CSLewis

I think the husbands should stay home and raise the kids and cook and clean - while the wifes go out and work.

"if God is love why are his followers such jerks"

Huh ? Did you say something dear? I'm sorry I must not have been paying attention....

Obviously, God has blessed you with a home church you are comfortable doing all of that with. Please dont knock the rest us who do not have, yet yearn for, the same blessing you have. I am not knocking anyone for feeling uncomfortable at church. I went to an assemblies of God church in back woods east Texas for a year- I was very uncomfortable. I am now in an orthodox church and love the liturgy, the prayer, the people, the open minded bible study, the welcoming feeling I get by all the members. But it isn't necessarily about my comfort. Also I must say the assemblies of God denomination is very missions focused and I loved that. And If you really look you will find the Holy Spirit in any church. Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal, - another huge thing that we need is discipleship and accountability- this means the elders in the church know you take you under there wing - teach you how to be a man of God, someone in your darkest hour that you can call up and just say Brother so and so I am going through this issue and they will say all right I am coming over right now. Or there is a death in the church. Everyone gathers around the new widow and we pray for her and we take care of her and we repaint her house . We reach out and help each other and we get involved and yes it is messy. And you can't hide behind a computer screen. But it is those moments of messiness that we cry out to God and build each other back up. This truly is at the heart of most churches. We are called to be a family. Yes at times it is a dysfunctional family. But yes it is a family. And it is what we are - we are Christians and it is what Christians do- love. And maybe instead of having the mindset of looking to be loved when we go to church we looked for someone to love at church. And invite them to dinner and reach out and be involved because that person may need you and he came to church with a burden and maybe we can share that burden. These are just my thoughts but I am very passionate about it. Peace

I can't fault you, that's for sure.

Man- that would eliminate 99% of musicians and artists.

Go ahead and throw away all your U2 CDs. Or you can send them to me - pm me and Ill give you an address to send them to.

The author says she is married. Poor guy.

There is not one church in all of the metropolis of Toronto that you can worship God? Church is an oppurtunity for us to worship Him, and at the same time love our neighbors and join with other believers in body and spirit. It is SO important. It doesn't matter if you don't agree 100% with the pastor or priest, or with the denomination, it's not about that, it is about coming together as the Body of Christ and partaking of communion and worship together. To read his word together. To pray together. Nobody is perfect. If only perfect people went to church the pews would be empty.

I would argue that this is not a church. We are the church but this is not a substitute for getting up in the morning and worshipping with other believers in body and spirit. Secondly Christians are not perfect. I am not. You are not. You say that that church you were at was abusive - does that mean they were physically , sexually , or verbally abusive? If what you mean is they had a set of doctrines that you disagree with then you have every right to leave, but I wouldn't consider that abusive. Thirdly sometimes God doesn't want us to pray - sometimes he wants to talk to us but we are too busy talking to listen. Meditation is sitting silently clearing our mind, breathing and listening. He will fill you with peace.

Ok so let me get this straight - angels came down from heaven and had sex with women of the earth - they had children which were the nephilim the Lord saw that the world was wicked so of course God in his mighty benevolence had to kill everything except two of every kind, a sort of Holy holocaust if you will. But these Nephilim must have been mighty swimmers because they are found after the flood waters recede numbers 13.33 deut 2.10-11

Yea I was being facetious.

I'm shocked.

They've all got drivers licenses- we have a president who can't prove his own citizenship

Why must history repeat itself?

This is a huge gift for the left- now they have everybody distracted and once again characterize us as racist "tea baggers" ugh.... So what happens to a Latino American woman who can't prove her citizenship? She gets carted off to jail? Now we are going to have a push for a national Id card- wait they are already doing that...

Suggest one and I will read it- I will get it today.

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp...p;letter=A#3326 here is a quick history and definition of allegorical interpretation. I have never heard any other scholar besides yourself talk of literal interpretation as being the way in which you define it.

That is just simply not true. There are many forms of interpretation- there is allegorical interpretation and literal interpretation to name two. Allegorical interpretation has always been a huge part of the Jewish readings of the Torah, and also in the midrash,

Textual indicators such as symbols that would have held meaning to those for whom the Torah was written?

A literal interpretation of a non literal event (allegory, or myth) is a wrong interpretation. Because the author does not intend for the event to be taken literally. Allegory conveys much more meaning than a historical narrative, because all players, symbols, places, and events convey multiple meanings and a depth beyond the literal.

Completely racist. Jim crow laws come back.

The second coming of the Son of man is allegorical in nature, as well.

Increase the presssure and ice will do different things - it will rearrange itself to be more stable- rearranging itself to be heavier than water.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Loving your neighbor more than yourself doesn't jive with lovers of self. Eventually love of self leaves them empty and void. A void that only Christ can fill.