[net.religion] subgroups, my defense

ellen@ucla-cs.UUCP (12/12/84)

thanks to those others who have come to my/our defense, in reference to my
article expressing my eagerness for a net.religion.newage subgroup and my
despair at having to glean through masses (and not only catholic ones :-)
of Christian articles. 

geez, looweez, folks, i feel that i have expressed my basic tolerance clearly
through my other postings.  if christianity works for you, i'm glad that you
are spiritually satisfied.  however, i must re-state my dislike at having
someone else's beliefs  SHOVED IN MY FACE and RAMMED DOWN MY THROAT.

Paul DuBois, i'm definitely not asking you to pack up and go.  i have a
confession to make.  i've been reading (gasp) net.rel.xian.  it's amazing
how calmly the various aspects of xian belief can be carried on among like-
minded people (and then again, not all posters are confirmed as christians).
the postings on Gnosticism have been interesting - i'm glad to hear that
this spiritual form of xianity is still around.  in many of its forms, it
accepted women as men's spiritual equals and allowed them a strong role in
the leadership of the church as they saw it (yes, i know, there were numerous
variations, but this was a strong one).

however, to say again, as others have before me:  i am intelligent, i am widely
read, i consider ideas presented to me without instant rejection.  i have
weighed the issues and I KNOW, believe me, that xianity is NOT for me AT ALL.
discussions of the soul, its origin and nature, are interesting; forms of
sacrament are too (even non-xians have them), but STOP HITTING ME OVER THE HEAD
WITH YOUR CHRISTIAN SHOVEL! and my appreciation of those Christians who don't
feel the necessity to condemn those of us who are NOT IN THE LEAST interested
in changing religious horses.  

thoughts and beliefs i have are presented as a matter of interest.  if you're
not interested, that's fine with me.  but i'm not trying to FORCE you to change
by name-calling, scare tactics (your're going to burn, Burn, BURN!), 
and repetitious and out-of-context biblical quotes.  if you view the bible
as the literal truth, that's your problem or privelege.  i view it as a VERY
MUCH EDITED, re-written, plagerized and plagerizing, expurgated, historical
document and source book.  but, hey, for me, it's not the absolute and exact
word of god, whichever one you have chosen.  

now, can we talk about something else, besides how we non-christians are going
to suffer?  thank you.

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