The statement "Christianity is not a religion" is not an oversimplification, but rather hyperbole. The author is making an absurd statement dramatization of his point that Christianity is about a theistic God working directly through mankind rather than worship of a totally external entity.

The statement in the antitheses about divorce is hyperbole, just like the other antitheses. I posted at length about this in another topic. The author portrays Christianity as unique in that it allows the theistic God to move and act through humanity. In Christianity, God can flow through mankind like water through a hose.

Largely agreed Paul, but his observation that the entire point of Christianity is Jesus erasing the strict barrier between creator and created by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is solid. It might have better said that this unity of God and mankind created by Jesus makes Christianity a unique religion as God is present within mankind. Far more than the Buddhist denial of God or the obvious fact that everything is connected, the structure is well defined. I have said before it is easier to understand Christianity by starting at Pentecost and working backwards. p.s. Orientalreview.org is an excellent journal on geopolitics. Not much religion, but I recommend it highly for world affairs.

Comments on the article?

https://orientalreview.org/2017/10/22/not-like-religion-the-christian-clergy/

October 22, 2017 Matthew 22:15-22 The Message (MSG) Paying Taxes 15-17 That’s when the Pharisees plotted a way to trap him into saying something damaging. They sent their disciples, with a few of Herod’s followers mixed in, to ask, “Teacher, we know you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular opinion, and don’t pander to your students. So tell us honestly: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 18-19 Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said, “Why are you playing these games with me? Why are you trying to trap me? Do you have a coin? Let me see it.” They handed him a silver piece. 20 “This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?” 21 They said, “Caesar.” “Then give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his.” 22 The Pharisees were speechless. They went off shaking their heads.

Preacher's daughter :-)

October 15, 2017 Matthew 22:1-14 The Message (MSG) The Story of the Wedding Banquet 22 1-3 Jesus responded by telling still more stories. “God’s kingdom,” he said, “is like a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son. He sent out servants to call in all the invited guests. And they wouldn’t come! 4 “He sent out another round of servants, instructing them to tell the guests, ‘Look, everything is on the table, the prime rib is ready for carving. Come to the feast!’ 5-7 “They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his garden, another to work in his shop. The rest, with nothing better to do, beat up on the messengers and then killed them. The king was outraged and sent his soldiers to destroy those thugs and level their city. 8-10 “Then he told his servants, ‘We have a wedding banquet all prepared but no guests. The ones I invited weren’t up to it. Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.’ The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on—every place filled. 11-13 “When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man who wasn’t properly dressed. He said to him, ‘Friend, how dare you come in here looking like that!’ The man was speechless. Then the king told his servants, ‘Get him out of here—fast. Tie him up and ship him to hell. And make sure he doesn’t get back in.’ 14 “That’s what I mean when I say, ‘Many get invited; only a few make it.’”

Puts me in mind of Buddhist sand mandalas. Craftsmanship as both a statement of faith and a prayer tool.