To all:

Rook has stated he feels up to a debate with me on Caesar's Messiah.

I accept.

Rook will post time and details here unless he chickens out.

Joe Atwill

...especially for me....since I may have blasphemed the Holy Spirit a long time ago. It is true I was having a "hissy fit"....and I was not a Christian at the time...hopefully, I am a Christian now.....but do not want to take the term, lightly.

Anyone can say "I am a Christian"...but Jesus said:

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

I had a talk with two theologians, and I gained some new insight into Theism. Obviously they wanted to defend their belief in existence of God, but they weren't fundementalists. So here's what I figured out:

Theists believe in God, because they don't have faith in the power of rational thought, and some Theist's nature simply does not allow rational thinking. Rational thought is what creates science. We can now save people's lives, heal the sick and even bring back the dead, because rational thought has given a rise to science, wich allows these god-like powers. With technology one can fix everything. That's what I believe.

1. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes.--19:18
2. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father -- 19:32
3. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose -- 19:33
4. Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father -- 19:34
5. And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose -- 19:35
6. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

Yeah, I believe there's a god, but I'm also questioning it...So I might convert to atheism. I'm not really Christian....What is a theist anyway?

I mean, is it natural, or is it necessitated by the existence of an omniscient creator?

 </seinfeld>

Does the judicial system in the USA use the same type of fear as Christians use in telling people they will go to hell if they do not become a Christian? It seems to me in my opinion that it does, at least somewhat. I know for me at least one reason why I would not kill somebody is because depending on what state you live in there is capital punishment. The government uses the fear of death to try to keep murder in check In my opinion it seems to me some people don't think before they commit the crime and get themselves in trouble. Criminals will try to hide their crimes from the police because they are afraid they will get caught and put in prison. The reason they try to hide their crime is because they fear the punishment. The fear of a  punishment will sometimes deter somebody from committing the crime. It is a fear of what justice will do to them that keeps them away from committing the crime. If punishments did not contain a small amount of discomfort then there would be no punishment. The justice system uses that discomfort as motivating factor to keep crime at bay. If the above is true then this type of fear (fear of punishment to motivate good) is inescapable. Please tell me if I am wrong.