Walsingham

I've never had the slightest problem with dating people of other faiths. Why should it be a problem in a marriage?

I once got the tune for the cartoon stuck in my head for two weeks. I was almost in tears by the end.

I shoudl also say that in the Anglican faith, priests are almost expected to have these kind of doubts. AND they can get married. Join us. Join us on the Tea and Biscuits side, Luke... (not actually Anglican, but if it gives me the chance to tempt Holy Men then wahoo!)

When I was younger I worked in customer serivices for a major UK firm for several years. Hence my dazzling people skills as a mod. " My problem is not with the Indian staff so much as the role such a company must feel customer services plays in their firm. i.e. we don't give a rat's patookie about our customers because we are willing to put their access point half a world away from our executives and so on. Where I worked every single customer service operative had the right to visit the Managing Director in person at any time (within reason). Although we had a good manager of customer services so this was rarely necessary. We also had direct access to any other department and could physically charge in to get stuff done if it was sufficiently urgent. And we needed that access on many occasions. Other departments would too often focus on the technical obstacles to fixing stuff without realising that they had no option. I also don't like outsourcing of customer service because of the lax protection of personal data and the relatively poor law-enforcement. In the main I actually find the working staff more polite and better educated than their English equivalents.

If I may draw an analogy, this makes me think of the Army officers I know. The majority of them have faith in the Army, and its mission. This communicates itself to their men, keeping them focussed. It also reinforces their drive to be professional and encourage professionalism. It seems an integral part of their job to believe as stonrgly as they do. However, the very best of the officers I know do not have complete faith. In fact they have all at one time or another been ready to chuck everything in for one reason or another. Events and people. But they are still in the Army. I think their doubts, and their perception of the ugliness in the institution merely convinces them to try even harder to make it what it is not. In doing so, a surprising number have achieved a degree of success. I would suggest that you consider what benefit their may be in a priest who sees that our holy churches are not without flaws, but being dissatisfied with that he will try to better them.

No wukkas.

If my life had not always been a wasteland, desolate of all human affection I would be upset! *sniffle*

I've been desperately trawling my data-brain-soup for info, but not a smidgen. Interesting subject though. Has a good ring to it. Possibly one of very few hisorical subjects that might impress the ladies.

Don't you believe it. I was visiting Oxford a couple of months back, went to Christchurch for the Sunday evensong. Fething purple shafts and whatnot being mentioned. I think it was to do with the song of Solomon. I bet Ashcroft would ban it if he ever bothered to read a bible.

Don't take this as a flame, but you have to be the only person I've ever come across to complain about long games in general. I mean we'll all beat the bukake out of the NWN official campaign for being long and tedious. But when we say long we mean long and full of stuff. Not just chests.

A religion which calls for charity, humility,and fairness (for example) needs less justification than one which claims special rights to murder anyone it likes. Because the former is closer to what one might call principles naturally conducive to general happiness. I realise I'm lining up for a kicking here.

I think the key is what the religion tells you to do without evidence. The hamster wants you to eat no meat on fridays, no biggie. The hamster wants you to chow down on the meaty marrow of evil (as defined by due process of law) OK. The hamster wants you to murder your family and dance about in their skin, it's time to ask some questions.

I don't think that ALL religions are equally valid. Aum Shinrikyo strikes me as one which is less valid. The thuggees of India strike me as being less valid. Principally because of their focus on personal advancement without concern for others.

In my experience it is very easy to be an atheist in an armchair with a cup of coffee. the further I've been from that chair and the closer to death I've got, the more tempting God becomes. You could say that was cowardice, but I've also noticed many other things shift when you're in really deep trouble, like friends, enemies, relationships, and so on. My observations when in the poop have often been much more reliable than when I'm all comfy and can talk/think rubbish with no comeback. So maybe God really does make sense. *shrugs* When it comes right down to it I am an atheist because I believe a man should have to live by laws he has a say in. I refuse to be pushed around by a supreme being. I must say I also find all this talk rather centred on fruitcake extremists, who in my opinion will use any old excuse to have a fight. They enjoy feeling superior and pushing people around. What about your holy-rollers who protest in dictatorships, knowing they will lose their lives? Or the holy-rollers who treat the terminally ill? Or devote their lives to helping the poor? IMO losing faith in the human race entirely means one needs to get out more, and certainly meet some different people.

I think it's a bit much to blame religion for all the bad things religious people do, and at the same refuse religion any credit for the good things religious people do. Religion can make you do stuff for no 'rational' objective reason. But I would say that that includes helping people when you've no good reason to, as well as light them on fire.

Jesus saves.... .....But Rooney scores on the rebound. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That was a great game. We'd have won too, if they hadn't played Ghandi on the wing. I don't think Jesus would kill himself when he saw what we were like. We'd nail his ***shiny new donkey*** too quick for him to get a look in.

I type extremely fast. Or rather, I type as fast as I can think. Which is quite slow, but enough for practical purposes.

I never owned Lara Croft, but I found the shifting perspective, and her shorts, very distracting.

Now why didn't Christ put that in the Bible. A lot of troubles it would have saved. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I dunno. I thought the whole thing with the good samaritan, the first among you without sin casting the first stone, consider the lillies, forgiveness, giving out free booze, and so on was intended that way.

This better start smelling less of ham soon, or I'm going to don my new green dragon outfit. And it's crotchless.

hands up anyone whose views on Religion vs Science have been shaped by playing Sid Meir's Alpha Centauri.

And I like to start the evening with beer, move onto wine, and finish on bourbon. PUt I pay for it in the morning. Actually the thing is I was making a point about religion and alcohol having good and positive points. Both being excellent when taken in a spirit of goodwill towards men, and a fuel for violence and cruelty when taken in a spirit of anger or despair. Fair analogy?

Belief in God hasn't and isn't always the same as saying 'God told me' in response to any question. Some great philosophers have been men of God. The BBC's 'thought for the day' show has some pretty interesting questions thought through by Rabbi's, Mullahs, and Bishops, as well as doctors and politicians. If someone wearing a big shiny christian hat <sic> thumping the table and telling me they're right, then I see an idiot, not a christian.

Could you explain this please? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Certainly. The statement arose because I am an idiot.